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A GPS pet tracker can keep your cat’s or dog’s life when it ever escapes home. After spending a lot more than 25 hours researching and testing four trackers, including having Wirecutter staffers bring them all on a journey around Manhattan and a 35-mile bike ride, we’ve found the Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor to be the best tracker for many pet owners. Not merely could be the Whistle 3 as quick and accurate at tracking as any other model we tested, but inaddition it has the longest-lasting battery by far Dog tracking device .
Who this really is for
A GPS pet tracker, similar to emergency gear, is something you hope there is a constant need certainly to use. The unit uses an embedded GPS transponder along with cellular data signals to communicate your pet’s location at a given time. The idea is that if your pet escapes, you’ll receive a notification via a software, have the capability to track its location in realtime, and be safely reunited.
How exactly we picked and tested
An excellent pet tracker ought to be easy to set up and must stay in your pet, so we started by evaluating the hardware itself. We viewed each tracker’s size and how securely it attaches to a collar. We also examined any power controls present on the collars and tested battery life in the “safe zone” and in the actual world. In the safe zone, the collar’s GPS radio is deactivated, significantly saving battery life. The safe zone is decided by maintaining a link with a specific Wi-Fi network or base station, or by staying inside a defined area.
To track accuracy, we sent the trackers on a 35-mile bike ride in upstate New York, periodically checking the trackers’status and reported location. We also visited five locations in Manhattan to check both how accurate each tracker’s reported locations were and how quickly each tracker’s companion smartphone app updated. To see more about our test procedures, please see our full guide.
Our pick
If you’re worried about your pet getting away and you’ll need a tool to assist you more easily believe it is, the best option could be the Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor. This tracker is really as accurate as any model we tested, quickly transmitting its GPS signal back to the phone. It lasts longer on a demand than the other contenders we tried, its hardware design is the greatest by far, and its smartphone software is equally well-thought-out.
Throughout our tests, we could have the Whistle 3’s location in a matter of seconds, and that reported location was always close enough to the actual location that we’d be able to find our pet easily. We that way the Whistle 3’s smartphone app teaches you not only where in actuality the tracker is but additionally where you are in terms of it, which is handy if you’re searching for your pet in an unfamiliar area. The app also includes a button to refresh the location manually, something other trackers’apps lack.
Where in actuality the Whistle 3 most sets itself apart from other models is in battery life. When left undisturbed in a very home Wi-Fi safe zone, it didn’t just last longer than any other tracker—it even surpassed the total amount of time we allotted for the test. Thirteen days into the test, and six days following the next-longest battery gave out, the Whistle 3’s battery was still at 69 percent.
The Whistle 3 won’t come off if you don’t hold down a spring-loaded button and twist a quarter turn, an action your opposable-thumb-lacking companion is unlikely to purposefully or accidentally take. The Whistle 3 can also be rated IP67, meaning it’s dust-tight and can survive being immersed in up to a meter of water.
Similar to competing trackers, the Whistle 3 takes a 3G service plan. You are able to choose to cover $10 monthly without any commitment, or save by investing in a year ($100) as well as two ($170) in advance.