I live in a dense, 100-acre forest. While the Fi 3 is not incredibly accurate, I really value it. I have five dogs of very different sizes who can all wear the collar very comfortably 24/7. The battery life is great and 100% of the time I can have a solid idea of where my dogs are. The Fi 3 is a great balance of comfort, battery size, and GPS. I will continue to be a loyal patron of this company.
i have the fi first gen, and i can concur that it's soooo inaccurate...but i knew that going in. we needed it to give us an idea where doggo went in the event he gets hurt and can't return...but you're spot on with its lack of accuracy.
FYI, the Fi collar has a lost dog mode that will give you much more accurate tracking, designed to help you find the dog more quickly. Of course it does use a lot more battery when in this mode.
I appreciate it Laurel. So far, the SpotOn 2nd Gen and improved SpotOn Omni standout as the best smart collars I've tested, with the Halo 3 just behind. The SpotOn is a little more expensive but you don't have to have the subscription unless you need tracking off your property.
Yeah the Fi is somewhat useless after having it for about a year. Its more a doggy facebook than something that you rely on when you're trying to find your dog.
I'm curious why you did not test the Whistle Go Explore, we have had one for years and not only has it been accurate in tracking our runaway hound, it has INCREDIBLE battery life.
There are a lot of different smart collars out there and there is so much to cover with just a handful of them. If I haven't covered it yet, it's not because I don't like the brand or don't want to. It's simply because I haven't gotten my hands on it or I'm still working my way towards it lol. As far as the Fi, funny story (well, not really funny, at least not at the time)-I called customer service because of how bad the accuracy was at the time. He was nice enough and walked me through a sort of reset process then had me take a walk. As I was on the phone with him, the trail it creates generated on screen, roughly 500 yards away from me. The trail did lead back to my house after I made a huge circle, but it led back in an entirely different direction. I then spent the next 15 to 20 minutes listening to this guy try to tell me that I can't read my own phone screen and that I am incorrect. I've only lived in this area for nearly 40 years and have a pretty good idea of what is where even from a top-down perspective! It is what it is. I tried to give them a fair shake in my review, to the best of my ability anyway. I do believe I brought the issue up in another, related video, but I can't remember which one exactly.
@@WorldAnimalFdn i hear yah...thanks for the explanation. Much appreciated. I didn't know if the others were so poor that you didn't even bother considering 😂. As for the Fi, i too submitted a "feedback" ticket about a lack of accuracy. I'm pretty sure they know, but from what i can tell, they seem to be banking on the form factor over functionality. They've "improved" the collar over the years, making it thinner and sleeker looking, but the accuracy remains the same. in addition, their current 2yr sub price is what i paid for their 3 yr plan 3 years back. it's about to expire, so i'm on the hunt for a better collar as we're on some acreage and he does keep the boars and other vermin away from the house quite well, along with visiting his neighboring "girlfriend". Any who, thank you for taking the time to do these reviews. You're the only one who shows live activity with the collar, not just verbally parsing the spec. Seeing them live DEFINITELY prove/show their worth or not. I'm currently eyeballing the garmin alpha lte (then eventually, getting the pairing handset for when cell isn't available or down), It's a bit less bulky and seems like it might be a decent option...not sure yet. certainly, their sub pricing is GREAT! under $50/yr.
Thanks for the review! I also have a dog and have been working on my own smart pet tracker for a while. You mentioned continuous precise GPS tracking. Could you elaborate on a scenario where you would need that? I can’t imagine needing GPS tracking if my dog is nearby. It’s a different story if I need to find my dog; in that case, even a 5-second delay would be fine.
The best thing I can think of in way of explanation is my Doberman, Ares, running off several years back. We were in Tennessee, up on the Cumberland Plateau and coyotes were out. One had just run across our property several hundred yards off. Ares scented one of them and forgot any semblance of training we had given him. He bolted across the field and the area we were in is still a pretty remote area on 35 acres of property. It took us hours to find him and we were a good half a mile from the house. We didn’t know what direction to go other than the last moment we saw Ares hit the tree line. I would have felt much more calm if I could actively watch him moving via satellite. Some of these trackers are so sluggish you have to wait a full minute to get an accurate update and a Doberman can cover a lot of ground in a minute. Maybe it’s just more of a comfort and peace of mind thing? It just feels better to be able to see him moving in real-time, with barely a hiccup of delay. That’s the best way I can explain it.
I have not but you are not the first to mention that one to me. I will put it on the list but I have some more stuff to get through with the ones I have, plus some additional Tractive devices I haven’t even unboxed yet. I will definitely keep it in mind. Thanks!
I would recommend SpotOn. They’re supposed to work anywhere on the planet and it features universal cell coverage. Just a word of warning, however, I have not tested these collars in any country but the southeast region of the United States. I’m assuming you’re referring to Mauritius, Africa. In that case, I can only tell you what SpotOn says.
If you decide to purchase the SpotOn collar, here is the link: spotonvirtualfence.sjv.io/4PQE23 Your purchase through this link will support our channel and help us create more great content.
I totally noticed too! I have chickens so that's just where he probably keeps them and keeps track of oldest to newest. Funny cuz this is the second video I've seen and he has alot more eggs in this one.
I’m sure there are but it’s not something many of the smart collars out there tend to advertise for some reason. I know the SpotOn does not use 5G and pretty sure the Halo collars don’t either.
Warning: Tractive has awful, virtually nonexistent Customer Service (CS). No CS phone support, all email. And, Tractive DOES NOT respond to emails. Check the reviews on line!!! I bought a Tractive, and can't get anyone to respond to numerous emails. Totally worthless nonexistent Customer Service.
Yeah, Tractive customer service isn’t the best. It’s a shame because I like their Tractive XL Adventure Edition collar. It’s definitely not up there with the SpotOn but it has its moments. Customer service has fallen short for me with Tractive and with Fi.
Which Dog GPS Tracker do you think is the best choice?
I live in a dense, 100-acre forest. While the Fi 3 is not incredibly accurate, I really value it. I have five dogs of very different sizes who can all wear the collar very comfortably 24/7. The battery life is great and 100% of the time I can have a solid idea of where my dogs are. The Fi 3 is a great balance of comfort, battery size, and GPS. I will continue to be a loyal patron of this company.
i have the fi first gen, and i can concur that it's soooo inaccurate...but i knew that going in. we needed it to give us an idea where doggo went in the event he gets hurt and can't return...but you're spot on with its lack of accuracy.
FYI, the Fi collar has a lost dog mode that will give you much more accurate tracking, designed to help you find the dog more quickly. Of course it does use a lot more battery when in this mode.
Yes, I know. I’ve used it, and in my experience, it functions about as well as a kite in water.
This was great info. Keep testing. I am a FI user and I’m not happy. Looking for the most accurate location.
I appreciate it Laurel. So far, the SpotOn 2nd Gen and improved SpotOn Omni standout as the best smart collars I've tested, with the Halo 3 just behind. The SpotOn is a little more expensive but you don't have to have the subscription unless you need tracking off your property.
Yeah the Fi is somewhat useless after having it for about a year. Its more a doggy facebook than something that you rely on when you're trying to find your dog.
That Tractive looks appealing since I don't live near a forest lol. Great reviews
thank you for your work.
I'm curious why you did not test the Whistle Go Explore, we have had one for years and not only has it been accurate in tracking our runaway hound, it has INCREDIBLE battery life.
I just haven’t had my hands on one yet. But it’s definitely on my list!
Thanks for the great review! I’m curious if there’s interest in reviewing dog trackers that don’t require a subscription or cell signal?
The main ones I’m aware of right now are the Petfon Smart Tracker 2 and Apple AirTag.
Was there a reason why you didn't consider the "petcube", or "cube" , "petfon", etc?
There are a lot of different smart collars out there and there is so much to cover with just a handful of them. If I haven't covered it yet, it's not because I don't like the brand or don't want to. It's simply because I haven't gotten my hands on it or I'm still working my way towards it lol. As far as the Fi, funny story (well, not really funny, at least not at the time)-I called customer service because of how bad the accuracy was at the time. He was nice enough and walked me through a sort of reset process then had me take a walk. As I was on the phone with him, the trail it creates generated on screen, roughly 500 yards away from me. The trail did lead back to my house after I made a huge circle, but it led back in an entirely different direction. I then spent the next 15 to 20 minutes listening to this guy try to tell me that I can't read my own phone screen and that I am incorrect. I've only lived in this area for nearly 40 years and have a pretty good idea of what is where even from a top-down perspective! It is what it is. I tried to give them a fair shake in my review, to the best of my ability anyway. I do believe I brought the issue up in another, related video, but I can't remember which one exactly.
@@WorldAnimalFdn i hear yah...thanks for the explanation. Much appreciated. I didn't know if the others were so poor that you didn't even bother considering 😂. As for the Fi, i too submitted a "feedback" ticket about a lack of accuracy. I'm pretty sure they know, but from what i can tell, they seem to be banking on the form factor over functionality. They've "improved" the collar over the years, making it thinner and sleeker looking, but the accuracy remains the same. in addition, their current 2yr sub price is what i paid for their 3 yr plan 3 years back. it's about to expire, so i'm on the hunt for a better collar as we're on some acreage and he does keep the boars and other vermin away from the house quite well, along with visiting his neighboring "girlfriend". Any who, thank you for taking the time to do these reviews. You're the only one who shows live activity with the collar, not just verbally parsing the spec. Seeing them live DEFINITELY prove/show their worth or not. I'm currently eyeballing the garmin alpha lte (then eventually, getting the pairing handset for when cell isn't available or down), It's a bit less bulky and seems like it might be a decent option...not sure yet. certainly, their sub pricing is GREAT! under $50/yr.
Thanks for the review! I also have a dog and have been working on my own smart pet tracker for a while. You mentioned continuous precise GPS tracking. Could you elaborate on a scenario where you would need that? I can’t imagine needing GPS tracking if my dog is nearby. It’s a different story if I need to find my dog; in that case, even a 5-second delay would be fine.
The best thing I can think of in way of explanation is my Doberman, Ares, running off several years back. We were in Tennessee, up on the Cumberland Plateau and coyotes were out. One had just run across our property several hundred yards off. Ares scented one of them and forgot any semblance of training we had given him. He bolted across the field and the area we were in is still a pretty remote area on 35 acres of property. It took us hours to find him and we were a good half a mile from the house. We didn’t know what direction to go other than the last moment we saw Ares hit the tree line. I would have felt much more calm if I could actively watch him moving via satellite. Some of these trackers are so sluggish you have to wait a full minute to get an accurate update and a Doberman can cover a lot of ground in a minute. Maybe it’s just more of a comfort and peace of mind thing? It just feels better to be able to see him moving in real-time, with barely a hiccup of delay. That’s the best way I can explain it.
@@WorldAnimalFdn thanks a lot!
Ok thanks a lot
You ever reviewed the whistle tracker?
I have not but you are not the first to mention that one to me. I will put it on the list but I have some more stuff to get through with the ones I have, plus some additional Tractive devices I haven’t even unboxed yet. I will definitely keep it in mind. Thanks!
Morning.. I'm living in Mauritius. What would you recommend ?
I would recommend SpotOn. They’re supposed to work anywhere on the planet and it features universal cell coverage. Just a word of warning, however, I have not tested these collars in any country but the southeast region of the United States. I’m assuming you’re referring to Mauritius, Africa. In that case, I can only tell you what SpotOn says.
If you decide to purchase the SpotOn collar, here is the link: spotonvirtualfence.sjv.io/4PQE23
Your purchase through this link will support our channel and help us create more great content.
What's with the eggs?
I totally noticed too! I have chickens so that's just where he probably keeps them and keeps track of oldest to newest. Funny cuz this is the second video I've seen and he has alot more eggs in this one.
Why do you have so many eggs?
Does any of the trackers run on 5G
I’m sure there are but it’s not something many of the smart collars out there tend to advertise for some reason. I know the SpotOn does not use 5G and pretty sure the Halo collars don’t either.
Warning: Tractive has awful, virtually nonexistent Customer Service (CS). No CS phone support, all email. And, Tractive DOES NOT respond to emails. Check the reviews on line!!! I bought a Tractive, and can't get anyone to respond to numerous emails. Totally worthless nonexistent Customer Service.
Yeah, Tractive customer service isn’t the best. It’s a shame because I like their Tractive XL Adventure Edition collar. It’s definitely not up there with the SpotOn but it has its moments. Customer service has fallen short for me with Tractive and with Fi.