Don’t get us wrong; knowing where registered sex offenders live can put your mind at ease when your child is going to school or play dates. This GPS tracker is not only accurate, but it also has a map feature where you can view the addresses of all registered sex offenders around the tracker along with the person’s name, date of birth, crime and photo. While this is incredibly useful for some, it might not be what you’re looking for it you need a tracker for your business needs or possessions. But if your main priority is keeping your child safe, getting an alert when tracker goes within 500 feet of where a registered sex offender lives could help give you peace of mind.
If you have a young child you want to keep an eye on, this tracker or the AngelSense are two great options. There are two subscription plans to pick from for the Amber Alert. The least expensive plan supports unlimited text and email notifications and 30 voice minutes per month for two-way communication between the tracker and you. The premium option includes 24/7 access to safety agents who can dispatch emergency services to the tracker’s location anywhere in the United States via the SOS button on the device. One downside to this device is that while it’s reasonably priced, you also must pay a one-time activation fee.
In our tests we drove the tracker around while one of our technicians sat in the lab and monitored its location on the Amber Alert app while communicating with the driver. Comparing where the app’s location ping was and where the driver said they were, we measured this tracker has a delay time of about 30 seconds while in a moving vehicle, which is incredibly accurate. It has a discovery range of about 100 feet as well, so you’re most likely going to be able to find what you’re looking for. The Pocketfinder+ and BrickHouse Spark Nano 6.0 did have a better discovery range if that’s a priority for you. You can view a 90-day history of where the tracker has been and set up additional account users online so other people will receive important location alerts.
This is the only tracker we tested that requires a charging cradle. In our tests the battery lasted for 21 hours, which is decent but not as good as other units we tested, like the Veriot Venture. Using either an app or desktop tracker you can monitor the unit’s location easily. This includes the option of setting up predetermined boundaries so should the tracker cross them, you’ll get a notification. You can also turn the tracker’s predator location feature off if you like, as we found the red human-shaped icons were distracting. The device comes with a necklace for easy wear, though we worry some children might simply take it off. It weighs 2.5 ounces, so it’s only the fourth-heaviest tracker we tested, but it’s kind of cumbersome to wear as a long necklace so we recommend having your child keep it in a backpack or secured pocket.