Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.
The Spy Tec STI_GL300 is a GPS tracker with on-demand location updates and extensive battery life, so you won’t have to worry about charging it every night. Its sturdy build can stand up to daily wear and tear, and its waterproof case lets it tag along on wild summer adventures. Along with being one of the most affordable GPS trackers available, it’s also one of the most functional.
You can customize the location update intervals, setting them to be as frequent as every five seconds or as infrequent as every minute. It also allows you to ping the device manually as needed, which is a great way to view the device’s location in between the regular updates. You can also opt to set up digital zones, called geofences, around places like your home or their school, and receive an alert whenever the tracker enters or exits them.
One of the main downsides to the tracker is that, unlike Trax, it doesn’t have a companion smartphone app. You can only access the monitoring functionality by logging on to a web portal on the company’s site. This option means that unless you’re currently using your desktop or laptop computer, or your smartphone has an internet browser, you won’t be able to monitor your child’s whereabouts. Once you’re logged into the portal, however, you can easily see the device’s current location as well as its recent history. It also allows you to adjust settings and view alerts.
The device is not water resistant, although it has an easy-to-use interface with a single button on the front – the panic button. In our tests, we felt like this device had the most solid, high-quality build of any tracker in our lineup. Additionally, with minimal use, the battery can last up to an impressive two weeks.
The company’s support representatives are available to talk with you via live chat, telephone or email. Everything is taken care of through the company, and you won’t have to worry about dealing with a third-party network carrier like some other trackers require. The device ships with a one-year warranty.
While this GPS tracking device has one of the lowest initial purchase prices on the market – two to three times cheaper than most other models – its comparably high monthly subscription rate means you’ll pay more for it over the course of a year. This makes it one of the most expensive units overall, although the cost is spread out rather than being a lump sum. Consider your budget and what would work best for it.
The Spy Tec STI_GL300 is one of the best GPS trackers on the market because of its powerful tracking ability and extensive battery life. Though it’s the only tracker in our comparison that doesn’t have a companion app and has a costly monthly subscription rate, the device is highly accurate as well as feature-rich, and it's a good choice if you need a powerful tracker and don’t mind the monthly charge.
