Yahoo Autos Autocar product test: What GPS tracker is best?
GPS trackers are a great way to bring added security to a valuable vehicle, but it’s a minefield of different devices, from OBD trackers to keyring trackers. So which one offers the most comprehensive protection for your cherished pride and joy?
Buying a tracker can be tricky, because there are so many out there offering many different features, ranging from fairly basic to very comprehensive historic and live tracking data. There’s differing hardware to consider, too, with magnetic devices, some that fit to an OBD port and some that are connected to your battery.
We’ve picked a cross-section of trackers and tested how easy they are to fit, as well as assessing the app or device functionality and interface. Purchase price and monthly subscription costs are naturally also a consideration. So, which ones did we try and how do we rate them?
How we test products
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Best buy - TruTrak FMT100
Price: £34.99
Buy from: Amazon
Min monthly payment: £4.72
The TruTrak is a doddle to fit to a 12V battery and also really easy to set up - not least because there’s a direct phone number to a real person who can set it up for you remotely within a few minutes. It doesn’t need charging, of course, because it runs on the 12V - and that also means that you can pretty much forget about it and know that it’s always doing the job. You don’t need to buy a separate SIM card and the phone app shows live location, detailed tracking history and various alerts that you can configure, including if the car is being driven erratically or has left set areas. You can also run multiple devices on one app if you have a fleet to worry about. It’s super-effective yet simple and well priced and therefore is our winner.
Autocar says: 5 stars
Recommended - iTrack FS100
Price: £65
Buy from: Amazon
Min monthly payment: £4.79
The iTrack is the same hardware as the TruTrak, and the compact device takes up very little space and will fit a 12V battery even if it’s in a really awkward place in the car. It offers a comprehensive app with full tracking information, geofencing features, speed alerts and more. We found the set-up and customer support were very good, too. Only the purchase price lets it down.
Autocar says: 4 stars
Best budget buy - Shield GPS
Price: £28.99
Buy from: Amazon
Min monthly payment: £4.99
The Shield GPS is an OBD device that requires a separate SIM card, but it’s easy to activate when the SIM is installed. The phone app has journey tracking and live location, plus speed alerts and geofencing so that it sends an alert if the tracker goes outside of your chosen area. It’s a good price, and the monthly fee is reasonable, too. However, none of our OBD devices will be good for older cars that may not have the necessary port, which is a chief reason why we favour those that fit directly to the battery.
Autocar says: 4 stars
Amatrac AM-T22
Price: £49.99
Buy from: Amazon
Min monthly payment: £2.50 (SIM card only)
