For individuals seeking a GPS pet tracker, they would likely desire one that promptly notifies them of their pet’s escape. The Tractive GPS Dog LTE Tracker, priced at $49.99, stands out by delivering the swiftest escape alerts among the trackers tested. Designed for convenience, it securely fastens to a dog’s existing collar using a rubber clip. Notably, the tracker boasts a Basic subscription option, which encompasses live location tracking, activity monitoring, and sleep monitoring. This subscription is more budget-friendly compared to its competitors. Despite some room for improvement in battery life and the inclusion of health and social features, the Tractive offers exceptional GPS tracking at a reasonable cost, thus meriting the esteemed Editors’ Choice award.
Tractive offers two distinct iterations of its GPS and LTE pet tracker, tailored for dogs and cats respectively, both priced at $49.99 alongside applicable subscription fees. Both versions are equipped with IPX7 waterproofing, shock resistance, and pledge up to one week of battery life contingent on usage. The canine variant is suitable for dogs weighing at least 8.8 pounds, making it a preferable option for smaller canines than the Fi Smart Dog Collar Series 2, which necessitates a minimum weight of 10 pounds for usage.
The subscription offerings from Tractive include two tiers: Basic ($12 per month, $84 per year, or $120 every two years) and Premium ($96 per year, $144 every two years, or $300 every five years). Both plans encompass GPS tracking at intervals ranging from two to 60 minutes, unlimited Live tracking occurring in intervals as short as two to three seconds, as well as activity and sleep monitoring. The Premium subscription introduces additional features such as family and public sharing, global coverage across 175 countries, one year of location history, GPS data exports, and enhanced customer service. In comparison, Fi charges $99 annually for their subscription plan.
For those managing multiple pets, the Tractive GPS app permits the simultaneous tracking of their locations. However, a distinct tracker and subscription are mandated for each pet. The app itself boasts an intuitive design and user-friendly interface. The tabs at the bottom include Map, History, Activity, Profile, and Account. The Map tab serves as the primary screen, allowing users to monitor their animal’s location, activate Live and Find modes, monitor the tracker’s battery life and GPS signal, and modify map settings.
Tracking is consistently enabled when the device is active. The map displays the pet’s location along with the time of the last update. Tractive’s default location update interval varies between two and 60 minutes, depending on the pet’s mobility. If the pet remains relatively stationary, the tracker adjusts its update frequency to conserve battery life.
In scenarios where a pet ventures off, Live mode becomes instrumental for real-time tracking. Activating the blue Live button prompts the Tractive to furnish the pet’s GPS location every few seconds, illustrated as a blue line on the map. It’s important to note that Live mode expends the battery at a faster rate than the default tracking mode. To mitigate battery drainage, Live tracking automatically deactivates after five minutes, although users can customize this duration through the Profile tab.
The Find mode proves invaluable in situations where a weak GPS signal hampers location accuracy. Within Bluetooth range of the tracker, a pet icon appears above the Live button. Tapping this icon initiates a blue bullseye around the pet’s profile picture. As proximity to the pet increases, more rings on the bullseye turn blue. The tracker is equipped with a small LED light and an audible alarm, both of which can be activated alongside Live and Find modes to expedite pet location.
