GPS Vs Bluetooth Tracker: What's Best For Cats & Dogs

Bluetooth Tracker Vs GPS Tracker: What's Best For Cats & Dogs?

Perhaps you have been looking at a tracker for some time, but are not sure what the difference is between Bluetooth and GPS.

Your pet is a part of your family. Their love and affection is what makes pet ownership so fulfilling. Like other members of your family, you want to keep them safe. To do this, you sometimes need to keep track of where they are and what they’re up to.

A good quality pet tracker will let you know where your pet is at all times. Read on to find out about the different types of tracker and find out why the Safer Pet GPS pet tracker is the best pet GPS tracking solution currently available on the market.

Safer Pet GPS Pet Tracker Blog: GPS Vs Bluetooth Tracker

What types of pet tracker are there?

Pet trackers work with either GPS or Bluetooth technology.

A Bluetooth tracker will use the Bluetooth signal from the tracker on your pet’s collar, connected to a Bluetooth-enabled device. However, Bluetooth’s range is only around 30 feet, or 10 metres. If the pet is further than 10 metres away, the tracker will not work, which is a major caveat for most who want to track their pet reliably with ease.

A tracker like the Safer Pet GPS Pet Tracker uses Global Positioning Systems (GPS) from the tracker on your pet’s collar, giving you an exact location of your pet through the simple to use Safer Pet mobile app, no matter how far away they are, accurate to within 10 metres anywhere around the world. This type of tracker contains a SIM-card connected to a network.

Safer Pet utilise a multi-network SIM, which connects to alternative providers when other signals drop off, offering the widest range of connectivity.

For this reason, we strongly recommend a GPS pet tracker to be able to find your pet wherever they are, without worrying about them straying beyond Bluetooth reach and becoming lost. The Safer Pet GPS pet tracker is specially designed for safety, fits any collar and is comfortable and ultralight at only 23g.

Safer Pet GPS pet trackers are the best pet tracking solution on the market

The advantages of a GPS tracker

Precise Location

GPS gives a precise location, so using a GPS pet tracker will allow you to locate your pet with ease. The Safer Pet GPS pet tracker is accurate to within 10 metres and offers unlimited range.

Global Coverage

You can track your pet no matter where they are. As GPS satellites have global coverage, you could even watch your pet’s movements while you take a holiday abroad. The Safer Pet GPS pet tracker features a multi-network SIM, allowing the tracker to connect to multiple mobile networks across the UK.

See them in real time

The real time signal tracking of a GPS tracker means that you can watch where your pet is at that very moment. You may be familiar with tracking a parcel delivery, which works in a similar way. The 'Find Pet' button on the Safer Pet GPS pet tracker app allows you to receive an instant accurate update of your pet's location for quick and reliable tracking.

Location History

A GPS tracker will record your pet’s movements, and allow you to view this on a breadcrumb trail on a map. If you’ve ever wondered where your cat goes all day, or whether it visits other houses, you can now find out. 

This is also useful to see how active your pet is. If you were concerned about your pet’s weight, you can use your GPS tracker see how active they are. This could help you to make decisions on how much food to give your pet, or how far to walk them. With a Safer Pet GPS tracker, you can easily ensure your pet is getting enough exercise using the activity logs feature.

The advantages of a Bluetooth tracker

Precision

Bluetooth technology is very precise, and can track location down to centimetres. However, this will only work in the Bluetooth range, of around 10 metres, defeating the purpose of tracking in the majority of cases. Bluetooth trackers, such as the Apple AirTag were originally designed to track valuable personal items, which are easily lost, such as wallets and keys, whilst at home.

Cost

A Bluetooth tracker will cost less than a GPS tracker, with many GPS trackers requiring a small monthly subscription. However, the Safer Pet GPS pet tracker is available with the best value subscription plans available on the market. The small extra cost is worth it for the peace of mind, given that with a Safer Pet GPS pet tracker you can reliably find your pet at any time if they become lost.

Battery life

Bluetooth trackers tend to have longer battery life, due to the fact that the devices don't transmit data as frequently. GPS pet trackers regularly update their location to increase accuracy and reliability.

Safer Pet GPS Dog Tracker

The disadvantages of a Bluetooth tracker

Coverage

A Bluetooth tracker will only track your pet to a distance of around 30 feet, or 10 metres. If a pet has ran away out of sight or been stolen, it is very likely that they will go beyond the reach of a Bluetooth tracker. A GPS tracker on the other hand, will track your pet globally to within 10 metres, allowing for reliable and convenient tracking at any time.

Should your pet move beyond the 10 metre distance, you could still locate them if they move close enough to another person with the same Bluetooth pet tracking app as you, but this is again a highly unlikely scenario in most cases where pets go missing.

Interference

Bluetooth signal can suffer from interference, especially indoors, which can further reduce its effectiveness.

Final thoughts on GPS vs Bluetooth Pet Trackers

A Bluetooth tracker will only practically be adequate for tracking the precise location of your pet, within a 10 metre distance. This means they can be used for tracking activity on walks but they are not effective against preventing a pet from getting lost or for helping find a pet that has gone missing. 

Should your pet go missing or be stolen, it is most likely that they will move outside the range of a Bluetooth tracker. For this reason, a GPS tracker, such as the Safer Pet GPS pet tracker, which is the smallest and lightest pet tracker available on the market, will give you more comfort about your pet’s safety and reduce your anxiety levels as you can track them no matter where they are in the world.

Although a Bluetooth tracker could still find your pet beyond 10 metres in theory, you rely on the highly unlikely chance that the pet will go close enough to another person with the same Bluetooth pet tracker app enabled. How likely is this? Would you want to take the chance when it comes to finding your lost pet?

If your pet does go missing, time is of the essence. A GPS pet tracker can be used for other purposes too. Being able to see how active your pet is during the day can help you with their weight management and healthcare.

You want the best for your pet and to keep them happy and safe. A Safer Pet GPS tracker will let them enjoy their love of adventure and exploring, without you worrying about how far they go.

Safer Pet GPS Pet Tracker | Blog

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