You’re a man behind the wheel. Just like every other man out there, we tend to have a lead foot. Choosing the best radar detector can be tough because of the different features, models, and brands there are. We have created a guide to help you find the perfect radar detector and a list of our best radar detectors help you find the one.
Radar Laser Detectors are usually used by drivers to avoid being caught off guard by police laser and radar guns. Although unsafe driving is never good and can often lead to unforeseen consequences, radar detectors can often be the best ways to avoid tickets in the case when you do find yourself speeding. Our best radar detectors are the ones that fulfill the following criteria: they see the radar gun before you come near it, so you will have time to slow down, they can correctly identify the radar gun so they won’t treat false threats as real ones and they have the ability of identifying new types of radars police cars use, such as laser guns. Usually, the radar detectors that have the capacity of fulfilling all three are quite expensive, but after purchasing one, you can rest assured, no police radar will ever catch you unprepared.
Best Radar Detector Comparison Chart 2017
| Picture | Radar Detector | Price | Rating |
  | Valentine One Radar Detector | $$$$ | 4.6 |
  | Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector (Blue Display) | $$$$ | 4.4 |
  | Beltronics Vector V995 Radar Detector | $$ | 4.3 |
  | Escort Passport 8500X50 Black Radar Detector, Blue Display | $$ | 4.4 |
  | Escort Solo S3 Cordless Radar Detector | $$$ | 4.2 |
  | Escort Passport Max2 HD Radar Detector | $$$$ | 4.0 |
What is a Radar Detector?
Before explaining in detail how to find the best radar detectors, first, you have to understand exactly how the actual police radar gun works. A speed gun is basically a transmitter and a receiver in the same unit. The radio transmitter is there to oscillate an electrical current so that the voltage will go up or down at specific frequencies. This electrical current creates electromagnetic energy, which travels through air and becomes an electromagnetic wave. The transmitter also has an antenna to broadcast this electromagnetic wave in the air and an amplifier to increase the intensity.
A radar detector has a radio transmitter that picks up this electromagnetic wave and converts it into an electrical current. Radio transmitters are usually used to detect an object’s motion and how far it is from the transmitter. A radar detector’s radio transmitter will send a wave of concentrated energy that will bounce back if it meets any type of electromagnetic energy. Once the echo is received, the radio transmitter is able to calculate how far the energy is based on the time it takes for the echo to be received. This is the reasons why you should consider picking our best radar detector that can detect only the electromagnetic waves transmitted by a speed gun used by the police and disregard any others.
Types of Best Radar Detectors
There are two main types of radar detectors. The first category involves the usual radar detectors that use the radio transmitter to detect the electromagnetic waves that are emitted by the radar equipment the policemen use.
The second category involves our best radar detectors that instead of simply detecting the electromagnetic waves, they jam them so the speed gun used by the police car cannot detect the speed of the car you are driving. Most of these radar detectors are forbidden in most states in the US and in almost all countries around the world. The principle on which these jammers are working on is quite simple. The speed gun the policemen are using, through the electromagnetic wave it emits, it detects the speed of the car. A laser jammer basically detects this electromagnetic wave and sends out another wave, more powerful, that effectively confuses the speed gun and it does not send any type of reading back. Check out our Motorcycle Radar Detectors too!
Valentine One Radar Detector Review Video
Advantages of using a one
The benefits of using the top radar detectors are quite obvious. The only main advantage is that you can effectively detect the speed guns the policemen are using and therefore, avoid the risk of receiving fines. Although it is not a “get out of jail” card, it can be a very useful item, especially for those that are hurrying up to arrive someplace.
Best Radar Detector Brands
When I think of radar detectors there are five main brands that are highly recommended. Check out the top brands below I suggest, if you stick with buying a name-brand from below, it will ensure you get nothing but quality and performance.
Valentine One
Mike Valentine who’s been engineering radar technology since 1976 created the Valentine V1 radar detector. Currently the most powerful and popular radar detectors on the market today. They sell only directly to the customer to ensure the best service for all customers. Valentine one thrives on building the most advanced and technological radar detectors for the money.
Escort
Escort Inc. has sold over 10 million radar detectors and automotive accessories in the past thirty years in business. Located in Cincinnati Ohio Escort has built a huge base of loyal customers who buy Escort radar detectors only. They have proven clearly they are experts in what they do best.
Whistler
Whistle who has been in the game for over four decades now has built a brand that claim’s to stand for quality, innovation and proven performance. Whistler has been one of the leading companies in the market since the first radar detector they made in the mid-1970’s. They are continuously staying dedicated to bringing us the best radar detector you can buy.
Beltronics
They were established in 1963 and based out of Cincinnati Ohio. They have been very successful from day one in the market because of the stunning technology in laser and radar detection. They continuously are growing and expanding to strive towards perfection. You can never go wrong with this top rated brand of radar detectors.
Cobra
Cobra was founded in the 1940’s by Carl Korn which started out called B&K electronics. Cobra is very well known for their CB Radio in the 50’s & 60’s. The business really starts to boom in the early 80’s when cordless and radar detectors when introduced. In 1993 B&K official change their name to Cobra Electronics Corporation. Over 50 years later you can now find Cobra in over 50,000 storefronts. They create some of the greatest radar detectors that money can buy.
Best Radar Detector Reviews 2017
Valentine One Radar Detector Review
Valentine One is one of our best radar detectors on the market, a fact that has been confirmed numerous times by various forums and reviewers. Although the price can be pretty spicy for a regular person, it is definitely worth every penny, as it detects speed guns quite easily.
Some of the main characteristics of this particular model include an incredible detection range, a feature that allows the radar detector to tell you whether you are past the speed gun or not and another one that lets you know once a signal is considered “junk”, meaning that it is a false alarm by showing a “J” on the Valentine One. This radar detector also comes with 2 antennas, one forward, and one for the rear, which make detecting the electromagnetic waves of the speed guns a breeze. It detects both the usual speed guns used by policemen and the sophisticated laser guns they use. The company also offers all the customers with old versions of Valentine One the chance to upgrade them with the latest software, although some charges might apply.
The bottom line is, although the Valentine One is just about the most expensive and prob the best radar detector out on the market today. With a price tag of around $450, this radar detector is clearly worth every penny spent.
Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector Review
The Escort Passport radar detector is, next to the Valentine One, one of the most highly reviewed and appraised ones. It is equipped to detect all bands the police radars use both from the front and from the rear. It also has a programmable GPS that makes sure you don’t get caught by sneaky cameras or speed guns hidden in all sorts of places you wouldn’t expect to. One of its main features is the TrueLock filter that makes sure no false alarms are traced and together with the Auto Learn technology, you never have to worry about false alarms again. Other features include a mute, auto mute or volume feature that enables you to shut the radar detector off after you are already aware of the threat, the blue or red LED light that tells you how powerful the signal is and much more. Having a radar detector mount for this particular one is a must have.
Although the price of this radar detector might be somewhat considered upper class, it is definitely worth every penny, as you never have to worry again about being caught off guard.
Escort RedLine Radar Detector Review
The Escort RedLine is rated as one of the best radar detectors on the market today by most reviewers. The biggest downsides is the price, as it costs over $500, but when you look at all the features, you’ll forget about it immediately.
The Escort RedLine comes with a dual antenna that detects even the most far away threats, giving you enough time to break. The Auto mode technology reduces all the false alarms the radar detects, while the TotalShield technology makes the radar completely invisible to all the speed guns used by policemen. While most radar detectors offer you the possibility of turning the volume down after a threat has been detected, the AutoMute feature automatically turns the volume lower after it has alerted you to the threat ahead. The Escort RedLine detects all the radio bands the police radars use, including full X, Superwide, and K.
Whistler CR85 High Performance Laser-Radar Detector Review
Compared to the other radar detectors, the Whistler CR85 has the advantage of being the cheapest one so far, while at the same time, offering quality services, according to most reviews.
The Whistler CR85 comes with three modes that detect false alarms better than most radar detectors, while the Real Voice Alerts lets you know when a real threat is nearby through a verbal alert. This particular model uses a low emission when detecting electromagnetic waves, which makes it very difficult to be detected. It also offers you the possibility of customizing the features and to regulate the brightness of the screen. Through a technology specific to Whistler, this particular model can alert you only to the most powerful signal, if multiple are detected. This prevents the detector from getting confused.
Although it certainly cannot match any of the expensive radar detectors, for the low price it is sold, under $150, it is definitely the best.
Beltronics Vector V940 Radar Detector Review
Being from the same category as the Whistler CR85, the Beltronics Vector is one of the best radar detectors for cars that can be bought with less than $170.
The Beltronic Vector V940 is able to detect X, K and Superwide bands, while also being able to detect lasers though visual and audible alerts. This particular model comes with multiple laser sensors and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology that combined, are able to detect all the long threat distance, so you have time to react. The Vector V940 is also invisible to any radar, so you don’t have to worry about being caught. This Beltronics model alerts you both through the usual audio signals, but also through visual alerts, specifically through the 280 LED screen that displays all the radar signals it detects along with their strengths. The Safety Warning technology alerts you not only about the threats posed by police radars, but also about the incoming construction sites, hazards and more.
All in all, the Beltronics Vector V940 Radar Detector is one of out best radar detector for the price and although it does not have all the features expensive radar detectors have, it is a perfect model for the economical driver.
Check out our best radar detectors review guide which gives you more options on choosing the best one that fits your driving habits. Let’s not take the chance of getting a speeding ticket and make the right choice. Thanks, for visiting our website if you have any questions, comments or concerns about anything don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email us. You can email us through our contact page located at the top of the page.
Understanding the Features of a Radar Laser Detector
If you are a fast driver or are looking into buying an advanced sports car like a Porsche or a Corvette, it might be wise to think about purchasing a laser radar detector. While radar detectors of the past tended to be unreliable and sometimes impractical, the laser radar detectors of today have made many advancements. Old-fashioned radar detector models would often pick up false signals from the radar that originated from vehicles and locations that were not police related. the frequency that these false signals occurred made it virtually useless to use the detectors. The main problem with these old units was that an electromagnetic field was used to pick up their radar ranges, meaning that objects ranging from garage door openers to telephone lines would set off a machine. As you can imagine, users decided that radar detectors were more of a nuisance than a functional technology that could help them avoid speeding tickets.
Nowadays, radar laser detector manufacturers have come up with more precise, more functional detectors which do a much better job of performing the task radar detectors were intended for – alerting drivers of upcoming radar activity. One solution that has proven very helpful in this industry is the utilization of GPS features. Radar detectors which include GPS functionality allow users to input locations where radar monitoring devices have already been installed throughout the city. The best radar detectors have software that already includes the majority of these locations. These high activity radar locations will be input and stored for use at a later date in the device’s memory. In addition, sites that often cause false alarms can also be stored in the memory in order to ignore these same locations in the future.
One tip that can help users get the optimal performance out of their best radar detector is to mount your detector either in the dashboard or on the windshield of your performance vehicle. Mounting detectors in the lowest position possible in one of these two locations will give the best overall detection range while also maintaining the highest concealment advantage. As a driver, you will also want to have maximum accessibility to both highway and city modes. When you’re driving it’s hard to remember that for the laser radar detector, driving in the city is vastly different than driving on the highway. That covers everything in the way of placement and use, but there are a number of features that differentiate one detector from the other.
360-Degree Laser Radar Detection
If you see this term when you are purchasing a laser radar detector for your performance car, you should know that it is basically a useless feature, as well as a misnomer. In essence, no radar detectors really use 360-degree detection. Lasers are really only accurate when the target object is headed towards the detector dead-on. As the object continues to move further and further off angle, the accuracy of the device decreases respectively.
Speed Sensitivity
If you are using a GPS enabled radar detector, it’s always going to know how fast you are moving. The best radar detectors will use this information to increase or decrease their sensitivity to existing radar, thus reducing false alarms. The frequency that garage door openers tip off your radar detector will be significantly decreased when using detectors which utilize this technology. This turns out to be a highly useful feature and one that you should definitely look for before you purchase a radar detector. Tests show that detectors which use this speed sensitivity technology virtually smash detectors which don’t have this functionality.
AlertLock
This aforementioned feature analyzes different radar variables including frequency and location of transmitted radar. If you frequently get false signals from garage door openers or ambulances, you can tap this button to ignore similar frequencies of radar. Over time, your radar detecting will become more accurate.
Mark Location
This feature is basically a database of known radar locations, including but not limited to, speed cameras. Because these locations change frequently while cities increase the number of red light cameras and speed cameras, the best laser radar detectors include a manual feature that allows you to add new locations on the fly.
These are the most important features that you should look for when purchasing a laser radar detector. The advances in technology have made it possible for these detectors to be much more useful now than they ever have been in the past. It is now considered a wise investment to look into purchasing one of these devices, especially if you have bad luck when it comes to speeding in your Mercedes Benz SL600.
How to Buy the Perfect Laser Radar Detector as a Gift
If you have a generous soul, and a friend of yours is having trouble with speeding tickets, you might want to consider buying them a laser radar detector as a gift. This isn’t a cheap gift but is a very useful one. And if they are a really good friend they may allow you to borrow it for that trip through Ohio. Traveling these days requires a fairly detailed knowledge of local law enforcement. A detector takes some of the pressure off.
For The Long-Distance Traveler
If your friend spends a lot of time on the interstate you need to take that into consideration. A top-of-the-line detector would be in order here. A detector with good long range performance is usually one of the more expensive ones. It might also be a good idea to check out the performance of the detector when the threat is to the rear. If the recipient of the gift is traveling through states that outlaw detectors and there are more of them every day, he will need a detector that is invisible to the devices used by the police to spot them. Most high-end detectors have this capability. The other thing to be considered is jamming police radar and laser guns. There are a couple of units on the market that have this feature built in. If your budget can stretch that far they would make superior gifts.
For The Local Driver
If your friend does most of his driving on local streets, in built up areas, you need a detector with a high level of discrimination. Many drivers in cities and built-up suburbs won’t use a detector because of the interference generated by local sources such as microwave towers and shopping center door-openers. For someone doing most of their driving in these areas, you want to get a detector that rejects false alarms. Such a detector has special circuits that carefully measure the signals that it picks up. It will notify the driver of the signal but will label it as a false alarm. Most drivers will be able to quickly learn the locations of probable false alarms. Those who can’t be bothered should receive one of the detectors that is GPS enabled. These are terrific. They can remember any false alarms that trigger them, ignoring them in the future. They can also hold a database of stoplight and speed cameras, avoiding contributions to another boondoggle civic revenue stream.
For the Fast Driver
For the driver who just drives too fast all of the time, and pays no attention to the local police presence, a detector is a must. He would benefit greatly from the GPS enabled detectors with the speed trap database. But he is going to find himself getting pulled over anyway. The one thing an officer really hates to see when he walks up to a car is a detector hanging from the windshield. Policemen do think of traffic enforcement as a game. But they think of it as a game rigged in their favor and take a dim view of anything which tips the scale back in the favor of the driver. The detector which is appropriate in this case is the one with a remote-mounted antenna. These detectors usually come with a very small display which can be mounted out of sight on the dash. This display acts as the interface with the driver. The officer who pulls the driver over won’t know a detector is present and may even give a warning instead of a ticket.
A Good Gift
Our best radar detector really can make a good gift if a little thought is put behind it. If you’re really not sure what type of detector to buy, even after talking it over with the guys at the electronics store, consider using one yourself. Make the best possible choice and install it in your own car for a few weeks. If it appears to be doing the job the way you had intended, pack it back in the box and give it as a gift. If you really liked it keep it and buy your friend a brand new one. So find which is the best radar detector for you and you need.
