GPS Tracker Review

GPS trackers provide an excellent way to keep track of where your young kids or teens are traveling. Through the use of a small device and a simple software application on your Mac, Windows PC or smartphone, you can monitor their location from anywhere. These GPS navigators are small and easy to set up and use, and will show you an updated, time-stamped location of your child, teen or even a pet that tends to runaway. It will also keep a history of where they’ve been, and some products can even tell you if your teen has been driving over the speed limit.

What Makes GPS Trackers Different

GPS trackers differ from vehicle navigational systems in that they are specifically used for keeping track of an individual or a pet that may tend to wander away. They can also be used by hikers to help them find their way back to their car or tent. Our top three GPS trackers, Spark Nano, Zoombak Advanced A-GPS and Amber Alert GPS, are great devices that have the best features, battery life and ease of use.

When using a GPS tracker, it’s highly recommended you tell your child that you’re tracking them and that you establish the locations where you expect them to be at certain times. When your teen starts driving, the GPS tracker makes an excellent vehicle tracking system. You both agree upon the area they can travel, and you can keep an eye on where they’re driving, and the GPS tracker will also alert you if they’re speeding. Be sure to check out our articles on GPS tracking devices to learn more.

GPS Trackers: What to Look For

The great thing about GPS trackers is that, although they use sophisticated satellite technology, they are simple enough to use that even people without much technical background can figure out how to work them. These tracking devices are easy to set up and place in a car, in your child’s backpack or on your pet’s collar. Then you just use your computer or smartphone to monitor where they are.

Ease of Use
The devices themselves are fairly easy to set up, and it should also be simple and intuitive to set up the software or web-based user interface to track on your computer or smartphone. If the device or the monitoring interface is complicated, that will make it harder to monitor and track your child, teen or runaway pet.

Features
The features should include monitoring software for your computer and possibly a smartphone app, an intuitive interface and maps so the alerts show exactly where your loved one or pet has been, and it should be small and portable. The GPS trackers should also be able to alert you if the car is speeding. Battery life is important because there will be times when you may be monitoring for a large part of the day.

Tracking
When it comes to tracking, you should be able to set up alerts telling you at designated time intervals the location of the GPS tracking device, which you can also view on a map. Details include the geographical location, the speed the device was travelling and the time of the recording. You should also be able to access the GPS tracker’s location history on a map. Some of the GPS tracker manufacturers may add in additional tracking features, such as geo-fencing, where you can set up a specific area in the software’s maps that will alert you if your child or teen travels outside that agreed-upon zone.

Help & Support
Some of the help and support options provided by GPS tracker manufacturers should include a user manual, a FAQs page and tutorials. There should also be direct contact options in case you need more help, such as by email or telephone. Most manufacturers provide email tech support at the very least.

Summary

With a GPS tracker, you’ll be able to ensure your teen is driving safely and in an agreed-upon area, or that your child isn’t wandering around after school when he or she should be home or at a friend’s. These tracking devices are easy to use, and you can access the location data from an internet-connected Mac or Windows PC, or from your smartphone.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™