Table of Contents
What Is a Tracking Device?
A tracking device or also known as a GPS is a piece of equipment developed in order to track movements through changes in the frequency of radio signals. A trackers particular location is found through trilateration, which is the workings out of the distance between GPS satellites and the tracker’s coordinates.
What does GPS mean?
GPS simply means Global Positioning System.
What Can You Use a Tracking Device For?
Tracking devices are used all day, every day for a variety of different people and professionals for many different reasons. They have been used by militaries for years and were in fact first developed for military purposes as a means of navigation to provide navigational advancements in the toughest of situations, like in the night-time pitch black, when soldiers have no idea of where they are in a foreign territory and no idea of where their enemies are around them.
These days you can buy tracking devices pretty easily off of places like Amazon for different uses. They are a common tool amongst private investigators and police detectives, whose job it is to survey and watch specific individuals for potential crimes, and must hide a small device which they do not want to be found, as a means of keeping an eye from a distance on the person being tracked. It has also been found that parents have started using GPS trackers on their children as a means of safety if the child were to ever go missing or they wanted to know where they were at a particular time.
Many users of tracking devices, feel the necessity of purchasing covert tracking devices so that they can’t be tracked, as if they are caught, it may cause uproar and issues further down the line. Like if a private investigators tracker was to be found, the police may be called and the client they are working with exposed.
Another common use of GPS trackers which you may not have thought about is for your furry friends at home. Pets are commonly chipped as a means of keeping them safe and tracked if they were to ever go missing or have not returned home. Some people simply fit magnetic covert tracking devices to items that they simply don’t want to be stolen, so that if it was, they would be able to inform the police and retrieve it.
Are They Legal?
The legalities around trackers can be confusing and differ from country to country. It all depends on what they are being used for like it is perfectly fine for a GPS to be in a child’s pocket or bag during their day at school, and as I previously mentioned, perfectly normal to use on pets.
On the contrary, in the UK and United States, it is illegal to track an individual without their permission and knowledge of you doing so unless you are a private investigator who is allowed to do so. If you ever want to track an individual on the grounds of gaining information on their whereabouts, it’s better to take the legal route and use a private investigator to carry out your research for you.
Now that I have given an insight into what tracking devices are, here is the list of the best covert tracking devices you can buy right now in the US, but available worldwide for a variety of different reasons, whether that be keeping an eye on the kids, your pets or on your vehicle.
8. – Tracki mini Real-Time GPS Tracker
What Can It Be Used For?
Vehicles, Children, Pets, and just about anything that’s magnetic
Overview:
Sitting comfortably at the top of the list is the Tracki mini model, which can be used for just about anything you want to use it for. It’s fully magnetic and very small so is very discreet and can easily be hidden. To a lot of users, this may be the perfect tracker due to its cheap and affordable pricing, being available for around $30.00, which is a great price when compared to other GPS devices.
The cost occurs where a monthly fee is required in order to keep the tracking up to date with an internet connection, but with that, you receive customer service, live updates, alerts and notifications across 185 countries. Not bad right? The real drawback to this device and what makes it number 10 on the list is having quite a short battery life of up to 3 days. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom though due to the battery being rechargeable, so it is perfect for tracking pets, children, and cars as long as you can be in contact with the device on a regular basis to charge it back up.
Pros: Cheap, Small, Rechargeable, Customer Helpline
Cons: Smaller Battery Life Than Competitors, Not constantly updated, its Every 5 mins, Less accurate than other devices, Need Wi-Fi
What Do Customers Say About It?
Customers have rated the product 4 and a half stars, due to its reliability and affordability and have said that when put into context, subscription plans aren’t particularly expensive for what you get. Customers have pinned the tracker to children’s pockets in case something were to happen to them during the day or wanted to know of their whereabouts, and it works perfectly for it.
7. – LandAirSea 54 Waterproof Magnet
What Can It Be Used For?
Vehicle, Asset, Personal
Overview:
The LandAirSea54 is a small GPS tracker that is waterproof and magnetized so it is great for sticking to vehicles and personal assets. It comes with a SIM included and has a monthly subscription required which provides tracker behavior and reporting. The tracker can be discreetly hidden with ease due to its small size and has a built-in super strength magnet so it cannot be removed whilst also being waterproof. The tracker can be purchased for around $40.00 and requires a monthly subscription fee of $24.95 per month.
Pros: Waterproof, Magnetised, Unlimited Data Storage
Cons: Not as accurate as other devices
What Do Customers Say About It?
The device is brilliant in terms of being covert and easy to hide and has proved successful for many people using it to track vehicles as well as cheating partners and so on… A great benefit to the device is that it provides satellite views of the tracker’s whereabouts.
6. – Jiobit
What Can It Be Used For?
Tracking for kids
Overview:
The Jiobit is a GPS tracker solely intended for use of tracking your children throughout the day and is one of the best trackers you can buy in the market. Like most trackers, it requires cellular data and a monthly subscription, but when it comes to precision, the Jiobit is top dollar. The covert tracker can be purchased for around $110 and requires a small monthly subscription payment which provides 24/7 tracking whilst being encrypted and has amazing security. The Jiobit in itself is around the size of small cracker you would eat, so can easily be slipped into pockets or shoes, or if not has a clip. It provides information on arrival times, 24/7 tracking, who your children are with, and departure information; so really is a god-send when it comes to child safety.
Pros: Small, Accurate, 24/7 Tracking, Perfect for Children
Cons: Battery doesn’t last as long as other devices, not available in all countries, Expensive
What Do Customers Say About It?
Customers have said that the device in itself is brilliant in terms of accuracy and ongoing support and is brilliant for tracking children within a fairly small radius. It has been found that customers felt the need to invest in a magnetic pin as opposed to the claw provided with the product to pin to children’s clothing, however, this is only a small investment.
5. – Vyncs
What Can It Be Used For?
Vehicles
Overview:
The Vyncs GPS Tracker is a brilliant device used for predominantly vehicle tracking but can also be used for trucks, bicycles and other methods of transport. It has a variety of different features it can be used to keep your motor in the utmost health and under your careful eye at all times. The tracker stands out from other vehicle tracking devices in that it doesn’t require a monthly fee and can be picked up from a pretty affordable price whilst offering a multitude of different skills all controlled and monitored through a smartphone app. It provides real-time GPS tracking, start/stop addresses, diagnostic reports, fuel reports and much more, tracked through your fingertips.
Pros: Variety of features, One-time payment, Works in 200+ countries
Cons: May be buggy, no support on weekends, web-based
What Do Customers Say About It?
For the value of the product, the service provided is very good with lots of different features being available. There are some issues in that the interface through the app isn’t the easiest to use and it has been found to be buggy with no support on weekends, but for the price of the product, it is a must-have.
4. – Trak-4
What Can It Be Used For?
Vehicles, Equipment, Private Investigators
Overview:
The Trak-4 GPS is a covert tracking device that is best used for tracking assets, equipment and mainly vehicles and is considered to be one of the best tracking devices available in the US. The tracking device offers email and text alerts upon movement and can offer a tracking lifetime of an astounding 18 months on a single charge. It is simple to use and charges similar to how you would a cellphone. The product itself is affordable and requires a monthly subscription of between $6.99-$19.98 a month dependant upon your paid-plan.
Pros: Very long lifetime, simple to use, regular updates
Cons: Provided with zip ties so usually requires additional magnetic case, no charge indicator
What Do Customers Say About It?
The product is fantastic and is used concerning a variety of different things, whether tracking personal vehicles or international freight as well as catching criminals; the only drawback to the item is that it comes with zip-ties as opposed to a magnetic case, however, these cases can be picked up cheap and can then be used to stick underneath the chassis of a vehicle.
3. – Optimus 2.0 with Twin Magnet Case
What Can It Be Used For?
Private Investigators, Vehicle Tracking
Overview:
The Optimus 2.0 really is one amazing covert tracking device and makes the perfect tracker for private investigators and those who want to track their vehicles. The Optimus 2.0 can be picked up for around $60.00 with a $20.00 monthly bill and uses Neodymium magnets which are the strongest kind of magnet that can be commercially bought. The tracker itself will last between one to two weeks, with notifications on low battery, speeding, movements and geofencing metrics. The tracker can be hidden under the vehicle on a metal surface with ease and detached the same way whilst having no way to fall off the vehicle itself. Customer support is also offered with personalized email and call support with real people on the other end. And just to top it off, it comes with a free twin magnet case!
Pros: Neodymium Magnets, Personalised Support, Enhanced Tracking Metrics
Cons: Battery Life not as great as other products but good nonetheless, bulky case if used with small tracker
What Do Customers Say About It?
The product is great for those who want a stable and secure device offering accurate results, it is best suited for private investigators and individuals who wants to track vehicles on a daily basis and the real benefits to the tracker is how easily it can be hidden with updates on when you need to retrieve and charge the tracker.
2. – PRIMETRACKING
What Can It Be Used For?
Children, Vehicles, Personal Use
Overview:
For all you parents out there, the PRIMETRACKING GPS device may be the right one for you. It features a really small mini size, so it can be stored in a variety of different places and provides real-time tracking with 4G and an SOS button. Information is updated every ten seconds through a smartphone app whilst also being accessible on a variety of different platforms. The battery life of the PRIMETRACKING GPS is 2+ weeks with an unlimited range and historical route information, so it really is a godsend for those wanting to keep a close eye on their kids or assets. The device can be bought for just under $50.00 and can be shipped worldwide with an optional SIM card and tracking plan.
Pros: Barely detectable, long battery life, historical and real-time information
Cons: Only email updates, good battery life but not as strong as some other products
What Do Customers Say About It?
The device is brilliant and is great for keeping a close eye on kids and especially teenagers due to historical routes and real-time information, with battery time being practical and the device easily charged. Customer service is also a strong point with questions being answered immediately.
1.– Spytec GL300MA
What Can It Be Used For?
Children, Vehicles and just about everything
Overview:
The Spytec GL300MA is Amazon’s number 1 bestseller and there’s a good reason for it! The tracker uses google maps GPS data so it is incredibly accurate and has proved to be a device used by private investigators due to its accuracy and affordable pricing of around $50.00 (with a monthly fee). The tracker itself is very small and can be hidden within backpacks and under car seats. The only issue with the tracker itself is due to the fact that it isn’t magnetized so it can’t be stuck underneath vehicles; however, magnetic cases can be bought alongside the product to give it this feature. If you are looking for an affordable tracker that is reliable and accurate, then the Spytec GPS tracker may be the one for you…
Pros:
24/7 Customer Service, 2.5 week battery life, Accuracy (Google Maps+4G)
Cons:
Product itself does not mention monthly fee however THERE IS ONE!
What Do Customers Say About It?
The Tracker is useful for a variety of different things and great for those suspected of cheating. This is due to the tracker’s small size and precise readings, it can easily be hidden within vehicles or clothes, and provides historical routes and real-time data so that you know where they are at all times.
