Did you know in the US alone, an estimated 460,000 kids go missing every year? When it comes to elderly members with dementia, almost 60% of them will wander at least once, and any of them will repeat the behavior.
These can be concerning statistics for any parent or an individual looking after elderly family members. A missing loved one is a situation no one wants to experience.
A GPS tracker is a device that can bring you some peace of mind. You can get location updates on your loved ones. With features like virtual fences, you can know when they leave home and reach school or the community center.
A device that we will review today is the Spy Spot GPS tracker. It is a compact device that offers features like location updates once every minute to an hour, perimeter entry and exit alerts, motion detection, and six months of historical data.
The tracker needs a service plan to work. With several quality features only available on premium plans. So, is it worth buying the tracker? Let us start with our review, covering the Spy Spot tracker’s design, battery, usability, and performance aspects.
| Product Overview | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Spy Spot |
| Model | Spy Spot Real Time GPS Tracker 4G GL 300 MG |
| Dimension | 3.5 x 1 x 2 inches |
| Weight | 3.5 ounces |
| Battery | Rechargeable (lasts for up to 3 weeks depending on usage) |
| Coverage | US, Canada, and Mexico |
| History | Six months |
| Tracker Pouch Color | Black, red, and orange |
| Device Price | Starts from $58.00 |
| Subscription | Starts from $9.95 to $24/month |
| Warranty | NA |
| Customer Support | WebsiteEmailCall |
| Amazon Rating | 4.0 out of 5 |
Our Rating
About Spy Spot
Spy Spot is a private investigation company with stores in South Florida. They also specialize in selling the latest spy equipment.
Their product range includes GPS trackers, spy cameras, WiFi cameras, body cameras, voice recorders, bug detectors, and security signs.
You can contact Spy Spot’s customer team through their website, email, or call.
Who is the Spy Spot GPS Tracker For?
A battery powers the Spy Spot tracker to track people, pets, and objects.
For example, if you want to keep tabs on your kids, going to school, extra-curricular classes, and back home, you can do so with the tracker.
You can keep track of your elderly parents or seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s. You can use the virtual fence feature to know when they leave their home or when they reach the community center.
You can place the tracker in their pockets or backpacks or attach it to their belts. Using other accessories like a magnetic case or a battery extender case, you can use the tracker for vehicles and assets.
5 Important Factors We Tested the Product On
We tested the tracker on factors like setup and usability. We used it on different routes to check features like perimeter alerts, breadcrumb trails, and location accuracy.
Here is how the Spy Spot tracker performed.
1. Design
The device is relatively compact and lightweight. Its dimensions are 3.5 x 1 x 2 inches, weighing about 3.5 ounces.
The device comes with a pouch that is made from a thick Oxford fabric. The pouch comes with a zip closure and is waterproof.
It has a group attachment at the back, which can attach the tracker to a belt or collar. You can also choose to carry the tracker in your pocket or backpack.
You get the tracker device, a screwdriver, a wall adapter, and an instruction booklet inside the box.
You can buy a magnetic case if you want to use the tracker to monitor your car. The case can help attach the tracker discreetly to the car’s surface. You can also buy battery extenders to improve the battery life to four to six weeks.
2. Battery
The Spy Spot tracker includes a rechargeable battery. The battery life is expected to last up to three weeks. You will receive the charging accessories with your purchase. The battery life, though, is heavily dependent on usage.
For example, if you set the tracker to update every minute while in motion, the battery will drain much quicker than a 10-minute interval. You will receive frequent updates if you use the tracker to monitor your kid or a pet who is always on the move. The battery can last up to a week or two in such cases.
If you use the tracker to monitor an asset or a vehicle that stays parked, the updates will be less frequent, and the battery will work as advertised.
3. Usability
To start using the tracker, you must activate it on the Spy Spot GPS website. Register as a new user and provide details like your name, contact information, and address.
Next, you must select the region where you will use the device and the service plan. Input the device IMEI and payment information and click on submit. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to activate.
Once activated, you can log in to the account using the credentials you created in the above step. On the default page, you will see the device you have online. You can view basic details like the last event time, address, and battery status.
You can view the actual location of the tracker through the dashboard. Clicking on the green dot on the screen will show details like latitude, longitude, street address, and city.
The tracking portal and the app are not the most user-friendly. The tracking portal’s design is old-school; the app has a better design. You will have to spend time initially reviewing all the menu options as the alerts and features are spread across different tabs.
Spy Spot should consider improving its tracking platform and app for a better user experience.
4. Features
The Spy Spot tracker provides a host of features and alerts. You can set multiple perimeters on the map and receive entry and exit alerts. These virtual fences can be set under the Manage tab.
It offers other alerts like motion detection, motion stopped, and low battery.
You can choose text and/or email as your notification mode. While adding the contacts, you can select what types of alerts those numbers should receive.
For example, if you have a caregiver for your elderly parent, they can receive more frequent alerts like motion detection. On the other hand, you can set your number to receive the more eventful alerts like perimeter exit and entry.
If you have different tracker devices for your parents, you can check the distance between the two with the proximity check feature. For example, suppose one parent needs help, or they have wandered off. In that case, you can check the distance between the trackers and alert the other parent about the situation.
With the breadcrumb trail feature, you can view the tracker locations between a starting and ending time frame. You can get detailed events reports for up to the past six months. These reports can be downloaded and printed out.
The historical playback feature can help establish the routine of your loved one. If you enlist a caretaker’s help, the reports can help them better care for the patient.
5. Performance
The Spy Spot tracker provides updates when the device is in motion. These location update intervals can be set to 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes. The more frequent the updates, the quicker the battery drains.
The location updates could be better, but they are decently accurate. My problem with these location intervals is that they need to be set at activation time.
If you need to change the interval, you have to email the staff, who will update your device’s settings. This is inconvenient. Most GPS tracking devices let you adjust the location update interval per your requirement through the tracking platform or app.
With the previous tracker models, you would have to wait for the location to update as per the interval setting. But with the latest tracker design, you can manually locate the tracker whenever you want.
For example, let us consider a scenario where you set the update interval to 10 minutes. You get a location update and a perimeter exit alert.
With the previous model, you would have to wait for 10 minutes to receive another location update, which is not an ideal situation to be in. Your loved one could have covered a lot of distance by then. Thus, the manual locator feature is a much-needed improvement.
Please note the manual locator feature is only available with the premium plans.
What Sets the Spy Spot GPS Tracker Apart from its Competitors?
You can create a circle or rectangle-shaped perimeters on the map. These perimeter shapes give you more control over the distance you want to cover.
You can also create temporary perimeters. They will be automatically deleted once the entry or exit alert for the fence is triggered.
For example, if you have left your kid or an elderly family member with a friend, you can create a temporary perimeter around their home. When your loved one leaves their place, you will receive an alert. And the virtual fence will be automatically deleted.
Should You Purchase the Spy Spot GPS Tracker?
I recommend buying the Spy Spot tracker if you can go for the premium service plans.
With a basic plan, you cannot manually locate the tracker and have to wait for hourly updates. The basic plan may be enough if you want to monitor an asset that is rarely moved. But if you want to track your loved ones, a premium plan is a must.
Here are some pros and cons for you to consider before buying.
Pros
- You get location updates every 1 to 10 minutes.
- You can manually locate the tracker with premium plans at any time.
- You can create permanent and temporary perimeters.
- It offers a historical backup of up to 6 months.
- You can view detailed routes with the breadcrumb trail feature.
Cons
- Low-cost plans only offer hourly updates.
- You cannot manually locate the tracker with low-cost plans.
- You must pay an activation fee.
Price
The Spy Spot tracker with the waterproof pouch is originally listed at $119.00
At the time of writing, Amazon was offering a discount wherein you could get the tracker for $58.00.
You must select a service plan to use the tracker at the time of activation. There are premium and low-cost plans available. The prices differ as per the payment cycle.
Here are the premium plans:
| Period | Price/month | Prepayment |
|---|---|---|
| 1-month | $24 | - |
| 3-months | $22 | $66 |
| 6-months | $20 | $120 |
| 12-months | $18 | $216 |
The prepayment amounts are due at the time of activation.
Here are the low-cost plans:
| Period | Price/month | Prepayment |
|---|---|---|
| 1-month | $15.95 | - |
| 3-months | $13.95 | $41.85 |
| 6-months | $11.95 | $71.70 |
| 12-months | $9.95 | $119.40 |
Apart from the service plans, you must pay a one-time activation fee of $9.95.
FAQs
The Spy Spot tracker device is not waterproof. But you can buy accessories like a magnetic case or a waterproof fabric pouch.
Yes. Spy Spot offers portable, OBD, and hardwired trackers. Regardless of your device and service plan, Spy Spot will charge an activation fee of $9.95.
You can buy accessories like a rechargeable extended battery case that can increase the tracker’s battery life for up to 4 to 6 weeks. But these can add weight to the tracker and are best suited to track vehicles and assets.
Summary
The Spy Spot GPS tracker can be used to track your children, elderly family members, vehicles, and other assets. It includes a waterproof pouch for extended durability.
It has a battery life of up to three weeks. It offers features like motion updates every 1 minute to an hour, perimeter entry and exit alerts, route details, six months of history, and proximity checks.
You need a service plan to use the tracker. I recommend you opt for the premium plans if you wish to track your loved ones. The basic plans are more suitable for asset tracking.
We hope the above review helps with your GPS tracker requirements.
Carson Harris is a highly qualified author and expert in GPS tracking technology. With a background in electrical engineering and machine learning, he has established himself as a trusted source of information. Carson’s work experience at Garmin and Panasonic has further enhanced his expertise. He possesses creative skills in website design and AI applications. Known for his clear and concise communication, Carson’s articles on Trax Family’s website provide valuable insights on GPS trackers.