But which type of radar detector is best for you? With a handful of brands on the market and many more models to choose from, just figuring out which model is appropriate for your needs can be trying. With so many buying choices from auctions to stores, finding the best buy on a radar detector can be a daunting task. Where do you even start?
This guide is designed to help you eliminate much of the frustration by understanding how radar detectors work, the types of radar detectors available, and the features that are important to consider when shopping for the best radar detector. This guide will also help you compare radar detector prices to find the lowest price.
How radar detectors work
As you're driving down the highway at speed, highway patrol officers use radar speed detectors to emit radio waves, which bounce off moving cars and return to their devices. The measurement recorded is the change in frequency of the radio waves when they return, and this calculates your exact speed. Although radar guns can use different bands (X, K, and Ka) to detect your speed, K and Ka bands are the most widely used today. Because radio beams are emitted over a broader area, most good radar detectors can identify a signal and alert you with ample time to react. This is the reason why many highway patrol officers have transitioned to using laser speed detectors, which emit a narrow laser beam that covers a very limited area. Because of the narrow beam, even today's best detection devices will give you less of a lead time to react since it cannot pick up the signal as quickly. Fortunately, the best radar detectors today can detect both radar and laser speed detector devices.Step #1, Understand the types of radar detectors available
Portable, dash-mounted system
If you want a simple, inexpensive, and portable device, a dash-mounted system is your best buy radar detector. In addition to being easy to mount to your dashboard or the inside of your windshield, dash-mounted systems also give you the ability to transfer your unit between different automobiles. They are also much less expensive than permanently installed systems (described below), which are completely invisible within the automobile's cabin.
Installed, hidden system
If you tend to travel in one car and you want your detection device to be virtually invisible, a permanently installed "Stealth" device is your best buy radar detector. These employ sensors at the front and rear of your car and are completely hidden from view. The alarming device is located in the cabin, usually under your dashboard in a place that is not easily in view. These types of systems are extremely effective at detecting almost any type of speed detection device, but keep in mind they are much more expensive than dash-mounted systems.
Step #2, Understand the features of today's best radar detectors
Once you have figured out which type of radar detector is your best buy, the next step is to understand the array of different feature options that are available. The last step will be to find the best buy on the radar detector you like most, which we explain more in the last section of this article.Laser and radar equipped
With the highway patrol using both radar and laser speed detection devices, you should consider buying a radar detector that is capable of picking up both types of signals. Most radar detectors can pick up X, K, and Ka band signals, but if you are interested in picking up laser signals too, make sure the model also has ‘Laser' listed as a detection method. The lowest price radar detectors usually have only radar detecting capability, while the higher end models have both radar and laser detecting capability.
Power supply
Dash-mounted radar detectors can utilize a 12v power adapter that plugs into your power source or rechargeable or non-rechargeable AA batteries. The advantage to running your radar detector on batteries is that you can make it wireless (described below), thus eliminating those unsightly power wires.
Wireless
Do you want to be able to transfer your radar detector to another car relatively quickly? Do you want to avoid having unsightly power wires hanging over your dashboard? If you answered yes, a wireless radar detector is your best option. Wireless models are powered by battery, although they usually come with a 12v power adapter that you can plug into your power input.
Alert style
All radar detectors come with a visual alert feature, which flashes to alert you to slow down when radar or laser signals are detected. If you want to be alerted with an audible message, certain models can tell you the band of the radar, the strength of the signal, and even alert you in different languages. When shopping for a radar detector, note that these two features are labeled "visual alert" and "audible alert" respectively. The lowest price radar detectors usually have only visual alert capability, while the higher end models have both visual and audible alert capability.
VG-2 protection
VG-2 is a device the highway patrol uses to detect your radar detector. If you have VG-2 protection, your device will temporarily shut down before the highway patrol detects you have yours turned on. This feature is ideal to have if you want to avoid the highway patrol of knowing you own a radar detector. While the lowest price radar detectors usually do not include this feature, today's higher end models do.
Display brightness
Display brightness settings allow you to change the brightness of the LED display on your radar detector to match your preferences. This setting is especially helpful when driving at night.
Headphone jack
If you don't want to disturb your passengers on long trips, you should look out for a model with a headphone jack so you can keep the audible alerts to yourself.
Price
The lowest price radar detector in the dash-mounted portable category is around $100, while the higher end models can be as expensive as $400. Note that the higher end models usually include radar and laser detecting capability (our recommended choice), to best protect you from all detection methods. The lowest price radar detector in the permanently installed category is around $500, while the higher end models can be well over $1,000 once the system has been installed by a professional.
