The 5 best radar detectors and apps

Recently we received a great question from Carlos, who asked, “What is the best radar detector?”

This is an excellent question, as there are so many apps and devices out there that you can use for radar detection, whether you’re looking for traffic alerts, speed checks, and more.

I use an app that crowdsources obstacles in the roadway, disabled cars on the shoulder, and when police are detected.  From a safety standpoint, it is the most powerful information a driver can have from outside their vehicle.

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At this point in tech, you’ve got two main options.  A solid piece of hardware that doesn’t necessarily rely on an app and your smartphone; and a series of apps that feed you information about your surroundings being shared by other drivers.

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Let’s start with 5 great radar detectors we found:

5 top-rated radar detectors

1. Cobra RAD 480i 

The Cobra RAD 480i radar detector detects signals from both the front and rear of your vehicle, giving you all-around protection wherever your adventures take you. It also has long-range detection and early warnings, and it comes with accessories such as a 12V vehicle power cord, suction cup car windshield mount, and a hook and loop fastener for dash mounting. At the time of publishing, this device had over 14,000 global reviews with 69% giving it 5 stars.

Get Cobra RAD 480i

2. Escort Max 360c 

The Escort Max 360c laser radar detector is an exceptional device that has built-in WiFi, allowing you to receive the latest ticket threats in real-time. It has 360-degree protection along with auto-learn technology, allowing it to customize to your driving style GPS intelligence, IVT filtering, and AutoSensitivity, which will all come together to eliminate false alerts by learning your route and varying sensitivity with your vehicle speed. At the time of publishing, this device had over 1,200 global reviews with 77% giving it 5 stars.

Get Escort Max 360c

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3. Uniden R3 Laser Radar Detector

The Uniden R3 Laser Radar Detector can remember and mute common false alerts (such as retail store automatic doors) along your regularly driven routes, so you never have to listen to the same false alert twice. It also has preloaded red light and speed camera locations with free database and firmware updates so that your detector will never be out of date. Plus, it has a multi-color display, making it super easy to read. At the time of publishing, this product had over 6,800 global reviews with 81% giving it 5 stars.

Get Uniden R3 Laser Radar Detector 

4. Escort MAX 360

The Escort MAX 360 is similar to the 360c model, except this one does not have WiFi connectivity. However, it has front and rear antennas that scan rapidly in all directions harnessing the lightning-fast focus of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to find threats quickly and accurately. It also has directional arrows displaying the location of threats, while a high-resolution graphic display shows the type, strength, and quantity of signals, plus real-time speed limit data. At the time of publishing, this product had over 2,600 global reviews with 78% giving it 5 stars.

Get Escort MAX 360

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5. Uniden R7 Laser Radar Detector

Another great product from Uniden is the R7 extreme long-range laser radar detector. This product has dual antennas with directional arrows, allowing the R7 to detect threats from all 4 directions with 360-degree protection. The arrows display the direction of the threat, and it even shows the band and signal strength for each. At the time of publishing, this product had over 2,800 global reviews with 83% giving it 5 stars.

Get Uniden R7 Laser Radar Detector

5 top-rated radar detection apps

1. Waze

iPhone: 4.9 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 4.4 stars (at time of publishing)

The Waze app is an excellent radar detection app that will allow you to always know what’s happening on the road ahead of time. Not only does it work as a GPS, but it also will tell you about traffic, construction, police, crashes, and more in real time. It will change your route based on traffic reports, and always make sure you go the shortest route possible. The app is also available for both iPhone and Android devices.

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2. Radarbot Speed Camera Detector

iPhone: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 4.2 stars (at time of publishing)

Radarbot is an app that combines real-time alerts with an offline radar detection alert system. With Radarbot, you will not only have great radar alerts, but also real-time traffic alerts and specific speed limit alerts for different vehicles (cars, motorbikes, trucks, and commercial vehicles). The app works in any country, and you can use it simultaneously with other GPS navigators or your favorite music app. It’s available for iPhone and Android devices.

3. Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps

iPhone: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 4.3 stars (at time of publishing)

The Sygic GPS app works without an internet connection and allows you to navigate anywhere with its 3D Offline maps of all countries worldwide. You get free map updates multiple times per year and unique perks such as Dashcam, which records the road ahead and automatically saves a video in case of an accident. The app is free to download and also offers a premium plan if you’re interested in unlocking extra features. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices. 

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4. ViaMichelin GPS

iPhone: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 3.9 stars (at time of publishing)

ViaMichelin was developed by Michelin itself and can be used as a complete GPS that can also warn of radars along the way. It also has recommendations for places such as restaurants, hotels, and sights, making it the perfect app for road trips. It also gives options for the cheapest gas prices along the way and traffic stats that are updated in real-time. This app is available for both iPhones and Androids. 

5. Escort Live Radar

iPhone: 4.4 stars (at time of publishing)

Android: 3.6 stars (at time of publishing)

Escort is a fantastic radar detection app. It has community-based alerts and upcoming ‘Police Spotted’ speed traps, accidents, work zones, road hazards, detours, and traffic jams. It also gets verified alerts from Defender, the world’s largest database of red light, speed, and mobile cameras. You can use the free version or opt for its premium plan, which costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. (at the time of publishing)  The app is available for both iPhone and Android users.

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Have you used any of these radar devices or detection apps? We want to hear about your experience.

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