Best vehicle GPS tracker

Vehicle GPS trackers keep tabs on cars, trucks, and motorcycles, giving you a real-time view of their location. Designed as security devices, trackers show you where your property is and, sometimes, even how fast it's moving. Whether you're monitoring a fleet of work trucks, an expensive convertible you take out a few times a year, or you want to keep a watchful eye on your new teen driver or elderly parent, these inexpensive little devices can help. Here are the best vehicle GPS trackers around.

The best vehicle GPS tracker is by Tracki. This tiny unit is magnetic and also comes with a lanyard, keychain attachment, dog collar cover, and belt clip so it has a wide range of uses from monitoring vehicles and pets to serving as an emergency tracker while hiking and exploring off the grid. Tracki uses a combination of 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G to guarantee coverage worldwide. The waterproof silicone cover ensures the Tracki isn't damaged by weather, wet roads, or trips through the carwash. With constant tracking enabled, the Tracki battery lasts five days. You can conserve the battery when needed by turning off real-time tracking. Less frequent location checking gives you up to 75 days of monitoring. Tracki has a monthly fee, as all vehicle GPS trackers do, but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

The versatile Spytec GL300 is a small magnetic box that attaches to any car. Since it only adheres with a magnet and isn't hardwired, it's movable between vehicles, people, and objects. The GL300 uses 4G satellite service to follow your car, truck, or valuables, and phone and computer software allow you to see your property moving in real-time on a map. The GL300 has a ten-day battery life and requires a month-to-month subscription.

Bouncie plugs into your vehicle's OBD port, has a low monthly service fee, and offers some of the most advanced data sets you can find. The free phone app shows the route details of the vehicle you're tracking, plus trip history, accident detection, speed, and vehicle diagnostics. The Bouncie even comes with roadside assistance and will alert you when your car has been in a fender bender.

The Spark Nano 7 from Brickhouse Security comes with a weatherproof magnetic case that adheres in seconds to any vehicle. This small unit uses 4G networks to track the location and speed of high-value assets like RVs, work trucks, cars, and motorcycles. The Spark Nano 7 allows you to view motion in real-time via a smartphone app, and no long-term contracts are required, though there is a monthly fee.

Optimus 2.0 offers status updates every 10 to 30 seconds, depending on your chosen monthly plan. With 4G coverage, you can track people, cars, and other valuables across North America using a free smartphone app or your computer. The Optimus 2.0 is small enough to tuck in a child's backpack and adheres to any vehicle or item with a strong magnet.

The Americaloc is the most expensive GPS tracker on the list. However, it includes two months of free service, which evening things out a bit. The product provides location updates every minute through a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Unlike many of the other GPS trackers on the market, this one works worldwide. The 300 Mini offers many battery modes, which you can adjust easily through the app. By playing around with the various settings, the battery life can exceed the average of two weeks between charges.

Tracking down the top three

Vehicle GPS trackers provide an inexpensive way to monitor the location of cars, boats, pets, teens and elderly parents, and even expensive technology goods. All GPS trackers come with a subscription plan that you can cater to your individual needs. 

The Tracki tops this list. It's a portable, magnetic GPS tracker that comes with a keychain, lanyard, waterproof silicone collar attachment for dogs, and a belt clip, giving you several ways to watch vehicles, animals, people, and other items. The Tracki uses a combo of 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G and works worldwide.

You can bypass expensive monthly fees and activation charges by going with Bouncie. This GPS tracker plugs into your vehicle's OBD port, so there's no battery to worry about changing, and it monitors location, distance traveled, and speed. It also comes with free roadside assistance.

The best weatherproof vehicle GPS tracker is the Spark Nano 7 from Brickhouse Security. The GPS unit fits inside a waterproof case and affixes to any vehicle with a magnet, showing you speed and location data in real time.

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