Best Radar Detectors of 2024, Expert Picks

<p>Radar detectors mainly monitor and analyze signals from a distance. Still, it needs to be said that many of these fancy high-tech devices do jobs you already have devices to do for you, such as GPS units, dash cams, and even mobile phones. It can be difficult to choose the best radar detector, so the Gear Team has stepped up to handle the research for you. We scoured the internet, consulted with experts, asked our editors, and done our due diligence to bring you the best of the best.</p><h2 class=”body-h2″>Things to Consider When Buying a Radar Detector</h2><p><strong>How Radar Detectors Work</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Radar speed guns use Doppler radar to measure the speed of a moving object. Speed guns, like other types of radar, consist of a radio transmitter and receiver that sends out a signal in a narrow beam, then receives the same signal back after it bounces off the target object. Your car’s radar detector uses antennas, microprocessors, or some combination of both to detect active radar signals from speed guns. </p><p>In the early years, cops relied on the now-antiquated X-band of radar. In the late 1970s, the K-band became the industry standard, as its signal was more accurate—and more challenging to detect from a distance. Around the turn of the 21st century, Ka-band reset the industry again, and it’s still in use today. Ka-band is the hardest form of radar to detect because it has a narrower beam pattern and lower power output than its predecessors.</p><p>The latest radar detectors detect two or even all three types of radar signals. Working properly and accurately set, a radar detector will alert you of an upcoming speed trap far enough in advance for you to slow down, if necessary. </p><p><strong>Range</strong></p><p>The range of your radar detector effectively dictates how valuable it can be. Short-range radar detectors can only detect radar up to around 100 feet away, while more powerful (and more expensive) models like <strong>Uniden’s R3 Extreme Long Range</strong> radar detector ($300 at <a href=” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Amazon</a>) warn you well in advance. High-end radar detectors can sniff out a photo-cop from up to a half a mile away. </p><p>Interference from things like weather and buildings can decrease the effective range of a detector. Because of this, most manufacturers refrain from pinpointing a detector’s actual range and instead rely on generalizations like “extremelong range.”</p><p><strong>False-alert filtering</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Sometimes, radar detectors will mistakenly detect radar signals from other devices. There are a number of variables that can trigger false alerts, from lane departure warning systems (LDWS) on other vehicles to garage door openers to automatic door sensors as you drive past your local grocery store. Most radar detectors feature a mute button so you can manually turn off alarms, but the latest software can filter out frequent false signals by using GPS to learn where they commonly occur.</p><p>So what’s the best radar detector you can buy? It depends. Do you need a high-end model with all the bells and whistles? Or perhaps you already employ a dash cam and/or GPS unit, rendering much of that modern technology moot in your car? We perused the market, using our expertise in the gadget space and deep well of automotive knowledge, to bring you of a selection of top brands and personal favorites, hand-picked by the editors of <em>Road & Track</em>. </p><hr><h2 class=”body-h2”>The Best Radar Detectors</h2>”/>