It’s no surprise that speeding violations are the most common reason for red and blue flashing lights to appear in the rear view mirror. A good radar detector will help to prevent you from paying dearly for any oversights while you’re on the road. Even the most careful drivers who watch their speed can miss a decreased speed limit sign or follow traffic without immediately noticing the flow’s increasing pace, particularly in today’s cars, which are quieter and more powerful than any of their predecessors.
Radar detectors alert you when a police radar gun is active on the road. The warning it sounds serve as an important reminder to slow down and a method for helping drivers avoid unwanted tickets and potentially pricey insurance hikes. While virtually all detectors will alert drivers to the presence of radar sensors, police departments are always getting more sophisticated technology to defeat them.
These days, police are adding new MultaRadar technologies to their traffic tracking arsenal. Traditionally, the radar that officers use operates at a fixed frequency, also referred to as Continuous Wave radar. The new MultaRadar CD (MRCD) and the even more recent MultaRadar CT (MRCT) radar devices function by using photo radar technology. When the MRCD or MRCT device detects an offending driver, it takes a photo of the vehicle’s license plate.
In a similar vein, the growing popularity of radar detectors, some police departments now use secondary devices that can show them which passing vehicles have one installed. An undetectable radar detector will help keep police suspicions at bay and avoid unwanted attention.
Fortunately, several radar detector manufacturers are keeping up with the innovations and have refined select models to detect the varying frequencies. If you’re in the market for a radar detector that won’t let you down, MultaRadar detection is a must-have feature. Undetectable units are nice to have too, but generally cost more. To get the most peace of mind for your money look for a radar detector that has a long range, is accurate and has exceptional reaction times, such as the following seven devices on this list.
- Valentine One V1 : Best Undetectable
- K40 Electronics Platinum100 : Easiest to Control
- Escort MAX 360C : Best Overall
- Uniden R7 : Longest Range
- Radenso XP : Most User-Friendly
- Uniden R3 : Best Value
- Cobra RAD 380 : Best Under $100
- Front and Rear Detection – Cobra’s new LaserEye technology detects signals from both the front and rear of your vehicle, giving you all around protection wherever your adventures take you.
- iRadar App – Know what lies on the road ahead. Receive real-time alerts to red light, speed camera, and law enforcement activity from a community of over three million drivers.
- Long Range Detection – Next generation updateable IVT Filter and advanced anti-falsing circuitry intelligently reduces false alerts from blind spot systems and other vehicle avoidance systems.
- UNSURPASSED RANGE & SENSITIVITY - Industry Leading Performance with Advanced False Alert Filtering is THE choice for drivers who demand the highest level of protection against speeding tickets.
- GPS TECHNOLOGY - Using GPS the R3 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.
- RED LIGHT AND SPEED CAMERA ALERTS - Preloaded Red Light and Speed Camera locations with Free Database and Firmware updates ensures your detector will never be out of date.
- UNSURPASSED RANGE & SENSITIVITY - Industry Leading Performance with Advanced False Alert Filtering is THE choice for drivers who demand the highest level of protection against speeding tickets.
- DUAL ANTENNA'S WITH DIRECTIONAL ARROWS - allows the R7 to detect threats from all 4 directions 360° protection, with Arrows displaying the direction of the threat, it even shows the band & signal strength for each. Perfect just got better!
- GPS TECHNOLOGY - Using GPS the R7 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.
- LONG RANGE SENSITIVITY - Wide Band Protection from Radar and Laser Guns with False Alert Filtering technology.
- FRONT & REAR DETECTION – Uniden's Eagle Eye Laser Detection Technology provides you all-around 360° Protection.
- HIGHWAY/CITY/CITY 1 - Three modes for driving in Urban and Rural environments, with Audible & Visual Signal Strength Alerts, and Volume control.
- SUPER LONG RANGE SENSITIVITY - Uniden Industry Leading Performance with Advanced False Alert Filtering and the Power of GPS technology.
- GPS TECHNOLOGY - Using GPS the DFR9 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.
- FRONT & REAR DETECTION – Uniden's Eagle Eye Laser Detection Technology provides you all-around 360° Protection.
- BUILT IN WIFI - The first of radar detectors for cars designed for the connected car. The MAX 360C updates through the On-Board WiFi connection, alerting you to the latest ticket threats in realtime (Compatible with iPhone and Android devices).
- 360 DEGREE PROTECTION - Forward and rear facing antennas pinpoint threats around your entire vehicle, and alert you with on-screen arrows displaying the direction of the threat relative to your location.
- AUTOLEARN TECHNOLOGY - Radar detection customized to your driving style! GPS intelligence, IVT filtering, and AutoSensitivity come together to eliminate false alerts by learning your route and varying sensitivity with your vehicle speed.
- Escort raises the bar once again by adding directional indication to its award-winning Max detector line. The all-new Escort Max 360 provides drivers with extreme range, state of the art response time, pinpoint precision and directional alert display
- Unmatched detection - Escort Max 360's front and rear antennas scan rapidly in all directions harnessing the lightening-fast focus of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to find threats faster and more accurately than any other detector.
- Rich data plus the power of community - Escort Max 360 protects drivers beyond conventional radar and laser threats by preloading our Defender Database of thousands of red light and speed camera locations in North America.
- [360-DEGREE RADAR AND LASER DETECTION]- The speed radar detector uses the latest 360 degree laser detection technology and detects from front, sides and rear, the super-high sensitivity platform provides advance voice warning of K-Band, X-Band, Ka-Band and Laser speed traps across all US frequencies. High accuracy, automatically reduces false alarms and ensure your safely driving.
- [EASY TO USE & OPTIONAL CITY/ HIGHWAY MODES]- Just plug it via the DC12V power cord and place it with the anti-slip mat included, optional city/highway modes allow you to select which can reduce the false frequency in densely populated urban areas, extreme range super heterodyne technology and super-fast sweep circuitry hep you to extra the range and the accuracy of detection.
- [LED DIGITAL DISPLAY & CLEAR VOICE ALERT]- It can detect any stable or mobile radar speed monitor 200-1000m ahead and fast reaction by the voice prompt, provides you advance warning in driving; Features a 360 degree laser eye detector, come equipped with either a icon color display with numeric signal strength display, digital voice announcements help you to keep your eyes on the road.
- FEWER FALSE ALERTS - With Escorts TRAFFIC SENSOR REJECTION, it will display more accurate alerts. Limiting the distractions on the road.
- NATIONAL COVERAGE - Thousands of pre loaded locations, and the ability to add your own "hot spots" create Escorts DEFENDER DATABASE. Receive alerts that are constantly monitoring as you approach surveillance threats.
- REAL-TIME TICKET-PROTECTION - Receive warnings of police threats around you reported by millions of other Escort Detectors based on your speed and settings, the alerts you receive will be tailored to fit the location and motion of your car or motorcycle.
- 【Advanced System】Relative speed sensing auto mute system that virtually eliminates false alerts and shutdown feature will render your detector undetectable by currently available radar detector-detectors.
- 【Extreme Range Super Heterodyne Technology】Laser auto 360 degree detection with super-fast sweep circuitry, provides extra detection range and the best possible advance warning to even the fastest radar guns Detects Ku Band radar gun currently being used in Europe Extreme Range Super heterodyne technology, with super-fast sweep circuitry, provides extra detection range and the best possible advance warning to even the fastest radar guns.
- 【Wide Detection Range】Radar detector the latest pop mode radar gun (super-fast instant on mode) This Radar can Detect any stable or mobile Radial Speed Monitor 250-2500m ahead
Methodology
To determine the best radar detector for your needs, we researched products that are the most accessible to a wide range of U.S. consumers. Factors considered include the item’s availability, price and quality. We also studied a broad range of end-user ratings and evaluations by multiple testers.
Product specific measurements/evaluation methods:
Forbes Wheels chose seven high-performing radar detectors based on the product ratings and reviews disclosed by multiple testers. For this list we focused on overall performance, accuracy, undetectability, and extra features such as false alert filtering and voice alerts, while still including the best options for varying budgets.