SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence Review: Best GPS Collar on the Market?

Dog lovers with a large backyard need the reassurance that their pets will stay within a predetermined zone created by them. Creating a virtual fence with SpotOn Collar is easy and fast.

The SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence is a dog collar that provides several features to dog owners that are ideal for those with a large backyard. The SpotOn Collar has an app where all functions are accessible such as live tracking.

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There are many smart collar wireless fence solutions in the market, but many struggle to provide accurate GPS and location tracking; the Patent True Location™ technology allows SpotOn to leap ahead of the competition and provide stellar accuracy that never requires calibrating.

The collar works by using a cellular data plan provided by SpotOn that allows you to use LTE-M service to enable their GPS tracking system.

This SpotOn virtual fence review will discuss all product features and will compare to other budget smart collars to see if this product is worth its high price tag.

Pros

True Location™ provides super accurate GPS readings that will show where your dog is at all times.
Simple setup
Good battery life

Cons

High price

Things to Consider Before Buying a SpotOn Collar

The SpotOn collar aims to provide a wire-free virtual fencing alternative for dog owners with a backyard that does not have a physical fence. Getting your dog to acclimate to their new collar will take training, but SpotOn supplies users with training material.

The product is expensive compared to the market average, as cheaper alternatives provide similar features. Unless you pay yearly, the subscription plans by SpotOn are pricey when billing monthly.

Lastly, SpotOn GPS Fence recommends a backyard size of more than half an acre. Smaller sizes will lead to issues and inaccuracies that make the device unusable.

If you are still on the fence about buying the collar, SpotOn has provided a quiz to help with the decision.

The SpotOn Collar costs $1,495 and has a with a one-year warranty. Check here for the latest specials and promotions.

Features & Benefits

The SpotOn dog collar provides many features that provide your dog freedom and allow you to feel at ease knowing its location at all times.

Virtual Smart Fence

Creating a SpotOn virtual fence is hassle-free with the SpotOn app. The minimum size allowed is half an acre.

Fences can take on any shape allowing flexibility for oddly shaped backyards.

There are two ways to outline your SpotOn virtual fence. You can choose between planning it on your app or walking your intended border with your phone and collar. The second method might allow for better accuracy as there is less room for error that may be caused by navigating a mobile map.

If a pond is in the way of your fence, you can pause the app while you cross it; once you are on the other side, you can resume the process. After you proceed, it will draw a straight line between your last and current locations.

Once you save a fenced area, the app allows you to name it. Naming a fence is essential for users with more than one active fence. Users are limited to 1,500 fence zones, and while most people will have just a few zones, the ability to name them is essential for future edits.

You can create multiple fences with SpotOn GPS fence; other smart collars have a much smaller limit. This has been a popular solution over the traditional portable dog fence.

There are a few notes to keep in mind when making a SpotOn GPS fence, be sure that the narrowest point is above 80 feet and that you keep a minimum space of 15 feet from dangerous roads.

Managing your fence allows you to tune the border and shrink or expand it without hassle. The first fence I made was not entirely accurate, so I quickly edited my error without creating a new area from scratch.

When your dog gets near your fence, the SpotOn collar will begin to activate its tunable feedback mechanism.

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Training Your Dog

SpotOn Fence provides professional training videos that are easy to follow. They intend to teach your dog to recognize all feedback given by the collar.

The feedback mechanism is capable of canine-friendly tones, tunable vibration, and an optional static shock. The shock is entirely optional and is removable without sacrificing any functionality.

Your dog will have feedback from the friendly tones and vibrations alone, as they will provide enough stimuli that your dog will know they know that they are near the fence border.

I had an easy time teaching my dog to only react to the beep provided by the collar, and many online reviews I have seen have stated similar experiences.

The training process will require you to follow the videos by SpotOn, patience, a leash, and treats.

While the official guide includes using a shock feature, it is entirely avoidable. Using the shock feature can induce stress on your dog and may cause anxiety.

Your dog will avoid the boundaries through repeated practice through vibrations or beeps.

Check out the best online dog training courses taught by pet experts.

Phone App Functionalities

The phone app provides many functionalities that allow more control over your fences. You can disable or enable any individual zone with a few taps.

There are some features that improve your quality of life, like the ability to create smaller zones at night to keep your dog closer to your house.

The app is your way to see where your dog is at any time or get instant alerts if they escape a fence.

True Location™ GPS Tracking

Among all other GPS tracking devices, SpotOn offers excellent location-tracking accuracy. The SpotOn dog collar keeps your dog safe through its accurate GPS readings.

SpotOn uses its True Location™ technology to give you the most accurate and reliable readings for fence boundary trespassing. The device will never require calibration and will always provide a precise reading.

True Location™ works by using data from up to 30 satellites, covering four satellite navigation systems. Most other pet collars can use only 1 satellite at a time, which limits their accuracy.

There are dedicated GPS antennas on the SpotOn collar that allow it to communicate with four satellites simultaneously.

Unlike other competitors, the SpotOn dog collar still functions without a subscription, though you will be limited feature-wise. A SpotOn Collar without a subscription will run independently, meaning you have no way to communicate with the collar through your phone.

The collar will still warn your dog when they approach a fence.

AI also plays a role in accurately determining your dog’s position through a mix of collar acceleration, direction, and speed.

GPS Data Correction

If your dog has already breached your set boundaries, the SpotOn collar will not punish them for coming home as the device understands they are returning. No warnings will be issued for a dog crossing a fence to return home, as a warning may deter them.

The best conditions for clear GPS signals are clear skies and no obstruction from buildings or trees. SpotOn’s GPS uses superior technology that allows for two feeds of signals and any faulty GPS readings are ignored, favoring the feed with superior signal strength.

SpotOn Collars can detect when your dog is indoors and will disable warnings if your dog gets too close to a fence border while indoors. This feature is great for homeowners that have a house close to a border. The device can know when your dog is indoors as the signal will be more obstructed than usual.

Indoors mode may be accidentally triggered if you live in a heavily forested area, as the signal will be affected similarly to an indoor setting. Forest mode is perfect for forested backyards as it boosts GPS performance making the SpotOn dog collar function better when dealing with heavy leaf coverage.

Enabling forest mode will prevent indoor mode as there is a possibility it may falsely trigger in dense forest areas. If false warnings occur when your dog is indoors, it is recommended to remove its collar.

While the device is removed, it is a good idea to charge it as the device is required to be charged daily.

Cellular Subscription Plans

Cellular plans allow access to the tracking feature through your phone, these plans provide a dependable LTE-M cellular service for SpotOn’s GPS dog collar tracking capabilities. Using LTE-M is great for areas that have weak 4G networks.

Your dog’s location is accessible at all times with the press of only a few buttons. Having a cellular plan is vital as it provides real-time breach alerts in the event your dog goes past a fence. The tracking feature will inform you about your dog’s whereabouts.

The monthly plan costs $9.95, though it is the most expensive option. Using the yearly plan costs $7.95 a month but requires you to pay $95.40 upfront. The yearly plan saves you 20% compared to the monthly plan.

There is also a two-year plan that costs $5.95 a month and requires $142.80 upfront, the plan saves 40% compared to billing monthly.

With the yearly SpotOn GPS dog tracking subscription plans, users get a free 90-day trial.

Collar Size

The SpotOn dog collar works for a neck size between 10 inches to 26 inches.

Be sure to measure your dog’s neck correctly before making a decision.

There are three sizes and it is essential to choose the correct size for your dog to ensure a good fit so the GPS will face the sky at all times.

Small size between 10-14 inches
Medium size between 12-18 inches
Large size between 16-26 inches

Battery

The SpotOn dog collar has an average battery life of around 18 hours, battery life is always visible through the app if you have a cellular subscription. From my experience, charging takes around a decent hour.

The day-long battery means that you need to stay on top of charging your device daily. There are other GPS devices with longer battery life but they have fewer features.

Social Proof

After reading many online reviews, most state that the SpotOn virtual fence is a great product. The GPS accuracy is excellent and all features work as intended. The SpotOn fence is accurate and easy to set up.

Users credited the breach alert notifications for being almost instant.

The only downside users have experienced is related to the training process. It will take a lot of time to teach your dogs the cues from the SpotOn Collar, though it is not impossible.

There are several online user-made dog owner guides that provide tips on teaching your dog.

Alternatives

The SpotOn Virtual fence has many competitors, though only one is close when it comes to price.

There are solid cheaper alternatives to the SpotOn Collar, though they provide fewer features. Taking a look at these alternatives might provide you with a product that is a better fit for your needs.

Halo Collar (Best Alternative to SpotOn)

The Halo Collar is the closest competitor to the virtual fence feature provided by the SpotOn GPS fence. Prices are relatively similar and both have good GPS systems. The Halo Collar has excellent training videos as they had the assistance of Cesar Millan, a professional dog trainer.

The virtual fence capabilities are similar enough as and they both require a minimum of half an acre to properly function.

The shape of the collar is similar and is not suitable for tiny dogs.

A Halo 2+ Collar costs $699, which is a large difference compared to the asking price of the SpotOn Collar.

There are more features with the Halo 2+ as it has Halo beacons, which allow an indoor function to prevent dogs from entering specific rooms or kitchen countertops.

The Subscription for Halo is also cheaper, requiring $4.49 a month. The Halo Collar tops the list of many dog collar comparison sites. You can get the best available price on a Halo Collar by visiting the official website.

Fi Smart Dog Collar

Charging the battery daily is annoying to many individuals, a longer battery is a convenient feature. The Fi Smart dog collar lasts 3 months on a single charge, though users report an average of around a month.

You can create zones and track your dog and get escape notifications if your dog passes a created zone.

The Fi Smart costs $159, giving it a cheaper initial cost, the subscription plans cost a bit more than the average. Billing monthly costs $19, and paying yearly gives a 15% discount and %25 on a two-year basis.

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Tractive GPS Dog LTE Tracker

The Tractive GPS Tracker is another budget option that will keep your dogs safe.

GPS tracking is not as accurate as the SpotOn system but it does get the job done. Life Unleashed is possible with the Tractive Tracker as it provides swift escape alerts.

You can also use the tracker on a cat, as the GPS device attaches to your existing pet collar.

The Tractive Tracker costs $49 and requires a plan to work, a plan costs $12 a month or $6 a month when billing annually.

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