Best Radar Detector Under 200 (Review & Buying Guide) in 2020 – The Drive

Radar detectors can offer significant savings when it comes to potential speeding tickets
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Just about every driver has been caught by a cop with a radar gun at some point. Whether you were speeding through your neighborhood or pulled over by an out-of-sight police car on the open highway, a police radar can result in you winding up with a hefty ticket — and perhaps other consequences. It’s not always easy to see police officers hiding around a blind corner or along a stretch of a busy road. But with a radar detector in your car, you can get an advanced warning and slow down.
A radar detector can help you slow down if you’re accidentally speeding so you don’t wind up with a speeding ticket. And you can get a quality radar detector device for less than $200. Check out some of our top picks for the best radar detectors under $200.
Cobra RAD 250 Laser Radar Detector
This device offers reliable radar warnings from all angles, with fewer false alerts and an easy-to-read display.
Uniden DFR1 Long Range Laser and Radar Detection
Long-range sensitivity picks up all types of radar, including laser, and three different modes make it perfectly suited for city or highway driving.
Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar Detector
This radar detector features enhanced radar and laser detection on the road, with an extremely long range warning to offer advance notice for any driver.
A corded radar detector is one that’s almost a permanent fixture in your vehicle. These devices are attached with cords — and wired to your vehicle’s electrical system — so they’re always working when you’re driving. They mount right onto your windshield or your dashboard with installation hardware like suction cups or strips of Velcro. Corded radar detectors tend to offer the best and longest range, enabling them to pick up radar signals from greater distances. 
Cordless radar detectors are the simplified siblings of corded radar detectors. These compact devices have no wires or electrical cords. Instead, they run on batteries that can be swapped out or recharged. They work just as well as corded models, offering excellent range over long distances and the ability to pick up a variety of radar bands. You can even move a cordless radar detector from vehicle to vehicle, which gives you great flexibility and convenience with no tricky cords.
As the most compact and discreet option, a remote-mount radar detector is something of an in-between option. It’s a cross between a corded and cordless device, as a remote-mount radar detector is permanently mounted and installed in your vehicle. They’re installed in your dashboard or center console, so they aren’t easily visible. And there are no cords to wrangle—once it’s in place, it’s sleek and discreet. However, there is one drawback: a remote-mount radar detector can have a diminished range, making it a little harder to pick up radar bands from long distances.
A leader in driver technology and innovation, Cobra offers radar detectors created with more than 50 years of industry experience. Every Cobra radar detector is designed to be “best in class” in both its technology and dependability. It also makes products like dash cams, power inverters, and jump starters. 
With over 40 years of experience in radar detectors alone, Escort is a high-tech, high-quality brand. Escort radar detectors are designed to be easy to use, making them a great option for every driver. Models like the Escort Max360 Laser Radar Detector combine radar detection with a number of premium extras to suit any need.
As a leader in car radar detectors, Uniden has a long history of creating quality electronics, such as CB radios, walkie-talkies, and dash cameras. First established in 1966, Uniden provides cutting-edge technology to drivers. The brand offers a wealth of different radar detectors at various price points.
You don’t want to buy a radar detector that can only detect radar in specific limited scenarios — you want a device that’s always going to work. For that, you’ll want to look for models that can offer 360 degrees of radar detection. Your radar detector should be able to pick up different types of radar from the front, rear, and sides as you drive.
Many radar detectors offer both radar detection and laser detection. It’s a key feature, especially if you want to make sure you’re covered on every road, in any instance where your speed might be tracked. Laser detection gives you extra coverage and extra functionality in a single device, which is a great way to ensure you’re getting a good value.
The ability to switch between different driving modes is an important feature in any radar detector. While one mode is perfectly fine, having multiple modes (like city or highway) gives you better accuracy. You’ll ensure your radar detector can pick up radar at different speeds and in other driving conditions, and that can limit the number of false alerts you get.
A simple radar detector will show you visual alerts on the device’s display — like flashing lights or messages — but why not opt for an even safer alert system? Look for radar detectors that also offer voice alerts, and you’ll never have to take your eyes off the road to know when your speed is being tracked. The option to use both voice and visual alerts is a bonus, and some devices may even allow you to switch between the two.
Best Overall
The Cobra RAD 250 Laser Radar Detector is an excellent all-around radar detector. It’s easy to use, easy to read, and easy to keep in your car. And it’s very effective at its job too. This radar detector will deliver fewer false alerts thanks to patented technology: an IVT Filter system, which keeps false radar alerts to a minimum. It can detect radar signals from both the front and the rear, ensuring you’re protected from police scanning from all angles. When X, K, or Ka bands are detected, this device will sound an alarm so you can slow down. A high-quality display shows you what type of radar is being detected. It’s so effective that it’ll even offer laser detection from all angles too. You’ll know when you’re within law enforcement’s sights before you even see them.
Best Value
The Uniden DFR1 Long Range Laser and Radar Detection is an incredibly affordable radar detector—but don’t let the low price fool you. This handy device is highly effective, and it even works well at long distances. It offers long-range sensitivity, providing wideband protection from both radar and laser guns. It operates with False Alert Filtering technology, ensuring you only get alerted to slow down when there’s actually a cop using radar on your vehicle. This radar detector provides front and rear detection with Uniden’s unique Eagle Eye Laser Detection Technology. You can set it to suit your driving mode—highway, city, and city 1—and a memory feature saves your favorite settings. You’ll get a lot of value for your money with this affordable and highly effective radar detector.
Best Premium
If you want to buy a top-tier radar detector with premium features, you’ll want to consider the Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar Detector. This is one excellent device, and you’ll notice its premium quality as soon as you place it in your car and let it get to work. This radar detector features an LED display that shows you everything you need to know, including vehicle speed, the band of laser or radar being detected, and the signal strength. The entire device measures 1.25 x 2.85 x 5.32 inches in size and continuously analyzes signals to offer accurate alerts. It’s ultra-fast, and it can warn you about all types of radar bands, including conventional and instant X, K, POP, and Ka band. Multiple high-performance lasers give you a warning, so you have time to react on the road. You can even choose from three different modes.
Most Versatile
The Whistler CR93 High-Performance Laser Radar Detector is a very versatile device. It not only provides complete radar detection to provide 360 degrees of protection, but it also offers two different languages, different types of alerts, and an internal GPS. It can detect all types of radar guns in use today, and it can work on Laser Atlanta Stealth, Laser Ally, and LTI Truspeed S modes. There are three operation modes and real-time voice alerts in English or Spanish. An OLED text display shows you what’s being detected. Traffic Flow Signal Rejection (TFSR), along with six filter modes, helps ensure you’re getting accurate radar detection and alerts. This device will have you covered from the front, sides, and rear, and you can even set it for city and highway driving.
Best Smart Technology
The Cobra RAD 480i Laser Radar Detector is one incredibly smart radar detector. It uses innovative technology to offer advanced radar and laser detection as well as smart connectivity. This radar detector provides Bluetooth connectivity and the iRadar app, two details that allow you to get radar detection right on your smartphone. You can get real-time alerts for radar, red-light cameras, and law enforcement activity from more than three million drivers. The radar detector itself offers front and rear detection with Cobra’s innovative LaserEye technology. Digital signal processing and next-generation filtering ensure your radar alerts are accurate. Whether you’re using the radar detector in your car or on your smartphone, you’ll be well-prepared for the road.
Honorable Mention
If you want a comprehensive radar detector, it’s tough to beat the Whistler CR70 Laser Radar Detector. This in-car device offers 360 degrees of complete perimeter detection, and it can pick up both radar and laser coming at you from any angle. It can detect all radar and radar guns, including X band, K band, super-wide Ka band, and laser alone. With professional-grade detection and multiple modes of operation, you’ll get reliable and trustworthy results. You can even operate this Whistler radar detector in POP mode, an advanced speed detection function that can capture quick bursts of radar. A high gain lens offers an increased field of view, ensuring you’ll be alerted whether you’re on the open highway or a crowded street.
Honorable Mention
The Uniden R1 Extreme Long Range Radar Detector offers an impressive range. You can’t beat the extra-long range provided by this device—a detail that can be very valuable if you’re traveling at high speeds and long distances. Having a radar or laser warning is critical so you can slow down and avoid a ticket, and this radar detector can help you achieve that with its extremely long range. It can detect laser and radar from 360 degrees, including the front and rear. It’s also equipped with a GPS that can alert you about red light cameras, a quiet ride user mode that shows alerts on the display screen, and a digital signal processor. You’ll have plenty of time to slow down and make adjustments on every drive.
Honorable Mention
Your smartphone is an everyday necessity—so why not get a radar detector that can sync up with it? The Cobra iRad Laser Radar Detector offers precisely that functionality. You can use it in two ways: as a traditional in-car radar detector or via the iRadar app that’ll send push notifications to your phone. It uses Bluetooth connectivity to link to your phone so that you can get real-time alerts on the road. However, if you want, you can also rely on the radar detector device itself. Either way, you’ll get clear, hands-free alerts that allow you to catch any radar or laser signals up ahead. You can also see what type of radar band is being detected and the signal’s strength on the bright OLED display that helps you stay informed even when it’s dark on the road.
Most Efficient
The Wizga Radar Detector can get the job done accurately and quickly. And that’s important when you’re coming up on a police car and a radar signal. This very efficient radar detector offers 360 degrees of both radar and laser detection, and it operates with super-fast sweep circuitry that’s highly precise. It reduces the odds of false alarms, and it delivers a quick response when a radar is detected. This radar detector also has a range of 250 to 2,500 meters, and it can detect both stable and mobile radar speed monitoring. You’ll get a voice warning when there’s something ahead. You can choose between city and highway modes, which help increase this radar detector’s accuracy, depending on the driving you’re doing.
Best Feature-Filled
The Whistler LR-300GP Laser Radar Detector is a feature-filled radar detector that can be advantageous on the road. Measuring 7.8 x 6.1 x 2 inches in size and weighing just 0.5 pounds, this relatively small device can be quite effective thanks to all of its functions and features. It can detect different radar and laser types, and it can even work with newer technologies like Laser Atlanta Stealth mode, Laser Ally, and LTI TruSpeed 3. It offers multiple operation modes for city and highway driving, and it even has an internal GPS to help you detect red light or speed cameras in addition to radar. It uses both dim and dark modes for increased visibility, and it allows you to customize the warning alerts you receive. And there’s one more “feature” buyers will love, including a manufacturer’s warranty that protects you and your investment against any potential damage or malfunctions.
Some of the best radar detectors can be found for under $200. However, if you want to get a great, quality device for the lowest price, you can’t go wrong with the Uniden DFR1 Long Range Laser and Radar Detection. Made by a top brand and packed with helpful features, including radar detection for all radar and laser types, this device offers everything you need.
Your radar detector may not be picking up any active radar — even if you drive by a police officer. Sometimes, police officers are merely taking a break on the side of the road. If radar or laser isn’t being pointed at other cars on the road or your own car, the device will stay quiet. 
You can check to see if your radar detector is working correctly by setting it to a higher sensitivity, such as “highway” mode. At a higher sensitivity, your device will likely get more false alerts from interference by automatic doors, smart safety features on your car, or even other cars on the road. If you hear alerts, you can trust that it’s working — even if they’re false.
You won’t have to worry about false alerts or limited range with the Cobra RAD 250 Laser Radar Detector’s high quality. However, if you want a radar detector that offers reliable quality at an even better price, you can check out the Uniden DFR1 Long Range Laser and Radar Detection.
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
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