Last updated: October 28, 2021
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We looked at the top Radar Detectors and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we’ve determined the best Radar Detector you should buy.
Advance notice can be very handy when you’re using a radar detector. and in that area, the Valentine One excels. You’ll also get high sensitivity, which is helpful in alerting you to speed-detecting radar.
The Valentine One V1 Radar detector is one of the highest performing radar detectors on the market. One reason for this is multiple radar antennas! The only other detector with two radar antennas is the Bel STi Driver, but in the STi both antennas face forward. In the Valentine One, there is one forward antenna and one rear-facing antenna. Using this combination of antennas, it effectively tells you the band and strength of the radar signal, along with the number of “bogeys,” or radar units being detected. It will also tell you what direction the signal is coming from, and provide the best rear detection out of every other windshield-mounted detector on the market. Even when this sounds too good to be true, there’s more. The Valentine One has excellent laser reception, consistently appearing at the top of tests in this category. In addition to the super high-performance of Valentine’s detector, this model will never become obsolete. The very first Valentine detectors from 1992 look identical to the ones today, and can be sent in to Valentine to be updated with the latest hardware and software (charges may apply). If you decide on a Valentine One, you’ll be in good hands with the same detector for the rest of your life.
A speeding ticket can put a serious damper on your day. Not only will you face a fine of $150 on average, but you’ll also have to deal with the drama of being pulled over by a police officer. Although smartphone apps like Waze can alert you that a police officer is coming up, do you really want to trust your fellow travelers to report one?
The best solution remains the same thing people used to avoid speeding tickets before we had smartphones. A radar detector picks up the emissions produced by police officers’ devices. Today’s top radar detectors are advanced enough to get around the many issues consumers faced in the past with radar detectors. They’ll find the band most often used by officers and filter out the common causes of false alarms.
If you don’t want to give up the crowdsourced approach to traffic alerts, don’t worry. Some radar detectors sync up with an app that helps you access the power of the crowd. This combination of information will ensure you have the best chance possible of knowing when your speed is about to be checked.
One problem with having a radar detector is that the police may be able to detect you have one on board. A device called Spectre can detect radar detectors and potentially lead to a ticket, depending on where you live. In Virginia and the District of Columbia, use of radar detectors is illegal. You can turn your detector off once it sends an alert since you’ll be slowing down anyway. Once you’re safely past the police officer, you can then turn it back on. There are also some radar detectors that claim to be undetectable to Spectre detectors.
Of course, the most important feature is accuracy. It’s important to look for a radar detector that captures all suspected radar incidents without routinely setting off false alarms. Once you have your detector, there are tweaks you can make to ensure it’s as accurate as possible.
