Garmin Astro 430 VS Animo
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Animo and Garmin Astro 430 are both highly rated pet tracking solutions, but they greatly differ in terms of the features they offer. In this Animo vs. Garmin Astro 430 review, we list their top qualities side by side and determine which of these two pet trackers offers greater value for your money.
Highlights
Animo is a premium activity monitor and behavior tracker for dogs developed to learn your pet's daily patterns, interpret them, and convert them into useful and actionable information.
- Small and lightweight monitor with a sturdy construction
- Replaceable battery/6-month battery life/IP67 water resistance
- Dedicated app for the majority of Android and iOS devices
- Price: $90.00
- Shipping: $
Garmin Astro 430 is a premium dog tracking system that provides location updates within seconds, tracks up to 20 dogs at once, and has a massive set of both standard and special features.
- High precision with GPS/GLONASS, mean accuracy of 12 feet
- 2.5-second location update rate; 9-mile communication range
- Amazing durability; no monthly fees; 1-year limited warranty
- Price: $649.99
- Shipping: $
Compare Features
Highlights
Animo is a unique dog activity & behavior monitor that allows you to keep track of your pet's exercise regimens (running, walking), sleep quality, and well-being (barking, shaking, scratching). After the adaptive algorithm synchronizes with your dog's habits (7 days), you can start setting activity goals to make sure they are getting plenty of exercise. It is one of the smallest and lightest devices of its kind and it comes with a proprietary app that can store up to 3 weeks of data between synchronizations. The device utilizes one replaceable battery that should last for about 6 months.
Type
Pet Activity Monitor
Design
Animo features a rugged housing paired with a sturdy mounting loop made of metal. It is a circular device with only 37mm in diameter and weighing just 22g. The package features 3 different silicone bands used to attach the monitor to your dog's collar and it covers widths between 12 and 30mm.
Available Sizes
Animo's silicone bands cover collars between 12 and 30mm.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Animo is officially not shockproof, but its rugged housing is more than capable of handling external trauma and extreme conditions. As such, it should last for years without any problems. The IP-67 rating means that it can be submerged in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. The housing is also resistant to fine particles such as dust and sand.
Key Tracking Features
Animo is not a pet tracker.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Animo features an adaptive algorithm that learns your dog's activity and behavior patterns and provides you with reports specific to your pet. The algorithm adapts to changes over time, which means you can monitor his or her activity and behavior as they age. The activity reports include running, walking, playing, and any other activities, the device monitors the number of burnt calories, the sleep score shows the overall sleep quality of your dog throughout the night, and the behavior tracking includes barking, shaking, and scratching.
Training Assistance
Animo does not come with training assistance.
Additional Features
Animo allows you to set activity goals for your dog once the monitoring algorithm is calibrated (7 days). The internal memory can hold up to 3 weeks' worth of data between synchronizations.
Communication Range
Animo synchronizes data automatically with your Android or iOS device within 10m.
Weight
22g (0.78oz)
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Around 6 months (disposable)
Smartphone App
Animo comes with a proprietary app available on all devices running Android 5.0+ or iOS 9+. The app is absolutely free of charge and shows your pet's activity levels (walking, running, playing...), caloric expenditure, behavioral patterns, and sleep quality. It automatically keeps track of the set activity goals and alerts you the moment something falls drastically under the average value.
Connectivity
Animo utilizes Bluetooth to synchronize data with Android and iOS devices.
Coverage
Animo can work anywhere in the world.
Pricing
Animo pet monitor costs $90.
Shipping and Delivery
Animo shipping options include FedEx Ground (Free; 5-7 business days) and FedEx Next Day ($40; 1-2 business days)
Refund Policy
Animo comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Warranty
Animo comes with a 1-year warranty against any defects in material and/or craftsmanship.
Highlights
Garmin Astro 430 is a professional dog tracking system that offers location updates every 2.5 seconds, has a communication range of up to 9 miles, boasts great precision due to the use of both GPS and GLONASS, offers a vast range of special features, tracks up to 20 dogs at once, and comes with no monthly fees.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
The Garmin Astro 430 tracking system includes one handheld locator and either the T5 or T5 mini tracking unit with a special collar. Both the locator and the tracking units feature a black-and-orange color scheme. They are made of durable materials like heavy-duty plastic and stainless steel. The handheld locator features a transreflective 65-K color TFT display measuring 2.6’’ in diagonal. It comes with standard and long-range stainless steel radio antennas and a top-mounted GPS antenna. The T5 tracking unit comes with a top-mounted GPS antenna and standard and long-range radio antennas while T5 mini comes with a top-mounted GPS antenna and a standard radio antenna. Both tracking units feature LED light beacons and the locator is equipped with a vibration motor.
Available Sizes
The Garmin Astro 430 handheld locator is compatible with the T5 and T5 mini tracking units that differ in size. T5 measures 1.74’’ x 3.5’’ x 1.85’’ (HWD), comes with a 1-inch collar strap, and weighs 9.3 oz. with the collar. T5 mini measures 1.8’’x 3.1’’ x 1.4’’ (HWD), comes with a 0.75-inch collar strap, and weighs 7 oz. with the collar. T5 is suitable for neck circumferences of 9.5+ inches while T5 mini fits smaller necks.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Garmin Astro 430 is not shockproof, but both the locator and the tracking units are durable, waterproof, impervious to dust and dirt, and suitable for use in all kinds of harsh conditions. They are built to withstand frequent bumps and blows and they can easily last for years with no diminishments in functionality.
Key Tracking Features
Garmin Astro 430 is a feature-rich pet tracker that offers:
- Near-real-time tracking with a 2.5-second location refresh rate, accuracy within 12 feet, and 10,000 points of information per dog;
- Additional maps, such as BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, HuntView, TOPO U.S. 24K, and City Navigator NT for turn-by-turn routing;
- BaseCamp software for trip planning;
- BaseStation software for computer tracking;
- Multiple tracking profiles, such as hunting, automotive, marine, and recreational;
- Multiple dashboards within a single page;
- Customizable dog display providing dog name, direction, distance, and status data.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Garmin Astro 430 does not monitor pet activity.
Training Assistance
Garmin Astro 430 does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Garmin Astro 430 offers a multitude of bonus features, including but not limited to:
- Hunt metrics providing insight into dogs’ hunting patterns and behavior;
- Convey counter for creating up to 2,000 waypoints;
- Rescue mode for battery saving;
- Wireless sharing;
- Area calculation;
- Hunt and fish calendar;
- Sun and moon information.
Communication Range
4 miles with T5 mini, 9 miles with T5
Weight
T5 mini: 7 oz. with collar; T5: 9.3 oz. with collar
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Handheld locator: up to 20 hours; T5: 20-40 hours; T5 mini: 16-30 hours
Smartphone App
Garmin Astro 420 does not come with a smartphone app.
Connectivity
Garmin Astro 430 uses GLONASS and GPS for location tracking and radio frequency signals for inter-device communication.
Coverage
Garmin Astro 430 does not rely on external services, so it can work anywhere in the world. However, due to varying international regulations, it is only approved for use within the US.
Pricing
$649.99
Shipping and Delivery
Garmin Astro 430 can be shipped throughout the US, including Alaska and Hawaii. Shipping is free of charge - unless you opt for next business day shipping, in which case you pay an $18 shipping fee.
Refund Policy
Garmin Astro 430 comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Warranty
Garmin Astro 430 comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Repairs come with a 90-day warranty.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Charles_Gray on 12/28/2019It works well but it took me a while before I realized it needs to be placed a certain way, otherwise it gives you wrong information.
- Submitted By Jenna Watson on 08/10/2019What a great little gadget! It works just as advertised and my big hellion still didn’t manage to lose it in action.
- Submitted By Leah Thomas on 11/27/2019Before I bought the Garmin 320 I read somewhere in the reviews that there is a rescue mode option that allows you to save the battery by switching to it and that feature enables you to save the battery life when it’s on its end and track you dog for a few hours more. It also has a highly advanced map tracking options that allows you to update maps depending on taking the road or going through water and stuff like that. It’s a really professional device because it offers so much more than a regular map which you get with a regular pet tracker and you can also store detailed information about each time you catch something like place, time and that sort of stuff.
- Submitted By Clayton Logan on 08/08/2019Apart from being expensive I can’t seem to find anything wrong with this tracker. My wife bought it for me as a birthday present, I think she likes to see me out of the house honestly, and it really did the trick. The only thing I think needs improving is the battery which could be a bit more long lasting but you can recharge it over night. The range is impressive, almost 10 miles with gps being wildly accurate at all times. There is no glitches or bugs, the tracker is fast and precise and what I like the most is that you can adjust the display to show you important information without having to stop and look for it yourself.
- Submitted By Austin Fowler on 05/02/2019This is a durable device built to withstand everything you can possibly thing off. My dog and I had some crazy adventures and let me tell you I didn’t think it would last. I’m sorry to see the company disconnected the line but I truly hope the new version is as good as this one. I can not tell you how many times the bright orange collar helped me spot Max and stopped me from making noise and ruining a perfectly good shot. I really do thing that is worth every penny and you can see that is is built to last. The performances are excellent including the gps which is crazy spot on.
- Submitted By Lyle Pearson on 03/07/2019I’m a passionate hunter so a friend recommended Garmin. It was a bit pricey but I did my research and read tons of reviews and finally decided to invest. The company has such a good reputation which has proven to be a deciding factor. It everything proofed, long range and I can transfer all the data via usb. The battery, however, needs some improvement considering it is a regular aa battery and the life span is not too long. The same goes for the rechargeable battery which only lasts for 40 hours max and my hunting trips sometimes last for 3, or 4 days straight in complete isolation. I suggest improving that otherwise everything else is great!
Winner
Garmin Astro 430 is a professional dog tracking system that provides fresh location updates every 2.5 seconds, boasts great accuracy and durability, and has more useful features than you can count. If you do not want to settle for just any pet tracking device, read this Garmin Astro 430 review to learn all about this highly advanced tracker.