Garmin Astro 430 VS PetPace

UPDATED Apr. 2024
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PetPace and Garmin Astro 430 are both highly rated pet tracking solutions, but they greatly differ in terms of the features they offer. In this PetPace 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.

PetPace
Best For Older And At-Risk Pets
VS
Garmin Astro 430
The Ultimate Sporting Dog Tracking System

Highlights

PetPace
PetPace is a modern pet health and activity monitor that utilizes the latest technologies to track important vital signs as well as physiological and behavioral changes and abnormalities.
  • Tracks heart rate, temperature, respiration, and calories
  • Adjustable comfortable strap that fits all pets over 8 lb
  • IP-x7 water resistance; LED indicators; long battery life
  • Price: $159.95
  • Shipping: $
Garmin Astro 430
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

PetPace
Highlights
PetPace is a wireless, low-power smart collar that provides owners with valuable information about their pets' vital signs as well as numerous psychological and behavioral parameters and uploads the data to a cloud-based analytical engine, which evaluates the received information in order to point out any potential abnormalities. It monitors temperature, pulse, respiration, activity levels, calories, positions, and heart-rate variations. It is especially helpful with older or at-risk pets.
Type
Health And Activity Monitor
Design
PetPace features its own collar that comes in 3 different sizes, which means it can fit any pet weighing over 8lb. The electronic case measures 1.57" x 1.27" x 0.59" and weighs only 1.5oz. It features a prominent on/off button paired with an LED indicator. Apart from the collar, PetPace also comes with a home base called the "gateway" that measures 3.07" x 2.11" x 2", weighs 2.18oz, and features 3 LED indicator lights.
Available Sizes
The PetPace collar comes in three options: - Cat/small dog - Weight: 8 – 22lb; neck circumference: 8 – 12″ - Medium dog - Weight: 22 – 62lb; neck circumference: 10.5 – 18” - Large dog – Weight: 62+lb; neck circumference: 16 – 24.5” "
Suitable For Cats
Durability
The PetPace collar is made of heavy-duty plastic, but the manufacturer does not advertise it as 100% bite-proof. Its waterproof rating is set at IP-X7, which means it can withstand rain, accidental water splashes, and submersion in water up to 3.3 feet for 30 minutes. The device has not been tested against dust and sand. If your pet is not overly aggressive toward his or her accessories and does not go for prolonged swims, PetPace should last for at least a couple of years.
Key Tracking Features
PetPace does not track your pet's location.
Pet Activity Monitoring
PetPace allows you to set activity goals for your pets and monitor activity levels 24/7. By keeping an eye on their established habits throughout the day (eating, drinking, sleeping...), the device is able to detect any changes in activity patterns and provide you and your vet with important insights into your pet's current health status and indicate certain diseases in their early stages. PetPace can also help monitor your pet's activity during recovery from a disease or surgery.
Training Assistance
PetPace does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
PetPace does not provide any additional features.
Communication Range
The maximum communication range between the home base and the collar is 1,000 feet (without any physical obstacles).
Weight
The collar: 1.5oz; the home base: 2.18oz
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
3 weeks
Smartphone App
PetPace comes with a dedicated app compatible with Android 4.4+ and iOS 8.2+. It allows you to monitor your pet's activity and vital signs in real-time and receive alerts the moment any abnormality is detected. The app is free of charge and the latest update also introduces the option of logging significant events in your pet's life on a daily basis.
Connectivity
The PetPace home base uses ethernet 1-/100 T and requires an open ethernet port in order to communicate with the collar.
Coverage
PetPace can work anywhere on the globe.
Pricing
Pet Starter - $159.95; Pet - $199.95; Pet Plus - $245.95; Pet Platinum - $349.95
Shipping and Delivery
PetPace is currently available in the US, the UK, and Canada. It comes with free shipping.
Refund Policy
PetPace comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Warranty
PetPace comes with a 1-year warranty.
Garmin Astro 430
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

PetPace
FINAL RATING
7.9/10
Range
Accuracy
Features
Design
App
Pricing
Garmin Astro 430
FINAL RATING
8.9/10
Range
Accuracy
Features
Design
App
Pricing

Compare User Reviews

PetPace
  • Submitted By Clinton Bryant on 10/20/2019
    This collar is so easy to use and set up on your phone. I’m not a tech wizard or anything but it was easy even for me. I think lots of pet owners have trouble with setting up devices and keeping track of the data. I like that I don’t have to read the data myself but I get notified if anything goes wrong. I know it’s not nice to say but it is better to have someone who is qualified to inform of any potential issues instead of me trying to figure it out on my own.
  • Submitted By Lynn Massey on 08/04/2019
    The only thing I would change on this product is the fact that I don’t have insight into all the data collected from my pet. Instead, I only get alerts in case something goes wrong or is out of the ordinary. Other than that I’m really satisfied to have a device that monitors my dog’s vital functions considering he ‘s really old and has too many health issues. The tracker is connected to the app which is free and it is supported by android and ios. My husband has samsung, I’m on the iphone and you can keep a record of everything from your dog’s walks to his visits to the wet.
  • Submitted By Alyssa Richards on 04/20/2019
    PetPace is absolutely amazing! It gives me a sense of comfort to know that if anything happens to my dog I’ll be aware of it. I have a husky who is almost 16 years old and health hazard increased in the last couple of years dramatically. She had problems with her hips and liver and now she really has trouble with everything. I feel safe knowing that if I’ll get notified in case of any unusual activity so I could react in time.
  • Submitted By Lois Maldonado on 01/20/2019
    I didn’t do my research very well so I taught that next to tracking my dog’s health status I could also track his movements. However, that’s not the case. This device serves to keep your pet’s health in check but offers nothing in regards to monitoring its movements. I have an old dog and this tracker did make sense since I want to know if anything goes wrong but I’d still wanted to know where his at at all times.
Garmin Astro 430
  • Submitted By Leah Thomas on 11/27/2019
    Before 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 08/08/2019
    Apart 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 05/02/2019
    This 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 03/07/2019
    I’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.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.
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