LINK AKC VS Whistle 3
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This detailed LINK AKC VS Whistle 3 comparison lets you quickly discover whether you should entrust LINK AKC or Whistle 3 with keeping your furry friend safe. Scroll down for a complete overview of their crucial features and find out which of these two pet trackers constitutes a better choice overall.
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Highlights
Whistle is a popular GPS tracker and activity monitor for cats and dogs that offers an impressive feature set, great accuracy, and an almost unlimited communication range.
- Works over any distance within AT&T cellular coverage
- Create multiple fully customizable safe zones for your pet
- Affordable, small, lightweight, waterproof, and shockproof
- Price: $99.95
- Shipping: $0
LINK AKC smart collar is an award-winning GPS pet tracker that allows you to track your pet’s activity, location, health, and wellness. It works anywhere in the US within AT&T cellular coverage.
- Easy and reliable map-aided location tracking via cellular GPS
- Automatically created and customizable Bluetooth safe zones
- Smart activity tracking, vet records, and many more handy tools
- Price: $99.00
- Shipping: $0
Compare Features
Highlights
Whistle is a lightweight GPS pet tracker that works throughout the US, boasts high accuracy and good battery life, allows for both location and activity tracking and offers extraordinary safe zone customization options.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
Whistle tracking unit comes in the form of a rounded cuboid and is available in 3 versions, including gray, green, and blue. It measures 1.82 inches in height by 1.45 inches in width by 0.61 inches in depth. It is attached to the pet's collar or harness with the use of a rubber attachment strap. The attachment mechanism allows you to easily twist the device on and off.
Available Sizes
Whistle does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars up to 1'' wide.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Whistle is IP67 dirt and shock resistant and waterproof up to 3 feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. It comes with a durable attachment strap made of strong rubber and it is designed to endure rough play. It does not have a specific lifespan but can last for at least a couple of years with proper use.
Key Tracking Features
Whistle allows you to keep track of your pet’s location with:
- GPS location tracking, which allows you to get location updates every 60 seconds;
- Multiple safe zones, which are fully customizable in terms of size and shape;
- 24-hour location history for your pet;
- Text, email, and push notifications sent when your pet leaves the safe zone;
- Sharing, which allows you to give your friends and family full access to all Whistle tracking features.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Whistle allows you to gain full insight into your pet’s activity levels with:
- 24-hour activity records shown in the form of a graph;
- Information on distance traveled;
- Rest time and active time expressed in minutes and hours;
- Information on pet’s activity level (moderate and intense);
- Number of calories pet has burned during the day;
- Custom activity goals, which you can define yourself or let the app define based on your pet’s breed, weight, and age.
Training Assistance
Whistle does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Whistle include: - battery alerts, notifying you when the device's battery is low and needs to be recharged.
Communication Range
Whistle works over any distance within AT&T and WiFi coverage.
Weight
0.92 oz., 1.25 oz. with the attachment piece
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
About 7 days with good WiFi and cellular coverage
Smartphone App
Whistle smartphone app is available free of charge. It is compatible with iOS 10.0+ and Android 5.0+. It allows you to view your pet’s current location on a Google map, browse 24-hour location history, view 24-hour rest and activity data, receive safe zone, battery, and activity notifications, add and remove safe zones, and adjust settings. You can use the app to track multiple pets and share access with multiple users.
Connectivity
Whistle uses GPS technology for location tracking, WiFi technology for creating safe zones, cellular technology for data transfer between the tracking unit and the pet guardian's smartphone, and Bluetooth technology for pairing the tracking unit with the pet guardian's smartphone.
Coverage
Throughout the US (within AT&T cell coverage)
Pricing
Device: $79.95 (currently $59.95 with a 20% discount); Service plan: $9.95 with the monthly subscription, $7.95 with the yearly subscription, and $6.95 with the 2-year subscription
Shipping and Delivery
Whistle comes with free 2-day shipping.
Refund Policy
Whistle comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the product, you just need to return it within 90 days of purchase in order to receive a full refund.
Warranty
Whistle does not come with a warranty.
Highlights
LINK AKC is an award-winning GPS pet tracker that allows you to keep track of your pet’s location, activity levels, health, and wellness. It works anywhere in the US within AT&T cellular coverage and comes with sound training assistance included.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker (Smart Collar)
Design
LINK AKC pet tracking system includes a stylish leather or reflective nylon collar, a collar carrier in the form of a sleeve, a curved tracking unit, and a base station. All elements come in different color schemes, including combinations of light gray and black, white, and leather. The tracking unit measures 1.5’’ in height by 3.9’’ in width by 0.5’’ in depth, it clips into the carrier, and it can be removed by pushing the spring-release button.
Available Sizes
LINK AKC smart collar comes in 3 sizes: XS/S, with neck fit of 8 to 11 inches, M, with neck fit of 11 to 17 inches, and L/XL, with neck fit of 17 to 29 inches.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
LINK AKC pet tracker can withstand immersion of up to 3 feet, it is impact resistant, and both the tracking unit and the collar are made of highly durable materials. The carrier may be more easily damaged than the other elements of the system, but it is not easy to break. The device comes with a rechargeable battery, which sets its overall lifespan at several years with proper use.
Key Tracking Features
LINK AKC makes it easy to track your pet’s location with:
- Accurate and constantly updated GPS location information when your dog is out of sight;
- Automatically established safe zones around the base station and your phone;
- Temporary safe zones around your phone that you can customize and expand up to a radius of 2,400 meters;
- Instant notifications when your pet leaves the defined safe zone.
Pet Activity Monitoring
LINK AKC comes with an impressive set of activity monitoring tools, including:
- 3-axis accelerometer that accurately measures your pet’s activity;
- Patent-pending algorithm that learns how to identify different levels of activity, letting you know when your pet engages in moderate or intense activity and whether he or she has had enough activity during the day;
- Personalized activity recommendations based on your pet’s age, breed or mixed breed, behavior, and size.
Training Assistance
LINK AKC provides training assistance with the use of a clicker-like sound feature embedded in the tracking unit. The sound feature can be remotely activated via LINK AKC smartphone app.
Additional Features
LINK AKC offers several useful extra features, including:
- Vet records, which allow you to store your pet’s vet records, vaccinations, and certificates in the LINK AKC app and set reminders for important events or vet appointments;
- Adventures, which allow you to revisit memorable walks and hikes by creating adventures, including maps showing distance, timestamp, and photos you took during your trips, with photos being readily editable;
- Temperature monitoring, which monitors ambient temperature and sends alerts when the environment is too hot or too cold;
- Sound feature, which functions like a clicker and can be remotely activated via LINK AKC app, allowing you to train your pet more easily.
Communication Range
LINK AKC works over any distance within AT&T cellular coverage
Weight
2.55 oz. with the carrier (collar weight not included)
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Up to 3 days, significantly decreased with GPS on
Smartphone App
LINK AKC smartphone app is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled Android and iOS phones, including Android 5.0+ and iOS 9.0+. It can be used to track up to 10 pets. It allows you to access all location tracking information and daily and historical activity records, provides near-instant alerts when your pet leaves the safe zone, and lets you create adventures/virtual scrapbooks, define a custom range for the safe zone around your phone, and remotely activate the clicker-like sound on the tracking unit.
Connectivity
LINK AKC pet tracker employs cellular GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth to keep track of your pet’s location. Bluetooth connection is used when your pet is within the safe zone. If your pet leaves the safe zone, you can track his or her location via GPS.
Coverage
Throughout the US (within AT&T cell coverage)
Pricing
The device - regular price: $129; current price: $99; the service plan - $9.95/month with the monthly subscription, $7.95/month with the yearly subscription, $6.95 with the 2-year subscription
Shipping and Delivery
All LINK AKC orders come with free shipping within the US.
Refund Policy
LINK AKC comes with a 90-day risk-free guarantee. You can return the product within 90 days and receive a full product purchase price refund. Used service plan time is not refundable.
Warranty
LINK AKC comes with a 3-year warranty. The warranty covers malfunctions that are not caused by improper use. The device also comes with a 1-year size guarantee, which allows you to exchange your device for a different size in case it does not fit or your pet outgrows it.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Tim Grady on 11/20/2019I’ve noticed that it doesn’t work very good once it’s not within our home’s wifi zone. Sometimes we go camping and there’s almost no cell reception there so we have problems receiving any data at all. But when we are at home the thing works perfectly. It’s fast and accurate and charge it one a week. Once Stella ran away from my daughter when she saw the neighbours can and my daughter didn’t manage to come home and tell us that for about 5 minutes but I already knew since I got notified and we found stella exactly where the app pinpointed the location within a few minutes standing under the tree, barking at the cat.
- Submitted By Marsha Jones on 06/20/2019Tracy used to wander away from our yard and end up in our neighbour’s yard playing with their dog so to be able to track her down and immediately get notified when she escapes is what matters the most. With whistle I can set up a perimiter where she’s allowed to go and get notified once she leaves that space. It saves me lots of time and worrying when she leaves the yard and when I’m not home I just text the resto of the family where to pick her up.
- Submitted By Jenna Simmons on 05/07/2019I love that this app works as any other activity app I use. You simply download it to your phone and use it like any other where you get to see the history and set up goals once you enter your dog’s information. I share Donna’s activity date with my husband so we can know how much exercise she has that day and dont overdo it.
- Submitted By Patric Small on 04/05/2019This was my tracker of choice because it functions as both tracker and activity monitor. As a family we are passionate hikers so being able to track our Tom’s vitals is very important to us especially since he’s an older dog. The thing I also like is that you have constant coverage because is connected with you phone all you need to do is download the app. You can connect through bluetooth and use your home’s wifi. The cell network is AT&T and if you don’t have wifi you can track your dog as long as the area is covered by the network. And when the signal is strong the coverage precision is really good. We didn’t go anywhere so far were the signal isn’t strong so I don’t know how it works in those places.
- Submitted By Ashlei Rivers on 11/26/2019I’ve decided to go on a healthy regime that includes more exercise and health food and what helped me with my consistency was the fact that could do the same for my pet using LINK AKC that recommended how active my dog should be depending on his race, age, etc. We coordinated our daily walks based on his recommendations and mine and started with a healthier lifestyle I wouldn’t be able to handle on my own. I get motivated my tracking Buck’s and mime progress and knowing that I’m not alone and that my dog can handle the pace.
- Submitted By Zena Maynard on 06/20/2019I’ve noticed that once Pan left the safe zone I was immediately notified and was able to see his location by using gps signal. It was really cool because the app showed me the map with little paw prints all over telling me where Pan left and if I wasn’t so worried it would have been much more fun. The only thing is the tracking is not live so it doesn’t provide information right that second, it takes a few minutes to find the original coordinates but after that it is spot on.
- Submitted By Zaharah Teller on 02/05/2019I like that its two in one and you can track your pet and use it as a health and activity app as well. I recommend it for all active dog parents since the gps works really well in case your dog gets lost on the unknown terrain and you can also view his activity and set goals, add maps, photos, videos from your walks. You can see everything you did on that day and compare it to other days.
- Submitted By Kelly Smith on 12/24/2018I didn’t know that the tracker can only work on AT&T network when I bought ii but so far I didn’t have any problems with the coverage. You get the base station that works together with the tracker so if your dog goes outside the zone that is covered by two devices you get a notification in under a minute. I tested it out and it really works. Gps also works but you need to download the app first so you can track your dogs movement. Between the two you are covered for sure.
Winner
Whistle is a GPS tracking solution for dogs and cats that provides easy and accurate location tracking as well as comprehensive activity monitoring. It is feature-rich, has a good battery life, and works anywhere within AT&T cellular coverage. Read our objective Whistle review for a full overview of this pet tracker’s key characteristics.