Pod 3 VS Garmin Astro 430
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If you are stuck choosing between Garmin Astro 430 and Pod 3, our comprehensive Garmin Astro 430 vs. Pod 3 comparison can help you pick the right pet tracker in no time. View their most important features below and discover which pet tracking solution is the winner of this comparison.
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Highlights
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: $
Pod 3 is a GPS pet tracker that uses GPS, cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth technologies for outdoor and indoor tracking. It works in 175+ world countries and has a virtually unlimited communication range.
- Waterproof & shockproof tracking unit weighing just 1.1 oz.
- Minimum location update interval of just 10 seconds
- Activity and movement monitoring and adventure recording
- Price: $129.00
- Shipping: $0 *
*free shipping in the US, the UK, and Australia, other countries qualify for flat rate shipping of up to $15.35
Compare Features
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.
Highlights
Pod 3 is a Bluetooth and WiFi enabled GPS pet tracker that allows for both indoor and outdoor tracking, works in 175+ world countries, has a virtually unlimited communication range, offers location, activity, and movement monitoring features, and boasts a minimum location update interval of just 10 seconds.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
The Pod 3 tracking unit is black, cylinder-shaped, and measures just 2’’ in length and 0.9’’ in diameter. It is attached to the pet’s collar using a rubber strap suitable for virtually all collars, as well as larger objects like bicycles or drones.
Available Sizes
Pod 3 does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Pod 3 can last for at least a couple of years with proper use. It is both shockproof and waterproof and it is not prone to damage.
Key Tracking Features
Pod 3 allows you to track your pet’s location with:
- 3 tracking modes, including Standby for battery saving, Safe Zone with instant notifications when the pet leaves the safe zone, and Adventure, with the most frequently updated location information;
- Near-real-time tracking, with location updated every 10 seconds in live tracking adventure mode;
- Multiple safe zones, which you can customize both in terms of location and size;
- Location history, which allows you to view your pet’s past locations for the period of 24 hours;
- Sharing, which allows multiple users to track the location of the same pet at once.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Pod 3 allows you to track your pet’s activity with:
- Constantly refreshed details on rest, walk, and play activity, with time spent walking and playing expressed in minutes and rest time expressed in hours;
- Daily, weekly, and monthly activity overviews;
- Custom-defined daily activity goals.
Training Assistance
Pod 3 does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Pod 3 include:
- Movement tracking, with the device constantly monitoring your pet’s movement and identifying unusual and sudden changes in your pet’s activity and behavior;
- Adventure recording, which allows you to record your pet’s walks and revisit them later, with adventures shown on a map and including information on distance walked, time spent walking, area covered, and your pet’s speed.
Communication Range
Pod 3 works over any distance within cellular and WiFi coverage.
Weight
1.1 oz.
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Up to 5 days in standby mode, up to 8 hours in Adventure mode (refresh rate of 10 seconds)
Smartphone App
The Pod 3 smartphone app is compatible with Android 5.0+ and iOS 8+. The app can be used for multiple pets. Login details can be shared with friends and family in order to enable multiple users to simultaneously track the same pet via the Pod 3 app.
The app features 2 main screens, including the Pet screen and the Map screen. The Pet screen allows you to view details of your pets, their last known locations and location times, and their 24-hour location history. It further lets you manage safe zone, refresh rate, activity monitoring, and adventure recording settings. The Map screen allows you to manage your account settings, add new pets, view location information for your pets, refresh their locations manually, and access Pod Help.
Connectivity
Pod 3 uses GPS technology for outdoor tracking. It is WiFi and Bluetooth enabled for tracking indoors. It uses 2G and 3G cellular networks to transfer location information to the pet guardian's smartphone.
Coverage
Pod 3 works in 175+ countries on 6 continents
Pricing
Device: $89 Service Plan: $8.95 per month with the monthly subscription; $4.95 with the yearly subscription.
Shipping and Delivery
Pod 3 comes with free shipping for deliveries to the US, the UK, and Australia. For other countries, there is a shipping fee of up to $15.35.
Refund Policy
Pod 3 comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can return the device within 30 days and get a full refund if it is saleable or faulty. If the device is not in a saleable condition, there is a $25 fee. If the device is broken or lost, you do not get a refund but you do get a 50% discount on a new Pod 3.
Warranty
Pod 3 comes with a 12-month warranty. The warranty covers malfunctions that are not caused by improper use.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- 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!
- Submitted By Inara Mayers on 12/08/2019I apreciate that don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to operate this device. The app is quite self-explanatory. You have a map screen that shows you where your dog has been and the other screen shows his movement history and it also covers your pets safe zone which it shouldn’t enter but if it does you can keep track of where he’s going. You can also watch tutorials that explain how to use the app and what it has to offer. The app allows you to add other pets. I can also sent everything I see to my husband and sister so we can all be in the loop which I know sounds crazy but Stella is our baby and we need to take care of her the best we can.
- Submitted By Stacy Waller on 11/30/2019Jill is the type of dog that is restless and keeps bumping into things. And she likes to play with other dogs that usually turns into a full blown wrestling match so it’s safe to say that she needs high quality equipment if you don’t intend to buy new stuff every few days. This tracker turned out to be completely Jill-proof which means bite proof, rock-proof, water-proof and any other type of proof Jill needs. You would not believe how many leashes and trackers she chewed through or broke or they just fell off at some point so having this tracker as long as we do is nothing short of a miracle.
- Submitted By Vivek Scott on 11/17/2019I feel Burton is covered in every which way possible. The tracker has a bluetooth, wifi and gps and cell connection. I was really happy when I read that. When I’m at home, the tracker is connected to the wifi, outside it has gps or you can connect on bluetooth is he doesn’t go far. Cell connection is not tied to the specific provider which is really a good thing and you can keep track of everything on the app you can download on your phone. I let Burton wander around not worrying for a second that he might get lost somewhere I never been before.
- Submitted By Faye Short on 11/02/2019I opted on this tracker because I can connect through almost everything but I was a bit worried because of the shape it seemed big and I didn’t know if it would make problems since my dogs likes to move around a lot and sleep under the bed and in other not easy to reach areas. It has been two months now and the tracker is still in place. I didn’t notice anything different in Mikes routine. He keeps doing what he does without any problems I think. I managed to strap it firmly and it still holds the same and I think it is due to the fact that it is really light even though it is shaped funny.
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.