Whistle 3 VS Garmin Astro 320
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Whistle 3 and Garmin Astro 320 are both highly rated pet tracking solutions, but they greatly differ in terms of the features they offer. In this Whistle 3 VS Garmin Astro 320 review, we list their top qualities side by side and determine which of these two pet trackers offers greater value for your money.
VS
Highlights
Garmin Astro 320 is an advanced GPS dog tracker that offers more useful features than virtually any pet tracker available. It is highly accurate, fast, and most importantly, perfectly reliable.
- Accurate within 12 feet, location updated every 5 seconds
- Communication range of up to 9 miles in open, flat spaces
- Incredible range of advanced and special tracking features
- Price: $449.99
- Shipping: $$5 to $28 *
*Shipping does not come free of charge and significantly varies depending on location
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
Compare Features
Highlights
Garmin Astro 320 is a fee-free premium GPS dog tracking system that boasts a communication range of up to 9 miles, offers 5-second location updates and high accuracy, works in every part of the US, and provides an abundance of special tracking features.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
Garmin Astro 320 bundle includes the Garmin Astro 320 handheld locator and the T5 or T5 mini tracking unit with a collar included. The black-orange handheld locator measures 6.3’’ x 2.4’’ x 1.4’’ (HWD). It possesses a transreflective 65-K color TFT display that measures 2.15’’ x 1.42’’ (2.6’’ diagonal), with a resolution of 160 x 240 pixels. It features a stainless steel radio antenna and a top-mounted GPS antenna, with both standard and long-range antennas included in the package.
The T5 and T5 mini tracking units come with orange collar straps. The T5 tracking unit measures 1.74’’ x 3.5’’ x 1.85’’ (HWD) and comes with a 1’’ collar strap. The T5 mini measures 1.8’’ x 3.1’’ x 1.4’’ (HWD) and comes with a 0.75'' collar strap. Both tracking units come with GPS and radio antennas, but only T5 comes with both standard and long-range antennas.
Available Sizes
The Garmin Astro 320 handheld locator only comes in 1 size. The tracking units come in 2 sizes, including T5, which comes with a 1'' collar strap, and T5 mini, which comes with a 0.75'' collar strap. The 1'' strap fits neck circumferences of 9.5'' and more while the 0.75'' strap can be suitable for neck circumferences under 9.5''.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
All elements of Garmin Astro 320 are waterproof, resistant to dust and dirt, and made of strong materials. The system does not have a limited lifespan and may last for many years with proper use.
Key Tracking Features
Garmin Astro 320 offers a vast range of tracking features, including:
- Near-real-time tracking with location updates every 5 seconds, accuracy within 12 feet, and 10,000 points of information per dog;
- Customizable dog display, showing the dog’s name, direction, distance, and status along with a map;
- Advanced mapping, with multiple map options, including BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, TOPO maps, City Navigator NT map data for turn-by-turn routing on roads, and custom maps;
- Trip planning with BaseCamp, which lets you easily organize maps, waypoints, routes, and tracks and create adventures that can be shared with friends;
- Different tracking profiles, such as hunting, recreational, automotive, marine, geocaching, and fitness;
- Tracking via computer, using BaseStation software;
- 3-axis electronic compass;
- Multiple dashboards available on any page for added functionality.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Garmin Astro 320 does not provide health and activity monitoring features.
Training Assistance
Garmin Astro 320 does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Garmin Astro 320 include:
- Wireless sharing with compatible devices;
- Rescue mode, which reduces the location update rate when the battery level drops below 25% in order to extend battery life by 4-8 hours;
- Convey counter, which allows you to create special waypoints with information on the location, time of day, and elevation where the dog found the prey, alongside other waypoints including locations like truck, lodge, food plots, and tree stands;
- Calendar for keeping track of your adventures;
- 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
16-40 hours
Smartphone App
Garmin Astro 320 does not come with a smartphone app.
Connectivity
Garmin Astro 320 uses GPS to determine the dog's location and employs radio frequency signals for communication between the handheld locator and the tracking unit.
Coverage
Garmin Astro 320 is only approved for use in the US due to legal regulations. Regulations aside, it could work anywhere as it is independent of cellular networks.
Pricing
Bundle (locator and tracking unit): $599.99; Handheld locator only: $449.99
Shipping and Delivery
The shipping costs within the US range from $5 to $28 per delivery. International shipping is an option, with varying costs, but the device cannot be used outside the US.
Refund Policy
Garmin Astro 320 comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You need to return the device in the original condition within 30 days of purchase in order to receive a refund.
Warranty
Garmin Astro 320 comes with a 1-year limited warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. Repairs come with a 90-day warranty.
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.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Vincent Hunt on 11/15/2018My two dogs simply love roaming around my 50-acre farm as well as the surrounding area and Astro 320 tracks them over the whole property without a hitch. Now, I can simply press the button on the device attached to the collar and let them run to their heart’s content.
- Submitted By Madison Spencer on 10/17/2018I’m a passionate hunter and just had to buy this tracker once I saw my friend using the 220. It’s really easy to track my dogs now even when we’re in a wooded area. However it doesn’t work for me when I plug it into my car and it charges very slowly when not connected to the power socket in my house.
- Submitted By Tim Owens on 06/22/2018Much, much better than Astro 220, the maps are awesome, it may be expensive but any hunter can tell you that it's more than worth the cash.
- Submitted By Rob Walker on 04/12/2018Impossible to list all the reasons why Astro 320 is the best dog tracker I've ever used, you simply have to try it yourself. I first tried my pal's Astro and I was just blown away, ordered it the same day, been using it for more than half a year, not a single glitch and I'm loving it more every time I use it.
- 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.
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.