Invoxia Pet Tracker Review

Launched by French tech firm Invoxia, known for its GPS tracking devices, Invoxia pet tracker is an innovative product based on low-power networks. The fact that it uses low-consumption networks should mean that Invoxia pet tracker is more power efficient than other GPS trackers – the manufacturer promises a battery life from 1 to 3 months depending on usage. Accordingly, Invoxia markets its product as “the most autonomous tracker for dogs and cats.”

Among other key selling points, we should mention that the product enables you to track both your pet’s location and activity. It is durable and water resistant and it comes with a free 3-year subscription to a low-power network. Read our Invoxia pet tracker review to find out what exactly you can expect from this pet tracker and whether or not you should buy it.

How Invoxia Pet Tracker Works

Invoxia pet tracker is a small tracking unit that you need to attach to your pet’s collar. To be able to use it, you need to have the Invoxia GPS app installed on your smartphone and you need to pair your smartphone with the tracker.

To determine the location of your pet, the tracker uses surrounding Wi-Fi networks and GPS. Once the tracker has managed to establish the location, it will send you the position via the low-power network.

The Invoxia GPS app on your phone allows you to track the location of your pet and notifies you when he or she wanders off too far. Using your app, you can set up a safety zone with a customizable radius around specific locations. Doing so enables you to receive a notification whenever your pet enters or exits these safety zones. If your cat or dog gets lost, you can locate them using the mobile app, which will send updates on your pet’s current location. You can get these updates every two minutes. More frequent location updates are not available with this device.

In addition to location tracking, Invoxia pet tracker provides you with several useful options for monitoring your pet’s activity levels throughout the day. You will get reports on the periods of activity and the periods of rest.

Unlike with traditional GPS trackers, Invoxia pet tracker does not require a SIM card to work. Instead of standard cellular networks, this innovative device uses low-power networks. There are two important advantages of using a low-consumption network: it allows for better battery autonomy and it is less expensive than a standard cellular network. However, limitations in coverage and signal quality are major drawbacks of low-power networks.

Invoxia Pet Tracker Design

Invoxia pet tracker is a small and durable device, convenient for everyday use. Coming in the shape of a cuboid with rounded edges and the Invoxia logo, it has a simple and elegant design. For now, the device is available only in black. It weighs as little as 0.52 oz. (15 grams), which makes it one of the lightest pet trackers available today. It has a length of 1.65 inches (42 mm), a width of 0.94 inches (24 mm), and a thickness of 0.67 inches (17 mm). Invoxia pet tracker is made of high-quality plastic materials so you should be able to safely use it in all activities with your playful furry companions.

It is very important to correctly attach Invoxia pet tracker to your pet’s collar using the elastic band that comes with the device. The elastic band is reliable and easy to use, allowing you to easily attach the device to any kind of collar you wish to put on your pet. Being tiny and lightweight, Invoxia pet tracker is suitable for nearly all dogs and cats (with the exception of puppies and kittens).

Invoxia Pet Tracker Technical Specifications

In the previous sections of our Invoxia pet tracker review, we looked at the physical characteristics of the device. Now it is time to shed some light on the technical specs of the pet tracker, including its tracking range, battery life, and more.

Waterproof

With a rating of IP67, Invoxia pet tracker can withstand submersion in 3.2 feet of water for 30 minutes. Thus, you can safely use it in heavy rain or even when you take your dog swimming.

Battery

Invoxia pet tracker comes equipped with a rechargeable battery. Although the manufacturer emphasizes great battery performance, the Invoxia website contains some surprisingly contradictory information related to the battery. You can find that the battery on this device lasts from 1 to 3 months depending on usage, but the same webpage claims that Invoxia pet tracker remains active up to 1 month depending on usage and activity. The FAQ section says that the battery may last from several days to several months. Also, on the product page, the manufacturer claims that it takes 90 minutes to charge the battery, but later claims that it takes only 60 minutes to recharge.

In spite of this, we can safely say that Invoxia pet tracker has a very good battery life in comparison to other GPS pet trackers.

Overall, users of the device should be satisfied with the battery performance. When you exhaust your battery, you can easily charge it to 100% with the included micro-USB cable – we just do not know whether it will take 60 or 90 minutes.

Communication Range

While the manufacturer promises GPS tracking with no limits in distance, the reality is that communication with the device depends on the availability of low-consumption networks that the device uses. Invoxia pet tracker can work over any distance within the low-power network coverage, provided that there are no major obstacles.

Accuracy

Depending on the conditions (whether you are in an urban or rural area), the accuracy with which Invoxia pet tracker determines the location of your pet varies from a few meters to 260 feet (80 meters). Given the fact that the accuracy of GPS trackers normally ranges between 10 and 90 feet (3 to 27 meters), with an average accuracy of 25 feet (about 8 meters), the performance of Invoxia’s device leaves a lot to be desired in this crucial area.

App Compatibility

To use Invoxia pet tracker, you need to download the Invoxia GPS app, which can work on virtually any smartphone. It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

Invoxia Pet Tracker App

As stated previously in our Invoxia pet tracker review, this tracker must be paired with a smartphone that has the Invoxia GPS app installed. The app is free of charge. You need to create your user account to use the app. You can connect your Invoxia pet tracker with more than one smartphone. For that, you need the Invoxia GPS app installed on every smartphone that you wish to connect with your tracker and you need to enter the same account details on each of these smartphones. It is still not possible to connect the same Invoxia pet tracker with several different accounts.

The Invoxia GPS app will inform you about the location of your pet, store location history, allow you to set safety zones for geofencing, monitor your pet’s activity, and provide reports on daily activity and rest, distance traveled, and more. You can choose a normal or satellite view of the map.

Invoxia Pet Tracker Features

This device offers several features for location tracking and activity monitoring. In this section of our Invoxia pet tracker review, we will explore the features related to location tracking, defining safety zones, and monitoring your pet throughout the day.

Location Tracking

As you would expect from a pet tracking device, Invoxia pet tracker allows you to track the location of your furry companion. You can choose one of the 4 modes (4 update frequency settings). In mode 1, the location is updated at least once every 2 hours and it is not possible to keep track of movement history, but this mode provides the greatest battery autonomy. In mode 2, the tracker sends location updates every 10 minutes when the pet is in motion. In mode 3, location updates are sent every 5 minutes, which allows you to trace your pet’s movements more accurately. Finally, in mode 4, the tracker sends location updates every 2 minutes when the pet is in motion. As you would expect, battery life is the shortest in the last mode.

In order for a pet tracker to be reliable, it should be highly accurate and it must provide quick location updates. Unfortunately, given the fact that the margin of error is 260 feet and the maximum update frequency is 2 minutes, the reliability of Invoxia pet tracker is far from impressive.

Location History

You can observe your pet’s movements over the period of your choice. Tracing your pet’s movement history allows you to get to know his or her favorite spots, so you will know where to look first. Owners can have fun observing the “habits” of their cats, where they like to go and hang around.

Geofencing

Setting up “virtual fences” around specific areas in your app enables you to receive a notification whenever your pet enters or exits these zones, such as when a cat tries to leave the garden. There is no limit to the number of safety zones you can set. They can include your home, a vacation spot, an area where you usually walk your dog off leash, and others. Once it detects that your pet has left a predefined zone, the application will automatically inform you of the animal’s location and you will also be notified once the pet returns to the designated area. Safety zones are stationary and it is important to point out that you can customize safety zone radius according to your needs.

Low Battery Alert

As mentioned before, this device offers excellent autonomy in comparison to other GPS trackers. When your battery level eventually decreases below 20%, you will get a notification on your phone reminding you to recharge the battery.

Activity Monitoring

Invoxia pet tracker provides you with insight into the daily activity levels of your furry companion. Using the app, you can track your pet’s activity levels during the period you choose (day, week, month or year), get daily reports on your pet’s activity (walking, running, and more) and rest time, and see the distance traveled. It is also possible to monitor the sleep quality of your pet.

Invoxia Pet Tracker Coverage

The worldwide coverage that this device provides depends on the availability of the Sigfox low-power network. (In France, the device uses the LoRa low-power network). According to the information obtained from the official Sigfox website, this low-power network is available in the USA and in most of Europe, with plans to expand globally in the following years. However, you should be aware of the fact that the largest part of the US is still not covered. The situation is better in Europe, but the network’s coverage is still severely limited. Before buying your Invoxia pet tracker, do not forget to check the low-power network coverage in your area. You should be aware that the device’s performance in mountainous areas is questionable.

How Much Does Invoxia Pet Tracker Cost?

You can order Invoxia pet tracker from the manufacturer’s website for 119 euros. It is currently available for purchase in France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. It is important to note that the device comes with a 3-year subscription to the low-consumption network. After the first three years, access to the service costs 9.99 EUR per year, equating to 0.83 EUR per month (subscription through the app). Invoxia pet tracker is expected to hit the US market in 2019.

The device comes with a 1-year warranty and lifetime support. According to Invoxia’s refund policy, if you are not fully satisfied with your order, you may send it back for a full refund within fourteen working days after purchase.

Invoxia Pet Tracker Pros & Cons

Knowing the biggest strenghts and weaknesses of Invoxia pet tracker can help you decide if it is the right pet tracker for your furry friend. Here is a quick overview of its pros and cons.