The 9 Best Radar Detectors of 2020

Seeing blue and red strobes in your rearview mirror can have you looking down at your speedometer pretty quickly. This is when you realize that you were speeding. Depending on how fast you were going, it could ensue paying hefty fines and you may get a point on your license, or even more. Each hour, 4,680 people are ticketed and 78 of them are ticketed each minute.

If you’re one who speeds, whether accidental or on purpose, a radar detector can help protect you from speed traps and police on the side of the road with radar guns. These can also help protect you from the police cruisers that have the detectors connected right to their vehicles. Going a few miles per hour won’t necessarily get you in trouble, but it’s when you go over that mark that can land you in hot water.

Unfortunately, there are also those wonderful ticket-writing police that’ll make sure you pay the price for going even 2 miles per hour over the limit. If your town or city is full of these, make sure you invest in the best range radar detectors. There’s no harm in shopping around for different prices, which is where this guide will come in handy.

A good radar detector is a must, especially if you have a lead foot, intentional or not. It’s also important to know that in some states, these detectors are illegal, so if they are, you might want to look for something that’s low profile.

Each radar detector has its own size, shape, and distinguishable features. Some of them come with cords that are coiled while others come with straight cords. There are also certain ranges that you should consider.

Do you often find yourself having bad luck with electronics? Then the warranty on these products will certainly be helpful. This is a huge consideration with products such as these ones.

This table still doesn’t give you the full picture of what you need to consider when it comes time for choosing a radar detector. The best threat detection device has the ability to remove false alerts, amongst other features. The US market is full of these devices that you can buy off of the internet. If you’re ready, here are a few reviews that we have provided for your viewing.

1. Passport Escort S55- Best Overall, Runner Up

The S55 camera goes beyond radar detection.  When you’re driving on roads that you may speed on, you’re going to want something with real-time threat detection and long-range detection, which is what the Escort Passport can provide. It has the maximum range for detection that you’ll need, traffic signal rejection, eliminates false threats, and it’s one of the best in locating that pesky radar source.

Other features of the S55 include auto signal rejection, “V’ Tuned” long range warning, laser bands ( K, X, and KA) and radar, auto sensitivity mode and more. This device also has the capability to provide you with the ability to eliminate false positive detection and replace them with a real threat instead.

Along with any other alarm that the detector passes, such as vehicle lane alarms, businesses, and other noise interference make it seemingly useless. There has also been an issue with the fact that it only works on the K band and you really have to be on top of the others to to make it work without getting a ticket.

If you want a radar detector that’s going to give you long range detection and ticket protection, the Escort Passport S55 may be worth taking a look at.

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2. Valentine One V1- Best all-around Detection Range

The Valentine One features K, X, Ka, and super wideband Ka detection and 360 degree protection against all types of laser signals. The first detector was created in 1992 and has come a long way since then in the detection of devices. Today, it can detect speed cameras, a red light, all thanks to its excellent range performance and radar antennas. It can do all of these things without its band being detected.

The nice thing about this particular device is that the Valentine’s auto-mute will help avoid annoying the driver with all kinds of beeps from different signals. If you get the app that goes along with this device, you have the ability to unlock the GPS technology for real time tracking. Not only that, but you can avoid false signal reports, and identify the signal direction to completely avoid the police.

Unfortunately, there have been many reports about false alarms and signal interference. It also seems to lack integrity right before or after the warranty has expired.

If you can get past the false alarms, this would be a good fit for you if you’re looking for a long range detection. It’s great for driving on those back roads and it’s got the 360 degree protection you need.

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3. Cobra ESD7570 - Best Value

The Cobra detector is also spectre I undetectable, VG2 undetectable, 369-degree detection of laser signals, and various safety alerts. This is also another one of those machines that can reduce false alerts with its on-board technology.

If you want to drive around town going a little over the limit without being detected, the cobra has the ability to provide you with proximity alerts to distinguish between where each officer is, a traffic warning system, road hazards, emergency vehicles and so much more. It’s nice to be able to go on with your daily tasks without the police being a threat to your driving.

When compared to the Escort Passport S55, this one does almost everything the same, but it offers the road hazards, railroad crossing, spectre I radar elusion and more. This one is also more affordable if you’re on a budget, which is why it falls in the best budget category. The nice thing about this particular detector is that it’s low profile, so you can use it without getting caught. Drivers don’t have to be scared of using these machines anymore.

It’s unfortunate that there are so many reports of this device not working at all. Most users report a faulty device that doesn’t even turn on and when it does, it doesn’t work until you’re close enough to a cop to get pulled over for speeding.

This is by far one of the best value radar detectors out there right now. WIth the VG-2 alert and signal strength meter combined into one product, it’s definitely a good bang for your buck.

4. Escort iX- Best Detection

When you’re driving through the city, it’s likely that you’re going to drive on a road with traps, radar, speed cameras, and photo enforcement. These can be avoided or passed through with flying colors thanks to the tips from the Escort’s live community iX users. They can give you a heads up on all of the above plus live police alerts.

Speed-monitoring threats are a thing of the past on any road with the Escort iX. With its advanced-detection technology, you can avoid false threat detection so that you can enjoy your trip around town or down the highway. This is based on the power of GPS to learn and automatically reject false alarms that have fixed positions.

Never again will you have to worry about those pop-up speed traps with this radar detector. It has the amazing ability to avoid threat-detection so that you can be on your way without the hassle.

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5. Escort Max 360 - Best Splurge

There are five levels of filtering to ensure the quietest of rides while you’re traveling. It also combines three different modes while you’re driving and speed-based sensitivity. There’s also an Escort live app that allows you to have access to crowdsourced results for radar detection, cameras at a red-light, speed-limit alert, and more.

With the Escort Max 360, you have access to bluetooth connection to your smartphone and over-the-speed-limit alert technology. There’s also a Defender Database filled with thousands of red light and speed camera locations all over North America and in suburban areas. Other detectors may offer the same features, but they have a shorter range.

A lot of the issues stem from false K-band alerts from passing vehicles with collision avoidance systems. 

If you’re looking to splurge a little bit on a radar detector, this is the best one to do it on. It offers its users great features, such as that huge defender database, which can save you from a lot of tickets.

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6. Escort Solo S30- Best Cordless

Another great feature of the S3 is the ultra-performance laser protection. It uses low-noise laser sensors to give you long-range warnings and a wide field of view. This means protection against POP, speed camera detection, and other inconveniences throughout urban environments and city. There’s also safety radar signals that the S3 provides. This warns you of emergency vehicles, safety signals, and more.

While you’re escorting siblings, family members or friends and you need to get somewhere fast, you may end up speeding. If this happens a lot, you’re going to want something that has an appropriate range for threats, reduces false alerts, picks up a large spread of radar and laser frequencies. It’s things like the GPS alerts that will give you the best outcome and coverage for driving.

There have been a lot of complaints about a lack in detection. Users are reporting that they are driving past cops and their detector isn’t making a sound.

Based on all of the other cordless radar detectors out there, this one is by far the best one. Sure, it has its flaws, but everything does. It’s definitely a good option for those looking to reduce the use of cords.

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7. Beltronics Pro100 - Best Overall

When compared to the Escort iX they both have a false alarm detection. However, the Beltronics has an auto mute feature that will reduce the alert volume so that you can stay informed with audible alerts without needing to press the mute button. You can still be aware of the threat ahead of with the sound muted.

The ultra-bright LED matrix on the Beltronics is clear and understandable. The high-bright display is easy to read from anywhere in the car and the display clearly provides relative signal strength. The matrix does a great job of keeping you informed with its four levels of brightness.

There weren’t many bad reviews on this product, but the one complaint that stood out was about the power supply. It failed within six months. Luckily, it can be easily replaced.

It’s easy to see why this would be the best one on the list. It has the features that are necessary for a good radar detector and it has minimal complaints. This would be a good option for you if you want the standard practical option.

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8. Beltronics GT-7 - Best Design

Also included in the purchase of the GT-7 is the Defender database, which gives you access to thousands of red light and speed camera locations in North America, The GT-7 has superior threat detection, digital signal processing, real-time speed data, an ultra fast microprocessor, long-range detection, and more. This is a great product for somebody who is always caught going too fast.

The main complaints about the GT-7 is about the false alarms. They go off when near other vehicles that have collision avoidance systems.

The GT-7 seems like a solid product. It has a sleek design that would fit with any car and it is practical and functional. It has great features, but it does come with a hefty price tag.

The defender database is something that you might be interested in. What it does is that it keeps you up to speed on the speed traps, red light cameras, and speed cameras all across the US.This device is also compatible with Escort live, their real-time ticket-protection network, It allows other users in the area to report alerts and warns you of upcoming alerts as well. Not only that, but it gives you access to local speed limits data. This requires an app subscription however.

The Passport Max offers its users crystal-clear voice alerts and communications for menu options and other alerts. It also has a proprietary traffic sensor rejection software that eliminates false alarms. There’s also a variable speed sensitivity technology that allows the device to provide alerts based on what the vehicle is doing and GPS.

There have been a lot of complaints about the quality of the product itself. Most users complain about the device not wanting to power on properly or that it died after just a few short months.

This is definitely a very good product to have. It has great features, it’s easy to use, and it offers protection from ticket-happy police officers out to get you.

Conclusion

There you have it! There are eight of the best radar detectors on the market right now. If you want the one with the best range, the Valentine One would be your best bet. However, if you are looking for the one that’s just the best, that would be the Beltronics Pro100. All of them have their downfalls and upsides, so it’s important to weigh them all before you buy one and hit the open road.

Make sure that the one you want has all of the benefits that you need as a driver.  The last thing that you need is to get pulled over and have points put on your license or even a police escort to the station because you were just going way too fast. Don’t find yourself in the courtroom paying for a ticket, get a good radar detector.