Dog Experts Compare SpotOn to Halo Collar: PamperedPup Review
REVIEW: The focus of the SpotOn is clearly high quality components, extreme accuracy - that's really my impression of the product.
Zach Lovatt of the Pampered Pup – a go-to resource for dog owners, reviewing and testing the best dog products on the market – recently produced an updated video comparing the capabilities and accuracy of SpotOn GPS Fence and its competitor, Halo Collar.
In previous reviews, the Pampered Pup consistently found a clear winner in SpotOn, which stood out as its staff choice. “Even on a wicked cloudy day, SpotOn holds the boundary strong and steady that’s always been my experience with the SpotOn. It just works, every single time.”
Both SpotOn and its competitors have made significant updates since the initial comparison was released and in this 2024 review, the Pampered Pup unboxes the products, describes the set up process, shares the results of his testing, and provides the key benefits of each GPS dog fence and collar.
10 Reasons SpotOn Stands Out
According to the Pampered Pup's latest comparison video, SpotOn presents a wide array of benefits for discerning dog owners. Here are the highlights.
1. "SpotOn's training resources are a bit more straightforward."
No matter what GPS dog fence and collar system you choose, training is the #1 priority. Lovatt found that SpotOn's training was "digestible and a little easier to kind of pick out the main points."
2. "User-friendly" Fence Building
While both systems give you two ways to set up your fences (walking the boundary line or drawing the fence on a map on your), Lovatt highlighted the benefits of SpotOn's easy-to-use app.
3. Better Performance for Small Fences
The Pampered Pup has tested both collars on fences as small as 250 feet and overall, feels that any GPS system "is simply not reliable enough for fences that small in my experience."
SpotOn recommends at least a half-acre; however, through repeated tests, the Pampered Pup shares: "SpotOn has definitely performed better for me in those small fence situations."
"I tend to agree more with like SpotOn’s conservative stance on fence size here. Basically once you account for GPS drift and you leave enough space between hazards like roads, and maintaining minimum fence widths, you’re going to want about a half an acre or more to allow your dog to roam free and really feel free."
4. "SpotOn's GPS-based keep-out zones at home zones are a useful tool."
SpotOn allows you to create 30x30 "no-go" areas within your fence to keep your dog away from hazards or off-limits areas for your yard. It also allows you to set your Home Zone, so the collar can more accurately detect when your dog is indoors.
5. Off-grid Mode
The Pampered Pup was enthusiastic about the potential of SpotOn's Off-grid Mode.
"SpotOn recently launched their off-grid mode which allows you to set up fences in places where you don't have Wi-Fi or cell or anything. So if you take your dog hiking somewhere really out there, like Alaska or the mountains out west, you could still bring your SpotOn with you and set up fences when you get there."
7. Optional Subscription Plans
While both systems offer subscription plans that let you track your dog and access more advanced features, these upgrades are optional with SpotOn.
"SpotOn offers a cellular plan as well. It is optional. It will work without it, but I think a lot of people are going to want the subscription for things like escape alerts, low battery warnings, live tracking, those types of things. Their plan maxes out at $10 a month and you can get it a little cheaper by opting for one or two-year plans."
8. Boundary Feedback
In their field testing, the Pampered Pup remarked at the consistency of the SpotOn system with how it issues alerts, warning, and feedback.
"My main takeaway for SpotOn is that it's very consistent with issuing distinguished alert, warning, and corrective feedback in a logical sequence so that your dog can really understand what the collar's telling them."
9. Good Value
In their final verdict, the Pampered Pup shares: "The focus of the SpotOn is clearly high quality components, extreme accuracy - that's really my impression of the product."
"Just based on sort of the foundations of these products, I would feel much more settled going with a collar like SpotOn."
10. Great choice for big yards and forested areas
To conclude their review, the Pampered Pup highlights:
"If a sort of high-quality product without any bells and whistles is what drives your decision—it’s what drives mine—I think SpotOn is going to be the product you're looking for. And it's definitely a great choice for those bigger yards, forested areas, and places where its reliability is going to directly impact your dog's safety."
Consistency is Key
In their 2023 field tests (below), the Pampered Pup found a clear winner in SpotOn and we're excited to continue to get high praise from third-parties review sites, like the Pampered Pup.
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