Apple has just released the second generation of its wildly successful AirTag. They are excellent for keeping tabs on your airline luggage or other important stuff. They have saved my baggage at several airports a number of times. Many people attach AirTags to their pets, but they really shouldn’t. Apple says its AirTag is “Designed exclusively for tracking objects, and not people or pets,” and it’s solid advice.
I used to have an original AirTag on my Great Dane’s collar but found it unreliable. A much better option is Life360‘s first-ever Pet GPS tracker and Pet Finder Network. I’m new to the Life360 ecosystem, but I’m already a fan. We live in Goulburn, two hours south-west of Sydney, and it does an excellent job of keeping my wife and me connected. And now we can keep track of Zuko, no matter where he is, because of the extra connectivity housed in the Life360 Pet GPS unit.
The Pet GPS tracker integrates seamlessly into the Life360 app, meaning Life360’s 3.1 million Australian users can keep people, pets, and belongings safe and connected all in one place. Realtime tracking is updated every 10-12 seconds using GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth across multiple carriers.
LTE coverage ensures your pet shows up in the Life360 app as long as a cell tower is within reach. This overcomes the main limitation of most Bluetooth trackers that rely on a Bluetooth connection via a nearby mobile phone. This works OK when there are plenty of phones around, but it’s still very slow and inaccurate.
Features include geofencing, escape alerts, and soon, access to a Pet Finder Network allowing users to send Lost Pet Alerts to nearby Life360 members for help rounding up pets on the run.
“We knew we needed an expert to help us launch our Pet GPS tracker, and Valerie’s résumé speaks for itself. Pets are such a huge part of our families – they bring so much joy, and we know how devastating it can be when they go missing, so this was the natural next step for Life360,” said Lauren Antonoff, Chief Executive Officer at Life360.
“Our new tech aims to ensure that members can stay connected to their people, pets, and things, all on one map, bringing our beloved pets to the Circle since they’re family too.”
KEY FEATURES
- Real-time tracking: Leveraging progressive beaconing technology with GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth across multiple carriers, the location is updated every 10-12 seconds via your pet’s profile in the Life360 app.
- Durable design: A universal, flexible attachment that fits most collars, waterproof up to 1 metre, built-in safety LED light, with a rechargeable battery lasting up to 14 days (plus Reserve Mode up to six months), all available in three colours.
- Custom Geofences and Escape Alerts: Set custom geofences to define safe spaces, and get real-time escape alerts if your pet wanders outside of these.
- Pet Finder Network: If your pet goes missing, pet owners can alert nearby Life360 members to help find them.
The best thing about a pet tracker that actually works is peace of mind. I’ve been using the Pet GPS tracker on ‘Zuko’ for a couple of months, and it certainly puts me at ease. The latest research from Life360 revealed 42% of Aussie pets have escaped at least once – and 1 in 7 are repeat offenders. The research also showed 27% of Australian owners say their biggest fear is their pets going missing. One in 10 owners have no idea how their pets pulled it off, and the top escapees are Labradors. Fortunately, most fugitives don’t wander too far. Almost two-thirds (63%) are found within 1km of home, and over a third (37%) are found within the hour.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
- Life360 Pet GPS is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand at Life360.com for A$89.99.
- Life360 Pet GPS will be priced at A$3.60 as an introductory offer (plus the price of a Gold or Platinum membership).
