Best Radar Detector 2020 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

Not everyone needs a radar detector. But for those who do, the right radar detector can save them hundreds of dollars and a lot of hassle.

The technology of radar and laser detection has come a long way from the first Fuzzbusters. And it’s still evolving each year. That’s why it’s important to invest in one of the top radar detectors. It will save you points on your license, fines, and avoid insurance premium raises

We selected the ten best radar detectors and reviewed them here for you. Each one was chosen because it offers valuable features for the money.

Top Radar Detectors 2018 At a Glance

Escort Max 360 Radar Detector—Has Every Feature You’ve Ever Wanted and is Simple to Use

Why would you prefer an Escort Max 360 over a Valentine One? They are both known for their ability to sense radar and laser signals from a long distance away. And they both indicate the direction, signal strength, and band of the threats they detect. But the Escort Max 360 has the advantage of a constantly updated database in Escort Live. And it’s really “plug and play” as some reviewers say.

The Max 360 is ready to go as soon as you mount it on your windshield. The built-in Bluetooth means you don’t need to buy a separate module like you do for the Valentine One. The Max 360 is ready to pair with your smartphone right away. Then you can use the Escort Live app on Android or iOS.

The Escort Live database contains a list of speed and red light cameras that uses your GPS location to filter out false signals and non-threats. Plus, the software also eliminates false positives from car radar safety systems. Escort is certain that their system will protect you. And should you get a ticket while using the Max 360, Escort will pay it for you.

Your detector can add to the database in real time without your intervention if you’re using the app. Then, as you drive, the detector teaches itself where the false alerts and real threats are around town. As it learns, it flashes fewer alerts, just focusing on the ones that matter. And if you prefer voice alerts (in English or Spanish), it does that too.

Like the Valentine One, the Max 360 has directional arrows to show you where the threat is located. You can view the signal strength of the threat, as well as the speed limit of the road you’re traveling. Plus, with automatic speed-based sensitivity adjustments, the Max 360 switches from Highway to City mode by itself.

If you’re looking for an easy to use, sensitive, long range radar detector with access to a threat database and easy upgrades, the Max 360 is the one for you.

Click here to purchase Escort Max 360 on Amazon.com!

Valentine One Radar Detector—Trusted Brand, Sensitive over a Long Range, Designed for Enthusiasts

The Valentine One, or V1, detects all bands of speed detection radar and LIDAR from a long distance away. It’s very sensitive, which is a great benefit when you’re driving through unfamiliar territory. But its sensitivity triggers alerts to non-threats like door openers and cars equipped with radar systems for cruise control. While you can turn off X and K-band detection to eliminate some of these alerts, there are still many law enforcement jurisdictions that use K.

But wouldn’t you rather get early warning of speed traps? The V1 also senses super wideband Ka, and even Ku that’s often used in Europe. While it detects laser, or LIDAR, in 360 degrees, around your vehicle, it doesn’t jam it. But the V1 is stealthy—if law enforcement is using the VG2 radar detector detector (RDD), it won’t see the V1.

While the simple display is decades behind today’s touchscreens, it won’t distract you from the road. The arrow indicators and signal strength meter reveal where the threat is, how far away it’s located, and when you’ve passed it. Or should you have a highway patrol vehicle behind you, the rear radar antenna will warn you about that, too.

You’ll know at a glance how many signals the Valentine One has detected, and what kind they are. This helps you eliminate known non-threatening radar and laser signal sources from active threats.

Customer reviews and expert sources agree that the Valentine One is the best at early detection of radar and laser signals. It’s easy to use, it’s upgradeable (if you send it in to Valentine), and it’s programmable. But it’s not as simple to “plug and play” as the Escort Max 360.

Should you wish to pair the V1 with your smartphone to obtain more information about what the detector senses, you can. You’ll need to purchase a Bluetooth module for the V1, then install the app for iOS or Android.

Escort RedLine 0100025-1 Radar Detector—Stealthy and Sensitive

Why would you prefer the Escort Redline to the Max 360, or any other one of these detectors? Because it’s stealthy. It resists discovery by VG2 and Spectre radar detector detectors. And when you’re traveling through places where radar detection is illegal, that’s a mighty fine feature to have.

Along with its invisibility, it has a quick release mounting system and comes with a travel case. You can remove it from your windshield and tuck it away in seconds.

While you’re driving, the Redline alerts you once to a threat, then reduces its volume because of its auto-mute feature. While this can be turned off, it’s pleasant to avoid lots of noise. And instead of reaching for the detector’s mute button, just use the smart power cord to silence it.

The Redline senses X, K, SuperWide Ka, and laser detection signals both front and rear. Its simple LED display shows the strength of the signal and the numeric frequency. This is a big help for those who are familiar with frequencies to make a decision about whether to slow down or not.

Another handy feature is the fact that the Redline displays messages regarding upcoming construction and road hazards broadcast by the Safety Warning System in the K-band. If you want few distractions and a stealthy detector that works well without lots of frills, this is the one for you.

Click here to purchase Escort RedLine 0100025-1 on Amazon.com!

Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector—Tried and True Long Range, Easy to Use

The Escort Passport 9500IX is the tried and true companion of drivers in a hurry. It’s ready to go right out of the box. And since it’s not the latest model, you may find it at a deep discount.

From a very long distance away, the 9500IX detects X, K, Superwide Ka, and POP signals. Plus, the combination of front and rear sensors gives 360-degree warning of laser detection. It’s not the latest tech, but you can still access an up-to-date database of red light and speeding cameras to keep it current.

Similar to the Escort Max 360, the Passport 9500IX auto-learns where the false alarms are on your daily route. And, depending on your vehicle’s speed, it automatically turns on Highway or City modes to increase or lower its sensitivity.

If you want to try an Escort brand detector without paying as much as you would for a Max 360, the 9500IX may be just what you need.

Click here to purchase Escort Passport 9500IX on Amazon.com!

Escort Passport X70 Radar Detector—Good Range and Good Filtering

You may consider the Escort Passport X70 to be an improvement or evolution of the older 9500IX. In fact, there’s even a newer version of the X70, too, but it’s a little too soon to say if it’s worth the upgrade.

The Passport X70’s strength is in its price for the value it offers. Many people just want a solid radar detector that keeps them from getting a ticket. They don’t want to know all the details; they just want it to work as promised. And if it’s not constantly pinging false alerts, that’s all the better. That’s the X70 in a nutshell.

This detector has automatic sensitivity adjustments based on vehicle speed. It knows when to switch to a more sensitive highway mode for early warnings. Then it goes back to City mode for day-to-day trips around town.

While the X70 senses laser, X, K, long-range K, and Ka signals, it also senses instant-on POP, or pulsed radar guns. Since it’s compatible with Escort Live, it has access to the up-to-date database of threat locations if you’ve installed the app on your smartphone. And it filters out annoying alerts caused by traffic flow cameras.

Click here to purchase Escort Passport X70 on Amazon.com!

Radenso Pro SE Radar Laser Detector

Pro SE detector is tiny and powerful. It’s gained a reputation for excellent long range detection of K and KA band signals, and it does a great job of filtering out false alerts.

The red LED display doesn’t provide directional indications, but it will show the exact frequency of the threat it senses. When there is no threat found, the screen will display other information like speed, time, or compass direction.

Whether you’re doing city driving, or out on the highway, the Pro SE recognizes this based on speed. It switches its sensitivity level accordingly. If it picks up a radar signal, it flashes on the screen and reads the information out loud as a voice alert. But after two seconds, the alert mutes itself automatically.

With the built-in GPS feature, the Pro SE creates lockouts of false stationary signals like traffic flow cameras. And you can also mark your own POIs, or points of interest, for future reference.

Another bonus is the fact that it comes with a pre-loaded database of red light and speeding camera locations. This database is free to access, so you can update the detector at home at no charge. Firmware upgrades are also free for the lifetime of the device.

Click here to purchaseRadenso Pro SE on Amazon.com!

Cobra Electronics DSP9200BT Radar Detector—Advanced Features at a Wallet-Friendly Price

The Cobra DSP9200BT is a better choice than its siblings that don’t have Bluetooth connectivity or DSP. With just the addition of Bluetooth, you can pair the detector with your smartphone running the iRadar app. This will give you real-time alerts to police activity, radar and laser guns, and speed and red light cameras. And the iRadar app also offers handy functions like a car finder, music control, and basic navigation. You can listen to music and get directions for your route right through your Bluetooth headset.

Another great feature included in the 9200 BT is a digital signal processor, or DSP. It’s essential for fast and effective false alert filtering. And it’s not common to find a detector in this price range with DSP. The DSP in the 9200BT makes several features possible like Auto Mute, Quiet Drive, Auto City, and Speed Mute. And if you turn on the Advanced Frequency Display Mode, you’ll see exactly what signals the detector senses.

The only downside to this Cobra radar detector is its newness. The manufacturer is still working out a few bugs, one of which is mis-identification of K and Ka bands. But this is simple to fix as this is the only Cobra detector that is upgradeable.

Click here to purchase Cobra Electronics DSP9200BT on Amazon.com!

Cobra ESD7570 9-Band Performance Radar/Laser Detector with 360 Degree Detection—Very Inexpensive, Basic Features + Stealth

The nifty colored display on the Cobra ESD7570 reveals the signal strength of each band’s alerts. But you won’t get a direction indicator. This is a no-frills inexpensive radar detector. The one factor in its favor, besides its low price, is that it’s stealthy. Cobra says the ESD7570 can’t be detected by either Spectre or VG2. And if it sees a VG2 radar detecting detector, it will alert you to its presence. That’s definitely useful if you’re zooming through Virginia.

The detector senses nine bands of radar and laser signals. You can switch it to high sensitivity for highway driving, or lower the sensitivity for city driving. As you travel, it will also alert you to road hazards and approaching emergency vehicles.

The Cobra ESD7570 comes with a suction-cup mount kit, power cord, and instructions. Users reports that setup does take a little time. And unfortunately, this is not a unit that can be upgraded.

Click here to purchase Cobra ESD7570 on Amazon.com!

Beltronics RX65-Red Professional Series Radar Detector—Stealth and DSP on a Budget

Beltronic’s RX65 Red is another low cost radar detector that gets the basic job done without a lot of frills. It’s an older model, but still quite popular, plus it has DSP signal processing. And if you wanted to use laser jamming, the RX65 works well with the Laser Pro 905.

Unfortunately, there are many complaints about false positives with the RX65, especially on the X band. While you can turn off the X band alerts, first check to be sure that law enforcement in your area doesn’t use X band.Another detail to check before using the RX65 is that the Ka band detection is set to USA Ka, not international.

The benefits of the RX65 include some more things you may appreciate. One is the ability to mute alarms with the SmartPlug power cord instead of reaching for the mute button on the detector itself. Two, the RX65 lets you program seven different options to customize it to the way you drive. Third, there are voice alerts, plus Safety Warning System messages about road hazards.

Finally, the RX65 is invisible to VG-2 radar detector detectors (RDDs). If you travel through an area where using a detector is prohibited, your device should go undetected, at least by this one kind, if not also by the Spectre.

Whistler CR93 Laser/Radar Detector—Inexpensive, User-Upgradeable, and Improved

The Whistler CR93 is another budget price radar detector that’s very popular. It has good range as long as conditions are good, like a straight or gently curving highway. It detects X, K, and Ka bands plus laser.

In fact, the laser detection is an interesting feature of the CR93. It can display the pulse rate, or Laser Signature Identification, of the LIDAR gun. It also detects police LIDAR scatter and Dragon Eye laser guns used by police.

As for regular radar signals, the CR93 has improved K and Ka band detection over earlier Whistler models. It also has FDSR, or field disturbance signal rejection. The detector filters out K-band signals emitted by vehicle collision avoidance systems. It also displays when it’s actively engaging FDSR because it will have trouble distinguishing a legitimate signal at the same time. That’s important because the CR93 lacks DSP, or digital signal processing, for filtering.

But the CR93 does come with GPS and a red light camera database that you can update at home with a computer. The USB port is located on the right hand side near the headphone jack.

Click here to purchase Whistler CR93 on Amazon.com!

Buyer’s Guide to the Best Radar Detectors

Let’s talk a little bit about the technology behind radar detectors. To begin, these are the common bands and types used for speed detection:

• X—radar of this type is very common. It’s used for speed detection as well as automatic doors in stores.
• K—most often used in handheld radar guns because of its short range
• Ka—most common speed detection bandwidth that law enforcement uses; also used by satellites for communications
• Ku—speed detectors and satellite TV both use this band
• Laser—also known as LIDAR, a pulsed light that’s much faster at detection than radar but must be stationary to work

Radar is cheaper to employ for speed detection than lasers are, so it’s the most common threat you’ll see on the road. But laser speed traps are more worrisome unless you have a laser jammer. Laser reads your speed in a fraction of a second, much too fast for you to be able to slow down in time. A laser jammer gives you a few seconds to react, but the laser speed detector may record the fact that it was jammed. And a number of states like California and Texas have outlawed laser jamming.

With that said, all the detectors in this review are capable of sensing signals from all the bands in this list. What sets them apart is how sensitive they are and how well they filter false alerts.

Range and filtering, or how much can you trust your radar detector?

If you spend most of your drive time inside city limits, you need better threat filtering to mute false alarms from collision alert systems and traffic flow cameras.

But if you’re on the highway, you’ll want the best range and sensitivity you can get so that you know as soon as possible when it’s time to slow down.

If you get a detector that’s constantly sending up alerts, two things are likely to happen. Either you’re going to stop paying attention to it, or you’ll stop using it altogether. The best radar detectors have superior signal filtering, often because they have DSP, or digital signal processing. They either auto-learn, or you can teach them, where the false stationary alerts are located.

And the best radar detectors have high sensitivity over a long range. The better the range, the more time you have to react to a threat.Having two antennas, one in the front and one in the rear, is better than only having one in the front. Since it’s illegal to use radar jammers in the USA, it’s smart to have the best range with multiple antennas to get the best reaction time possible.

Finally, no matter what the range is, it’s always too late when your detector senses laser. The only way out of that is to use a laser jammer to buy you a few seconds to slow down.

What features are essential in a radar detector?

The best radar and laser detectors have certain features in common. Here are important ones to look for when you’re shopping for a detector.

Directional display with signal strength indicator

Why is it vital to know the direction where the speed trap is set? When you see a threat ahead, you have time to slow down before it’s too late. If it’s behind you, you may not need to worry about it. And if it’s to the side, it might just be a false alarm. Those little arrows are very helpful indeed.

The very sensitive radar detectors like the Valentine One, the Radenso Pro SE, and the Escort Max 360 sense radar signals far in advance of your position, and their signal strength indicators help you know how close the threat is to you. This makes it easier to maintain your speed.

Upgradeable software to stay on top of changing technology

We live in a world with constantly evolving technology. To get the most use out of a radar detector, it needs to be upgradeable. It needs updates to better filter out false positives from advanced driver assistance systems, for one.

And how easy it is to update a device might make you more likely to choose one over another. For example, you’ll have to send the Valentine One in to the manufacturer. But the Escort detectors are much easier to update by yourself online.Even the inexpensive Whistler CR93 can be upgraded over USB.

Radar detectors that have an accompanying app linked to a threat database are very useful for up to date information. Some, like the Cobra iRadar, have free updates. Others, like Escort, require a subscription for access.

Detectable or shielded? Who’s watching the watchers?

Even though radar detectors are legal in many places, you might find that you prefer a device that doesn’t give itself away. Many law enforcement agencies have radar detector detectors (RDDs) like the VG-2 and Spectre. Some of our radar detector picks like the Valentine One, Beltronics RX65, the Cobra ESD7570,and the Escort Redline are shielded against detection by RDDs.

Ease of use

Not many people enjoy wasting lots of time reading thick user manuals. Most of us prefer to plug and play. Consider your tolerance for programming and learning about your new radar detector before you buy it.

Will you want an easy-to-use model like the Escort Max 360 that still offers a lot of information and features? Will you settle for something a little simpler like the Escort Passport X70? Or will you enjoy digging into all the options on the Valentine One?

Is it legal to use a radar detector?

While some states have made laser jamming illegal, both radar and LIDAR detection are legal in most jurisdictions in the USA. The exceptions are Virginia, Washington, D.C., and military bases. Of course, since laws are always changing, please check your local laws before purchasing and using a detector.

One other factor to consider is that some states do not allow anything to be mounted to the windshield of a vehicle. When you’re purchasing a radar detector in one of those states, also consider what type of mounting setup you can use.

A note about laser detection

As we mentioned, if you’re painted with a laser pulse, it’s too late to evade. Part of the problem with laser detection is that the location of your radar detector really does matter. While radar signals spread out over a large area, laser light pulses only need to hit a small area of your vehicle. Their signal is very tight, and harder to detect. Please mount your radar detector in a position recommended by the manufacturer for best detection of LIDAR signals.

Recommendations

With so many radar detectors on the market, it can feel a little overwhelming to choose the perfect one. We’ll make a few recommendations here to help. You may have noticed that we’ve chosen a selection that favors corded radar detectors that are easy to install instead of remote mounted models that require professional installation.We didn’t include cordless models either since they have a shorter range and don’t do a good job detecting POP signals.

For all around ease of use, great range and sensitivity, and access to an up-to-date threat database, we like the Escort Max 360. It doesn’t hurt that Escort offers to pay your speeding ticket should you get one while using their device.

For someone who does a lot of highway travel, we recommend the Valentine One, the Escort Redline, or the Radenso Pro SE. All three have excellent range. The Radenso Pro SE may have the best filtering of false signals on the K and Ka bands, but it’s not as good with X band.

Meanwhile, the Escort Redline has the advantage of better stealth than the Valentine One. The V1 is shielded from VG-2 radar detector detectors, but the Redline is protected against Spectre as well.

And if you want stealth on a budget, just take a look at the Cobra ESD7570 and the Beltronics RX65, too.

If you love having access to up-to-date threat locations, take a look at the Escort Live app and Defender database that works with the Max 360, the Passport X70, and the Passport 9500IX. For a less expensive service, check out the Cobra iRadar app. And the Radenso Pro SE comes with free updates to their red light and speeding camera locations for life, no monthly subscription needed.

Finally, if you would rather just plug in your detector and go without having to program anything, there are a few you may prefer over the others. The Escort Max 360 is ready to use right out of the box. Just pair it with your smartphone if you like. It learns where stationary false alerts are located all by itself. It also switches between city and highway detection just based on your vehicle’s speed. The other Escort models offer varying degrees of the same kind of convenience.

Conclusion

Some folks may argue that owning a radar detector is an invitation to poor driving. We dispute that idea. If you’re put on alert that your speed is being monitored, chances are you’re going to slow down. And slowing down can increase your safety plus save you a lot of money.

Radar detectors may reveal speed traps, but they have other useful features, too. Many of them broadcast road hazard warnings or announce changes in the local speed limit. Some of them offer basic navigation functions, too.

We hope we helped you choose the best radar detector for your vehicle today. We included a range of models that offer the best value for the money, from high end detectors with features for enthusiasts to basic models for folks on a budget. We think that anyone, from the first time owner to a hard-driving professional, can find one to suit their needs.

Check back again soon to see new top ten reviews with buyers guides to choosing the best products for your needs.