Radar Detectors

These are but a few of so many radar and radar-laser detector combos available in the market. The products reviewed here, are considered the best in their category, if you should be looking for a detector with a specific feature, it is likely that you'll find the right one here.

Best Overall Radar Detector
. Escort Passport 8500 X50 ($300 USD)
Three models go side-by-side as the best radar detectors currently available. Along with Escort's Passport 8500 X50, the Valentine One and the Bel Pro RX65 have also received good product feedback. However, the Bel Pro can only be purchased at high-end auto electronics shops, and the Valentine One sports an additional $100. The Escort radar detector sniffs out X, K and SuperWide Ka-band radar guns to about two miles away, and is especially good at detecting Ka-band guns in dangerous POP mode. The Valentine One is reputed to be much better at detecting laser type guns, although, reviews indicate that this aspect is quite useless, since by the time the detector alarm sounds; it's already too late to avoid getting issued a ticket.

Best Laser Jammer
. Blinder M-20 X-treme

Radar detectors are not designed to counter laser guns. Only a laser jammer, like the Blinder M-20 has the technology to deliver countermeasures against laser guns. Although it is considered illegal in many states to even attempt to jam radar guns, it is legal to use a laser jammer in your car (which is quite an irony), this technology works by emitting an infrared beam at the precise frequency, providing confusion on the laser guns, and giving you time to slow down. Laser speed guns are being used more and more in urban areas, because it is easy to pinpoint a particular vehicle on a road littered with cars.

Best Budget Radar Detector
. Bel Express 925 ($90 USD)

The Bel Express 925 only lacks in its features. The performance in tracking down radar threats is almost on the same level with more expensive units. However, it is not featured with many lights, buttons, and customizable quirks as the others, but for the basic job of radar detection, it is rates excellent; and its range includes Ka-band guns in POP mode.

Best Laser Detection
. Valentine One ($400 USD)

The Valentine One took the losing end of earlier reviews due to its inability to effectively detect radar guns in POP mode, which operates in hard-to-detect signal spurts. This has been rectified and current Valentine models have now added this essential feature, and although it gives an annoyingly high degree of false alarms, many reviews indicate that it works really well. The Valentine One is also very keen at detecting the beams coming from laser speed guns, this may be useless though, because once a laser has locked onto your car, it's often too late to avoid being caught and issued a ticket. In spite of so many faults, Valentine One is a good all-around radar detector; some reviews may point out that its features and design are a bit "Buck Rogerish", or outdated, and that it's price is somewhat high, especially when the Escort Passport 8500 X50 performs equally well.

Best at Evading Detection
. Whistler 1788 ($130 USD)

Although the Whistler doesn't surpass Escort, Valentine, or Bel in any aspect regarding the performance of the basic functions of a radar detector, it is the best when avoiding "radar detector detectors" used by law enforcement officers, such as the Spectre III and VG-2, which are often used in places where radar detectors are considered illegal.

Best Value
. Bel Vector 955 ($200 USD)

The Bel Vector 955 is a gold medalist within its price class. It may be missing some features like a carrying case and the required interface to be integrated with Bel's laser jamming units; reviews show that the Bel Vector 955's detection rates for X-, K-, and Ka-band, in all the three frequencies including POP mode, ranks just a bit lower with the more costly Escort Passport 8500 X50 and Valentine One. In considerable amount of reviews on radar-detectors, it easily shoves aside similarly priced competition made by Cobra and Whistler.

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