Being the most popular dog collar, the Fi Vs Halo collar has been a hot debate that has kept buyers hooked on it for many years.
Therefore, based on my experience after using both collars on my dogs, I have shared my take on this debate after putting together all the information.
There are many aspects that I have considered while writing this comparison, such as the dog’s safety, key features, prices, collar comparison, etc.
To give you a quick verdict, my decision remains unbiased till the end, as both collars cater to different uses.
For example, The Fi collar offers affordable subscription plans & product prices and accurate GPS tracking. In contrast, the Halo collar offers a better-quality smart dog fence.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into all the important details!
Fi vs Halo Collar Comparison: In a Nutshell
Here is a quick comparison of Fi and Halo collars to help you choose the best one based on the parameters mentioned below:
| Parameters | Fi Collar | Halo Collar |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Best for? | GPS tracking | Expert Training and Smart Fencing. |
| Pricing (Including all features) | $19 | $29 |
| Device support | Smartphones | Smartphones |
| Features | Bluetooth & Wifi connection, Activity Tracking with GPS. | Smart Dog Fence, GPS Tracking, Cellular Data, Bluetooth & Wifi connection, Training with Caeser Milan. |
| Smartphone Application | Yes | Yes |
halo collar vs fi Collar: Overview
Keeping your dog safe within your reach is just as important as caring for them. Fortunately, these dog collars are the ultimate option for your dog.
With these collars, you can monitor your dog’s location anytime and keep your dog within the boundaries.
Both of these collars are significantly best regarding extra security for your dog and the best brands in the market.
Firstly, the Fi collar is known for its ability to accurate tracking and long-lasting battery life of three months and is valued at $149. Also, it comes with a 1-year guaranteed warranty.
Whereas the Halo Collar is a strong rival to Fi and was one of the most tempting smart dog collars on the market for the year 2022. It is valued at a massive amount of $699.
Comparatively, this GPS collar includes extra capabilities, such as a virtual fence that helps keep your pets contained and safe.
Features of Both Fi and Halo Collar
In the worst-case scenario, when your pup decides to chase a squirrel beyond the fence, both Fi and Halo have a Lost Dog Mode that’ll alert you. Fi gives you real-time location updates and even turns on an LED light on the collar if it’s dark out.
Halo, being all about boundaries, hits your dog with a ‘return home’ whistle while also giving you real-time location info. This is an important feature of both collars.
Let’s check what are the other features:
Features of Fi Collar
- Battery life Of Fi Collar
As for battery life, Halo says 20 hours, although in reality says a little bit less. Fi boasts 3 months, but that’s best-case scenario. If your dog’s an adventurer, expect that battery life to plummet. Yet, even then, Fi outlasts Halo, hands down. Fi’s longer battery life gives you more time for the search party.
- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
Although the battery lasts longer, the best way to extend it is not to use GPS whenever feasible. So, to make that happen, Fi collar’s Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity comes in handy. Where possible, this collar connects to your Android or iOS phones via local WiFi or Bluetooth beacons. This results in draining the battery lesser than usual.
- Country-wide coverage in the U.S.
The LTE-M network helps the Fi collar cover all the regions in the U.S. while providing accurate and prompt results.
However, the only drawback in terms of coverage is it doesn’t work out in the country. (U.S.A.)
- Durable Designing
The Fi collar is designed for all sizes of dogs and is available in four sizes for the Series 2 and Series 3 versions.
The Series 2 comes in a small size of 11.5 inches and a large size of 34.5 inches. Whereas Series 3 comes in a small size of 9.75 inches and a large size of 30.5 inches.
Plus, the collar tops the list again when it comes to tough designing.
The reason being its aluminum faceplate and metal protection help in having a pull resistance of up to 300 lbs.
Furthermore, this collar is certified with a waterproofed IP-68 rating.
- Activity Tracking From App
The Fi collar’s primary purposes are as a virtual fence and position tracker, but it also tracks the dog’s daily activities and health as a bonus.
The app displays your dog’s daily, weekly, and monthly step objectives, the number of steps they’ve taken each day, and how long they napped. You can see how much time your dog spends being active.
Additionally, the app provides links with the larger community. You can engage in some healthy competition by comparing your dog’s activity.
Features of Halo Collar
- Smart Dog Fence & GPS/GNSS technology
Similar to the Fi smart collar, users can create virtual fences to enclose safe zones for the dog to stay within the boundaries.
You can set the virtual fences in any shape and size per your needs but at a 6.2-mile distance from each other. You can set up 20 working fences at once with only one collar.
Moreover, you can select from 15 levels to set sound, vibration, and static correction with the customizable feedback option.
Still, even though your dog crosses the safe zone, you can track the dog down with its GPS/GNSS technology by using fifty satellites.
Ultimately, with the halo smart dog fence, it is easy to keep your dog within the fence areas.
Also, you might not even need to use the dog GPS tracker because of the in-built feedback feature.
- Activity tracking for dogs
Like other similar devices, the Halo collar tracks your dog’s health and outdoor activities. Also, it measures your dog’s exercise schedules,
- Sizes
The Halo Collar has three sizes: small, medium, and large.
Small ones should fit between 11 and 15 inches, medium ones should fit between 15 and 20.5 inches, and big ones can fit between 20 and 30.5 inches.
- Design & Durability
The Halo Collar, which comes in graphite or ivory colors, impresses with its clean and simple design. It is minimalistic sleek, and can be used as a dog’s fashion accessory.
For the durability part, The Halo Collar has an IP67 waterproof certification and is built of tough plastic and flexible rubber.
This means that it is equipped to withstand any challenging practices, activities, and weather conditions.
- Mobile App
You can do a ton of stuff with the Halo smartphone app, which isn’t possible with other GPS dog trackers.
Again for your dog’s safety, some of that stuff allows you to create and customize virtual fences.
Plus, you receive alerts whenever your dog goes out of your chosen boundaries.
- Connectivity
The variety of connectivity options enhances the longevity and dependability of the battery. The GPS collar only uses cellular data when it is beyond other devices’ range when connecting to the Halo collar app through Bluetooth or WiFi.
This is significant because it guarantees that the Halo collar will continue functioning even if its Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection is lost.
Fi collar vs Halo Collar Pros & Cons
Everything has a negative and positive side to it. Similarly, these amazing dog collars also have some Pros and some Cons.
Pros and Cons of Fi Dog Collar
Here are some Pros and Cons for the Fi dog collar
Pros
- Exceptionally long-lasting battery life.
- Heavy-duty designing.
- Well-waterproofed.
- Accurate and technology
- Alerts for quick escape detection
- Advanced technologies for precise GPS tracking
- Multiple members can be added to the mobile app.
- Nighttime visual tracking with inbuilt LED light
- Monitoring your dog’s activity and sleeping schedules is efficient with the Fi collar.
Cons
- It cannot be accessed without a subscription plan.
- Small dogs cannot carry it well like normal and big-sized dogs.
- There are limitations to the dog’s activity information.
Pros and Cons of Halo Dog Collar
Here are some Pros and Cons for the Halo dog collar
Pros
- You don’t have to install wires to use halo collar fences.
- It uses advanced technologies like GPS/GNSSAND LTE network.
- It’s waterproof and certified for IP-67.
- Its battery can last up to 21 hours.
- Good reviews were received from users across the country.
- Outstanding customer and tech support.
Cons
- It’s expensive when it comes to buying the collar and subscriptions as well.
- It cannot work without a monthly subscription.
- Not suitable for small-sized dog breeds. (requires min. 20 Lbs of weight)
Subscription differences between fi collar vs halo collar
You will need a subscription in order to make this collar work to its full potential. It might come out as an additional cost, but it is essential to know that they have a range of plans on a monthly and yearly basis.
Fi collar
The Fi collar is available in two types, which are Series 2 and Series 3.
- Series 2
The Series 2 model comes with 30 days of free trial with three subscription plans as given below.
| One-year Subscription | $99 |
| Two-year Subscription | $186 |
| Three-year Subscription | $248 |
- Series 3
The Series 3 model comes with a membership subscription while buying the collar. Plus, it includes upgraded hardware tools as well. This model comes with four subscription plans, as given below.
| Monthly Subscription | $19 |
| 1 year subscription | $192 |
| Two-year Subscription | $336 |
Halo Collar
The Halo collar is expensive; additionally, you have to pay for a subscription, which bugs common people. If you want facilities like fence data storage, GPS tracking, and activity monitoring, then Halo does the job for you.
The subscription plan for Halo comes in three types, which are given below.
| Basic (Monthly) | $4.49 |
| Silver (Monthly) | $9.99 |
| Gold (Monthly) | $29.99 |
- Basic
The $4.49 monthly basic subscription contains 21 virtual fences, location tracking, simple training materials, and basic capabilities.
- Silver
This provides the same capability as the basic plan for $9.99 monthly, plus more personalized features and sophisticated activity tracking.
Additionally, it gives you access to your dog’s previous data with the feedback feature whenever the dog is closer to the virtual fence.
- Gold
This has more benefits and has the same features as the silver package, but it costs $29.99 per month. It includes live meetings with qualified experts and monthly premium training sessions.
What makes the Fi collar and Halo Collar different from each other?
Fi Collar
| Identify problems with Fi’s activity tracker. |
| Monitors your dog’s activity routine and checks for any abrupt changes in health. |
| Rapid escape warnings and your dog’s precise location tracking are delivered with an LTE-M network. |
| Newly launched membership feature for extra hardware extensions per update. |
Halo Collar
| The halo collar training premium cost structure is acceptable. |
| GPS/GNSS to locate your dog effectively. |
| The Halo collar tracks activities just like the Fi collar. |
| The Halo collar gives more options for virtual fencing allowing you to use larger space for your dog’s freedom. |
Tips to pick the best collar for your dog!
- Since GPS dog trackers gather location data from multiple sources, you should check the Data Source your dog collar uses to track your dog.
- GPS tracking collars only work best if they are within range. Otherwise, if the tracker’s range is shorter than needed, there’s no point in spending money on it.
- Check out all the subscription plans the collar is offering and see if they fit into your budget for buying a dog collar. When it comes to pricing, Fi Collar sure wins the race, as it’s more affordable than Halo.
- Also, check for any offers the product company or supplier offers to save a few bucks from your pocket.
- Having a collar with good battery life helps you even when you’re out of town or roaming with your dog on a picnic. Plus, you cannot find a socket to charge the collar everywhere you go.
- Lastly, an even more crucial fact is the features of the dog collar. Features like connectivity, range, battery power, waterproof certification, and more decide the user experience you have.
Who should go for Fi collar?
If you are someone who needs a proactive collar that can identify problems before they become serious, go for Fi’s activity tracker.
It monitors your dog’s activity routine and makes sure there aren’t any unexpected health issues that would necessitate a trip to the clinic.
However, security is its primary concern. The LTE-M network precisely and dependably tracks rapid escape alarms and your dog’s whereabouts.
Fi is an even more user-friendly and reasonably priced smart collar with the new subscription option. it even sends you updates on hardware at no additional expense.
Fi offers everything you need to make sure your dog is getting enough exercise and won’t go lost, even though it is a more affordable choice.
Who should go for Halo Collar?
The extra cost is justified only by the halo collar training. It’s also quite easy to track down your dog because GPS/GNSS tracking is effective and precise.
Like the Fi collar, the Halo collar can track activity and the amount of exercise your dog receives.
An added benefit of the Halo collar is that it gives you more freedom when using virtual fencing.
The halo collar also comes with training by the founder Caesar Milan who is also a professional dog trainer who has helped a lot of people from all around the world.
Therefore, use a Halo collar if your pet has access to a large area and lots of areas to explore since it may be more dependable to keep them secure.
Fi vs Halo Collar Reviews (User testimonials)
Here are a few real-world insights about Fi and Halo Collar that might help you make the right choice.
This is a great product! Easy to use, easy to navigate. This was our 4th GPS fence, and I wish we would have started with this one. We have a very large dog that is 7 months old. He responded to all the training quickly. The training part is amazing and easy to follow. I highly recommend the Halo collar.
Tina Kryger
(Source: Trustpilot)
Training was helpful. My dogs are not so scent-motivated that they would not challenge the beacon at all, making beacon training impossible then. But I reached out to the support team and discussed with them the next actions so that we could continue forward. The only negative I have is that the collars are a little big for my medium dogs; even on the smaller ones, they tighten up but do not stay tight; I continually have to retighten them. eventually used a piece of electrical tape to keep it from loosening. Dogs are thoroughly enjoying more open space to run on the farm. They ask to go out much more often and are much more active!
Dick Sonn
(Source: Trustpilot)
You can also read the article on halo collar vs spot-on collar here.
Related Reads :
- Explore Fi Dog Collar vs Whistle
- Halo Collar Vs Spot On Collar: Which is the best
- Dog Harness Vs. Collar: Choose the Best for the pup
Conclusion: Fi is the best dog collar choice for dogs and puppies
My choice is unbiased in this debate of Fi vs Halo Collar because both collars cater to different needs. It all depends on how you keep track of your dog, your budget, and your dog’s temperament.
But, in case you need a cue to move forward with the purchase, I suggest going for the Fi collar, as it’s more affordable than the Halo collar. This way, you don’t have to spend much time trying out a device you’ve never used before.
Plus, it would be a better option if you are mostly focused on buying a GPS collar.
On the other hand, the Halo collar is a good but a little expensive choice. However, if you have no financial restrictions and need additional features like customizable smart fences and training options with experts, Halo Collar is the one for you.
Still have more queries? Shoot us in the comments section below!
FAQs
The Fi series 2 works without a subscription, but getting a subscription is highly recommended.
The SpotOn GPS pet collar can top the performance of the Halo dog collar when the Fi collar is not involved.
You should remember that the Fi collar is not a shock collar. So it doesn’t vibrate or release any kind of shock.
The Fi collar needs an LTE-M network to work. Hence, it doesn’t work without cell service.
The Fi Collar will continue to function as usual, but you won’t be able to see where your dog is or use Original Lost Dog Mode if they venture outside the range of your smartphone, Fi Base, or Wi-Fi.
