Home - Tracking Key vs. Trackstick

Tracking Key versus Trackstick

Even within the GPS tracking world, competition exists. The Tracking Key and Trackstick have been competitors for quite some time now. Both devices are passive, both are compact, and both contain lithium-ion batteries. Aside from these similarities, the Tracking Key and Trackstick are worlds apart.

Tracking Key Features

The Tracking Key has gained a solid reputation across the board for dependability and accuracy. These water-resistant GPS devices are at home when stuck to the bottom of a car or inside of any vehicle. The placement of a Tracking Key does not affect its ability to track an object up to 2.5 meters. Routes are clearly mapped when using the Tracking Key making this device ideal for all kinds of applications.

The Tracking Key also has a strong battery that can last for a long time. Thanks to the device’s motion sensor abilities, the Tracking Key only functions when motion is detected. This motion sensor capability effectively saves battery life. When the Tracking Key does run out of battery power, a low-battery signal is automatically transmitted.

Trackstick Features

As with the Tracking Key, the Trackstick is outfitted with a magnetic backing. This magnet is meant to make installation of the Tracking Key effortless. Unfortunately, a Trackstick cannot be placed underneath a vehicle while still maintaining an accurate signal. Thankfully, the Trackstick is small (and does come with a dark black shell) enough to hide in plain view.

Although the Trackstick does contain a lithium-ion battery, this battery doesn’t have a very long life. It is possible to recharge the Trackstick battery via USB, but the battery will only last around 30 hours when continuously used. Once battery juice runs out, the Trackstick will abruptly stop recording. As a result, all recorded data will be lost.

Trackstick and Tracking Key Comparison

When comparing any two GPS tracking device, two things are vital: battery duration and distance or accuracy. As mentioned, both devices contain lithium-ion batteries. The main difference is that the Trackstick battery cannot be replaced, since this battery is built-in. A Tracking Key battery can be replaced with standard lithium-ion battery replacements. This is an important note, since a Tracking Key can be kept for many years while a Trackstick must be replaced when the internal battery can no longer be recharged.

Further, road tests have shown that the Tracking Key can outlast the Trackstick. As far as accuracy goes, the Tracking Key is accurate up to 2.5 meters. A precise accuracy figure cannot be given for the Trackstick, since the accuracy of this device varies. Most of the time, the Trackstick will provide an accurate signal, though this signal does tend to falter throughout the course of a day. When compared side-by-side the Tracking Key is the better buy both for ease of use and from an economical standpoint.