Last Updated on April, 2025
Halo Collar has been the leader in GPS dog collars for a while now, and the 4th iteration only improves on that lead.
Having used the Halo collars from the very beginning, the Halo Collar 4 is much closer to perfection compared to its predecessors in many areas. With that, it’s $150 cheaper than it was before. So all that makes the Halo 4 much more enticing.
However, is it worth it?
How does it compare to the Halo 3?
How does it stack up against its closest competitors?
After using the collar for 3 months, I have the answer, so all you have to do is read to the very end and make a decision.
Durability
Coverage
Price
Table of Contents
- What’s in the Halo Collar 4 Box?
- What’s New in Halo Collar 4?
- Key Features of the Halo Collar
- The Halo Collar App
- Halo Subscription Plan and the Price
- What are Others Saying About the New Halo Version?
- Pros and Cons of the Halo 4 Dog Collar
- Should You Buy the Halo Collar 4?
- FAQs
- What are the Halo Collar alternatives?
- Is the Halo Dog Collar Equipped With Shock?
- How Accurate are Halo Fences Compared to Wired Fences?
- What are Indoor Halo Beacons?
- Is the App Essential to Use Halo Smart Collars?
- Is it Possible to Use the Halo 2+ as the Dog’s Training Collar?
- Does Halo Collar Fit Smaller Dogs?
- Final Verdict: Halo Collar Review
What’s in the Halo Collar 4 Box?
Halo 4 comes with all the necessary tools for you to get started. Compared to the 3, there are no new additions here.
Below is everything you get with the Halo system:
Find more Halo Dog Collar coupons, deals, and promo codes here!
What’s New in Halo Collar 4?
Halo 4 introduces new tech along with some quality of life improvements, all that makes the collar slightly more refined compared to the Halo 2+ and 3.
Dual Frequency GPS
Now, this is a first in a GPS Dog Fence. Halo 4 takes advantage of both L1 and L5 signal bands.
Now, I’m not gonna go into much detail about what that means, ‘cause, honestly, I’m not even sure I know what it means myself!
But Halo claims that by leveraging two frequency bands, it enhances correction accuracy and boosts location tracking capabilities even in areas with poor signal strength.
To put this to test, I went into an area where the previous Halos would struggle to pinpoint the dog’s location correctly, 4, however, had no issues, it not only pinpointed the correct location, but also kept updating every movement. Which was a surprise.
With this update, I think, the collar will be much more usable in dense forest areas, which is great.
Smaller, Lighter, and Durable Design
Improved tech has actually made the smart collar smaller. That’s great considering how bulky the previous collars were. The collar feels very good now and is perfectly sized, I’m pretty sure the dogs will be happy.
Looking at the numbers, the collar is 33% smaller and 18% lighter, which does not seem like a big difference until you see them side by side.
Also, the collar is more durable now, thanks to some additional new parts like the solid enclosure with ultrasonicwelding, and metalhinge all improve the collar’s water resistance and ability to withstand drops and all the abuse your dog puts through it.
Perfect Fit for Big or Small Dogs
Halo 4 now fits almost all size of dog. The collar now, only comes in one size, which you can adjust based on your dog’s neck size.
Yes, with the new Perfect Fit system, the collar is much more adjustable and provides a custom fit, meaning it now fits dogs with neck size as small as 8 inches, and as large as 30.5 inches.
Now, you can give Halo a try – whether you’ve got a pint-sized Chihuahua or a big-hearted Golden Retriever!
Longer Battery Life and Magnetic Charging Adaptor
In my opinion, this is the biggest upgrade compared to the older versions. Halo 3 had one of the best battery life compared to other collars, but from the actual user’s perspective, it still wasn’t that great.
But now, it’s much better. Halo claims that the 4 can run up to 30 hours. However, this number can change based on how frequently and how long you use location tracking and other battery intensive stuff.
Even then, with typical day-to-day use, I managed to consistently squeeze out 25 hours out of the collar, with the same usage, I was only getting 20 hours or less with the Halo 3. That’s a difference anyone would notice.
New Look and a Brand New Color
Along with improved Durability, Halo collar 4 also has a new look, it’s a little different from the old ones and has a more up-to-date look to it.
The collar also comes in a new color, MidnightBlue, which looks cool, along with the refreshed old colors which are Orchid, Graphite and Sunburst (Yellow).
I’ve got the Graphite and I think it’s the best of all, it does a great job in hiding the dirt and keeping the collar looking clean.
So that’s everything new with the Halo 4, and to be honest, if you already own Halo 3, this is not going to be a worthy upgrade. That said, if you have a Halo 2+, and are looking for an upgrade, this is an option worth considering.
Key Features of the Halo Collar
Halo has always been feature rich from the beginning, and the 4 is no exception, it packs in all the previous features while adding more. Below is everything you can expect to see on the Halo 4.
Smart Virtual Fences
When it comes to the fences itself, Halo has come a long way, there has been a lot of refinement and this time, I think, it’s almost perfect.
Past issues, such as GPS drift, can cause the virtual fence to shift from its originally intended location, are all minimal now and occur only rarely.
Anyway, coming back to the Halo fences, the fence size starts from 30×30 feet and can be as large as you want and the same goes for the shape, it can be anything.
All thanks to the fence posts, Halo app hands you 20 fence and that’s more than enough to create large boundaries without any issues.
To set boundaries, you need to download the Halo app, available on both Play Store and App Store. Once the app is set up, you get two options to put up fences.
The first and the easiest option is drawing the fences right on your phone, the second option is carrying the collar along with your phone and walking along the boundary.
Using both the options, I found the latter to be accurate compared to drawing the fences.
That is fence set up out of the way. Next up is the storage. But before that, let me get this out of the way, Halo needs a monthly subscription to work, since it’s Cellular and GPS operated and needs data to store fence information, it’s essential for you to get one.
Speaking of storage, you can create and store from 5 to 20 fences based on the subscription plan you choose, and all of them can be used at the same time.
Halo can keep your dog safe even if there is no Wi-Fi or any Cellular Coverage. This can come in handy if you go on hikes and camping with your dog to remote locations.
All you have to do is create a boundary in the location you’re about to visit using Wi-Fi or Cellular and that’s it, your fence will be stored in your phone locally and once you’re in the location, you can enable it.
However, keep in mind that you won’t be able to see the dog’s location unless you’re connected to the collar via Bluetooth.
As for corrections and how Halo works to keep your dog inside the fence, continue reading.
Enhanced Location Tracking
A GPS fence without location tracking is simply not worth it. From what I’ve seen, Halo 4 has the best location tracking in any GPS fence.
The introduction of dual-band GPS and the access to 6 GNSS satellites seems to be making the difference here, the collar is now faster and, as mentioned earlier, more accurate, especially in areas with a lot of buildings and trees.
Also, what’s great is that, Halo is not limited to only one cellular connection like for example just AT&T, based on the signal strength, it can change to the best one nearby, which also contributes to those quick location updates.
Another great benefit is that Halo supports Wi-Fi, when in range, it’ll switch from cellular, which not only improves location updates by a few seconds but also increases battery life.
The Collar also supports Bluetooth, but will not switch to it for location tracking.
So that’s everything you need to know about the location tracking capabilities of Halo.
Checkout the best dog training shock collar with GPS in this guide. Also click here to checkout the best e-collar for breeds with thick fur.
Activity Tracking
Activity tracking was already solid on the original Halo, but it’s gotten even better this time around.
With the Halo activity tracker, you can check in on your dog’s daily movements and behaviors, all from the app. Here’s what you get:
Preventions. The app shows how many times your dog received different types of prevention feedback. Helpful for understanding how often they’re testing their boundaries!
Tracking – This lets you see if your pup is safe (inside a fence while it’s on), unsafe (outside all fences while fences are on), or if fences are turned off completely.
Charging Time. Want to know how long the collar’s been on the charger? The app tracks that too.
Distance Walked. You can check how far your dog has walked or run throughout the day when outside the fence.
Activity Monitoring. This gives you insight into your dog’s behavior—how much time they spend moving, resting, or even traveling in a car.
So, those are the tracking features you get with the Halo. While they work well and cover all the essentials, I wouldn’t say they’re the most advanced on the market. Brands like Fi Collar, Whistle, and Tractive still have the edge in this department.
That said, Halo isn’t missing any key features, so if you’re already using the system for fencing, you’re not losing out on anything major when it comes to tracking.
Portability
One of the best things about the Halo dog collar is how portable it is. No matter where you are, you can set up an invisible fence in minutes. Whether you’re at your apartment, a rental property, a friend’s house, the beach, or even a dog park, Halo’s got you covered.
Unlike most GPS collars, Halo even works indoors, which is a huge plus. Most other trackers struggle inside, but with Halo, you can keep an eye on your pup no matter where they are.
This is a big advantage over wired dog fences, which are stuck in one place. With Halo, you get complete flexibility, take it wherever you and your dog go.
As mentioned already, Halo 4 also stores all your fences directly in the collar. Even if you don’t have Wi-Fi or cellular service, your fences still work.
Prevention Feedback
Halo Collar app offers some great features to help prevent your dog from crossing the boundaries you’ve set while also encouraging good behavior. It’s a two-fold approach that ensures your pup stays safe within the virtual fence.
Before I go into detail, Halo consists of three correction feedback, Beep, Vibration and Static Stimulation. These can be customized to suit your dog’s needs.
Unlike many other smart collars that limit you to just one type of feedback, Halo gives you full control to choose what works best for your pet.
It’s recommended to start with sound feedback and only use static stimulation if absolutely necessary, vibration alone often gets the job done.
Halo collar also has two types of fences; Fence Boundary and Protection Zone. This method provides the collar enough time to even out the corrections smoothly, without constantly stressing the dog.
With all that said, It all starts with the Warning Feedback. When your dog is 7 to 10 feet away and moving towards the fence boundary, Warning Feedback comes into play. You can choose one of the three correction feedbacks I’ve mentioned above here.
If Warning Feedback fails to work, the collar will switch to Boundary Feedback. Here, the Halo Collar will combine two correction feedbacks and will try to stop your dog.
This is how it works, if you’ve chosen beep for Warning Feedback and vibration for Boundary Feedback, your dog will receive both the corrections simultaneously.
If Boundary Feedback fails, your dog will still be inside the fence, but in the Protection Zone now, which is still a part of the fence, but is a little more close to the boundary line. This is where Emergency Feedback takes over and tries to end your dog’s rampaging run.
Finally, after Emergency Feedback saves the day and your dog is heading towards the safe zone, Encouragement Feedback kicks in to reinforce positive behavior. Halo offers three types of encouragement:
During this time, whenever your dog gets any of the feedback, you will receive alerts to your phone through the app, so you can take action without letting things get worse.
Few trackers offer this level of customization and versatility, making Halo a standout choice. From my experience, these features work seamlessly, providing effective and humane ways to manage your dog’s behavior within the fence.
Halo Beacon
The Halo Beacon is an essential component of the Halo collar, offering versatile solutions to keep your dog safe and well-behaved.
Available in three types:
These portable devices enhance the overall functionality of the Halo Collar by giving you more control over your dog’s boundaries.
When you purchase a Halo dog collar, you’ll receive one Indoor Beacon, so let’s start there. The Indoor Beacon is perfect for keeping your dog out of areas where they’re not allowed or might be unsafe.
Think of it as a mini virtual fence, customized to your needs. Simply turn it on, place it in the desired location, and use the app to set the radius.
When your dog enters the designated zone, the beacon triggers prevention feedback. As soon as they move out of the zone, the feedback stops, providing a clear and gentle way to guide behavior.
The Beacon also plays a significant role in the training process, teaching your dog to respond to Halo’s prevention cues effectively. Whether it’s keeping them out of the kitchen or away from a specific room, the Halo Beacon makes it easy to create safe zones indoors and beyond.
21-Day Training Program With Cesar Millan
With the Halo Collar, you also gain access to Cesar Millan’s 21-day training program, designed to help both you and your dog adjust to the collar while reinforcing positive behavior.
This step-by-step training makes it easy for anyone, regardless of experience, to get their pup accustomed to the Halo system.
The program starts indoors, focusing on creating a controlled environment where your dog can get used to the collar’s feedback.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll move the training outdoors, gradually teaching your dog to return to the safe zone without venturing further beyond it.
The emphasis is on building trust and ensuring your dog understands the boundaries set by the Halo system.
It’s a straightforward and effective program that only requires 15 minutes a day, making it manageable for even the busiest pet owners.
By the end of the 21 days, both you and your dog will have the confidence and skills needed to fully utilize the Halo Collar. Whether you’re starting fresh or fine-tuning your dog’s behavior, this training is a fantastic way to strengthen your bond and keep your pup safe.
The Halo Collar App
The Halo App is highly essential to get the most out of the collar; this is where you’ll get to control the collar, create the fences, access training, check activities, adjust the radius, customize the feedback and do everything the Halo 4 has to offer.
Without the app, the collar is nothing.
The Halo app support both Android and iOS and can be downloaded through their respective app stores for free.
And the halo app is only compatible with Android phones that are version 7.0 or higher, and if you’re on an iPhone 5s or later, you can expect the app to work.
Halo Subscription Plan and the Price
Halo when it first came out, was not cheap, at $999, it was not for everyone, however, over the years, they’ve actually reduced the price and now Halo 4 comes in at $599, which is also $100 cheaper than the Halo 3.
I’d say that’s fair for the tech and convenience it offers. Imaging paying thousands, and digging up your yard to put up a wired fence. Compared to that, this is much more practical.
Also, with the 90-day money-back guarantee, I’d say it’s a risk-free investment.
Halo Smart Collar Subscription Plan
However, you need a subscription to use the Halo collar. That’s due to the location tracking features present in the collar. There are three subscription plans for you to go with:
- Basic Plan ($.15 per day, billed monthly at $4.49)
As the name suggests, it provides the most basic features. Here you’ll get access to everything you need to keep your dog safe within the boundaries. This halo collar subscription package helps you create all 20 fences, data access, storage, tracking, and Cesar’s training program.
- Silver Plan ($.33 per day, billed monthly at $9.99)
This is the plan that everyone should go with to get the most out of the collar. It contains everything from the basic plan along with Activity Tracking, other customizable options, historical data, and logs to track your pooch’s feedback response progress over time.
- Gold Plan ($.99 per day billed monthly at $29.99)
If training is one of your priorities, this plan is what you should choose. Here you get everything from silver plan plus new training lessons every month, live sessions with expert trainers, and QandAs with experts to clear all of your doubts regarding training.
These are all the subscription plans you can go with. I’d recommend you go with Silver Plan, as it provides access to every feature the Halo collar has in store.
What are Others Saying About the New Halo Version?
Customer feedback is what made the new Halo Dog Collar what it is today. The original Halo collar reviews from customers were mixed, and everything changed with the Halo 4.
Since it’s a relatively new product, there are not many reviews out in the wild. However, I managed to find some, and so far, so good.
If you are on the fence about ordering this product, I would encourage you to take a chance. The Halo Collar may not be for everyone, but this product has changed our dogs and family’s life. They have a 30 day return policy with some terms listed on the website. Thank You Halo for creating and designing this life changing product.
Each customer support person I have ever spoken with has been so helpful. In this case I was looking to upgrade to the Halo 4 because my dog is small. It is now on its way. BTW Halo saved my dog’s life when he was attacked by a coyote. I heard the yelping and knew right where to run to!
We live on about 500 acres and a lot of wooded with lake access to majority of the acreage. however, on the other side is a four lane hwy. our dogs have been awesome and safe with the halo collars. we are so thankful.
Pros and Cons of the Halo 4 Dog Collar
The Halo collar 4 is a big step up from the original, and it seems like they’ve managed to iron out most of the problems that were there when the collar was first launched.
However, it still isn’t perfect; here are some PROS and CONS you need to know about the new Halo collar before you buy.
Pros
Cons
Should You Buy the Halo Collar 4?
Halo 4, in my opinion, is the best GPS dog fence available right now, it gets everything right with little to no errors. Having used Halo Collars from the very beginning, the difference is much more noticeable.
I’ve been using this collar ever since it came out with the Silver plan, and it’s been amazing so far.
I’ve had zero problems with it!
Location tracking, battery life, everything about it is better than before.
Not only is it better than its older siblings, but compared with the other wireless smart fence systems I’ve used, this one is in a league of its own, especially with its options and features.
No other existing collar in the market provides this sort of tools to play with.
Halo simply separates itself from the pack.
The phone app, on the other hand, is excellent, too; it just makes using the collar that bit easier. It’s also well-optimized on both Android and iOS.
And not to forget the training; learning from the best is an opportunity that I wouldn’t want to miss. That’s one of the reasons why I got the original Halo in the first place.
Battery life was my only problem, but not anymore.
All in all, Halo 4 delivers in every aspect, there are still downsides like the need to cut off the collar in order for the dog to fit in, but apart from that, there’s nothing that affects the performance.
If you have no problem paying for the Halo 4, I’d say it’s worth every penny, and the purchase is entirely risk-free, too, since you’re backed with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
FAQs
Other Dog trackers we’ve compared with Halo 2 collar:
Final Verdict: Halo Collar Review
If you care about your dog’s safety, just get the Halo 4, don’t wait. It’s a well-rounded device that’s easy to work with, and the training will help ease all the doubts you’ll have about the collar.
I’ve been using the Halo 4 collar as my primary dog collar, and I couldn’t be happier. It does what it’s been set out to do almost all the time, and that too in a perfect way.
Price is something to think about, but if you’re ready to spend, I’d say just give it a go; I’m pretty sure it’ll serve you well. And considering the prices of the competition, this is one of the cheapest plus it provides better value for what you’re paying too!
I hope this Halo dog collar review helped you get an idea about this smart device.
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I just bought the Halo Collar and I’m really enjoying it so far. I didn’t know you could get a coupon code for it, but I found one at https://cheapcoupan.xyz/halo-dog-collar-coupon-code/. It saved me some money, which is great. It’s the best thing we have ever purchased for our BOY.
So, let me get this straight. Are we talking about spending around three grand for the collars? I just want to double check before I go ahead and buy them. Ive got three dogs.
Hey Julianne, It’s usually priced at $699, but sometimes it can go up to a grand. However, most of the time, you’re looking at about $699.
I got mine for $699 last week