Last Updated on January, 2025
The original Halo Collar turned out to be a bit controversial with its sometimes inaccurate tracking and lack of features compared to the competition.
Next, they silently launched Halo collar 2, which had the same features as the original but with a different look.
Now comes the Halo 2+ collar, the next iteration!
Three iterations mean that the people behind Halo have had enough time to work out all the kinks.
Do you think that the third time’s a charm?
Has the wireless fence and GPS tracking system company learned from its past mistakes, or is it just the same old Halo?
I’ve used the Halo collar forever since it came out, and in this Halo Collar review, I’ll go through everything you need to know about this smart collar and will let you know whether or not it’s worth spending your money on.
Cause you know, It’s really EXPENSIVE!
Durability
Coverage
Price
Table of Contents
- About the Halo 2 Collar
- How Does the Halo Collar Work?
- What’s in the Halo Collar GPS System Box?
- Tech Specs of the Halo 2+ Smart Virtual Fence
- All the Features Halo Wireless Fence Brings to the Table
- The Halo App
- Halo Subscription Plan and the Price
- Where to Buy the Halo Dog Collar?
- Halo 2 Collar Versus the Original Halo Collar: What Has Changed?
- What are Others Saying About the New Halo Version?
- Pros and Cons of the Halo 2+ Dog Collar
- Is Halo Collar Worth Buying?
- 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
About the Halo 2 Collar
Halo first entered the dog collar market in 2019 with their highly ambitious Halo virtual fence and GPS tracking system.
It turned out to be an instant hit, and getting Cesar Millan on board spiced up things even further.
However, the device did not seem to live up to the hype with its poor performance.
And fast forward to 2022, we have Halo 2+, which promises to have fixed the downsides of the original.
On the surface, both the Halo collar and Halo 2 collar are virtually identical; It’s the inside that’s had a major overall.
I’ll list down all the changes and new additions to Halo 2+ down below, so keep reading.
Update:
A working coupon site for Halo Collar was found at https://cheapcoupan.xyz/halo-dog-collar-coupon-code/ by Patricia from the comment section below. The coupon will work until the end January, 2025. This will save you $375 if you’ve been thinking about buying this product.
Find more Halo Dog Collar coupons, deals, and promo codes here!
What Does the Halo Dog Collar Do?
Halo collars, unlike other tracking collars, help you to not only track your dog and alert you when it escapes. Instead, it’ll prevent your dog from escaping once and for all!
All you have to do is define your boundaries with the help of the Halo smartphone app, and the next thing is that your escape artist has zero chance to leave anymore.
It’s that simple!
Who is the Halo Smart Collar for?
Dog owners, simple as that!
You just need to try one of these to experience how helpful they can be.
If it’s your first time owning a dog and you’ve been a lifelong dog parent, this is a piece of tech that’s absolutely worth getting.
And with the new Halo collar GPS system, the bar is raised even higher compared to other smart collars.
Halo brings everything you need to keep your furry pal safe under the hood.
There’s even a 21-day dog training program put together by the “Dog Whisperer” himself, Cesar Millan. This program will help alleviate your dog’s negative behavior and teach him to be an obedient canine companion.
If it’s your first time as a dog owner and have no idea where to start, this is something that can help.
How Does the Halo Collar Work?
The Halo collar and the App are what’s essential to get the device to work properly.
As you may know, Halo is designed to serve as a pet containment system. With the app, you get to define the boundaries wherever you want and wherever you go.
And this is where the real magic happens!
Once you’ve defined the boundaries, it’s considered a safe space for your pooch.
Whenever it tries to escape the safe space you’ve created, the smart collar will come into action with its prevention feedback which is either a slight static shock, vibration, or a sound that urges the dog to get back to its boundary.
If your dog neglects the feedback(which rarely happens) and still decides to get off the safe space, two additional feedbacks are provided.
Some dogs might find it hard to understand all this, and that’s where the training program comes in!
You can teach your dog to understand all this, and it’ll even teach them to stay in the safe space without going out of it.
All in all, the Halo dog collar completely stops your escape artist in his tracks, and no more escaped dogs in the future.
As for the GPS location services, we’ll get to more on that down below.
Related article: How Does a Normal Dog Shock Collar Work?
What’s in the Halo Collar GPS System Box?
Halo 2 collar comes with everything you need to get the smart collar up and running.
Here’s everything you get in the box with the new Halo version:
Tech Specs of the Halo 2+ Smart Virtual Fence
Halo smart collar is a step up from the original Halo in every way. Everything from the design to battery life and performance has changed. Here’s everything you need to know!
Design and Durability
Let’s start with the design first!
This is an area the original had no problems with!
And the same goes for the 2+; you can notice it’s a Halo from a distance.
You know? It’s a good-looking collar!
It also comes in two colors, black and white; you can’t go wrong with both of these. Comfort is another aspect where the Halo shines; it has a flexible, comfortable fit.
Speaking of fit, the collar is able to fit most of the dogs, be it small dogs, medium-sized dogs, or large dogs!
If your dog is 20+ lbs and has a minimum neck size of 11 in. and a max of 30.5 in. Halo can slip in seamlessly. Make sure to measure your pup’s neck size before actually picking one.
Durability next. From my experience, the Halo collar is a rugged piece.
The collar is made out of rugged thermoplastic elastomer, a highly durable rubber, along with metallic plastic components that will help reduce the weight and increase the flexibility of the build in order to withstand whatever you put it through.
On the other hand, the strap is rubberized nylon, TPU-coated, with an ultra-strength plastic grip mechanism.
Also, the material of the strap is made of extremely durable material that’s extremely easy to clean and does not hold on to bacteria, water, and smell.
On top of all that, the Halo dog collar is IP67 rated, which means that it can withstand any amount of water splashes and even be submerged in water up to 3ft.
Design and Durability wise, the Halo 2 collar is on a whole other level. It’s excellent.
Battery Performance
Battery was a major problem when Halo collar first came out. It was way behind the competition with just 12 to 14 hours of claimed runtime.
Halo smart collar, however, has improved in this regard. With a single charge, you can now go up to a maximum of 20 hours.
Glad they’ve worked on one of the biggest flaws. Even though it’s not a significant jump, it’s a welcome one!
You need to know that even if the claimed runtime is 20 hours, constant GPS usage and tracking can drain the battery a little faster.
When it comes to battery lifespan, with normal, typical use, you can expect it to work at its maximum capacity for at least 3 to 5 years.
Charging speeds are also not something to overlook; with the included USB-C, Halo can fully juice up in just 2 hours. That’s great, as some other collars can take up to 3 to 4 hours and don’t last anywhere near as long as this.
When it comes to overall battery life and performance, Halo 2+ has no downsides; you can easily rely on it all day.
All the Features Halo Wireless Fence Brings to the Table
Of all the best pet trackers I’ve used, Halo 2+ dog collar has been one of the feature-packed ones. It literally is flooded with amazing features which are actually helpful rather than gimmicks. Let’s go through each of them.
Smart Virtual Fences
One of Halo’s premium features is its invisible fence. Previous Halo collars were already ahead in this game, and the 2+ extends the lead even further.
They’ve got everything right to ensure your dog’s safety.
Halo lets you create virtual fences that can cover a maximum of 6.2 miles. These can be of any size, and you can create up to 20 fences.
Altogether you can cover up to 1200 sq. miles, which is more than enough to keep your dog contained.
You’ll need to download the app on your phone, and once done, you’ll be provided with two methods to create the Halo fences. It is very simple and straightforward.
After assembling your fences, you can now rest easy as the collar will take care of your dog.
Every time when your dog tries to cross the boundary with the collar on, it’ll be given the prevention feedback via the collar. This keeps them inside the boundary.
You’ll also receive a notification through the app if prevention feedback is used on your dog. So that’ll let you know if your dog tried to move away from the boundary allowing you to take quick action.
Prevention feedback consists of prompts like tone/sounds, vibration, and static pulse. Halo gives you the option to pick up any feedback, so before you pick one, make sure to check what prompt works best for your dog.
Vibration will most probably do the job. We’ll get to more about prevention feedback down below.
Moving on, none of these are really game changers, as this is what almost all virtual fences do.
The real game changer of the Halo 2+ is its Emergency Feedback.
If your dog refuses to get back to the fence even after prevention feedback and continues to move away, emergency feedback will come into action.
It will constantly remind your dog to get back to the safe zone for up to 300 feet away from the safe zone.
If your dog refuses to return to the boundary, the collar’s emergency feedback will get into Lost Mode.
Lost mode will use the Return Whistle, an encouragement feedback that will continue until your dog returns to the safe zone.
Remember, you’ll be notified right away when your dog tries to escape; from there, make sure you keep a constant eye on the Halo app’s map on your phone.
These are everything the Halo dog collar will do to get your dog back into the safe zone. What’s truly special about all this is that no human assistance is needed whatsoever. The Halo collar will take care of everything on its own until it’s truly serious.
Enhanced Location Tracking
Location services needed a lot to be desired when it first came out in the Halo collar.
Lots of customers got extremely disappointed, and this was a huge problem.
Also, this was one of the factors why the first Halo collar received so many bad reviews.
With Halo dog collar, it’s all sorted out!
Halo 2+ uses the industry standard GPS and GNSS technology which improves the connection within the satellites; this means extreme accuracy.
And what’s more interesting is that it’ll get more and more accurate over time.
Bluetooth, WiFI, and Cellular are all available; they’ll work together to keep your dog contained and locate if they slip away.
The smart thing here is that Halo dog collar, in order to communicate with the app, will choose the best connection on its own.
This is great as it can save a good chunk of your collar’s battery life.
Location updates have also improved significantly. When in Bluetooth, the Halo 2 collar will update your dog’s location every second, while on WiFi, 7-second updates will be sent; cellular, even though not as fast as others, will send updates every 15 seconds.
*Make sure to refresh the location while the collar is connected to cellular instead of relying on auto updates.
There is an Indoor GPS mode too; this’ll further save battery life. The Halo collar will not update the location frequently when indoors.
With this upgraded tech, you can now keep track of your dog’s location and activities in real time, and better location accuracy can also be experienced. The benefit here is that you can keep tabs on your furry friend even if you’re not around him.
Make sure you’re within AT&T’s cellular coverage area for the cellular mode. Otherwise, the collar will not work.
These are all great additions, and since they’ve sorted out all the problems from the original, Halo 2+ dog collar works as nothing but great.
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 excellent on the original, and it’s even improved here.
With the Halo activity tracker, you’re able to check on this info about your dog:
Preventions. In the Halo app, you’re able to check how many times your dog has received each type of prevention feedback.
Tracking. Here, you can check on whether or not your furry friend is safe (inside each fence while fences are on), unsafe (while outside all fences with fences on), or fences off (while the fences are off).
It’s also able to show the time the Halo was on the charger.
Distance Walked. You’re able to see the distance your dog has walked and ran throughout the day when outside the fence.
Activity. This shows your dog’s behavioral patterns, the time your dog spent being active/moving, resting, and while on a drive.
These are everything your Halo is able to keep track of. Even though the Halo collar tracking features work excellently, I would not say it’s not that advanced. Fi collar, Whistle, and Tractive are all a bit ahead in this department.
However, it’s great since the Halo 2+ is not missing out on any flagship features.
Portability
An amazing thing about the Halo dog collar is its portability. No matter where you are, you’re able to set up Halo invisible fence. Be it your apartment building, a rental property, a friend’s or family member’s house, beach, a dog park, or anywhere.
You can also use the device indoors, which is excellent as most other trackers don’t work indoors.
These are all great advantages when compared to wired dog fences, which you can’t take with you wherever you go.
One thing that’s not related to portability but makes a big difference is Halo 2+’s storage feature. Every one of the fences you create are stored in the collar itself, making them work even if you don’t have any cellular or WiFi connection.
That’s excellent!
Prevention Feedback
We’ve already talked about this; Halo collar has the ability to stop your dog from exiting the safe zone on its own. It’ll use either sound, vibration, or shock to stop your dog from crossing the boundaries you’ve created.
If this does not work, emergency and encouragement feedback will come into play.
Customizable Feedback
Not many smart trackers provide users with these options.
They either provide static feedback or vibration; it’s one or the other.
However, Halo 2+ hands you the opportunity to go with whatever the feedback you like.
There’s tone, vibration, and static stimulation. Pick what works for your dog and go with it.
Also, ensure you start with sound without jumping to static immediately.
In most cases, as mentioned earlier, vibration will do the job.
Encouragement Feedback
You might have an idea about Encourage Feedback, as I’ve already talked about it above. This comes into play whenever your dog passes the boundary.
There are three types of encouragement feedback the collar will utilize when the collar keeps going past the boundary:
I’ve had my hands on many trackers over the years, and no one has provided users with this sort of options to play with. Also, these work excellently well.
Halo Beacon
Beacon is a big part of the halo experience.
You can choose three types of beacons: Indoor Beacons, Outdoor Beacons, and USB Beacons; these are portable devices that provide many opportunities.
Upon purchase, you’ll get one indoor beacon with the Halo dog collar, so let’s talk about that.
Indoor beacons help you keep your dog from entering unwanted or unsafe areas.
It works the same way as the fences with feedback and can be customized for your dog.
Turn on the beacon and place it in a zone where you don’t want your dog to enter; it’ll create a radius around that place which can be adjusted via the Halo app.
And wherever your dog enters the radius zone, preventions will begin, and when your dog turns back, prevention will stop.
It’s also essential equipment in the halo training process as it’ll safely keep your dog to respond to Halo preventions.
21-Day Training Program With Cesar Millan
With the Halo collar, you also get Cesar Millan’s 21-day training which will help you and your dog learn and get used to the collar.
It’ll also teach your dog how to behave. First, the training will start indoors and move on to outdoors once you’ve got the hang of it. The training will get your dog used to the Halo collar’s feedback and teach it to return to the safe zone without moving away further.
All in all, it’s a pretty straightforward training program that anyone will be able to complete. Just make sure you put in at least 15 minutes a day to get the most out of the training.
The Halo 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 2+ has to offer.
Without the Halo 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 halo app to work.
Halo Subscription Plan and the Price
The Halo collar is excellent, with all the features built into it. However, the price is what puts off the most. It’s not cheap by any means!
Halo 2 collar cost the same as the original when it was released a few years ago; it’s $999. Now that’s a lot for a tracker plus collar. However, it’s often discounted, and you can get it for as low as $624 on some occasions.
If you manage to get the Halo 2+ at the discounted price mentioned above, it’s well worth it!
I don’t have to tell you why; just read up on the above mentioned features. I’d say there’s no other collar on the market that provides these kinds of toys that actually work to play with.
With that, you can also return the collar within 60-days of purchase, which is a great plus; you’re backed with a year of warranty on top of that.
Halo Subscription Plan
Since the Halo dog collar takes advantage of the GPS location tracking features, you’ll need a monthly subscription. That is what enables you to get the most out of the collar too. There are three subscription plans for you to go with:
- Basic Plan ($.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.
Where to Buy the Halo Dog Collar?
Halo was previously available on Amazon. Ever since the 2+ launched, they’ve stopped selling their products there. Halo 2+ is now exclusively available on the Halo Collar website.
That’s great, and there are a few advantages to it, too; the obvious one is that you will not be getting any fake rip-offs or used sets. Next is the warranty; you won’t be eligible for it when purchased from third-party sites.
Halo 2 Collar Versus the Original Halo Collar: What Has Changed?
Literally, everything inside the Halo 2+ has changed; the Halo company has done a great job improving the original’s setbacks. Here’s everything that has changed and improved since the original.
First, the looks, even though not a big change, it’s something that’s worth looking at. The new Halo collar sports a much more durable pro case that’ll protect the collar from dog bites, loose branches, and even salt water.
Location tracking was a major problem when the original halo collar came out. It’s all addressed now. Halo 2+ dog collar comes with an enhanced GPS/GNSS system that improves location tracking and provides better location accuracy.
Better cellular, improved WiFi, and Bluetooth range and performance are all part of the Halo 2+. Everything about Halo collar GPS location services has improved, and you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Battery life was way behind the competition; now, it’s one of the best you can get. As mentioned above, the original and the Halo 2 collar lasted a mere 12 hours, whereas the 2+ can last up to 21 hours which is a major jump!
All of these changes make the new Halo collar, without a doubt, one of the best, if not the best, smart invisible fence, training, and collar system for dogs.
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 2+.
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.
Excellent option for a larger area that would be difficult to fence in a more traditional way. Our dog learned the fence and feedback quickly and we are happy he is safe.
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 2+ Dog Collar
The Halo collar 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
Is Halo Collar Worth Buying?
Halo 2+ is absolutely worth buying; it just does everything to keep your dog safe and more.
As mentioned above, 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!
I’ve used the og halo, too; compared to it, this one’s a big leap. 2+ is excellent in every way. Location tracking, battery life, everything about it is better than before.
Not only is it better than its older sibling, 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.
Basically, the Halo separates itself from the pack.
The phone app, on the other hand, is excellent, too; it just makes using the collar and every other important bit that little 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.
I’d say battery life is the only aspect they’ll need to work on; even though good, the competition is still ahead, at least by a short margin.
If you have no problem paying for the Halo 2+, I’d say it’s worth every penny, and the purchase is entirely risk-free, too, since you’re backed with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Other Dog trackers we’ve compared with Halo 2 collar:
FAQs
Final Verdict: Halo Collar Review
If you care about your dog’s safety, just get the Halo 2+, 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 2 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