Last Updated on October, 2024
Dog owners aren’t just responsible for their health. They also have a big responsibility over their dog’s health and need to make sure that the little guy stays active. Studies have shown a direct correlation between a dog’s health status and its owner.
So, you need to take care of yourself and your pup. But how do you do that? Well, it gets much easier when you have a dog fitness tracker that can account for your dog’s activity. But before buying a dog activity monitor, it’s crucial to get the best.
Dog activity monitors should be capable of many things all at once. For example, they should be able to track your dog’s location, your dog’s movements, and just your dog’s daily activity in general.
That’s why today we’ll be comparing Whistle vs Fitbark 2 to see how well these popular dog activity trackers do all the things we’ve mentioned compared to one another:
Table of Contents
Brief Overviews for Both Devices
Before we go into detail about each device and how they compare to one another, let’s first discuss both the Fitbark 2 and Whistle GO Explore themselves to see how they take care of your dog’s wellbeing:
Fitbark 2
The Fitbark 2 is a very simple attachment to your dog’s collar. It’s a device primarily meant for health monitoring and comes with very long battery life.
It is capable of health monitoring and can tell you more about your dog’s behavior, sleep quality, and calories burned.
It has a minimal and cute design, but don’t let looks fool you. This dog activity tracker has a highly durable design capable of withstanding most forms of rough play from dogs’ physical trauma.
Overall, it’s a nice little twist on fitness trackers and goes great on your pet’s collar.
Here’s what you’ll find in the box for this product:
Check out this Fitbark 2 Review if you want to learn more or continue reading.
Whistle GO Explore
Unlike its rival today, the GO Explore is both an activity tracker and a Pet GPS location tracker.
It can tell you about your dog’s activity throughout the day while also behaving like a GPS tracker.
It also has a decent battery life and many settings to keep your furry friend safe.
From activity tracking to providing weekly wellness reports based on the information it gathers, this attachment for your dog’s collar is one to behold.
With so many health tracking features to mess around with and a good range of settings, it’s one of the best options for canine fitness trackers.
Here’s what’s in the box for the Whistle GO Explore:
Read this Whistle Review, learn more about this amazing device, or continue reading.
Whistle vs Fitbark 2: Comparing the Main Features
Now that we’ve gone through a summary of both devices let’s look at the differences between their main features. From their price to the most essential details about their working, here’s what to know about Whistle vs Fitbark 2 in each aspect:
GPS Tracking
A fitness tracker and a location tracker are usually separate things. The former tells you about your dog’s health and daily activities, while the other is for location tracking.
An example of a health monitoring device is Fitbark 2, which can provide information about your pet’s activity.
On the other hand, the GO Explore is an example of a device capable of activity and GPS tracking.
It uses cellular technology to keep track of your pet’s location constantly.
Pairing with a cellular network from AT&T and Google maps provides much more accurate estimates of your dog’s activity levels.
This opens the door to many unique and fun features, such as safe zones. A safe zone is a perimeter that you can set for your dog.
If your dog leaves that perimeter, the tracker will notify you so you can go after him and keep him safe.
It also makes the Whistle an excellent option for anyone with multiple pets since you can keep track of each one’s location with ease.
Since the Fitbark 2 doesn’t have GPS tracking, there’s not much to compare between the two here.
Dog owners that want health monitoring and location tracking mixed into one will prefer the Whistle because it has both while the other doesn’t.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
Design and Durability
Both of these devices have a very nice physical design. They’re small, lightweight, and easy to attach to any dog collar.
Both can easily be attached to any collar with at least an inch of width.
This means they should be suitable for most dog breeds regardless of size, as the devices are built to fit most.
Neither of them come in different sizes.Neither comes with a specific collar, although you can order those separately.
Instead, they’re meant as an attachment for a collar, making them a lot more versatile.
But that’s about it for the similarities in their design. As for the differences, you’ll notice many of those.
The Fitbark 2 is a cute little device shaped like a dog bone, primarily available in color black. But, the covers are removable, and you can order them in different colors if you want to give your dog a new look.
It features LED lights on the front that illuminates when needed.
It’s exceptionally durable for its slim design. Made with high-impact polycarbonate, it can withstand a lot of blunt force. Some pet trackers break a while after getting chewed on.
But, the Fitbark 2 is more than capable of holding out independently. It’s also able to withstand a certain amount of water, has an IPX7 rating, can last for a couple of years, and won’t show early damage.
The GO Explore, on the other hand, has a much more extensive look to it.
It’s more rounded and comes in three colors: gray, green, and blue. It comes with attachment straps you can use to connect it to most collars.
In terms of durability, Whistle isn’t something to look over. It comes with IPX8 water, shock, and dirtproof rating.
The attachment strap is durable, sticks well to the collar, and is designed to handle the rough treatment most dogs will put it through.
It’s more than capable of lasting a few years if you aren’t trying to break it.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
Activity Tracking
Now, here is where things start getting interesting.
Both of these devices focus on tracking your pet’s activity. But which dog activity monitor is superior?
The Fitbark 2 comes loaded with a 3D accelerometer.
This handy little tool allows this dog activity monitor to determine how far your dog traveled, his behavior, calories burned, and much more.
Speaking of which, these are all related to the activity that the device can track.
It gives you insights into how much your dog has been moving around, how many calories he burned doing that, and how healthy his behavior is.
What’s more, the mobile application for Fitbark 2 is capable of comparing all this data to other dogs of your dog’s breed, so you get an idea of how healthy he is in comparison.
Now, the Whistle GO Explore has a lot, lot more to offer than just that.
It’s capable of doing all the things we’ve mentioned about the Fitbark 2, plus so much more, thanks to its GPS tracking features!
It can provide a detailed history of the paths your dog walks, let you check how often he leaves safe zones, set fitness goals for him to match, and do so much more.
You can use this dog activity monitor to see his location history as GPS tracking records it and keeps it safe for up to 24 hours.
Plus, it tells you about how moderate or intense his activity currently is.
There’s a lot more to this as well, but we’ll cover more on that when we discuss the app.
For now, all that’s there to be said is that the GO Explore is objectively superior regarding features. It has more of them, handles them much more accurately, and makes it easy to manage between them.
All of that is what makes this dog activity monitor a treat to use for any owner.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
Health Tracking
Both of these devices do an exceptional job regarding health monitoring. They’re loaded with features that can help with this.
For example, you have the Fitbark 2, which lets you see how well your dog sleeps. This includes telling you more about the quality of his sleep, if it was interrupted often, and if any strange patterns were noted.
It can even track down the stress and anxiety they’re feeling. As energetic and loving as dogs are, they’re usually timid and sometimes scared creatures. So, this is a feature we loved on the Fitbark 2 as it gave us a better idea of how our dogs were feeling.
The device even tracks down primary signs of skin disease, making it much easier to identify the issue and notify a vet in time.
So, the Fitbark 2 is an excellent option for tracking down health problems and tending to them in time, which is what any dog owner would want for their pup.
That’s not to say that GO Explore underperforms in this aspect. It’s very good at providing detailed insights into your pet’s behavior and helping you note any irregularities.
It does its job very well as a tracker by analyzing all the data it gets from your pup and comparing it to other dogs based on his age, size, breed, and additional relevant information.
Then, if it finds something out of the blue, it alerts users through the app and makes it easier for them to get their pet checked.
It’s also capable of helping with diets, arranging a meeting with vets at essential times, checking hydration depending on drinking patterns, and so much more. Both devices have a lot of variety to them in this regard, and neither is a clear winner.
But, if we had to choose, we’d say that the GO Explore stands out simply because it offers more options. However, the stress level and skin disease tracker on the Fitbark 2 are unique additions that we liked.
So, in the end, it comes down to personal preferences and what your dog needs more.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
The Mobile App
The mobile applications for both devices are another significant point of difference between them.
Their smartphone app makes them as versatile as they are and helps them function to their maximum potential. So, what’s the difference between them?
Starting with the Fitbark 2, its application is as simple as it gets.
It simply shows you all the data it collects on your pup while not doing much more—the steps he took, how he slept, his general health, behavior, and activities.
It provides all this while giving options that make it easier to compare the data with other dogs of the same breed as yours and some additional information. It lets you connect the Fitbark 2 with your Google Fit, Apple Watch, or Fitbit.
Thanks to its much more comprehensive range of features, the Whistle app is a lot more complicated to get used to.
Since the GO Explore has GPS tracking, the application lets you see your little guy’s location constantly while providing a 24 history of his position.
It is capable of everything the Fitbark 2’s application is capable of while having so much more to go with it.
There’s activity and inactivity data, the option to discuss issues with a vet immediately if they arise, creating safe zones, and an entire menu for changing settings to your liking.
While it may be more challenging to use, the Whistle App is superior. It doesn’t take much time to get used to either, and it’s lots of fun once you get the hang of it.
But, if you’re a fan of simplicity, then you can give the Fitbark 2 a shot, but at the cost of many features.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
Range
A dog activity monitor must be within a specific range of the device it’s connected to. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use it since the connection will be cut out. Different devices have different ranges.
A quick look at the numbers can easily see nothing to compare regarding range. The Fitbark 2 can only communicate up to a range of 30ft. The GO Explore, on the other hand, has no such restriction.
That’s because it uses cellular technology. Thanks to this, it can run at any range as long as there’s a decent signal from AT&T.
But, do keep in mind that it won’t run in mountainous regions or anywhere else in the world that doesn’t have an AT&T connection.
WINNER: Whistle GO Explore
Battery
Frankly, there’s no competition between these devices regarding their battery life. The Fitbark 2 is far and way much, much better.
To keep it short, the Whistle GO Explore has a decent battery life that lasts nearly three weeks after a full charge.
But, this doesn’t hold a candle to the Fitbark 2. Its long battery life can last six months, meaning just a couple of charges will allow it to run around an entire year.
Even if you aren’t an expert at keeping track of time, you can tell that three weeks and six months is a huge difference.
But whether or not you even need a device that lasts so long without a charge is the question since you can charge either overnight without a problem.
WINNER: Fitbark 2
Price
Now, here’s where it all comes into perspective. So far, the GO Explore offers so much more, right? Thanks to GPS tracking, it functions more than an activity monitor, has many more features, comes with a much more advanced app, and has other benefits.
But what’s the catch? We’d say that the price is where the comparison gets interesting and puts things into serious perspective.
The Fitbark 2, with its amazing battery life, is priced at a meager $69.95, and you only have to pay once. It’s a very affordable option with a lot of functionality, durability, and accessibility for the price.
However, then you have the GO Explore. It’s a device superior in most ways, with much more to it than just tracking certain parts of your dog’s daily life. But, with all those capabilities comes a very, very hefty price tag. The device is available for $149.95. It’d still be affordable and an absolute steal if it was just that. But of course, it can’t be that easy, can it?
The Whistle GO Explore has a mandatory service subscription plan, and you can’t use most of the features on the device without it. This monthly subscription is priced at $12.99/mo monthly, $8.25/mo* for yearly subscriptions, and $7.99/mo* for bi-yearly subscriptions.
Warranty and Return Policy
There’s much more to pay for devices like these than the price tag. They’re significant and serious investments since they’re responsible for keeping track of your pup. That’s why you’ll want only the best and know that whatever decision you make is the right one.
That’s why guarantees and warranties exist. The Fitbark 2 comes with a nice and accessible one that allows users to return the device for a full refund within 30 days of the initial purchase. They’ll even cover the shipping costs if you live in the US.
The GO Explore comes with a 90-day testing period, which is three times as long. During this entire time, you can make the most of the device and form your own opinion. If you decide you don’t like it or run into some issue, contact Whistle’s support, and they’ll issue a full refund.
WINNER: Fitbark 2
Pros and Cons of Fitbark 2
We’ve gone through all the features and the differences between both devices when it comes to each one. Now, let’s look at each product individually as we go through their most significant advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
Cons
Pros and Cons of Whistle GO Explore
You already get the idea, right? Now let’s do the same for this device:
Pros
Cons
What Do People Think About Both Devices?
We’ve gone on and on today about our experience with these devices. But what do others have to say about them? Let’s find out!
Fitbark 2 Reviews:
It looks like this customer is a huge fan of the product and uses it daily without problems!
The same certainly can’t be said about this user, though. They hated the product and didn’t recommend it at all. Sheesh, it looks like they won’t be buying from Fitbark again anytime soon.
Some people loved some bits and hated others. This user seems to have no issues with the device but isn’t a big fan of the product’s zip ties which might make usage inconvenient.
Whistle Reviews:
The tracking features of this feature aren’t anything to glance over, as this review reiterates by explaining how helpful they can be.
Oof, not everyone is a fan though. This customer very much didn’t like anything about it.
Hmm, not as good long-term? This customer started noting a lot of problems as some time passed through.
Making a Decision
People have differing thoughts on these products, and our views are different too. That’s because everyone has their own opinion, which is valid in one way or another. No telling which one is right until you try it out for yourself.
But still, looking at all the data we’ve discussed above, along with each product’s main strengths and weaknesses, which one is the winner? Let’s settle it once and for all:
Conclusion: Who’s the Winner?
Despite their certain appeals and strength, there can only be one winner.
For us, that winner is the Whistle GO Explore. It’s a great device with many very nice features that are all so helpful.
Sure, it’s the much pricier option. But, we’d argue that the trade-off is worth it.
Besides, you can test it for 90 days and return it free of charge if you don’t like it. So, who’s to say it isn’t worth trying out?
Now that we’ve shared our two cents on Whistle vs Fitbark 2, making a decision is up to you. Let us know in the comments if you have any additional questions before making a purchase decision, and we’ll make sure to help out with it!
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