5 Of The Best GPS Trackers You Can Buy For Boating

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Taking your boat out to your favorite lake or the open sea can be a relaxing and cathartic way to get away from it all, get some fresh air, and reconnect with the natural world. But there's also no reason why you have to leave the 21st century at the shoreline. These days, there are all kinds of cool gadgets that make boating even better, including entertainment tech like drones and functional gear such as solar panels.

But there is also modern tech that has made boating a lot safer, including GPS trackers. Not only do they let you — and others back on shore — know where you are in the open water, but some can track and log your trips, work as a security measure if your boat is stolen, set up geofencing boundaries, and more. Some also offer satellite communication, which, along with your location, can be lifesaving if your boat stalls or you end up lost at sea.

Here are five of the best GPS trackers you can buy for boating, based on strong reviews and recommendations from boating or GPS-focused publications and retailers, as well as user ratings. More information on how these trackers were evaluated can be found at the end of this list.

Family1st, a GPS tracker manufacturer and retailer, says that what makes a good GPS tracker for a boat specifically is one that can "protect a vessel during storage, docking, towing, and movement on water," adding that certain aspects like battery life and reliable coverage are paramount when considering which one to get for your vessel. At the top of its list for the current best GPS trackers for boats is the Matrack Boat GPS Tracker. The website praises the fact that it is designed specifically for boats, as well as its remote dashboard access from home and features catered toward theft and suspicious trips.

Besides remote access from a phone or tablet, Matrack offers instant alerts, up to 10 geofences, ignition status, battery alerts, and 24/7 customer support. It can generate safety reports that include metrics on your boat's engine status, fuel consumption, mileage, speed, and more. The Matrack Boat GPS Tracker can be a really great choice as long as you're not sailing on the open seas. It requires cellular service, which means to get the most out of it, you'll need to stick close to the shore or in rivers and other inland waterways.

Matrack charges $14.95 per month (no contract) for its GPS tracking service, which is available with three different boat trackers. The Weatherproof Hardwired for Boat model costs $50, while its Weatherproof Long Battery Life Asset Tracker for Boat is $135. Between the two is the Regular Hardwired for Boat model, which is priced at $85 and offers plug-and-play OBD tracking.

If you're on a tight budget and looking for an affordable GPS tracker for your boat that isn't a piece of junk, the Tracki Pro is a highly-rated option. Based on over 4,100 user reviews, the Tracki Pro GPS Tracker for Vehicles has a solid 4.4 out of 5 overall customer rating on Amazon. It uses 4G LTE and requires a subscription — currently priced at $119 for 6 months, $187 for a year, and $259 for two years. With the integrated global SIM and companion app, you can get real-time location information as well as alerts through email, text, or the app.

In addition to location tracking, the device will provide information on movement, impacts, speed, idle time, and geofencing, as well as low battery alerts. It uses a 10,000 mAh battery that can last between 2 and 7 months while tracking and providing updates every 1-5 minutes, and up to a year when it's in sleep mode. It can also provide updates as frequently as every 15 seconds, though you can expect that to drain the battery more quickly.

Tracki says coverage includes over 185 countries and its GPS is accurate within 5 to 10 meters. The tracker also uses Wi-Fi to help determine its location, but it still needs cellular service to send tracking updates. It's designed for all kinds of vehicles, including cars and motorcycles — it's not designed specifically for boats, but includes them in the list of vehicles it can be used for. Multiple 5-star reviews come from boat owners, who commend its utility in the event of an emergency. Many reviews highlight its battery life and location precision. Amazon lists the Tracki Pro GPS Tracker for Vehicles for around $30, but it's currently available for less than $19.

Boaters who are also into outdoorsy activities on land may already be familiar with the Garmin inReach Mini line, which is camping tech to help keep you safe in the wilderness. It's not a boat-dedicated GPS tracker, but it serves the same function — and then some. The durably built satellite communicator fits in the palm of your hand and is essentially a text-based walkie-talkie with near-unlimited range. It allows you to keep in touch with the mainland by sending and receiving texts, as well as sending emergency SOS messages when necessary.

Family1st named the previous model, the Garmin inReach Mini 2, its best option for marine satellite communicators, reporting that its SOS and satellite access are great for remote crews. The SOS sends a message and your coordinates to an international coordination center that's staffed 24/7, which means that rescue can get underway as quickly as possible. You can also share your location with friends and family. A paid subscription for the GPS is required.

Also useful in bad weather, the Garmin inReach Mini 3 has a robust build and is made to withstand extreme conditions, harsh temperatures, and impact. It's rated IP67 for water resistance, and its high-res color touchscreen is also scratch-resistant. The device can last up to 350 hours on a single charge when set to 10-minute tracking. One useful feature for boaters is that it can be mounted on the bridge. However, this comes with a big downside — unlike many other GPS trackers for boats, this satellite communicator is not designed for theft protection on the down low. The Garmin inReach Mini 3 is listed on Amazon for $449 but is currently available for $389.99.

GPS Tracker Shop makes an important point — there is no one boat tracker perfect for everyone, and which one you get should have a lot to do with where you keep your boat when you're not using it. Different locations, like marinas, trailers, and offshore, require different priorities. The reviewer, who has worked with GPS trackers for more than 15 years, says that for vessels kept in the water, the Siren 3 Pro is the best marine tracker.

The device, made by Yamaha, is hardwired directly into the boat and can monitor water levels, bilge pump activity, engine performance, temperature, battery voltage, shore power status, and more. This comprehensive monitoring can even get your insurance discounted. Furthermore, the Siren 3 Pro turns your vessel into a smart boat, allowing you to remotely control things like the refrigerator and your lights. It supports up to 16 wireless sensors and three wired security inputs.

It also offers geofencing down to the slip and sends alerts through its companion app. But it uses LTE-M (4G/5G), so you can count location tracking out once you're out of cellular range unless you add Siren's satellite system. Service costs $22 per month or $225 per year, though conveniently you can also just pay $150 for April to October coverage if you only plan to go boating in the warmer months. Another downside is that the actual device is more expensive than many other GPS trackers for boats. The Siren 3 Pro is available on Amazon for $799.99.

If you're a boating influencer, you may want to go with the YB3 Handheld Tracker, though anyone can take advantage of its high-quality location tracking. What makes it particularly useful for sharing content is that each tracker has its own dedicated website that allows you to tag tracking maps to blog articles as you travel the seas. This content can then be quickly shared on social media or with contacts. The handheld device also offers two-way messaging with a paid subscription, though you pay for every text you receive using a prepaid credit system.

Credits cost less when you buy larger bundles; one credit can cost around 21 cents, while a 20,000-credit bundle will run you around $1,324. There's also a monthly service fee of around $24, which you only pay for the months you use the tracker. The device starts at around $600 USD. Instead of a fully dormant sleep mode, the YB3 Handheld Tracker can continue to transmit at intervals of up to 12 hours when the boat isn't moving. The tracker is available in two configurations: portable and fixed, and the fixed (the YB3i) can be mounted, even in an exposed setting, as it's waterproof up to one meter for 30 minutes.

Yachting World calls both models two of the best GPS trackers you can use for boating, but does note that the portable model is a bit big for carrying around. The tracker connects to the Iridium satellite network for range outside of cellular coverage and can last up to a year before needing a recharge. It's equipped with an OLED display and a five-button keypad and has a sixth button that is dedicated solely to alerts.

The overall quality of GPS trackers was a major priority when selecting the devices on this list, but so were other factors that are specific to boating in particular. Those include durability (especially water resistance, naturally), as well as whether or not the tracker works further out to sea or is better suited for the marina and closer to shore. Battery life, geofencing, boat reports, communication, mobile access, alerts, and emergency SOS capabilities were also taken into account.

The five GPS trackers included on this list have all been vetted and positively reviewed by boat owners and other users or by boating and GPS-focused publications and retailers with expertise in either field. When user reviews were used as the primary means of vetting, the customer score was 4 out of 5 or higher, averaged from at least 100 ratings.