Waggle vs Necto Pet Monitoring Systems

For 4 years, I’ve traveled full-time in my camper van with my dog. Having the best pet monitoring system to ensure his safety while I run errands is my highest priority, and I’ve tested both Waggle and Necto first-hand.

After using both pet monitors, I can tell you there’s a very clear winner.

While Waggle has been around for longer, making it more commonly known by RVers, it’s plagued with poor user reviews (my own included) for poor and unreliable connection; either sending incorrect temperature readings, or worse – none at all.

Necto is not only far more affordable than Waggle, but it’s also far more reliable! When it comes to the safety of my dog I’m not willing to take any risks. I have far more trust in my Necto pet monitor than my Waggle.

In this article:

• Waggle vs Necto pet monitors
• Cost of device and monthly subscription fees
• Reliability and cellular connection
• Features of each pet monitoring system

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If you’re short on time, here’s the abbreviated comparison of Waggle vs Necto:

Necto is the better pet monitoring system… by a landslide. The device cost of Necto is pretty comparable to Waggle, but the Necto subscription fee is a fraction of Waggle subscription costs.

🔥🔥 DEAL: Save 10% with Necto discount code EVERYWHERE

Necto outperforms Waggle in terms of connectivity and reliability. Because Necto connects to 3 cellular networks it can stay connected and send you alerts in more remote places.

Whether you’re traveling full-time with a dog, like me, or you’re taking shorter road trips I highly recommend investing in an RV pet monitoring system!

Waggle Vs Necto Comparison Chart

There’s a few primary differences between Waggle vs Necto pet monitoring systems.

The largest difference is their cost (Necto is much cheaper overall due to a significantly lower subscription fee) and reliable connections to cellular networks for safety alerts.

Additionally, Necto will work in Canada and Mexico, whereas Waggle will not.

How Do Waggle & Necto Work

Waggle and Necto are cellular connected pet monitoring systems, which means they don’t require a wifi connection to send alerts to your phone.

Each monitoring device periodically checks for temperature, humidity and power loss. If it has a reading that’s out of range it’ll send an alert to your phone immediately.

Necto refreshes data every 10 seconds. That means you’ll receive a temperature alert within 10 seconds of a problem arising.

NOTE: Necto updates the app dashboard data every 10 minutes, which is different than the more frequent monitor updates. It’s an intentional design intended to limit data transfer from the monitor to the app, therefore decreasing the subscription cost you pay. You always have access to real-time app data if you manually refresh the screen, and you will always get an alert from the monitor refreshing every 10 seconds which is separate from the app refresh every 10 minutes.

Waggle refreshes data every 10 minutes.

Waggle Vs Necto: Subscription Cost & Fees

Because these pet monitoring systems use cellular connections they also require a paid monthly subscription in order to keep the SIM card active.

Necto pet monitors include one year of service for free! After the first year, you can get a no-contract month-to-month subscription for $9.99 or a discounted annual rate for $84.

Waggle pet monitors do not include any free service with the device purchase. Instead, you’ll have to activate a monthly subscription for $39 or select one of their pre-paid options ($119-199). However, prepaid plans are illegible for prorated refunds.

Seemingly, Waggle has steeply dropped their device costs (previously $200+) while increasing their monthly subscription fees. I imagine they’re relying on many buyers looking at the initial price without accounting for the long-term cost of subscription fees.

I recommend looking at the total cost before making a decision.

For example, your first month with Waggle will cost $138 ($99 device + $39 subscription).

Your first year with Necto will cost $130 (or only $117 with my Necto discount code EVERYWHERE)

Waggle Vs Necto: Connectivity & Coverage

In my opinion, the difference in connectivity and realiable cellular coverage of Waggle and Necto is one of the most important distinguishing differences between the two pet monitoring systems.

Waggle: Previously relied solely on Verizon’s network, but has recently updated their device to multi-carrier to keep up with other pet temperature monitors like Necto and MarCELL (which have operated on multi-carrier networks for a while.)

In my experience, Verizon connection is great in cities and metro areas, but is less reliable in remote areas.

Necto: Offers broader coverage by connecting to multiple carriers known for the long-range bands (AT&T, T-Mobile & Cellular One.)

After traveling all over the US, I’ve found AT&T, T-Mobile and Cellular One networks offer the best connection in more remote areas (they run on different bands than Verizon, which are more reliable for long-distance transmissions.)

Additionally, Waggle only operates in the United States. Necto automatically connects to cellular networks in the United States, Canada and Mexico (included, no extra fees.)

Waggle Vs Necto: Real-World Battery Life

In my experience, there’s a large difference in the advertised battery life of Waggle compared to real-world experience.

Waggle: Advertised backup battery life is 5 days, whereas my real-world use is closer to a max of 2 days.

While Necto doesn’t boast a huge backup battery life it seems to be far more accurate compared to it’s real-world experience. And, in my experience, Necto’s battery outlasts Waggles.

Necto: Consistently delivers more than 3 days of battery life.

NOTE: Multiple factors determine real-world battery life. For example, a low cellular signal will put more strain on the battery and cause it to fail sooner. This may explain why the Waggle battery dies faster for me, as it isn’t as efficient at remote cellular connections.

Waggle Vs Necto: User Reviews

Overall, Necto has far better user reviews than Waggle.

I’ve used Waggle and Necto, so it’s easy to compare the two. You can read my honest Waggle review here and my Necto review here.

Waggle Reviews: Some users appreciate its features but many have encountered severe issues with connectivity and customer support.

Necto Reviews: Generally receives positive feedback for reliability and ease of use, even in areas with spotty coverage.

Verdict: Waggle Vs Necto Pet Monitoring System

After using both Waggle and Necto to monitor the temperature in my camper and ensure my dogs safety I highly recommend Necto over Waggle.

Ultimately, Waggle is too expensive for the unreliable service it provides.

Necto has been far more reliable, affordable and I have much more trust in its ability to properly notify me of potential problems.

You can purchase your Necto pet monitor here.

🔥🔥 DEAL: Save 10% with Necto discount code EVERYWHERE

Necto is also available on Amazon, but the discount is only available on getnecto.com

TIP: In addition to a pet monitoring system, I recommend having a good camper or RV security system while traveling. A security system can provide additional alert features, like smoke, CO gas, water leaks and intruder alarms.