Save up to 50% on 3-Day Sale deals.Ends 12/7.Shop now

Skip to content
Gift Ideas
Main Content

Customer Ratings & Reviews

Your price for this item is $259.99

Customer reviews

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars with 102 reviews

Rating Filter

Rating by feature

  • Value

    Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Pros mentioned filter

Cons mentioned filter

91%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers are satisfied with the RAD 700i's radar detection, sensitivity, and GPS features, frequently praising its responsiveness, accuracy, and ease of use. Many appreciate the clear display, convenient mounting system, and helpful app. While some experienced occasional false alerts, the overall performance and value for the price point received positive feedback.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 5 Showing 81-100 of 102 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Radar detection, Sensitivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Very responsive Cobra

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Accurate and on target with picking up and warning in advance. If in a city area, you’ll find the radar detector will alert you very often as it’s very sensitive and can pick up signals even when not installed on the windshield, even from the back seat. It’s long range will alert you on a timely basis, although you may start to react sooner until you get accustomed to the alerts coming in. A turn dial volume button is conveniently located on the side of the detector. You may want to adjust for volume if you have sleeping children in the car, or anyone who is sensitive to sudden startling sounds. At first you’ll find yourself looking around trying to locate cameras, and police, as the voice prompts alert you to various laser/radar detection, while also informing you of red light and speed cameras. After using Cobra consistently, you’ll basically start to drive and just allow cobra to handle the job and guide you to slow down and pay more attention to areas on the road that may trigger a ticket. Like anything else, it takes getting used to having a device on the windshield while driving. You should mount on the lower part of your windshield so it doesn’t obstruct your view while driving. The mount has a sticky part that goes on the windshield and clips to tighten onto the windshield. The radar then has a magnetic part that attaches strongly to the mount on the windshield, so removal of the radar is quick and easy. I would recommend Cobra. It’s a very useful device.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Cobra..ok

    |
    |
    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Ok for the price. didnt like the fact the screen was blank most of the time. That just me.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Cedar Electronics Team
      Posted .

      Thank you for choosing Cobra! Kindly check your brightness level and Screen Saver setting. Should you require assistance, please contact us at 800-543-1608, option 3 on the menu. cedarelectronics-cobra

  • Rated 2 out of 5 stars

    Bad product

    |
    |
    Posted . Owned for 5 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Bad it only lasted me 6months before thw speaker went out

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Cedar Electronics Team
      Posted .

      We're sorry you are having issues! Please ensure that the volume control on the side of the device is turned up. If you need further assistance, please contact us at 800-543-1608. The RAD 700i offers a 1-year warranty. cedarelectronics-cobra

  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Sensitivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    You get much more than you pay for

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    When I received the Cobra RAD 700i it was for a second vehicle that I use for work. I already had an Escort 360 Mk 2 that I have been very pleased with in my primary truck. The good thing about already having a top end radar detector was that I could compare them side by side. First of all, the Cobra RAD 700i is a mid priced radar detector made by the same parent company as the Escort. The Cobra is a simple to use, almost plug and play, radar detector that allows you enough adjustability to tailor it to your liking, but not enough to get lost in all the settings. You can turn on and off a screen saver and battery saver, change screen colors, turn on and off the different bands such as X,K and KA as well as some specialty K band frequencies. The detector tuns on with a rotary wheel on the side, which also adjusts volume. This unit comes with autolearn so frequent false alarms will be automatically added for a quieter ride. It also contains a defender database that has preprogrammed stoplight cameras and other speed trap type areas. This unit also connects to the same drive smarter app that Escort uses which allow you to change settings on the radar detector from your phone if you choose. Since I have been using the Cobra, I have had very few false alarms. The filtering capability of this unit is outstanding, especially for one in this price range. The other amazing discovery is how sensitive this detector is. When placed side by side, there was very little difference in the reaction time between this detector and the Escort costing twice as much. In fact, I still have trouble believing how close they are on both K band and KA band radars. If you are in the market for a good radar detector and can't make yourself shell out the bucks for the top tier radar detectors, you might want to give the Cobra 700i a good look. If it has the features you are looking for, it certainly, at least in my case, has the range you need in everyday driving situations.

  • Pros mentioned:
    Sensitivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Pretty good radar detector

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Installation is very easy when setting this up. You get the single cup magnetic mount, which, surprisingly, holds the detector up very well. It also allows you to remove the detector on the fly to make changes to your settings. This is a breeze to set up, btw. Now, instructions in the packaging is severely lacking. I am not a fan of having to go online to read how to set up your equipment. I feel that there should be at lease a small quick start guide with descriptions of the settings. However, playing around I was able to get it done in a few minutes. Now, the recommendations are to turn off X band and low K band (Europe) but I left everything on to test sensitivity and falsing. I was surprised to find that, in the first few days, I was hardly getting any alerts at all. In fact, I would drive by the neighborhood speed signs and even one stationary police speed sign, no alerts at all. After a week, I am starting to see some X band and some K band alerts from BSM on hondas. But, still nothing from the stationary speed signs mentioned before. I have had 2 or 3 Ka alerts that ending up being true police radars and I will say for a budget detector, it gave me plenty of time to slow down and be compliant with the limit. I use the white OLED setting and I have had no trouble seeing the display. I have turned off the speed alert as I found this kinda annoying and not useful. The app, so far, hasn't really done anything for me. No issues using it or for it to connect to the detector. I do miss the arrows for direction which leads me to this detector does NOT have a rear antennae. This only will detect radar in front of you. With all that being said, I am comfortable using it and would trust it out on the road. If you are on a budget, it is worth looking at.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sensitivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Works Well, Display Not Bright Enough

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Installation and use of this radar detector is very simple and straightforward. The windshield mount is a suction cup which installs easily and stays in place but is also easily removed if needed. The radar detector attaches to the mount with a hook and magnet which holds it securely in place. The power cord plugs into your car's 12V outlet. Unlike other power cords I've used, unfortunately the power cord plug that comes with this radar detector does not have a USB port built into it. This radar detector can be used stand alone or in conjunction with Cobra's Drive Smarter app, which will provide additional functionality including Red Light Camera alerts, and an Over Speed Limit warning that can be set from off to up to 25 MPH over the speed limit. Without the Drive Smarter app you only get the radar and laser alerts. This radar detector works very well, it has good range and sensitivity. I used it side by side with a highly rated radar detector from a different manufacturer for comparison purposes and they were identical in identifying and giving alerts to radar and red-light cameras, giving me confidence that this Cobra was picking up every signal it should. This detector also auto learns false alerts in commercial settings. When the same stationary signal is detected in the same location on three different occasions the system will lock out those alerts. That seems to work very well as I noticed fewer alerts in those settings after driving the same routes for a week. Radar, redlight, and other alerts are given by audio tones and visual display on the radar screen, which can be set to any one of several color choices. The one negative I found with this radar detector is that the display, which is adjustable for brightness, is too dim during bright sunny days on its brightest setting. You can't see very well what it's displaying. I tried all the colors, none was any more visible than the others. A lot of radar signals are just noise from commercial areas, and without going into a lot of technical details there are specific bands that can be turned off or on through the menu to filter out the noise. Usually what you want to be alerted to is Ka band radar which is what most police use. When you get a Ka band alert that's definitely police radar. In the city, turn off the others, in rural areas you may want to have all bands turned on. This radar detector has some additional features including setting Detail amount for radar signals, Mute, Quiet Drive that turns off audio alerts, Voice on/off, Screen Saver, Language- English/Spanish, Smart Power auto turn off after 15 minutes, and car voltage display. I like this radar detector, but I'm frustrated by not being able to very easily see what was on the display during bright sunny days due to it being too dim. Therefore, I cannot recommend it.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Ease of use, Radar detection
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A Perfect Go-To Radar Detector

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I was really taken aback by how easy and simple the Cobra RAD 700i Radar Detector was to setup and begin using. It is truly 100% plug-in and begin using. Because I own an Escort radar detector, even the app was already pre-installed on my phone. A couple of clicks and it was paired and ready. The most difficult part of the entire setup experience was trying to figure out exactly where I wanted to mount it on the windshield. The RAD 700i detects Laser, X-Band, K-Band, Ka Photo, and Ka Wideband Radar. As well, it has both City and Highway modes. Because most of my driving is on the highway, I leave it on highway mode. The difference between the two is the city mode greatly reduces the range of detection as it filters out almost all of the garbage signals from garage door openers, automatic door openers, and all the other sources that utilize radar to operate. Highway mode picks up every little signal pretty much, but when traveling at much higher speeds on the highway, it is best to be safe, not sorry. Since I have been using the RAD 700i, I have been majorly impressed with how much chatter is eliminated, which makes for a quieter ride. I like having the ability to manually filter hits that I know are not police radar, and not having to deal with them when I pass through again. But the real test of a radar detector isn't in filtering out errant signals, but whether it picks up legitimate signals. I live in a rural setting, and driving to work entails driving through a couple of small towns, notorious for stopping speeders. So far the 700i has hit on every speed trap, way in advance. I appreciate this a lot because the speed traps are not an every day occurrence, so its nice to know if they are active or not. So, as far as detecting radar and laser, the RAD 700i seems to be at the top of its game. Call me a minimalist, but in the end the only thing I really care about is if it will keep me from getting a speeding ticket. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the ability to be part of a community awareness group to help others know what is going on via the app. Knowing what might be ahead, and also being able to let others know what to expect is fantastic. But trying to use an app while driving creates a whole list of issues. The one and only thing I do not like about the 700i is that the display brightness is abysmal. I have the display brightness turned up all the way, and I cannot see it if the sun is out. I don't know if this is an issue with only my unit, but if not, I think Cobra should revisit this issue. All in all, I really like the Cobra RAD 700i Radar Detector. It does its job, and it does it well. If you are looking for a great radar detector that will keep you safe in most situations, this is the one to get. It's priced great, has all the functions you need!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Gps
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good Basic Radar/Laser Detector

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I’m familiar with Cobra radar detectors because my husband has a Cobra Road Scout in his truck. The Road Scout model has a camera and an SD card for recording and is much more robust than the Rad 700i model. The Cobra Rad 700i does not have a camera or SD card and is strictly a radar/laser detector. It does have a USB cable included to download updates. The difference between the Rad 700i detector and other radar detectors and dash cameras I’ve looked at is that it attaches to the windshield mount magnetically. That makes it easy to remove it for the update downloads. There were no suggestions in the Quick Start Guide or on the website about what to do with the cord that goes from the detector to the 12V outlet. Similar products are designed to tuck the cord along the headliner and down the side of the windshield, but the Cobra’s 6 foot cord is too short to do that. The only option I could see is to let it hang down the windshield in the field of view. It’s irrelevant for me because I’m not going to mount it on the windshield. Having something on the windshield potentially obstructing my view or distracting me seems dangerous. Instead, I’m designing a box so it can sit on the dash. The initial setup requires downloading the app and plugging the detector into the car’s 12V battery source. The instructions say to “power on” the detector to connect to the app, but there is no power button. “Power on” means to turn the volume control from off to on. Initially the app tried to connect to the Road Scout instead but after several tries it connected to the right device. The Quick Start Guide has the basic start up and install instructions. Instructions on how to customize the settings are found on the Cobra website. Customization requires that the device be powered up in the car and I needed the instructions with me to do that. But the website manual is not in a printable format and I couldn’t access it on my phone. I had to copy and paste each page of the manual into a document so I could print it and take it to the car to customize the settings. The way the customizations and settings are organized is not intuitive and I needed the instructions in front of me to know which combination of buttons to push. The mute button will show vehicle battery voltage. I didn't initially understand the need for that feature, but now I do. Less than 5 minutes after I plugged the Rad 700i into my car in accessory mode to do the customizations, I got an alert that my car battery was going into battery saver mode. The next morning my car battery was dead. It seems like the battery voltage read out is there because the device is a drain on the battery. The instructions do advise turning the wheel to the off position or unplugging the Rad 700i when not in use. The detector will display both the posted speed limit and the vehicle speed. The app has a GPS screen where you can search for a location and get directions. It could be useful for someone who doesn’t have another GPS app on their phone. But it did seem to drain my phone battery. When using the Cobra GPS I went from a 98% to a 90% phone charge in 2 minutes. The Rad 700i is all plastic and not very high end looking. But the magnetic attachment is a nice feature. There is no camera, but we have one in the vehicle that is driven the most. I just wanted a basic radar detector for myself for those times I go faster than I know I should! It should work OK for that.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Overall performance
    Cons mentioned:
    False alerts
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A cobra radar that actually works and works well

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    For starters this is not a cobra radar detector of old that goes off after the cop is handing you your ticket for speeding. This my friends is a Cobra RAD 700i and it is actually very very good. It has some features i have not seen on most cobra radar detectors like the lock out for instance. So what that is in a nutshell is you drive by the same store or speed radar sign letting you know how fast you are going every day and every day your radar detector goes off every day like clockwork you know as you get by the store or radar sign it is going to sound. But now you can click lock out so your radar detector will not go off warning you that there is a store nearby. So now when you are driving by the store or radar sign and it goes off it's actually a valid signal you are being clocked. You can also set it up via bluetooth with your phone to play with the settings and use the included driving software to chart a drive and as you drive you can click a button on your phone letting other users of the software know there is a actual cop or a false hit in a certain area. So you plan your route and if other users have reported police in that area you will know before you even take off to watch your speed. A couple other very nice features are it shows you what the speed is and if you go ever that speed the over speed alarm will sound letting you know hay it 25 mph and your doing 50 slow down. I am very impressed with its ability to learn where areas have false hits and mute it so it does not sound. Also i have noticed in areas were i would get false hits all the time this radar detector knows it's not really a real laser or radar signal and will not even go off to false hits. You can also in the settings turn off certain bands if you know the police do not use that band in your area so it won't hit like your being gunned for the local store's door opening. To be honest if i could give this radar detector 10 starts i would. For the money you are finally getting a radar detector you can trust.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Radar detection
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    This Cobra will save your Bacon.

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Cobra Rad 700i will save your bacon!! I have a high end model that we use in my wife’s SUV which is our primary driver. I wanted an economical unit that was good for my truck. I don’t have a heavy foot or condone speeding but my issue is with absent mindedness (my wife thinks this is constant) when driving. I will get to driving or talking and not even think about speed and by the time I see the police, it’s too late my heart jumps a beat or two and wonder if he was working or on break and looking at his phone. More times than not he was working and my wallet got thinner. With the Cobra as my helper I am more at ease when driving, my heart still jumps I see a hidden LEO but the Quiet Detector confirms that he wasn’t looking for speeders. Compared to the top end. This unit surprised me. Every time my other unit alerted, this one was within a second to do the same for X, K, KA and Laser. The fact that it uses Drive smarter app is great. My detector paired in seconds and was able to tweak all the settings to my liking, even the color (5 different ones). It was nice to see that I could mute X as this one is really no longer used and will go off a lot in town as automatic doors use X. The app also keeps you updated should any traps be set via the app which is updated from other detectors that are connected. The voice alerts are clear and concise. All alerts can be muted with a push of a button if there is a constant alarm from an officer close by. The Rad 700i is perfect for me and I would recommend to family and friends. The mount is perfect and can be used over and over. I have the same mount in our other car and we have used it in multiple cars for 2 years without issue.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    False alerts
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    The quietest & best radar detector in its $ range

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    First impression: My first impression of the Cobra RAD-700i is that it is a very well-made radar detector. It feels like a very solid radar detector. The plastic is solid with no flexing or giving at all. The buttons are solid that requires an intended push to activate. That prevents accidently changing something from buttons that can be pushed easily. Cobra Radar Detectors are part of the Escort Radar Detectors, some of the best radar detectors ever made. While the 700i is not an Escort radar detector, it gets some of it’s features from Escort, such as amazing Digital Signal Processing (DSP) which helps eliminate false signals and helps the auto learn feature. This radar detector uses a small coax 2.5mm power plug rather than a USB. A know a lot of people don’t care for this. Personally, I prefer these type of power plugs. They tend to stay in easier than USB and tend to last a lot longer. As a amateur Radio Operator, I have quite a few things in my truck using these power plugs, and I’m happy with that. Setup: You can plug in the radar detector right out of the box and start using it right away. The default settings will work for most people. To configure it to your liking, there are 2 ways to configure it; manually on the radar detector or using the Drive Smarter app, available through the Apple Store or Google Play. Configuring the radar detector manually allows you to set things like radar sensitivity, Feature on/off, display color, display brightness, etc. It’s not too difficult, but it did take me a few minutes to figure it out. Configuring with the Drive Smarter app does all of that plus more. It allows you to see the gallery of recordings and play them back. It configures services like the Mayday Alerts and advanced safety features, provides community driven alerts, police alerts, and voice control. Using the app requires Bluetooth connection. To pair the detector to the app: 1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone. 2. Install and configure the Drive Smarter app. 3. Turn on the Cobra RAD 700i. 4. On the app, press Account > Add Devices. 5. Then follow the directions on the app. My detector installed quickly and easily. Performance: I have used radar detectors since they first came out. My 1st radar detector was the original Fuzzbuster. It was super simple but worked great. Since then, I have kept up with them and almost always had one with me. All my radar detectors have struggled with false alerts. My current radar detector is a recent one, and it is better than the previous ones with false alerts, but I still get them. My 1st day out with the Cobra RAD 700i was going to start very quickly. Right down the road is a Walgreens that sets off every radar detector I have owned since that store went up. As I approached the store, it set of the Cobra. I was really hoping it wouldn’t go off, but it did. On the plus side, the Winn Dixie across the street did not set it off, and that was unusual. During the entire tests, I kept the radar detector in Auto, rather than switch from local and highway. That 1st day was much quieter than any previous day with any radar detector, and this made me very happy. About half of the known false alert areas, such as stores, banks, etc., did not set off the radar detector. On the way home, the Walgreens set it off again. The second day I had to travel on the highway. As I left home, I approached the stop light where the Walgreens was, and it did not set off my detector. I wondered if the AutoLearn feature had already worked. It seems like it had. The 700i provided a much nicer ride than with previous detectors. I got far fewer false alerts, and the 700i didn’t seem affected by the rear-view mirror detection systems. Also, in the middle of the tourist area (Walt Disney World, Universal Studios), the detector was relatively quiet. On 3 occasions, the detector went off and did so in a way that I knew it wasn’t a false alert. On one, it was an automatic speed detection sign on the side of the highway. The second fired off at a max level. It stayed on for about a mile and eventually I saw a highway patrol coming up behind me. Once he passed me, the alarm went off. The 3rd time was a speed trap, and if I had been speeding, it gave me enough time to slow down as I had people in front of me. The rest of the week was about the same. Most alerts were for red light cameras, and I had a few false alerts, but very few. One of them wasn’t learning, so I marked it as a false alert by pressing mute 3 times as the alarm was going off. Also, on one of the roads I take, they have a speed detection sign by a school. My other detectors never detected it. The Cobra 700i does. Throughout the week, I focused on the features. Most of them are standard features found on other detectors. But there are two features that I really liked. First, If I want to be alerted once, and not constantly reminded, I press the Alert button once. It mutes the constant alarm but will alert you once for every new alarm. Then it does silent while continuing to alert you via the front display. The second feature I love is the AutoLearn feature. Using DSP technology from the Escort series, it does an amazing job at filtering out false alerts. However, the fact that it can automatically learn that certain alerts are false alerts, and then filters them out is a breath of fresh air. I now have a radar detector that will protect me from police radar and red-light cameras, and not drive my wife and other passengers completely crazy. One last thing I wanted to comment on is the EZ Magnetic Mount. This is an excellent mount. It’s not new, and I have used them before this one, but none of them worked as well as this one. The others I used were good for a few days, and then when I got in the truck in the morning, the radar detector and mount were in the floorboard. I applied this one when I originally put it in the truck a week ago, and it is still on the windshield with no sign of letting go. Cobra did an amazing job making a good mount better. Conclusion: Radar detectors have made great progress with filtering and configurability, but the 700i is far above and beyond any other radar detector I have used within its price point. The DSP filtering is amazing, the AutoLearn is a blessing, and the feature set is very strong, especially when using it in tandem with the Drive Smarter app. Because of the advanced filtering and AutoLearn feature, it has put my current radar detector in the pasture. I have ordered a permanent mirror mount and harness from BlendMount, and I am permanently mounting this radar detector in my truck. I will most likely get one for my wife’s car also, because she likes this radar detector because of the lack of false alerts. If you want or need a radar detector, I highly recommend the Cobra RAD 700i. It does its job beautifully without driving you crazy.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Radar detection
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great radar detection for lurking police scanners.

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Cobra RAD 700i has been a solid addition to my driving toolkit. Living in a rural area, I don't encounter heavy traffic often, but with several highways nearby, including NJ RT 80 known for its speed traps, having a reliable radar detector has become essential. Setting it up in my car was straightforward and didn't clash with the interior - a big plus. It's discreet yet functional. The performance is impressive, especially the 360-degree detection range. It keeps me informed about what's around, which is important on these open roads. What sets the RAD 700i apart for me is its false alert filtering. It smartly differentiates between actual threats and random signals, so I'm not constantly distracted by false alarms. This feature is particularly useful given the sporadic nature of police presence in my area. The integrated GPS is a great feature, and the pre-loaded camera locations are a helpful addition for navigating speed traps. While apps like Google Maps and Waze offer police activity alerts, the hands-free, real-time nature of the RAD 700i gives me an extra layer of awareness without needing to constantly check my phone. All in all, the RAD 700i has been a reliable companion on the road. It's a practical choice for anyone who drives frequently through areas with varying levels of police activity and values staying informed and safe on the road.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Gps
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great first buy!

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This accessory makes life so much easier when traveling. I find I have a smoother ride with less anxiety and worry, even on those pesky 10 hour road trips back to my hometown. The display is clean and clear with no question what I am looking at, making life easier when I only have a split second to take my eyes from the road. Bluetooth capability creates seamless connectivity to the app, making things easily hands free. Anything that needs to be done by hand while driving can be done with the simple push of a button without taking eyes from the road. This model also has a magnetic mount so the accessory can be removed to prevent theft. My favorite feature is the Autolearn Intelligence. It helps block false alarm alerts (which happen more often than you might think) with a built-in GPS and software that learns over time. The app that goes along with this accessory has SO many cool features, including a constantly updated database with new red light cameras/speed traps, help from others who also use the app for detection, and much more.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A great detector from Cobra!

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    My past few radar detectors were from other companies as my history with Cobra wasn't the best, but I can tell you right out of the gates, this model has got my opinion swayed back into the right direction. This model has the Escort-style magnet hookup to attach to the large suction cup on the windshield which I opted to use a mirror-mount that I had from when I used the Escort - a perfect fit! The 12v cigarette lighter power is the standard barrel style that Cobra has used for a long while now, and the cord is extremely long. I opted to go with a 3ft USB-C to barrel plug instead so I didn't have so much extra cord. I hooked up this detector along with a Radenso and Escort model for comparison. The Cobra had a range almost as long as the Radenso, and just a hair longer than the Escort. All three had comparable false alert rejection, which is fantastic because there's nothing worse than a radar detector that keeps throwing false alarms, which you end up turning off because you're annoyed. I've seen no false detections from any of these. The display on the Cobra is a little... "washed out"... but completely readable. The colors just arent very vibrant. The sounds are definitely loud enough but not irritating to hear. To be completely honest I was able to (and still am using it) exactly how it was out of the box, with the exception of having flipped through the display colors. No other settings were changed, and I ended up on the red display as it was out of the box. Definitely a good detector, and a great addition to my vehicle. I'll be using this one as my daily driver!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Get one, it’ll make you feel better

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    As an older dad, I don’t really speed (much) anymore and haven’t in the past decade. So imagine my surprise when I was pulled over for speeding 59mph in a 5hp zone. And a ticket for obstructed view thanks to my air freshener. On a whim, I decided to get a radar detector to at least warn me when some rookie is trying to meet a quota or impress his boss. Back in the 90’s, a radar detector seemed to be standard issue for most edgy teenage drivers. I remember my cheap detector lighting up from the door sensors at gas stations and in front of mall entrances. I guess the technology has gotten better, because this Cobra doesn’t go nuts near doors. It comes with a straight cable, which is really long. I was able to route it carefully to not be in the way. Much nicer than the coiled cable my old one (from the late 90’s) came with. It mounts to the windshield with a suction cup and it never came off despite lots of sun late this summer and now freezing temps. It seems to find police every time it chirps. I have gotten some notifications where I didn’t end up seeing any cop car, but I assumed that they must have been well hidden or pulled away by the time I got to the spot. I have no idea if it’s going to save me but like insurance and vitamins, it makes me feel better. So I’m sticking with it.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Decent device - dump the app

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The RAD 700i is a decent detector, but it's hard to say how effective it is. It's not a fault of the detector more than it is the area that I commute. I mostly take backroads and a large stretch of highway that's still under construction. After 5 years of construction (with another 5 planned) cops rarely pull anyone over on that 25mi stretch because they have nowhere to pull them over. So I have no input on highway performance yet. The back roads I took, my other detector picked up a KA band that must have been on one of the side roads. I never saw the cop and the signal would increase as I came to the intersection and drop as I passed. The RAD 700i never picked either signal. I set the sensitivity to max instead of auto so I could pick up everything. Some of the X bands that my other detector would pick up (but I have locked out - it still displays, just doesn't chirp) also weren't picked up by RAD 700i. Luck of the draw had it that I didn't have to deal with any cops along the highway so I can't say with certainty whether the detector would have spotted them or not. One thing that puzzled me was what was the need for a barrel connector when it already has a microusb port that has enough draw to power the device. It's only used for updating, nothing else. The included adapter hogs your lighter port all by itself. So if you have multiple devices, like I do, Cobra doesn't think they're important enough to consider. I ended up buying a universal USB cable with barrel connectors. It works fine with my 4 port charger. Now for the app - GARBAGE. All I needed was a no nonsense app that allow for adjusting settings and downloading firmware. You have to open an account, allow crazy amounts of permission, and allow for tracking ALL THE TIME. After setting up the device it was immediately deleted. I don't speed much, so here's to hoping the detector alerts me in time to check myself when I'm feeling feisty.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sensitivity
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Powerful, but maybe a bit complicated

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The real job of a radar detector is to alert when it needs to and stay silent when it doesn't. This does its best to do that through various features such as connecting to your phone, remembering repeated alerts in the same location, and automatically adjusting sensitivity based on your speed. How much all this helps is hard to determine, and presumably only gets better with time as it learns the false positives. Out of the box defaults seem to work pretty well. I do encourage you to download the Drive Smarter app which helps the detector learn locations and also pull in data from other users for things like speed traps. During my course of using this, most of the alerts I got were none I really needed to worry about (e.g. police cars parked at the coffee shop or working an accident scene). But sometimes it also didn't alert when passing other cop cars (presumably didn't have their radar guns active). I also tried testing this by going by some permanently installed "your speed is" signs, as well as temporary ones. It only alerted to the temporary ones once, not sure why. And that gets to crux of this, and why I gave it 4 stars. I think it works well. But, ultimately, it's hard to know when it's silencing false positives, and when it's simply missing some radars. And, a bit tied into that, this has a lot of functions and features, so downloading the full manual is almost required to get the most out of this, but I found while driving, and the thing is giving me alarms, I don't remember what I should press to do something about it (aside from muting it, or obviously slowing down). So, might take a few more reads of the instruction manual to learn all the functions.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Radar detection
    Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Great radar Detector from Cobra

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Cobra RAD 700i radar detector is not just a detector but much more. (Mississippi and Virginia are now the only 2 states that band radar detectors) The box the device comes in is very small BUT well packaged. You get a charge 12v cigarette style power cord, I really wish this was USB C ( their is a usb on the detector BUT you can not power the device with it). You get a very small instruction manual, that gets to the main points only. Download the Drive Smarter app, pair the detector with the phone and app and off you go. You can adjust all settings in the app and most on the device if you choose. The great feature of the detector is the ability to show you traffic light cameras, and that alone is a great feature, as sometimes you are just not fully aware of traffic light cameras and this will save you the devices price in a short time. The app has its version of maps in it BUT I tried to use it for directions and a normal 50 minute trip was 1.5 hours with its directions (confused???) not good in my experience. The only other annoying factor is Apple car play cancels the detector to function properly (traffic light camera location), not the device fault but IOStrying to keep you safer and mainly IOS from getting sued. So I have to not use car play when I need traffic light camera locations. The detector radar detected a hidden police vehicle with plenty of time for you to adjust speed if needed. I would recommend the product as long as you understand IOS faults (if used with and IOS device, have not tested with android as I don’t have one)

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Overall performance

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Radar

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I just bought today so will update with review however it’s great so far

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Cedar Electronics Team
      Posted .

      Thanks for sharing your first impressions! We’re glad to hear it’s been great so far. Looking forward to your full review once you’ve had more time with it. Feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team if you have any questions at 800-543-1608. cedarelectronics-cobra

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Full-Featured Radar Detector

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Cobra has been making electronics that focus on drivers and their cars for a number of years now - and there's a reason that they've survived and thrived for that period. They deliver on devices that give you just what you need and nothing that you don't. This RAD 700i detector is another great example of that. The detector itself is fairly simple with a simple screen that shows you what is detected and how much (when it's not detecting something, the screen can be in a screen saver or show you your GPS tracked speed. I like that you can (in the app) change the color of the screen between a few different options - I like the blue as it matches the other displays in my car. The mount is secure and easy to use and the cord is long enough to reach your DC plug (the cigarette adapter) likely wherever that may be. It does seem to alert when it should..and not when it shouldn't. It also has GPS-based learning so it can learn where there's a stationary radar that's a false alarm and stop alerting there. When you add the APP though (Drive Smarter) and pair your detector with your phone, then you get even more. You can get alerts when you're coming up on places where others have reported things that the detector ought to alert you to which extends your own range and gives you even better advanced warnings. It also will pick up the speed limits for the road you're on and can display that so you know how fast you should be going (it can also alert when you go over the speed limit or a different speed you might set). So if you like to be extra aware of what's around you while you're driving, this is a great detector to drive with. Give it a try today!

    I would recommend this to a friend