Two of the best radar detectors for Canada
We are looking at two top-performing radar detectors on the market in 2023 – Uniden R8 and Escort Redline 360c. Our customers here at KMPH.ca often ask, which is better? We will review each of the two radar detectors below and help guide you make the better decision.
Radar Detector Performance – Range and Sensitivity
Radar detectors have evolved and improved since 20 years ago. For 2023, what both the Uniden and Escort Radar offers in their flagship radar detectors will be hard to beat and have become industry’s standard. If we were to compare the R8 and Redline 360c’s Ka band detection:
- Uniden R8 performance – 10/10
- Escort Redline 360c performance – 9.5/10
Both radar detectors offers lightning fast detection response and range. They’re almost equal, but the R8 has a slight edge over the Redline on real-world tests. As for radar bands, both support standard X/K/Ka radar, MRCD/CT photo radar, GATSO (not used in Canada), and other low-powered K-band photo radar.
Stealth and Being Undetectable
We have many customers from Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic (outside of legal-to-use provinces including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan). They need a radar detector that cannot be detected. Stealth is a selling point. Escort Redline 360c is a full-stealth detector with zero leakage. Uniden R8 has minimal leakage but we still consider it “functionally stealth” and being safe to use.
- Escort Redline 360c stealth and undetectability – 10/10
- Uniden R8 stealth and undetectability – 8/10
We have many Uniden R-series users in eastern Canada without issues. Whether the small leakage becomes a deal-breaker to choosing the R8, it would be your call. Some lab tests shown on Youtube were done using very old Spectre 3 RDD which is much more sensitive than the Spectre 4/Elite used today. Spectre 3 gives off lots of false signals and most police forces have upgraded to the new RDDs with lowered sensitivity. This is good news for Uniden users.
Features and User Interface
Both R8 and Redline 360c features directional arrows with dual antenna design. GPS features such as camera database (speed cam and red-light cam), manual / automatic LockOut for stationary false alerts, speed controlled radar mute (Uniden’s QuiteRide vs. Escort’s CruiseAlert) are very much standard.
R8 currently relies on USB / computer for updates, while Redline 360c supports Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. We find both just as easy to use, especially after Uniden’s recent release on its Updater that allows online one-click update and allows users to configure and save settings.
Escort Live network may provide some speed trap warnings, but it’s very limited in Canada, especially when comparing to much more popular apps like Waze or Google Map.
In this category, we see a tie between the two.
- Uniden R8 features – 9/10
- Escort Redline 360c features – 9/10
Pricing in Canada
Currently the Escort Redline 360c is priced around $300 CAD more expensive than the Uniden R8 in Canada. We see that the R8 is of better value in comparison.
- Uniden R8 price ($995) – 10/10
- Escort Redline 360c price ($1,298) – 8.5/10
Summary – R8 vs. Redline 360c
So, which radar detector should one choose, Uniden or Escort?
If you live in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and will not travel into eastern provinces, R8 > Redline 360c by a small margin.
If you must have a 100% stealth unit for Ontario / Quebec, Redline 360c is the only fully stealth detector out there. But keep in mind that R8 is still considered safe to use.
If you compare performance-to-price ratio, R8 offers better value.
Other minor things to consider would be user interface and connectivity features. You can’t go wrong with either of the two.
