Fred FontzAs we work our way through the industry, we’ve realized that we haven’t spent much time looking at radar guns. A radar gun is a simple tool that can help you measure any strides you make in arm strength.
It’s not something that is required to help you improve, but it definitely helps you measure what improvement you’ve made when the difference is relatively small; it would be difficult to know that you’re throwing 2-3 MPH harder without having a radar gun.
We’d like to preface the article by pointing out some of the key considerations you should look at when buying a radar gun. The most important thing that we’re looking for is accuracy. After all, what’s the point of having a radar gun that’s off by a significant amount?
Next, you should consider the speed range. If you’re throwing 90 MPH and the gun tops out at 80 MPH, it’s not going to be very useful.
Measuring range is also important. We’re looking for radar guns that can handle shooting at a distance. Especially in today’s market, we want as much data as possible. 60 feet isn’t going to cut it if we’re looking to measure an outfielder’s arm strength.
These are the Best Baseball Radar Guns in 2022:
1. Pocket Radar Smart Coach
The top choice
- Speed range: 25-130 MPH.
- Measuring range: 120 feet.
The Pocket Radar Smart Coach is the best radar gun on the market in 2022. We like that the brand thought outside the box. Unlike the rest of the models that you’ll see, the Smart Coach looks more like an iPod than the typical speed gun.
What makes the Smart Coach stand out is that it’s among the most accurate radar guns for baseball. Its accuracy reading with within 1 MPH. When looking at other radar gun reviews, you’ll find that this is consistently near the top of the list.
We’ve been impressed with how easy this radar gun is to use. We especially like using this radar gun for pitching because it gives us the flexibility to set the machine up and get readings without standing behind the plate.
- Constant-on mode.
- Automatic reading.
- Ability to save 25 speeds.
- Compatible with smart phone apps.
- Great accuracy- within 1 MPH.
- Expensive.
- Constant-on mode drains batteries fairly quickly.
Overall, the Pocket Radar Smart Coach offers the best features you’ll find on the market. With the ability to go back and look at dozens of pitches at a time, you can really fine-tune what you’re looking for. If money isn’t an issue, you can’t beat the Smart Coach.
2. Stalker Sport 2
The best multi-speed reader
- Speed range: 5-150 MPH.
- Measuring range: 300 feet.
What makes the Stalker Sport 2 stand out is its range and accuracy. It boasts a 300 foot range where it can read the speed of a pitch or the speed of a runner. It has a +/- 1 MPH accuracy.
What makes the Stalker Sport 2 one of the best baseball pitch speed radar guns is that it is able to read the pitch at its release and as it crosses the plate at the same time. There has been debate that where you read the pitch makes a significant different. A pitch reads faster out of the hand than it does as it crosses home plate. This model is able to show you both.
- Outstanding range.
- Great accuracy.
- Simultaneous speed readings.
- Battery life up to 20 hours.
- Boasts an MLB endorsement.
- Limited data recording.
- Very expensive.
The Stalker Sport 2 is an outstanding model that will be able to handle everything you’re hoping to achieve. Its 300 foot range means that it can easily read an outfielder’s through. Its 20 hour battery life means that you’ll be able to use it for extended amounts of time without concern. Having this model backed by multiple MLB team means that it is a tool that you can trust.
Overall, this is one of the best radar guns on the market. Unfortunately, you’ll being pay up in a major way. Ultimately, we believe the quality outweighs the price and makes the Stalker Sport 2 one of the best baseball speed readers you’ll find.
3. Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun
The best value radar gun
- Speed range: 10-110 MPH for ball, 200 MPH for car.
- Measuring range: 90 feet for ball, 1500 feet for car.
The Bushnell Velocity Speed Gun doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like the Smart Coach, but it’s one of the best radar guns for baseball and softball. Because it’s a point a shoot model, it’s flexible between both sports. Bushnell claims that their accuracy is within 1 MPH of a true reading, but some customers have disagreed.
Some fans think it’s interesting that you can use this model with a car as well. With the ability to read speeds of up to 200 MPH on a car that is up to 1500 feet away, this model could be used by police officers.
- Great pricing.
- Great point and shoot model.
- Tops out at 110 MPH.
- Large LCD screen.
- 2-year warranty (best warranty on this list).
- No hands-free option.
- Battery life isn’t the best.
- Number of buttons makes it a bit more difficult to use.
We really like the large LCD screen that makes it easy to read speeds. The expected battery life is about 500 readings before you need new batteries. What really impressed us as we did our research was the 2-year warranty that Bushnell provides. That’s easily the best warranty on the market. This tells me that Bushnell stands by their product and believes that it’s going to stand up to regular use.
With a $150 price tag, this may be the best budget radar gun that you can find.
4. The Jugs Gun
The most accurate radar gun
- Speed range: 5-140 MPH.
- Measuring range: 300 feet.
Jugs has become one of the premiere names in baseball. Jugs holds a pretty prominent space in the radar gun market. They may offer the best baseball radar gun on the market, but they’ve made it so expensive that it knocks it down a few pegs.
The Jugs +/- .5 MPH is the most accurate radar gun for baseball. It’s quite impressive when add in a 300 foot range. The Jugs Radar Gun offers a surprising amount of flexibility as well. You can set it up to read in MPH or KPH. You can also set the radar to trigger mode or continuous mode. This offers you the flexibility to sit behind home plate and get a reading or work on other aspects of the field and still get a good reading.
- Best accuracy on the market.
- 2-year warranty.
- Flexible reading (MPH/KPH).
- Can connect directly to a computer.
- Comes with a carrying bag.
- Extremely expensive.
- Relatively large.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to argue that this isn’t one of the best radar guns on the market. However, when you consider the price tag being three to four times more expensive than some of its top competitors, we can’t justify this being at the top of our list.
5. Pocket Radar Pro System
The crowd pleaser – great for groups
- Speed range: 10-130 MPH.
- Measuring range: 200 feet.
Sometimes people just want to impress others. This is the perfect model for you. The Pro Radar System can read in MPH and KPH and has an accuracy of +/-1 MPH which puts it on average with most of its competition.
The radar is able to be read up to about 100 feet which means that everyone can see the numbers. This is pretty similar to the set up that you’ll find at most carnivals.
- Great for crowds and competitions – everyone can read the speed.
- Tracks the ball while batting, pitching, fielding.
- Features long-term battery usage.
- High price tag.
- Can be bulky if you need to use tripods for set up.
Overall, the Pocket Radar Pro Radar System is a fantastic model. It’s able to show the world data. We like the flexibility that it offers with regard to reading in MPH or KPH. Where this product really struggles is its price and how bulky it can be.
Ideally, you are either putting the reading on a fence or a tripod. The radar itself also uses a tripod. So, if you purchase this item, you’re looking at adding a radar, reader screen, and two tripods to your equipment that you have to lug around.
When you consider the additional luggage and the extremely high price, we can’t make this our top recommendation. The quality is unquestionable, but ultimately the price tag and amount of additional weight and hassle drop this item significantly in our reviews.
6. Sports Sensors Swing Speed Radar
The best hitter’s radar
- Speed range: 20-200 MPH.
- Measuring range: about 1 foot.
The Swing Speed Radar doesn’t fit the mold of the other radars we’ve been analyzing. That being said, it still has a place on the market.
If knowledge is power, the Swing Speed Radar can provide you more data. This type of radar is typically used in golf, but Sports Sensor’s radar is able to analyze swing speed for baseball, softball, and golf.
- Great swing speed range.
- Reasonable price.
- Easy set up.
- No need for a partner.
- Very durable.
- Minimal measuring range.
- Specialized to swing speed.
The swing speed radar is able to analyze speeds of 20 to 200 MPH. The key downfall that you’ll find with this model is that it can’t measure at a distance. The Swing Speed Radar needs to be used 8-10 inches away from the bat or club that you’re swinging.
7. SKLZ Bullet Ball
The best radar for young players
- Speed range: 20-120 MPH.
- Measuring range: 60 feet 6 inches.
This is a very specialized radar/speed sensor. They say that every problem has multiple possible solutions. While most companies decided to have a machine measure the speed of a ball, SKLZ opted for a different model all together. They chose to let the baseball measure how fast it’s moving.
It’s an incredibly simple model that comes with an equally reasonable price tag. The Bullet Ball could allow a team to monitor multiple players at the same time.
- Incredibly easy to use.
- May be the cheapest option on the market.
- Seemingly no extra equipment.
- Focused only pitching.
- Very specific measuring range.
We like the Bullet Ball for its simplicity. It looks almost like any other baseball and the battery doesn’t seem to throw the weight off too much. It’s the best cheap budget radar gun, because it doesn’t require the high-end technology that some of the other radar guns have.
It’s worth noting that we, obviously, wouldn’t recommend using this ball for batting practice. You should focus on pitching with this ball.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review of the best baseball radar guns on the market in 2022. Regardless of what you’re searching for, we think we’ve got it covered.
We’d love to hear from you. If you have any of these products, what is your take on them? Is there something we missed? Do you think that something should rank higher than where we have it?
