The 7 Best Radar Guns
Updated by · How we research
Pocket radars, pistol-grip guns and cage displays compared on accuracy, range and ease of use. The Pocket Radar Smart Coach leads for its video app. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A radar gun only reads true when the ball flies straight at it or straight away. Stand off to one side and every pitch shows slower than it was, which is why coaches set up behind the catcher or the pitcher. These picks suit parents, coaches and players who want honest pitch, throw and bat speeds, from the backyard to the bullpen.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Pocket Radar Smart Coach takes the top spot this time, because its app puts each speed on video, and that's what most pitching coaches ask for now. The Pocket Radar Ball Coach, Bushnell Velocity, Sports Radar SR3600 and JUGS Radar Cube stay.
Five of the old picks dropped out. The Stalker Sport 2, Stalker Pro II +, Jugs Gun, Sports Sensors Glove and Pocket Radar Pro have disappeared from sale, and Stalker now sells only through its own store, so it moves to the special honors. New are the TAG ONE, a rechargeable pocket radar, and the Net Playz Smart Pro for kids. We passed on the Bushnell MACH2 for now because it's too new to have a record.
Pocket Radar's and Stalker's spec pages, sellers' spec sheets and softball coaching forums were the evidence; nobody we could find had lab-checked these guns' accuracy, so the accuracy figures here are the makers' own.
December 08, 2020:
We've updated our list based on availability, accuracy, and the features that will most benefit users. Radar guns haven't fundamentally changed since their invention, but new technology has made them more accessible and useful. Models like the Pocket Radar Smart Coach and Stalker Pro II + allow users to send data straight to their smartphone, which is a nifty way to track and display your progress.
It's important to choose your speed gun based on your intended use. Most of our picks will work for ball sports, but not all of them are designed to accurately measure the speed of vehicles or runners. Consider the maximum measurement speed as well — if you need to record fast tennis serves, you'll want a model like the Stalker Sport 2, which is accurate up to 150 mph. For baseball, most radar guns will work best when set up behind a pitching net.
Pricier models generally bring better accuracy and greater range. Entry-level models like the Bushnell Velocity work fine for casual use, but scouts and coaches should consider pro-level options like the Jugs Gun. The Pocket Radar Ball Coach is a good middle ground for price and performance.
May 15, 2019:
Removed the Bushnell Speedster III. While it was a low-cost option that made it possible for a wider audience to use radar equipment, the measurements weren't accurate enough to warrant inclusion here. It still may be a worthwhile purchase if precision isn't an issue, however.
In its place we listed another Bushnell model, the Velocity. It's a good starter unit for those with only a casual interest in tracking speed, but it lacks some of the features that made our more highly-ranked selections stand out. Still, you won't pay much for that particular bare-bones machine.
We went back and forth as to how to rank the Pocket Radar Ball Coach and the Stalker Pro II, as they're both excellent at their respective functions. Ultimately, we placed the Ball Coach higher simply because it rivals the Pro II in effectiveness, but at a much more budget-friendly price point. That said, if being exact is important to you and you have plenty of funds available, feel free to flip those rankings if you like. Experts should certainly opt for the Pro II (or something like the Jugs Gun), but casual users should find that the Ball Coach does everything they need it to.
Special Honors
Stalker Pro 3s Stalker builds rugged handheld radar guns for teams and scouts, sold directly by the company. Its Pro 3s adds spin rate to pitch speed, according to the maker, and it costs several times as much as a pocket radar. stalkersport.com
Why A Radar Reads Low: Angle, Range And The Fastest Object
A radar gun sends out a weak microwave signal and measures how much the echo's frequency shifts off a moving ball.
A radar gun sends out a weak microwave signal and measures how much the echo's frequency shifts off a moving ball. That shift only tells the whole story when the ball travels straight toward or straight away from the gun. Stand off to the side and the reading drops: the wider the angle, the bigger the error, a quirk known as cosine error (Wikipedia: Radar speed gun). That's why coaches set the radar behind the catcher, aimed at the pitcher, or behind the pitcher, aimed at the plate.
Range matters too. Pocket Radar rates its Smart Coach and Ball Coach within 1 mph out to about 120 feet on a baseball, across a window of 25 to 130 mph. Past the rated range, readings get spotty.
Most sports radars report the fastest thing in the beam. A swinging net, a catcher's glove hand or a bat can beat the ball, so keep the beam clear and aim for the ball's flight line. For exit speed off the bat, set the radar behind the hitter and point it at the tee or plate.
Pocket Radar, Pistol Grip Or Big Display
Pocket radars are flat, phone-size units you hold, clip to a fence or set on a tripod. They suit pitching lessons and bullpens, and the app-ready ones add video with the speed burned in. The Smart Coach works with Pocket Radar's app, while the Ball Coach is stand-alone and can't connect at all.
Pistol-grip guns, like the Bushnell Velocity and the Sports Radar SR3600, are what most people picture: aim, pull the trigger, read the screen. They reach farther, and some can clock cars at a race or on a private drive. Display radars, like the JUGS Radar Cube, show the number in large digits so a pitcher can see it without stopping. Hands-free units for kids sit on a small tripod beside the throw and call out each speed.
As for cost, hands-free kids' units are the cheapest, a pistol-grip Bushnell runs about twice as much, pocket radars cost two to three times that, and pro-grade Stalker guns cost several times more again (Stalker Sport).
Pro Guns, Legal Limits And Safe Use
Stalker builds the handheld radar guns many teams use. Its current line, sold by Stalker itself, includes rugged sealed models, and the Pro 3s adds spin rate to speed, according to Stalker Sport. For most families and high school coaches, a pocket radar covers the same job for far less.
Consumer radar guns run as low-power transmitters under the Federal Communications Commission's Part 15 rules (eCFR: 47 CFR Part 15). They aren't certified or calibrated like police units, so a reading can't settle a ticket or a neighborhood dispute. Guns on the X band, such as the SR3600, can set off drivers' radar detectors, so don't aim them at passing traffic or distract drivers.
We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records for Bushnell, Pocket Radar, JUGS, Stalker and Sports Radar and found none. Pull the batteries before storing any gun for the off-season, since leaking cells can ruin the contacts.
How we researched this
We compared 15 radar guns and speed sensors, read the makers' spec pages for the 7 finalists (sellers' spec sheets where the maker had none), weighed owner feedback, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records. We found no independent lab test of these guns' accuracy, so the accuracy figures are the makers' own.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a radar gun?
Good sports radars are rated within about 1 mph by their makers when aimed along the ball's path. Pocket Radar gives that figure for its Smart Coach and Ball Coach. Readings drop when the gun sits off to the side, and cheap units often don't publish any accuracy figure.
Can I use my phone as a radar gun?
No. A phone has no radar. Speed apps estimate from video and the distance you enter, so they're rougher than a Doppler radar. Some radars, like the Pocket Radar Smart Coach and TAG ONE, pair with a phone app to log and film readings.
How much does a radar gun cost?
Hands-free kids' units cost the least, a pistol-grip Bushnell costs roughly twice that, and pocket radars with a published 1 mph rating cost two to three times more. Stalker's pro guns cost several times as much again, and they're sold by Stalker directly.
How do I measure exit velocity with a radar?
Set the radar behind the hitter, pointed at the tee or the pitch, so the ball flies straight away from it. Radars that report the fastest object will read the ball, as long as the bat isn't moving faster in the beam.
What is the best Stalker radar gun?
Stalker's top handheld is the Pro 3s, which adds spin rate to speed, per the maker. Stalker sells its guns itself, and they cost several times as much as a pocket radar, so they suit teams and scouts more than families.
Can I use a sports radar gun to check speeding cars?
You can clock cars, but the reading isn't certified, so it has no legal weight. Stand well off the road, don't distract drivers, and know that X-band guns can set off radar detectors.
