I love robots, and I also love cameras. Combine these two concepts together and you get some of the best pet cameras that money can buy, designed to help you keep a watchful eye on your furry companions. One company that makes excellent robot pet cameras is Enabot, and its new ROLA Pet Tracker is a slightly different style of pet camera-slash-GPS-tracker that attaches to your pet whenever it's time to leave the house.
Not every pet will need or benefit from wearing a tracker of course, but my excitable goldendoodle, Tilly, is very easily distracted on our walks by birds, cats, squirrels, you name it - and will dart in their direction at any opportunity. Even if your dog has excellent recall, unlike mine, sometimes there can be situations where pets wander off a little too far and can't find their way back to you, or in the absolute worst case, they could be taken by somebody else (see our guide to the best outdoor security cameras to keep your home safe).
I've been using the ROLA Pet Tracker by Enabot for a few months now, and I think it has serious potential as not only a fun and interactive way to keep tabs on your pet, but also as an affordable safety precaution should your pet ever become lost. Sure, there are more than a few different ways to track your pet using GPS collar tags, ones with QR codes, and even Bluetooth trackers like an Apple Airtag or a Samsung Tag can be a useful way to monitor their whereabouts - but none of them have eyes (cameras) like the ROLA offers.
I'll dive into all of the specs and unique features of the ROLA Pet Tracker throughout this review (it has a lot to offer), but if you're looking for a high-quality action cam for your dog, then it might be best to skip this one and check out our guide to the best GoPro cameras and GoPro alternatives instead.
Specifications
ROLA Pet Tracker:Price
The ROLA Pet Tracker can be had for $79 / £87 directly from Enabot, which I think is actually a pretty reasonable price for what you get. It's more expensive than simply buying an Apple Airtag for $30, but it offers much more in the way of features, not to mention the camera and two-way communication.
Competitors like Tractive sell for around $70 (with no camera) and virtual fence collars like the Halo Collar 4 retail for up to $599.
The ROLA Pet Tracker is also available in three different colours including Moonlight White, Midnight Blue, or Sunburst Yellow all priced the same.
ROLA Pet Tracker: Performance
While in general, I think the ROLA Pet Camera performed excellently, I do have a few bugbears. The setup process requires a Nano SIM card, and you cannot set up this GPS tracker using WiFi or Bluetooth alone, so be sure that you have a SIM card ready to use when your order arrives. It charges via USB-C, and the tracker itself is a nice size, not too chunky that it would annoy your pet but big enough that you can spot it amongst the grass (and I did lose it a handful of times).
Once you have the tracker set up via the ROLA app, you get some nice visuals of your current surroundings with a blue map, and the exact pinpoint location of your pet (you can customise your pet's profile with their own photo too). I really like how easy the app was to use, with camera access at the tap of a button, though sometimes I found that it could be buggy and refuse to connect to the tracker altogether.
My advice would be to set the tracker up using the app before you head out on a walk, as it can sometimes be impossible to access while you're already out and about. The ROLA Pet tracker has a built-in flashing torch which you can toggle on and off using the app, and if you need to track the tracker, it can produce a beeping sound for easier locating. There's also an SOS button on the front of the racker which anyone can press to alert the owner (you) if your pet is found.
Other standout features of the ROLA Pet Tracker include two-way voice communication so that you can hear your pet's surroundings and talk to them (or someone who has found them) in real-time through the tracker. I tried this once during testing and it seemed to confuse and frighten Tilly a little to hear my voice coming out of her neck, so I would advise this feature for emergencies only.
If a friendly stranger does come across your pet, as well as the SOS button they can scan the tiny QR code on the back of the tracker to receive details about your pet and contact you, though I would argue that this is so small that most people would miss it, and it's not the easiest to scan either. If you know other dogs in your neighbourhood have a ROLA tracker, you should be able to see them pop up on the app too.
Concerned about your pet's safety? The tracker has a virtual fence mode, so that you can be alerted if they enter a certain designated area or go past a set point (such as leaving a back gate or garden area). There's also a built-in temperature sensor in the tracker, so there's no risk of it overheating on a hot day and causing harm. You can monitor your pet's health and calorie-burning statistics through the ROLA app.
With Tilly being a medium-sized dog who loves to run, I experimented with multiple ways to keep the ROLA tracker attached to her steadily enough to capture something legible. Enabot provides multiple attachments with the tracker to make things easier, but I found that the full-body harness with a mini tripod actually worked the best with Tilly, as the tracker refused to stay firmly on her collar.
Even this didn't prove very steady, however, as camera footage from one evening stroll down the seafront shows the camera swaying from side to side as she trotted along happily, and sometimes it would swing upside down and record her feet. It's okay though, because as I mentioned initially, the ROLA Pet Tracker was never intended to be a high-quality action cam, and more of a visual aid if your pet is lost.
With that in mind, let's talk camera specs. The ROLA Pet Tracker has a 480P camera which you can view live at any point during the app, even while recording. There is also the option to record 1080P footage with this tracker camera by changing a setting in the app, but you cannot watch footage live as it records with this setting. All files save directly to the included 32GB of storage with the tracker, but you can easily save them to your phone camera roll too using the app.
ROLA Pet Tracker: Sample Media
It's funny to think that my dog took these photos (even though they're terrible).
Sample Video from the ROLA Pet Tracker
ROLA Pet Tracker: Final Verdict
Overall, I found that the ROLA Pet Tracker was a perfectly capable pet tracker that successfully fulfilled its purpose. It didn't always connect when I wanted it to and I found myself needing to charge it after every walk, but there's not much else to complain about with all things considered at this price point.
The images and videos that I captured using this tracker are certainly not Instagram-quality but still make me laugh when I watch them back. While it's nice to be able to see things from Tilly's POV, it did make me feel a little bit ill at times watching the footage back due to how shaky and unstable the videos are. I don't blame this entirely on the tracker though, as Tilly tends to shake her body a lot from excitement, and loves to roll around in fox pee and freshly cut grass.
The bottom line is that if you need an affordable and easy-to-use way of tracking your pet down should it ever wander off, then the ROLA Pet Tracker can provide peace of mind at the very least. The fact that it also has a camera, built-in mic, torch, and SOS features is simply a bonus that I think pet owners will enjoy and appreciate.
Should you buy the ROLA Pet Tracker?
✅ Buy it if...
- You like keeping tabs on the whereabouts of your pet, and seeing what they're up to
- You need a GPS tracker for when your pet wanders off too far on a walk
- You like the peace of mind from knowing that if your pet is ever lost you can locate them
🚫 Don't buy it if...
- You want high-quality footage and stills from your pet's POV - that's not what this device is for
- You don't want to commit to a SIM card subscription to keep the tracker active
- Your pet is hyper or very energetic, chances are the tracker will fall off
