Knog Scout bike alarm & tracker review

REVIEW – More people are becoming health conscious or want to be outdoors more in nature and have taken bike riding to another level. Everywhere I look, there are bicycles even during the winter season which was once viewed as the time for bikes to hibernate. An unwanted side effect of more bikes on the streets is the increase in bike thefts. This has left bike riders scrambling for ways to protect their precious property and quite often their only mode of transportation. Enter the Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker, which promises to be an affordable and effective solution, or at least a deterrent to bike theft.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Knog website and Amazon

What is it?

The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker combines an extremely loud 85db bike alarm function with a highly accurate bike finder, using Apple’s ‘Find My’ app.

What’s included?

• 1 x Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker
• 2 x Specialized Attachment Screws
• 1 x Special Screwdriver

Tech specs

WEIGHT: 25 g / 0.88 oz
RECHARGEABLE: Yes, via USB-C input
WATER RESISTANT: Yes, IP66
RUN-TIME: Up to 6 months. Expect around 2 months if arming daily.
BATTERY INDICATOR: Yes
CHARGE TIME: 4 hours
DIMENSIONS: 4.2 x 1.0 x 0.3 in
OPERATING TEMP: -4 to 122 °F
COMPATIBLE WITH: iOS only (iPhone, Apple Watch & iPad)
OPERATE USING: Knog App

Design and features

• MOTION SENSITIVE ALARM: A loud 85 dB alarm is triggered if your bike gets moved. Easy to turn on / off within the Knog app.
• TRACK IT EVERYWHERE: Scout Bike uses Apple Find My technology, so iOS users can pinpoint their bike anytime.
• LONG BATTERY LIFE: The battery can last 2 to 6 months (pending usage) between charges, and notifications let you know when it is running low.
• DISCREET + SECURE: Scout Bike mounts under your bottle cage using our proprietary tamper-proof security screws. If you prefer to use Scout as a visual deterrent, you can use the supplied neon silicone cover.
• RUGGED: The Scout Bike is water-resistant and dustproof (IP66), so it can handle any type of riding and weather conditions.

The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker is a compact, lightweight device that combines GPS tracking and a motion-sensitive alarm. It is easily concealed measuring only 10.7 cm x 2.5 cm x 0.8 cm and weighing only 25 grams. The included tamper-proof screws provide an added level of security since the included special screwdriver is needed to tighten or remove them. The Knog Scout is designed to mount to a bike frame and the design includes a weather-protected USB-C port and is IP66 water resistant. The built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to six months on full charge via USB-C. There are built-in LEDs to indicate both battery status and alarm activation. It works with the Apple Find My network and it only works with IOS. The alarm is 85-decibel.

Performance

The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker should be fully charged before installation. This is to ensure it works correctly before it is on the bike.

Once the Scout is installed you can download and install the Knog App to manage/control it and add it to the Apple Find My app to track it. As you can see in the photo below, I installed that in the middle of the bracket between the bottle holder and its base. It was easy to install and is very secure.

App: (Knog App and Apple Find My)

The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker performs well and while not crazy loud the 85-decibel alarm is effective. I do think that even in a noisy environment, it will attract attention. I have read reviews where folks have commented that the device is too sensitive, but so far, I have not found that to be the case. Mine only alarms if I shake or strike the bike with reasonable force. The Knog app works well for arming and disarming the Scout as well as updating the firmware and providing battery charge status. You can also customize the alarm speaker level, select the tone, and even have it flash its LEDs while alarming. I like having the additional option to put the device in silent mode, so if I am tracking the device, the thief would not know. You do have to be within Bluetooth range for the device for the app to work. I was also able to easily add the Scout device to the Apple Find My app and the tracking works well. It is a bit odd that the Find My app can find the device, but I cannot arm or disarm when out of Bluetooth range.
The only other negative is that the Scout is compatible only with iOS devices, excluding Android users entirely.

The following video shows a quick test of the Tracker’s alarm:

Final thoughts

The Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker

What I like about the Knog Scout Bike Alarm & Tracker

• It is easy to install
• Easy to hide
• Works well with the app
• Has the right level of sensitivity

What needs to be improved?

• The alarm could be a bit louder but it does what it is designed to do
• It is IOS only which leaves out all the Android bikers

Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Knog website and Amazon
Source: Knog provided a free sample for this review. Knog did not have a final say on the review and did not preview it before it was published.

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