About Cobra
Cobra Electronics makes in-vehicle and on-the-water communication and driver-awareness gear. Its own site describes a path from repairing televisions in a small garage to a consumer-electronics company, and its current catalogue spans radar and laser detectors, two-way radios, CB radios, marine radios, smart dash cameras and vehicle power inverters.
On the detector side, Cobra sells its RAD series of radar and laser detectors through its own store, alongside accessories and a "Help Me Choose" guide. Two of them appear on RevRated: the RAD 350 and the RAD 480i.
Brand website: cobra.com
What Cobra makes
Cobra's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines that earned places in our roundups are marked with a star:
Radar and laser detectors
the RAD series, with accessories and update pages for registered devices. The RAD 350 and RAD 480i are featured on RevRated (featured on RevRated)
Two-way radios
walkie talkies including GMRS models, plus kids and family and business radios
CB radios
professional, recreational and Bluetooth-enabled CB radios
Marine radios
handheld and fixed-mount marine radios
Smart dash cameras
dash cams with their own accessories and companion app
Vehicle power inverters
in-vehicle power inverters with matching accessories
Why we recognized Cobra
The RevRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our category roundups. Cobra earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: checked against the specs, fitment data and verified buyer reviews, and judged on merit.
Cobra products we rated highly
Cobra RAD 350 Laser Radar Detector
The RAD 350 covers X, K and Ka bands with a signal-strength indication and also detects VG-2 signals. It is a plug-and-play unit: it runs from the 12V socket and needs no app, firmware update or pairing before it starts working.
Read our Radar Detectors guide →
Cobra RAD 480i Laser Radar Detector
The RAD 480i detects X, K and Ka radar bands plus laser, and adds built-in Bluetooth to the same dual LaserEye sensors and IVT filtering found on the RAD 350.
Read our Radar Detectors guide →What earned Cobra the recognition
- Both featured models carry Cobra's IVT (In-Vehicle Technology) filtering, aimed at the automatic-door and blind-spot-monitor signals that make an unfiltered detector tiresome in daily traffic.
- Both also have dual front-and-rear LaserEye sensors, so laser detection is not limited to the front of the car.
- Cobra's own site publishes manuals, product registration and device update pages for its detectors, which makes the hardware easier to keep supported after the purchase.