The worst nightmare of any pet owner is a lost pet that can’t be found. This makes an RFID microchip scanner an important device for every dog owner. It helps to access or retrieve the unique information contained in an identity microchip to identify a microchipped dog and its owner. Here are the reviews of the best universal microchip scanners.
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Reviews of the Best Universal Microchip Scanners
1. Yanzeo AR180 Pet Microchip Scanner
Yanzeo AR180 Pet Microchip Scanner is a 134.2kHz rechargeable pet ID scanner. It can’t read the 9-digit ID chips, and hence, it won’t recognize Avid chips. However, this scanner recognizes the 15-digit international standard protocol, and our experts verified this.
This universal microchip scanner is based on wireless identification technology and can recognize chips/tags that comply with EMID and FDX-B (ISO11784/11785). Our experts found that it features a very bright OLED display screen, which displays brightly, and the content can be seen under bright sunlight or strong light. You will have to confirm the frequency of your electronic tag before purchase to ensure you get the right scanner.
Pros
- Has a backlit screen for convenient reading
- Helps users distinguish varieties of pets
- Easily recognize the microchip in the body of pets to read the ID
- Light and easy to operate
Cons
- Can’t read the 9-digit ID chips
- Scanner may stop working after a few months
2. ISENVO 190A Pet Microchip Scanner
Our experts found that this scanner is very similar in form and function to the Yanzeo AR180 Pet Microchip Scanner but comes in black color. It is a standard 134.2kHz FDX-B ISO11784/ISO11785 microchip scanner for pets – dogs, cats, pigs, and so on. ISENVO 190A Pet Microchip Scanner can only recognize the 15-digit international standard protocol and not Avid chips. It can’t also recognize the 9-digit IDs which our experts verified.
It is rechargeable and needs no external battery. It features an OLED display that is bright enough for easy reading and is also clear under strong light. It is very easy to operate by pressing only one button.
Pros
- Easy to read with its backlit screen
- Simple to use
- Features a rechargeable battery
- Light and portable
Cons
- Can’t read the 9-digit ID chips
- Instructions on the manual are poorly written.
3. Zerone Pet Microchip Scanner
This is a portable handheld microchip reader. It supports FDX-B tags, ISO 11784/11785, FDX-B, and ID64 RFID microchips. Our team of experts found that Zerone Pet Microchip Scanner is very easy to operate and requires pressing only one button to read.
It can store data internally, enabling users to read the history data later. It features a backlight screen, which makes reading convenient for users. This scanner also has a rechargeable lithium battery. Our experts verified that when the battery is low (below 7.8), the device will raise the alarm to recharge it. However, some users have reported that this scanner cannot recognize Avid chips.
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Pros
- Has an internal memory to store history data
- Very easy to operate
- Automatically shuts down after 180secs if not in use
- Has a low-battery alert
Cons
- Microchip reader may not recognize all kinds of microchips
- Low-battery beep is loud and may scare pets
4. Halo Pet Microchip Reader Scanner
This is a beautiful microchip scanner with a unique design. It reads almost all 10-digit microchips in pets, dogs, cats. However, our team of experts found that it will only display if a 9-digit Avid microchip is detected, but it won’t display the number. It doesn’t read AKC microchips but can store dog’s chip numbers.
Halo Pet Microchip Reader Scanner comes with an inbuilt rechargeable battery and doesn’t require external batteries. Our experts liked that it alerts users when a pet is missing. It also comes with a USB port that can be used to charge it via a computer or 12V car charger. It can also be connected to a computer to store data.
Pros
- Can store pets’ chip numbers
- Alerts users that a pet is missing
- Can be connected to a computer to transfer data
- Comes with an inbuilt rechargeable battery
Cons
- Not compatible with macOS
- Doesn’t read AKC microchips
Universal Microchip Scanner Buyer’s Guide
If you’re buying a universal microchip scanner for the first time, the choices can be endless. However, this buyer’s guide will help you through some necessary considerations that will enable you to get the best universal microchip scanner that you’ll be happy with in years to come.
Microchip Reading
The essence of a microchip scanner is to read any identity microchips [1]. Some microchip readers are designed specifically to recognize certain chips/tags, while some are designed to read all microchips, so they are called universal scanners. You should get a universal microchip reader, which can read all chips irrespective of standards.
Display
The display screen shows all the information contained in the microchip. Get a scanner with a wide and bright screen. This will enable you to see the displayed content in any light condition.
Compatibility
Some microchip scanners can hold up lots of data history (collected IDs) so that users can refer back to them later. More powerful scanners can hold up more data and have compatibility with computers or other storage devices to transfer and store IDs.
Battery
While some microchip scanners use removable AAA batteries, some have an inbuilt rechargeable battery. Microchip scanners with an inbuilt rechargeable battery will certainly function better, last longer, and save cost than scanners with removable AAA batteries.
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Our Top Pick For a Universal Microchip Scanner: Halo Pet Microchip Reader Scanner
Halo Pet Microchip Reader Scanner is our top pick for the best universal microchip scanner. This scanner can recognize chips/tags that comply with almost all standards. It is handy, stores a large amount of data, comes with an inbuilt battery, and has a bright screen display.
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