How to Choose the Best Cell Phone Booster?

Take the confusion out of finding the phone booster that meets your residential or commercial needs with this simple guide. Be sure to call our experts for professional recommendations and installation support.

With our cell phone signal booster recommendation tool, it is easy to narrow your search and find the best signal booster for your needs. We use automated filters based on your preferences, so that you only see cellular boosters that make sense for your unique situation. We offer a variety of models that are tailored for different circumstances. This can depend on your desired coverage area, the outside signal strength, and any limitations for installing an exterior antenna.

It can be used in your home, office, RV, or even a boat. It is a versatile solution for amplifying a weak signal, whether you’re using a 3G or 4G LTE network. Each boosting system includes an installation guide and everything you need to get up and running. Whether you’re using a smartphone, flip phone, or tablet, you can access the same cellular network and enjoy the boosted signal.

Our cellular amplifier kits are designed to work with all major carriers across United States and Canada. Rural folks and city dwellers alike can take advantage of this revolutionary technology. If you're on the move and have one installed on your vehicle, you can also enjoy these benefits while traveling across North America as well. No more struggling to hear clients when you pass through a "dead zone" between cell phone towers!

Unlike your monthly phone bill, a cellphone booster is a one-time investment without subscription fees or hidden surcharges. You can install it and enjoy it for decades, with no additional costs. Enjoy fewer dropped calls, increase your download speeds, expand your coverage area, and deal with dead zones, all with a single device.

With so many cellular repeaters and coverage extenders on the market, how do you find the best one for your needs? Below, we have shared a few handy tips for choosing one for cell phones. Everyone has different coverage requirements and signal limitations, which is where our product selection tool comes in!

Which Signal Booster is Best for Me?

First, we recommend using our product selection tool to hone in on the perfect kit. Just answer a few questions about your situation, and we will provide a list of top-quality reception amplifying systems. Here're the main criteria that you should consider when shopping for a cellular or mobile phone enhancing system:

1. Uplink and Downlink Power

Poor reception is a common complaint with cell phones. Sometimes, you can clearly hear the other party, but they can't hear you at all (or vice versa). This is due to the uplink and downlink signal connection. When you have a weak downlink signal, the other party's voice becomes choppy or nonexistent. Likewise, a weak uplink signal will send your voice intermittently or not at all. Think of downlink as "download" and uplink as "upload".

Fortunately, a signal booster for cell phone devices can improve your uplink and downlink power. Even a small increase in decibels (dB) can make a huge difference. For example, if your booster amplifies the signal by 3dB, it will double your uplink and downlink signal. Likewise, a 6dB boost adds 4 times the power, 10dB adds 10 times the power, and 20dB adds 100 times the power! Uplink and downlink power are important variables to keep in mind when dealing with cell interference from building materials, environmental obstacles, and distant towers.

Every approved indoor booster for cell phone signals has a max gain cap of +70dB, which is way more amplification than the average user needs. Typically, a user will experience between +3 and +42dB of gain from a signal booster. In addition, some amplifiers have different uplink and downlink speeds, which can have a significant effect on the booster’s coverage area. For example, the Pro 70 Plus covers a maximum of 50,000 square feet, while the 4000R covers a maximum of 100,000 square feet.

2. Gain in Decibels

Most cell phone users measure their signal by looking at the number of bars, but decibels provide a more accurate measurement. Decibels are exponentially measured, and the closer you get to -50dB on your phone, the more bars you have. Conversely, as you get closer to -120dB, you will have weaker signal strength.

The difference between +7dB and +10dB is huge. Essentially, a few more dB will double your signal power, so it is important to pay attention to a mobile amplifier's dB gain specifications. For example, the Drive 4G-M offers +50dB gain, while the Drive Sleek offers +23dB gain, which is a significant difference. In effect, that extra +20dB equates to 100 times more gain!

3. Your Desired Coverage Area

Next, estimate how much space your signal booster needs to cover, and find out where your dead zones are. Some small office / home office (SOHO) or small apartment signal boosters are designed to extend coverage to a single room. Whereas larger, more powerful commercial grade models can cover more than 150,000 square feet. For example, the Home 4G is ideal for a very small home, apartment room, or small office that doesn't exceed few hundred square feet. On the other hand, if you're working in a large warehouse, office, or school, the Fusion5X 2.0 can cover roughly up to 20,000 square feet. It is intended for mid-sized buildings. In comparison, a single unit of commercial grade Force 5 2.0 can provide coverage up to 100,000 sq. ft. Multiple such units are used by our professional installers in larger buildings that require up to half a million square feet or more.

4. Outside Signal Strength

It is important to gauge your area's signal strength with a spectrum analyzer before shopping for a booster. If you don’t have a spectrum analyzer or signal meter, you can call a technician to test your in-building wireless coverage. Our installers have tremendous experience when it comes to wireless signals, and they can help you choose the right amplifier for your location.

5. Type of Antenna Required

There are two main types of exterior antennas: omnidirectional and directional. Omnidirectional antennas are well suited for busy urban areas with multiple carrier signals, because they can choose the best possible signal from all directions. Meanwhile, directional antennas are well suited for rural areas that only have one cell tower located far away. Just point your antenna in the right direction, and maximize the signal. In between these two extremes, both antenna types will work well for most situations.

6. Number of Simultaneous Users

Next, consider how many people will be using the cell phone signal booster at the same time. If you're investing in a booster for a family home or a personal vehicle, you will probably only need a single-user booster. Meanwhile, if you’re boosting the signal in a large residence or vehicle that usually has multiple passengers using cell devices, you will probably need a multi-user signal booster that supports 4G LTE. In addition, we recommend installing a multi-bandwidth signal amplifier, so that you minimize interference when using different mobile devices and have them all work simultaneously although they may have service from different service providers.

7. Warranty and Customer Support

Our signal boosters come with a minimum two-year warranty depending upon the brand chosen. zBoost offers one yr. warranty whereas weBoost kits have two years warranty. Wilson Pro kits and all SureCall kits have three years warranty. Regardless of the brand you choose that is most suitable for your needs, SignalBooster.com offers sixty days total satisfaction money-back guarantees, which provides peace of mind when making this investment. If having access to quality customer service is important to you, know that live chat and email support, in addition to toll free phone support for our valued clients in USA & Canada.

8. FCC Compliance

Take a few minutes to visit the FCC website before purchasing a signal booster, so you're sure the device is compliant with the latest regulations. FCC certification standards change often, but it is important to be up-to-date with the law. We perform our due diligence and ensure all our signal extending kits are in compliance with the laws in USA & Canada. Our kits state which country they are compliant for, if not both simultaneously.

9. Cable Length

Depending on your situation, you may require a longer exterior cable to install the signal booster properly. However, signal strength decreases by about 3.9dB for every 100 feet of coaxial cable, so try to make your coax cable placement as short as possible.

10. Do You Have an Accessible Roof?

Finally, many signal boosters are designed with an exterior antenna that need to be mounted on a roof. If your building or vehicle does not have a secure area where you can mount the antenna (like a multi-storey building with no access to roof), we recommend a plug-and-play signal amplifier such as EZ 4G or Home 4G. While these are not as powerful as other kits that can capture most signal for maximum amplification, they do allow you to enjoy a boosted signal without accessing the roof.

Conclusion

With the help of our product selection tool and these 10 criteria, you can find the perfect signal booster for your needs. If you're still confused after reading this article, don't panic! Our experienced team can help you choose and install these devices, so you won’t have to worry about the technical details. We have got you covered.

Our experts want to help you find the perfect signal booster for your needs. Try our risk-free signal boosters today, with a 60-day money-back guarantee and no monthly contracts. We also offer free shipping on orders over $100 from contiguous USA 48 states.

Contacting options

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