How to Choose a Cell Phone Signal Booster
Posted on 10/5/2023 by Nicholas Jones
In the best of situations, poor cell phone reception is an inconvenience. At worst, it can be unsafe, especially if you are relying on it to call for help in an emergency.
Buildings with metal siding or thick concrete, basements, RVs, and vehicles can all block cell phone signals and make them weak. Similarly, if you’re located far from cell towers or there are mountains, trees, or other obstacles between you and the tower, your signal may be weak or unreliable.
The good news is that cell phone signal boosters can help in either case. These devices take any existing signal, even if it’s weak, and strengthen it so your phone gets a stronger signal.
weBoost sells several cell phone signal booster models, and it’s important to choose the right one for your needs. If you need help with how to choose a cell phone signal booster, check out this guide below.
5 Benefits of a Cell Phone Signal Booster
Before diving into how to choose a cell phone signal booster, it’s important to realize the benefits these devices can bring, whether you need a signal booster for a building or vehicle.
Cell phone signal boosters:
- Provide better voice quality, which can result in fewer dropped calls and make it easier to understand conversations.
- Reduce the number and/or size of dead zones, whether you’re in a home or office, or cruising down the freeway.
- Offer more reliable data uploads and downloads, which means streaming is smoother and data transfers happen faster.
- Improve SMS and messaging, so your phone receives and delivers messages faster and more reliably.
- Boost battery life for your smartphone since your device will no longer have to work as hard to connect to a much weaker signal.
How to Choose a Cell Phone Signal Booster: Where Will It Be Used?
The first matter to consider when narrowing down your choices of cell phone signal boosters is figuring out where it’s going to be used. Is it for your home or office? Or do you plan to use it on the go in a car, truck, or RV?
Cell Phone Boosters for Your Home or Office
Boosters designed for your home or office make use of three primary components: the outdoor mounted antenna, the actual booster itself, and an internal antenna.
In this application, the antenna mounted outdoors receives any available signal and sends it the booster, which is placed inside the building. The booster enhances the signal strength and sends it to the internal antenna, which provides improved cell phone coverage throughout the home.
Products such as the Home MultiRoom from weBoost include a multiroom booster that’s designed to provide enhanced coverage for up to three large rooms. Other choices, such as the Home Room, are ideal for boosting a weak signal spot in a single room. This might be a better option if you only have a small dead zone.
If you’d like to have your weBoost home system professionally installed for you, then you might consider the Home Complete Install. Installation is included in its price, and it’s one of the most powerful options available for strengthening residential cell phone signals.
Cell Phone Boosters for Your Vehicle
Mobile cell phone boosters work in a similar way: the outdoor antenna attaches magnetically to your vehicle’s surface, usually on the roof. It receives and sends cell signals to the booster, which is placed inside the vehicle, usually under a seat. An internal antenna located inside the vehicle broadcasts the boosted signal to provide enhanced cell coverage within the cabin. weBoost offers vehicle cell phone boosters for cars, SUVs, trucks, and RVs.
Cars and SUVs
For a car booster, choose between the Drive Reach, Drive X, or Drive Sleek, depending on your needs. The Reach and X provide coverage for multiple users, while the Sleek is designed for just one user.
RVs
Options for RVs include those for moving and/or stationary use, and weBoost cell phone booster options for RVs are designed for multiple users. These systems generally have to be a bit more powerful than systems designed for cars because RVs may have metal siding along with layers of insulation and other building materials.
Trucks
Cell phone boosters for trucks include an all-weather truck antenna that can be used while the truck is in motion. Choose between the Drive Reach OTR or Drive X OTR for multiple users, or the Drive Sleek OTR for a single user.
Fleet
For fleet vehicles, weBoost offers several options, including those with adjustable and fixed antennas, all of which are suitable for multiple users. These systems can keep delivery drivers or tradespeople in contact with dispatch, which is especially important for driving and working in remote locations.
Cell Phone Booster Features: What to Consider
While all cell phone signal boosters generally all perform the same functions, it’s important to look out for certain features while you’re shopping.
Networks Supported
weBoost cell signal boosters support every available network speed, all the way to 5G. So when you buy from weBoost, you don’t have to worry that the release of 5G in your area will render your booster obsolete. It won’t!
Room Coverage
If you are choosing a system for your home or office, decide how many rooms need coverage. For instance, if you know you’ll be making phone calls primarily in your downstairs office and occasionally may need coverage in the kitchen or living room for social calls, then you might consider a booster large enough to cover an entire floor of a house. Other boosters are ideal for just a single room.
Number of Users
Some cell phone signal boosters are designed for single users, which might make sense for a trucker who travels by himself, while others are for multiple users, like a family traveling in an RV.
Wireless Carrier
Whether your cell phone service comes from Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, U.S. Cellular or other carrier, you can rest assured that your service is compatible with your weBoost cell phone signal booster. This is because weBoost products are carrier agnostic, meaning they’ll work with all of them, even at the same time.
If you need more assistance with choosing a cell phone signal booster, reach out to the professionals at weBoost at our Technical Support Line for help. Call (866) 294-1660 for assistance, or check out our existing guide to boosters.
