Best Bluetooth Trackers 2024: AirTag, Tile, Chipolo & More

The AirTag might not be the most affordable when you’ve purchased an adjunct to connect it to a keyring, however when you’ve got an iPhone—particularly one of many newest mannequin with a U1 chip (Apple iPhone 11 and later), it’s the only option.

That’s since you’ll get satnav-like instructions whenever you’re inside about 20 toes of the AirTag due to the ultrawideband know-how it makes use of at the side of its U1 chip that makes use of enter from an iPhone’s digicam, Apple’s ARKit augmented actuality platform, accelerometer and gyroscope to information you to a misplaced AirTag utilizing sound, haptics, and visible suggestions..

The opposite motive is that in the event you lose the AirTag (and no matter is hooked up to it) whenever you’re out and about, there’s probability another person with an iPhone will stroll inside vary ultimately. Some non-Apple trackers are additionally certifed to work with this community of tons of of tens of millions of iPhone customers that makes finding your misplaced object much more doable.

The drawback with AirTags are that they don’t work with Android gadgets and don’t have a gap for slotting onto a keyring. As a substitute you’ll have to purchase a keyring holder from Apple (which doubles the associated fee) or a less expensive third-party holder.

The Tile Professional has been round for few years now, and because of a redesign that matches extra simply in a bunch of keys, it stays top-of-the-line Bluetooth trackers. The Tile Professional works reliably and – not like the Tile Mate – nonetheless has a replaceable battery.

It’s IP67 water-resistant regardless of the replaceable battery, and measures 58 x 32 x 7.5mm. It takes a CR2032 battery that lasts as much as a yr and – in our expertise – a couple of months longer.

The ringer is sweet and loud, so it’s simpler to listen to even when stuffed in a pocket or below a cushion. And theoretically it’ll connect with the app as much as 400ft away. That’s in good circumstances although, so anticipate it to be much less in the true world. 

You don’t get the exact instructions that AirTag house owners do – Tile continues to be engaged on its ‘Extremely’ tracker to handle this. For now, the Tile app reveals inexperienced rings which mild up as you get nearer. It might be good if there was a ‘compact view’ setting to keep away from a number of scrolling on the house display when you’ve got a number of Tiles, although.

As with the Mate (see under), it’s a must to subscribe to the Premium service if you’d like ‘left behind’ alerts, location historical past and a substitute battery by the put up on the proper time.  

When you think about {that a} Chipolo One is cheaper and provides most of those options with out a subscription, the Tile is simply value the additional cash since you’ll profit from Tile’s a lot bigger consumer base which may simply discover your misplaced merchandise.

Chipolo beat Apple to the punch by making its present One tracker appropriate with Discover My earlier than Apple launched the AirTag.

In some methods it’s higher than the AirTag, too, as the outlet means you may get it out of the field and pop it in your keyring without having an adjunct.

It really works solely with the Discover My app, not Chipolo’s personal app, which suggests it’s no use in the event you’re an Android proprietor. (And in case you are, Chipolo now provides the One Level which works with Google’s Discover My system.)

Nevertheless, when you’ve got an iPhone, the One Spot is a superb tracker, with an extended vary and barely louder ring than an AirTag – and it’s cheaper, too. Plus, it leverages the identical millions-strong group of iPhone customers which suggests a a lot greater probability of monitoring down a misplaced merchandise than in the event you lose a Chipolo One, which depends on Chipolo’s smaller group of customers.

The {hardware} is actually the identical because the Chipolo One under, with IPX5 water resistance and a replaceable battery, although it lasts solely a yr somewhat than two regardless of being the identical CR2032 cell.

After all, this additionally implies that there’s no U1 chip, so that you don’t get the identical exact instructions as with an AirTag whenever you’re shut by however nonetheless can’t discover your lacking merchandise.

There are various Bluetooth tracker producers, however Chipolo is the one model we’ve examined – thus far – that may compete with Apple and Tile.

The Chipolo One has a replaceable battery, however not like the older Traditional mannequin it’s water-resistant to the IPX5 customary, which principally means it’ll be completely okay if it will get rained on.

It takes a CR2032 battery which lasts as much as two years and is available in numerous colors, which is sweet.

There’s a separate mannequin known as the Ocean Version. Its outer shell is produced from recycled plastic retrieved from the ocean, and Chipolo will donate $1 to the non-profit Oceanic International for each purchased. It’s costlier than the common version, so defending the ocean will value you.

Chipolo’s app bears greater than a passing resemblance to Tile’s app, so there’s a clear interface that’s intuitive to make use of.

One helpful function is left-behind alerts. It’s on by default and whenever you stroll away along with your cellphone far sufficient (past the 200ft connection vary) you’ll get an audible alert from the app asking in the event you meant to depart your merchandise behind. 

We discovered this method labored higher than Tile’s, alerting us a lot sooner. Plus, not like Tile’s you don’t should pay for the function by subscribing to a premium tier of the service.

There’s Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri on assist, so you may ask the assistant to ring your merchandise – extra handy than unlocking your cellphone, opening the app and ready for the gadget to attach.

The One’s vary wasn’t fairly 200ft, however the ringer may be very loud. And that is essential as a result of the possibilities are that your keys are in a coat pocket or sown the aspect of the couch cushions.

One other bonus is that – not like Tile – you may log in along with your account particulars to Chipolo’s internet portal in any browser to see the place your trackers had been final seen. You possibly can’t ring them, however you may mark them as misplaced and you’ll ring your cellphone, as long as it has an web connection and the Chipolo app is operating within the background.

Like Tile, the Chipolo allows you to ring your cellphone from the tracker itself and there’s a ‘Group Discover’ system for monitoring misplaced objects exterior of Bluetooth vary. Nevertheless, this can be a lot smaller than Tile’s consumer base, which itself is far smaller than Apple’s, so the possibilities are slimmer of your misplaced tracker being situated by one other Chipolo proprietor. That’s the primary downside right here.

The Tile Mate was up to date in 2022, that includes a barely curvier design. 

For below twenty quid (or 25 bucks), options aren’t on a par with the Professional: the speaker is quieter and the vary is 250ft (76m). That’s nonetheless very respectable, although, and also you profit from the identical reliability, the identical set of options, the identical app and the identical crowd-find system.

It’s not as loud because the Chipolo One – which is simply fractionally costlier – and it’s a must to subscribe the Tile Premium service if you’d like additional options reminiscent of Sensible Alerts which are free with the Chipolo.

Disappointingly, the battery is not replaceable, however the battery is now stated to final three years. Clearly we haven’t been capable of confirm that: verify again in 2025 to seek out out whether or not the declare is true or not!

This credit-card sized, pocket-friendly Bluetooth tracker is simply 2mm thick which suggests you need to be capable of slip it into your pockets with out making it too cumbersome.

Waterproof and dustproof, it really works with Apple’s Discover My app operates very similar to Apple’s personal AirTag—besides it’s a lot thinner and so received’t wreck your pockets with an unsightly bulge.

Its tracker ring tone emits as much as 80 decibels. Should you want louder, take a look at the Chipolo Card Spot, reviewed under, which may blast out 105dB.

Battery life is two-years, and you’ll’t swap out for a brand new battery when it’s light like you might with an AirTag.

Journey additionally provides a LOC8 Finder Fob with the identical capabilities however extra just like the AirTag or Chipolo One Spot in dimensions.

At 2.4mm thick this credit-card sized Bluetooth tracker is a tiny bit thicker than the 2mm Journey LOC8 Finder Card.

As with Chipolo’s One Spot, the Card Spot works with Apple’s Discover My system, so that you’ll want an iPhone or iPad to make use of it.

The advantages are value it, although, because it’s super-simple to arrange and, after all, you don’t even have to obtain an app or join a Chipolo account: it really works along with your present Apple ID.

Lose your pockets and there’s a a lot larger probability you’ll discover it once more than in the event you used, say Tile’s Slim tracker (under). That’s as a result of any iPhone that strikes inside vary of your misplaced pockets can anonymously report the Card Spot’s location, permitting you to see on a map the place it was final seen.

So long as your iPhone and iPad has up-to-date software program, you’ll get alerts in the event you go away the Card Spot behind, and—though non-replaceable—the built-in battery ought to final two years.

The Sticker is available in packs of two or 4 and is the plain tracker to make use of in case your TV distant is misplaced regularly.

However you might additionally stick one to a digicam, skateboard, cordless drill, glasses case, below the saddle of your bike – just about something, in actual fact, as long as it has a flat floor large sufficient for the 27mm gadget.

It’s water resistant, and its battery now lasts as much as three years. It’s only a disgrace you may’t substitute it. However the little button has  been relocated to the aspect of the gadget which avoids unintentional presses – an issue on the unique mannequin. The button allows you to ring you cellphone, simply as with the opposite Tile trackers.

Stickers behave precisely like a Tile Mate or Professional, and the second-gen mannequin has an elevated vary of 250 toes (76m). 

If there’s a criticism it’s that they’re costlier than the Tile Mate, and solely are available packs of two or 4.

The Slim was up to date with a 2022 mannequin, identical to the remainder of Tile’s vary. Although they’re known as ‘2022’ they really launched in October 2021.

Nevertheless, this takes nothing away from the truth that battery life has been improved consistent with the Sticker and Mate, so a Slim now lasts three years as an alternative of two.

Sadly the battery isn’t replaceable, so its life is extra restricted than the Professional, which is now the one mannequin that has a battery which will be modified.

The Slim, although, is the best selection in the event you want a tracker to your pockets, and it’s the proper measurement to slide right into a baggage tag, or connect to a pocket book.

Vary is elevated to 250ft (76m) and the ringer is simply as loud because the Mate and Sticker. The unhealthy information is that it’s simply as costly because the Professional, so that you’re buying and selling off vary, ringer loudness and the replaceable battery for the thinner kind issue.