Looking for a Bluetooth key finder. A quick search shows some for £5 – up to £30 for Apple and Samsung, then stuff in between.

Are the cheap ones OK? As long as they work I can’t see what extra the premium stuff gives you?

I’ve got some AirTags, they work really well.

The advantage is that so many people have Apple devices that the AirTag will tell you where it is as long as there is an Apple device in range of it.

I haven’t used any other for comparison though. And they’re less useful if you share keys, at least until Apple adds family sharing to them.

We’ve got a number of chipolo ones. The jury’s out, for me. They have the advantage that they work with (I think) any phone (unlike both Samsung and apple, as I understand it), and they seem to work fine. Downsides seem to be: to bleep them they do need to be in fairly close Bluetooth range it seems, they don’t benefit from the apple user base and they’re not that cheap. Oh, and they’re top big to fit in a fork steerer tube if you wanted to do that.

@gobuchul

@luket

I’ve just got a Chipolo One Spot as airtags seems to be in short supply at the moment. The benefit of these ones (one spot) is that they are on the apple network so work pretty much as an airtag. They don’t have the directional arrow functionality on the latest phones have but the beep from it is much louder than the airtag.

I’ve just got a Chipolo One Spot as airtags seems to be in short supply at the moment.

AirTags in stock @ Apple and other places! No offers around though, previously I’ve been able to pick up 4-packs for £80.

Chopolo One Spot looks interesting, I’d heard they were opening up the protocol for other manufactures to use, which is cool & benefits everyone really. Bigger than an AirTag but with a built-in keyring hole which is handy. 4 pack for £70 which is a good price!

Got one of the Samsung ones after a mate lost his car keys at Boltby Bash. Not really needed it yet but used the function where you press the button and locate your phone.

The tile ones work like airtags, so any nearby device will tell you it’s location. Handy when your wife is at home, you can see your keys are still there on the map thing

I have Tiles which are good. In fact they’re generally used to find the phone down the back of the sofa rather than the car keys – you can press a button on them to find your phone too.

Got them pre-Airtags though, I’d probably get an Airtag now based on the size of the Apple network, but if you just want them for keys there may be deals around. That said I hadn’t hear that Apple were opening the Airtag API up – hopefully Tile can utilise it as I have a few.