It happens in all families, and in all groups of friends or colleagues. In every assortment of humans there is a person who loses everything, the one to whom the keys cannot be entrusted, the one to whom you never say “keep my phone for a moment”, the one who locks himself out of the house once a week ( he goes out forgetting his keys), the one who never remembers where he parked the car, the one who is asked for security when exiting a bar or restaurant “you didn't leave your wallet on the table, did you?”.
It's not a fault: some people find it harder than others to keep track of their items, that's all. Theirs is a difficult life. To make life easier for the person who loses everything from the Post (because obviously there is one at the Post too), the editorial team tried six Bluetooth trackers. If the name doesn't tell you anything, you may have heard them called “Tile” (from the most famous brand tracker), or “Bluetooth object finder” or “Bluetooth locators”: they have a lot of names.
What are they?
Bluetooth trackers are small devices that attach themselves to what you absolutely must not lose: your house or car keys, eg. They work via Bluetooth via an app that can be downloaded to your smartphone. For our test we chose six: Filo, Tile Mate, Wistiki, TrackR Pixel, Chipolo and FindElfl. They are all available on the Italian market and can be purchased on Amazon. They have a price between 20 and 35 euros except FindElfl which we have included in the list for completeness: it is much cheaper, it costs 6 euros, but – we get there – it is not very reliable.
All the trackers we tested have two basic functions. The first is to play a ringtone when, through the app to which they are connected, they are given the command to do so. This should make it easy to find the object they are attached to. Basically, they allow us to do for other objects what we do when we do not find the telephone, that is to call it from another telephone to make it ring. For example, if you have attached the tracker to your house keys and you no longer know where you have put them, you can activate the “search” function and the tracker will start making a sound (basically annoying) to help you find out in which pocket you had put them. To make it ring, the device must be within Bluetooth range, and for each tracker there is a maximum distance within which the smartphone will be able to find it.
However, if the tracker – and your keys – are already beyond the maximum distance and the app tells you that it cannot connect with the tracker via Bluetooth, you will still have the possibility to find out where it was the last time it was nearby. on the phone (i.e. close to you) thanks to the second basic function of the trackers.
The app, in fact, shows you on a map the last position it recorded. Then you can sadly verify that you have left the keys in the office and that you have to go back to get them. This second function is also very useful for the forgetful: if you leave a tracker in your car, on the app map you can quickly find where you parked it.
Finally, all the trackers we have chosen are similar in the activation methods. In all cases it is necessary to download an app – different for each tracker, of course -, register (or log in via Facebook or Google, where possible), activate the Bluetooth of the smartphone and follow a series of instructions for pairing the device with your phone. Trackers therefore don't work without apps, so check compatibility with your phones before buying one. In almost all cases, the app is quite intuitive, it provides the necessary instructions for installing the tracker and allows you to understand what its specific functions are. Now let's move on to the details.
Filo Tag
Filo is a tracker produced by an Italian company: it looks like a small rectangular plastic plate with a rubber eyelet, so it is easy to hook to keys. It has a button in the center and comes with the battery already charged: it lasts about a year and can be replaced.
In addition to the two basic functions, Filo has a third very useful one, which you can choose to activate from the app: if you have the tracker in your hand, but cannot find the phone, pressing the central button twice will make the phone ring, even if it is in silent mode. Very handy when you have to go out in a hurry and you have no idea where your smartphone is. Furthermore, for each Wire, a “Comfort zone” can be set: if you are too far away from the tracker and from the object to which you have attached it, a notification will arrive on your phone.
It costs 30 euros , on Amazon.
Tile Mate
According to Wirecutter, the influential New York Times review site, Tile brand trackers are the most reliable on the market. Tile produces different types of trackers, for our test we chose the Tile Mate, the basic one. It is a square of white plastic with a hole and a button in the center, it comes with the battery already charged: in turn it lasts about a year and can be replaced. Even with Tile Mate you can make your phone ring remotely when you can't find it.
Tile Mate also has the ability to activate more sophisticated functions. For example, you can activate an alarm that makes the phone ring if you leave without the object to which the tracker is attached, or synchronize other Bluetooth objects with the Tile app, such as Bose headphones, or Hershel wallets and key rings from line produced in collaboration with Tile. However, these accessory functions are only available for those who subscribe to an optional subscription to Tile Premium, an additional service that costs 3 euros per month.
There is a rather handy feature that you can set up for free, however, and that is sharing a Tile. Let's say you have attached the Tile to your set of keys. For example, if you have a roommate, it may also be useful for him to know where the main set of keys to your house is. If the roommate also downloads the app, you can share with him the possibility of playing and keeping an eye on the Tile linked to the bunch of keys. Our test on the latter function, however, was not fully satisfactory, we warn you.
Tile Mate costs 25 euros, on Amazon.
FindElfl
Chinese product, very cheap, made of hard plastic, FindElfl is drop-shaped with a button in the center. The app is less user friendly than the others, also because the commands are translated into a somewhat shaky Italian.
Before turning on the tracker you need to open the battery compartment and remove the piece of plastic that separates the battery from the circuit. To turn it on, then, you have to press the button for two seconds: it is the only tracker for which it is possible to turn it on and off. All the others, once activated, are always operational.
In addition to the two basic functions, FindElfi also has the ability to make the phone ring by pressing the tracker key twice. It also allows you to set an alarm that is activated if the tracker moves away from the phone (therefore from you) beyond a certain distance (the maximum is 12-15 meters): if this happens, both the phone and the tracker will ring at the same time. It is presented as a function to not lose your child or your dog, when you take them to a crowded place or to play outside (yes, in this case you should attach the tracker to the child or the dog). As you ask yourself the necessary questions about the ethics of this feature we anticipate that FindElfl is not a 100 percent reliable device, quite the contrary. So keep looking at them, the children. And dogs.
It costs 8 euros, on Amazon.
Chipolo
Chipolo (pronounced Cipòlo) is a tracker with a circular shape and hard plastic, much to the disappointment of those who tried it, who had chosen it for the rubbery aspect. In addition to the two basic functions, you can use it to make your phone ring by pressing the center of the tracker twice. You can then share the same Chipolo with other people, as happens with Tile.
Finally, from its web app, Chipolo can give you the possibility to locate your phone, in case you have lost it or have it stolen. It comes in various colors, which doesn't hurt.
It costs 30 euros, on Amazon.
TrackR Pixel
TrackR Pixel is also made of hard black plastic, circular in shape (much less cute than Chipolo, for those who think that the eye also wants his part).
In addition to the two basic functions, TrackR Pixel allows you to make your phone ring by pressing twice on the center of the tracker. Furthermore, for each TrackR Pixel that is associated with the app downloaded on a smartphone, an alarm can be set that sounds as soon as the tracker leaves the range of the phone (using the usual example of keys: if you are leaving the house with the phone but without keys , the keys will ring). You can also set the reverse function: if you are going out with the tracker (i.e. with the keys) but you are forgetting the phone, the phone will ring. On Amazon it costs 10 euros.
Wistiki
Wistiki is a French product, designed by Philippe Starck: we say it for those who want design-things (if you know French there is is a poetic presentation of Wistiki by Starck himself). It is light, looks a lot like a USB stick, has a central button and a transparent part. In addition to the two basic functions, Wistiki allows you to make the phone ring by pressing the tracker key twice, and allows you to share the tracker with another user, as long as the other user has also downloaded the app. Wistiki costs 21 euros, on Amazon.
Our tests
We tested the trackers in the newsroom, on the stairs and in a medium-sized apartment. We have verified that the maximum operating distance is similar for all trackers, 12-15 meters: inside the apartment the phone was able to locate them all without problems. All trackers had some difficulty connecting when the phone was not on the same floor as themselves.
First we checked their connection speed : how long does it take before we can play the trackers once we open the app on the phone? With TrackR Pixel, Chipolo and Filo just wait a few seconds. With Tile and Wistiki the times are slightly lengthened (but it is still under one minute). With FildElfi we had a not insignificant problem. We turned it on six times – three times it connected to the app pretty fast. Three times, however, the app was unable to locate him, as if he were not in the room. Bad sign.
We then tested them for sound and signal strength . We first locked them in a drawer inside a room and activated them from the next room, keeping the doors open. They could all connect – except FindElfl, which we excluded from testing at this point – and everyone's sound was audible. We repeated the test by taking them out of the drawer, but closing the door between the rooms: again the connection was fast for everyone, and the sound audible. Finally we activated them by closing two doors between us and them: they all managed to connect, but there were many differences in terms of sound. The sound of Tile and Filo was still very clear and audible, that of Chipolo and Trackr much fainter but audible, that of Wistiki was no longer audible. We then moved beyond the maximum distance to verify the accuracy of the recording system of the last position : in all cases it was correct.
We finally tested the sharing functions of the trackers that had it. That of Tile is not fully satisfactory: the person with whom the Tile is shared cannot count on the same efficiency in making it play or find it again. Wistiki works best at finding it, but the person it is shared with cannot make it play. Chipolo allows you to share your tracker with up to four people who can easily do the same things as the owner of the Chipolo. The owner can decide to revoke their access.
So which is the best?
Excluding FindElfl, mercilessly rejected, the answer is: it depends on your needs nze. If for your use it counts that the sound is intense and audible, it is better to focus on Filo or Tile (of the two, Filo has one more thing: the “Comfort Zone” function, which you can also have with Tile but for a fee) .
If, on the other hand, you need a tracker for sharing, Wistiki and Chipolo are a good solution (of the two, Chipolo has a more powerful sound). Finally, if you want a tracker to attach to your children when you take them to the playground TrackR Pixel is fine because it has the alarm function, but feel judged.
On batteries
Except Wistiki, all the trackers mentioned in the article work on batteries similar to those for watches. For example, CR2025 batteries for Chipolo, CR1632 for Tile Mate and CR2032 for Filo Tag. The Wistiki, on the other hand, is not designed to be opened by users, so to continue using it after three years of battery life (according to the manufacturer) it must be replaced.
Disclaimer: on some of the sites linked in the articles of the Consumerism section, the Post has an affiliation and obtains a small share of revenues, without price changes. But you can also google for the same things.
