trustedreviews.com

Best Bluetooth Tracker 2024: Top trackers to find your valuables

Bluetooth trackers have undergone significant advancements in recent years, not only in their compact design but also in the features they offer to assist in locating your lost valuables. However, the progress in connectivity brings along its own challenges, including compatibility with smartphones and charging considerations.

While all Bluetooth trackers serve the common purpose of helping you find misplaced items, the nuances can vary depending on the brand of the tracker and even the brand of smartphone you own. An Apple AirTag is great if you’ve got an iPhone, but not so much if you’re an Android user.

Design aspects like the size and shape are also crucial to consider, as well as battery life and, of course, the crucial price tag. This all contributes to the complexity of the decision-making process.

Choosing a Bluetooth tracker in 2024 may seem like navigating a maze, but fear not—Trusted Reviews is here to guide you. We’ve meticulously researched and tested some of the most popular and capable Bluetooth trackers available, ranging from Apple’s high-end AirTag to Tile’s latest offering, to identify the very best options on the market.

Each tracker featured in this list has undergone thorough testing for at least a week in various scenarios. This testing includes evaluating elements such as audio alerts, connectivity over long distances, and resistance to interference from obstacles like walls, providing you with the most comprehensive insights possible.

Best Bluetooth trackers at a glance

SQUIRREL_ANCHOR_LIST

How we test

How we test Bluetooth trackers

At Trusted Reviews, our comprehensive testing process for Bluetooth trackers goes beyond the ordinary to ensure that our readers receive accurate and valuable insights. Our rigorous evaluation begins with a minimum testing period of one week, during which we immerse the trackers in a wide range of real-world scenarios.

One of the key aspects we focus on is the audio alert system of Bluetooth trackers. We subject each tracker to controlled, quiet and noisy environments to gauge the audibility and effectiveness of their alert signals.

Our process also includes testing connectivity over extended distances, simulating scenarios where a user might be separated from their belongings by considerable space. We measure how consistently the Bluetooth trackers maintain a connection with the paired smartphone, pushing the limits to ensure their performance aligns with real-world expectations.

Additionally, we explore how well these trackers fare in the face of physical barriers such as walls, assessing their ability to overcome interference and deliver consistent tracking results even when obstructions are present.

We also extensively interact with the tracker apps, assessing their ease of use, functionality, and overall design.

Apple AirTag

Best for iPhone users

Trusted Score

Pros

Ties in excellently with iOS and the huge Find My network

Precision Finding is a neat trick

Pretty affordable

The tracking is very good

Cons

Design isn’t particularly well thought out in a number of ways

Accessories required for basic functionality

No sharing of AirTags between family members

If you’ve got an iPhone and are in the market for a Bluetooth tracker, the Apple AirTag is your best option.

It seamlessly integrates with your iPhone with a simple pairing process and utilises the two billion iOS devices worldwide to help locate your stuff once you’re out of Bluetooth range. Tile also provides a similar network, but only works on phones with the Tile app installed, limiting its reach compared to Apple’s system.

There’s also the functionality of the AirTag itself; as well as boasting a fairly loud chime to help you find your lost items, it uses Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology to direct you towards your item with pinpoint accuracy – far more useful than the generic ‘nearby’ readings you’ll find from competitors. It’s limited to more recent iPhones (iPhone 11 or newer) but is a game-changer for those who can take advantage of it.

There are also helpful anti-stalking measures built in, including alerting you if an unregistered AirTag is constantly in your vicinity, and an audible chime will go off regularly to alert those without an iOS device that a tracker is nearby.

That’s not to say it’s perfect, however; the design requires the use of an accessory (in the form of a keyring holder, bag strap, etc) to attach it to most items and, in typical fashion, the accessories are expensive – some more than the AirTag itself. It’s also exclusive to iPhone owners, with no kind of app support for Android users.

Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Apple AirTag review

Tile Mate (2022)

Best for tracking keys

Trusted Score

Pros

Nicely made

Good Bluetooth range

Three-year battery

Cons

Battery can’t be replaced

Bluetooth only

No ultra wideband

Before Apple stepped onto the scene, Tile was by far the biggest name in Bluetooth trackers. The brand also remains a better pick for Android users thanks to its platform-agnostic approach. Tile offers several designs, with the Tile Mate (2024) being the best option for hanging from your keys.

The Tile Mate is a small, robust Bluetooth tracker with a loop in the corner perfect for hooking onto your keys. It isn’t as small or slim as the Tile Slim and Tile Sticker but the design has seen a subtle refresh compared to the 2022 model and is a bit more lightweight and plasticky-feeling than the Tile Pro. The Mate also carries an IP68 IP rating, protecting the tracker against sand and water.

Just like the Slim and Sticker, the Tile Mate connects to your Tile account via an app on your phone and broadcasts that location to the Tile network. This allows the tracker to use other devices on the Tile network to alert you of its location if it falls out of Bluetooth range.

The Tile Mate has a reasonable detection rate, but no GPS or Ultra-Wideband making it a little less precise than other trackers. However, once you’re in the general vicinity of the tracker, you can set off the speaker to locate it by sound.

The Mate is compatible with two apps, giving you a choice between the Tile app and the Life360 app, with the latter also offering an SOS alert feature to alert pre-selected contacts of your location when the Mate is pressed thrice.

The battery has a three-year lifespan, meaning you’ll need to replace the tracker after three years. Pick up the Tile Pro instead and you’ll be able to change the battery and keep going, but this comes at a premium. If you’re looking for Tile’s most basic and affordable tracker (tied with the Tile Sticker), the Mate is our recommendation.

Reviewer: Ian EvendenFull review: Tile Mate (2024) review

Tile Slim (2022)

Best credit card-style tracker

Trusted Score

Pros

Thin and unobtrusive

Three-year battery

Loud enough to find by sound

Cons

Battery not replaceable

Detection range is a bit disappointing

Still possible to lose

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth tracker the size of a credit card, ideal for slipping into your wallet or inside your passport, the Tile Slim (2024) is our top pick.

As you can probably guess from its name, the Slim is the slimmest of Tile’s 2024 line-up though it is a bit thicker than an actual credit card. Nevertheless, this tracker is the perfect shape for sliding into wallets, pockets, the lining of a bag or the dust jacket of a book or diary. This is a huge strength for the tracker – you could even use a bit of double-sided tape to get a similar effect to the Tile Sticker.

Once you move past looks, the Tile Slim functions similarly to the Tile Mate and Tile Sticker. The Slim has the same IP68 rating as the rest of the 2024 line – an upgrade from the 2022 model. It also relies on the Tile network to locate your possessions via Bluetooth and sounds, with no GPS or Ultra-Wideband support. This makes Tile trackers best in highly populated areas as opposed to remote locations, delivering comparable performance to the Tile Sticker in our tests.

Like the Mate and Sticker, the Tile Slim gives you a choice of the standard Tile app and the Life360 app. The latter enables the SOS feature to send an emergency alert to pre-selected contacts with a triple press.

The battery isn’t replaceable and the speaker can get muffled in certain locations, but for tracking wallets, passports and books, the Tile Slim is a thin and seamless option.

Reviewer: Ian EvendenFull review: Tile Slim (2024) review

Tile Sticker

Best adhesive-based tracker

Trusted Score

Pros

Slim and unobtrusive format

Strong adhesive

Cons

Battery is not replaceable

Quiet chime sound

The Tile Sticker (2024) is Tile’s smallest, most unobtrusive tracker with its sticky surface making it ideal for placing on pretty much anything it can stick to, from phones to cars, luggage and more.

Like the Tile Mate and Tile Slim, the Tile Sticker carries an IP68 IP rating to protect it against dust and water. The tracker has a lightweight design with a smooth, rounded rectangle shape and a flat back surface coated in glue. This sticky surface is designed to last three years (as is the battery), so you shouldn’t have a problem peeling it off when it’s time to replace the tracker.

The Sticker, like the Mate and Slim, can also be used with your choice of the Tile and Life360 apps on iOS or Android. Again, the latter includes an additional SOS feature for sending pre-selected contacts your location when you need assistance with a triple click on the tracker’s button.

The Sticker offers good adhesion onto surfaces and an increased Bluetooth range of 106m, though we found that the signal petered out at about 30m. Thankfully, the tracker is designed to work within the Tile network, allowing you to rely on the phones of other Tile users to locate your belongings when you lose them out and about.

The tracker can also play a chirpy tune when you’re nearby to help you locate it at short distances, rather than including GPS or Ultra-Wideband technology. This also makes it a great choice for sticking onto a TV remote as you’ll be able to play the sound to locate it in your home.

Reviewer: Ian EvendenFull review: Tile Sticker (2024) review

Chipolo One Spot

Best AirTag alternative

Trusted Score

Pros

IPX5 water resistance

Apple Find My integration

Replaceable battery

Cons

No support for Android devices

Limited colour options

No UWB tech

Slightly cheaper than Apple’s AirTag, the Chipolo One Spot is a great alternative if you want a Bluetooth tracker that still works with the Find My app but doesn’t require extra costly accessories to attach it to keys and other items.

At just under 38mm wide and 7.65g, the One Spot is not just small and lightweight but durable too, with an IPX5 rating which means it’s water resistant and can survive the odd drop or two.

Capable of precise tracking, the One Spot seamlessly integrates with the Find My app which makes setting up and tracking incredibly easy, only taking a matter of seconds.

To quickly locate your tracker, say if you’re rushing out of the house and need to find your keys, your One Spot will produce a loud and easy to hear sound which you can then follow. For items left further afield, simply tap the One Spot on your list of devices in the Find My app.

It’s worth noting that unlike the AirTag, the One Spot does not have Ultra Wide Band (UWB) support. UWB support allows an iPhone user to track an AirTag using an on-screen arrow to point and direct you towards it. Even so, the Find My app is perfectly capable of showing you where you need to go.

Many Bluetooth trackers don’t have replaceable batteries, which means once the tracker runs out of juice then the whole device needs to be thrown away. Not only is this incredibly wasteful but it’s also expensive. Luckily, the One Spot battery not only lasts for up to a year but can easily be replaced once it runs out.

Remember, if you’re on the Android ecosystem then the Chipolo One Spot won’t be compatible with your devices.

Review: Chipolo One Spot

Full review:Sean Cameron

We also considered…

Tile Mate (2022)

Never lose your keys again with Tile’s convenient little locator

Tile Pro

The iPhone 11 Pro of Tile – it’s super-good, but most folk should opt for the cheaper model.

Tile Mate

The iPhone 11 of Tile – the model that most people should buy.

Tile Slim

Tile eats some humble pie and finally brings a coveted form-factor to its tracker range – with tremendous results

FAQs

What’s the best tracker for iPhone users?

While you’re free to use most Bluetooth trackers on iPhone, Apple’s AirTag offers the best experience for iOS owners with easy pairing and exclusive features like Precision Finding.

What’s the best tracker for Android users?

For most people, the Tile Mate (2024) will suffice, but specific trackers might work better with specific brands of smartphones. Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag is best used with Samsung devices, for example.

How long do Bluetooth trackers last?

Most Tile trackers have a two-to-three-year battery life. The AirTag is much less at around a year of use, but the battery is easily replaced.