Apple AirTag Review

You can't beat the sheer size of Apple's Find My Network. The AirTag is easy to set up, simple to use, and under certain circumstances, one of the best Bluetooth trackers on the market. Perfect for your pets, the AirTag can be fastened to a collar don't ever lose your furry friends.

Performance Comparison

Network

It's hard to compete with the network size of the Apple AirTag. The tag taps into a network of 1.5 billion iPhones (and any other Apple device equipped with the Find My app) and relays an updated location of the tag to your phone once it gets within range. This is all done anonymously and discreetly. Let's say you lose your luggage at the airport. The likelihood of someone having an iPhone, AirPods, or some other Apple device nearby is extremely high, and as long as your tag is within 35 feet of that person or device, it will show up on your Find My app. The approximate location of your tag will appear as a pinned point on the map. From there, you can use your phone to ring the tracker or use its Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip for precision tracking. The Precision Finding tool turns your phone into a compass where you can follow the arrows (think hot and cold) until the distance reaches zero, and you should be on top of the item.

If you're in a city or busy place, you're pretty much guaranteed to be in the vicinity of an Apple product. This is where the AirTag shines and is one of the main reasons this tag wins any sort of awards. As we will explain in further detail below, it is perhaps best to rely on the extensiveness of the Find My network rather than its Bluetooth range.

Features & Ease of Use

Predictably, pairing it with your iPhone is incredibly simple — just having Bluetooth enabled prompts the phone to ask for a connection. The pairing is seamless, and the tag connects immediately to an iPhone. Folks with iPhones are most likely already familiar with the Find My feature and shouldn't have any trouble figuring the configuration out. AirTag batteries last for about a year, and when they eventually die, instead of having to throw your tracker in the trash, you can replace it with a CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery. It also has an IP67 ingress protection rating, making it water-resistant and able to withstand dust and dirt.

One thing worth noting is Apple recently integrated an additional safety feature to prevent people from being tracked without their knowledge. For starters, AirTags beep when separated from your iPhone for more than 8 to 12 hours. In addition, when an AirTag not registered to you is detected moving alongside your Apple device, it emits a sound automatically to alert individuals nearby of its presence. The AirTag is pretty rudimentary. There are no frills and no extras, but one thing is for sure: the product is easy to use and gives you the basic features needed to successfully track and find your belongings.

If you're hoping to keep up with your pet, the AirTag is the best option available. It is lightweight and resistant to mud and water. However, an additional holder needs to be purchased to fix it to the collar.

Noise

When you're searching for the tracker in the Find My app, it only has one tone to choose from that is too soft and pleasant for our liking. So far, Apple has not created an option to customize ringtones or add different sounds that might better suit your liking.

There are, however, a few different sounds that you'll hear from the AirTag that are important to differentiate. For instance, during the initial setup, you'll hear a nice quiet tone to know it's complete. A different beeping noise is emitted when using the Find My App to search for your item. If the tag gets separated from its owner's iPhone or iPad, it will uniquely notify individuals in proximity of its presence. Also, when the battery is running low, the device emits a sequence of beeps to indicate that the battery needs replacement. The noise level is about average, measuring in at 73.3 decibels.

Range

The range on the AirTag is rather disappointing. Clocking in at around 35 feet, it has one of the smallest ranges out of the Bluetooth trackers that we tested. This is where the AirTag falls short. If you're someone who is predominately looking for things inside your house or a set of keys, then the limited range shouldn't be a problem. Beyond this, you will be relying on the large Find My network to reconnect you with your belongings.

Apple's tracker is rather obsolete if you live in a more rural area. If you lose your keys while on a hike in the forest, unfortunately, the AirTag won't be much help unless you or someone else who happens to have an iPhone comes within 35 feet. On the other hand, if your luggage gets lost in a busy airport thousands of miles away, you're likely to locate it due to the proximity of so many people with iPhones. So the moral of the story is the tag works great in crowded, busy places and is rather useless in remote places.

Physical Attributes

Small and sleek would be a good way to describe the AirTag. We like its slim design and how it goes practically unnoticed, slipped into our luggage or in a wallet. If it went out of range or lost battery power (if its tracking powers couldn't be summoned), it would be pretty easy to misplace. You can only get the tag in one color, but you can opt for a free engraving and add emojis, your name, or whatever you want when you purchase the device.

The circular AirTag weighs 11 grams and has a diameter is 1.26 inches. All in all, it's slightly larger than a quarter. The tag doesn't have any sort of built-in loop or any other way to attach to your keys. Apple conveniently solves that problem by making a variety of different accessories and keychains to do so, with an additional purchase.

Should You Buy the AirTag?

The Apple AirTag is a simple Bluetooth tracker that is exceptional under certain circumstances. With its vast network, the device works great in crowded places or if you live in a large city or town. For iPhone users, it's easy to set up and links seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem. It is also our top choice for pet owners. If you live in a rural area or want to track your adventurous pet that wanders off into the woods, this device is probably not for you due to its limited range.

What Other Bluetooth Trackers Should You Consider?

The Chipolo One Spot would be another great option as not only can it tap into Apple's Find My network, but it has a larger range, making it a more versatile product. Tile trackers such as the Tile Pro, Tile Slim Card, Tile Mate, and the Tile Sticker would also be great options as the Tile App is compatible with iOS. It's important to note that Tile uses its own network so you wouldn't be operating within the Find My network.