Tracker chips, Tile etc... (connect, reviews, phone, direct)

[Izzie1213]

Shopping around for a tracker chip. It will be for a Christmas gift for son, along with new wallet. He is one of those guys that has left his wallet at friends, work, lost in car, lost somewhere in home.
Some brands have slim ones shaped like credit card, one brand is regardable, others not. Not totally sold in those. Would rather get a "standard" chip.

Thinking of getting the brand Tile, a chip that you can change battery rather than one that you can't. Plan to find a wallet that has section for coins the chip will fit it.

Features I like, out of proximity warning, sounds to locate (all done of course with app on smart phone) ,last place chips was detected, directional locater. Sounds like it is iffy when app is turned off. Some complaints that you have to run app all the time and that drains phones battery, not sure which brand cans work that way.

Anyone use them and did they work well? What brand do you like? There are so many reviews on line so now I'm really confused.

[MikeBear]

Originally Posted by Izzie1213

Shopping around for a tracker chip. It will be for a Christmas gift for son, along with new wallet. He is one of those guys that has left his wallet at friends, work, lost in car, lost somewhere in home.
Some brands have slim ones shaped like credit card, one brand is regardable, others not. Not totally sold in those. Would rather get a "standard" chip.

Thinking of getting the brand Tile, a chip that you can change battery rather than one that you can't. Plan to find a wallet that has section for coins the chip will fit it.

Features I like, out of proximity warning, sounds to locate (all done of course with app on smart phone) ,last place chips was detected, directional locater. Sounds like it is iffy when app is turned off. Some complaints that you have to run app all the time and that drains phones battery, not sure which brand cans work that way.

Anyone use them and did they work well? What brand do you like? There are so many reviews on line so now I'm really confused.

How about just buying him one of the old-school "wallet on a chain"?

He can then hook it to his belt, and the wallet can then never be left anywhere, as it never is disconnected from his body. Yet, the chain is long enough to pull it out and use the wallet.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by MikeBear

How about just buying him one of the old-school "wallet on a chain"?

He can then hook it to his belt, and the wallet can then never be left anywhere, as it never is disconnected from his body. Yet, the chain is long enough to pull it out and use the wallet.

I believe that would be a trucker chip...

[Izzie1213]

I ordered the Chipolo Classic today. It was 30.00 with a 5.00 discount, plus shipping so 29.00. Replaceable battery was a must have feature. It was between this and Tile with a replaceable battery. But some if tiles features may need a small monthly fee that Chipolo has this is free.. something about crowd finding, I'm confused so just bought the stupid thing. Although Tile is a more common finder so would probably work better in that feature but not so concerned with that.

I was considering the wallet with chain but that would entail him finding wallet to put on his belt loop in the morning which is usually when he can't find it. He has left wallet at friends and families too. Chios have a tether feature so if away from your phone sends a alarm to smart phone. So he just has to remember to change battery every year, but some reports say maybe 6 months.

Dear God how did we survive without these electronics. Using paper maps, phones with cords and such!!-----sarcasm here-----

[Debsi]

I am my husband’s wallet tile - your son just needs to get married.

I bought him an earlier generation of these things (it was huge) and it didn’t work out, he took it out of the wallet. He probably wouldn’t change the battery either.

[turf3]

Well, don't forget that habits can be your best friends. If you develop the habit of keeping up with your wallet, and you suffer the consequences of not doing so, you will soon stop losing it. If you rely on a bunch of nannies to keep up with it for you, you won't develop those beneficial habits.

For a similar example, I grew up in a big city. Part of normal training in those days was that when you leave the house, you lock all the doors, without exception, and when you leave your car, you roll up the windows and lock the doors, without exception. Because 50 years later I do these things without exception, I do not come home to find I've left the door open, nor do I find the same with the car. I can't say how many minor thefts this has prevented, but since a huge fraction of thefts from houses and cars occur with unlocked houses and vehicles, I can be pretty sure that some have been prevented.

Same thing, I always, always, leave the wallet on the table by the front door when I come in the house. I always put it in exactly the same place in the car (I don't like to sit on it). I don't have a lot of trouble knowing where it is.

Use the built-in human tendencies to develop habits, to ensure things get done, rather than relying on outside help.

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by turf3

Well, don't forget that habits can be your best friends.
Same thing, I always, always, leave the wallet on the table by the front door when I come in the house. I always put it in exactly the same place in the car (I don't like to sit on it). I don't have a lot of trouble knowing where it is.

Use the built-in human tendencies to develop habits, to ensure things get done, rather than relying on outside help.

Trust me, Izzie and I do these things, and we have many many times given this common sense advice to the absent-minded professors in our lives.