When it comes to remembering where you’ve placed your belongings, some people are better at it than others. It’s actually science. According to Psychologies.UK and neuropsychologist Chris Moulin, there are indeed differences when it comes to people’s ability to remember item locations. It’s not that your roommate always forgets their keys on purpose. They may be naturally inclined to be forgetful. There are external factors that can negatively affect a person’s memory, which are important to be aware of, but for days when it’s impossible to reduce your stress or if you’re someone who is naturally forgetful, key trackers are a discreet and powerful gadget that can make your life and the lives of those around you much more manageable.
Moulin says there are steps that people can take to aid in their memory retention, including being well-rested, reducing stress, organizing your surroundings, and investing in items that mean something to you. That means a keyring that you purchased during a fun trip, a brightly colored cell phone case that you love to look at, or a new wallet that you’ve had your eye on for a while.
Though these steps are all helpful, even those of us with a sharp memory can still get caught up in a busy lifestyle and forget where we left our keys, our passport, or our backpack. When we travel, new surroundings mean that our ‘usual’ spot where we place our wallet at night isn’t available. Key trackers are not only great at helping users find their keys but thanks to their small size and weight, they can be placed on several items, even small belongings like a phone or medication case. With key trackers, you can locate your belongings quickly with an app on your phone and also find your phone with the primary key tracker.
Key trackers are an excellent gift for yourself or family members with memory issues, stressful lives, or kids who love to put keys in the garbage. Why is it always the garbage? Check out the three great options we’ve found below for key trackers and rest easy knowing you’ll never lose your valuable items again…as long as you remember to order the key trackers.
1. Tile Mate
Tile Mate is the world’s Bestselling Bluetooth tracker and now it’s 25 percent smaller, making it easier than ever to attach a tile to your belongings and track them through the Tile Mate app.
Pros: Measuring only 34 x 34 x 4.65 and weighing 6.1g, you won’t even notice that a Tile Mate is on your belongings until it’s time to find it. The (free) Tile Mate app works with Bluetooth to find your Tile within a 100-foot range. Lost your phone? Press another Tile and make your phone ring even when it’s on silent. The battery life lasts one year, and Tiles are water resistant. If your item is lost outside of the 100-foot range, you can access the Tile community, with other Tile users who are within range of your item able to locate your belongings. You can also control the Tile with Alexa or Echo.
Cons: The Tile Mate has a shorter range than other Bluetooth trackers. Because the case is sealed shut, the battery cannot be replaced when it dies, and a new Tile must be purchased. Some customers also complained that the app must always be running in order to locate your item, which can eat up your phone’s battery.
Image courtesy of Amazon
2. Tile Pro
With an impressive 300-foot range and a rugged and durable casing that can handle the elements, the Tile Pro is an improved version of the Tile Mate for users who need to be able to find their belongings in any situation.
Pros: The Tile Pro has all the features of the Tile Mate with the added benefit of a range that is more than twice as long at 300 feet. The ringer volume for a missing phone is also three times as loud, at 3x the volume compared to the Tile Mate’s 1x the regular volume. The Tile Pro also has a more rugged and durable casing, making this option better suited for those who travel or spend time outdoors and want to keep track of luggage or pets. The Tile Pro also allows users to replace the battery once it dies, extending the life of the Tile.
Cons: The Tile Pro is almost twice as expensive as the Tile Mate, and at 15.5g weighs more than twice as much (Tile Mate weighs 6.1g) and is slightly larger, measuring 41.6mm x 41.6mm x 6.5mm.
Image courtesy of Amazon
3. Esky Key Finder
Straightforward, convenient and ideal for users who don’t have smartphones, the Esky Key Finder comes with four key finders that can be attached to just about any item and one central remote that can find the corresponding color-coded item within 30 meters.
Pros: With a color-coded remote that matches the four key finders, the Esky is best suited for an older demographic who are less comfortable with using smartphones. The product also works best with items that are lost in the home, like remote controls and keys, as opposed to finding items that are misplaced while traveling or at work. The batteries in the remote and key finders can be replaced, extending the usefulness and life of the Esky.
Cons: The Esky has a much smaller range than either the Tile Mate and Tile Pro. The Eksy key finders are also bulkier than the Tiles, but this could be a positive for older customers who may have sight issues. Some customers found that the chimes were difficult to hear unless they were close to the key finder.
Image courtesy of Amazon