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Tile Mate Key Finder Rated
- Ease of Use
- Smart Capabilities
- Value for Money
- Connectivity
- Reliability
- Durability
SHJ Verdict
Tile Mate Key Finder is a useful, inexpensive device for those of us who are prone to losing valuable items like phones, keys, and wallets.
If you can look past some frustrating features, the Tile Mate Key Finder will give a much needed piece of mind, and a simple way to maneuver what could be a very troubling situation.
Do you often find yourself struggling to remember where you last put down your wallet or keys?
Don’t worry; it happens to everyone, and now the Tile Mate Key Finder is here to help!
This Bluetooth device easily attaches to keyrings and purses, is small enough to store in a wallet, and is simply operated via the Tile app.
Though the app’s global community feature has been found to trigger false alarms, overall the device is convenient, allowing you to either use your phone to find the Tile Mate or the Tile Mate to find your phone.
If you’re still wondering whether this is the best key finder for you, take a look at the details below!
Contents
Tile Mate Key Finder: The Details
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 3 x 1.3 x 0.2 inches (25% smaller than the original Tile Bluetooth tracker)
- Product Weight: 16 ounces (4.2 ounces shipping weight)
- Batteries: 1 lithium metal battery, included
- Battery life: One-year from shipment
- Charging: None – replace old Tiles with new ones for a community member price
- Tile Mate Adhesives Sold separately; can stick Tile Mate to any flat surface
- Tile Global Network: When any user in the Tile community comes within range of your item, the Tile app will notify you of the item’s most recent location
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa? No, but the free Tile app is supported by Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0 or BLE.
How Does it Work
The Tile Mate Key Finder improves upon previous Tile Bluetooth trackers with a slew of innovative features.
First, it’s smaller – 25% smaller than previous models, in fact – making it easier to keep inside a wallet and more convenient to hang on a keychain or pet collar.
Tile Mate connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth as well as the free Tile App, which is available on both Apple and Android devices.
This app can locate any item attached to a Tile Mate Key Finder if it is within Bluetooth range, and it remembers the last time and place it connected with the Tile Mate, so even if it is out of range at the time, the app provides a convenient starting place for your search.
Different Tile Mates can be linked to different devices, allowing not only you but also your family and friends to find their things, instead of depending on a single person’s cell phone like some key finders do.
The app also provides connectivity to all other members of the Tile community who use the app. Any time someone who uses Tile comes into range of one of your Tile Mates, the app will alert your phone about that item’s location – making it possible for you to find your items even if it is far away or if you don’t have your smartphone with you – all thanks to the help of other Tile users around the world!
If your Tile Mate is within Bluetooth range, you can use the app to make the Tile Mate play a song through its built-in speakers to help you find it.
Not only that, this Tile key finder can also be used to find your smartphone. By double pressing the button on any Tile Mate, you can make your cell phone ring, even if the phone is on silent!
Tile Mate has a handy hole in its chassis that allows for easy attachment to a key ring, purse, luggage, or any other valuable item that you would like to keep track of.
For further convenience, Tile Mate adhesives are sold separately for the purpose of sticking Tile Mate devices to flat surfaces, in the case that there is no ring to attach to.
The battery in a Tile Mate key finder is non-replaceable but lasts for one year with zero charging required.
After that year passes, users can replace their old Tile Mates with new ones for a community member price through Tile’s website.
Tile: The Brand
Based in San Mateo, California, and Portland, Oregon, Tile seeks to use the power of smart location to solve a universal problem: finding lost things.
Tile believes that loss should be a thing of the past, and that helping each other out – connecting people – is how to make that happen.
Altogether, their devices, network, and mobile app form a global community, spanning over 200 countries, helping people to find more than two million items each day.
Tile Mate Key Finder Review
The Positives
All You Need Is Your Phone to Find Tile Mate – And Vice Versa!
The Tile Mate Key Finder is just plain easy to use. If you’ve put the Tile Mate on something, and you have the Tile Mate app on your smartphone, then you can find it again.
You use the app to find the Tile Mate, and the Tile Mate to find your phone!
Tile Mate is not just for stationery items. You can even use this key finder to keep track of your pets by hanging it on their collar.
If You’ve Lost Something Farther Away, the Community Is There for You
Have your keys ever fallen out of your pocket before you board a bus? It can be a nightmare. How could you possibly find them then?
Some key finders become less effective when an item has been dropped and lost out of Bluetooth range.
The Tile Mate has a way to work around that, by networking with the greater global Tile community through the app!
If anybody who uses the Tile app is anywhere near your item, even if it isn’t you or your phone, the Tile Mate will send you an alert about its location.
A Small Price to Pay to Potentially Save a Ton of Money
You won’t be expected to pay a ridiculous amount of money for the added convenience of a Tile Mate. Tile Mate trackers come in packs of one or four all reasonably priced so you can buy as many as you need.
Instead of digging into your pockets to replace your phone, keys, or all the important information in your wallet, a small purchase for a Tile Mate hopes to save you the hassle and money should you lose an item.
It’s much easier to pay a small amount for added security than to have to shell out hundreds of dollars on a new phone, or deal with the anxiety that comes with misplacing your wallet.
Gives a Peace of Mind
Even if you’re not the type to frequently misplace your items, knowing that future mistakes could be resolved easily with Tile Mate gives you one less thing to worry about.
Granting keys to older children and students can be less of a hassle since they’ll be able to locate them by using the app, and it can also be used as a cheaper alternative to pet tracking.
Instead of footing the bill for a dog or cat tracker, simply attach Tile Mates to your pet’s collar and you’ll be able to locate them should they wander away.
Some customers have even gone so far to use Tile Mates to help find their car in a crowded parking lot!
A smaller list of things to worry about is always a good thing.
Water Resistant and Made to LastÂ
Another upgrade on the newer Tile Mate Key Finders is its water resistance.
Now we’re not saying to go diving with your keys, but should you be out in the rain, or should your pet splash around in a puddle, you won’t have to worry about water damage.
This helps with the longevity of your Tile Mate, and adds to the quality of the overall product so you can have your key tracker for a long time.
Some customers have relied on their Tile Mate for years, boasting nothing but good things about the product.
Here’s a video showing what the Tile Mate looks like out of the box and ready to go.
The Negatives
Built-In Speakers Not Quite Loud Enough to Be Found In Some Cases
The Tile Mate has built-in speakers that play a song to help you find your lost item.
However, some users have found that the speakers are not quite loud enough to be heard if the attached keys or wallet has fallen in between sofa cushions, which muffle the sound.
Tile App’s GPS Can Make False Alarms
Some users report that the global community feature on the Tile app (which is supposed to be used to find items that have been lost far away by alerting you whenever someone else who uses the app passes by your item) can produce false alarms.
In some cases, users have received alerts that their items were located miles away from home, only to come home and find them safe and sound on the kitchen table, causing unnecessary distress.
Battery May Not Last the Full Year
Tile Mate’s battery is not rechargeable and is meant to be replaced for a lowered price at the end of a year.
However, some users have found that the battery can die in just a few months, making necessary replacements more frequent than would be preferred, since there is no way to charge the battery at home.
Overall Verdict
We would recommend the Tile Mate Key Finder to anyone looking for a small, simple device to help them find items that they often misplace around the house, like keys or wallets.
However, the Tile Mate Key Finder comes with some features that could cause frustration – like the false alarms and the non-rechargeable battery.
Potential buyers should weigh these features against the potential gains.
Where to Buy the Tile Mate Key Finder
There’s no doubt that the Tile Mate Key Finder is a godsend amongst the aloof and forgetful. Whether you’re a busy parent or a student pressed for time, there are many who will find this a helpful addition to their life.
After being praised as an alternative to spending hours scouring the floors of your flat, the Tile Mate has gained popularity and is up for grabs both in-store and online.
To start your search, check out the following online retailers.
And of course, Tile Mate can also be found on Amazon.
That’s all for our Tile Mate review. Curious to give it a try?
