If you’ve ever felt anxious or been reluctant to check your luggage at the airport, afraid that it might not meet you at your destination, I feel you. Last year, while I was on a European trip with friends, one member of the group had her suitcase go missing en route from Greece to Spain. After a lot of back and forth with customer service (who couldn’t tell us where it was), she eventually took matters into her own hands and trekked back to the Barcelona airport, where she found her bag sitting in a large room packed to the brim with lost luggage — every traveler’s worst nightmare. While she fully recovered her stuff after several days, the amount of shared stress it caused our group was enough to make me want to buy a Bluetooth luggage tracker as soon as I landed back in the United States.
To buy: amazon.com, $25 (originally $29)
In case you’re worried, you don’t need to be a tech genius to use an Apple AirTag. It has a seamless one-tap setup that syncs with your iPhone or iPad, and once it’s paired, just slip it inside the zippered compartment of your bag for worry-free travel. Even though it has a dust- and water-resistant exterior, many owners, including myself, prefer to stick it in a protective AirTag Holder Key Ring and then slide it inside or attach it to the handle of a suitcase.
So, how does it work? Using the “Find My” app, the Bluetooth tracker connects to your device and utilizes advanced Ultra Wideband technology to track the exact location of your luggage, wallet, pet, or whatever the tag is attached to. What makes it so handy for misplace items is that it has a lost mode that sends a signal to the device it’s paired to when it’s out of range. Even better? It features a chip that allows it to track your item’s exact location, and you can even use your device to notify the Apple AirTag to play a sound, helping you to find it more efficiently.
One traveler, who was flying between different islands in Hawaii, had their bag delayed in transit — but they kept their cool thanks to their Apple AirTag, claiming that it “really works.” They said: “My AirTag said my bag was in Honolulu and I had already arrived in Hilo. The AirTag was correct and fortunately I only had to wait an hour for the next flight to bring my bag.” And yet another shared that their luggage was lost traveling out of the country — “thank god I could track it with my AirTag!” They added, “The airport workers were super unhelpful and denied that my bag was there at all, but I was able to show [them] my tracking app from the AirTag, and after some slight demanding from me, [they] went and found it.”
Whether you’re headed on vacation soon or are on the hunt for the perfect gift for the jet setter in your life, look no further than this traveler-loved gadget. Shop an Apple AirTag and more Bluetooth trackers below and beat the Cyber Monday rush. And considering Apple AirTags already sold out once during Black Friday, it’d be wise to move quickly on this rare, can’t-miss deal.
Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker
To buy: amazon.com, $18 (originally $25)
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Bluetooth Tracker
To buy: amazon.com, $23 (originally $30)
Atuvos Luggage Tracker
To buy: amazon.com, $27 for 2 with on-site coupon (originally $38)
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