Without a doubt, TrackR and Tile are two of the best brands in the Bluetooth tracking market. They offer various interesting products to track lost items, such as wallets, keys, phones and etc…
And today, we are comparing three of the best Bluetooth trackers in 2024 – Tile PRO vs Tile Mate vs TrackR Pixel – while focusing on the most important features a good key tracker should have. But before comparison, here is a short overview of each product.
TILE PRO
Tile PRO specifications: SIZE: 41.6mm x 41.6mm x 6.5mm | RANGE: 300ft (91m) | BATTERY: Up to 365 days, replaceable | SOFTWARE: Tile app
Tile is still making the best tracking devices for keys, and the Tile Pro is a perfect example. It provides an increased tracking range (300ft advertised) and louder alarm in comparison with its predecessor – Tile Mate. If you need a well-working key finder with a wide range and good performance, this is the one to get.
TILE PRO – View On Amazon
TILE MATE
Tile MATE specifications: SIZE: 35mm x 35mm x 6.2mm | RANGE: 150ft (45m) | BATTERY: Up to 365 days, replaceable | SOFTWARE: Tile app
One of the best-selling key finders on Amazon gets a useful upgrade. The new version solves the most annoying issue we have with Mate – a non-replaceable battery. Now you have the option to replace your old battery with a new one, for a reasonable price ($1-$2). The Mate doesn’t have the range or the volume of the Tile Pro, but it is cheaper and provides the same reliable performance as the Pro.
TILE MATE – View On Amazon
TRACKR PIXEL
TrackR Pixel specifications: SIZE: 2.5mm x 0.5mm x 2.5mm | RANGE: Up to 100ft (30m) | BATTERY: 3 months, replaceable | SOFTWARE: TrackR app
The TrackR Pixel is a small, cheap Bluetooth tracker that can be easily attached to the wallet, keys, handbag, or anything else you are likely to lose. A little upgrade from TrackR Bravo, the keyring-sized device has few interesting features such as its LEDs for a better location in the dark and a replaceable battery for longer longevity.
TRACKR PIXEL – View on Amazon
Bluetooth Tracker Considerations
RANGE: The range indicates how far away you can be from your lost item and still have a connection to your smartphone. Most key trackers have a range between 100 – 300ft, but keep in the mind, that this is an advertising value – the actual range is mostly shorter.
SOUND: The sound of the alarm will help you locate your lost device, always check the decibel ratio of the key locator before you buy. For a loud sound, get at least 80 decibels.
BATTERY LIFE: A replaceable battery should be a standard. If you find a device with non-replaceable batteries than it should run at least for 10 months, with a replaceable count of about 5-6 months.
FEATURES: Two-way finding feature is great. You can easily locate your connected phone just with a press of the button on the key finder. Many of these devices also come with their own app with a user-friendly interface where can you find all that you need.
TILE PRO vs TILE MATE vs TRACKR PIXEL: Design
The design is always subjective, but good item trackers should be small, lightweight and with high build quality.
Tile PRO: 41.6mm x 41.6mm x 6.5mm (1.6 x 1.6 x 0.3 inches) and 15.5 grams (1.9 ounces). Black and white color. The Pro’s design is similar to Tile Sport. Both devices have a dark exterior with a metal frame wrapping around a textured plastic center. There is also a hole for your keyring and the button in the center, which is used to pair with a smartphone or to locate the phone by using the Two-way feature.
Tile MATE: 35mm x 35mm x 6.2mm (1.4 x 1.4 x 0.2 inches) and 7 grams (0.23 ounces). Only the white version. The Mate is slightly smaller than the Pro, and for that reason, we believe it fits better for keys or a phone. Such as Pro, also this model has a hole for a keyring and a button in the center.
TrackR Pixel: 27mm x 27mm x 5.7 (1.03 x 1.03 x 0.22 inches) and 9 grams (0.32 ounces). Black, white, blue, gray, multicolor. The Pixel is tiny. So small, in fact, that there is no hole for a keyring. Instead, a short cord is provided, or you can use the sticky pad to attach it to any flat surface.
TILE PRO vs TILE MATE vs TRACKR PIXEL: Range
Tile PRO: This tracker gets over 300ft of range if there is no obstruction. In a real-life scenario, you can expect between 150 and 200ft range. This is still impressive and the best value on this list. If the Tile Pro gets out of the range, it automatically reconnects once you get within 100ft of your smartphone.
Tile MATE: The range of Mate is not so impressive as with Pro, but still it offers a comfortable 100ft. Yes, the manufacturer advertises a 150ft range but that’s not true. Also, the range for reconnection is only a half in comparison with Pro, we are speaking about 50ft.
TrackR Pixel: 100ft, at least according to the manufacturer. In fact, other users say it is only about 50ft, but this range is still suitable for normal usage (if you lost your wallet or keys in the same room). Once the connection between TrackR Pixel and your smartphone is lost, you have to get within 25 feet to reconnect.
TILE PRO vs TILE MATE vs TRACKR PIXEL: Battery
Tile PRO and Tile MATE: Both models offer a replaceable battery. This is a huge improvement against previous versions. Now, the new Tile Mate and Pro should work without a problem for a year with the original batteries, and then can be easily replaced with a CR1632 battery which costs around $2.
TrackR Pixel: TrackR is the only Bluetooth tracker to provide free battery replacement. It even alerts you when the battery is low and let you order a new one right from the app. With minimal usage, you should get 3-4 months of running time.
TILE PRO vs TILE MATE vs TRACKR PIXEL: Sound
Tile PRO and Tile MATE: The new versions are louder than their predecessors, and if you compare Tile Pro vs Mate, there is a noticeable difference. Tile Pro sounds twice as loud as Tile Mate.
TrackR Pixel: In the year 2019, TrackR has to face new upgraded versions of Tile´s best products and volume is where it struggles. The TrackR Pixel provides “only” 90 dB, while Tile Mate has 118 dB, and Pro even 128 dB.
TILE PRO vs TILE MATE vs TRACKR PIXEL: Features
Tile PRO and MATE: You can easily ring and find your lost devices with the app on your phone or use the web app. Just log into the website app to see its last known location, to make it ring, or to send a lock-screen message to other users who might find it.
The last feature is called Community Find and can be incredibly useful if you lost your key or wallet in public places. If someone with the running app wall passes, the app will record the location of the lost item and send you a notification with the exact position. One of the huge advantages against competitors is the number of members in Tile community. With Tile, you have a better chance that someone else will find your lost item.
The new feature that both new Tile models offer is the integration with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. Now you can ask Alexa where are your keys. It is quicker than unlocking your phone, and opening the app to see where they are.
TrackR Pixel: Also with TrackR you can rely on the help of a community. It is called Crowd Locate. Unfortunately, there are not so many members as in the Tile community, and the chance for finding your lost keys or wallet is logically smaller.
Which would we choose?
Tile it the best find my keys device right now. Take the Tile Pro, if you need a Bluetooth tracker with a larger operating range or louder alarm. Take Tile Mate, if you want to use it only in your house (same room). You get the relatively same performance for a better price.
RECOMMENDED IN WEARABLES
Main photo by Tile
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Nechstar team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.
