Key Finders Can Put an End to You Losing Your Keys Forever

Is there anything more frustrating than getting ready to leave your house or apartment and realizing you can’t find your keys? Even typing that sentence brings up PTSD. Thanks to the invention of key finders, you no longer have to miss class, meetings or show up late for work because you can’t find your keys. There’s a reason we added key finders to our list of the best tech gifts of 2020, after all. They’re absurdly useful.

In this article, we are going to cover the following key finder topics:

• How key finders work
• Do you need a subscription?
• The best key finders for sale

How Key Finders Work

It’s pretty simple: you attach the key finder to your keys. If (when) you misplace your keys, the key finder will make a noise to help you track your keys down. But that only works if you’re within range. So, what happens when you’re out of range?

Let’s be real, there’s probably been a time or two where maybe you’ve had too many the night before and “misplaced” your keys somewhere only to wake up and realize they’re gone. They could still be at the bar, or you could have dropped them in your Uber, or on the subway. Who knows? The best key finders also have GPS and digital maps to show you either where your keys are currently, or where you lost connection with them.

Do You Need a Subscription?

Most key finders do not require a subscription in order to use the product. As long as you have Bluetooth on your phone, you should be good to go. That being said, companies such as Tile do offer premium features with a subscription. These include a history log, sharing devices with other Tile users and  Smart Alerts to get a notification when you’ve left an item behind. You’ll also receive yearly battery replacements for the Tile Pro and Mate with a subscription to the premium features.

The Best Key Finders for Sale

Even though Tile is the most popular choice, they aren’t the only key finders available. In fact, there are a handful of other key finder options with unique features and longer range. Whether Tile or otherwise, you’ll find our recommendations for the best 10 key finders for sale in 2020 below.

1. Tile Pro (2020)

BEST OVERALL 

The Tile Pro essentially eliminates any scenario where you might misplace your keys. If you’re within 400 feet of your Tile, you can use your phone to “ring” the key finder. This also works in the reverse — when you lose your phone, you can have the Tile ring your phone as well. And in the unfortunate situation where you leave your keys behind, you’ll be able to track of them on a map. But the best part, the Community Find feature creates a network of Tiles to help you track down your lost item. It’s kind of like when Bruce Wayne used everyone’s cell phone in the city to find The Joker in The Dark Knight, except this is totally legal.

2. Tile Mate

ALSO GREAT

The Tile Mate is essentially the same as the Tile Pro, but with a shorter range (200 feet) and the “ring” isn’t as loud. It’s water-resistant and has a three-year replaceable battery. And just like the Pro, you can use the Tile Mate to locate a lost phone and use the Tile community to help you locate your lost items when they’re out of range. Plus, it’s about $6 dollars cheaper than the Tile Pro.

3. Esky Key Finder

EASE OF USE

The operation is simple: lose your keys, press the button and listen. The remote and key finders are color-coded, so all you need to do is press the button with the corresponding color and your key finder will start to make a loud beep. It works within 100 feet and is powerful enough to work even if your keys are in another room.

4. Tile Slim (2020)

BEST FOR WALLETS

Ok, so this isn’t exactly a key finder — it’s more like a wallet finder — considering it is shaped like a credit card and fits perfectly into those credit card sleeves in your wallet. You can also stick in on a laptop or other electronics you would like to keep tabs on. You can “ring” your devices if you’re within 200 feet of the Tile Slim and similar to the Tile Pro, if you lose it, you can track in on a map or use the Community Find to help track down your Tile. It even sports a three-year battery life.

5. Chiplo One 4-Pack Key Finders

LOUDEST KEY FINDER

If you’re worried that you won’t be able to hear your key finder when it’s buried in the depths of our home, the Chiplo key finder makes an obnoxiously loud 120dB chirp to help you track your keys down. That’s about as loud as a rock concert, so, unless you’re really hard of hearing, you’ll hear Chiplo. It also has your back when you’re about to leave an area without your keys by sending out of range alerts to your phone. And like Tile, you can even use Chiplo to find your phone when you’ve misplaced it.

6. Nutale Focus Bluetooth Key Finder

BUDGET PICK

With this option, you’ll be able to beep your keys as long as you’re within 150 feet. When you exceed that range, you can set up notifications on your phone to alert you that you’ve left behind your valuables. And in the event that you miss that notification, the Nutale Focus remembers where your phone and key finder lost connection and will show the area on a map. You can squeeze about 10 months of use from the battery before you need to change it. And the best part, there’s no need for a subscription or contract.

7. PeebleBee Finder 2.0

BEST RANGE

With an impressive 500 foot range, you’ll be able to track down your keys anywhere in your home, unless, of course you live in a Justin Bieber-sized monstrous house. Even so, the tracker has built-in GPS to track your lost items down even when you’re out of range. And compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant makes tracking your keys down as easy as saying “Alexa, find my keys.”

8. Tile Sticker (2020)

BEST FOR OUTDOOR ITEMS

What makes this different than both the Tile Slim and Tile Pro is the adhesive back. When they say Tile Sticker, they mean it. You literally stick this onto your item, making it great for not only keys but something like a backpack or bike. To top it all off, it’s waterproof. Its 150-foot range isn’t as impressive as the Pro or Slim, but it has all the same tracking and Community Find features.

9. Cube Key Finder

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Not only does Cube keep track of your keys, but you can also use it to find your phone by making it ring, vibrate and flash the light, even if the app isn’t running in the background. Another little nifty trick is the Cube can be used as a shutter button to take photos with your phone. Beyond the extra stuff, Cube shows your key’s last-known location on a map and will alert you when you go out of range.

10. KeyRinger Key Finder

READY TO USE

The KeyRinger uses two separate devices to call one another, instead of using your smartphone. If you have multiple KeyRingers for your family, they can be used to call all ringers at once, or you can ring them individually. There’s no need to set them up or program them — they’re ready to go right out of the package. One downside is you don’t get notifications when you’re out of range like other trackers, but it’s easy to use and a couple dollars cheaper than Tile options.

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