It’s been more than four years since Apple launched its Find My Network accessory program, and unlike AirTags, My-compatible devices are evolving. Chipolo recently introduced a pair of new accessories that integrate with Find My, Loop, and Cards.
Before this review, I saw some complaints that previous Chipolo products stopped working after a few months, so I wanted to do a longer review. I’ve had them for over two months, and so far they’re working as intended.
Chiplow loop
The $39 loop has a circular shape and is larger than the ‘AirTag’, but lighter because it doesn’t include a replaceable battery inside. It connects to the ‘Find My’ app like an Airtag and shows up inside the Items tab. You can attach the Chipolo Loop to anything and it works almost like an AirTag.
If you want to attach the ‘AirTag’ to a key or similar object, you’ll need an accessory, but Chipolo’s Loop has a built-in flexible silicone loop on top. The attachment point is thick and feels sturdy despite being flexible.
The loop is made entirely out of plastic, and it doesn’t have a metal and it’s light, it doesn’t feel as premium as the AirTag if that’s what you care about. Of the two, I prefer the loop design with built-in attachment points.
I also love that the loop comes in a variety of colors including navy, mint, honey, coral and charcoal. I have the coral color, and it’s easy to find when it’s in a bag. ‘AirTag’ is ok, but it’s good to have an alternative.
What I love about the Chipolo Loop is the built-in battery. It recharges via USB-C and that’s fine the way An ‘AirTag’ is more convenient for me than replacing the battery. My AirTags have run out of batteries for months because it’s annoying to order CR2032 batteries (which I don’t have on hand), and then open it up to swap them out.
With the loop, I just plugged it in The battery can last up to six months, and I didn’t have enough time to test the full battery life The downside to something like a loop is the degradation of lithium batteries over time. It may not last as long as an ‘AirTag’, but it should last for several years.
It has IP67 water resistance so it can stand being submerged in one meter of water and it doesn’t get confused if you submerge it in a container full of water.
The loop has a speaker, so it can play a sound to help you find a lost item, plus the charging light can turn on so you can find it in the dark.
Chipolo says the loop’s Bluetooth range is 400 feet, and it appears to be similar in range to the ‘AirTag’. It reliably delivered left-behind notifications, but it lacked ultra-wideband with precision detection, so it couldn’t track items indoors as reliably as the AirTag.
Chipolo card
The $39 card fits in a wallet, like a credit card. Apple doesn’t have an equivalent product, as the AirTag is too bulky to fit comfortably inside most wallets. The card is available in black only and is made of matte plastic. It has a neutral look, and I’m not sure someone who stole a wallet would immediately know what it is because it looks like a key card.
Chipolo cards are 2.5mm thick. Standard credit cards are 0.76 mm thick, so the card is about three credit cards thick. It wouldn’t work well in a wallet that’s designed to be super thin, like iPhone variants that only hold a few cards, but it fits well in my small wallet and doesn’t add too much bulk. It’s not the thinnest of the card-connected trackers I’ve used, but it’s not far off.
The card doesn’t have room for a USB-C port, so it uses Qi wireless charging. It’s magnetic, so I can pop it into the MagSafe charger.
It has the same specifications as the Loop, apart from charging Qi cards. The battery lasts up to six months, it has the same sound level, Bluetooth range, water resistance and it supports the same ‘Find My’ features.
sound
The Chipolo Card and Chipolo Loop speakers are louder than the AirTag speakers, but I think the higher pitch of the AirTag sound stands out more to my ears. Chipolo has an option to change the ringtone and some options make the sound louder.
A decibel meter on my phone suggests the Chipolo devices at around 74db, and the AirTag at around 67db. I can hear one from a room away, but harder unless it’s dead quiet. With a different sound setting, the Chipolo is closer to 82db.
On Chipolo devices, there is an option to adjust the sound volume, so you can set a medium and low volume if you want. High is the default.
find me
In the Find My app, Find My-compatible devices such as Loops and Cards are listed alongside Airtags and added as well. I opened ‘Find My’, tapped the “+” button to add an item, pressed the button on each device and selected a name and emoji.
Not related to Chipolo, I’m not sure why Apple doesn’t allow me to use Genmoji for an item icon. It is limited to standard emoji for both AirTags and third-party products.
Loop and Card offer all available ‘Find My’ functions:
- View a map with item locations
- Play a word
- Get directions
- Share items with others
- Allow others to view owner information and access item location (eg if you lose your luggage at the airport)
- Let me know if found
- Notify if backlogged (will notify you if your item is out of stock)
- Item notification exception left behind (so you can set a “safe” location like home)
- A link to the Chipolo app
- Option to change name and icon
- Battery status
One thing I can’t do with Find My with Chipolo products that I can do with an AirTag is use the “Find Nearby” feature for precise locating. I think it’s an important option for items you might lose indoors, like your car keys or your Apple TV remote. I wouldn’t use a chipolo loop for items like this because precision search works better in that situation.
The most important part of the ‘Find My’ network is the way it links Apple devices owned by other people. AirTags and Find Me-compatible products like Loops and Cards can ping any Apple device, helping you find your lost items even when you’re nowhere near them.
Chipolo app
Loop and Card work with the Find My app and Apple’s Find My Network, but they’re also compatible with the Chipolo app, which adds additional features. To get additional features you just need to download the Chipolo app from the App Store and connect the loop or card to Bluetooth.
Here’s what’s available:
- your phone call – You can set the card or loop so that your phone rings with a double tap on any device. This requires full access to your location though. I’m not using this feature, but I tested it and it works. This might come in handy if you don’t have an Apple Watch with the ‘iPhone’ pinging feature.
- Change ringtone – There are a bunch of ringtones you can choose. There are holiday-themed options and classic tunes like Fray Jacques, Oh Susanna, In the Hall of the Mountain King and more. I set it to Friar Jacks, which is louder than the default ringing sound. Hall of the Mountain King is a nice video game-sounding theme, so it’s fun to have options.
- Take a selfie – You can use a double press on the loop or card to take a selfie with the camera app, but you have to do it through the Chipolo app so it’s not the most convenient feature.
- Ring and blink – There is an option to blink the loop and card to make it easier to find in the dark, potentially useful for locating an item in a dimly lit area or at night. Once turned on, it works when you activate the device with the Play Sound feature in the Find My app.
There are also settings to change the volume of Chipolo devices and the option to share a referral code with friends to get a free Chipolo.
bottom line
Chipolo’s Loop and Card are item trackers that offer a better range of design options and changeable sounds, with some useful features over the AirTag. I love the bright colors of the Loop and the slim design of the card, and being able to recharge via USB-C and Qi respectively is a major plus.
On the downside, they don’t have precision detection for indoor tracking purposes, so I might not use them if I specifically want to locate very close items.
One negative value. I think the card and loop are a bit more expensive at $39 each. I can get an AirTag from Apple for $29, even cheaper from retailers like Amazon. If I want to attach the AirTag to something I need an additional accessory for, it puts the price closer to Chipolo’s options.
I think the integrated battery is worth an upcharge, and if you’re like me and don’t replace the AirTag’s battery as often as needed, spending the extra money for easy charging might be a good investment.
How to buy
Chipolo cards and Chipolo loops are available from the Chipolo website for $39.
