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Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

June 9, 2022
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27 min read
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Rating:
8/10
?
  • 1 – Absolute Hot Garbage
  • 2 – Sorta Lukewarm Garbage
  • 3 – Strongly Flawed Design
  • 4 – Some Pros, Lots Of Cons
  • 5 – Acceptably Imperfect
  • 6 – Good Enough to Buy On Sale
  • 7 – Great, But Not Best-In-Class
  • 8 – Fantastic, with Some Footnotes
  • 9 – Shut Up And Take My Money
  • 10 – Absolute Design Nirvana

Price: $35
Buy Now
Person holding the Chipolo CARD Spot in their hand
Justin Duino

I have been using AirTags to track my keys, bags, and suitcases since the Bluetooth tracker’s announcement in 2021. While they work in most cases, they don’t fit in most wallets. The Chipolo CARD Spot fixes that limitation without losing too many of the AirTag’s features.

Table of Contents

    • Here’s What We Like
    • And What We Don’t
  • An Apple AirTag the Size of a Credit Card
      • The Best Apple AirTag Accessories of 2022
        • Apple AirTag Loop
        • Belkin Secure Holder with Strap
        • Nomad Leather Loop
        • Nomad Leather Keychain
        • dbrand Grip Case & Skin
        • Moment Stretch Fabric Mount
        • Nomad Glasses Strap
  • The CARD Spot Lives in the Find My App
      • The Best Bluetooth Trackers of 2022
        • Tile Mate
        • Tile Sticker
        • Apple AirTag (2021) 4-Pack
        • Chipolo ONE (2020)
        • Tile Pro
  • Chipolo CARD Spot vs. Tile Slim
    • Tile Slim Bluetooth Tracker
  • Should You Buy the Chipolo CARD Spot?
    • Chipolo Card
    • Here’s What We Like
    • And What We Don’t

Here’s What We Like

  • Works with Apple’s Find My network
  • Fits in most wallets
  • Easier to carry than an AirTag

And What We Don’t

  • No UWB support
  • Does not work with Android
  • Non-replaceable battery

Before jumping into this review, I should acknowledge the fact that bad actors use AirTags to track others without their knowledge. The CARD Spot can also be misused. Thankfully, like with AirTags, if a CARD Spot that doesn’t belong to you is nearby for an extended period, it will alert you on your iPhone. And if you own an Android smartphone or don’t see the notification, the Bluetooth tracker will eventually start playing an audible noise.

Chipolo’s support website guides you on disabling a CARD Spot if you find one on your person or belongings.

Table of Contents

An Apple AirTag the Size of a Credit Card
The CARD Spot Lives in the Find My App
Chipolo CARD Spot vs. Tile Slim
Should You Buy the Chipolo CARD Spot?

An Apple AirTag the Size of a Credit Card

Apple AirTag sitting on top of the Chipolo CARD Spot in a person's hand
Justin Duino
  • Dimensions: 85.1 x 53.6 x 2.4mm (3.35 x 2.11 x 0.009in)
  • Battery life: Up to two years
  • Water-resistant: Splash proof (IPX5 rated)
  • Bluetooth range: 60m (200ft)

The Chipolo CARD Spot shares almost all the AirTag’s features, including support for Apple’s Find My network. Working on the same network means that the CARD Spot will use Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) to ping its location whenever almost any Apple device is nearby, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

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With over 113 million iPhones in the U.S. (and over a billion worldwide), there’s a good chance that someone will cross paths with your tracker if it gets lost, ensuring you’ll have a high probability of reclaiming your items.

One thing that the CARD Spot doesn’t have is support for Ultra-Wideband (UW). With the assistance of the U1 chip in newer iPhones, you can walk around and pinpoint an Apple AirTag’s location down to the foot. The CARD Spot doesn’t offer UW, so you’ll have to rely on the tracker’s built-in speaker to find the device or whatever item it’s inside of.

What Is Apple's Find My Network?
RELATEDWhat Is Apple’s Find My Network?

In all honesty, I haven’t used the AirTag’s UW tracking features since the day I purchased the accessory. It’s a neat trick, but the Find My network is so vast that I almost always knew where my tracked bag was, even on the other side of the country.

The CARD Spot also doesn’t have a user-replaceable battery. You can take apart an AirTag and swap out its dead battery with a fresh 3-volt CR2032 every year (or whenever the battery is getting low). Instead, Chipolo offered a “Recycle & Renew” program. After registering your Bluetooth tracker, the company will email you with a 50% off offer on a new CARD Spot in two years. You can then send your old CARD back to be recycled.

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Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
Justin Duino

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Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
Justin DuinoThe Chipolo CARD Spot fits inside a wallet, while the AirTag requires an accessory

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My least favorite thing about the AirTag is that you’re basically required to purchase an accessory for your accessory. Yes, you can just chuck the Bluetooth tracker into your bag, but that isn’t secure. Instead, you’ll have to spend $10 or more for a case on top of the AirTag’s $29 price tag.

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In contrast, the CARD Spot can slip into your wallet, pocket, or luggage tag without taking up too much space. It can’t connect on its own to the exterior of a bag, but it’s a traditional form factor that works in places where the AirTag would be too bulky.

The Best Apple AirTag Accessories of 2022 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best AirTag Accessory Overall
Apple AirTag Loop
Amazon

$21.99
$29.00 Save 24%



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Budget AirTag Accessory
Belkin Secure Holder with Strap
Amazon

$12.03 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
$12.99 Save 7%



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Premium AirTag Accessory
Nomad Leather Loop
Buy Now


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

A Keychain Option
Nomad Leather Keychain
Buy Now


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Customizable AirTag Accessory
dbrand Grip Case & Skin
Buy Now


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Versatile AirTag Accessory
Moment Stretch Fabric Mount
Buy Now


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Misc.
Nomad Glasses Strap
Buy Now

The CARD Spot Lives in the Find My App

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Chipolo CARD Spot's settings in the Find My app

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Like with AirTags, you connect and control the CARD Spot in Apple’s Find My app (available on iPhone and iPad). The simplicity of not having to download a third-party app is great, but it does mean the Bluetooth tracker is incompatible with Android.

Opening the Find My app, you’ll find the Chipolo accessory listed alongside other AirTags and Find My-compatible devices. You see the Bluetooth tracker’s last reported location at a glance, with the choice to tap on it for more details.

Expand the CARD Spot’s listing for options to activate the device’s speaker, get direction to its last-reported location, turn on notifications if it gets lost, and more. It’s a simple interface that just works.

The Best Bluetooth Trackers of 2022 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Bluetooth Tracker Overall
Tile Mate
Amazon

$24.99 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
 



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Budget Bluetooth Tracker
Tile Sticker
Amazon


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Bluetooth Tracker for iPhone
Apple AirTag (2021) 4-Pack
Amazon

$29.00 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
 



Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Tile Tracker Alternative
Chipolo ONE (2020)
Shop Now


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Best Premium Bluetooth Tracker
Tile Pro
Amazon

$29.99 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
$34.99 Save 14%

Chipolo CARD Spot vs. Tile Slim

Size comparison between the Chipolo CARD Spot and Tile Slim
Justin Duino
  • Dimensions: Tile Slim: 85.5 x 54 x 2.5mm (3.37 x 2.13 x 0.098in) vs. CARD Spot: 85.1 x 53.6 x 2.4mm (3.35 x 2.11 x 0.009in)
  • Battery life: Tile Slim: Up to three years vs. CARD Spot: Up to two years
  • Water-resistant: Tile Slim: IP67 vs. CARD Spot: IPX5 rated
  • Bluetooth range: Tile Slim: 76m (250ft) vs. CARD Spot: 60m (200ft)

Apple doesn’t have a Bluetooth tracker the size of a credit card, but Tile, the company that once dominated the market, does sell the Slim. Like the CARD Spot, the Tile Slim is roughly the size of a credit card and can fit into almost any wallet.

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Coming in at approximately the same size, the most significant difference between the two trackers is the crowdsource network size of other people’s devices that will help you locate your lost items. Tile products require you to download the company’s app (available for iPhone and Android), which means only a subset of the population can help you find your stuff. If someone doesn’t use a Tile device, they most likely don’t have the Tile app installed.

The Find My network, in contrast, is live on almost every iPhone, iPad, and Mac with location services turned on and connected to the internet. That difference means that your CARD Spot is surrounded by other devices that will ping the tracker’s location and help you find your belongings.

Buy an AirTag, Not a Tile Tracker (Unless You Use Android)
RELATEDBuy an AirTag, Not a Tile Tracker (Unless You Use Android)

Besides that, your experience with either tracker will be nearly identical. Bluetooth range, water resistance, and battery life are better in the Tile Slim (at least on paper), but the difference is negligible as the price of both accessories is identical at $35.


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Tile Slim Bluetooth Tracker

The Slim is Tile’s thinnest Bluetooth tracker and shaped like a credit card, making it the perfect size to fit into a wallet.

Amazon

$34.99 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
 

Best Buy

$34.99
 

Should You Buy the Chipolo CARD Spot?

If you want an AirTag but dislike the round pebble form factor, the Chipolo CARD Spot is for you. You could buy a specialized wallet or accessory to make the AirTag work, but its thick size is less than ideal if you want to cut the bulk.

Of course, if you don’t have an iPhone and instead use an Android, you’d be much better off with one of Tile’s Bluetooth trackers. But if you want something from Chipolo, you can buy the CARD, which is smaller than the CARD Spot and uses Chipolo’s network to help find your lost item. Just remember that this network will be smaller than Apple’s and Tile’s, meaning there’s a much slimmer chance someone else will stumble across your tracker.


Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag

Chipolo Card

The Chipolo Card is a wallet-sized Bluetooth tracker that can help you find your lost belongings.

Amazon

$30.00 Chipolo CARD Spot Review: A Credit Card-Shaped Apple AirTag
 

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The CARD Spot comes in Almost Black and can be purchased directly from Chipolo for $35 or $60 for a two-pack.

Rating: 8/10
Price: $35
Buy Now

Here’s What We Like

  • Works with Apple’s Find My network
  • Fits in most wallets
  • Easier to carry than an AirTag

And What We Don’t

  • No UWB support
  • Does not work with Android
  • Non-replaceable battery


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