'Apple gadget I gave to my travel-mad dad is now in Boxing Day sales'

I swear by the tracking AirTag when checking in luggage at the airport so it felt like the right fit for my dad'

Harriet Morphy-Morris Commerce Content Editor

06:00, 26 Dec 2024Updated 14:41, 26 Dec 2024

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The AirTag uses Bluetooth to track and ping notifications straight through to your iphone

I'm a huge fan of Bluetooth trackers, the tiny pieces of tech that you can attached to just about anything in order to keep an eye on its every move - from your wallet, to car keys, or handbag. Which is why this year for Christmas I gave my travel-mad dad one to zip into his suitcase.

As someone who spends half the year in South Africa and Botswana for work, lost luggage that's somehow been left at his departure airport is something he's certainly had a fair share of. This is why one of my gifts this year to him was a £28 AirTag and handmade leather case from Etsy.

The trackable gadget is small enough to zip into obscure places, attach with a key ring to the front of a bag and ping through location notifications to your iPhone. Now on sale for £28 in Very's new tech deal it's one I'd recommend to any frequent flyers out there.

Apple’s penny-sized AirTag cab track anything it's attached to thanks to its simple Bluetooth, which then pings through as notifications onto the users iPhone - through the Apple 'FindMy' app. A downside of this is only iOS users can make the most of it, leaving Android shoppers opting for alternative products like Tile or the Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag.

The AirTag lets off a personal network which can be found by the user or any othe AirTag user within a close proximity to the tag - within its 10 metre range - so it's handy to watch your case be boarded onto the plane before you taxi to the runway or use to find if you left your bag at the bar...it'll ping nearby users who can then share the location of the lost bag with you through the app.

The Apple accessory is used by thousands to track valuables

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I have used the rival, and cheaper alternative, Tile Tracker before even comparing the two models on a flight last year. The Tile Tracker does pretty much the same thing but it's in-app map tracking is not as clear as Apple's - in my opinion. A perk to sway shoppers to the Tile option is that it's compatible on most mobiles and certainly a selling point over the iPhone-only AirTag.

However, Tile does have in app purchases of up to as much as £2.99 per month, Apple doesn't. If you do want to look at rivals then Amazon sells the Chipolo Wallet Finder for £35, and Tile Tracker for £19.99.