Chipolo Card Spot Review
A handy credit card-sized Bluetooth tracker that's ideal for iPhone users.
Verdict
A Bluetooth card tracker to find a lost wallet can be a lifesaver in the right situation, but the Chipolo Card Spot goes a step further with that. As one of the only card trackers with Find My integration, for iOS users it becomes a no-brainer as a purchase. But for UWB support or more colour options, it would arguably be perfect.
Pros
- IPX5 water resistance
- Find My integration
- Slim dimensions
Cons
- No Android support
- No UWB tracking
Key Features
- Protection from the rainOffering IPX5 water resistance, the Chipolo Card Spot should survive getting caught in the rain.
- Credit card-like form factorThe credit card-like design of the Chipolo Card Spot makes it the ideal tracker for tracking wallets and purses.
- Apple Find My integrationWith support for Apple’s Find My network, the Card Spot has more chance of being detected when out of range of your smartphone compared to the regular Chipolo network.
Introduction
It’s a situation that is the stuff of nightmares for people the world over. You are on a night out, you get a taxi, and as you get out your purse/wallet is left behind – or you’ve lost it at some other indeterminate point in the night. Your IDs, payment cards, loyalty cards and more are inside; what do you do?
Chipolo, with its Card Spot has an answer, though it is mainly intended for iOS users. A credit card-sized black Bluetooth tracker that fits neatly in any purse or wallet, it gives you the ability to track your missing property nearly anywhere, and can remind you when it is left behind.
The real question, however, is whether it is worth the price of entry when you can get a more feature-packed AirTag for the same price.
Design
- Credit card-style design
- IPX5 water resistance
- Can’t replace the battery
From a design standpoint, at least on the surface, there isn’t much to say about the Card Spot. It is the size of two credit cards stacked on top of one another, weighs almost nothing and is intended to be invisible in a wallet. On those grounds, it is wholeheartedly a success.
Whether you have a purse/wallet that is bulging at the seams with cash or a slimline effort, it will fit discreetly without issue. At 2.4mm thick, it is impossible to imagine how it could be made thinner.
A slight letdown is the inability to replace the battery included in the Card spot. Though it is rated to last two years, it means that once the power pack is depleted the device becomes e-waste.
To Chipolo’s credit it runs a recycling programme, which takes back the Card spot for free before it runs out, and the user gets a 50% credit on their next Card spot purchase. This is more than others offer and is to be commended.
The Card spot is also IPX5 water resistant, which means that it is tested with jets of water, implying splash resistance only. Though it is unlikely you will be taking it for a swim, it can survive being rained on.
Features
- Support for Apple’s Find My Network
- No UWB support
- Easy setup and use
By far the main selling point of the Card Spot is its tight integration to ‘Find My’, Apple’s device tracking network. Only a select few manufacturers offer this, including Apple itself, though there is no card-shaped AirTag.
How it works is simple and effective. All iDevices, whether they be iPads, new Macs, iPhones and more ‘talk’ to one another. If your Card Spot is lost and out of range, and another iDevice owned by someone else activates it by passing by, you can get notified, ring it and more.
Given the large numbers of iPhones out in the wild, it is a comprehensive network and more effective than Chipolo’s own network, though with the planet-sized caveat that it will not be useful for Android users.
Setting the device up is very simple. You go into Find My on an iPhone/Mac/iPad, tap ‘Items’, tap Add, then simply press the button on the Card Spot once and it will activate. You’ll then be able to track it anywhere at any time and ring its loudspeakers so long as you are within a 60m radius of it.
If the device is away from its ‘home’ iDevice for too long it will continually emit a loud beep, which should help to deter stalkers – a very important aspect for Bluetooth trackers like this.
A slightly disappointing omission is the lack of Ultra Wide Band (UWB) support, which is offered by AirTags, that allows for more precise and directional tracking.
The ease of use and the power of Find My are two huge pluses for the Card Spot however, and nothing with the same form factor is offered by Apple. It would have been nice to be able to double-click the tracker to find your iPhone, but the absence isn’t a deal breaker.
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Should you buy it?
You want to track your wallet or purse
With slim, compact dimensions, the Chipolo One Spot makes tracking a purse or wallet a doddle.
You use an Android phone
The One Spot’s support for Apple’s Find My network is a huge plus, but only if you’re an iPhone owner. Lacking Android support, Android users should look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
The Chipolo Card Spot is an elegant solution to a serious problem. For a relatively small outlay of £35/$35, it allows you to easily and comprehensively track your purse/wallet and so provides a crucial extra level of security. It is the kind of device you won’t think you need until the moment comes, and then it will be a lifesaver.
There are a few drawbacks of course: the battery can’t be replaced, and there isn’t any UWB support, but then there isn’t anything on offer from Apple that fills the same gap as the Card Spot. Lastly, and most importantly, if you are an Android user this will be no use to you at all.
So if you have an iPhone and you are worried about losing your purse/wallet, the Chipolo Card Spot is a no-brainer; there’s nothing else with its appealing price point and undeniable utility.
How we test
We make sure to spend at least a week with each tracker, testing all of the advertised features. We’ll also test the range of the product, and how easy it is to set up.
We spend at least a week testing each tracker
We test the maximum range of each tracker
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FAQs
Unfortunately not – once the Card Spot runs flat, it’s effectively e-waste. However, Chipolo will recycle it for you and offer you 50% towards a replacement, which does make it somewhat more acceptable.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
