How often do you find yourself looking for your lost keys, bag or wallet?! If like us it’s often then this review is for you, today we are looking at Chipolo a Bluetooth tag.
Before you ask the name is not Slovenian, where they are based, but it comes from a mix of Chip and colour: CHIP-cOLOur.
What does Chipolo do?!
Chipolo is a small Bluetooth tag you can connect to almost anything to help you find it if you lose it. This is done via connecting to your phone via Bluetooth. You can then use the app to ring your items or see where they are on a map or where you last had them. The range is up to 60m but as it uses Bluetooth range depends on where you are using it. You can also double press the Chipolo to find your phone, so it works both ways – find your items and phone.
It also has a feature called community search where you can mark your item as lost and if any Chipolo user walks past it you will get a notification. You can even share your Chipolo via the app, great for an item that belongs to a family.
The great thing about Chipolo is it comes in few different versions each designed with a slight different purpose:
Chipolo Classic
This was their first product and has the standard features plus a changeable battery. Great if you like the idea but want freedom to change the battery. They state a battery on the classic will last up to 6 months.
Chipolo Card
Chipolo Card is a super slim sealed unit and designed to fit inside a wallet, brilliant idea! The card is guaranteed to last for 1 year. After which the app prompts you that it needs replacing and you can use the renewal program to order a new one with a 50% discount after recycling yours. If the battery does not last the year they inform us that customer service will assist but are confident it will.
Blue = Plus
Chipolo Plus
This is their highest spec model and is also a sealed unit with a years guarantee and the renewal programme. The great feature of Chipolo Plus is it’s water resistant (IPX5) and super loud 100dB vs 92dB of the classic or card – making it much easier to find. No matter how far its stuck down the sofa!
How easy is it to setup?
Setup was easy and you can tell they have tried hard to make this step intuitive and friendly.
- Install app (iOS or Android)
- Register
- Select your Chipolo type
- Press your Chipolo
- The app then registers your Chipolo, one nice touch is the fact the app picks up the colour of the Chipolo.
You can now set up additional options like naming locations, for example home or work.
How much does Chipolo cost?
- Chipolo Classic – £23
- Chipolo Card – £31
- Chipolo Plus – £24
Chipolo Classic Bluetooth Leash Tag/Keyring
Chipolo Plus Smart Keyring Item Finder Bluetooth Tracker – Pearl White
What’s the connectivity?
Chipolo works over Bluetooth and does not yet connect to any other smart home tech. However they tell us the developers are working on an Alexa and Google assistant integration now, but don’t have release dates yet.
What’s it like living with it?
Very handy! The app is packed with features and is intuitive to use. It even has a selfie mode for taking photos on your phone?! Naming locations is also great so you can easily see ‘Last seen at Home’ not just a map.
We have put one in our wallet, one on our keys and one on our office pass – things you always misplace!
What are our final thoughts?
As you can tell with the name these little gadgets have quite a personality, they have managed to make something quite dull fun and very easy to use. The app is great and its easy to manage multiple Chipolo. The one thing missing is a leash feature and smart assistant connectivity – both of which are in development!
For more information have a look at their website or have a look at the product page.