Mr. Ice Cream and I spend more minutes than I’d like to admit looking for our keys and wallet. I’m sure you know the scenario; morning chaos, we’re halfway out the door, we turn to each other, “do you know where my keys are”? This is followed by the frantic run around where we check pant pockets, dig through bags and occasionally turn up couch cushions. But since Max has been around, most times we can’t find out keys are because he has taken them and put them in the trash (which was almost a very bad situation!), stuck them in a random drawer, put them in the pantry or put them in his train bucket. It dramatically increases the time spent looking for our keys when they could literally be anywhere!
Don’t be fooled by the innocence!
If you can relate to the above scenario then I have a solution: Tile Mate. It is a light weight bluetooth tracker that can easily be looped onto a keychain or attached to anything you don’t want to lose. It has an optional adhesive side that you can stick to a phone, iPad, book…anything.
Note that the battery lasts about a year and there is no way to replace it. However, the company has a program called “reTile” which lets you trade in your current (with now dead battery) Tile for a new replacement for about $15 (they will send you the newest model).
For wallets there is the Tile Slim. It works the same way as the Tile Mate but is designed to fit in the credit card slot in your wallet (it is as thin as two credit cards). It is thinner than the Tile Mate but larger in size.
This is the only bluetooth tracker we’ve used so I don’t know if there are better ones out there, but we have been using Tile for several months and absolutely love it! I’d love to know if you have tried something different and what your experience was.
nectarine / 2964 posts
I have that exact thing and it’s extremely useful! DH bought it for me for Christmas because I always misplace my keys, my wallet…etc. Now we use it for DS’s sweaters and jackets because he always take them off and misplace them at school. We have lost 2 of his sweaters already at school. We can track them now
Not to mention I was thinking of putting one on his shirt when we go to the park or something, so just in case if I don’t see him, I’ll turn the tracker on and he would know to come back and find me when he hears music playing in his jacket 
persimmon / 1101 posts
I went low tech and bought a pretty key rack to nail on the wall. Now I just hang them up as soon as I walk in. Problem solved!
blogger / apricot / 250 posts
@irene: that is such a great idea to put the Tile in a sweater/jacket because Max has lost several. But even better is the idea of using the Tile as a child tracker when you are at the park or something! Thanks for the tip!
blogger / apricot / 250 posts
@babypugs: we tried that too but made the mistake of hanging it too low, meaning within toddler reach!
nectarine / 2964 posts
@Mrs. Ice Cream: The only challenge is you have to make sure you get all of your tiles out before laundry! Then of course you can build in the habit of tracking all your tiles before you start the laundry. It was a bit challenging at first but once I get it into becoming a “habit” it is easy to remember that
guest
I never even knew these existed! That being said, I’ve had a low tech key rack, at about head level, in every house/apt. I’ve lived in since I was 18. I use it daily. I don’t want another electronic gadget, and I’m wondering if I’m the only person on earth that feels that way?? I have a 3 year old who has never played with/lost my keys for this very reason–it would drive me bonkers to be searching for them daily, juggling full time work and toddler-raising, etc.!