Key finders and trackers UK: AirTag vs Chipolo, and which suits your phone

What to look for in a key finder

A key finder is only as good as the phone it talks to, so start with your phone, then check loudness, battery and water rating.

• Which network it uses. This decides almost everything. AirTag works with Apple's Find My and needs an iPhone or iPad to set up; Apple lists iOS 26.2.1 or later for the current model. Chipolo ONE uses Chipolo's own app, which runs on iOS 17 or later and Android 12 or later. Chipolo also makes ONE Spot for Apple Find My, and POP, which works with either Find My or Google's Find Hub, one network at a time.
• Loudness, in decibels. Most finds happen within earshot: down the sofa, in yesterday's coat. Chipolo quotes about 120dB for the ONE. Apple gives no decibel figure; it says the second-generation AirTag speaker is 50% louder than the first and can be heard from up to twice as far away.
• Range, in metres. Chipolo quotes up to 90m line of sight over Bluetooth. Beyond that, a tracker depends on its network to report where it was last seen.
• Battery. Both use a replaceable CR2032 coin cell. Apple says more than a year; Chipolo says about a year. Nothing to charge, but one small battery to replace and keep away from children.
• Water resistance. AirTag is rated IP67, down to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. Chipolo ONE is IP55: dust and splash protected. Keys end up in washing machines; IP67 is the safer bet.
• Finding the last metre. AirTag's Precision Finding shows an arrow and a distance on iPhones with an Ultra Wideband chip. Apple lists iPhone 11 to 14 as first-generation Ultra Wideband, and iPhone 15 onwards, except the 16e and 17e, as second generation, which gets up to 1.5 times the range with the new AirTag.

AirTag or Chipolo: which should you buy?

Buy an AirTag if you are on iPhone, a Chipolo POP if you are on Android, and a Chipolo ONE if your household is split between the two.

The AirTag's big advantage is the Find My network. Apple devices out in the world can pass on where an AirTag was last seen, so a bag left on a bus has a real chance of turning up on your map. On a recent iPhone, Precision Finding then walks you to it with an on-screen arrow.

The Chipolo ONE's advantages are price and openness. It is about half the cost, it rings loudly, and it works the same on an iPhone or an Android phone, which suits a shared set of car keys. The trade-off is that it runs through Chipolo's app rather than Apple's network, so it is strongest at finding things nearby. If you are on Android and want a big network too, the Chipolo POP, about £30, works with Google's Find Hub network instead.

Our AirTag link is the second-generation model, under £30 on Amazon UK, the same price as Apple's UK store when we checked. Apple says its speaker is 50% louder than the first generation's, and it gets the longer Precision Finding range on newer iPhones. First-generation stock is still sold, so check a listing says 2nd generation before you check out.

Do you need a tracker or somewhere for keys to live?

Often both: a tracker finds keys after they go missing, and a fixed landing spot means they go missing less.

The SWTYMIKI holder is six hooks and a small tray for under £10. Hang it on the wall you face as you come in, not round the corner, so dropping keys there takes no decision at all. Put the tray to work for the things that travel with keys: a bank card, a travel pass, the post you mean to open.

Then put a tracker on the one set that wanders, rather than on everything. A tracker on the spare key that never leaves the drawer is money you could have spent on the hook.

What about wallets, bags and remotes?

Put a tracker on whatever you lose most, not just keys.

• Bags and coats. An AirTag or Chipolo ONE in an inside pocket is enough. Both are small enough to forget about, which is the point.
• Wallets. A keyring tracker makes a wallet bulge. Card-shaped trackers are made for this: the Chipolo CARD is 2.5mm thick, about 110dB, IP67 and charges wirelessly, for about £39.
• The car. A tracker in the glovebox helps in a big car park. It is a way to find your own car, nothing more.

Things to know

• Coin cells and children. CR2032 batteries are button batteries. GOV.UK warns that a swallowed button battery can burn through a child's food pipe, and advises going straight to A&E if you think a child has swallowed one. Keep spares out of reach and check the battery cover is shut after a change.
• Trackers are for things, not people. Both Apple and Google build in alerts for unknown trackers. Apple says an iPhone or Android phone will warn you if someone else's AirTag is travelling with you. Google says Android 6 and later gets unknown tracker alerts covering AirTags and Find Hub tags, and you can run a manual scan from Settings (Safety and emergency, then Unknown tracker alerts, then Scan now). Menu names can vary by phone.
• Some products here are described differently elsewhere. The standard Chipolo ONE uses the Chipolo app on iPhone, not Apple Find My. If Find My matters to you, look for a Chipolo with "Spot" in the name, or the POP and CARD, which work with Find My or Find Hub.
• Prices and testing. Prices here are from our listings on 11 September 2026; Apple's UK store showed £29 for one AirTag and £99 for four. We have not tested these trackers ourselves; the specs are Apple's and Chipolo's.