One of the first Find My-enabled third party accessories, the Chipolo ONE Spot, was released last May. The Chipolo ONE Spot was the same as the AirTag in almost every way, but the $35 CARD Spot accessory from Chipolo beat out the AirTag when it came to wallet tracking.
The CARD Spot is a simple credit card-sized black plastic insert that is meant to fit inside a wallet. It has a Chipolo logo on one side and a small button on the other side, with some regulatory information on the other side.
It is just a plain black card, but what is impressive is its thinness. The average credit card is 0.76mm thick, so the CARD Spot is a little thicker than three credit cards. That is accurate based on my testing.
The CARD Spot is about the thickness of three credit cards stacked up on top of each other. If you have a stack of credit cards, your wallet should fit the CARD Spot as well.
I have a small card wallet that is not large enough for cash or add-ins, but the CARD Spot fits in one of the slots, and I use it to hold about 10 cards. I think many people will find it a better solution than AirTag, even though it may still be too thick for some people.
The AirTag is much thicker than the CARD Spot, so wallet inserts that accommodate it are not a good option. I can fit the card spot in my wallet, but not the AirTag. If your wallet gets wet, the tracker won't die on you, because the CARD Spot offers IPX5 water resistance. IPX5 is a low-pressure jet spray.
There is no replaceable battery for the Chipolo CARD Spot. When the battery dies, the entire thing needs to be replaced. After two years, if you register your CARD Spot, Chipolo will give you a discount code for a new one and you can recycle the old one for free.
The CARD Spot can be found right alongside other Apple devices in the app under the items tab. It is easier to see if you give it a name and an icon.
The CARD Spot is compatible with the Find My C network, which means it can use the nearby Apple devices to transmit its location back to you. If you walk away from your wallet with the chipolo card spot inside, you will be notified.
The CARD Spot is able to play a sound that is 105 decibels so you can locate it nearby, and it has a 200 foot range for the sound option. It is worth noting that this is an iPhone only solution, and it does not have U1 chip integration.
If a Chipolo CARD Spot is separated from its owner, it will send unknown item alerts and begin to play.
The chipolo card spot is the best wallet tracking device I have ever used. It is thin enough to fit inside of most wallets and it offers all of the benefits of an AirTag without the bulk. The CARD Spot is a better option than an actual AirTag.
The one spot is $7 more expensive than the AirTag and the card spot is $35, but the convenience of having a slim tracker for the wallet will be worth the premium. The major downside is that it needs to be replaced every two years, but $17.50 per year for peace of mind is a small price to pay, and Chipolo has a discounted replacement program so the multi-year cost is lower.
The CARD Spot can be pre-ordered from the Chipolo website for $35 and will be delivered in April. There is a discounted two-pack available for $60, which reduces the price to $30 per card spot, and there is also a bundle that includes a card spot and two chipolo spots for $77.
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