Chipolo is an item tracking company that has embraced Apple's Find My network, and last May, it came out with one of the first Find My-enabled third party accessories, the Chipolo ONE Spot. Identical to the AirTag in almost every way, the Chipolo ONE Spot didn't have an edge over Apple's own item tracking solution, but Chipolo's $35 CARD Spot accessory beats out the AirTag when it comes to wallet tracking.
Design wise, the CARD Spot isn't much to look at because it's a simple credit card-sized black plastic insert that's meant to fit inside a wallet. It's got a Chipolo logo on one side along with a small button for pairing, along with some regulatory information on the other side.
Aside from that, it's just a plain black card, but what's impressive is its thinness. It measures in at 2.4mm thick, and the internet says that the average credit card is 0.76mm thick, so the CARD Spot is a little thicker than three credit cards. Based on my testing, that's accurate.
Comparing the CARD Spot to the credit cards in my wallet, it's just about the thickness of three of them stacked up on top of each other. So if your wallet fits a stack of three credit cards, it should fit the CARD Spot as well.
I have a relatively small card wallet that I use that holds about 10 cards and that is not sized for cash or other add-ins, and the CARD Spot fits inside perfectly in one of the slots. For those who use super slim wallets (like Apple's MagSafe Wallet), it may still be too thick, but I think many people will find it a better solution than anything AirTag related on the market.
There have been wallet inserts that accommodate an AirTag, but the AirTag is much thicker than the CARD Spot, so they're not a great option. I can fit the CARD Spot in my small wallet, but it definitely does not fit an AirTag. The CARD Spot offers IPX5 water resistance, so if your wallet accidentally gets wet, the tracker won't die on you. IPX5 is a low-pressure jet spray, so it still can't be dunked.
The major downside to the Chipolo CARD Spot is that there's no replaceable battery. It's designed to last for up to two years, but when the battery dies, the entire thing needs to be replaced. If you register your CARD Spot, Chipolo will send a 50 percent discount code for a new CARD Spot after two years and recycle the old one for free.
Like the AirTags and other Find My accessories, the CARD Spot can be located right alongside other Apple devices in the Find My app under the "Items" tab. You can give it a name and an emoji icon so it's easier to see at a glance.
The CARD Spot is compatible with the Find My network, which means it is able to leverage the Bluetooth connection of nearby Apple devices when lost to transmit its location back to you privately. It also supports "Notify When Left Behind," so if you're out somewhere and walk away from your wallet with the Chipolo CARD Spot inside, you'll be alerted.
Like AirTags, the CARD Spot is able to play a sound that's fairly loud at 105db so you can locate it nearby, and it has a 200 foot range for the sound option. There is no Precision Finding because it does not have U1 chip integration, and it's worth noting that this is an iPhone-only solution because it only works with the Find My app.
All Find My accessories have the same safety protections as the AirTags, so if a Chipolo CARD Spot is separated from its owner, it will send unknown item alerts and begin to play sounds after an 8 to 24 hour period.
Bottom Line
The Chipolo CARD Spot is the best wallet tracking device that I've used to date. It's thin enough to fit inside of most wallets and it offers all of the Find My benefits of an AirTag without the bulk. Compared to in-wallet solutions that use an actual AirTag, the CARD Spot is the superior option.
When it comes to price, the CARD Spot is $35, so it's $6 more expensive than the AirTag and $7 more expensive than the ONE Spot, but the convenience of having a slim tracker for the wallet will be worth the premium for some people. 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, plus Chipolo has a discounted replacement program so the multi-year cost is lower.
How to Buy
The CARD Spot can be preordered from the Chipolo website for $35, and orders will ship out in April. There is a discounted two-pack available for $60, which drops the price to $30 per CARD Spot, and Chipolo also offers a bundle that includes a CARD Spot and a two Chipolo ONE Spots for $77.
Top Rated Comments
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