A GPS Item Finder Will Ensure You Never Lose Anything Important
While often an overlooked piece of convenience, the GPS item finder is one of the easiest ways to keep all of life's most precious and necessary items close at hand. With the right type of system, everything from car keys to favorite toys can always be exactly where they belong.
A stunning variety of products are available to try; stick-on tags, key fobs, tokens, and wallet-sized cards are just a few of the ways to add essential items to a tracking service. Some systems have an extended range and other features that work well with objects that regularly change location, including purses, car keys, wallets, cameras, vehicles, or audio equipment. A few even report successful use with pets when attached to the collar or harness, but take care to ensure that the battery remains regularly and fully charged for best effectiveness.
Other systems have a limited range, audible alarms, or a shorter battery life and would be better suited for items often lost in the same location. Children's toys, lockbox keys, remote controls, eyeglass cases, or other items that usually stay at home are good candidates for this type of system.
How Do They Work?
The “GPS” in “GPS Item Finder” stands for Global Positioning Satellite after the dozens of specialized spacecraft orbiting the planet to enhance navigation and communications. A GPS-enabled device is capable of receiving positioning data from those same satellites and re-sending that information to a linked device to be read and displayed.
Most current GPS item location products have a battery life of weeks or months before needing to be recharged, but none will work without a battery or other power source. Closely monitoring battery life will help prevent tracking devices from failing unexpectedly.
Popular GPS Item Finders
Of the dozens of offerings on the market, here are a few of the most frequently recommended trackers and item finders:
- HereO - A watch-style GPS tracker designed for young children, HereO's brightly-colored wearable device and companion app offer a convenient variety of family safety features, from location history to a panic button. Parents can share when they've arrived at a destination and receive alerts when their child enters or leaves a designated area, making it an ideal choice for vacations or school trips.
- Duet by Protagn - Made to fit on a keychain or in a wallet, Protag's Duet offers one hundred feet of Bluetooth range and a replaceable battery that lasts about six months. A unique "mobile protection feature" logs the SIM card number if a tagged phone is stolen, and an audible alarm alerts users when tagged items move out of range of the linked phone to avoid leaving things behind.
- Tile - As one of the early companies in the industry, Tile remains a force in the item tracker market, bragging functionality and features beyond those of most other products. Find missing items using voice commands with Amazon Alexa, Google Nest, and Comcast Xfinity compatibility. Join the premium subscription service to access item location history, share devices with family, or receive alerts if leaving home without a crucial item.
- Spytec GL300 - Ideal for monitoring vehicles, trailers, toolboxes, or other large assets, Spytec's tracker is roughly the size of a credit card and features a magnetic, waterproof case for easy temporary mounting. A geo-fence option allows alerts when the tag leaves a designated area, and its two weeks of battery life can be augmented with an additional battery pack designed to last a full six months for long-term security.
