Pebblebee Card 5
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Thinner than similar tracker tags by some 30%
- 18-month battery life, rechargeable using a Qi charging pad
- Tough, durable, and dust- and water-resistant.
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My Camino Frances hike – well, the last 70 or so miles – starts in a few days for me and my walking buddy, and one of the things that I don’t want to happen along the way is that we lose anything important. Keys, backpacks, wallets, passports–>, and even coats are finder tagged. I’m an iPhone user, and so I’ve stuck AirTags<!–> onto pretty much everything of value (using the excellent accessories that Elevation Lab–> makes for that task). My trail buddy is an Android user, and they’re having to use something different.
Also: I found an AirTag alternative that beats the Bluetooth tracker in meaningful ways (including price)
While keys and backpacks are protected using the new Pebblebee Clip 5 tags<!–>, they’re a bit on the big side to go into a wallet. Yet fear not, because Pebblebee has something for that demand – the Card 5–>.
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The Card 5 looks and feels slightly thicker than a normal credit card. I’ve had credit-card-sized tracker tags in the past, and at only 0.07 inches/1.74 mm thin, this tag is significantly thinner than those – some 30% thinner, according to Pebblebee.
The Card 5 is super, super thin.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Inside the tough, durable exterior — designed to IPX6 standards to shrug off dust and rain — is a lot of cool electronics.
There’s a Bluetooth finder tag that has a clear line of sight range of 500 feet/150 meters that’ll work with Apple’s Find My network or Google’s Find Hub. To make finding things easier, the tag has a super-loud beeper that is far louder than the AirTag, and bright LEDs, so you can search in the dark.
Also: I thought this iPhone screen protector was overrated – until I hit it with a brass knuckle
I’ve tested this tag and it had no problem finding a wallet at the 500-foot distance, and it happily connected to my iPhone when hidden in a vehicle that was some 250 feet away.
There’s also a rechargeable battery inside that’ll keep the tag running for 18 months. When it’s time for a recharge, you just place the tag on a wireless charging pad — no USB-C ports or cables.
Charge the Card 5 from any handy Qi charging pad.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
All this technology operates in a finder tag that weighs just 0.49 ounces/14 grams.
ZDNET’s buying advice
AirTags are great, but the UFO-esque shape doesn’t lend itself to being put into a wallet or purse. The Pebblebee Card 5–> is perfect, because it’s just a little thicker than a card, and yet it packs a lot of tracker tech into a small space. It’s tough, resists bending and flexing, shrugs off water, and lasts well over a year on a single charge.
And it works for both iPhones and Android devices.
Normally priced at $35, there’s currently a massive 30% off the price, bringing it down to $24.50, making the device a must-have for tech aficionados and a great gift for those people in your life who misplace their stuff.
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