Tile Mate vs. Tile Slim: Key chain or card?

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  Tile Mate (2022)

  The key chain

  The rugged, IP67 Tile Mate features a loop for attaching it to objects you might lose around your home. It can relay its location to any device within about 70 meters with the Tile app installed.

  Pros

  • Especially durable
  • Less expensive

  Cons

  • Small network
  • Limited functionality

• 

  Tile Slim (2022)

  The card

  The same dimensions as a credit card but slightly thicker, the Tile Slim is meant to slide into a wallet, backpack, or purse to help you keep tabs on it when nearby.

  Pros

  • Svelte form factor
  • Discreetly travels

  Cons

  • More expensive
  • Tile trackers don’t do well out in the wild

Tile wasn’t just among the original Bluetooth tracker developers; its handy wireless locators were the first to hit the market and garner a ton of publicity. Years later, they’re still going (somewhat) strong, and work well for their intended use. There aren’t many to choose from, and the specs don’t vary much — but make sure you get the right one, since neither the Mate nor the Slim are great replacements for the other.

Price, availability, and specs

The Mate and Slime aren’t new by any means, but they’ve been refined through multiple generations. You’ll find them at various retailers, although if you buy directly from Tile, you’ll get three months of the Premium subscription for free. The Mate costs $25 and the Slim $35 because the considerably skinnier model requires more costly internals to suit its form factor.

• 	Tile Mate (2022)	Tile Slim (2022)
  Connectivity	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE
  Battery	Up to 3 years; non-replaceable	Up to 3 years, non-replaceable
  Range	Up to 76m	Up to 76m
  Water Resistance	IP67	IP67

Design, build, and battery

Same purpose, different shapes

To put it simply, the Slim’s a card and Mate’s a key chain. Suppose a busy schedule or mild forgetfulness regularly leaves you turning up couch cushions looking for your wallet. In that case, the Tile Slim and its impressively skinny construction can save you time and frustration.

In contrast, the Mate clips onto pretty much anything, and is a little more durable than the Slim. It’s perfect for keys, water bottles, purses, and other accessories. Almost indistinguishable from an everyday key chain, its form factor makes it practically indestructible.

The battery in neither tracker can be replaced, but they’re efficient enough to last 3 years, with some users reporting even longer lifespans. They’re also rated IP67, so they can withstand up to 30 minutes in a meter of water and dust won’t damage them.

Features

The Tile Mate and Slim have identical specifications and functionality. They each claim a 76-meter range and support the Tile app for iOS and Android. Inside, they each use Bluetooth LE radios to connect to your device and any other that has the app installed.

On the outside, there’s a button you can press if you’ve lost your phone, but still have your keys or wallet with the Tile attached. And if you know you’re in the same room as your lost item, you can use your phone to activate the Tile’s alarm and pinpoint your missing stuff. You don’t have to use your phone, though, since they support Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri voice connectivity for convenient use whenever you’re in range of a smart home controller or smart speaker.

If you’re interested in additional features like a replaceable battery or enhanced water resistance, we recommend checking out the Tile Pro and Sticker.

Tile trackers aren’t exactly perfect for keeping tabs on potentially stolen or lost items as they move around the world. In real-world experience, Tile-tracked objects can be difficult to trace once they leave your general vicinity. But if you want reassurance that you won’t constantly spend valuable minutes searching for your keys before walking out the door, Tiles are worth considering.

Both trackers support the paid Tile Premium subscription, which costs $3 a month or $30 for the year. This offers smart alerts if you walk away from something, as well as a 30-day location history and the ability to share your Tiles with friends and family members without limitations. There’s also a thorough warranty for broken or defective units during the subscription period, as well as priority customer service access.

Tile Premium also offers a $100 payback on lost items, and the $100-a-year Premium Protect offers up to $1,000, but with caveats. Tile explicitly excludes from reimbursement any items that are stolen, dangerous to retrieve, or tracked by Tiles “not sending a signal due to incorrect permission settings or out of range.”

Which should you buy?

The most important decision-making factor is what you plan on tracking, as the trackers’ unique form factors accommodate different items. The trackers come in two shapes: a key chain-friendly square or a slender rectangle. For most, the tag-like Tile Mate offers more versatility since it’s more rugged and a little smaller, making it the best choice.

The Tile Slim’s form factor required a little more engineering and advanced components, so it’s a little more expensive. But if you want to keep from losing something the Mate won’t fit inside, the Tile Slim exists to pick up that slack.