Tile Pro vs. Tile Sticker: Choosing the right tracker

• 

  Tile Pro

  Versatile tracking

  With a range of up to 400 feet, the Tile Pro is well-suited for locating items throughout your home or even beyond. Plus, its powerful built-in ringer ensures you’ll hear it even in noisy environments, and the replaceable battery extends its lifespan beyond other Tile models.

  Pros

  • Long-range tracking
  • Louder alarm
  • Replaceable battery

  Cons

  • Not suitable for smaller items
  • More expensive

• 

  Tile Sticker

  Compact tracking

  The Tile Sticker’s tiny size and adhesive back allow it to securely track items that would be awkward with traditional key-ring trackers, like remotes or electronics. Despite its size, the Sticker boasts a 250-foot range and an impressive three-year battery life.

  Pros

  • Small, waterproof design
  • Long battery life

  Cons

  • Irreplaceable battery
  • Not suited for curved surfaces

Ever frantically searched for your keys before work or misplaced your wallet right when you needed it most? Smart tags can eliminate that stressful scramble. These tiny trackers attach to your belongings, making them easy to locate with your smartphone.

Tile is one of the leading smart tag brands, with a range of options to suit different needs. Two of their most popular trackers, the Tile Pro and Tile Sticker, offer similar functionality but with some key differences. Deciding between them depends on how you lose things and the type of items you want to track.

Price, availability, and specs

The current Tile tracker generation, including the Pro and Sticker, debuted in late 2021. The Tile Pro holds the top spot in features and price, retailing for $35. The Tile Sticker is a more budget-conscious choice at $30. Both products are also available in convenient two-pack or four-pack options that reduce the price further.

You’ll have no trouble finding these trackers in the US through major retailers. The Pro offers black and white color options, while the Sticker keeps it simple with black. While Tile trackers work seamlessly with Android and iOS, they rely exclusively on Bluetooth for tracking. Competitors like the AirTag and Samsung’s SmartTag use Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology for even more precise location tracking.

• 	Tile Pro (2022)	Tile Sticker
  Brand	Tile	Tile
  Connectivity	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE
  Battery	Up to one year, user-replaceable User-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery	Up to three years, non-replaceable
  Range	Up to 120m (400 feet)	Up to 76m (250 feet)
  Water Resistance	IP67	IP68

Design and build

The big differences

The primary difference between the Tile Pro and Tile Sticker lies in how they’re meant to be used: the Pro hangs from objects, while the Sticker is designed to stick to them.

The Tile Pro’s metal and plastic construction gives it a sturdy, premium feel. Its rectangular design (approximately 2 x 1 inch) with rounded edges, mirrors a modern car key fob. It includes a convenient circular cutout, allowing you to attach it to a key chain, bag, or other item. And the IP67 rating means it can withstand water submersion up to 3 feet. Tile Pro’s CR2032 battery can last for up to a year, but it’s easily replaceable, so you can keep using your Tile tracker for a long time.

The Tile Sticker embraces a minimalist dot-shaped design, measuring just over an inch in diameter and 0.3 inches thick. Its textured plastic surface ensures a good grip, while the strong adhesive lets it stick directly to various non-porous surfaces (e.g., remotes, electronics, bike frames). The Sticker’s compact size makes it ideal for items where a traditional key ring attachment wouldn’t work. While it lacks a replaceable battery, the Tile Sticker boasts an impressive water resistance of up to 20 feet and a three-year battery life, after which the device must be replaced.

Features

Lots of similarities

At their core, both the Pro and Sticker rely on Tile’s Bluetooth tracking technology. After pairing them with the Tile app on your Android or iOS smartphone, you can get help locating lost belongings by triggering the tracker’s alarm from your app. This works in reverse, too, as you can press your Tile’s button to make your phone ring, even on silent.

It’s important to note that Tile trackers lack the precision of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) found in competitors like AirTags and the newly updated Android ‘Find My Device’ network, meaning the location tracking might not be as pinpointed. Additionally, while Tile boasts a vast network of users to help its tracking capabilities, it’s not as extensive as Apple’s or Google’s smartphone user base.

Tile advertises an impressive 400-foot range for the Pro and a 250-foot range for the Sticker. However, real-world experience often yields shorter distances due to obstacles like walls and buildings. In testing, the Sticker can be pinged from around 150 feet, while the Pro can demonstrate a range of around 200 to 250 feet in most areas.

The Pro’s louder alarm makes it more suitable for noisy outdoor environments, while the Sticker’s quieter ring is likely better for indoor use or quieter outdoor settings. To combat potential misuse, Tile has the “Scan and Secure” feature. This functionality allows Tile and non-Tile users on Android or iOS to scan their surroundings for unregistered trackers.

Subscribe for additional perks

Some of Tile’s most valuable features sit behind the Tile Premium subscription ($2.99/month or $29.99/year). These include Smart Alerts, which proactively notify you if you leave a tracker behind; location history, providing a 30-day record of where your Tile has been; free Battery Replacements (applicable to the Tile Pro only); and reimbursements for covering lost items up to a certain value.

The subscription essentially adds to the long-term cost of owning a Tile, almost like paying the price of a tracker each year. Competitors like Chipolo offer similar tracking functionality and insights without requiring an ongoing subscription, potentially making them a more budget-friendly option.

Which one should you buy?

Both the Tile Pro and Tile Sticker demonstrate why Tile remains a leader in the smart tracker market. They offer reliable Bluetooth tracking to help you find misplaced belongings. However, the Tile Pro emerges as the clear winner for most users. Its longer range, louder alarm, replaceable battery, and overall versatility make it the superior choice in many use cases. The relatively small price difference further solidifies the Pro’s value proposition.

The Tile Sticker still has its place. Its compact size and sticky placement are perfect for tracking items within your home or those where a key chain attachment would be awkward. While the non-replaceable battery and potential limitations of sticking it on curved surfaces are drawbacks, the Sticker delivers solid performance if it suits your specific needs.