Testing Ground: Tile Performance Pack

Dec. 10—When this column first started, one of the first items I reviewed was the Tile Performance.

I deemed the trackers, meant to locate items like lost wallets and keys, a necessity. That remains true.

With the newer Tile Performance Park ($33.99. tile.com), they've made their product louder to hear, a bigger range to locate and a little tougher to break.

For the uninitiated, the Performance Pack includes a Pro — a small, rounded piece that easily attaches to a carabiner, backpack or keychain with the longest range (400 feet) — and a Slim, a credit card-size piece that can slip into a wallet or purse, with a range of 250 feet. Both are water resistant and work with Android and Apple devices.

For the record, the pack I got in 2020 took a beating. Eventually, the key ring Tile broke and I realized how important it was when I misplaced my keys. The Slim remained strong though, willing to take my weight on it, no matter what seat on which I was sitting.

Both remain easy to set up. You download the app, give the Tile devices a few clicks and you're set. When you lose your keys or wallet, you use the app to send out a signal via Bluetooth and if it's in range, it elicits a song that, at first, sounds fun, and over time, gets very annoying. But it's always helpful in finding your items.

You can also use items to find your phone, as a few clicks on the Tile will send a notice to the app that you're trying to locate your phone and, once again, you'll hear that familiar jingle and you're set.

If there one setback I have, it's that the Slim tends to go off when I sit on my wallet, causing my phone to play that jingle at inopportune times. Otherwise, this is still one of the best items on the market and a perfect holiday present if you have an absent-minded relative.

Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrew.gaug@newspressnow.com.

Follow him on Twitter: @NPNOWGaug