HoloTag item tracker review: These Apple AirTag alternatives are only $13 apiece (or less), but are they as good?
Although the range doesn't quite match up, these Find My-compatible Bluetooth trackers are an amazing deal.
Tired of your losing your stuff? Perhaps you've considered affixing Apple AirTags to your keys, purse, luggage and other personal items. These little Bluetooth trackers can indeed be useful, but they're a little pricey at $29 each — especially considering you'll have to pay extra for a case to actually affix it to something. Enter Holomarq's HoloTag, a new AirTag alternative that's less than half the price — and ready for keychain duty right out of the box. The question is, does it work as well as an AirTag? Here's my HoloTag review.
Battery: Replaceable CR2032 (up to 18 months) | Supports Apple Find My: Yes | Rated range: 33 feet | Ultra-wideband: No | LEDs: No
VERDICT: If you're an iPhone user looking for item-tracking on the cheap, look no further. HoloTags work nearly as well as AirTags, although their range is a bit shorter.
- Super-cheap
- Detailed printed instructions
- Loud audible alert
- Built-in keychain hole
- So-so range
- Not compatible with Android devices
- Conflicting battery-life claims
If you're not familiar with these gizmos, I urge you to read my roundup of the best item trackers. Among other things, it will educate you in the ways of Apple's Find My technology, which is the key ingredient in AirTags' location capabilities.
HoloTags (also available in black) support Find My as well, and in fact they're Apple-certified. That's true of many other trackers as well, but the big news here is price: You can buy one HoloTag for $13, a 2-pack for $25 or a 4-pack for $45. As noted above, a single AirTag runs $29, while a 4-pack will set you back $99 (though these are often discounted to around $80). Even factoring in such discounts, HoloTags cost considerably less.
However, they lack AirTags' ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, which enables super-precise location tracking when within Bluetooth range. But that's true of all other competing Find My trackers as well; only AirTags offer UWB.
On the other hand, HoloTags have holes, meaning they can attach easily to a keychain ring or the like. That definitely gives them a leg up over AirTags.
Meanwhile, Holomarq promises up to two years of operation from the HoloTag's preinstalled, user-replaceable CR2032 battery — or, at least, that's what's currently showing on the Amazon product page. That's surprising, given that AirTags and virtually every other CR2032-powered tracker claim one year. To further confuse matters, the printed instruction guide specifically notes the battery "will last up to 18 months."
That seems more likely, but because I've been testing my HoloTags for only about a week, I can't say for sure how long their batteries will last. Two years seems unlikely, but even if they run for 18 months, it's an improvement over most trackers. (By the way, to replace the battery, you need to remove a tiny screw from a rear panel — a good child-proofing solution.)
Another inconsistency: Amazon's product page indicates HoloTags are waterproof, but the box says "water resistant." Either way, there's no IPX rating listed, so it's impossible to know if these can survive simple splashes or a full dunk in a puddle or pool.
HoloTags: How to set them up
To pair a HoloTag with your phone, you first pull a plastic tab to activate the battery. Next you quick-press the tracker's button, then press it again and hold for five seconds; that puts it in pairing mode. From there you use the Find My app to "Add Item," following a few simple steps to complete the process.
This is all quite easy to do, thanks in part to Holomarq's aforementioned instruction guide, which is admirably detailed. I will say the HoloTag's button is really stiff; it's hard to tell if it registered a press or if you're actually holding it down. After pairing, though, you're not likely to ever need that button again.
HoloTag tests: Does it work as well as an AirTag?
To test the HoloTag, I left it in various locations around the house and experimented with locating it from various distances. On the whole, it didn't perform quite as reliably as an AirTag; sometimes it wouldn't connect (in order to play a sound) unless I was within about 20 feet; other times it managed 25 feet or even 30. I can't explain these inconsistencies; I can only say that you — or someone else carrying an iPhone — need to be in relatively close proximity for tracking to work.
The same was true outdoors (where Bluetooth signals tend to be weaker because they have fewer objects to bounce off). In an open area, Find My couldn't find the HoloTag unless I was within about 10-15 feet.
Once it does connect, it plays a reasonably loud series of beeps — at least as loud as an AirTag's — to help you find it. And as with other Find My-compatible trackers, you can share the device with others, set up notifications to alert you when it's found and enable Lost Mode if you want to help the person who finds the item find you.
In case it's not abundantly clear by now, HoloTags work only with iOS devices; Android users should look to Tile trackers, which have the added advantage of two-way location: You can not only use your phone to locate a Tile, you also can use a Tile to locate your phone. (Killer feature; I wish AirTags and Find My supported it.)
HoloTag trackers: Should you buy them instead of AirTags?
I like the idea of attaching Bluetooth trackers to keychains, backpacks and other items that can easily go missing. Heck, some folks tape them to the TV remote. But I don't like spending as much as $29 for Apple's AirTags — not when there are much cheaper alternatives.
Because the HoloTag supports Apple Find My, it's nearly as good as an AirTag. Yes, it lacks UWB and doesn't have quite the same immediate-area range, but on the whole it works the way it should. Plus, battery life appears to be significantly better (whether that's 18 months or 24), and you don't have to pay more just to be able to attach it to your keychain.
My advice: Buy a HoloTag and try it out. At $13 it's practically an impulse purchase, and definitely a cheap way to locate lost stuff.
