Tile Mate vs. Chipolo Classic: Which should you buy?
- okt
- 11
We're a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe and sometimes we misplace our tech! We've tried plenty of Bluetooth trackers to keep track of our most valuable possessions nearly every day.
Tile Mate
Find anything
Pros
- 1-year battery.
- Device volume up to 119 dB.
- Water and dust resistant.
- App compatible with Siri Shortcuts on iOS 12.
- Can find your phone by pressing on the tracker.
Cons
- Shorter Bluetooth range than Chiplo.
- Only comes in white.
The Tile Mate is the latest version of Tile's popular tracking tag meant to keep track of everyday items. The small plastic square features year-long battery life and a replaceable battery, while the ring volume can now hit up to 119 dB. While its 150-foot range is probably long enough to find anything you might have lost in your house, I'd love to see that range extended to something closer to the Chipolo's 200 feet.
Chipolo Classic
Colorful tracking
Pros
- 200-foot Bluetooth range.
- Six color options.
- Can find your phone by pressing on the tracker.
Cons
- Ring volume only goes up to 92 dB.
- Not compatible with Siri.
- Not water resistant.
- Battery only lasts nine months.
An upgrade over the original Chipolo, the Chipolo Classic is a tracking tag that offers an excellent 200-foot range, a replaceable battery, and six vibrant colors to choose from. You can connected your Chipolo to your Google account Amazon Alexa in order to use Google Assistant or Alexa to find your lost items. However, its biggest drawbacks are its ring volume, which only goes up to 92 dB, its nine-month battery life, and its lack of water resistance.
Between the Tile Mate and Chipolos Classic, I have to give the edge to the Tile. While you'll probably be happy with either tracker, the Tile has a louder maximum ring volume, is water resistant, and has a battery that will last a solid year. It's range might be a bit shorter than the Chipolo Classic's, but it's still probably long enough to find anything you might have lost inside your home.
If you want color options, a slightly longer range, and don't mind changing the battery a little more often, the Chipolo Classic is still a good tracker.
The breakdown
There's a lot that the Tile Mate and Chipolo Classic have in common. The trackers are around the same size, and owners of either tag can utilize the respective community of Tile or Chipolo owners to find items that they've left behind someplace. But the differences between the two are important to note.
The Chipolo Classic's biggest advantage is its range. At 200 ft, Chipolo beats most of the competition by about 100 feet, and the Tile Mate by 50 feet. Its range is long enough so that if you've lost something attached to a Chipolo anywhere in your home you should be able to find it. The Classic also comes in six colors: yellow, red, blue, white, green, and black, so you can get the one that best matches your personal style.
Meanwhile, the Tile Mate's biggest advantages are its battery life and ring volume. When you ring your Tile Mate to try to find it, it's maximum volume is 119 decibels (dB), almost 30 dB louder than the Chipolo (and almost 40dB louder than the previous-generation Mate). It's battery also lasts for a year, and like the Chipolo, that battery is replaceable. The Tile Mate also has an advantage with voice assistants. Like the Chipolo, the Tile Mate is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, but if your iPhone is running iOS 12, it's also compatible with Siri thanks to Shortcuts. You can create a shortcut, complete with a custom activation phrase, to find your lost item using Siri.
While we'd like to see a more robust rating (like those found in past Tiles), the Tile features an IP55 dust and water protection rating. This means that its rated for protection against some dust intrusion, as well as low-power water jets. While you certainly shouldn't submerge your Tile, it's still better protected than the Chipolo if you take your things around water.
| Tile Mate | Chipolo Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| Wireless Range | 150 ft/45m | 200 ft/60m |
| Battery Life | One year | Nine months |
| Battery type | One CR1632 | One CR2025 |
| Ring volume | Up to 119 dB | Up to 92 dB |
| Size | 35mm (H) x 35mm (W) x 6.2mm (D) | 35mm diameter x 5mm (D) |
| Weight | 7g | 6.6g |
| Colors | White | Yellow, Red, Blue, White, Green, Black |
| Price | $25 | $25-$30 (depends on retailer) |
These are both great tracking tags, each with their own advantages, but all things considered, the Tile Mate is your best bet. A year of battery life, compatibility with all of the major voice assistants, water resistance, and a louder ring volume all help elevate the Tile Mate above Chipolo's offering. If you want more something more colorful, or that extra 50 ft will really make a difference for you, the Chipolos Classic is still a good choice
Tile Mate
Sing it loud
Year-long battery life and a loud ring.
The battery in your Tile Mate will last you long enough to find all of your everyday items for a year. It's ring is also loud enough to guarantee that you'll locate your stuff, and can be activated by the three major voice assistants.
Chipolo Classic
Find anything, anywhere
Best-in-class range with in a variety of colors.
The Chipolo Classic an has excellent Bluetooth range, letting you find your lost items within 200 ft. There are also six color options available for you, letting you find something that best fits your personal style.