Please note: this is not a sponsored post! My opinions are, as always, totally my own!
My husband is notorious for losing things…thankfully never permanently, but there has been more then a few worried moments when he has misplaced his keys, his wallet, his phone…
Thankfully, we can usually locate his phone using the Find My iPhone feature, but the keys and wallet are not so easy!
But I hope I have now found something that will help…the very neat Chipolo!
This little disc is a Bluetooth enabled device that you can easily attach to valuable items, and then you can locate lost/misplaced items by using the free Chipolo app.
It is about the size of a 50c and about 5mm thick, and comes in 9 colours…I bought two, a red and a black one.
And the Chipolo is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows phones.
To set it up, you need to download an app…we use iPhones, so to set up, I downloaded the app, created a Chipolo account and signed in.
Next step is to add the Chipolo to your account (you can have up to 9 on one account)…you just put the disc on the screen and it somehow connects…spookily clever…
I did have a bit of trouble getting both the Chipolos to connect…had to change batteries in both which is not a good start, but we got there in the end!
So how does it work?
The Chipolo App can locate an item from up to 200ft/60m away using it’s Range Meter…if the Chipolo goes out of range, you can set the app so it will alert you with a sound notification.
Plus, it will show the last recorded location if it has gone out of range.
Another feature is that if you shake the Chipolo, your phone will vibrate and sound a noise to tell you where you left it…even if it’s in silent mode…I have tried it…it actually works!
Which is good for me as I always seem to leave my iphone on silent as I hate ringing phones…but you do need to be within range for this feature to work.
If the Chipolo goes out of range and is missing, you can see if you can locate it via the Chipolo Network GPS.
The Chipolo doesn’t have an inbuilt GPS but will automatically update the location of your lost Chipolo if another Network user happens to be within range.
This concept does cause me a little worry but Chipolo assure their users that the location is always updated securely and anonymously in the background.
And there is also another problem…I am not sure how many Chipolo users there are here in Australia, which means the crowd network won’t be much help.
But as I mentioned before, the app should be able to tell you the last place it was connected to the Chipolo, which at least gives a starting point of where to look.
Once the app connects to the Chipolo (ie if it is within 200 feet/60 meters line of sight), it provides a range meter which shows if you are getting closer or futher away!
You can also share Chipolos with family and friends…Chipolo Sharing feature allows other members can use their phones to locate the missing item…in other words, if my husband has gone to work and left his keys at home, I can use the app to the located them, even if the Chipolo is registered on his account.
And there is one other piece of information that the Chipolo can give you…it has an integrated temperature sensor so can tell you the ambient temperature of wherever it is!
There are so many ways you could use a Chipolo…your handbag…your laptop bag…your laptop…your suitcase…your camera…even attach to your bike…anything that could be lost or misplaced!
Chipolo even suggest it could be attached to your pet’s collar…but the discs aren’t water resistant or waterproof so you would have to be careful if your pet loves to swim!
The battery is meant to last 6 months, and Chipolo do supply another spare battery…although in my case I had to use the spare batteries in both the ones I bought which wasn’t the best start.
I love the concept of the Chipolo, and it works well if the missing item is within range.
The only thing that I would prefer is that it had an inbuilt GPS rather then relying on a crowd network, but I am guessing that would mean a much bulkier design.
However, as my husband usually leaves his keys, wallet and phone either at work, home or in the car, the Chipolo is perfect!
Let’s hope we don’t have to use it too often though!
For more information, click here to visit the Chipolo website.
I bought our Chipolos from Rushfaster (Australia) and they cost $39.95 each plus P&H
I need this for ALL my random crap, like handbag, wallet, missing red lipstick!!!
You should do a review of Lapa! Everybody says it works a lot better.
Thanks Sarah – will check it out!