We’re big fans of the Apple AirTag and its clever use of the large number of iOS devices around the world to find your lost items without requiring a battery-draining GPS chip. It’s easily the best Bluetooth tracker around, which is why people use it to track everything from keys and wallets to luggage and all sorts of items you bring on the go. Problem is, it’s a little thick, which is why even custom-designed AirTag Wallets can feel a tad too bulky. The Nomad Tracking Card offers an alternative.
No, it’s not an AirTag competitor. Instead, it’s a Bluetooth tracker that uses Apple’s Find My technology. That means, it essentially uses the same tech as the AirTag, albeit in a card form factor that should make for a better fit in most any type of wallet.
The Nomad Tracking Card, basically, crams Apple’s Find My tech in a slim card form factor, so it works natively with the Find My app. No. it’s not as slim as your credit cards, but the outfit claims it’s only as thick as two credit cards stacked on top of each other at 2mm, so it’s still impressively thin. More importantly, this should allow it to fit in a card slot on most any kind of wallet, from thick billfolds and slim wallets to card pouches and even the MagSafe wallet you’re using with an Android phone.
Unlike the AirTag, it has a rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to throw it away when the battery drains out. It’s compatible with both Qi and MagSafe wireless chargers, too, so there’s a good chance you can charge it with a device you already have in your home. Do note, there are no magnets on the card (since that can wreak havoc on your wallet), so you’ll have to align it manually even if you’re replenishing it on a MagSafe charger. According to Nomad, the device will need to be recharged once every five months, which shouldn’t be that much of a hassle.
The Nomad Tracking Card has a polycarbonate body with a printed surface made to resemble a circuit board, making it look like one of those employee cards that people use to get in and out of their offices. That makes it a lot more discreet than an AirTag, so there’s a good chance people won’t even recognize its function when they see it in your wallet, so thieves might not throw it away when they see it in your stolen wallet. There’s a hidden button, too, which you can only recognize if someone told you its location, which you’ll need to use the first time you add it to your Find My gadgets list, while an IPX7 waterproof rating allows you to put it on any device without worrying about damaging it during unfriendly weather. It also has a small speaker for playing a sound, which you can use when trying to locate its position right in the same room.
The Nomad Tracking Card is available now, priced at $40.
