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Reading Time: 4 minIf there’s one thing I can’t recommend enough for travelers, it’s Apple AirTags. These affordable little silver disks can be connected to your iPhone, and through Bluetooth technology and Apple's “Find My” network, they work as tracking devices for anything you own, especially your checked bags while you're traveling.
And right now, Apple’s latest-generation AirTag is seeing a huge drop in price. In fact, Amazon is selling the 4-pack for $79.99, or around $20 per AirTag — the lowest price we’ve seen to date.
But if you’re only in the market for a single AirTag, that’s priced at just $24 — matching the sale price from Amazon’s recent Prime Day sale.
AirTags have been around for years, but earlier this year, Apple upgraded its technology and introduced a new version of the AirTag.
The biggest improvement is Apple’s adoption of second-generation Ultra Wideband technology. This upgrade increases the Precision Finding range by up to 50% compared to the original AirTag.
It also provides greater precision and better directions to your items, making it much easier to find your AirTag, which is exceptionally helpful in large spaces such as airports and hotels.
The second-gen AirTag also features a redesigned internal speaker that's 50% louder than the speaker in the first generation. When trying to locate your misplaced items, it's easier to hear the AirTag’s chiming sound. The updated design also makes it harder to tamper with the device and remove the speaker.
Despite these enhancements and internal design changes, the AirTag’s exterior remains unchanged. This means your existing accessories, such as keychains or wallets that hold the AirTag, don't need to be replaced.
To use the new version, you’ll need to update your device to the latest version of iOS that supports the new AirTag. The battery life also remains the same at roughly one year. It’s also slightly heavier, though the difference is negligible in everyday use.
Imagine this scenario: You land at your beach destination, only to find out that your luggage never made it onto the plane. It happens more than you think. In fact, it happened to me not too long ago during a trip to Grand Cayman.
But instead of finding out when I landed, I knew my bag wasn’t going to make it before we even departed. That’s because I was able to track the whereabouts of my luggage thanks to an AirTag in one of the pockets.
While on the runway at takeoff, I was unfortunately able to see on my phone that my bag was quite far from the belly of the plane. While this knowledge didn’t help me get my bag on the flight, it allowed me time in the air to prepare for the inevitable.
It also meant I could track the whereabouts of my luggage for the next 24 hours without having to rely on spotty communication from the airline, ensuring it was in fact making progress to my destination.
But even on flights when my luggage actually does make it onto the aircraft — such as on my family’s last winter ski trip — having an AirTag in each piece of luggage gives me peace of mind that my items will be waiting for me upon arrival.
I also keep an AirTag in each of my carry-on bags while traveling, and in my backpack as well. I’m by no means an alarmist, but you never know when a purse or backpack can go missing, or another passenger will accidentally walk away with the wrong item.
True story: This just happened to my sister earlier this year, when there were two black Away suitcases next to one another in the overhead bin. After the two bags went home to the wrong households, the AirTag in my sister's bag helped her retrieve her luggage in a neighboring town.
If you're already a proud owner of the original AirTag and have no complaints with its performance, there may not be a need to upgrade at this moment. However, if you travel frequently or you're a first-time buyer, the improved range makes the new AirTag a better choice.
So before you jet off on your next getaway, consider grabbing a 4-pack of AirTags and placing them in all your checked and carry-on luggage — especially at this all-time low price. For a small out-of-pocket cost, you’ll feel much more secure when traveling.