Pebblebee Card 5
ZDNET’s key takeaways
Thinner than similar tracker tags by some 30%
18-month battery life, rechargeable using a Qi charging pad
Tough, durable, and dust- and water-resistant.
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My Camino Frances hike — well, the last 70 or so miles — starts in a few days for me and my walking buddy, and one of the things that I don’t want to happen along the way is that we lose anything important. Keys, backpacks, wallets, passports, and even coats are finder tagged. I’m an iPhone user, and so I’ve stuck AirTags onto pretty much everything of value (using the excellent accessories that Elevation Lab makes for that task). My trail buddy is an Android user, and they’re having to use something different.
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While keys and backpacks are protected using the new Pebblebee Clip 5 tags, they’re a bit on the big side to go into a wallet. Yet fear not, because Pebblebee has something for that demand — the Card 5.
The Card 5 looks and feels slightly thicker than a normal credit card. I’ve had credit-card-sized tracker tags in the past, and at only 0.07 inches/1.74 mm thin, this tag is significantly thinner than those — some 30% thinner, according to Pebblebee.
The Card 5 is super, super thin.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Inside the tough, durable exterior — designed to IPX6 standards to shrug off dust and rain — is a lot of cool electronics.
There’s a Bluetooth finder tag that has a clear line of sight range of 500 feet/150 meters that’ll work with Apple’s Find My network or Google’s Find Hub. To make finding things easier, the tag has a super-loud beeper that is far louder than the AirTag, and bright LEDs, so you can search in the dark.
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I’ve tested this tag and it had no problem finding a wallet at the 500-foot distance, and it happily connected to my iPhone when hidden in a vehicle that was some 250 feet away.
There’s also a rechargeable battery inside that’ll keep the tag running for 18 months. When it’s time for a recharge, you just place the tag on a wireless charging pad — no USB-C ports or cables.
Charge the Card 5 from any handy Qi charging pad.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
All this technology operates in a finder tag that weighs just 0.49 ounces/14 grams.
ZDNET’s buying advice
AirTags are great, but the UFO-esque shape doesn’t lend itself to being put into a wallet or purse. The Pebblebee Card 5 is perfect, because it’s just a little thicker than a card, and yet it packs a lot of tracker tech into a small space. It’s tough, resists bending and flexing, shrugs off water, and lasts well over a year on a single charge.
And it works for both iPhones and Android devices.
Normally priced at $35, there’s currently a massive 30% off the price, bringing it down to $24.50, making the device a must-have for tech aficionados and a great gift for those people in your life who misplace their stuff.