![]() But if you balk at having a non-replaceable battery, TrackR's key finder is an acceptable alternative. Tile's trackers - the more expensive Tile Sport and Tile Style and the comparably priced Tile Mate - perform better than the TrackR Bravo. (You don't even need a TrackR Bravo to use that Alexa skill you just set up on the TrackR app on your smartphone.) More recently, TrackR added an Alexa skill to its software, allowing you to use Amazon's Echo speaker to find your phone. A 2016 update added a family sharing option in which you can share TrackR-tagged devices with other people you designate, so that they can find a misplaced object too. TrackR doesn't stand still, adding improvements to the mobile app that accompanies its tracking devices. Still, it's a nice backup for those times when not even the Bravo's audible alarm and solid range can keep your keys from getting lost. ![]() But such features require widespread adoption of that particular key finder to be of much use. For example, lost devices can be found by other TrackR users who send anonymous reports back to TrackR when they're within range of your lost valuables. Like the Tile and Chipolo key finders, TrackR's devices offer crowd-finding features. Swapping out the battery on this model is easy to do (especially compared to the TrackR Pixel), thanks to a swinging arm that pops out of the Bravo and holds the CR1620 battery in place. You'll need to replace the TrackR Bravo's battery at least once a year, and even more frequently the more you use the key tracker. I was also able to hear the device when it was buried under a pile of laundry. I don't have the world's greatest hearing, but I could still pick up the higher end of the alert noise in a public park from 80 feet away. On some occasions in recent testing, I never received an onscreen notification at all, but could hear the alarm on the TrackR Bravo sounding from 80 to 90 feet away.Ībout that alarm: TrackR did something clever with its alert noise, giving an escalating pitch to the alert. Seven seconds may not sound like much, but I walked more than 100 feet away from the Bravo in a public park before my phone alerted me that I had left something behind. The geofence alerts work, but with a serious caveat: There's a noticeable delay of about 7 seconds between when you lose contact with the Bravo and when your phone sounds the alarm. The Bravo has a geofencing feature that will alert you when you become separated from your keys, though you'll have to dig into the settings of the TrackR app to enable it. I've had the app tell me my Bravo was far away when it was within arm's length. ![]() It uses descriptions like "Near," "Close By," and "Far," but they appear haphazardly. The TrackR app is little help in these instances. And on more than one occasion, I couldn't re-establish a connection until I was right on top of the device. Other times, it took me 50 feet until the Bravo device reappeared on its app. ![]() Sometimes, I was able to pick up the signal again after about 12 feet of retracing my steps. Inconsistent test results probably explain the device's mixed reviews at Amazon, where it averages a 2.9-star rating (opens in new tab) based on 500-plus customer reviews.Īnother problem that's popped up when I test the Bravo is the key tracker has a hard time re-establishing a connection with your phone once you've gone out of range. I recently tried out a Generation 3 model of the Bravo, and had a hard time maintaining a connection from 50 feet away. However, the TrackR Bravo has also proven to perform inconsistently in my testing. TrackR Bravo (left) and TrackR Pixel (right)
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