5 ways Pebblebee Clip tracker tag is better than AirTag [Updated review]

Attach the Pebblebee Clip to your keys, backpack or purse and you won’t need to worry about misplacing your item or leaving it behind. You can locate the missing item with your iPhone (or Android), or have the tracker tag play an audible alarm.

The item tracker is a rival to Apple’s AirTag, and both use Apple’s Find My network so they can be located almost anywhere on Earth. But Pebblebee has a new advantage: it just launched a Universal version that supports either Apple’s or Google’s similar tracking service.

I tested the new version of Pebblebee’s tracker tag and found a lot to like. It even improves on Apple’s offering, but not in every way.

Pebblebee Clip review

Several years ago, I misplaced my keys and found them at the bottom of a bag of rubbish I’d chucked out earlier. That’s the day I became a fan of item trackers — because I had one on my keyring, finding the lost keys took me less than five minutes. Otherwise, I was never going to see them again.

Now I keep trackers on my backpack, AirPods case, wallet and anything else I’d be very upset if I lost or left behind somewhere.

I’ve been an AirTag user since day one, but it’s not a “one size fits all” solution. Pebblebee Clip does many of the same things Apple’s tracker tag does, but it also includes features Apple didn’t put in. I found five ways the third-party option is actually better.

• A simple built-in loop!
• Pebblebee Clip is easily rechargeable
• Supports either Apple Find My or Google Find My Device
• Greater range than AirTag
• Blinkier
• But no cool UWB trick
• AirTag is more waterproof
• Pebblebee Clip final thoughts
• Pricing

A simple built-in loop!

To connect an AirTag to your keys or almost anything else, you need to buy an accessory that adds a loop.

The designers of Pebblebee Clip didn’t make that silly mistake. There’s a metal loop built into the tracker tag, ready to be connected to your keychain. And to emphasize the advantage, a nice mini carabiner comes in the box.

The accessory is 1.9 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.3 inches (40 mm x 49 mm x 8 mm). It weighs less than an ounce. That makes it almost exactly the same size and weight as an AirTag in the case needed to add a loop — and either fits equally well on a keychain.

Pebblebee Clip is easily rechargeable

When an AirTag starts to run out of juice, you need to buy a new battery, then take the tracker tag apart to insert the power source.

When the Pebblebee Clip’s battery gets low, you simply plug in a USB-C cable. This is the same way you recharge your MacBook, iPad, etc.

You check the battery level in Apple’s Find My application, which is available for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple created this app for AirTag, but the third-party tracker shows up, too.

Supports either Apple Find My or Google Find My Device

AirTag works with the Find My application, and Pebblebee Clip works equally well. All you need to locate the tracker is open the app and you’ll see the device on a map. If it’s nearby, press a button to set off an audible alarm on the remote device. Either AirTag or Clip, these are plenty loud, but only one has a blinking light.

For long-range locating, there’s  support for the Find My network. That means Pebblebee Clip (like an AirTag) can be located by other people’s iPhones, Macs and iPads via Bluetooth. You’ll get a notification that your misplaced Clip has been found at the train station you left two hours ago if someone with an iPhone wanders near it. And the system works extremely well in places with lots of iPhones, like cities, college campuses, etc.

That said, my favorite feature of the Find My application is separation alerts. As the name indicates, these notify you when you’re getting too far away from an item tracker. It means you can stop worrying that you’ve left your purse or backpack behind — you’ll get an alert if you do.

For all the similarities, the two item trackers have their differences. The just-released Pebblebee Clip Universal can also can be used with Google’s Find My Device (for Android). That’s not possible with AirTag. So you have a choice of using the tracker with iPhone or Android. Unfortunately, it’s definitely either/or and not both. A note from Pebblebee says, “To switch between Apple Find My (for iOS) or Google’s Find My Device (for Android) a device factory reset is needed.” So you and your Android-using spouse can’t share a Clip.

Greater range than AirTag

When you’re looking for your misplaced item, your iPhone will make a Bluetooth connection to the tracker tag. The longer the range on the connection, the easier it is to locate your item.

I did a side-by-side range comparison between the Pebblebee Clip and AirTag, and Apple was not the winner. Both could connect to my iPhone 16 Plus at about 200 feet. When I moved back a further 50 feet, I could only connect to Pebblebee’s device.

And the Bluetooth range advantage over AirTag brings another benefit. The Find My network depends on the tracker getting near someone’s handset. The stranger’s iPhone or other device finds the tag with Bluetooth, and a Clip attached to your misplaced item is more likely to come into contact with someone’s iPhone.

That said, both tracker tags pass my basic performance test. I can put one or the other in a pants pocket in my bedroom then trigger the alarm from my kitchen.

Blinkier

The thin edges of Pebblebee Clip include lights that blink when you set off the audible alert. If I have trouble finding the tracker in a room, I turn the lights off. That usually helps.

AirTag can’t compete in this particular category. There are no blinking lights on it.

But no cool UWB trick

But AirTag has its own advantage. Recent iPhone models can be used to locate an AirTag using ultra-wideband technology. The Find My app can display an arrow that points to the tag, and even list the distance.

Pebblebee Clip does not have UWB, so this feature is not available. At all.

That said, the arrow trick is only moderately useful. UWB’s range is shorter than Bluetooth, so locating a lost item needs to begin with activating the audible alarm. And once that is ringing, the arrow is almost always unnecessary — I can hear that the tracker tag is in my bedroom closet, for example.

On the other hand, if you have hearing difficulties, the visible arrow to locate an AirTag is the best option, of course.

AirTag is more waterproof

As Pebblebee Clip has a USB-C port, I find it surprisingly water-resistant. The device has an IPX6 rating, which means it can take rain, splashing and even short immersions in water.

But AirTag is waterproof. Its IP67 rating allows it to be submerged for up to half an hour.

So you don’t need to worry about the Clip getting wet, but AirTag is the better option for the collar of a dog that likes to swim.

In addition, Apple’s offering stands up to dust and dirt better. This is where the Clip’s USB-C port is a weakness.

Pebblebee Clip final thoughts

I love tracker tags because they give me peace of mind. I don’t lose things very often, or leave them behind, but I really hate it when that happens. A location tracker on my backpack means I never worry about forgetting it at a friend’s house. And they’re a godsend for travelers.

With full Find My support, Pebblebee Clip does just about everything AirTag does, but with less hassle. With Pebblebee’s tracker, you don’t need to buy something extra to connect it to your keys. Plus, charging is as easy as can be, and it has slightly better range than Apple’s tracking tag, and blinking lights, too. The new Universal model is more flexible than the original, but because a hard reset is required to switch it between Apple’s and Google’s systems, it’s not that flexible.

However, unlike AirTag, the third-party tracker doesn’t have ultra-wideband technology.

★★★★☆

Pricing

The original Pebblebee Clip costs $24.95., while the new Universal version costs $34.99. That’s about the same as AirTag. However, if you need to buy a holder for the AirTag to add a loop, the third-party tag usually becomes the cheaper option.

Buy the original from: Amazon

Buy the new Universal version from: Pebblebee or Best Buy

If you want to shop around, you obviously know about Apple AirTag ($29.99). But close rivals you might be unaware of include Chipolo One Spot ($28) and the Momax Tracker Tag ($19.99).

Pebblebee provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

Note: This review first ran in August 2023. An update came with the launch of Pebblebee Clip Universal.