Yahoo Finance 8 best AirTag accessories: Stop losing your stuff with these keychains, luggage tags and more
The AirTag is one of Apple’s newest innovations and is already proving to be one of its best gadgets. While it has only been out for a couple of months, it’s already saved us from losing our keys and wallet more than once.
The AirTag is a Bluetooth item tracker that had been heavily rumoured for years before being unveiled at Apple’s Spring Loaded event in April, sending forgetful people everywhere into a total frenzy.
The tech company has quickly muscled its way into a market that was previously dominated by brands like Tile, which has been in the object-tracking game for several years.
But while we’re big fans of these little gadgets, they have one fatal flaw – you have to buy an accessory if you want to attach it to... literally anything. It’s one of the biggest reasons why the Tile pro edged the Apple AirTag in the design department when we compared the two devices in our review.
While Apple, of course, sells a couple of AirTag accessories itself, several third-party manufacturers have designed other (often cheaper) options. The number on offer is still fairly limited, but more and more are slowly being released. Accessories from big brands like Moment and Spigen are still in development, so we haven’t got our hands on any wallet holders or dog tags just yet, but we will update this page as more become available.
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We looked at a range of AirTag accessories and considered their design, build quality, how easy they were to put in and take out the AirTag, and the durability of the accessory itself, to bring you our round-up.
The best AirTag accessories for 2021 are:
Best overall – Belkin AirTag holder with key ring: £11.95, Apple.com
Best leather key chain – Apple AirTag key ring: £35, Apple.com
Best cheap leather-look key chain – Cyrill AirTag key chain: £10, Amazon.co.uk
Best leather loop for luggage – Apple leather loop: £39, Apple.com
Best functional leather key chain – Spigen Valentinus: £14.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best kids’ wristband holder – TagBand: £18, Tag.band
Best anti-scratch protector – Spigen AirSkin shield: £7.25, Spigen.com
Best closed-design loop – Nomad leather loop: £18.11, Nomadgoods.com
Belkin AirTag holder with key ring
Best: Overall
This nifty little AirTag holder from Belkin is one of the best AirTag holders we’ve tried. It’s not only relatively inexpensive, costing just £11.95, but it also has a really clever design that ensures your AirTag never falls out of the holder.
It’s made from two exterior shells that sandwich neatly together. Just twist it counterclockwise to unlock it, insert your AirTag into the holder and rotate it clockwise to lock it back up. While it’s made from plastic, it feels nice and sturdy, plus there are raised edges to stop your AirTag from getting scuffed up in your pocket.
The open design also means you can show the AirTag off to the world – a bonus if you’ve had it engraved. The added benefit of an open design is that it keeps the overall product nice and compact. It comes with either a strap or a metal ring, but we took these out and hooked it directly onto our current key chain. You can get it in black, blue, white and pink colourways.
Buy now £11.95, Apple.com
Apple AirTag leather key ring
Best: Leather key chain
If you want something that feels a little more premium than the plastic Belkin key ring holder, and don’t mind shelling out for something that costs a little more than the AirTag itself, why not opt for Apple’s version?
While it doesn’t have that seamless rotate and lock system, it does have a secure button clasp to keep your AirTag snug inside the holder. The key ring itself is a nice thick metal, so it hasn’t warped in our jeans, and we’re fairly certain it won’t do in the future. It also has an open design, so you’ll be able to show off any engravings you have on your AirTag. It comes in “baltic blue”, “rustic brown” and “product red”.
Buy now £35.00, Apple.com
Cyrill AirTag vegan leather key chain
Best: Cheap leather-look key chain
If you’re a fan of the leather aesthetic but don’t want a holder that costs an arm and a leg, why not check out Cyrill’s vegan leather key chain AirTag holder, which could just do the trick.
The leather feels a little flimsy and plasticky, but it does a good job at holding the AirTag securely inside the holder, featuring a smart button clasp to keep it inside. We liked that it came with a key ring carabiner instead of a regular key chain, but some people might not enjoy how large it is.
The key ring is pretty thick and heavy and may be too big to attach to keys with smaller holes in them. But for just £10.99, it’s a good Apple alternative. You can get it in black or stone colourways.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon.co.uk
Apple leather loop
Best: Leather loop for luggage
This pricey leather loop accessory from Apple is more expensive than the AirTag itself, but it’s beautifully designed. It uses a nice button fastener to secure your AirTag inside the holder, rather than clicking two of the sides together. We didn’t notice any wiggle room inside the little pouch, however, which was nice. The button and the leather really do give the loop a more premium quality over the Belkin variety. Once the AirTag is fastened in place, you simply thread the loop through your luggage holder, into the bottom end of the loop, and then pull it tight.
The only design criticism we have is that it dangles a little low when hooked onto a backpack, and we’d fear someone could easily unbutton the AirTag out of the holder and steal it away. Apple sells it in “product red” and “saddle brown” colourways. The polyurethane version (£29, Apple.com) comes in “sunflower”, “electric orange”, “deep navy” and white, and it’s cheaper than the leather variants.
Buy now £39.00, Apple.com
Spigen valentinus AirTag leather key ring holder
Best: Functional leather key chain
One thing we dislike about many of the leather AirTag key ring holders is that they don’t lie flat against your keys – they make the AirTag stick out to the side. Spigen has made such a simple design decision, but it makes a world of difference – the valentinus flips the metal ring vertically on the axis, in a similar way to the Belkin key ring above.
What this does is allow your keys to remain flush with the AirTag itself. It’s made from a durable polyurethane leather, has a similarly thick carabiner to the Cyrill key ring, and has a nice tight button clasp that holds the AirTag securely. It comes in either black or “midnight green” and is cheaper than the leather holder from Apple.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon.co.uk
TagBand kids wristband for Apple AirTag
Best: Kids’ wristband holder
TagBand is an AirTag wristband holder aimed at children and carers and developed by Robert Boyd in the UK. It was initially created for his son, who Boyd tells us has autism, and who “tries to hide in situations where he becomes overwhelmed”. Since garnering a positive response on Reddit after posting a picture ahead of a trip to a theme park, Boyd has now taken his idea global.
The wristbands come in colourful, playful child sizes, so these won’t fall off any tiny wrists. They’re made from a nice, lightweight silicone, with holes that are easy to secure. The AirTag itself slots into the watch-style space and feels secure in the enclosure.
While some people may question whether these bands are an invasion of privacy, it’s a pretty invaluable idea for parents with small children, giving them some peace of mind that their child can be found if they ever get lost.
Buy now £18.00, Tag.band
Spigen airskin air shield
Best: Anti-scratch protector
We’ve got screen protectors for our iPhones, screen protectors for our Apple Watch, we’ve even got screen protectors for Apple TV remotes, so it was only a matter of time before someone released a screen protector for our precious AirTags. The metal side definitely does get scuffed up if you’re not careful, particularly if they’re bumping up against keys or other sharp objects
Spigen’s airskin shield for the AirTag is an easy-to-apply clear film that can fit onto each side of the AirTag. It has a nice matte texture, giving it some grip and helping to protect it from any scratches. They’re easy to apply and come with a dust-cleaning removal sticker and four films.
There’s also a helpful QR code on the box which takes you to a video on how to apply the screen protector – super handy if you’re terrible at this stuff, like we are. You’ll still need to put a case on the AirTag if you want to attach it to anything, however, but the AirSkin makes doubly sure your AirTag won’t get damaged from the daily rough and tumble.
Buy now £7.99, Amazon.co.uk
Nomad leather loop
Best: Closed design loop
Nomad is a Californian brand that’s well-known for creating luxe accessories for all your prized possessions, and the company’s leather loop is just as high quality the rest of its range. A big reason why we like this AirTag holder is because it has a closed design. Call us paranoid, but having the AirTag on show for everyone to see makes us think it’s just drawing more attention to this very important item we don’t want to lose.
As with everything from Nomad, it’s made from a soft, smooth leather sourced from the Horween leather company in Chicago. It comes in black, “rustic” brown and a beige colour. There are two high-strength adhesive flaps which you stick your AirTag in between, hiding the fact that the tracker is even there. The adhesive ensures that the AirTag stays in place securely, but we’re curious to know what happens when we need to switch the battery out in a year’s time. Will we need to buy a new loop because the adhesive is no longer sticky? And will it leave a glue residue on the AirTag itself?
Please keep in mind that if you order direct from Nomad, you may have taxes to pay. The loop is also listed on the Megamac site (£21.99, Megamac.com), but is described as being “on backorder”, and there’s limited stock available at Flex Memory (from £23.49, Flexxmemory.co.uk).
Nomad is currently working on an AirTag wallet holder, a dedicated pet tag and a glasses strap. They’re all due out later this year.
Buy now £18.11, Nomadgoods.com
The verdict: AirTag accessories
If you want something protective that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, then the Belkin AirTag holder will do the trick. The twist and lock mechanism is ingenious and it fits nicely onto any key chain. If you’re looking to attach an AirTag to your luggage, then – at the moment – the best choice has to be Apple’s leather loop. Sure, it’s a little expensive, but it’s designed beautifully, works extremely well and feels nice and secure.
While the number of AirTag accessories available at the moment is still few and far between, it’s early days for the new item finder, and plenty more accessories are in the pipeline. Stay tuned for more.
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For more, why not have a read of our guide comparing the Apple AirTag and the Tile pro?
