Best AirTag key rings, bag tags, holders & accessories

Macworld

Here at Macworld we’re extremely fond of Apple’s
AirTag, which we consider by far the best Bluetooth tracker for an iPhone or Mac user. However, one complaint raised in our
AirTag review was that it doesn’t have a hole, which means you’re forced in most situations to buy an accessory to put it in.

Want to attach it to your keys? You need to buy a special key ring. Want to attach it to your luggage? Special luggage label. An ecosystem has quickly sprung up offering straps, loops, pet tags, cases and holders for AirTag owners.

But which ones are worth buying? We’ve been testing out all the AirTags accessories we can get our hands on, so we can help you find the best AirTag holder for your needs.

Best AirTag Key Rings






Apple AirTag FineWoven Key Ring











Pros


Made by Apple



Cons


Fabric can scuff


















There are cheaper alternatives, but this is the classic AirTag key ring—replacing the previous Apple Leather Key Ring, now that Apple has gone fully vegan in honor of its legendary co-founder Steve Jobs. It’s light, attractive and reassuringly well-made. It’s easy to put the AirTag inside, but the metal popper won’t let it escape. And we love the large, chunky (but quite flat) ring, although we’d recommend testing it out in a shop if you’re planning on attaching car keys with a small aperture. This reviewer’s Nissan and Skoda keys were both a tight fit.

The fabric covering protects the AirTag’s edge from drop damage but leaves most of its chassis, both front and back, open to the elements and liable to scuff a little—a complaint publicly made about Apple’s FineWoven iPhone cases. We think this is worth it for the pleasing look, and scuffing is both inevitable and minor, but if you want total protection you’ll need to look elsewhere.

It’s available in five colors: Black, Coral, Taupe, Mulberry and Pacific Blue–David Price







Belkin Secure Holder with Wire Cable for AirTag











Pros


Feels more secure than Apple ring



Cons


Plastic feel


















Belkin’s Secure Holder is made of hard plastic, which gives it more of a budget feel, but it’s reassuringly robust, and looks tough with its wire cable that includes a hex key to lock the AirTag in place.

As with Apple’s key ring, both faces of the AirTag are left exposed, but the plastic surround sticks out more and thus provides more drop protection. It’s available in white or black.–David Price







OtterBox Rugged Case for AirTag











Pros


Super protective



Cons


Larger than most


















OtterBox is a company known for its ultra-protective phone cases, and its Rugged Case for AirTag continues this tradition, as its name suggests. The protective perimeter is increased to allow for larger bumps and mishaps than most AirTag key rings.

OtterBox also has a Rugged Passport Series of the Rugged Case that is styled with the coordinates of iconic cities, such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, as well as a large range of other AirTag cases and key rings.–Simon Jary







OtterBox Core Series Case for AirTag



















The OtterBox Core Series Case is the most sustainable AirTag key ring—made from a FSC-certified recycled and recyclable material. Its speckled looks shows off an authentic recycled appearance.–Simon Jary







Orbitkey Leather Holder for AirTag











Pros


Leather



Cons


Covers one side

Slight wobble


















Orbitkey‘s leather offering is well worth your consideration. It costs roughly the same as Apple’s non-leather key ring but it has a nice-looking design and a couple of advantages up its sleeve.

One is the slenderness of the ring itself. Whereas Apple’s broad, flat ring can be awkward for attaching car keys with a narrow aperture, this will fit into holes of the smallest dimensions. The second advantage lies in the innovative way keys are attached: an initially baffling locking system that, once mastered, is far quicker and easier (and far less painful) than prising apart the traditional two-layer ring with your fingernails.

The only real quibble is that the leather fob is quite a lot bigger than the AirTag itself. It has more space than it needs and wobbles around slightly inside the pocket. The key ring thus takes up more room in your pocket than it needs to. This does also give the AirTag far more protection than Apple’s version. It’s less likely to get scuffed than with the other key rings we tried out.

If the price tag puts you off, Orbitkey also makes a much cheaper Slim Case with a similar locking system.–David Price







Olixar Silicone Protective Skin For Apple AirTags











Pros


Cheaper than most



Cons


Covers one side


















Olixar’s simple offering costs less than the Belkin key ring, and less than a third of the Apple option—very handy if you want to equip a couple of young teenagers with AirTags and keep an eye on their movements.

Wrestling the AirTag into the silicone cover is mildly tricky—there’s no clasp of any kind, you just stretch the edges and jam it in there–but it’s secure once inside and admirably protective. In fact you could say it provides twice the protection of Apple’s key ring since it covers the back completely: only the front face is exposed.

The karabiner-style opening on the ring makes it easier to use and more fun than a conventional ring (although slightly less secure, since it doesn’t have the lock feature of a full mountaineering karabiner). But this is essentially a basic option; if you’re prepared to spend a little more, consider Olixar’s ‘leather style’ version instead, or even its top-of-the-line genuine leather case.–David Price







ElevationLab TagVault: Keychain











Pros


Waterproof



Cons


Reduces volume of AirTag sounds
















Best Prices Today:



$12.95 at ElevationLab





Elevation Lab’s TagVault: Keychain claims that it is fully waterproof. This rugged case has a gasket that prevents water intrusion while passing through ultra-wideband and Bluetooth signals and allowing about two-thirds of the AirTag’s sound volume. It has an integral loop for a keychain ring and comes with a simple but robust one.–Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

TagVault: Keychain review






Caseology Vault











Pros


Rugged

Karabiner attachment



Cons


Larger than most


















How about a properly rugged key ring accessory for your AirTag? The Caseology Vault is made from military-grade thermoplastic polyurethane, with a nicely grippy sandstone finish that makes it less prone to drops.

Like the Olixar Silicone it features a karabiner attachment. This is removable, which makes the Vault a versatile accessory. It’s just as happy tracking rucksacks as keys.–David Price







Best AirTag luggage tags






Apple AirTag Loop











Pros


Made by Apple


















Apple’s AirTag Loop is made of polyurethane and feels and looks smart, with two of the color options (Electric Orange and Sunflower) particularly bright and cheerful. This will also help you to spot your suitcase on the conveyor belt.

The AirTag clips in using a metal clasp that’s easy to use and secure; you then put the strap around your luggage’s handle and loop the head part back through the slit in the tail. It looks slightly delicate at first glance–the strap gets quite thin at a certain point–but proved resistant to moderate tugging and should be fine under non-military usage conditions. Like Apple’s key ring, it protects the edges of the AirTag but not the center of its two faces, so expect some scuffing.–David Price







Olixar Soft Silicone Luggage Loop For AirTags











Pros


Cheaper than most



Cons


Cheaper feel


















Olixar’s silicone AirTag strap has a very similar design to Apple’s Loop, but as you’d expect (given how much cheaper it is) the materials and quality of manufacture are slightly less luxurious. It’s a bit floppier, for one thing, and doesn’t feel quite as nice. It’s a perfectly decent, functional and much more affordable substitute, however, and there’s always the option of the leather version if you’re prepared to splash out a bit more for a taste of the finer things in life.–David Price







Belkin Secure Holder with Strap for AirTag











Pros


Robust


















Belkin’s Secure Holder is also available with a robust string for attaching it to the handle of a suitcase or bag. Like the strap-style loops provided by other manufacturers this threads back through itself to easily attach to your luggage.

It’s available in white, black, blue, and pink with a matching string. Since the front and back sections, string and key ring are all detachable, you could create a multicolor accessory by mixing and matching more than one holder.–David Price







Casetify Customisable AirTag Holder











Pros


Colorful design options


















The principal appeal of Casetify’s AirTag holder is the sheer range of designs and colors you can choose from. The ones pictured are, from left, Colorful Floral in Turquoise and Pink (with Peach background); Flowers for you by Matthew Langille (with Licorice); and Egg Tart with Mice (with Avocado). That last one is our favorite, but there are hundreds of options.–David Price







Best AirTag wallet and card holders

It’s not just keys and luggage that’e easy to lose. Misplacing your wallet or card holder is a common occurance, and as long as you also haven’t lost your iPhone, finding one with an AirTag pocket is an easy solution.






Artpaxy Wallet with AirTag Holder











Pros


Full bifold wallet with AirTag pocket


















This traditional-looking bifold wallet includes a front-mounted pocket for an Apple AirTag, and then does the usual wallet business with 13 card slots, two cash pockets and two ID windows. It also claims to include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) blocking to stop device scanning.







Bazza AirTag Card Wallet











Pros


Colorful, fun AirTag card wallet



Cons


Feels a little plasticky


















This super-lightweight card wallet from Italy nicely nestles an AirTag in a selection of attractive and fun colors. It feels a little plasticky but is in fact made from sustainable, recyclable plant-based materials—there’s not even any glue introduced into the manufacturing process.

You can buy with the AirTag preinstalled, or fit in your own. The Bazza AirTag Card Wallet is available in pink, yellow, red, dark blue, light blue, white, black and green.







Best AirTag pet collars






ElevationLab TagVault: Pet


















Best Prices Today:



$19.95 at Elevation Lab





The TagVault: Pet uses screws with the small Torx T6 star-shaped drive for the portion that contains the AirTag and maintains the waterproof seal. These screws are piercing, self-tapping screws with a T10 slot. They’re used to hold a hard plastic anchor to provide further stability when attached to a pet collar that you provide–though the case may be too big for smaller collars. The kit includes a steel Torx T6 L-shaped wrench with screw tips on both ends.–Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

Elevation Lab TagVault: Pet review






Best AirTag wallet holders






ElevationLab TagVault: Wallet


















Best Prices Today:



$9.95 at ElevationLab





Designed to hold an AirTag firmly in place in a wallet, it comes in two form factors: standard, 3.25 by 1.5 inches (83 by 38 mm), and compact, 2 by 1.5 inches (51 by 38 mm). Both are 0.05 inches (1.3 mm) thick. The more rectangular style works well in billfold slots; the squarer design in other parts of a wallet. With the AirTag exposed front and back, there’s no additional blocking beyond your wallet to block wireless signals for tracking and Precision Finding.–Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

TagVault: Wallet review






Nomad Card for AirTag


















Best Prices Today:



$19.95 at Nomad





Though it tapers to the edges, the Card for AirTag is 3.2 by 2.1 by 0.2 inches (54 by 82 by 5 mm) at its largest. The AirTag sits like a gem in its center, bulging slightly outwards to 0.3 inches (8 mm). A combination of soft and hard materials–polycarbonate and TPU rubber–provides both a nice outside feel and the rigidity and flexibility to insert an AirTag into the Card’s opening with a satisfying click.–Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

Nomad Card for AirTag review






Best AirTag mounts






Olixar AirTags Adhesive Silicone Pocket



















If the thing you want to track hasn’t got a handle you can loop the AirTags to, or a pocket you can slip one inside, then the next option is stickiness. These neat silicone pockets (which come in a pack of four) both protect the tracker from external damage, and give it a strong and reliable adhesive surface to cling to a jewel box, schoolbag or games console.

Despite the unobtrusive look of the pocket the AirTag is still fairly obvious and easily slipped out, so this solution isn’t ideal for tracking down stolen property (unless there’s a more discreet internal surface you can stick it to). But for locating TV remotes–and for sheer versatility of application–they’re indispensable.–David Price







Pelican Protector Sticker Mount Case for AirTag Devices











Pros


Strong adhesive connection



Cons


No built-in water resistance

















Best Prices Today:



$19.99 at Pelican Outdoor





If you’re looking for an AirTag mount that can stick to almost any surface and allows for easy AirTag removal, the Pelican Protector fits the bill. It’s not discreet, it’s not rugged, and it doesn’t offer additional water protection, but as a mount, it works well. Pelican relies on 3M VHB adhesive for attachment, which creates a near-permanent mount that becomes stronger over time.—Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

Pelican Protector Sticker Mount Case for AirTag Devices review






Other types of AirTag cases and holders






Olixar Apple AirTags Anti-Scratch Protector











Pros


Protects from scuffs



Cons


Expensive



















The AirTag is a little prone to picking up scuff marks, and many of the holders in this roundup leave at least one of its surfaces uncovered and vulnerable to damage. If this is something you’re concerned about, consider buying a “screen” protector for your tracker–it hasn’t actually got a screen, of course, but the same principle applies. Olixar includes two TPU film covers in the pack, along with ethanol wipes and a cleaning cloth for preparing the AirTag, and an application card for smoothing out air bubbles.–David Price







ElevationLab TagVault: Bike











Pros


Built for bikes

















Best Prices Today:



$19.95 at Elevation Lab





The TagVault: Bike is a lozenged-shaped plastic shell that houses the AirTag AirTag nestles inside its waterproof seal. It attaches to a bike via the bike’s water bottle mount, using longer screws to attach the bottle cage, or shorter screws if you don’t attach the cage. The case is a matte black, rendering it unobtrusive. Screwed in between a cage and the frame, a thief would first have to recognize it and then work hard to remove it quickly.–Glenn Fleishman

Read our full

Elevation Lab TagVault: Bike review






What you can expect in an AirTag case

Because the AirTag comes in a single variety, you don’t need to choose which kind to acquire. Apple sells them singly ($29) and in a four-pack ($99). Engraving is free.

An AirTag regularly broadcasts 2.4GHz Bluetooth signals with an encrypted device ID for other Apple devices to pick up and relay along with those devices’ locations. The 2.4GHz band penetrates solid objects well, but case designers need to be mindful of materials that have the potential to block the signal. In our survey of AirTag cases, we didn’t find a case so far that had that design problem.

AirTags also use ultrawideband (USB) technology for Precision Finding, exclusive to Apple’s own Find My items. Precision Finding lets an iPhone with UWB identify the direction and distance within inches when it’s within about 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 m).

Consider to what use you may put an AirTag to determine the features you want:

Purpose: Cases exist in enough variety that you can find one designed as a luggage tag, another as a stylish keyring, and another to resist enormous amounts of damage. Figure out where you want to put the AirTag and match the case to it.

Water resistance: Many cases feature some degree of water resistance, some using the IP rating that defines precisely how much. If you’re using an AirTag outside or on a pet’s collar, you may want one with a high degree of resistance. When attaching to a bag or keyring, it may seem less important or not important at all.

Ring, clip, loop, or carabiner: Case makers offer many variants on attachments. Some include a simple hole to attach a keychain, while others incorporate a keychain as part of the product and may include a keyring. You can purchase multiple cases built into a carabiner, including one with a three-digit combination lock. You can also get a string or similar loop design, in which the case passes through a loop and pulls tight on a handle without a knot.

Removable or adhesive: You might want an AirTag case that’s easy to move about or attach and reattach. Other cases include adhesive for semi-permanent fixed attachment.

Hidden for theft recovery: Some cases are designed to hide an AirTag, making its presence less apparent and thus less likely to be discovered if stolen; others are obvious, such as in a keychain or luggage tag. Temper hideability with the knowledge that Apple’s anti-stalking features built into AirTag tech makes them discoverable to criminals with a smartphone.Shows the front: Conversely, some cases show off an AirTag, revealing its front where you might have had added custom engraving from Apple with an emoji or text. You might want to see that engraving to differentiate among AirTags you own.

Cost: Cases generally cost from about $20 to $35—around the price of a single AirTag. However, there are outliers below $10 and above $40. It’s all about the function, ruggedness, and complexity of purpose. Some charge extra for style.

How we test AirTag case features

For each kind of case, we rated them based on specific features around which they were designed. These include:

Easy to insert the AirTag for secure retention: Every case has a slightly different approach to getting an AirTag inside. Some cases have an elaborate locking procedure or require removing and restoring four tiny screws to preserve a waterproof seal. Others are simple as sliding the tag into a holding or popping it into a rubber ring.

Attaches securely for attachable cases: We tested cases that market themselves as attachable at how well they succeed at that task. Cases may come with or be part of a keyring, carabiner, wrist strip, or pet collar, or may have an adhesive to stick on to objects, like the inside of luggage.

Access for battery replacement: Apple expects an AirTag battery to last for about a year in everyday usage, which it defines as one case of Precision Finding and four tones played per day. A case should allow access that isn’t maddening for replacing the battery every several months to a year.

Robust against bumps and bangs: Only a few kinds of cases can avoid the wear and tear of bumping against other objects. Most need to be constructed with that in mind. For cases exposed to other surfaces, we look at whether the materials and build quality give confidence in them provide lasting value.

Blocks access to remove: A handful of cases provide a security element intended to prevent access to an AirTag without excessive force—the AirTag would have to be destroyed to remove it. We rate these cases on whether they seem able to prevent or deter everything but destruction.






Apple AirTag



















Read our full

Apple AirTag review






Apple AirTag 4 pack
























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