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Until you can afford to fly by private jet, modern air travel follows the 50/50 rule, as in there’s a 50% chance something will go wrong. But Luggage trackers can at least help you solve one of the following problems: epic delays, unruly passengers, and lost luggage that are all common hazards of flying commercial.
In fact, luggage trackers are becoming increasingly important these days, what with bag transfers persistently bungled by labor shortages in the post-COVID travel boom. According to the Department of Transportation's most recent Air Travel Consumer Report, in April 2023 more than 219,000 bags were mishandled—i.e. damaged, delayed, stolen, or otherwise lost.
As frightening as those numbers are, those with checked bags can rest easier knowing that a cheap luggage tracker in the sub-$30 range can help them keep tabs on their precious travel bags wherever they go. Buying a luggage tracker should really be a no-brainer for anyone who's checking luggage. A five-pack of underwear, some old clothes, and extra toothpaste may cost next to nothing, but when a full suitcase worth of your stuff is spinning out into the ether, your whole trip can be ruined. If your airline ever inexplicably loses track of your checked bags, a GPS luggage tracker can help you locate it.
Just leave the little device in your bag, and if (when?) it goes missing, you'll be able to locate it lickety-split. If you're getting the gnawing feeling that something's amiss—a sensation multiple people have reported as travel kicks back into high gear—they're worth every cent. Even the best tracker, though, won't miraculously teleport your missing items to you. You'll still have to navigate the infuriating bureaucracy that is airport security to reunite with your lost goods. But hey, at least you'll know they're not floating out in the middle of the ocean. Peace of mind typically costs a whole lot more.
The Best Luggage Trackers, at a Glance
Even the very best trackers for luggage typically cost less than $30, and all of our top picks are available via Amazon Prime. So even if your trip is just days away, you still have time to toss one of these trackers into your suitcase.
- The Best Overall Luggage Tracker: Apple AirTag, $29
- The Best Budget Luggage Tracker: Tile Mate, $23
- The Best Luggage Tag for Android Users: Samsung SmartTag+, $60
- The Best Battery-Free Luggage Tag: Dynotag Luggage Tracker, $23
- The Best Luggage Tag for Real-Time Tracking: Tracki, $16
- The Best Trackers for Forgetful Folks: Tile Mate Essentials, $80
How do luggage trackers work?
Before AirTags and GPS luggage trackers were around, all travelers had were luggage tags, those little paper tags you'd affix to your checked baggage with personal info like your name, address, and phone number. If you were to lose your bag, you'd hope that some kind soul would find your tag and contact you with your bag's location—and hopefully not keep your cargo for themself. Now we have luggage trackers, which utilize Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or cellular data to give you virtual updates on your bag's location.
GPS luggage trackers utilize cellular networks to show you your item’s location in real-time no matter where it is, which is why GPS devices like Tracki are the best luggage trackers for international travel. But what about popular Bluetooth trackers such as Apple AirTags or Samsung Galaxy SmartTags? These work a little differently.
Bluetooth trackers work with an accompanying app to track your items. When the tracker is outside your phone’s Bluetooth range, it pings other devices running the same app or technology. So, if you slipped an AirTag into your spinner suitcase and it’s now thousands of miles away at the wrong airport, the AirTag will look for nearby devices running Apple’s Find My network. And because Apple devices are everywhere, there’s a good chance that someone’s iPhone or Apple Watch will be in range. Tile uses its own network, as does Samsung. If there are no devices in range, the app will show your item’s last-known location.
How do you use a luggage tracker?
Luggage trackers are fairly dummy-proof: Make sure it's on, toss it in your carry-on bag or checked luggage, and ensure it's connected to your phone or computer. GQ shopping editors have tested the most popular luggage tracking devices and apps from brands like Apple and Tile, and the setup process really is that simple. As long as your luggage tracker's battery isn't dead, it should give you its location whenever you request it from your device.
Are luggage trackers really worth it?
Check online and you'll find numerous frustrated travelers have extolled the use of luggage trackers for helping them locate their missing baggage. In short, they do work—just make sure they have enough juice in their battery and, if there's a subscription fee, that you've paid for as much coverage as you would think you need. So, are luggage trackers worth it? The cheapest one we recommend is less than $30, and that's a whole lot cheaper than springing for a whole 'nother bag (and replacements for the personal items within) in case your stuff is gone for good.
Now, the best luggage trackers to keep your sights on your bag even when you're miles apart.
The Best Overall Luggage Tracker: Apple AirTag
Apple debuted its AirTags in April of 2021, and they quickly became popular thanks to their ability to track your lost items. Slightly larger than a quarter, AirTags help you track your missing gear—like a wallet, jacket, or backpack—through a Bluetooth connection. If you lose something with your AirTag affixed to it, you can use your phone to trigger a sound effect letting you know its location; the only caveat is that the missing item has to be within 800 feet of you. But given you'll be using your AirTag to track your lost luggage—which is probably miles away—that feature isn't as relevant.
Hundreds of millions of people own Apple devices, though, and those strangers' gear will actually help you find your stuff. When someone else's iPhone is near the AirTag, encrypted Bluetooth technology will help you locate your lost stuff in the Find My app. Plus, an AirTag has a battery life of one year, so you don't have to worry about it dying on you while you're on the search. And although it's an Apple product, AirTags sync up with Androids too, provided the product in question has the corresponding Tracker Detect app. (For the real neurotics, Apple also builds in a safety feature to let you know when an unfamiliar AirTag has been following you for a long time.) In our experience using Apple AirTags for travel, these Bluetooth devices couldn’t be easier to use.
The Best Budget Luggage Tracker: Tile Mate
Tile became a standout name in Bluetooth tracking way before Apple released the AirTag, and the water-resistant Mate works in very much the same way. It boasts a Bluetooth range of 250 feet, and when it's farther away than that, it'll bounce off of other Tile devices to help you approximate its location. Its battery life is around three years long, which is a huge bump up from the AirTag's. You don't need a Tile subscription to tap into the network of Tile users, but an optional Tile Premium membership offers perks like a Smart Alert—for when you leave something behind—and a $100 reimbursement fee if Tile can't find what you're looking for.
The Best Luggage Tag for Android Users: Samsung SmartTag+
The best luggage trackers for Android users, Samsung SmartTags are essentially AirTags for Samsung Galaxy users. Their Bluetooth range is 120 meters, or around 393 feet, and you can tap into the Galaxy Find Network to find your stuff when things are out of range. The SmartTag+ has a very cool feature that lets you use augmented reality to give you step-by-step directions to your tracker. Basically, you can use your phone's camera to give you real-time directions to locate your tracker, which'll glow green once you're nearby. The only downside, as you might expect, is that SmartTags are made exclusively for Galaxy users so they're largely useless to everyone else.
The Best Battery-Free Luggage Tag: Dynotag Luggage Tracker
Dynotag's tracker relies solely on good Samaritans. (Trust us, they still exist.) You can't track it remotely, but if someone else finds it they can scan the QR code, which will trigger an email sent to you with the tracker's whereabouts. It's essentially a teched-out version of an old-school luggage tag, and unlike the other options on this list, it doesn't require batteries.
The Best Luggage Tag for Real-Time Tracking: Tracki
Tracki looks like an old-school beeper, and it's built for those who are super anxious when it comes to their checked baggage. Using 4G LTE and WiFi networks (both in the US and globally), Tracki will give you real-time, precise updates to wherever your bag may be. If you're wondering why these GPS trackers for luggage are so cheap though, it's because you can only take advantage of this pin-point accuracy by paying a $20 monthly fee. If you're going away for a weeklong trip, that months-long tracking might actually be worth it to offer you some peace of mind. Unlike the AirTag or SmartTag+, the battery on the Tracki is rechargeable, but it drains quickly when in use, or any time you activate it to give you those real-time updates.
The Best Trackers for Forgetful Folks: Tile Mate Essentials
Although Apple’s Find My network is widely considered the gold standard for item recovery, Tile also boasts a global network of users, which increases the likelihood of recovering your lost luggage. And unlike Apple luggage trackers, you can use Tile devices with iOS or Android. We’ve tested the standard Tile Mate, Tile Mate Essentials, and the premium Tile Pro, and all of these products proved incredibly easy to set up and use. So far (knock on wood), we haven’t seen our luggage or tagged items disappear from GPS while using the Tile App to track real-time location.
Tile Mate Essentials comes with four individual trackers, so you can virtually tag your carry-on and other travel accessories. If you’ve ever left your wallet at home or forgotten your keys at airport security, then the Tile Mate Essentials bundle was made for you. Plus, if you sign up for a paid Tile Premium subscription, the Tile app will also send you proactive smart notifications when you accidentally leave a tagged item behind. The next time you forget something at home in your rush to get to the airport or to leave for work on time, these notifications can be a lifesaver. Of course, if you’re determined to buy luggage trackers with no monthly fee, this is an optional add-on.
