Tile Pro vs Tile Mate: Which should you buy?
Louder and longest range
The Tile Pro offers you everything the regular Tile Mate does but amplifies it — literally! The loudest of the Tile's lineup, the Tile Pro can ring out from up to 400 feet away, so you never lose your stuff again. Of course, the extra sounds does make it the largest Tile in the lineup, so it may feel just a tad bulky to some people
For
- 400-foot Bluetooth length.
- Loudest Tile.
- Replaceable battery.
Against
- Heaviest Tile.
Slimmer tracker
The Tile Mate is the classic tracker you've come to expect from Tile. You can still ring your tile or ring your phone from up to 200 feet away, and because it's slimmer and a little lighter, it's a breeze to carry around on your keychain or in your bag.
For
- Slimmer design.
- Replaceable battery.
- Cheaper.
Against
- 200-foot Bluetooth range.
When it comes to losing your stuff, there's nothing more frustrating than searching high and low and not being able to find your keys, wallet, bag, purse, or any other item important to you. Both the Tile Pro and the Tile Mate allow you to track your stuff wherever you are and use Tile's fantastic app to give you peace of mind on all your essential items. However, since they both are some of the best Bluetooth trackers, you can buy right now; which one should you get?
Tile Pro vs. Tile Mate: A quick breakdown
When it comes to the Tile Pro vs. Tile Mate, it's easy to see they are far more similar than they are different, which isn't a surprise since they're only about $10 apart in price. Both models allow you to ring your Tile or ring your phone, and both models will show you the last place the Tile was seen on the map, meaning you should never lose track of the items that have your Tile with it.
The only real difference between these models is the Bluetooth range, the volume level of the ring, and
Header Cell - Column 0 | Tile Pro | Tile Mate |
---|---|---|
Price | $35 | $25 |
Battery | CR2032 | CR1632 |
Range | 400 feet | 200 feet |
Volume | 128 decibels | 119 decibels |
Water resistance | IP55 | IP55 |
Dimensions | 42mm by 42mm by 6.5mm | 35mm by 35mm by 6.2mm |
Weight | 12 grams | 6 grams |
Regardless of which model you choose, You're coming away with a fantastic Tile tracker that's going to help you keep an eye on your keys, phone, bag, or any other items you want to remain findable. The biggest thing you have to consider is the range. The Tile Pro doubles the Tile Mate range, which gives you that extra peace of mind, knowing you can find what you're looking for, even if you're not super close to it. Plus, the Tile Pro is slightly louder, meaning that if you are near the end of that 400-foot range, you should be able to hear it.
Tile Pro vs. Tile Mate: Which should you buy?
As you can see in the breakdown above, when you're looking at the Tile Pro vs. Tile Mate, it really comes down to preference; however, there is a consideration to be made for the cheaper Tile Mate.
The Tile Mate is both a little smaller and lighter, making it easier to carry around or fit into a small pouch in your gear bag. Plus, the Tile Mate is $10 cheaper. Looking around on Amazon and local stores in my area, the CR1632 battery powering the Tile Mate is slightly cheaper than the CR2032 batteries in the Tile Pro, making it less expensive in the long as well. That difference is pretty small (a couple of dollars at most), but it's a critical consideration since you'll eventually have to replace the battery.
All in all, you can't really go wrong with either option; it really comes down to how important you think range and loudness is going to be in your life. If you often lose your keys or other items just in your home, the Tile Mate is likely got enough range to help you find your stuff.
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Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way.
Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.