I tried a solar-powered AirTag alternative that lasts 2 years – and looks like my Apple Watch

pros and cons

Pros

• Solar panel used to top up the internal battery
• Excellent finding range
• IP68-rated so shrugs off rain and dirt.

Cons

• The holder needs adhesive to keep the tag in place
• The spring clip needs replacing with a split ring
• Solar panel is only on one side.

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Can I start a finder tag review without saying how much I love Apple AirTags, and how they will always be my first love? Clearly not, but that’s all I’m going to say about that tech.

Beyond Apple, it continues to amaze me how innovative some companies are, and Ugreen never disappoints. From power banks to chargers, this company knows how to make something that’s different.

Also: I compared Apple AirTags to competing Bluetooth trackers – including this $2 one

And things don’t get much more different than the Ugreen Finder Pro, a solar-powered AirTag alternative. In fact, it’s the only solar-powered tag I’ve tested — and I looked for more and couldn’t find any.

On the face of it, the Finder Pro is a pretty standard tag, but this device is exclusive to the Apple Find My ecosystem (sorry, Android users, no solar-powered tag for you).

Bluetooth range and performance

Let’s start with range.

All tags use a form of Bluetooth called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and under ideal conditions that tech has a range of 100 to 400 feet (30 to 120 meters) in open, unobstructed conditions. But how often do you look for something in an open, unobstructed place? Not often. There are all sorts of things that get in the way, from bags, pockets, wallets, and luggage to walls and floors to the metal surrounding cars and toolboxes.

Also: How I survive summer without AC: My top hot weather coping tips, tricks, and gadgets

Oh, and don’t forget people, because they can block the Bluetooth signal. Both your body and crowds can significantly impact Bluetooth range.

Add all the issues you can’t see in radio-frequency (RF) interference, especially in the 2.4GHz frequency band that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use, and it’s amazing that these tags work as well as they do.

In short, many factors are at play here, and these pull that optimistic theoretical range down to a more realistic 30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 meters).

Also: I compared Apple AirTags to competing Bluetooth trackers – including this $2 one

Based on my testing, this Ugreen tag has a range of 85 to 100 feet (25 to 30 meters) with a clear line of sight, and about 50 feet (15 meters) indoors. Not as good as the AirTag (I lied about not mentioning AirTags again), but pretty darn good, and more than acceptable.

Compare these results to the AirTag. This tag has a Bluetooth range of 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 meters) with a clear line of sight, and 50 to 65 feet (15 to 20 meters) indoors. When using precision finding (a feature that’s exclusive to Apple hardware), this would work out to around 180 to 200 feet (55 to 60 meters) with a clear line of sight, and indoors (with two walls between me and the tag), it was good to about 50 feet (15 meters).

Solar panel and two-year battery life

A solar panel is on the face of the Finder Pro. The panel tops up the internal battery. The tag has a two-year lifespan before it needs to be replaced. Usually I’m very against throwing things away because of a dead battery, but I find that finder tags get a hard life, and even my Apple AirTags are pretty beat up after a couple of years.

Because I can’t test the tag’s longevity, I had to take one apart to have a look inside. 

I was pleased to see that the solar panel was actually connected to something — you’d be surprised how many solar panels on bits of kit aren’t connected and are just there as decoration — and inside the tag was a 220mAh rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The solar panel can’t recharge the battery, but it can add charge along the way, helping it last longer.

Also: This AirTag alternative with a 130dB siren and strobe light has my name written all over it

I was surprised how well built the tag was. 

Something else that struck me was the shape of the tag — it reminded me of the Apple Watch Ultra. 

When I put the tag next to my watch, I thought they looked very similar, so much so that the Apple Watch Ultra can fit inside the rubber case that the tag sits in. Spooky.

Good, but not perfect

I like the Finder Pro tag. The device has a nice size and shape, and it’s IP68-rated so it can resist dirt and dust and even survive immersion in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes.

But the tag isn’t perfect.

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Putting aside the fact that the tag has a finite, battery-dependent lifespan, the other potential improvement is the device’s rubber holder. I think it’s far too easy to remove the tag from the holder. I fixed that issue with some adhesive, making sure not to get glue into the button or speaker holes.

I also changed the easy-to-remove spring ring for a keyring split ring, again to make the tag harder to remove. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

Right now, you can pick up a Ugreen Finder Pro solar-powered finder for $17.99, which is 25% off the full $23.99 recommended retail price tag. At this cost, it’s a fun, unique tag that’s genuinely good and competitively priced. If you want precision finding, you’ll have to buy the tag I promised I wouldn’t mention again, but if you want a tag built for the outdoors, this Ugreen device is worth considering.