GPS tile tracker

[littlem133]

My youngest has started walking to and from school by himself (still in primary school). He hasn't got a phone yet. I'd like to pop a tracker on his school bag so I know he's arrived at school ok etc. any good recommendations please?

Thanks

The school will let you know pretty quickly if he hasn't arrived.
What do you think will happen to him between house and school?

@KnickerlessParsons don't you watch the news? I think it's normal for a parent to be nervous when their child starts to develop their independence. Hopefully nothing will happen to OPs child between school and home but if it makes her feel better to track them I don't think she needs to be made to feel stupid for it.

I also help him cross over a busy road both going to and coming home from school. He walks the majority by himself

What about a phone just for school journeys? You could track him on life 360.

Cheap android phone.
Share locations on Google Maps.

You can see them, they can see you.
It's fairly accurate and in real time.

I have trackers on my cats collars that are fab. Tractive - there is a subscription charge that you can pay monthly or in one go.
No reason why one couldn't be attached to a bag.

We have tiles on key rings, in luggage and wallets. Great when I've lost my keys, with the additional benefit of tracking down DH when he wanders off in a crowded supermarket. And knowing what's really happening with luggage.

There was also the time when I looked for him and saw that his wallet and keys were in different locations, was was frantically looking for it and v happy with the news that his wallet looked as if it were at home.

Thanks all. So a Tile can be tracked on an app and you can make it sound an alarm to locate it ?

Absolutely.

There are different models, some very slim to fit in a wallet others ready to be attached to something. Overall, just brilliant.

Perfect. Thank you!!!

I use AirTags in keyrings on my kids' school and PE bags bags. Very handy for when another kid takes the wrong bag...

Another vote for AirTags if you're an apple user.

They're not cheap are they?!

Do you have to pay a subscription for these?

No. Not for an Apple AirTag

Tile are proximity devices - they work by pinging off each other

They are not GPS devices like Air Tags

Once a Tile is out of range, you have to press 'Find My Tile' and rely on the 'Tile Community' to ping your Tile and the app then alerts you

You can't track a Tile beyond a distance over about 100m

I have had a couple of Tile trackers over the years. I have them on my car keys. Although they are a great idea, they do not always work. For example, even when my keys are in the house, the tracker isn't always able to locate them 🙄

Other things to note: (1) they only locate within a certain range. After this, they will display the last known location.
(2) Some Tiles have a battery that can be replaced, however some batteries cannot be replaced and you need to buy a new Tile. Something to bear in mind when purchasing.

Depending on how closely you want to be able to track your son, Tile may not be the best choice.

There are also Spotminders which work
like AirTags but are credit card shaped. I have one in my wallet.