It took just minutes for me to extend my AirTag's battery life by 5 years - here's how
An AirTag battery failure at the wrong time can leave your gear vulnerable. Elevation Lab's Time Capsule fixes that.
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Elevation Lab's 5-year time capsule is available now, starting at $20.
- It boosts AirTag battery life up to five years, and is AAA powered, so it doesn't add extra bulk.
- They're not as loud as AirTags, but they're loud enough.
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Regular readers will know that I'm the Apple AirTag's biggest fan. These tiny UFO-shaped finder tags have saved me no end of headaches when it comes to misplaced items. I have AirTags on pretty much anything that I can attach AirTags to, but the little saucers aren't the most convenient shape to attach to things.
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Elevation Lab is one company that makes accessories to address this problem, and I've become a huge fan of everything this company makes. Need a way to attach an AirTag to keys, bags, bike, jackets, and even your cat or dog? Elevation Lab has you covered with its lineup of battery packs.
One especially interesting product from Elevation Lab is the 10-year TimeCapsule -- a battery pack for an AirTag that replaces the CR2032 button cells with two lithium AA batteries, boosting battery life from months to a decade.
The problem with the 10-year TimeCapsule is its size. It's a bit chunky, about the size of a candy bar. It's great for putting into a vehicle or luggage, but rather bulky for smaller items.
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I found myself wishing that the company would make something similar, but smaller. Maybe making use of AAA batteries as opposed to AA. Yes, this would reduce battery life, but it'd still be measured in years.
Well, the folks over at Elevation Lab have delivered -- a smaller, compact TimeCapsule powered by smaller AAA batteries, giving the unit a five-year runtime.
Assembly is quick and easy.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The tag is IP69 rated to keep out water and dirt. It's easy to assemble (the hex key you need comes with the kit), and all you do is add a couple of lithium AAA batteries. The capsule is also well built, just as I'd expect from Elevation Lab. There's a quality gasket between the parts to keep schmoo out, and even the fasteners are captive so they don't fall out and get lost.
When the AirTag is installed in the case, it works like normal, and while the speaker is somewhat quieter, it's still loud enough to help you locate your lost item.
This could have come in handy the other day, when the AirTag that I'd secured to my hiking backpack died unexpectedly. I had the first warning in the morning, and it abruptly died later that day, leaving my gear vulnerable to loss.
A critical AirTag battery died suddenly while I was away.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
ZDNET's buying advice
The Elevation Lab Compact 5-year TimeCapsule is a product I've been waiting for, and the price is right, with singles, two-packs, and four-packs available for $19.99, $29.99, and $39.99, respectively.
I modified mine slightly by adding some double-sided industrial Velcro to the back of the tag so I can affix it to things, but they work just as well out of the box.