It took simply minutes for me to increase my AirTag’s battery life by 5 years – here is how

Elevation Lab 5-year Compact TimeCapsule

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Elevation Lab’s 5-year time capsule is obtainable now, beginning at $20.
• It boosts AirTag battery life as much as 5 years, and is AAA powered, so it does not add additional bulk.
• They don’t seem to be as loud as AirTags, however they’re loud sufficient.

Comply with ZDNET: Add us as a most popular supply on Google.

Common readers will know that I am the Apple AirTag’s largest fan. These tiny UFO-shaped finder tags have saved me no finish of complications in terms of misplaced gadgets. I’ve AirTags on just about something that I can connect AirTags to, however the little saucers aren’t probably the most handy form to connect to issues.  

Additionally: Probably the most helpful electrical device I personal simply acquired changed – and the successor is $20 off on Amazon

Elevation Lab is one firm that makes equipment to handle this downside, and I’ve develop into an enormous fan of the whole lot this firm makes. Want a solution to connect an AirTag to keys, baggage, bike, jackets, and even your cat or canine? Elevation Lab has you lined with its lineup of battery packs. 

One particularly attention-grabbing 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 issue with the 10-year TimeCapsule is its dimension. It’s kind of chunky, concerning the dimension of a sweet bar. It is nice for placing right into a automobile or baggage, however relatively cumbersome for smaller gadgets. 

Additionally: The 9 tech devices I could not reside with out in 2025 (and most slot in my pocket)

I discovered myself wishing that the corporate would make one thing related, however smaller. Perhaps making use of AAA batteries versus AA. Sure, this would scale back battery life, but it surely’d nonetheless be measured in years. 

Properly, the oldsters over at Elevation Lab have delivered — a smaller, compact TimeCapsule powered by smaller AAA batteries, giving the unit a five-year runtime. 

The tag is IP69 rated to maintain out water and dust. It is simple to assemble (the hex key you want comes with the package), and all you do is add a few lithium AAA batteries. The capsule can also be effectively constructed, simply as I would count on from Elevation Lab. There is a high quality gasket between the elements to maintain schmoo out, and even the fasteners are captive so they do not fall out and get misplaced. 

When the AirTag is put in within the case, it really works like regular, and whereas the speaker is considerably quieter, it is nonetheless loud sufficient that can assist you find your misplaced merchandise.  

This might have turn out to be useful the opposite day, when the AirTag that I would secured to my mountain climbing backpack died unexpectedly. I had the primary warning within the morning, and it abruptly died later that day, leaving my gear susceptible to loss. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Elevation Lab Compact 5-year TimeCapsule is a product I have been ready for, and the value is correct, with singles, two-packs, and four-packs accessible for $19.99, $29.99, and $39.99, respectively. 

I modified mine barely by including some double-sided industrial Velcro to the again of the tag so I can affix it to issues, however they work simply as effectively out of the field.