Side by side
REI Trail 25 vs Apple AirTag
REI Trail 25
15 positive (88%) · 2 mixed (12%) · 0 negative (0%)
Trust + time weighted: +90%
Top excerpts
The REI Trail 25 is a favorite of mine.
If you don’t need a laptop sleeve, the REI Trail 25 is similar and 18”x13”x8”.
I have an REI Trail 25 that is 18”x13”x8” vs the CZ36 at 17.7”x12.2”x7.9” I use that as my under seat maximum. It has a fair amount of top to bottom taper so it might not pack as much. It does have a plastic frame sheet, sternum strap, waist belt, rain cover and daisy chains.
The REI Trail 25 is one of my favorites, but it has typical mesh water bottle pockets. At 18”x13”x8” it will fit under a seat.
REI Trail 25 or Commuter 22, Patagonia Black Hole 32.
Apple AirTag
16 positive (70%) · 3 mixed (13%) · 4 negative (17%)
Trust + time weighted: +68%
AI summary — not a quote
Apple AirTags are widely praised for their effectiveness in tracking checked luggage and recovering stolen property like bicycles, leveraging the massive density of the Apple Find My network. While highly reliable in populated areas, their utility is hampered by anti-stalking features that alert thieves to their presence and a lack of native support for Android users, who often receive 'unknown tracker' notifications they cannot easily dismiss.
Pros
- Superior tracking coverage compared to competitors due to the vast network of active Apple devices
- Highly effective for locating lost airline luggage, often providing more accurate data than airline tracking systems
- Proven success in recovering stolen items such as bicycles and golf clubs
- Small form factor allows for creative 'decoy' strategies to fool thieves
Cons
- Anti-stalking alerts notify thieves with iPhones that a tracker is following them
- Incompatibility with Android devices makes setup and ownership difficult for non-Apple users
- Reliability drops significantly in remote or unpopulated areas where fewer iPhones are present
- Reported regional limitations in specific countries like Indonesia
Top excerpts
Put two airtags in it: one easy to find and a second one that is very difficult to find. They will find the first one, thinking that's the only one.
I have AirTags in my bags and, one time, my bag missed one of our connections, although my husband’s bag made it. I could see that the bag was at Heathrow, but they were telling me at our home airport that their system said it was in Madrid, although it obviously never got to Madrid. Air Canada said they’d get the bag to me so I didn’t hound them but I kept an eye on it; a few days later, I was glad to see the AirTag moving down the runway at Heathrow, and I got my bag back the next day. All that just to say that sometimes, the airline system doesn’t actually know where your bag is. I highly recommend AirTags or any other tracking device.
I'd suggest an AirTag and/or a tracker if that gives you peace of mind (I live in a densely populated area so an AirTag is sufficient in case he gets lost).
Are tags are extremely dumb devices. It just sends a low power Bluetooth bleep every 15 or so minutes. All the smart stuff is in the iPhone that picks up the bleep. The airtag has absolutely no idea whether the signal is picked up or blocked by something metal.
Yeah, I’ll definitely buy AirTags for all future flights!