Retreev Smart Tag

Retreev Smart Tag Travel Gear Review

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The Retreev Smart Tag is a modern take on the classic luggage tag. Although I would have liked to have seen some form of app tracking included. Being able to update your details remotely is a relief if you do lose your bag. If you’d like to buy one for yourself, you can check out the links below.

Retreev Smart Tag: Our Verdict

Pros

  • Durable
  • Selection of designs
  • Easy to update details

Cons

  • No tracking

Technical Details

Dimensions

14.3cm x 12.5cm x 1cm


Weight

20g


Main Materials

Stainless Steel, Plastic

Retreev Smart Tag: The Review

Losing your bags can put a dampner on any holiday, so I am always looking for ways to protect what’s mine. So when Retreev approached me regarding their Smart Tags and asked me to review them I jumped at the chance. I know a lot of people use trackers to find their bag, but they are more focused on you knowing where your property is, without any plans on actually reuniting you with your property.

For full disclosure, Retreev gifted me some of their Smart Tags for me to review, however, all opinions in this review are my own. 

First Impressions

Retreev sent me five of their Smart Tags for the review, they all work the same so there isn’t a difference in the models. The only difference is the design of which they have a lot of options to choose from. It’s made from recycled plastic, with a metal loop to attach your bag.

Setting Up

Setting up my Retreev Smart Tag was simple to do. You can scan the QR code or the NFC tag and if it’s unregistered it immediately takes you to a create account page. You can go to the website and enter the tags registration code manually but it was much quicker with the NFC, taking less than five minutes to get myself registered. 

Tagging your bag

When registering each tag to your account You can fill in a description of the bag you are attaching it to, as well as a category of what the bag may contain. I usually travel lightweight so just one bag, but if you are a family or the sort of traveller who brings everything but the kitchen sink, this is a great function.  Rest assured, if your bag is lost, whoever scans it cannot see this information. They will only see your contact details. The description feature is purely to help you stay organised and for your eyes only.

Designs

Retreev has a variety of designs to choose from, so you can find Smart Tag in a colour or style that matches your bag. I picked up a couple of different designs for variety, but my favourite is the limited edition Dakar Rally design. Choosing your design is tough as there are some really cool options but they do offer multi-packs if you are indecisive.

Clip and connect

It comes with a metal cable to attach to your bag, and screws together at each end to form a loop. It is easy to remove, but it is a bit time-consuming so you can handle everyone getting it off your bag quickly. If you got the multi-pack and bought a few different designs you can easily switch it up as well. This is useful if you use the categories tag, you can easily use it to remember which bag holds instead of rummaging through.

Retreev Smart Tag: Final Thoughts

The Retreev Smart Tag is a much-needed improvement on a classic travel staple. With no batteries, you can add one to the bag and forget about it until someone contacts you. Personally, I would like to see some form of tracking added in the future, like with the Aircard or the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2. That would mean it’s bulkier and would need to be charged or replaced at some stage, but it’s a trade-off I’d be willing to make if it made reuniting with my bags more likely.

Currently the Retreev Smart Tag relies on someone scanning the tag and contacting you, and there are stories about people being reunited with their luggage years after airlines used it. So it is heavily reliant on the kindness of strangers. But trackers do fail and batteries die, so having a QR code and NFC is fantastic as a backup.

Brad Wheal

I'm Brad, and I started travelling in 2016 when I went on a charity hike in Peru. Since then I have discovered a passion for all things travel and photography, and now dedicate my time to finding hidden gems and the best travel gear.

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