The AirTag and its accompanying Find My service is arguably one of Apple’s best products in the last decade. It’s just so much more handy than the Bluetooth and GPS trackers we relied on before it came on the scene. Only problem is, you need to replace the coin cell battery annually, a task which most people are likely to forget doing until it’s too late. The Elevation Lab TimeCapsule offers a solution that brings its own pros and cons.
On the upside, the device extends your AirTag’s battery life to a whopping 10 years, requiring a full decade before needing a battery replacement. On the downside, it adds a lot of size to Apple’s tracker, making it impossible to fit in tight and cramped spaces the way a regular AirTag would, effectively negating its viability in certain situations.
The Elevation Lab TimeCapsule is an AirTag case that looks like a small remote, similar in size to what comes with most streaming devices, making it much bigger than a regular AirTag. To use, you have to unscrew the top of the device to access the interior, which reveals slots for two AA batteries and a round object resembling a coin cell battery. Once that’s open, you need to install the AirTag, which you do by removing its back plate and coin cell battery, fitting it over the coin-shaped contact point inside the case. After that, you plug in two AA batteries in their corresponding slots, then put the lid back on and drive all four corner screws into place. Done.
With this setup, your AirTag now draws power from the two AAs inside, which extends its operating endurance multiple times over. How long? Well, that will depend on what type of AA battery you use, of course, although the outfit says most dual AA setups should give it 14 times the AirTag’s standard battery life, which would equate to over a decade of use. Elevation Lab, by the way, recommends using Energizer Ultimate Lithium, which, according to them, should ensure maximum longevity.
The Elevation Lab TimeCapsule is rated for IP68 waterproofing, so you don’t have to worry about the device getting wet at any point during it use. It’s durable, too, with the case constructed from a fiber-reinforced composite material, so it should hold up to getting weighed down by all sorts of gear on top of it. Suffice to say, the case is designed to protect the AirTag for the whole duration its battery is meant to last and then some.
Of course, the extra size and weight Apple’s tracker gains with this enclosure means it’s no longer the kind of thing you can slip into an AirTag wallet or attach to your keychain carabiner. However, those are not the intended places for this. Instead, it’s for that AirTag you want to put in your camera gear bag, your favorite luggage, or your recreational vehicle – the kind that’s meant to stay there a long time as a semi-permanent protective measure in the event of theft or loss.
The Elevation Lab TimeCapsule is available now.