Something New to Find Your Keys: The Cube Key Finder

CubeI wrote an article about key finders about a year ago called Key Finders for Finding Your Lost Keys.  In that article I took a look at a few different key finders and still use the one that’s pictured.  I recently picked up what is a bit more advanced key finder called the Cube Key Finder.  It uses Bluetooth and even has its own smartphone app.

Let’s take a detailed look at the Cube Key Finder.

The photo that accompanies this article is my Cube Key Finder.  The product comes with a basic ring that facilitates attachment to a key ring, an additional battery and a battery cover remover.  Also a one pager in terms of instructions.  The instructions are fairly easy to follow.

Setup is simple.  Download the app, press the button on the Cube until you hear it beep, then let the app discover the device.  Give the device a name such as “Nissan Murano Keys”.  It’s all done with Bluetooth and the app.

Attach it to your key ring and now you can find your keys as long as they are within a reasonable distance.  What’s a reasonable distance?  Well according the instructions that come with the device, it’s anywhere from 30 – 150 feet.  The official Bluetooth supported distance is 30 feet but the manufacturer says their device works up to 150 feet.  I found the device loses connection when I approached 20 feet.  If you have the alert turned on when your phone loses connection to the Cube this gets annoying.

So how does it all work?  For basic key finding, open the app, select the device that correlates to the keys you need to find and ask it to find your keys.  The cube then makes a tweeting sound.  It’s not the loudest sound in the world so make sure your home is quiet.  Turn off the television and stereo.  After finding the Cube, press the button on your phone or the Cube to turn off the tweeting.

Unlike many other key finders, the Cube has two-way finding capability.  Press the little button twice on the front of the device to find a lost phone.  Your phone will start to ring so that it can be found.

An additional unique feature on the Cube is a separation alarm.  If it falls outside the listening abilities of the attached smartphone, an alarm will sound.  This means that you left the area and left your keys with the Cube behind.

The last thing that I can tell you about the Cube is for use as a remote shutter.  Set your camera up and step away.  Use it as a remote shutter to snap a photo.  I suppose this is good for wide angle shots where the photographer needs to be in the shot.

The Cube Key Finder is just ok.  It does a lot more than your average key finder and with the replaceable battery isn’t something I need to replace on an annual basis.  The loss of connectivity when approaching 20 feet is a limitation to be aware of.