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1 day ago
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Elevation Lab Vault Strap Compact holder
ZDNET's key takeaways
- A tough Airtag holder that's designed for attaching to fabric and webbing
- The holder is constructed from fiber-reinforced polymer and designed to be water- and dust-resistant
- The holder is also a great way to conceal a tag, thanks to its discreet, low-profile design.
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My Pacsafe bag has definitely earned my respect by foiling pickpockets and keeping my gear safe as I traveled about Spain last year. But there was one bit that I wasn't happy with, and that was how I'd attached an AirTag to it. It was just too obvious, and an obvious AirTag is an AirTag that's easy to remove or disable.
Also: This anti-theft tech bag foiled a pickpocket attempt live - here's how it did it
Thanks to Elevation Lab and the Vault Strap Compact holder, I've now changed that!
Despite knowing I was headed to Spain for an extended period for well over a year, some of my prep ended up being a bit last-minute. I last-minute decided to take the Pacsafe Vibe 325 bag, and I last-minute decided to attach an AirTag to it using an Elevation Lab Secure AirTag Wire Cable holder. I figured that since the strap was cut-resistant, it would work.
The old AirTag holder worked, but it wasn't discreet.
And while it worked fine for that trip, I felt that the AirTag was just too visible. Not only was the holder dangling, but it also showed the white AirTag inside. An AirTag that can be seen becomes a target for destruction or removal by force. It's better to hide the tag.
Out of sight, out of mind.
So, it was time to undo that last-minute work and use an AirTag holder better suited to the job. And once again, Elevation Lab has a holder for the job.
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The Vault Strap Compact holder is designed to be attached to webbing or fabric by the use of a couple of security fasteners (and the kit comes with the appropriate tool to fit the fasteners). If a bad guy does spot that an AirTag is fitted, it will take a fair bit of effort to remove it or break it.
The Elevation Lab Vault Strap Compact holder kit comes with everything you need.
The AirTag is encased in a tough, waterproof fiber-reinforced polymer shell designed to withstand impact. However, rather than relying solely on toughness, the case is also discreet. It features a matte black finish, making it very difficult to spot, especially when attached to a matte black webbing on a similarly colored bag.
Fitting the holder to the bag was easy, and it even comes with a template for the screw holes, which eliminates any guessing as to where to put the fasteners. And speaking of fasteners, the screws themselves feature a security Torx head and are pointed, allowing them to pierce through the toughest materials with ease.
The AirTag is now hidden from sight, making it less of a target for the bad guys.
The fasteners also have broad, flat heads, which means it will be very difficult to rip or cut them out from the fabric they are attached to -- doubly so with the Pacsafe bag because this has cut-resistant wires going through the webbing.
Note that there is no need to overtighten the screws, as this could damage them and make removing them when you need to change the battery a difficult task.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Elevation Lab Vault Strap Compact holder is the perfect way to secure a rucksack, camera bag, or gadget bag when traveling or on the go. It's far better than trucking an AirTag inside the bag, and much better and more discreet than an AirTag holder that dangles. about.
This holder not only keeps the AirTag protected against knocks, bumps, dust, water, and deliberate tampering or damage, but it's also subdued, making it tricky to spot in the first place. These tags come in singles, a twin-pack, and a pack of four, priced at $14.99, $24.99, and $34.99, respectively.
After this upgrade, my bag will be even harder to steal (or lose.)
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