Kensington Proximo Review

Losing track of keys, bags, and small electronics is definitely something that most people deal with, at least on occasion. The Proximo Starter Kit from Kensington includes two devices: a Fob and a Tag, which can attach to a keychain and bag respectively. and then alert you if you have left your belongings behind.

The alerts function by pairing with a smartphone and then being controlled via an application. Unfortunately, this app is only available on iOS devices (for free), and the Proximo requires an iPhone 4S or above for Bluetooth 4.0. However, Kensington has come out with a slightly different tracking device specifically meant for Android devices called the Proximity Tag. So if you are using an Android smartphone, you can still receive many of the same benefits as are seen with the Proximo.

Through the app, you can set the alarm sounds as well as how sensitive the tracking aspect of the device is. This means that if you plan on moving around a bit and are not worried about losing your bag, you can set the application to only alert you after you’ve completely left the vicinity.

Both the Fob and the Tag are relatively small and weigh very little. Along with that, they each have a keyring, making it easy to attach them to your keys or bag. One of the nice things about the Proximo application is that it allows you to see how far the Fob or Tag are from your location. When using the “find” function on the app, you can also determine the exact last location of your bag or keys.

You can pair as many as eight tags to a smartphone, meaning that you can purchase more than the one included tag from Kensington for just $24.99. If you also find yourself needing another Fob, they cost $39.99.

When it comes to alerts, the Proximo’s are some of the loudest that I have ever heard and definitely got my attention every time. This is good if you happen to be walking around a loud mall or other busy location, since you may not hear the alarm otherwise. There are a few alarm sounds to choose from so that you can assign a different one to each of your items.

Even though the Proximo is primarily meant to keep track of your other items, the Fob does have a button which will sound an alarm on your phone when pushed. If you happen to lose your phone and not the Fob, then this may come in handy.

Compared to its closest competitors, the Proximo is not only cheaper but also well-built, with tons of features made accessible with its app. The only real downside of the Kensington Proximo is that it only works with iOS devices (for now) and, on top of that, it requires Bluetooth 4.0, which is only found on the 4S onward. If you have a newer iOS device however, the Proximo is the best tracking device I have used so far.

Rating: 9/10

Price: $43.10 (Amazon)