4 smart accessories for your cord

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Although people typically use a lanyard to hold an ID badge or hold their keys, it has many other uses. Indeed, it also works for carrying other items, like palm-sized gadgets you didn’t know you needed. For professionals moving from meeting to event to public transportation, a lanyard keeps technology close at hand without relying on bags.

There are several accessories that you can attach to a lanyard to help you with daily life. Small power banks, for example, can keep your phone charged, and while the capacity isn’t as large as a traditional power bank, it can make a difference in an emergency. Others could connect the cord to a smart home routine via a programmable NFC tag. The point is that you can adapt it to different situations. Here are four smart cord accessories, designed for anyone who likes to take their tech with them.

If you regularly misplace items, attaching a smart tracker to your cord can be a big help. This little accessory works with your smartphone and networks like Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub to see where it is in real time. This way, you can find your cord even if you forget where you placed it. Popular options include the Apple AirTag and Galaxy SmartTag2.

There are also cross-platform choices, such as the $12 MiLi Air Tracker Tag, which is a cheap alternative for everyday life. With any smart Bluetooth tracker added to your cord, it’s important to make sure the tracking app is properly connected to your phone, so you get alerts when you leave it behind. Some systems, like Apple’s Find My, emit an audible alert from the tracker, making it easier to locate in a bag or crowded place.

When you’re spending the day away from home, a portable power bank attached to a cord can be very useful for quickly recharging your phone before an important call. Among the best portable chargers there are several good options, but in this case we are looking for something lightweight. One example is the Rolling Square TAU 2, designed to attach to a key ring or lanyard.

It weighs just 50 grams and is less than an inch thick, so you’ll barely notice it. This compact power bank only has a capacity of 2,000 mAh, so it does not replace a traditional charger, but it is enough to help out in an emergency. The TAU 2 also has magnetic charging capability, eliminating the need to plug it in with a cable. Thanks to the integrated NFC tag, if you misplace the cord, whoever finds it can return it more easily.

To regularly transfer files, it’s helpful to have a mini USB drive on your cord. The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive is a good example, as it weighs just 12 grams and comes with a built-in keyring hole. Despite its compact size, the 64 MB model offers a read speed of 400 MB per second. You can also purchase models with up to 2TB of storage.

With this, you can keep your main files nearby, which comes in handy when you don’t have internet access to your favorite cloud storage apps. Another point in favor of this type of storage for your lanyard is resistance to damage. With no moving parts and lightweight, USB drives are less likely to suffer damage from drops than other types of portable storage, which is important when hanging from your cord. For anyone who travels often or works in the field, it’s hard to beat having this physical backup device on hand at all times.

An NFC tag allows you to perform actions on your smartphone with just one click. It can be programmed to open a digital business card, share a Wi-Fi network, start a playlist, activate a smart home routine, and much more. Since these tags are small and don’t need a battery, they can stay on your lanyard without adding a lot of weight or requiring maintenance. Examples like the TimesKey NFC tag are affordable with a 10-pack available for $13.

Each tag supports up to 504 bytes of memory and can be reprogrammed, so the same unit can perform different functions over time. Programming these tags only requires an app like Shortcuts on iPhone or Tasker on Android, without relying on the cloud or a subscription. In fact, there are several practical uses for an NFC tag at home, especially if you have automations or a routine already set up. Having one on a lanyard makes things easier because you can activate these automations quickly with the tag so close.

There are many things you can integrate into a cord, but we’ve limited the list to options with a layer of smart technology, like Bluetooth or NFC. We favored compact accessories, because carrying heavy objects for several hours can become uncomfortable. We also thought about how each accessory would be useful in common situations, such as working, commuting, and attending work events. Overall, the selection is aimed at items that add functionality to the cord, without making it heavy or uncomfortable to use.