All of us forget things from time to time, but where items left in your home or car are easy to track down, the things you leave in your ride hail may take a bit more work – and may even end up on the annual Uber Lost & Found Index.
“From wayward mannequin heads to live lobsters, Uber riders have left behind some truly unforgettable items this year,” said Camiel Irving, vice president of operations at Uber. “Whether essential or totally unusual, we understand how important it is to be reunited with your lost belongings. The Uber Lost & Found Index celebrates the most unique and commonly forgotten items, while reminding riders that getting support to retrieve their prized possessions is simple through the Uber app.”
Among this year’s list: a turtle, a urinal, a viking drinking horn, 15 hookahs, a traffic cone, a sewing machine and breast milk.
While drivers can earn a return fee for bringing back lost items to their owners, most try to avoid the issue by reminding passengers to make sure they have everything with them, especially phones – 1.7 million passengers left their phones in Ubers in the last 12 months, making them the most commonly forgotten item.
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After smartphones, the other top five most commonly forgotten items are wallets, keys, luggage and headphones.
Although Uber operates in more than 10,000 cities in 70 countries around the world, the top 10 most forgetful cities are all the United States, with New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington DC taking the top five spots. Only California (Los Angeles and San Francisco) and Texas (Dallas and Houston) had multiple cities in the top 10.
Among other strange finds in lost items in 2025 are legal papers, Philadelphia Eagles paraphernalia, yoga mats and pilates socks, and teeth – from gold teeth to Invisalign to full sets of dentures, left behind for some unlucky Uber driver. Clothing, the sixth most commonly lost item, runs the gamut from a US Open pullover to a US$1800 pair of Air Jordan 1s to a bridal veil. Even live animals are sometimes overlooked – top of the list for pet items left behind is “my puppy.”
Hopefully you haven’t left anything so precious but if you’re unlucky enough to forget something in your Uber, don’t panic. The company offers a step-by-step guide to get your lost item back, including when the lost item is the registered phone on your Uber account. And be patient – Uber drivers are independent contractors, not employees, and taking time out of their workday to return a lost item costs time and money.
