travel tech products

The 27 best travel gadgets in 2023

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For today's traveler, a packing list includes not only their daily wear and toiletries, but also tech gadgets: a phone, maybe a laptop or tablet, and possibly a smartwatch. You may also be wondering, what other gizmos are worth lugging around? As it turns out, there's a lot to consider. 

Whether you're on a long-haul flight, a never-ending road trip, or just jetting around your destination, there are plenty of travel-appropriate tech gadgets that can make your next trip a breeze. 

From gear to ensure you're charged up to a TSA-approved massage gun to ail the aches of travel, here are our favorite travel tech gadgets and accessories to ensure you're ready for anything that comes your way.

For keeping an eye on your valuables, put a Tile Pro or Apple AirTag in your checked baggage. We recommend Tile because it works for both Android and Apple devices, while utilizing the Tile user network to help you locate things that are much further away.

On the flipside: Apple's AirTag offers the same features, but only works with Apple devices. The AirTag connects to the Find My app built into every iPhone and iPad, which theoretically means it taps into a wider network of users to locate your item. Whichever you choose, consider a tracker in your luggage as personal insurance.

Insta360 X3 Camera

Sure, the best camera is the phone that's in your pocket, but if there's a reason to bring along an additional shooter, make it the the X3. This 360-degree camera works alongside a companion app on your phone and captures everything surrounding you. No longer will you need to choose what to frame. But what makes this camera truly fun are the special effects you can create, which will make your vacation photos and videos stand out from the crowd.

Sony WH-100XM5 Headphones

If you want the latest and greatest in over-ear noise-canceling performance, it's the Sony WH-100XM5s . The XM5s sport an updated design with a narrower headband and wider earcups for a roomier fit. The drivers have been updated and the ANC (active noise cancellation) performance has been kicked up a notch thanks to two processors and eight noise-canceling microphones, up from the four microphones found on the previous-gen XM4s. Speaking of the XM4s, they're still a great option and cost $50 less .

Beats Fit Pro

The Beats Fit Pro was released back in 2021, but they continue to be one of our favorite wireless earbuds. It packs the same features you'd get in the AirPod Pros, but in a more secure, sweat-resistant package. This year, Beats introduced three new eye-catching colors: coral pink , volt yellow , and tidal blue . 

Panasonic ErgoFit Wired Earbuds

It's a good idea to have a pair of wired earbuds to toss in your bag for a flight, especially since most in-seat entertainment systems have yet to roll out support for Bluetooth. And while there are plenty to choose from, Panasonic's ErgoFit is a tried-and-true budget pair you won't regret. Available in more than 15 colors, these earbuds are as basic as you can get, but they'll get the job done for under $20. Just note that you'll need a Lightning adapter for Apple devices .

Anker 622 Magnetic Battery

If you own an iPhone 12 or newer and want to take advantage of MagSafe technology, this portable battery pack from Anker has a capacity of 5,000mAh, which is more juice than Apple's MagSafe battery pack , which is rated at 1,460mAh. The 622 is capable of wirelessly charging your phone at a max of 7.5 watts, but its best feature is the travel-friendly built-in kickstand. If you're looking for more power, Anker also sells a 10,000mAh version . 

For more picks, check out our guide on the best MagSafe battery packs . 

Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe

Apple stans will appreciate Mophie's 3-in-1 charger , which has dedicated charging spots for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. We're not sure what we like more: the convenient carrying case or that it comes complete with a 30W USB-C wall adapter.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

 The Instax Mini 12 is Fujifilm's newest camera, and just like its predecessor, it's a one-button instant camera that's so easy to use that even kids can operate it. The Instax Mini 12 improves on the lineup's winning formula by adding a new lens that you can twist to enable "close-up" mode. The entry-level instant camera works with Instax Mini film , which is widely available. Plus it runs on replaceable AA batteries, so you'll never have to worry about running out of power.

Anker 747 Charger

If you're a frequent traveler, you need a multiport charging hub. And Anker's GaNPrime-powered 747 Charger is one of the best you can buy right now . With three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and 150W charging capacity, this compact charger can charge multiple devices — laptops, tablets, smartphones, or other small devices — quickly and all at once. And thanks to GaNPrime technology, the 747 is  smart enough to identify how many devices are connected and how much output each device needs.

Native Union Belt Cable Universal

When it comes to cables, it pays to have a spare just in case you lose one. For that, we recommend this universal cable from Native Union. Measuring at 6.5 feet long and made from braided nylon, the cord can quickly transition between micro-USB, USB-C, and Lightning connectors.

Bellroy Tech Kit

A dedicated tech bag can turn the roost of cables, cords, and techy accessories you travel with into a well-organized mobile workstation. While you should shop around to find a tech organizer bag that suits your particular needs, the Tech Kit from Bellroy is a quality option. It features a soft-shell body for added structure and protection, along with loops, pockets, and compartments to neatly store your essentials. It's also available in a compact size .

For more options, check out our guide on the best tech organizer bags . 

Nimble Champ Portable Charger

The Champ Charger is one of Nimble's smallest and lightest power banks, but it still packs a punch. It's designed to top up smaller devices, and supports up to 15W of charging through one USB-A port and one USB-C port. The battery's 10,000mAh capacity is enough to charge your phone or tablet for a weekend of use. Bonus: Nimble is a certified B Corp with a commitment to sustainable consumerism currently unmatched in the consumer tech industry, from using non-traditional materials and plastic-free packaging, to its free e-waste recycling program.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6

Unfortunately, nobody wants to watch your vacation videos if they're nauseatingly bouncy, no matter how beautiful the scenery is. To capture rock-steady footage with smooth pans and tilts — think Hollywood-style cinematography — put your phone into what is the best gimbal for consumers. It's easy to operate, and the built-in telescoping pole lets you capture selfies with a wider view.

Moft Invisible Laptop Stand

When you're on the road, ergonomics is a challenge. Moft's "invisible" laptop stand is an ultra-thin portable stand that won't add any weight to your laptop, and only takes a second to put into action. It has two elevation angles (15 and 25 degrees), which you can adjust to whichever is more convenient for your sitting posture. Moft also sells stands for other devices, including the iPad and iPhone .

Epicka Universal Travel Power Adapter

If you're jet-setting across the world, a universal travel adapter is a must. And you won't find one that'll meet most simple charging needs than Epicka's all-in-one adapter. This handy plug is designed for phones, laptops, and other smaller devices. The retractable prongs allow it to work in more than 150 countries, and it has six charging ports: four USB ports, one USB-C port, and one universal AC socket. 

Backbone One Mobile Controller

For gaming on the road, we recommend the Nintendo Switch . But if you're looking for an alternative with even better portability, we highly recommend the Backbone One Mobile Controller, which can turn gaming on your iPhone or Android phone into a first-class handheld console experience. The Backbone One gives you joysticks and buttons, so it's comfortable for long playing sessions, and it works with mobile titles as well as cloud-gaming services like Xbox and PlayStation Remote Play.

Yogasleep Rohm Travel Sound Machine

With Yogasleep's Rohm Travel Sound Machine , you can rest easily wherever the road takes you. It features three modes: bright white noise, deep white noise, and "gentle surf." And unlike other portable sound machines, it's powered by a rechargeable battery instead of disposable batteries. If you're looking for something more baby-friendly, the Hushh Compact Sound Machine features a soft LED night light and child-safe locks.

GoPro Hero 12 Black Action Camera

If you can only pack one camera for travel, make it the new GoPro Hero 12 Black. An evolution of the already impressive Hero 11 Black , it's small enough to fit in the tightest corners of a bag, yet it is on par with much larger cameras, thanks to 12 generations of innovation. This latest version of GoPro's storied Hero camera can shoot high-dynamic-range video for improved contrast and coloring, a wider field-of-view lens to capture more of a scene, and Bluetooth support for headphones. Plus, it has the best in-camera stabilization yet. It's built to withstand bumps, drops, and splashes, and a great smartphone app lets you upload your footage to social media wherever you are.

Kensington Privacy Screens

When you think of tech privacy while traveling, you might think of VPNs , which allow you to connect to the internet through a secure server so you can work securely and remotely. But for added security, don't overlook privacy screens. Kensington sells a number of reliable privacy screens  — some attached with magnets, others by an adhesive, depending on your laptop or tablet — that reduces viewing angles and filters blue light .

Etekcity Luggage Scale

Overweight baggage fees can cost an arm and a leg and who knows what else, and they're especially tricky when traveling internationally. Etekcity's luggage scale is reliable and accurate, plus it's ultra portable and weighs under five ounces to easily fit in your bag.

TwelveSouth AirFly

A tiny dongle that lets you use your wireless headphones for in-flight entertainment? How smart. TwelveSouth's AirFly plugs into the audio jack so you can hear airline TV screens using your own personal headphones. And with more than 20 hours of battery life, it could last even the most long-haul flights. If you've got a travel companion, the AirFly Duo lets you connect two pairs of headphones at once. And for car rides in older vehicles, the AirFly Pro lets you stream from your phone to the stereo's aux-in port.

Logitech K380 Keyboard

Logitech's K380 keyboard is an excellent portable set of keys that has a small footprint that will make working even in the most cramped spaces a little more comfortable. It connects to any device that supports Bluetooth and pairs with up to three devices, which is perfect if you're switching between a laptop, tablet, and phone. It's ultra quiet, and can last two years one just two AAA batteries.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

The newest ultra-portable speaker from Ultimate Ears, the Wonderboom 3 is a 360-degree speaker that should fulfill your travel needs. It has battery life of up to 14 hours on a single charge. There's an "Outdoor Boost" mode that cranks up the bass, and it can float if you throw it in water. This is a versatile little speaker that can also pair with another Wonerboom speaker for stereo sound.

Kindle Paperwhite

Easily one of the best Kindles you can buy right now , the 11th-generation Kindle Paperwhite includes a larger 6.8-inch, high-resolution display, adjustable warm lighting, responsive page-turning, and USB-C charging. The base Paperwhite comes with 8GB of storage, which should be plenty for most people (that's around 3,000 e-books).

Hypervolt Go 2

A must-have for preventing and easing the aches and pains of traveling, the Hypervolt Go 2 weighs just 1.5 pounds and lasts up to 3 hours on a single charge. With three speeds and two interchangeable heads, it can do wonders for a stiff neck, sore muscles, back pain and more. It's also surprisingly quiet. The Go 2 is TSA-approved, as long as it's packed in your carry-on. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a travel case. 

Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod

Whether it's for timelapses, self-portraits, or video calls, a phone tripod can be surprisingly handy when you're on the go. Manfrotto makes some of the best travel tripods in the world, and its Pixi Mini Tripod folds up small (you can also use this tripod as a grip) and weighs less than a pound. Unlike some tripods, the Pixi Mini can be used with different types of phones thanks to its universal clamp.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

If you're not traveling with a streaming stick, you're missing out on a simple travel hack. You can plug it into your hotel room or Airbnb's TV and stream your favorite movies and shows. Roku's Streaming Stick 4K is well-suited for travel, and will give you great picture quality, whether streaming in HD, 4K, or HDR. Just don't forget to bring the physical Roku remote.

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23 Best Travel Electronics, According to Tech Experts

Make your next trip easier with these useful gadgets and tech accessories.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

That’s why we've put together this list of the best travel electronics and tech gadgets to save some extra room for in your luggage.

Our top picks:

Best Travel Gadget for WiFi

Verizon jetpack mifi 8800l.

Best Travel Gadget for Smartphones

Anker 325 power bank (powercore 20k).

Best Travel Gadget for Filming Content

Dji osmo mobile 6.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute , we review and test all types of travel gear in our Labs, from luggage trackers and noise-canceling headphones to carry-on suitcases and packing cubes . Our recommendations here include products we've tested first-hand in our own travels and swear by, as well as popular picks we found by researching seasoned travelers' rave reviews online.

Read on to learn more about the most useful travel gadgets to bring along on your next adventure, and find more information about how we make our recommendations at the bottom of this guide. Looking for more travel tips? Check out our best travel tips for families and our guide to the best luggage brands for every type of traveler .

If you need solid coverage and strong Wi-Fi on your next trip, consider this Verizon Jetpack that enables you to connect up to 15 devices to your very own personal WiFi network in over 200 countries . Our tech experts like that it works on a reliable Verizon network and has impressive battery life (in our Lab tests, the battery lasted a full day, holding up to the brand's claims). Plus, it can even charge your phone if you can't get find an empty outlet at the airport. Just keep in mind that you'll have to purchase a separate data plan from Verizon to use.

Having your phone die on you while you're exploring a new place is never ideal, especially if you want to snap a photo or access Google Maps. This portable charger will be there to give you enough juice to stay connected. We love its slim, compact design, which should easily fit into any size travel backpack . We also like that it can charge two devices at once via its USB-A ports . When you've used up all the battery life, we found it easy to recharge the power bank via micro-USB or USB-C.

RELATED: The Best Travel Items to Buy on Amazon

Pack this lightweight, compact gadget if you want smooth, stabilized footage of your vacation. The gimbal stabilizer is designed to hold your phone securely in place and has built-in controls that allow you to rotate it in one sweeping motion — a.k.a. the image will be way steadier than your shaky hand. Our tech pros love that this device not only helps create professional-looking footage, but it comes with a tripod and a magnetic clamp to make attaching your phone super easy.

Anker 40W 4-Port USB Wall Charger

Doesn't it always seem like hotel rooms never have enough outlets? This charger has a whopping four USB plugs, making it a great choice for a family or anyone who wants to charge their phone, tablet, headphones and smartwatch all at once . We also like the Anker 735 charger if you want to leave your bulky MacBook charger at home and use the compact design to power your computer, phone and more.

Marpac Rohm Portable White Noise Sound Machine

If you or your little ones are used to sleeping with a sound machine on at home, you'll want to bring along this top-rated portable white noise machine. This model has three different sound options to help drown out any noises that could disturb your sleep, like noisy neighbors or honking city horns. Best of all, it's super small (just 3.8 ounces) and doesn't require an outlet, since it can be recharged via USB.

Apple AirTag

If you're worried about losing your luggage, we suggest investing in a luggage tracker . Just tuck one of Apple's compact AirTags inside your suitcase, wallet or even passport holder so you can keep tabs on everything right from your phone . Though you need to use Apple's ecosystem, we love that AirTags offer easy real-time tracking and a one-year battery lifespan.

Etekcity Luggage Scale

If you're notorious for overpacking or shopping on vacation, bring this lightweight and compact gadget on your next trip to avoid extra luggage fees for overweight suitcases . Just hook it on your suitcase to get an instant read. Lexie Sachs , the executive director of the Textiles Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, says she's gotten tons of use out of this luggage scale over the years and it's helped her figure out how to divvy up her belongings between bags to avoid going over the weight limit on the way home.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

There's nothing worse than arriving at your Airbnb only to realize you forgot your Bluetooth speaker . Our tech experts recommend bringing along this portable option from Ultimate Ears. Not only does its compact size make it easy to stuff in your bag, but we found that it packs a surprisingly loud punch . It's waterproof (it can even float in the pool!), has a long 14-hour battery life and can be paired up with another Wonderboom 3 speaker for stereo sound.

Why travel with tons of different cables when all you need is this handy multi-charger keychain that you can attach to a purse or keys? We love that it's designed to not get tangled up in your bag and that it features multiple outputs and inputs (like USB-C, USB-A, micro-USB and a lightning port for your iPhone) so you can power up all your devices. Just keep in mind that the cable is on the shorter side, so your device will need to be close at hand.

Oliso M2 Mini Project Steam Iron with Solemate

If you're tired of dealing with wrinkled clothing after a long day of travel, we've found that this steam iron is great for tackling small jobs on the go . In testing, our Cleaning Lab pros were impressed with the iron's ability to press out heavy creases as well as how lightweight it is ( only 2.2 lbs.). We found that it's easy to maneuver and comes with a useful silicone rest.

JOOMFEEN Travel Adapter

If you plan on traveling abroad, you'll want to pack a universal charger so you don't end up having to go out and buy a new one for your phone, tablet or computer. Our pros like this compact pick that can be plugged into most countries' respective outlets . Once you've plugged the adapter into the wall, all you need to do is plug your U.S. charger in and say goodbye to dead batteries. It also features two USB ports for simultaneous charging of multiple devices.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

With a Fire tablet, you can download Kindle books or stream your favorite shows to stay entertained in the car or at the airport . It's lightweight and gives you the many benefits of a traditional tablet , minus the hefty price tag. Plus, it claims to have a battery life that lasts up to 12 hours. We also like the Fire HD 10 Kids model if you're looking for a tablet for your children.

Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones

Our testers found these noise-canceling headphones super comfortable, making long flights a lot more bearable. They f eature excellent sound quality, and we like that you can easily switch between Quiet and Aware modes , so you can hear important flight announcements without taking them off. Just don't forget to bring along the included cable so you can use the plane's audio jack if needed.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise-Canceling Wireless Earbuds

If you're someone who struggles to find earbuds that remain comfortable after a few hours, our tech experts recommend these wireless earbuds from Sony. They're an excellent AirPods alternative featuring impressive battery life and soft silicone ear-tips . And on top of the fantastic sound quality, they also come with noise-canceling features so they're a good choice for planes.

Amazon Paperwhite

On trips, you probably don't have the space in your bag to carry around heavy, bulky books. We love this travel-sized Kindle Paperwhite e-reader , which makes downloading all kinds of books from anywhere in the world (in your language) so simple. We especially love that this model is IPX8-rated , so you don't have to worry if it accidentally falls in the pool or the bathtub . This IP (ingress protection) rating signifies that it can handle continuous water submersion. It's also so lightweight that you likely won't even notice it in your bag.

GoPro HERO9

Leave behind your iPhone and take photos and videos on your next adventure with this tiny camera. It's made to capture the action as you ski, dive, hike, bike and more with its super durable, waterproof design (you can take it down to 33 feet deep according to GoPro). It has tons of compatible accessories to help you film, like a helmet strap and a chest mount . Our tech pros love that it shoots in 5K so you're guaranteed sharp, high-quality memories once your trip is over. If you want the most up-to-date GoPro technology and features, consider the pricier GoPro HERO11 .

LifeProof FRĒ

A waterproof phone case can save your phone from serious damage should it accidentally fall in the pool while you're snapping some photos. We like this LifeProof model because we're confident it will keep your phone dry and unharmed thanks to its built-in screen cover and solid construction: In our tests, it even survived an hour of full submersion in 6.5 feet of water !

Joby GripTight ONE GorillaPod Stand

It can be frustrating when no one is around to take a family photo for you. Fortunately, this popular tripod from Joby comes with a clamp for your phone (no matter which model you have) as well as flexible legs that you can wrap around objects like a tree branch.

BUBM Electronic Organizer

This super affordable electronic organizer will keep you from losing track of any cables, chargers, memory cards and more . Offered in ten different colors, we love that it folds up into a flat shape that will easily fit into a backpack or suitcase. There's also a convenient zipper closure for items that you want to store more securely.

Case-Mate Marine Waterproof Floating Pouch

Though most smartphones these days are waterproof, most of us still don’t feel comfortable taking our precious devices into a body of water. But if you plan on doing any water sports during your trip, bring along this waterproof pouch. Though we haven’t tested it in our Labs, it's rated IPX8 which means that it's been tested to withstand continuous water submersion without risking harm to your device . Our experts like that it features a touchscreen window so you can easily take photos and that, according to the brand, it floats.

Olivia (she/her) is a media and tech product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute , covering tech, home, auto, health and more. She has more than five years of experience writing about tech trends and innovation and, prior to joining GH in 2021, was a writer for Android Central, Lifewire and other media outlets. Olivia is a graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism, political science and French, and she holds a master’s degree in communications from Sciences Po Paris.

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The best travel gadgets you can buy: Chargers, headphones, and more

The holiday season is here, and with it, lots of plans for travel to see family or just to get away. If you're already starting to stress about some of the logistics, don't worry -- there are things you can do and pack that make travel easier, less stressful, and combat some metaphorical turbulence. For example, you can slip an AirTag into your bag to at least know the whereabouts of "lost" luggage.

Also:   The best travel VPNs you can buy

AirTags, however, aren't the only tech travel gadget you should consider as a stowaway. There's lots of tech out there that can save you space, battery, trip memories, and all three combined. To find the gadgets best suited for the job -- and your luggage or even car --  I talked to travel experts and enthusiasts to see what they consider essential, and you should, too. Our pick for best travel tech gadget overall is Anker's 747 GaNPrime 150W charger  due to its compact form and its ability to charge up to four devices quickly. However, this charger is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to essential travel gadgets. Check out the rest of our top picks below. 

The best travel gadgets of 2024

Anker 747 ganprime 150w charger, best travel tech gadget overall.

• Can charge up to 4 devices quickly
• Compatible with iOS and Android devices
• USB-A and USB-C charging ports

Anker 747 GaNPrime charger features:  3 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port | Can charge 2 laptops at once | Can charge up to 4 devices at once | 38% smaller than Apple's 140W charger, but packs in 10 more Watts (150W)

When you're traveling, it's important to keep all your devices powered and ready to go. Has anyone else ever had their phone die just as you're scanning your mobile boarding pass? To avoid that embarrassment, world traveler  Nick Yiu is saving up for the Anker 747 charger to power all his devices for the five flights he has coming up. Even though the brick is smaller than a standard Mac charger from Apple, it offers three USB-C style ports, a traditional USB-A port, and all at a whopping 150W total output. To put it in perspective, it's powerful enough to charge two laptops in a short amount of time. 

"This would replace the need to carry any additional power bricks, so you just need this one alone," said Yiu. 

The 747 also employs Anker's GaNPrime technology , which is a faster, more powerful, and even more sustainable semiconductor than traditional silicon chargers. Anker's ActiveShield 2.0 technology also monitors temperature throughout the day and makes the appropriate power output adjustments, safeguarding connected devices. For these reasons and more, this charger is even essential for ZDNET contributor  Jason Cipriani  when he travels for work. 

However, Cipriani points out that while the brick is compact, it is heavy, "falling out of most outlets, which is why Anker includes a plate that fits around the adapter and has a bunch of small suction cups to hold it against the wall." Aside from its density, the only other downside of the 747 power brick is the $110 price tag. However, when you factor in its adaptability and power, you're really paying for multiple charges rolled into one. 

Tessan International Plug Adapter

Best adapter for international travel.

• Lightweight
• 5 total USB ports
• Can use adapter for almost any country
• Enough wattage to charge a laptop
• Only compatible for 100V to 250V devices
• Max of 15W on USB-C

Tessan International Plug Adapter features: 2 USB-A ports (12W) | 3 USB-C ports (15W) | 4 different built-in plugs, which covers over 150 countries | 6 in 1 travel adapter outlet 

The New York Times' recent daily crossword  acknowledged that the most "annoying thing" you can forget to pack for a trip is, by far, a charger. Even more frustrating is remembering a charger, and don't forget that if you're traveling abroad, there's a high likelihood your charger won't work. Enter the Tessan International Plug Adapter. This compact tool has four different built-in plug types, which covers over 150 countries, and also includes a universal AC outlet that can convert plugs from the ES, EU, UK, and AU to fit your chargers' socket. 

Featuring five total USB ports, three of which are USB-C, this can also be used both internationally and domestically as a multi-charging brick. In fact, the executive editor of The Points Guy, Scott Mayerowitz , says this is one of his biggest tricks since they easily plug into airplane outlets and can be a one-stop, compact shop to keep track of different cords. 

This is especially a good option if you don't want the heavy price tag or physical weight of something like the Anker 747. It may not be as fast, but it's definitely efficient and price-conscious. However, keep in mind that devices requiring a higher voltage, such as a hair dryer , are only compatible with devices in the 150V-250V range. 

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones

Best travel headphones.

• Noise canceling quality is best in class
• Long lasting battery life
• Advanced voice chat quality makes for quality video conferencing
• Over-ear headphones take up more space than earbuds
• Larger carrying case than previous generations

Sony WH-1000XM5  headphone features: Over ear, closed back | Bluetooth 5.2 | USB-C charging port | Up to 30 hours of battery (3 hours on a 3-minute charge) | 4Hz-40,000Hz frequency response 

Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are a cult classic. With market-leading active noise cancellation and up to 30 hours of battery, they've rightfully earned the top spot on our best headphones and  best noise-canceling headphones  list and in Lonely Planet Managing Destination Editor Alex Howard's favorite travel bag . 

"The drone of the engines disappears into a pleasant background hum, and you can focus on catching up with the Last of Us instead of the screaming baby a few rows over," Howard said.  

Excellent sound quality isn't their only travel perk; the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones include a folding design and compact carrying case, making them easy to take on the go for short and long trips alike. 

AirPods Pro 2

Best travel earbuds.

• Transparent and noise canceling quality is best in class
• Wireless charging
• Integrates Apple's FindMy system
• Remain some of the most expensive earbuds on the market
• If you have multiple Apple devices, beware of connectivity chaos
• Not the greatest for non-iPhone users

Apple AirPods Pro 2 features: 6-hour battery life and 30 hours in the case | IPX4 waterproof rating | 5.3 g each | Wireless charging | New Apple H2 chip 

Over-ear headphones are a powerful sound blocker, but they're not necessarily space-conscious. If you're not ready to sacrifice precious luggage real estate with headphones, no matter how compact or portable, a pair of pocket-sized noise-canceling earbuds can be just as effective. I personally never leave my apartment without my Apple AirPods Pro 2 or get on a plane without them. What I love about the second-gen AirPods is that they deliver outstanding sound quality in both noise-canceling and transparent modes . 

Also: Flying soon? Flighty is a must-have iOS app for air travel

Sure, it's great to block out the rattles of the subway car as I make my way to the airport or the crying baby on the plane, but it's also important to be aware when traveling. And with my AirPods, I can clearly hear the flight attendant announce which carousel my luggage has (hopefully) arrived at without having to pause Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" as I fly into the city, per Scott Mayerowitz's suggestion.

Plus, there's a built-in case speaker that makes it easy to ping your AirPods case if it's lost in the depths of your bag or waiting to be rescued from the airplane seatback pocket. Apple's FindMy feature also comes in handy to keep track of all Apple-associated devices when you're on the go, sending you a notification when one isn't on the move with you. The second-gen Pros also employ wireless charging, even via the Apple Watch charger, which may save you packing one less cable. 

Review: AirPods Pro 2 offer two big upgrades but connectivity chaos hasn't been tamed

Best travel tablet

• 12.9-inch screen and high resolution display
• 1600 nits at peak brightness
• Lightweight for an iPad Pro
• Doesn't have the newest M2 chip
• Camera suite isn't as updated as newer models

iPad Pro (2018) features: M1 chip | 12.9 inch Liquid Retina XDR display | WiFi 6 connection available | 12MP Ultra-Wide camera | 4K video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps | Five microphones and four speakers | FaceID | USB-C charging port 

Speaking of Apple, Alex Howard relies on his iPad Pro for inflight entertainment. But his main pro tip is to upgrade to a bigger storage size to "accommodate extra seasons of your favorite TV show when Wi-Fi is spotty." 

While a few years old, the 2018 iPad Pro features Apple's fast-performing M1 chip, a 12.9 Liquid Retina HDR display that makes for sharp and vivid visuals, and 1600 nits at peak brightness. Plus, if you take Alex's suggestion and opt for more storage, you won't face much latency and can let the high-res graphics shine. 

At  22.26oz and around $480 at most retailers, you won't be adding too much weight to your travel gear or your wallet, especially compared to the most recent iPad Pro model. Additionally, the iPad Pro 2018 (3rd generation) is compatible with the more sleek, capless second-generation Apple Pencil, which simply attaches to the magnetic strip to pair and charge . And if you're like me, it's great for taking notes that can even sync to and stay on your other devices while you're on the go. 

Of course, the iPad Pro 2018 also integrates Apple's FindMy system, making it easy to track and find as you destination hop. 

Duex Plus monitor

Best travel monitor.

• Folds up and flips out easily
• USB-C connectivity – no HDMI cords
• 1080p resolution
• Adds bulk to your laptop
• Pricey at $280
• Drains laptop battery

Duex Plus monitor features: 13-inch display | Compatible with Mac and Windows laptops | Auto-Rotation display | Multi-device compatibility | 1.33 mm | USB-C plug-and-play 

Traveling doesn't mean you have to sacrifice work productivity. If you, like me and many other working professionals, rely on a monitor to multitask, the Duex Plus is a great portable option. Coming with four adhesive magnets, the monitor easily attaches to your laptop cover and flips out hassle-free. From there, it's as easy as connecting via USB-C to either your Mac or Windows laptop -- no extra HDMI cord is needed. 

ZDNET's June Wan reviewed the monitor and was not only impressed with the easy setup but also with its ability to enhance his workflow, from responding to Slack messages to video editing. 

What makes the Duex optimal for travel is its ability to slide in and out from the laptop lid and then just collapse and act as a makeshift case before you pack it away in your back. While there's no need to lug around an extra bag or pack the monitor as a new entity, it unsurprisingly does add some bulk to your laptop. 

Review: This flip-out portable monitor is my productivity secret weapon

Insta360 X3

Best action camera for travel.

• 360-degree footage
• Compact and rugged for adventurous travel
• User-friendly
• 2.29-inch display makes for an excellent viewfinder
• Software support can be sluggish
• 360-footage requires a larger MicroSD card

Insta360 X3 features: 180g | 2.29-inch touchscreen | ½" 48MP sensor | Up to 5.7K resolution | 1,800 mAh removable battery | USB-C or MicroSD connectivity | Waterproof up to 33ft 

The best part of traveling is making memories and capturing them. However, lugging around a big camera takes up space, adds weight, and places limits on capturing fun action shots. As of right now, travel buff Nick Yiu likes throwing in his tiny but mighty GoPro to take versatile footage but has his eye on the Insta360 X3 action camera. As the name suggests, the camera films at every angle and assures you won't miss a shot -- even if you're skydiving. 

ZDNET's June Wan did have the chance to go hands-on with the Insta360 X3, and his experience confirmed that it's worth a spot on Nick's packing list and our best travel tech list. 

"Whether you're a professional or a beginner, the X3 brings a lot to the table for all to play," said Wan. 

This third-generation action cam is the Insta360's most compact, refined design yet and, according to Wan, "the exterior is gilded with a rugged blend of rubber and texturized ridges which assures you that the X3 can hang in the toughest outings and/or within the slipperiest of fingers." 

Perfect for long adventures, the camera is also capable of lasting two to three days on one charge, limiting yet another device you have to charge on your trip. Additionally, Insta360 puts "art" in artificial intelligence, as June Wan puts it, packing a suite of photo editing AI features on the back and front end. 

Review: Insta360 X3 360-degree action cam will blow you away  

Guide AI trip planner

Best travel planner.

• Personalized travel itinerary
• Hotel booking
• Can modify recommendations
• Group planning enabled
• Only available as a website
• No flight, transportation, or restaurant booking

Guide features: AI trip planning tool | AI chatbot to ask questions | Free | Can book hotels | Group planning

If you want to make your trip as seamless and efficient as possible, you need a trip planner. While not a tech gadget per se, a planner can help you stay organized before and during your trip, making travel much less stressful.  Guide is an AI travel planning tool that helps you create personalized itineraries based on your trip preferences. (Full disclosure: It's also ZDNET's sister brand. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) Once you create an account, you can input your travel details, and Guide will generate a customizable schedule for your desired trip, with hotel, restaurant, activity, and attraction suggestions. 

You can modify Guide's suggested itinerary to your liking by adding new activities and restaurants or by moving current suggestions around -- a feature ZDNET associate editor Gabriela Perez Jordan loves. In a recent trip, she used Guide to find the top activities and restaurants to visit in Austin, Texas. 

With Guide, you can also send your schedule to friends and family to assist in the trip-planning process, or you can use its chatbot to ask your most burning questions regarding your destination. While you currently can't book any flights, transportation, or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia. 

What is the best travel tech gadget?

There are lots of tech gadgets that can optimize travel, from canceling out distractions on a long flight to capturing memories around you, and a device to power all of those devices. The items on this list consider functionality, durability, build, battery life, and more that hopefully enhance your journey.

 *Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

Which travel tech gadget should you buy?

All the items on this list were carefully selected, as most have various functionality for different needs, preferences, and even budgets. Here's a further breakdown if you're trying to decide which gadgets are essential for your next trip. 

How did I choose these travel tech gadgets?

To compile my list and decide which travel tech was the best of the best, I turned to experts and enthusiasts. I consulted Nick Yiu, who took 15 flights in 2022, the executive editor of travel publication The Points Guy,  Scott Mayerowitz , and Lonely Planet Destinations Managing Editor Alex Howard. As a frequent traveler myself, I also drew from my own experience and looked at products ZDNET has reviewed.  Ultimately, I weighted the following aspects when curating this list: 

• Design: When selecting travel tech gadgets, portability and design were top of mind since you must always consider where you will store your devices during your trip. Most, if not all, of these devices are lightweight and compact, perfect to store in a purse, backpack, carry-on, or suitcase. 
• Durability:  No one likes to buy products that break at first use, which is why I only included items you could buy and count on their performance for years to come.
• Price: Useful travel gadgets don't have to be a hefty investment, especially when you have hotel, transportation, and flights to consider -- or, let's be real, you can easily forget the gadgets in a car or hotel. The devices on this list are top-quality devices that won't break the bank. 
• Functionality: Traveling requires fitting all of your essentials in a tight, compact space. This means you should only take devices that advance common traveling components, such as charging your phone, tuning out noise on the plane, or storing and recording memories.  

What should I look for in a good piece of travel tech?

According to The Points Guy Executive Editor Scott Mayerowtiz, it's important to travel with tech that is lightweight, compact, and durable. 

"You might have to pay an extra $10 to $15, but it's well worth it to have the lightest device or the one with the battery that lasts that extra 20 to 30 minutes. It makes all the difference when you're on the road or in the air," he said. 

That said, it's also important not to get the most expensive item on the market, "How many chargers have you left in a hotel room when checking out in a rush?" joked Mayerowitz. "Maybe it doesn't have to be the 'best' product out there. Be mindful that things on the road get damaged." 

I considered Mayerowitzs' tips on what to look for when compiling this list -- making sure I talked to someone who had hands-on experience with every product and could vouch for it's quality. 

Is smart luggage worth it?

Smart luggage has been a hot-button item, but they don't necessarily make travel easier. If a smart suitcase has a lithium battery, you'll have to remove it before even getting to the airport. However, certain smart suitcases, like the Away suitcase, can be purchased without the lithium battery pack. 

Are there alternative travel tech gadgets worth considering?

While deciding on the best products on the market, we tried to find the best options to throw in your luggage and make your next trip as stress-free, entertaining, and easy as possible. 

However, there are also other options worth considering, depending on your different preferences and how you like to spend your travel time. 

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Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

23 Best Travel Gadgets That'll Make Your Next Trip Even Better

For more organized, manageable, and unforgettable adventures.

This cohort of travel tech is also constantly evolving, and it's increasingly becoming more portable: Handy enough to fit in your carry-ons or use on the go. Altogether, the best travel gadgets can make your trips more organized, manageable, and unforgettable—just better through and through. Hence, from tools you'll actually use during transportation or overnight stays, to devices that'll help you enjoy sceneries of a foreign land to the fullest, we recommend these 23 best travel gadgets below for every type of traveler and journey. Grab a cool instant camera , a portable WiFi hotspot , a universal power bank , or even a pair of binoculars, for example, then you'll really be bon-voyage-ing.

Omnicharge Omni 20+ 20000mah Power Bank

A portable charger on the road or in the air will prove a life-saver during those unexpected power-off moments. The Omni 20+ is one almighty power bank capable of charging your cameras, drones, laptops, and phones simultaneously, at up to 100W—one of the fastest speeds we've ever seen. It's got ports of all kinds for that matter, ready to lend a hand to all the heavy travel tech you'll bring along.

furid Airtag Wallet

There's no reason to add any extra stress to your trip. Get an AirTag wallet and save yourself from a succession of mini heart attacks.

Therabody SmartGoggles

The last row of economy feels like first class when you put these on. They calm you down or put you to sleep with massages around your eyes and temples.

Cadence Starter Set

I talked about these little to-go skincare containers in our editors' travel hacks story . Instead of using drug store travel-sized products, you can take your expensive hair and skin care regimes on the road with you.

The Nori Press

An iron and an ironing board are rarely guaranteed, so plenty of fashion types carry a steamer with them. The Nori Press is the best clothes steamer out there because it combines the features of steamer and iron. It's lightweight and packable, but it can set a nice sharp crease.

Leica SOFORT 2 Instant Camera (Black)

Most polaroids are too big and bulky to really enjoy. For any vacation, you should either get a disposable camera or this brand new Leica point and shoot. It takes digital photos you can develop later, but it can also print those photos immediately onto little polaroids.

Apple AirTag, 4-Pack

Of course, you have to get some AirTags. Four is the perfect number, because you can insure you never lose your wallet, passport, carry-on, and checked bag.

JEPWCO G4 Pro Anti Spy Detector

You never know what kind of creeps are lurking at your hotel room or AirBnb. Hence, a wireless hidden device detector that'll blow the gaff on those pinhole cameras, audio bugs, and trackers. And, it doesn't look like a detective's walkie-talkie, which is cool.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Everybody needs some Don't Talk to Me headphones. These from Bowers & Wilkins so comfortable and sound so great that I awarded them in our Esquire Gadget Awards .

TUMI Just In Case Tote

Alright, this is pushing the definition of gadget, but hear me out. This nylon tote packs down to the size of a book. Slip it into any suitcase or backpack, and forget it's there. Then—if you have extra stuff to bring home or just pack more lazily—pull it out, expand it and toss all your leftover stuff in it. It's my favorite travel hack product.

Solis Lite Hotspot & Power Bank

The last thing you need while traveling is to go offline—especially if you don't speak the local language. Thus, a WiFi hotspot , like the Solis, which is one of the easiest to operate. Just connect it to the mobile app and pay for the data, then off you go—web surfing, messaging, or any easy Internet usage. Cell carriers be damned.

Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug 2

Hot coffee isn't just for homebodies who stay still and attached to a seat; travelers and adventurers alike also deserve the heat. Ember's travel mug will keep the contents inside hot at the precise temperature, and keep them secure with a leakproof, slide-lock design.

DJI OM 5 Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer

Not just any selfie-stick. Use DJI's smart gimbal that is anti-wobbling to up your photography or vlogging skills to match even the pros. The ActiveTrack algorithm will automatically follow main objects in the frame for an HD focus. They can be walking, running, swimming, zig-zagging... This gimbal don't miss.

Bellroy Tech Kit

We won't tell you what iPhone chargers or power adapters to get—you probably already have the best. But we do recommend a carry-on organizer for all your essential tech accessories, and Bellroy's tech kit has a place for every possible one you might need while traveling.

EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter

Maybe if all these heads of state and government just agree upon one shape of input/output plug, we'd have less international conflicts? Before then, grab one—or more—of these all-in-one travel adapters to, IDK, bridge the international relations?

Twelve South AirFly Pro

Simply put, it's a TikTok viral gadget that'll connect your AirPods —or any wireless headphones and earbuds—to the airplane TV. A godsend for your inevitably long, dull flight across the country, or the globe.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar GPS Watch

Garmin's GPS watch beats Apple's latest release —the Ultra—to the punch at something any outdoorsman can appreciate: It's solar-powered. I.e. Instinct 2 has unlimited battery life as long as you keep the lights on. And it's built like a beast with a tough-as-nails anti-water/shock/heat case. It'll keep up with wherever you're traveling to, whatever extreme activity you might partake.

VSSL Adventure Flask Kit

More than just a drinking vessel kit for passing around whiskey to your traveling mates during a makeshift happy hour, though that's definitely its main purpose. VSSL adds an LED light, compass, and a bottle opener to the setup, so folks who are really outside adventuring can stay safe and sound, and, of course, enjoy some sips.

Trova Go Biometric Stash Case

Shop at Amazon

Trova's portable biometric safe is for travelers who keep essentials with them as they wander through a whole new city or countryside of beautiful landscapes—so... Any traveler? Only you can access what's inside, so you can fully let down your guards and actually enjoy the trip, stress-free.

BALMUDA Rechargeable LED Lantern

Balmuda's water-resistant lantern comes alive both under the sky and inside the four-walls, since it's main thing is mood-setting. It'll glow like a candle light to elevate your private romantic dinner near La Seine, or maybe shine a light to show your way at night in the campsite.

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The best tech travel gadgets of 2023.

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7 gadgets every digital nomad should know about, you should give your old tablet to your pets, read update.

We've reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best gadgets for traveling to pick up.

Before heading out on that month-long vacation or quick business trip, don't forget to gear up. From noise-canceling headphones and Bluetooth trackers to plug adapters and travel routers, these devices are the best tech travel companions.

UPDATE: 11/17/2023

Kindle paperwhite signature edition, epicka universal travel adapter, sony wh-1000xm5, anker powercore slim 10000 portable charger, fujifilm instax mini neo classic 90, nintendo switch, apple ipad (10th-generation), logitech k480, tp-link ac750 wireless travel router, what to look for in tech travel gadgets.

When shopping around for necessary gadgets to take on your next trip, there are a few things you'll want to consider.

First, it's important to think about what's necessary for your vacation or business trip---whether for work or play, you'll likely have limited space in your luggage for clunky or heavy tech. Before making any purchases, you'll want to ensure that it's something you'll need while you're away from home. Our list contains things that may be considered necessary for some, but the ultimate decision will be up to you.

Likewise, size and weight are equally important factors. If you're planning on packing your tech in a carry-on bag, for instance, you'll want to stick to pretty compact gadgets such as a portable charger or a tablet. If you play on checking a bag, you may be able to pack larger items such as an instant film camera.

Lastly, you'll want to consider your budget. If you're specifically buying a gadget for an upcoming trip, you may not want to drop a ton of cash. However, if you're a frequent flier or road tripper, perhaps it's a good idea to invest in something that's on the pricier side.

How-To Geek's product recommendations come from the same team of experts that have helped people fix their gadgets over one billion times. We only recommend the best products based on our research and expertise. We never accept payment to endorse or review a product. Read More »

Best eReader: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

If you're a frequent reader, carrying chunky books can take up precious space in your carry-on or checked luggage. However, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition , our top pick for eReaders , eliminates this issue through its 32 gigabytes (GB) of storage and the ability to rent up to 20 titles at a time with Kindle Unlimited.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature is hard to argue against—you can charge it via USB-C, with one full battery lasting up to 10 weeks. Additionally, its display is something to write home about. The 300 ppi screen is glare-free, while its warm lighting is adjustable. The front light also automatically adapts to the brightness of your surroundings, making it an excellent option for red-eye flights.

Although you can use your Kindle without a Kindle Unlimited subscription (an additional $9.99 a month), the accompanying plan provides a free trial and access to thousands of content with no due dates.

The bottom line? If you've been tossing around the idea of buying an eReader, the $200 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is your best bet.

If you want all the updates and improvements of the new Paperwhite line, along with an auto-adjusting front light, 32 GB storage, and wireless charging right out of the box, this is the Kindle for you.

Best International Plug Adapter: EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter

Planning on diving into international waters? The EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter is essential.

Universal travel adapters allow electronics to power up in different countries. For example, the United States has plugs with two flat vertical prongs, while the United Kingdom has plugs with a top vertical prong and two bottom horizontal ones. A travel adapter ensures you can charge your devices regardless of where you go.

This option from EPICKA functions explicitly as a multifunctional travel plug. However, it doesn't convert voltage, so you'll want to make sure your devices support 100 to 240 voltage---especially hair dryers and electric razors, which often don't.

It boasts four USB ports and one USB-C, all of which can be plugged in simultaneously. It covers more than 150 countries, including the U.S., the UK, Australia, and Japan.

Best of all, this adapter is super compact. You can easily pop it into your carry-on bag for quick access, perfect for unexpected layovers or delays.

A great gadget to pack in your international luggage, this travel adapter is small, compatible with USB-C and USB, and can be used in more than 150 countries.

Best Noise-Canceling Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM5

Whether traveling via plane, train, or car, noise-canceling headphones are something you won't want to go without. For that, we recommend checking out Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones , which is one of the best on the market.

Compatible with both Bluetooth and 3.5mm connections, these headphones are very popular, and their sound quality is a large reason why. You also get some of the best noise-cancellation around, complete with a comfortable design and convenient carrying case.

Other highlights? There's speak-to-chat technology, which automatically pauses your music when you talk. There's also built-in Alexa, touch sensor control that allows you to skip, pause, and play tracks, multiple device pairing, and two color options: Black and Silver .

All of those incredible features come with a hefty price tag, though—at nearly $400, these Sony headphones are a significant investment. However, if you have the cash to spend and want a pair of noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones that will last, these are your best bet.

Looking for a good pair of headphones for your child during your next trip? Check out our recommendations for the best noise-cancelling headphones for kids !

With the WH-1000XM5, Sony has shown once again why it is the current king of noise-canceling wireless headphones. These headphones are better than ever with gestures, improved noise cancellation, and better battery life.

Best Portable Charger: Anker PowerCore Slim 1000

A portable charger is a necessity for traveling. If you've somehow managed to live without one until now—or you're looking to upgrade your current model—we recommend the Anker PowerCore Slim 1000 . Priced at less than $30, its impressively slim design can provide multiple charges for iPhones, Android devices, and smaller tablets.

Perfect for tucking into your carry-on, this Anker charger features PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technologies, which ensures that your device is receiving the fastest charge possible. It's also airline-friendly and designed to provide optimal charging to low-power devices, such as headphones and Bluetooth speakers .

That being said, it does take nearly six hours to charge this gadget to its full capacity, so you'll want to gear this guy up a day or two in advance. Additionally, while there are both USB-A and USB-C ports, cords are not included, so make sure you have those ahead of time.

This charger has a 10,000mAh capacity, PowerIQ/VoltageBoost for optimized charging, and an ultra-slim profile.

Best Bluetooth Tracker: Tile Mate

A Bluetooth tracker is a great gadget, especially when you're away from home. These handy devices can be latched onto essentials such as your bag or wallet. And if you accidentally lose them, your tracker will help you find or keep an eye on them.

Our favorite? The Tile Mate , a compact little gizmo that can be easily snapped onto travel necessities and features a Bluetooth range of up to 250 feet.

At less than $50 for a pack of two, these trackers are super easy to use and affordable. You download the accompanying Tile app, which will ring your Tile when it's in Bluetooth range (you can also ask a smart home device, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, to find it for you). There's also a custom QR code on each Tile, so you can be reached if someone finds it and scans the code.

We also like that the Tile Mate can be used to find your phone. You can double press the button on your Tile to make your phone ring, even when it's on silent. And, in cases when your Tile is out of Bluetooth range, you can use the app to see its most recent location on a map.

You'll have to upgrade to Tile's premium plan for added features like Smart Alert and item reimbursement. Additionally, the Tile is battery-powered, so you'll want to ensure it has a fresh battery before jet setting.

A handy Bluetooth tracker with an easy-to-use accompanying app that will help you keep track of your absolute necessities.

Best Instant Film Camera: Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic

Film cameras are all the rage right now, and this option from Fujifilm, the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic , is no exception. This easy-to-use film camera instantly develops 2.1 by 3.4-inch (53.34mm x 86.36mm) photos.

In terms of its specs, the Instax Mini 90 is pretty cool. It can automatically detect the brightness of your background or surroundings and will adjust the flash and shutter speed, so you get a great photo every time. Additionally, there's a double exposure mode you can access by pressing the shutter twice.

While it has great ratings and reviews from buyers, we would only recommend this purchase if it's something that you've had your eye on for a while. The camera itself is pretty expensive, and the price can quickly continue to rack up with the added cost of repurchasing film.

This mini instant film camera from Fujifilm is a top-tier option for capturing your trip.

Best Handheld Gaming Machine: Nintendo Switch

Having a handheld gaming machine on deck is particularly smart if you're a nervous traveler or get bored easily. These gadgets can help keep your mind and hands occupied while waiting to board a plane or killing time during a layover.

Our number one pick is the Nintendo Switch , the company's latest addition to the handheld gaming universe. The Switch was essentially born to be a versatile device for solo or group play. It features three play styles (handheld, tabletop, and TV mode), and the Joycons easily slip in and out for the latter.

Other things to love? Depending on what you're playing on the Switch, it has between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life. It's super lightweight and compact (it weighs in at less than a pound), and the 6.2-inch touch screen is perfect for collecting coins in Mario , making friends in Pokémon, or farming in Stardew Valley. Just make sure to pick up accessories to make it easier to take the Switch with you on the go.

The original Nintendo Switch model and its price cousin, the Nintendo Switch OLED , are a pricier investment, but you can also save $100 and pick up the Nintendo Switch Lite . This budget model is a portable-only device, however, so you won't be able to take advantage of a TV mode.

If you're a PC gamer, you might also want to look into the Steam Deck , to play your PC gaming library on the go.

Nintendo's latest console lets you take your console gaming on the go. Start up a game at home on your TV, then pull the Switch out of the dock and you can continue right where you left off.

Best Tablet for Traveling: Apple iPad (10th Generation)

If you're looking for a great tablet to travel with, look no further than Apple's 10th-generation iPad . The device was updated with a refreshed design that's a lot more modern than the previous model. The larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display gives you more room to manage email, surf the web, or kick back with some Netflix.

The iPad is powered by the A14 Bionic processor, which is the same chip used in the iPhone 12 and still going strong. That means you'll get great performance and battery life, with Apple quoting up to 10 hours of usage on a full charge. There's a USB-C port on the side for charging and connecting accessories like an external drive, and you get amazing stereo speakers.

What's more, the 10th-gen iPad works with the first-generation Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard Folio , making it a great all-rounder tablet pick. Still, another iPad model might suit you better—check out our roundup of the best iPads to see which is best for you.

The 10th-generation iPad from Apple gets a modern redesign with faster performance, a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, and USB-C, making it a solid go-to tablet for a lot of users.

Best Tablet Keyboard: Logitech K480

Typing on a tablet screen can get old quickly, especially if you're used to typing on a physical QWERTY keyboard. If you want to ensure you can get work done on your tablet while you wait at the airport or bus station, the Logitech K480 keyboard is an awesome option to add to your travel tech collection.

Affordably priced with tons of amazing reviews, this Bluetooth-capable keyboard lets you connect to three devices at once and, thanks to the switch dial, enables you to switch between them anytime. It's compatible with Windows, Android, Chrome OS, and iOS devices. Plus, the pre-installed AAA batteries can last up to 24 months.

Although this Logitech gadget is super cool, it doesn't fold up. It features a classic keyboard design, so it could be a slight pain to travel with, depending on how much space you have. Make sure this is something you need before dealing with the potential pain of packing it!

This keyboard is super comfortable to use, allows you to switch easily between three different Bluetooth devices, and has a built-in cradle for your tablet.

Best Travel Router: TP-Link AC750 Wireless Travel Router

If consistently good Wi-Fi is a non-negotiable for you, you'll want to snag a travel router before leaving for your trip. We recommend the TP-Link AC750 Wireless Travel Router , a reliable option that's small enough to pack. It features five Wi-Fi modes, two of which are specifically designed for great connection on the go.

The AC750's router mode allows you to connect to a hotel's Ethernet to instantly create a private wireless network and share access across your devices. Meanwhile, you can also choose hotspot mode, where you can enable an outdoor WISP access point to create a private Wi-Fi hotspot in public areas.

Despite these "private" connections, you'll still want to use a VPN to protect your information, especially when you're away from home.

It also has a micro USB-C port that can be used to connect an adapter, portable charger, or laptop. You'll want to note that the router doesn't come with any cords (you will, however, receive a two-year warranty, which isn't too shabby).

TP-LINK's AC750 Travel Router is a solid option for connecting to consistently good Wi-Fi wherever you go.

34 Cool Travel Gadgets for Flights and Road Trips This Holiday

Consider these useful picks to solve your travel blues.

Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Why Trust Us?

The Travel Gadget Everyone Should Get

Incharge 6-in-1 portable keychain charger cable.

Best Old School Gadget

Brunton tag-along 9045 chill compass.

Best Travel Adapter

Newvanga universal travel adapter, all in one plug adapter with usb c.

The best travel gadgets and electronics should highlight an inefficiency in your travel routine and help solve the problem. A travel gadget should provide high functionality, comfort (or both) while also being considerate of space. If your travel gadget does not have any of these qualities, then it's going to be hard to make a case they're worth bringing along for the ride.

Read more: Best Gadgets of 2023

Companies are constantly trying to come up with new gadgets to improve the travel experience, but the only way of knowing which ones actually work is by vetting them in person or conducting thorough research. Lucky for you, we took the time to bring together a list of worthy travel gadgets that could help improve your travel experience by leaps and bounds. Ahead, the very best travel gadgets and travel electronics, curated with all types of travelers in mind.

2024 Tech Awards | Best Duffel Bags | Best Carry-On Luggage | Best MagSafe Wallets | Best Macbook Accessories | Best Travel Bags | Best AirTag Wallets | Best Travel Pants | Best T-Shirts | Best Backpacks

Power is everything when traveling, and a lot of times our chargers can take up tons of space. The inCharge is the size of a small keychain and has six different charging input and output combinations to provide power to your phone, headphones, e-reader, smartwatch , and more. For quick reference, the inCharge has these specific ports: an input USB-C, an output USB-C, a USB-A, and an output lightning plus micro USB.

Never under estimate old-school instruments. This portable gadget comes with a compass and a thermometer to always let you know about your environment. It's super portable (barely 3 inches by 2 inches) and will tie on any bag for easy access. Oh, and it's also made with recycled materials.

There are a zillion travel adapters out there. Our favorite is this three-in-one device that operates as a an outlet adapter, USB-C adapter, and a surge protector.

Gold Lion Gear Aluminum Carabiner with Lock

A carabiner with a locking function is a great gadget for keeping your items together—and for helping decrease the chances of theft. This pack of five here is our go-to for locking carabiners. Keep one or two on your backpack or travel duffel at all times.

Jisulife Portable Neck Fan, Hands Free Bladeless Fan

News flash: it's always summer in some part of the world. This portable AC fan is a lifesaver when traveling to warm climates. Throw this baby around your neck and enjoy three different gears of air flow directly to your head and neck.

Winchy Portable Door Lock Home Security Door Locker Hotel

Door locks aren't a necessary gadget when traveling, but they do pose value in giving travelers peace of mind. This compact one here is easy to store away. And when in use, all you have to do is place the end of it in your door latch, shut the door, and then fold out the sides and tighten the bolt down.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (16 GB)

An e-reader is a no brainer for travels, but Kindle's new Scribe throws in the ability to operate as a digital notebook. You can annotate your favorite book paragraphs and then open up your free pages for some travel journalling.

Musicozy Sleep Headphones Bluetooth 5.2 Headband

A pair of sleep headphones can help give you that added push to get you into a deep slumber. Throw these on whenever you need to drown out any background noise during your travels.

Aukura 2 Slot Hard Watch Travel Case

Sometimes more than one watch is needed for a trip. This hard case will hold up to two watches and protect them when getting from point A to point B.

Read more: Best Watch Boxes

Cool Material Lock Pick Training Kit

This lock pick kit is very James Bond-esque in the way that it prepares your for the unpredictable. Will you ever actually need to pop open a lock? Probably not. But wouldn't it be cool to use your travels as a time to learn an interesting skill? Absolutely.

Field Notes Expedition Edition 3-Pack

For the ol' fashioned travel writer, a pack of weatherproof notebooks is in store. This three-pack from Field Notes is printed with waterproof and tearproof Yupo synthetic paper, so you won't have to worry about a little rain ruining your travel log.

County Comm Titanium UGM Tritium Keychain Cage

Ever heard of a tactical glowstick? Well you're looking at one. This keychain gadget is made of grade four titanium and comes tritium tubes that will glow up in the dark—thus, allowing you to spot your keys or other items easily at night.

Alpaka Gear Zip Pouch Pro

Compact, functional, and tough as nails, the Zip Pouch Pro is an easy side kick to turn to for travels. It's made from a strong and waterproof X-Pac material and features two zippered compartments and three external pockets for storage. Use it to hold cash, cards, keys multi-tools, pens, you name it.

Twelve South AirFly Pro

The AirFly allows your AirPods or headphones to be used to watch movies on your plane's in-flight entertainment center. We like the pro version of the AirFly, as it allows up to two people to connect to the same in-flight screen and watch at the same time. No more having to use the corded headphones that are passed out.

Groove Life Groove Belt

Making sure you look presentable while traveling is a subtle style move that will make you feel good and leave a positive impression on others. Ditch the pajamas and aim for a comfortable casual look. For keeping your pants in place, the Groove Belt is your best friend. It's wildly comfortable and simple to clip on and off, and it stretches enough to provide movement in all ranges of motion.

MATEIN Electronics Travel Organizer

There are a zillion electronic organizers out there, and really you can't go wrong with most of them. Our favorite, however, is this simple water-resistant pouch from MATEIN that has over 5,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. It's got enough space to hold all your charging cords, as well as a space for small e-readers or small tablets. Best of all is the fact it's less than $25.

Read more: Best Travel Backpacks

INIU Portable Small Power Bank USB C in/Output

Portable chargers are a must for every traveler, but traveling with a clunker is no fun. This super-portable power bank packs enough juice for full charge to your phone (10000mAh) and will slip into a small pocket for easy storage.

Pluto POD Travel Pillow

If you think all travel pillows are the same, think again. The Pluto POD acts almost like a sensory deprivation mask that works to block out sound and light with smart design notes like a slide-down eye mask and a deep hood. This travel pillow is perfect for promoting relaxation in the air and on the road.

LifeStraw Go 650 ml Water Filter Bottle - 22 fl. oz.

The LifeStraw Go is like any other refillable water bottle , except for the fact it's got a near-perfect filter built into, you guessed it, the straw. The LifeStraw can protect against a whopping 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of parasites, making it a safe option for drinking water that comes from sinks and water foundations, and even some outdoor streams and rivers.

Kodak Luma 150 Ultra Mini Pocket Pico Projector

It's better to think of using this mini pocket projector at the hotel to watch your favorite shows or films, but in the rare chance you get stuck in a flight delay the projector can also be useful in helping entertain your kids. Regardless if you're a parent or not, this is an entertainment option that's fun for everyone.

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12 Best Travel Gadgets for Any Trip in 2021

Ed Hewitt started traveling with his family at the age of 10 and has since visited dozens of countries on six continents. He wrote for IndependentTraveler.com for more than 20 years, producing hundreds of columns on travel and offering his expertise on radio and television. He is now a regular contributor to SmarterTravel.

An avid surfer and rower, Ed has written about and photographed rowing competitions around the world, including the last five Olympic Games.

He's passing his love of travel on to the next generation; his 10-year-old son has flown some 200,000 miles already.

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When it comes to travel, I am overall anti-gadget; like many independent travelers, I’d rather pack light than lug tons of stuff around in an attempt to carry every convenience of home with me on the road. That said, some travel gadgets are essential to just about every packing list. Besides your smartphone—which is a given for just about all of us—I’ve come up with the 12 best travel gadgets that deserve inclusion in your carry-on.

Universal (All-in-One) Plug Adapter

After years of thrashing through a bag of adapters before every international trip, I was thrilled when all-in-one adapters started appearing on the market—that is, until I tried to use one in actual wall outlets.

Some outlets are recessed, requiring an extender that seemed not to be included in most adapter sets. Some adapters didn’t seem to correspond to the shape that you found in the guidebooks for the country you were visiting. Others were poorly made and came apart after a few days’ use.

That is mostly over, as today’s all-in-one adapters address most of these issues with a built-in extender on the European adapter plugs. Most have enough options that you will never be out of luck, and they tend to be better made to boot.

A couple of well-reviewed choices include offerings from NEWVANGA and Unidapt .

Noise-Canceling Headphones

“ Noise-canceling headphones were probably the best travel investment I have made,” says pro photographer Erik Dresser, who logs tens of thousands of air miles each year for his work. Dresser notes that the headphones let him shut out the general din of the aircraft so he can relax more easily, permit him to sleep in flight without getting woken up by chatting passengers and crying babies, and signal to others that he is not up for socializing.

USB Flash Drive

A USB flash drive (also known as a thumb drive) can come in handy on any number of occasions while traveling, such as sharing a document with the hotel front desk so they can print it for you or accessing a photo of your passport if it’s lost or stolen.

Amazon lists thousands of these ; most work pretty well.

Portable Phone Charger

On two separate occasions in the past few years (a company party and a fundraiser), the “party favor” was a small, rechargeable USB phone charger , probably the most useful and welcome party favor in history. The only thing about “party favor” quality chargers is that they tend to fail pretty quickly, so purchasing a good one is probably worth the money.

This one from Anker  will give you a heap of charges, which beats buying drinks you don’t need at a coffee shop just to be able to plug in.

For more recommendations, see SmarterTravel’s list of the best portable chargers .

Car Charger

If you will be renting a car or driving your own vehicle on a road trip, bring a car charger/adapter . Recharging your stuff while driving helps combat the “not enough accessible outlets in the hotel” factor and allows you to use your device to map your route, play a podcast , or distract your kids in the back seat without running down the battery. The Maxboost Car Charger seems to be the leader in this realm, ranking #1 on Amazon’s best sellers list in this category.

Weatherproof Phone Case

In my informal gadget survey of friends who travel frequently, the one thing that few of them owned but many were thinking of getting was a weatherproof phone case . At home, such cases often seem overly bulky, but when traveling they’ve found it more common to get caught out in bad weather.

“ Ziploc bags work to protect the phone, but actually using the phone through a wet plastic bag is a mess,” one noted.

LifeProof cases are the go-to for many hardcore travelers, while PunkCase is a well-regarded option at a lower price point.

Bringing a tablet as well as a phone had always seemed like just too much stuff to me—until newspaper and magazine apps started getting good. I used to leave home with more than five pounds of paper reading material, which I left behind for other potential readers in airplane seatback pockets, gate areas or hotel lobbies; now I download magazines and books to a tablet.

Tablets come in a wide range of price points; click here to browse.

For heavy vacation/travel reading, many hardcore readers swear by the Kindle because it’s so easy to read outside in strong light. If you read a ton while traveling, and in all kinds of places, a branded Kindle e-reader is probably the way to go in lieu of a tablet.

Solar Charger

For hardcore travelers who might spend long periods of time away from plugs of any kind—such as backcountry hikers, climbers, and campers— solar chargers are a useful addition to a packing list. Sure, part of the point of heading into the backcountry is getting away from connectivity, but that doesn’t mean that GPS devices, cameras, or even smartphones are completely verboten.

Leading brands for solar chargers include Goal Zero and Suntactics .

Mobile Hotspot

Depending on which cell phone plan you use, a mobile hotspot can save you money on international plans and data charges. These devices broadcast a secure, dependable Wi-Fi signal you can use in any country, without having to rely on sketchy public Wi-Fi signals or use your own pricey data. Well-reviewed options include devices from NETGEAR and GlocalMe .

Sun-/Insect-Repellent Shirt

This isn’t exactly a gadget, but clothing has become quite technical in nature and can provide more than just routine cover. Many companies make pants , socks , and shirts that provide specific protection from both sun and insects, including measurable UV protection as well as EPA-certified insect repellent properties. Many are lightweight and breathable as well, making this a “tech” purchase perfectly suited to travel.

The Insect-Repellent Clothing and Gear Every Traveler Should Have

Smart Suitcase

We’re in the early days of smart suitcases , but the idea is extremely compelling—being able to check on your smartphone where your bag is, how heavy it is, and whether it has been opened. Many smart suitcases even provide the ability to charge devices through a USB connection.

There are also simple tracking devices you can put into your luggage, so that might be another way to tap into this type of tech without going all in on an expensive bag. As this tech comes into its own, soon enough tracking our own bags might seem almost routine.

Away’s The Carry-On will charge your phone and comes recommended by gear review sites, including SmarterTravel .

More from SmarterTravel:

• 7 Tiny Travel Gadgets You Can’t Leave Home Without
• 4 Surprising Low-Tech Gadgets You Need
• 9 Travel Products That Take the Stress Out of Your Trip

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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The Best Gear for Travel

By Wirecutter Staff

Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends.

But what does it mean to travel well? We’d say that along with traveling safely (of course), traveling well involves avoiding hassle, carrying a single bag (if possible), and bringing only the necessities.

“Traveling well is a fine balance between finding inspiration in the unknown while being grounded in something,” said Wirecutter founder Brian Lam. “Sometimes that is a memory of home, a family, a significant other, friends, etc. Sometimes it’s just the familiar, reliable stuff in your bag.”

Over the past 10 years, we’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing dozens of products to find the most dependable items that will help you travel well. On top of that, we sought the advice and wisdom of Doug Dyment, author and creator of OneBag—a traveling businessman and public speaker, he has logged millions of miles over the past few decades—as well as travel-gear reviewer Eytan Levy, the Snarky Nomad.

And we relied heavily on the experiences of Wirecutter staff, an especially mobile group of individuals. Our staffers have worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica—the five most frequent flyers among us travel about half a million miles in any given (normal) year.

The research

Flying/riding, just in case, travel tips.

A well-packed bag is one that contains less than you think you need but everything you actually need. If possible, fitting everything into one carry-on and personal item will give you more freedom compared to checking a bag or two. You’ll be glad you did if (and when) things don’t go according to plan. While carry-on-only isn’t feasible (or advisable) for every trip—especially extended business trips or weddings where you need multiple outfits to maintain appearances—if in doubt, it’s better to cut.

Carry-on backpack (non-roller)

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A versatile small pack for a week or a weekend.

The Allpa’s clamshell design makes organizing your things simple. The strap design lets you easily wear this durable bag on your back or carry it in your hand while you’re on the move.

Buying Options

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

An easily customizable large bag for long trips and expensive gear.

This bag was built with photographers in mind, but most travelers will appreciate its easy accessibility and clever tuck-away straps, and the elegant way the bag expands and contracts depending on how much you’ve packed. The accessory cubes cost extra, though.

We spent six months testing 22 bags, and in the end we chose two as our top picks for travelers determined to never check luggage again: the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for most trips) and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L features an easy-to-pack clamshell design and highly adjustable straps that make it a great all-around bag for any traveler who’s dedicated to packing light, or for a smaller person who wants less to carry. Handles on all four sides of this bag make it easy to grab no matter where you’ve stowed it, and the Allpa’s straps are contoured to comfortably fit people who have large or small chests. It’s not a specifically gendered design, but our female tester noticed the improvement right away.

The bag is protected by a full lifetime warranty and has the build quality to back that up. Its front panel is made of a waterproof, TPU-coated 1,000-denier polyester (a strong fabric covered in a flexible plastic coating), which means you can lay it on its back in a wet field or in gravel without worrying about moisture soaking through or jagged edges ripping the fabric. The rest of the paneling is made with 1,680-denier ballistic nylon, which feels similar to a strong canvas but with a more prominent weave. After four years of testing, this single backpack (plus a personal item to store under the seat) has replaced nearly every travel bag or piece of luggage that Kit Dillon, Wirecutter’s senior staff writer who covers luggage, uses.

One caveat: The Allpa has a minimal amount of administrative organization—places to keep pens and papers, spaces to hold tickets, and so forth—which is where the personal item comes in handy. As the name suggests, “personal items” are very, well, personal, and no one bag will work for all travelers; we offer a range of recommendations in our full guide to them .

The larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the Swiss Army knife of backpacks: adjustable, customizable, and (if you spring for the extra cubes and organizers) an almost perfect system for a photographer or gearhead on the move. Most bags’ expanding mechanisms aren’t worth the extra zipper they’re built on, and they look about as attractive as a boiled ham splitting out of its plastic packaging. Not so with the Peak Design: It looks just as good fully packed at 45 liters as it does compressed to a 30-liter daypack. You can access the bag through a back panel, which doubles as a computer and tablet pouch, as well as through a front one, if you unzip the pass-through divider. You can also get into the main compartment via two wing-like trapezoidal flaps that run along each side of the pack. In its natural shape, the Travel Backpack holds 35 liters, but an expansion zipper lets the bag swell to 45 liters.

If you want to use the bag as a daypack, you fold in the top corners and snap them down, reducing the bag’s volume to a slim 30 liters. It still feels larger than a normal daypack, but we think that’s a small compromise for the ability to use one backpack as both your travel bag and your daily explorer. The bag itself consists of 400D nylon and polyester fabrics—it feels tough, but not as tough as the Cotopaxi Allpa. As for flaws, it is expensive, especially if you commit to the entire system of packing cubes and camera cubes . The adjustable design and multiple zippers do add complexity, and complexity adds potential weaknesses, though Peak Design covers all of its bags with a lifetime warranty.

Finding the right bag is a personal choice, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. That’s why we have picks in our full review of carry-on travel bags that can double as traveling offices , bags that are easy to carry while you’re walking long distances , and budget options for travelers who want to give the one-bag strategy a try.

Carry-on bag (rolling)

Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Carry-On Spinner

Great features, great value.

This spinner carry-on offers the best balance of size, value, reliability, and durability, with high-end details. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

Since 2015, we’ve researched several dozen suitcases and gone hands-on with the 67 most promising candidates in a variety of tests—including having active flight attendants test bags for us in a fake plane fuselage in their training facility. We determined that for most people the  Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Expandable Spinner  offers the best balance of features, durability, and price for most flyers who log less than 25,000 miles annually.

It features smooth-rolling, user-replaceable wheels; solid and comfortable, telescoping handles; and a hard-wearing nylon exterior propped up by a solid internal chassis. The Elite only improves on past iterations in the Platinum line by reducing the size of the stowed handle (which used to jut out about an inch) and adding a second zippered, exterior pocket for easy access on the go and a USB pass-through extension that lets you insert your own battery pack for charging your phone. And at 7.8 pounds when empty, this carry-on bag is about half a pound lighter than its predecessor. Compared with other bags in this price range, you also get surprisingly high-end components and a warranty that covers anything, even airline damage, for the life of the bag (as long as you register the suitcase within 120 days of purchase, which is easy to do on any smartphone).

Upgrade pick

Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22″ Carry-On Expandable Spinner

For frequent flyers.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles a year, invest in a bag with unique features, superior details, and plenty of expandable room. This manufacturer guarantees your satisfaction.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles annually and you’re willing to invest in a higher-quality product, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22-Inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner. It can fit more clothing than any bag we tested, thanks to a cavernous interior and clever expansion and compression system that can adjust to variable levels beyond open and shut. Over a five-year period before the pandemic, Wirecutter’s founder, Brian Lam, put more than 150,000 miles on his. His only complaint was that longer pants will need an extra fold, or to be rolled. In taller bags, pants will only need to be folded over once.

Checked luggage

If you need to pack more stuff than a carry-on and a personal item can hold, our first piece of advice would be to reconsider whether you need that extra outfit “just in case.” But you’ll have times when you need to travel with several pairs of shoes, formalwear, a winter coat, special equipment (like diving or camping gear), or all of the above. In these cases, there’s no way to avoid checking a bag.

Osprey Farpoint 55 Men’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with taller torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Farpoint has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

Osprey Fairview 55 Women’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with shorter torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Fairview has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

If you’re going somewhere where you’ll need to walk a lot (particularly if there’s dirt or cobblestone roads), we recommend a travel backpack. We like the Farpoint 55 and the sized-for-smaller-torsos Fairview 55 because they’re comfortable and have plenty of room to store, and separate, our essentials. The front of the main pack unzips like a suitcase, so you can easily fit and access a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries. The daypack, which attaches to the front of the larger pack, has room for camera gear, daily essentials, and a small laptop (via a built-in sleeve). It’s also easy to stow. The main pack’s straps can tuck behind a zippered flap, so they won’t catch on anything if you check your luggage.

These bags are made of a heavy-duty recycled polyester that stands up even to long trips–one of our testers has traveled with a Farpoint 55 for years, across dozens of countries for months at a time, without damaging it. If something does happen, though, Osprey has a lifetime warranty.

Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner

The best checked bag for most travelers.

The bag provides a luxury feel at a reasonable price, with a capacity, warranty, and reliability that should suit most travelers. The 25-inch model should offer plenty of room for most people without going over airline weight limits.

If you don’t plan on walking around while carrying all your stuff, the  25-inch Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner Suiter is our favorite piece of checked luggage for all of the same reasons we loved the carry-on size: It has excellent organizational features, it’s especially durable, and it has a better warranty than anything in its price range.

Luggage tags

Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag

Strong and easy to see.

Rugged silicone and a metal cable mean this tag (which comes two to a pack) may well outlive your luggage. The brightly colored case displays its owner’s name but keeps other personal information out of sight.

A good luggage tag should be durable, simple to use, and discreet. Ultimately, a tag should allow someone to get your luggage back to you quickly and easily, and it should withstand the wear and tear of being thrown onto conveyor belts time and again. After researching the top-rated and best-selling models, reading existing luggage-tag reviews, and comparing fourteen tags , we recommend the Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag for most travelers because it’s the only one we’d trust to survive being smashed by other bags, jammed into walls, and generally abused by baggage handlers. It’s the most durable tag we tested, and it comes in a wide selection of colors to help any bag stand out from the rest.

The Ovener tag’s silicone body seems nearly indestructible and is available in a rotating selection of colors (you get two tags per pack). Whereas other tags also feature metal cables, this tag has a metal grommet to keep the cable from eventually wearing through the silicone case.

Should you lose your bag, the Ovener makes it easy for a Good Samaritan to find your contact information. To fully access the info card, you have to unscrew and remove the metal strap; this lets the card slide out of the case. Most luggage tags we tested secure their info card in this way. It isn’t a difficult or time-consuming process, but it is an extra step compared with using a tag that displays all of your information openly. Still, for anyone who wants to keep their contact information out of view, the extra step is worth it.

Another approach to increasing privacy is to hide information in a QR code, as the Dynotag Smart Deluxe Steel Luggage Tag  does, or to provide a user ID number, as the Okoban UID Luggage Tags do. But these seem like overly complex solutions to a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Compression sacks

Originally designed for reducing the bulk of lofty sleeping bags, compression sacks are stuff sacks modified with additional nylon end caps that can be pulled together by strings or straps to remove air and create a smaller, denser package that’s easier to pack. Most travelers use compression sacks to condense socks, underwear, and other stuff you don’t mind getting wrinkled into a package with half as much overall volume. For example, an 8- to 12-liter sack can compress a fleece jacket and a long-weekend’s worth of socks and underwear into something that fits in one hand. They also make a decent pillow in a pinch.

Osprey StraightJacket (8L)

Easier access, less compression.

It has a full-length zipper on its side that allows access to the bag’s entire contents. However, it doesn’t compress as tightly as traditional designs.

Most compression sacks require you to empty out the stuff at the top to get to the stuff below it, but the side-zipper design on the Osprey StraightJacket allows access to the entire contents of the bag at once. The compression straps attach sideways, and are less likely to get tangled and twisted like on most compression sacks with lengthwise straps. It can also sit up on its own, and the handle design lets you break it out as a last minute carry-on to avoid an overweight-baggage fee. However, it doesn’t compress down as compactly as the traditional designs we tested so it’s not the best option if compression is your top priority.

GobiGear’s SegSac takes a different approach to solving the same access issue: It has four inner dividers that run the length of the sack in order to keep your socks separate from your underwear, winter accessories, towel, what have you. This means you don’t have to take out your T-shirts to get to your socks. Unlike the Osprey, it compresses just as much as a normal compression sack, but it loses points for versatility because the segmentation prevents it from handling large items like a down jacket or sleeping bag.

Packing cubes

Packing cubes could change your life. (Okay, maybe just your traveling life.) Packing cubes are basically bags to hold your clothes that you organize within your luggage. Though seemingly superfluous, they’re brilliant in action. If you imagine your suitcase as a dresser, you can think of these cubes as individual drawers: Put all your underwear and socks in one container, all your shirts in another, and your workout clothes in yet another. Then pull out only the cube you want. They make packing and repacking wonderfully simple.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Well built with easy access.

Simple and solidly constructed, these packing cubes keep your bag organized while you’re traveling.

The three-piece Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set keeps a week’s worth of clothes organized and moves easily from suitcase to hotel dresser. We’ve been recommending the previous version of these cubes for years, and after testing this updated set, we now recommend this version.

The full-size cube is great for shirts, shorts, and insulating layers. The half-cube and quarter-cube are perfect for underwear, socks, and other thin fabrics such as stockings or sleepwear. These cubes are made of 300-denier polyester (a strong fabric) and stay upright when empty, so they’re easy to pack. The Pack-It cubes’ windows are made of the tightest mesh link we tested—better for resisting snags—and the smooth zippers close easily around all corners, even when a cube is overstuffed.

The Eagle Creek cubes have the ability to unzip fully to allow full access to their contents while sitting in a dresser drawer. That means your clean clothes stay protected against some potentially dicey motel dressers. In 2022, Eagle Creek updated the design of these cubes, and now the company no longer uses YKK zippers, which are widely accepted as the best around . That said, we couldn’t tell any difference between Eagle Creek’s zippers and other brands’ YKK zippers, even with a magnifying glass, and their performance was indistinguishable. (For what it’s worth, an Eagle Creek product manager assured us that the proportion of zipper-related warranty claims hasn’t changed since the company made the switch from YKK.)

Most travelers are likely to be well served by the Reveal set. But if you value lightness above all, the more expensive Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Cube Set is about 50% lighter than similar-size competitors (just over 1 ounce for a medium cube, whereas the Eagle Creek classic style weighs about 4 ounces). Unlike the Reveal set, this set is water resistant. However, the Isolate design’s thin sides—which don’t allow the cubes to stand up on their own—make those cubes a bit more challenging to pack than the Reveal cubes.

Buying the right gear can help organize your existing travel kit, but it’s a red herring if your goal is better portability. “It’s mostly the clothing that allows you to reduce what you need to carry,” explains veteran traveller Eytan Levy, better known as the Snarky Nomad . That’s because clothing, which is very voluminous, makes up the bulk of what’s in your bag. He recommends traveling with basic-looking clothes because you can always buy or rent something nice in a pinch, whereas lugging around formalwear just in case will always be a pain. It also helps if you can avoid cotton and stick to merino and synthetic fabrics, which dry faster. This allows you to do laundry by hand in the sink as needed to reduce the amount of clothes you need to carry.

Travel underwear

Good travel underwear keeps you feeling fresh and clean, even when your destination is gritty.  To find the best , we researched an array of underwear designed for men and women to find 37 pairs meeting our criteria: moisture-wicking and breathable, quick-drying, odor-resistant, stretchy, stylish, and cut to fit a variety of body types.

We then conducted rigorous pretesting (wearing the underwear for two days at a time, machine-washing them repeatedly, and tracking their drying speed when hung on a clothesline) before taking them out into the real world. Our testers went backpacking 215 miles throughout Portland, Oregon; hiking in the Canadian Rockies, including walking from the lowest point in the Continental US to the highest; and road-tripping to the national parks of the West. Testers who flew to their destinations wore the underwear on the plane, too.

Afterward, we checked for signs of wear, such as seam breakage and pilling on the fabric. As we continued to test the finalists, we repeatedly checked for durability problems. In addition to comfort and fit, we noted whether each pair seemed lightweight and packable.

ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief

Best for most men.

Durable, quick-drying, and relatively inexpensive, this soft-fabric version of ExOfficio’s time-tested Give-N-Go undies will get the job done for years.

The ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief is the best men’s underwear for travel because it balances fit, comfort, odor-proofing, and value better than anything else we’ve tested. The Sport Mesh fabric excels at breathing and wicking and has better odor-resistance than other fabrics. It feels soft on the inside and smooth on the outside so it slides against your pants instead of creating friction, reducing potential for chafing. It also features a sculpted crotch area that gives wearers some much-appreciated support, without feeling stifling. These boxer briefs dry quickly, pack compactly, and weigh less than almost all the other boxer briefs we tried—basically they’re everything you’d want from a pair of excellent travel underwear.

Patagonia Women's Active Hipster

Best for most women.

These light, stylish, quick-drying hipsters stay in place whether you’re walking, flying, or hanging upside down.

The Patagonia Active Hipster doesn’t appear special upon first glance. Only after trying everything else and living through their failures to stay put did we remember what “special” really means in a pair of underwear: Feeling as if you’re wearing nothing at all. The Patagonias have the best fit, comfort, and style out of all the panties we tested. The nylon material is fast-wicking and better than most synthetics for odor-proofing, making it well suited for athletic activities. The Active Hipster is lightweight and packable, and is the fastest-drying underwear we tested—making them perfect for minimalist travelers who go weeks at a time with just one or two pairs. But these same characteristics make them great for any traveler looking for comfortable, packable panties, regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Budget pick

Uniqlo Men Airism Boxer Brief

Comfortable, compact, and fast-drying, these are a great value but don’t fit quite as nicely and aren’t as supportive in the crotch.

Uniqlo Women Airism Ultra Seamless HipHugger

Similar fabric to the Men’s Airism, with a no-ride cut for women, these underwear are the least expensive of any we tested and among the best performing.

If you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing performance, the Uniqlo Airism line has long been a great choice for men and women who can wear sizes small and medium. In recent years, both lines have expanded their size range somewhat (men to 3XL, and women to XL). If these fit, you can replace an entire underwear drawer on a tight budget, as long as you can deal with the slightly odd cut and less-effective odor-control treatment.

If you’ve never traveled with merino wool socks, you’re missing out. These aren’t the scratchy wool socks your grandpa wore in the army; they are soft and stretchy ones that have natural sweat-wicking and odor-resisting properties that keep your toes comfortable under all conditions—even when wet. This combination of odor, moisture, and temperature regulations makes them ideal for traveling. "Because of its natural anti-bacterial properties, washing merino wool on a daily basis isn’t absolutely necessary,” explains Snarky Nomad , "after letting it air dry overnight while you sleep, it’ll seem brand new.” The only major downside is that merino tends to be a bit pricier than synthetic counterparts. But it’s a worthy trade-off, since you can go for longer with fewer pairs.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (Women’s)

The best quality for women.

The best mix of comfort, durability, and cushioning in a versatile height.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (Men’s)

For the best quality.

The same great versatile sock as the women’s model, but in different color options and more sizes.

Darn Tough’s Light Hiker Micro Crew socks (both the men’s and women’s versions) have been our favorite hiking socks for years. Darn Tough made its name through its quality guarantee : “Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable, and best fitting socks you can buy. In a nutshell, if you wear a hole in them, we will replace them free of charge, for life.” Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (hardcore backpackers who walk from Mexico to Canada in one continuous trip) praise them for their durability, comfort, and blister resistance. When you hold a pair of Darn Toughs next to a pair of Smartwools (which only have a two-year guarantee ), the difference is clear. The Darn Toughs are more tightly knit, the yarns are finer and feel sturdier, and the stitching is tighter.

Darn Tough Women's Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock

The best non-wool women’s hiking sock.

This midlevel cushioned sock for women is the best synthetic option for most climates and terrains.

Darn Tough Men's Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock

The best non-wool men’s hiking sock.

This synthetic men’s sock is perfect for day hiking in most weather.

If you are sensitive to wool, prefer a vegan product, or want a cooler option for the summer, we also like the Darn Tough Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock, which comes in women's and men’s sizes.

We appreciated how breathable this sock felt. While wearing the Coolmax Micro Crew in hot summer weather, our testers’ feet stayed dry and sweat-free. The shorter micro-crew height makes the Coolmax Micro Crew suitable for both boots and shoes, too. And like all Darn Tough socks, this model comes with a lifetime warranty.

Indosole Flip Flops (women’s)

A quality flip flop in women’s sizes.

These stylish beach sandals come in a wide range of colors. Be careful, though: Indosole sizes tend to run a little small.

Indosole Flip Flops (men’s)

A quality flip flop in men’s sizes.

These beach sandals are the same as the women’s version but cut a bit wider; we still think they run a little smaller than regular shoe sizes.

A good pair of travel flip-flops should be lightweight, comfortable, and waterproof. The men’s and women’s Indosole Flip Flops offer the best combination of quality, comfort, and easy packability. Unlike many flip flops, which slap against the ground with every step, the subtle arch support of this flip flop kept it secure against our feet. Plus they’re made from waterproof, recycled materials. Keep in mind, though, that our testers found these shoes to run a bit small, so we suggest sizing up for the best fit.

Clothesline

While doing laundry at home can be a large weekly event, OneBag author Doug Dyment recommends approaching travel laundry as a part of your daily routine, especially if you’re trying to pack as little as possible: “The laundry should be more like cleaning your teeth—something you do everyday. It only takes about five minutes to do it. Every night, do your socks and underwear and you’ll have clean socks and underwear everyday.”

A secure, hassle-free option

The Flexo-Line attaches easily to a door handle or faucet and grips garments securely between its loops.

Check out OneBag’s laundry packing list if you want specific tips on how to do it and what you’ll need, but it’s a pretty simple setup: All you need is a toiletry bottle of powdered detergent, a towel to help expedite drying, and a travel clothesline to finish the drying process while you sleep at night.

Specifically, you want a braided—not twisted—surgical latex clothesline with looped ends, which means you want a Flexo-Line . The Flexo-Line can stretch up to 7 feet long, which is enough to span most hotel bathtubs, and it has loops that you can attach easily to a door handle, bath spigot, or faucet. The braided construction is superior to twisted designs made from other materials because the latex does a better job of gripping garments securely between the loops, which means you don’t need any additional clothespins.

Dyment has tried them all, but the Flexo-Line is the one he comes back to. As he explained to me in an interview, “There are others that are fine, but there are far more that are not fine.” More specifically, Dyment says to avoid anything that’s not made of latex , because clothes will inevitably slip out of them. He also says to never, ever trust a suction cup: “They don’t work, period.” If the Flexo-Line is unavailable, Dyment says that the Rick Steves collection from Kiva Designs also makes a nice braided line that is a bit more expensive. If you have a latex allergy, Dyment recommends going with a length of cord ( paracord is nice because it’s durable and you can use it for other things as well) and stainless steel safety pins meant for cloth diapers , because they take up far less space than a clothespin and won’t rust. In fact, it’s worthwhile to get these items even if you can use a latex line because they’re great for making luggage repairs and performing other MacGyver-ish tasks in a pinch. To hang up the clothesline, we recommend using a bowline knot on one end and a taut line hitch on the other. These knots work well together because the bowline creates a simple, slip-proof loop to anchor one end while the taut line hitch allows you to adjust for tension and locks tightly in place. If you could commit any two knots to memory forever, these are the ones to learn.

Laundry detergent

Minisoak Travel Packs

A travel size version of the best delicates detergent.

Perfect for traveling because you don’t even need to rinse it out.

When you’re washing your underwear in a hotel sink, you want a fast and easy experience. For this, we recommend the no-rinse detergent Soak . That’s right, we said no rinse . You just add a drop to the sink, fill with water, and leave your garments to soak. Then press out the water and hang. Done.

In our tests of delicates detergents , Soak cleaned almost as well as our top laundry detergent, Tide; plus, it comes in individual packets of powder  that are great for traveling, as well as in  travel-size bottles of the liquid version . In addition to unscented, it's available in a variety of scents, although Lacey and Celebration are not the most descriptive of scent names. They all smell nice, not overpowering. Soak also comes in an assorted travel pack with two single-use packets of each scent, if you want to test-drive one or two before you buy. In that mini size, you get eight packets for $11 currently, but you really need only a squeeze, not the the whole packet, to wash a couple of pairs of socks and underwear.

One downside to Soak is that you won’t find it in a grocery store or big-box store. But it is available online at Soak’s site . And if you really want to walk into a store and put your mitts on a bottle, you can find it at most local yarn stores.

Don’t feel like buying Soak or bringing along a bit of your own detergent? Shampoo also works pretty well for cleaning garments in a pinch, so make use of that free bottle from the hotel. But a caveat: Neither Soak nor shampoo contains enzymes , which are biological molecules in laundry detergent that break down certain stains. If you have especially stinky or stained clothes, you might need to break out the Tide .

When we first published this guide, this section addressed only toiletry kits and bottles, razors, and packable towels. The times, and traveling, became more complicated. One thing we've learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick and don’t want to share your misery. Fortunately, compared with early 2020, medical-style N95s and KN95s (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. 

Toiletry kit

We’ve researched dozens of travel toiletry bags and dopp kits over the past several years, and we tested 23 of the top-rated contenders in our most recent round of tests. After packing and unpacking a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries, conducting spill tests, and living out of the top performers on the road, we have a few different picks that stand out thanks to their style, packability, and quality of construction.

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small)

A space-saving hanging bag.

This lightweight, well-organized bag fits a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries into a compact package. It’s meant to be hung, which makes it good for tight spaces, but it doesn’t have much in the way of internal structure.

The Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small) is compact and durable. It’s small enough to stash in a backpack or laptop bag, but it holds enough travel-size toiletries to keep us supplied for a week. You can open it and hang it from a shower curtain or towel rod to easily see and grab your items. It comes with a shatterproof mirror, two micro-mesh zip pockets and an open pocket for toothbrushes, lip balm, and tweezers, and a large compartment for bulky lotions and hair-care items.

L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag

For more stuff and longer trips.

With a 6.4-liter capacity and over a dozen compartments, this toiletry bag has a place for everything—and everything will stay put during transit, too. It can also accommodate non-travel-size bottles.

The L.L.Bean Personal Organizer (medium) is a great option for longer trips and people who travel with full-size bottles. Its 6.4 liters of storage spread across a dozen compartments means there’s a dedicated place for pretty much everything you could want to bring on a trip—it even has a removable mesh shower caddy for shampoo and body wash. This level of organization is crucial for larger toiletry bags because, as we discovered after years of traveling with our picks, contents that aren’t securely fastened can shift around in transit, which increases the chance of spilling. The downside of all this organization is that the L.L.Bean weighs 14 ounces when empty, so it’s not ideal for carry-on travel.

If neither of these bags seems right for you, read our full review of the best toiletry bags and dopp kits to learn more about our picks and everything we tested.

Toiletry bottles

Sea to Summit TPU Clear Zip Pouch with Bottles

These six TSA-friendly bottles are sturdy and smartly designed, dispensing liquids more precisely than any of the other bottles we tested.

For traveling with liquids in your carry-on, the Sea to Summit set is your best bet. All six bottles conform to TSA size limitations; three of them can hold 3 ounces of liquid each, and three can hold 1.5 ounces each, for a total of 13.5 ounces. Despite the set’s name, the bottles themselves are made not of thermoplastic polyurethane—“TPU" refers to the zip pouch—but a high-density polyethylene material, much like what you’d see used in most plastic milk jugs. It has an almost-smooth, semi-transparent surface just textured enough that it’s not slippery when wet. The plastic is also flexible enough that you don’t have to squeeze very hard to get your shampoo or liquid soap or whatever going. An insert at the mouth of each bottle helps regulate the flow, and the screw tops prevent liquids from leaking in transit.

Razor (faces)

Gillette Mach3

The best manual razor for most faces.

This classic razor’s three widely spaced blades provide the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. Its handle is comfortable and well designed, and replacement blades can be had for a fair price.

We researched more than 100 and tested 11 manual razors for our full razor guide , concluding that the Gillette Mach3 is our top pick for manual razors. Although the three blades require a little extra time for a closer shave, it performs comparably to the latest and greatest offerings for as little as half the price.

The Gillette Mach3 provides the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. The Mach3’s simple, round handle is easy to grip and maneuver, and its three blades offer a close shave without over-irritating the skin or getting clogged with hair. And the price of Mach3 blades—$2 per cartridge or less, whether you buy them online or in a store—came close to, or even beat, the pricing of shave-club rivals, and the Mach3 shaved better than those competitors.

Razor (legs/body)

Gillette Venus Smooth

The best body razor.

This classic Venus is one of the easiest razors to grip and maneuver and its three-blade design keeps the blades remarkably free of hair.

Disposable razors (both the completely disposable and replaceable-cartridge variety) are fine to take through airport security , and among them we like the Gillette Venus Original best for traveling. Although it’s now the runner-up pick in our guide to body razors —it was formerly the top pick—we believe that its simple aloe lubricating strips, which don’t become tacky when wet, make the Venus more travel friendly than our new top pick . Plus, as with any Venus, the Original’s body is compatible with any other Venus head and many heads from Gillette’s facial razors, making replacement heads easier to find when you’re on the road.

The Original’s head has three blades separated by considerable slats of space, making it far easier to clean the head between strokes. The Original is intuitive to hold and secure to maneuver, thanks to a contoured handle with corrugated chevrons of rubber. Though our testers have a wide range of hand sizes, no one found the Original difficult to grasp. Despite the significant ribbing, it doesn’t feel too bulky. Gillette claims its razors have lasted for five weeks; we think one razor for a weeklong trip should be fine.

(Know that, confusingly, the Venus appears for sale on some retail sites under the name Venus Close and Clean or Venus Smooth. It’s the same razor. If you’re unsure which Venus model you’re looking at, check for the Original’s three blades and trademark sea-foam blue color.)

Towel (packable)

PackTowl Personal

The best all-around packable towel.

The PackTowl Personal Towel is lightweight, soft, absorbent, quick to dry, and odor-resistant.

We put 20 top-rated towels through a battery of tests including regular shower use, a trip to the beach, camping, and a 48-hour stay in a ziplock bag under the hot Hawaiian sun. After all was said and done, the Packtowl Personal Towel is still the best all-around travel towel for most people. In addition to being the softest lightweight towel we tested, it was more absorbent than competitors made of similar materials. It had the best odor-resisting abilities and comes with a convenient mesh carrying pouch. We also have alternate picks for ultralight and all-natural towels below.

The Personal Towel’s suede-like material was the softest of the thinner towels. The Personal Towel also had superior absorption when compared with other similarly constructed towels such as the Sea to Summit DryLite —in our tests, it absorbed 2.8 times its weight in water, while the others absorbed between 2.3 times and 2.7 times.

One of just two we tested that featured an added antimicrobial treatment, the Personal Towel was only a little musty smelling after 24 hours in a sealed ziplock bag, and remained unchanged at 48 hours.

If you’re looking for a budget option, consider the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel , which is a tad smaller than our other picks and is made from a seemingly lighter-feeling fabric. Unlike most budget options, it has an antibacterial coating and still managed to carry a pleasant smell after being testing in different environments.

Regardless of how you get to your final destination, it’s likely you’ll be stuck in a seat that’s less than ideal. Travel gadgets that claim to reduce this misery, such as compression socks, are popular. But when they take up precious luggage space for the duration of your trip—not just the flight or train ride–they need to be worth every cubic inch of space. The less you can make do with, the better off you’ll be.

Neck pillow

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

More support for most necks.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows we tested because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case. Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, though supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks.

Noise-cancelling headphones

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones.

The Bose 700 headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear set has the most versatile active noise cancellation we’ve ever tested. With 10 levels of noise reduction to choose from, everyone should be able to find a setting that meets their needs. We also enjoyed the lightweight and comfortable design and the easy-to-use controls. What distinguishes the Bose 700’s ANC is the amount of adjustability it gives you: Most noise-cancelling headphones offer controls for only on/off or maybe high/low/off, but with the Bose 700 pair you can set the ANC level from 0 to 10, so you have more flexibility to dial in the ideal setting for your comfort. The 20-hour battery life, while not the best we’ve seen, is more than sufficient to get you to most destinations. We have additional options—including earbuds and surprisingly good budget options for  over-ear headphones and earbuds —in our full guide to noise-cancelling headphones .

Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs

For blocking out the most noise.

These blocked the most noise in our controlled testing and got the most votes from our subjective sleep panel.

When you’re traveling, it can be difficult to fall asleep to unfamiliar noises. That’s why we spent several hours researching new contenders and tested four top-rated models while sleeping in a house that was next to an airport in order to determine that Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs are the best earplugs  for sleeping.

The Mack’s 37.1 dB noise reduction rating was the highest among the models we tested. According to Cooper Safety , that’s enough to reduce the volume of a gas lawnmower to that of a normal conversation. What made the Mack’s earplugs so effective is the fact that we could insert them and rest assured that they would stay in the whole night. Meanwhile, the Howard Leight MAX1 might be a favorite from crowdsourced sleep-aid review site Sleep Like the Dead , but the earplugs would inevitably fall out in the middle of the night. Thus, they failed to block out the noise of planes landing and taking off throughout the night, despite the MAX1’s 33 dB noise reduction rating. The Howard Leights also made our ears ache on occasion, whereas the Mack’s has a tapered shape that was consistently comfortable night after night.

The Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs cost about 20¢-35¢ per pair when purchased in a 50-pair pack. They come in a plastic case is about the size of a large coffee mug, which is small enough to toss in a large bag or suitcase. Many other ear plugs like our runner-up, the 3M’s E-A-Rsoft OCS1135 , can only be ordered in industrial-size lots that, while perhaps appealing to those who travel constantly (or run a hostel), are annoying to store and often lack a reusable container of any sort.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

For air travelers and back-sleepers.

The lightweight and contoured Nidra mask is a light-blocking win for most face shapes, with deep eye cups that allow the wearer to blink freely and arrive feeling refreshed.

When bright lights hamper peaceful shut-eye, we recommend the light-blocking, contoured Nidra Deep Rest sleep mask. Of the 14 masks we tested , the Nidra blocked the most light on the most faces. It’s contoured to rest on your face like a pair of soft goggles, with fabric lenses that sit around your eyes (instead of directly over them). This design provides more space for your eyes to flutter during REM sleep, ensuring that you come through red-eye flights with less redness in your eyes. Makeup wearers will also appreciate that, with the Nidra’s elevated eye cups, there’s a smaller chance of smudging.

Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask

A flat, silk mask.

A silken exterior material, a flat design, and an adjustable strap make this mask a fit for almost any face, but it puts pressure on the eyes.

Mzoo Sleep Mask

A smooth, contoured eye mask.

Soft, structured, and contoured, this mask stays on all night and prevents any light from seeping through

If the Nidra Deep Rest doesn’t fit your face quite right, we also recommend the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask and the Mzoo Sleep Mask . The Alaska Bear mask lacks contoured eyecups and thus applies some pressure to the eyes overnight like any regular eye mask does. But its flat design easily conforms to fit your face, and its silk exterior feels smooth and soft against skin (the padding is made of cotton). Its relative lack of structure makes it more difficult to knock off when you’re tossing and turning.

The Mzoo mask’s eyecups have a convex gap so your eyes can open and close. That gap is surrounded by a memory foam padding that rests on the perimeter of your eye sockets. The effect is such that you don’t feel like your eyes are being forced closed, but there is a bit of compression near your temples, eyebrows, and cheekbones. Most—though not all—of our testers found this sensation soothing. One liked how the contour of the eyecup kept the mask from brushing against their eyelashes, which makes it a good choice for people who wear eyelash extensions.

Few things are better than landing at an airport, turning on your phone, and having it just work. No hassles, no stress, no worries about brutal roaming fees. You can check in with loved ones, scope out the route to your lodgings, and maybe post an Instagram story or two—because your phone works just like it does at home. This is especially freeing, and it makes travel so much easier. (Of course, phones aren’t the only useful tech to bring: Check out our accessories reviews for guides to the best cables ( USB-C , Lightning , and Micro-USB ), Wi-Fi hotspots , Bluetooth speakers , and more.)

Unlocked mobile phone

One of the most useful gadgets for international travel is an unlocked smartphone that’s compatible with cheap, prepaid phone plans you can sign up for at your destination. Unless your carrier offers plans including high-speed data that you can access internationally (i.e., you’re with T-Mobile or Google Fi), traveling with a phone under contract with a major carrier means paying an arm and a leg for data. Being able to access data-guzzling apps like Google Maps or Google Translate on the fly is worth the hassle to unlock a phone. Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp are free, easy ways to communicate with people you meet on your trip and people from home. Plus there’s checking email, TripAdvisor, banking, social media, and so on.

An “unlocked” phone means you can buy prepaid SIM cards in the country you’re visiting, letting you access their local network for significantly less money than the roaming fees incurred by your home carrier. With a prepaid SIM, your phone effectively becomes a new phone with a new (now local) phone number. Instead of seeing “Verizon,” “AT&T,” or “Sprint” at the top of your phone, you might see “Vodafone,” “Yes Optus,” “M1,” or whatever provider you choose in the country you’re visiting. The first thing to check is if your phone will work where you’re going. If you’re unsure if your phone will work where you’re going, check the Wikipedia page for your phone or contact your provider.

Your phone will also require a removable SIM. (If your phone has an eSIM, as all new iPhones do, check out our blog post about those.) Most countries require a passport or other ID to buy a prepaid SIM without a contract, but switching the SIMs is easy. Most stores will do it for you while you’re there. Depending on the country/provider, this could take as long as 10 minutes but is often faster. The next question is easily the most complicated: Can you unlock your phone? Each carrier has different rules and criteria. Generally, if you have a brand new, expensive phone, they may not let you unlock it (there’s usually a waiting period after the purchase date). But if it’s a little older, or if you’ve paid it off, they probably will. The thing to remember is that a provider can deny an unlock request without giving a reason. You might be lucky, though; certain phones on certain providers are unlocked by default. Here are Verizon and AT&T’s pages on unlocking. Alternately, you can buy a pre-unlocked phone just for travel. Amazon and Best Buy, for example, sell unlocked phones. This is also a good option if you think you might lose your expensive phone and a cheaper one will suffice while you travel.

Plug adapter

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter

Best universal travel adapter.

With four plugs that will work in most countries, plus faster-charging USB ports (and more of them) than its competitors, this adapter is the best all-around choice.

In a sea of almost-identical travel adapters, the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter stands out, combining the best of the features we look for. It contains the three most common international plugs and a US-style plug, which should cover you in the majority of countries around the world. It has the most USB ports—four of the standard USB-A and one USB-C—of any universal adapter we tested, and it charged more of our devices faster. A replaceable fuse and an included spare should take the brunt of any accidental, unfortunate, or shockingly bad connections. The Epicka is fairly compact and well built, and it even comes with an extra USB cable and a nylon case.

However, no universal travel adapter is truly universal, and they’re all a lot bulkier and more expensive than simple plug adapters. If you want the smallest adapter possible, or if you’re going someplace where a universal adapter won’t work (more on that in a minute), a plug adapter could be what you need.

Ceptics International Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter 5 Piece Set

The best plug adapter.

Individually, these tiny plug adapters are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than any universal travel adapter. To juice up multiple devices, though, you’d need a separate multiport charger too.

The tiny plug adapters from Ceptics are barely larger than the prongs they convert. Small, simple, and cheap, they’re perfect for someone who wants to carry only the adapter they’ll need and who already has a multiport USB wall charger they like. Like our universal adapter picks, this set contains the three most common international plugs and the US plug. However, it also includes a somewhat rarer plug used in some European countries that has two thick, cylindrical prongs. This means that the Ceptics set will likely cover you in even more places—as long as you pack the appropriate plug adapter. These charts should help you find the shape you need before you order.

However, getting your gear to work in different countries isn’t quite as simple as it should be, and there’s no single solution that’s guaranteed to work for everyone. Our picks should work for you, but you may have some random piece of equipment, or be traveling to some country, for which our “good for most” picks just won’t work. (Case in point: One Wirecutter editor visited Iceland a few years back. The house she stayed in had outlets unlike anything on those charts, and the plug adapters she had used elsewhere in Reykjavik didn’t fit at all. It turns out the mystery sockets belonged to an obscure Italian system from the 1960s that was popular in Iceland for a time. Luckily, the hosts had power strips in the house that her adapters fit into.) The world is a big place, and when it comes to electricity and wall outlets, there’s a lot of variation. That’s important to keep in mind.

Whether two-prong or three-prong, an adapter just changes the shape of your plug, not anything about the electricity coming through the wires. However, this usually isn’t a problem because almost every power brick that comes with modern electronic gear is capable of accepting both the 110-volt standard used in the US and the 240-volt commonly used abroad. If your device has a power block on the cord, it likely says something like  “100-240 V ~ 50/60 Hz”—that’s the all-clear to use it without a voltage converter so long as the range covers the voltage of the country you’re visiting . This includes the vast majority of modern laptop and USB chargers.

Products without some sort of power block at the end or with a non-detachable cord—in particular, things with heating elements like hair dryers and curling irons—are more likely to need a voltage converter. Putting 220 V through a US 110 V device would be like attaching a firehose to a drinking fountain—you’re likely to blow your face off. But voltage converters are tricky devices, and most of the inexpensive ones have awful (or dishonest) reviews. Since hotels and hostels will often have hair dryers and most newer gear can do the full range of voltages, we strongly recommend that, whenever possible, you only bring items that work with a much simpler (and more reliable) adapter.

Wire/gadget organization system

Now that every device has a battery, every battery has a charger, and every charger has a cable—never mind power-plug adapters if you’re traveling abroad—the sheer quantity of accessories needed just to keep your gadgets running can take up more space than the devices themselves. And unless you organize them, you can bet on having to blindly fish them out of the least convenient spot at the bottom of your bag. Recently, our pick for carrying tech necessities, the Incase Nylon Accessory Organizer, which had been out of stock for a few years, returned to the Incase website and appears to be in stock. If you prefer mesh to easily see your contents, , we also like the Container Store Micro Mesh Pouches .

The Incase cable organizer is a poly-nylon blend, so it’s durable. It is a soft-shell bag, however, so its contents can distort the bag’s shape when it’s full. But the bag’s edges remain rigid—so the seams don’t pucker—its contents don’t fall out, and zipping and unzipping the bag is still easy. We have other picks in our full guide to bag and cable organizers , including a roll-up bag and a stylish duo of cosmetics travel pouches ; we’ll also start testing other options to replace this one.

USB battery packs

A USB battery pack (also called a power bank) can keep your small electronics—from phones and cameras to tablets and more—going while you’re on the road. Although the length of your trip will determine exactly how much extra juice you’ll need to have on hand, whatever your requirements, we have a great USB battery recommendation for you. The Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K weighs about half a pound, and its rounded edges make it easy to hold or slip into a pocket. Its USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port can charge most handheld devices and recharge itself at top speed (with the right USB-C cable and wall charger), and it can pass power to another device while being recharged from a wall outlet. It only comes in one color, but it has enough capacity to fully charge most smartphones up to three times, as well as built-in USB-C and Lightning cables that are easy to slide in and out of their holsters.

If you’re traveling for leisure, try not to get too wrapped up in technology because you might miss what you’re actually there to do: experience a new place. OneBag’s Doug Dyment said in an interview, “Wearing headphones and staring at a screen is like putting a digital wall around yourself when you’re traveling. It makes you seem unapproachable and uninterested in what’s around you.” That may be a good thing if you do truly want to be left alone, but Dyment went on to say that some of his most memorable traveling experiences were the result of just looking lost and getting help from the locals. “One minute, you’re a lost foreigner in an unfamiliar village, then someone asks if you need directions. Before you know it, you’re eating dinner with his family.”

Travel binoculars

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The overall best binoculars.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars have performance comparable with that of many models that cost thousands more.

Our top pick for binoculars is durable and great for near-home hikes. In hot or dusty environments that may call for a clearer optical boost, the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8×42 binoculars deliver top quality. Its focus dial offers a wide range of depths that makes it easier to see whatever it is you desire—birds, grass or darkened areas of the forest. Our recommendation comes with the assistance of a professional ornithologist who spent over 100 hours putting 17 pairs of binoculars to the test in the mountains of Southern California and the rain forests of southern Mexico.

Although the Celestron TrailSeeker ED binoculars don’t offer a clear edge-to-edge view to the same degree of the Athlon Optics Midas EDs , they’re a comparable runner-up model that’ll be lighter on your wallet if having binoculars while traveling is a must. The TrailSeekers are equipped with great light-gathering qualities, close focus, and impressive optical resolution. Or, if you’re concerned about saving space, we liked the Pentax AD 8x25 WP binoculars. While not quite as powerful as our other picks, this compact pair of binoculars is well made and easy to fit into a carry-on while traveling via plane.

Ebook reader

Amazon Kindle (2022)

The best e-reader for most people.

Amazon’s most affordable Kindle is also its most portable, and it’s finally been upgraded with sharper text on its 6-inch screen and support for USB-C charging. Those features bring it in line with much-pricier e-readers.

The entry-level Amazon Kindle finally got an upgrade and is now our favorite e-reader , with the same crisp display and USB-C charging as the pricier Kindle Paperwhite has (and with double the storage space of the previous entry-level model). Amazon’s well-stocked ebooks store remains its biggest selling point, along with the ease of checking out library books via Libby and sending them directly to a Kindle.

Even if you don’t have time for pleasure reading on your trip, it’s worth investing in a Kindle because many major travel guides are available in fully searchable ebook formats now. Furthermore, e-texts will also work on your phone, tablet, and computer, thanks to the Kindle ecosystem.

Packable daypack

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that fits in your palm.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your luggage or coat pocket, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, we think you’ll prefer one of our more-structured picks.

Packing a stowable daypack, one that stuffs down to fit in your luggage when not in use, is a relatively small investment of space in exchange for a high return of function and flexibility. After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack we recommend. Packed up, it is very discreet: nearly the size of a keychain accessory.

The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, which means it’s very light and water-resistant. It has reinforced stitching at stress points, allowing the Ultra-Sil to carry more weight than you would expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially when compared with our more structured picks.

If comfort or waterproofing is important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Field Notes 3-Pack Original Kraft Memo Books

For ultimate portability.

Field Notes are cheap but contain high-quality paper that earns praise from pen and stationery geeks across the web.

For writing your adventures as you travel, you can’t beat the portability, practicality, and romanticism of a pocket notebook. There’s nothing better in that category than Field Notes (three-packs available in a variety of styles and types ). These pocket-sized notebooks are widely praised for their excellent paper quality, and the Pen Addict’s Brad Dowdy tells me “Field Notes is pretty much the runaway pocket notebook champ.” Dowdy has praised it for the lack of feathering or bleedthrough with almost any pen, as well as for the light brown ruled lines, which are easier to write over than solid black. Austin Smith of Art Supply Critic told us in an email that his recommendation is “Field Notes has it, no question.” The Well-Appointed Desk has reviewed a slew of different Field Notes variants for those looking for something a bit more interesting.

Field Notes Expedition

A weather-resistant option.

Weather-resistant Expedition Field Notes are great if you’re writing in wet conditions, but don’t get them if you don’t need them. The synthetic paper feels weird and can cause some inks to smear.

If you think you’re going to be writing in foul weather, Field Notes also has the waterproof Expedition version with pages made from a synthetic water-and-tear resistant paper. You should only get these if you really need them, because otherwise, they just feel unnaturally slick and are more prone to smearing ink. At least one user has said that the paper shows less soaking through when wet than the similar Rite in the Rain books . The one caveat is that the synthetic paper will only work with pencils and certain inks ; thankfully, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT , our pick for best pen , definitely makes the grade.

Things can go wrong while you’re traveling, both where you are and where you’re not. Though you can’t prepare for every worst-case scenario, the peace of mind that a little bit of preparation grants will allow you to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of having to worry about what could go wrong. But preparation doesn’t simply mean buying more stuff just in case; it also means making efficient use of what you already have.

Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit

For the best combination of sewing tools.

The Merchant & Mills Rapid Repair Kit is the only travel kit we found that had objectively high-quality thread and scissors.

There’s nothing quite like a wardrobe malfunction to put a damper on vacation, especially when traveling with limited clothing. A good travel-size sewing kit allows you to mend a popped button or ripped seam on the fly—or even tackle more pressing issues like fixing a tent, sleeping bag, or backpack. After 15 hours of research, interviews with sewing teachers and avid home sewers, and tests of six travel and full-size kits, we found the Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit had by far the best tools and was the easiest to keep organized. Standard travel sewing kits usually contain mediocre thread and plastic-handled scissors that break easily. They can also be hard to keep organized (a truth we confirmed when testing six top-rated travel and full-sized kits). The Merchant & Mills set was the only one that had high-quality thread, all-metal mini scissors (don’t worry, the TSA shouldn’t stop you ), and a durable tin case (about the size of a deck of cards) to keep everything well organized.

Because the sewing pins are neatly stuck into paper inside a slim envelope and the three needles are housed in a mini glass vial, this kit also limits the risk of losing a sharp object in your bags. We found the Merchant & Mills needles easier to thread than others (no need for a fussy needle threader!) and we also like the vintage-looking safety pins that come clipped together along with two small white buttons. Although this kit only comes with black and white thread, the thread is strong and there’s more of it than you’d get in a flimsier set with shorter strands of multiple colors. We do think it would be nice if the kit included a more durable measuring tape than the paper one included, but overall everything about this kit is leagues ahead of anything else we considered. We didn’t find editorial reviews for any of the kits we tested, but the Merchant & Mills rapid repair kit was recommended by several sewing bloggers and is sold in many reputable indie fabric shops.

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella

The best umbrella for most people.

This is a solidly built, easy-to-find umbrella that holds up in high winds. It also comes in a variety of colors.

price may vary by color or style

An umbrella you take traveling should be small, light, sturdy, and affordable. After putting in 66 hours of research and evaluating a total of 48 umbrellas across five rounds of testing (including one thunder-snowstorm), we found that the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella is the best umbrella for most people. Its durable, nine-rib construction held up admirably against gale-force winds, and it’s as sturdy as umbrellas that sell for more than twice as much.

The Repel folds up to an 11½-inch long, 14-ounce package that fits easily into most bags and glove boxes. And it forcefully expands at a touch of a button to reveal an ample 37-inch-diameter canopy that protects your head and torso from precipitation in all but the windiest of conditions. Its lengthy, textured handle is easy to grip for hands of all sizes. We also appreciate that the Repel comes in a wide variety of colors, so it’s easier to pick yours out of a crowded umbrella bucket. Finally, despite its affordable price, it’s backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee, but only if you purchase directly from Repel and register the item under the company’s warranty.

Packing method for clothes

While packing cubes and other organization tools are helpful for maximizing your bag’s usable space, efficient packing is also achievable without the aid of tools and compartments. One Bag’s Doug Dyment tried all manners of folding aids and compression products but was unsatisfied with their claims of compression and wrinkle prevention. Frustrated, he developed his own method of packing clothes compactly called the Bundle Method, which he’s used and perfected over several decades of traveling.

The Bundle Method involves layering your shirts and pants at opposing angles on a flat surface, then wrapping them around a small “core” parcel (e.g. a packing cube full of underwear and socks). We won’t get into details, but Dyment does on his website ; you can watch this easy-to-follow video from NBC . The resulting bundle is compact and has no sharp creases that will require ironing out later on. Additionally, Dyment explains that “the slight tension created in the fabric by the wrapping process, along with the anchoring of the resulting bundle, greatly reduces the chances of wrinkling.” You then put it in your bag and use the tie-down straps to provide just enough pressure to keep it together.

While simple to perform, this packing method isn’t something you can master in one go. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike. The downside is that you can’t just leave your clothing packed and expect to be able to access your underwear without fully unpacking your clothes first. But unpacking is a good habit to get into anyway, as it allows your clothes to breathe and avoid wrinkles or mildew. Wirecutter founder and frequent traveler Brian Lam says that unpacking the moment he enters a room has a grounding effect that allows him to feel a bit more at home in a new environment.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle for you, you can do what we did before we found out about bundling: roll up your socks and underwear tightly and place them in packing cubes, then put your wrinkle-prone items (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets) in a garment folder—we used the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Garment Folder . This is also travel guru Rob King’s preferred method of packing. Though the garment folder is not quite as space-efficient as the bundle method due to the added bulk of the folder and folding board, the plastic backboard does go a long way towards preventing wrinkles. Just be aware that if you leave your clothes in there for longer than a day, they’ll begin to develop unsightly creases that require an iron to get rid of.

A big thank-you to the Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, Oregon, for lending us a suite to use for the photos in this guide.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guide

Wirecutter Staff

Mentioned above

• There’s more to a great in-flight personal item than being small enough to stuff under a plane seat. Here’s how to choose the right one for your travel needs. The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags  
• The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is our backpack pick for most travelers. We also have picks for other travelers, including those who want to carry a bit more. The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks  
• After 10 years of airport dashes and overhead-compartment stashes, the Travelpro Platinum Elite is still the suitcase we want to carry. The Best Carry-On Luggage  
• After researching 30 models, we found that Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who check bags. The Best Suitcases for Checking  
• We chose five luggage tags that will help you identify your belongings in a sea of similar suitcases. The Best Luggage Tags  
• After researching and traveling with packing cubes for more than five years, the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set is what we keep in our luggage. The Best Packing Cubes  

Further reading

How to Sleep Well (or at Least Better) While Traveling

by Christine Ryan

Our sleep and travel editors recommend gear for coping with travel-induced insomnia, vetted through hours of testing and years of personal experience.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Ivy Liscomb

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

Air Travel Is Chaos. This Gear Will Help Get You Through the Exasperating Delays.

by Elissa Sanci

These things don’t make your flight take off any faster, but they can make the wait a little more tolerable.

27 Travel Gadgets That Are Too Cool To Resist

This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through these links. See our full disclosure here .

Some of them are just too fun to miss, others add extra convenience to our experiences, yet others open up new realms in the world of technology. You’ve guessed it: we’re talking about travel gadgets!

These smart tools that have forever changed how we experience the world are life savers for today’s travelers. They solve some of the most annoying travel problems, keep our stuff organized on the go, and make the best travel gifts for nomads on the go.

We’ve scoured the internet and our very own backpacks and suitcases to find the products that make our trips better. From life-saving sanitizing devices to portable coffee makers, there’s a world of cool, innovative travel gear out there that can improve your next adventure in ways you’ve never imagined.

Here are 27 cool travel gadgets ready to make your trips safer, easier, or simply more enjoyable.

Travel-Friendly UVC Sterilizer

A handy little thing to take on holidays, the CleanWave Portable Sanitizing Wand uses UVC (ultraviolet C) light to sanitize surfaces and help you protect yourself against invisible germs. Small enough to fit in a small purse, this travel-friendly device kills 99.9 percent of germs without the use of chemicals and is extremely easy to use. Just sweep the battery-powered wand over the surface/object you want to sterilize, and you’re good to go.

Smart Carry-On Suitcase

Finding the best aluminum suitcase for your next vacation depends on a number of factors, including your personal style, design preferences, and needs. For those who want to look and feel like James Bond, Samsara is for you!

Made of lightweight polycarbonate and durable aviation-grade aluminum, this futurist Grand Carry-On is sleek, compact, and loaded with tech features. The integrated Apple AirTag technology helps you track your suitcase when you’re apart, while the flat top allows you to use it as a portable working surface when traveling. On top of that, the bag comes with smooth-rolling spinner wheels, TSA-approved combination locks, and is made with recyclable materials.

Action Camera

Say hello to the world’s smallest hands-free action camera! The sleek, aerodynamic design, along with its innovative features and a myriad of accessories designed to extend its functionality, make the Insta360 GO 3 the perfect travel companion for the adventure-inclined.

Aside from delivering quality photos and videos in any situation (can shoot at up to 2.7K resolution), the action camera is IPX8 water-resistant and comes with convenient magnetic mounting, FlowState image stabilization, and an Action Pod which doubles as a 2.2″ flippable touchscreen and wireless remote.

Award-Winning Flashlight

If you’re looking for a smart and compact source of light for your next adventure, look no further than the Red Dot-awarded HOTO Flashlight DUO . This cool travel accessory offers 13 unique light combinations and is cleverly designed with a magnetic base, a retractable magnetic hook, and a strap, making it easy to wrap or hang around the camp. Powered by a 3200mAh large-capacity lithium-ion battery, it offers up to 65 hours of use.

Pocket-Size Washing Machine

Whether you are backpacking through Europe, going on an African safari, or traveling on a budget in South Asia, you are going to love the Scrubba Wash Bag . Equipped with a flexible washboard, this lightweight, pocket-size wash bag will not only help you do your laundry anywhere on the road but also save you money and time.

With only 2-4 liters of water and a bit of washing liquid, you’ll have your clothes fresh and clean in less than 3 minutes. So yeah, we think it’s pretty safe to say it’s one of the best travel gadgets for campers, backpackers, and anyone venturing off the beaten path.

Portable Power Station

Ideal for camping and RV adventures, the EcoFlow DELTA mini Portable Power Station comes equipped with an outstanding 882Wh battery, helping you power your appliances and devices in areas where electrical outlets are not available. The unit can be fully recharged through a 12/24V car port in less than 10 hrs or by solar panels in about 4 – 7 hrs, and its wide array of outlets allows you to charge up to 12 devices simultaneously.

Sandless Beach Mat

Calling all beach lovers! The C-Gear Original Sand-Free Mat is a revolutionary beach accessory that’s literally impossible to cover with sand. Initially intended for military uses, this clever sand-free ground sheet is perfect for a fun and stress-free beach outing. Finally, no more annoyingly sticky sand! Now you can make the most of your seaside experience while lounging in the warm sunshine, reading a book, or spreading out a picnic.

Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot & Power Bank

With Solis Lite , you don’t have to worry about foreign SIM cards or roaming charges when traveling the world.

One of the best mobile Wi-Fi hotspots on the market, this ingenious connectivity gadget offers unlimited 4G LTE service in over 135 countries around the globe. Each device can support up to 10 connections and also works as a portable charger for your phone or tablet while on the move, thanks to its integrated 4700 mAh power bank. A day pass is $9 and gives you unlimited internet access for 24 hours.

Tiny and Lightweight Travel Drone

With its 48-megapixel 1/1.3-inch sensor, a new RC controller for improved user flying experience, and up to 34 minutes of flying time, DJI’s Mini 3 Pro is no doubt one of the best travel drones out there. The small, lightweight device is packed with intelligent features and can fly as far as 7.4 miles away, allowing you to capture the beauty of your surroundings in flawless HD video at 4K/60fps, 2.7K/60fps or 1080p/120fps, as well as photographs in 48MP RAW or JPG format.

Perfect for travelers always eager to immortalize and share their adventures on the go, this sleek & silent high-tech flying camera comes with obstacle detection and ActiveTrack following, as well as multiple flight modes. Best of all, it’s under 250 g, meaning it can be flown without a license in most countries.

Compact Travel Steam Iron

Featuring a 350-watt motor and three fabric heating levels, this mini travel steam iron from Amazon is a lifesaver on the road. The compact device will easily fit into a carry-on bag and can be extremely useful for business travelers and basically anyone willing to remove the inevitable wrinkles from packed clothing. The Sharper Image SI-755 Dual Voltage Travel Iron heats up in 1 minute and has a run time of about 6 minutes.

Waterproof Outdoor Speaker

Allowing people to listen to music anytime, anywhere, a portable speaker is a must-have for any traveler who wants to make the most of the outdoors without compromising on any of the luxuries of the indoors. The Beosound Explore is Bang & Olufsen’s smallest and most affordable Bluetooth speaker, but don’t let that fool you, as sound quality is nothing short of grand.

Its gigantic 27 hours of battery life, along with a sleek and durable design, which is also scratch-resistant and waterproof, makes this easy-to-use portable Bluetooth speaker a reliable travel companion.

Cool Backpack

Who says a backpack has to be boring? Crafted from durable, recycled materials, the Ramverk Backpack 21L from Db is as sleek as it is tough, not to mention compact, lightweight, and endlessly functional.

Undoubtedly one of the best backpacks we’ve tested , it sports a separate laptop section, a handy top pocket for quick access to essentials, and a fully-opening main compartment designed for versatile organization and storage opportunities. When combined with Db’s S Camera insert (sold separately), for instance, the daily backpack becomes a practical photography bag with easy access to your equipment. The innovative Rib Cage technology provides structure and protection, while the patented Hook-up system allows it to connect with the brand’s roller bags for a seamless travel experience.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

A pair of noise-canceling headphones can significantly improve your travel experience, and this lightweight, ergonomically designed model offers excellent sound quality and noise-canceling abilities in a stylish, comfortable package that won’t break the bank. Powered by the brand’s V1 processor, the Sony WH-CH720N Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones allow you to listen to your favorite songs while still being able to hear traffic noise and transport announcements.

The set delivers up to 35 hours of power, comes with a built-in microphone for hands-free calling, and can be paired with two Bluetooth devices at the same time. Compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant.

Personal Biometric Safe

A personal safe might not be the most obvious thing to bring on a trip, but if you’re traveling with valuable objects or the security of your accommodation is questionable, they’re an absolute necessity. Made of strong and lightweight aluminum alloy and equipped with smart technology, the TROVA GO PLUS keeps your cash, jewelry, and documents safely locked away wherever you go. This personal biometric safe connects to your phone and its proprietary app via Bluetooth, allowing you to find out its battery life, last known location, when left open, or if it needs a charge.

Hidden Camera Detector

Being watched in a vacation rental is a scene straight out of every traveler’s nightmare. Make sure this never happens to you with the JEPWCO G10 Pro Camera Detector . Thanks to its advanced technology, this stylish, portable spy camera finder can accurately detect hidden cameras and RF signals from suspicious devices, as well as GSM, 2G, 3G, 4G mobile signal and radio waves within 15 meters. Better yet, its sleek, portable design means you can stash it in your bag and take it anywhere.

Satellite Hotspot Device

Designed to keep Android or iOS devices connected even when there is no cellular service, the Motorola Defy Satellite Link lets adventurers communicate while off the grid. Made of rugged materials, this slick, pocket-sized device uses Bluetooth to pair with a smartphone, enabling users to share messages with their loved ones and connect to professional assistance via the SOS button. This must-have travel gadget includes one year of SOS service and messages and is powered by a 600 mAh Li-Po battery providing up to 4 days of use.

Travel Vacuum Storage Bag Set

Small, smart, and stylish, this electric vacuum pump is the ultimate travel packing gadget. Each Vmstr Travel Vacuum Storage Bag Set includes 8 storage bags of different sizes and a USB-powered vacuum pump that removes all the excess air compressing the clothes, thus leaving plenty of room in your suitcase for souvenirs and other things you may buy on your trip.

It’s an essential travel tool, especially if you’re adding a bit of shopping to your trip or are traveling somewhere cold and need to bring along some heavy winter wear.

Water Purifier Bottle

Most of the travelers’ health problems are caused by contaminated drinking water, which means a water purification system is a must when traveling abroad. This is especially useful when venturing into remote locations with harsh environmental conditions or destinations such as the Middle East, Central America, Asia, or Africa, which are also known for their unsafe tap water. Fortunately, these days there are many products designed to help in such circumstances.

GRAYL’s Ultralight Purifier , for instance, is a state-of-the-art device capable of transforming almost any tap or clear natural water source into pure drinking water in just 15 seconds. Perfect for travelers and outdoor adventurers, each bottle comes equipped with a replaceable purifier cartridge, providing protection against viruses, bacteria, heavy metals, as well as many chemicals. This is an excellent way to get safe drinking water on the go, while at the same time, saving money on bottled water.

Best Tree Tent

Experience the wilderness like a pro with the Tentsile Connect Tree Tent , a dangling two-person shelter combining the comfort and versatility of a hammock with the security of a tent. Designed for the ultimate arboreal camping experience, this awesome piece of travel gear comes with fold-away doors and a removable rain fly, and can also be attached to other Connects to create one suspended super-camp.

The unique design and sturdy, high-quality materials make this portable treehouse ideal for year-round outdoor adventures.

Flask Light

Part flashlight, part booze container, this unique multifunctional tool is one of the best travel accessories for glamping enthusiasts, festival goers, fishing aficionados, and anyone in between.

In addition to holding 10 ounces of your favorite beverage, the VSSL Flask includes 2 collapsible stainless steel shot cups, a bottle opener, a compass, and a powerful LED flood beam flashlight. If you ask me, I’m pretty sure this would also make an inspired Christmas or birthday present for the outdoor adventurer in your life.

Travel Coffee Maker

Compact, lightweight, and cleverly designed, the WACACO Cuppamoka Pour-Over Coffee Maker makes brewing coffee on the go simple and easy without taking too much space in your travel bag. Made of BPA-free stainless steel, this portable coffee make combines a sleek, insulated travel mug with a built-in coffee dripper, meaning that aside from making a great cup of coffee, it’s also able to hold it at the right temperature. The leakproof drinking lid is a nice touch too.

Best Multisport GPS Watch

Combine style and adventure with the new Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Standard Edition, one of the best multisport outdoor watches on the market. Complete with a top-notch AMOLED display, a wide range of tracking capabilities, plus built-in GPS, smart notifications, and music storage, this versatile, lightweight device has you covered whether you’re skiing in the Alps, swimming in the Med, or hiking off the beaten path in Nepal. Available in multiple models, colors, and sizes.

Handy Sleep Product

Getting a good rest when traveling can be difficult, but this nifty device makes it easy. In addition to blocking annoying noise, the Yogasleep Rohm Travel Sound Machine comes complete with three soothing sounds, including white noise, deep white noise, or gentle surf, helping you sleep (or concentrate) anytime, anywhere. Compact enough to throw in your carry-on luggage, this is one of the coolest travel accessories to bring along on loud planes, busy campsites, or clamorous hotel rooms.

Wallet Credit Card Multi-Tool

With its sleek, TSA-approved design and strong 4x heat-treated steel construction, the Wallet Ninja Multi-Tool is an excellent travel gadget. Ideal for explorers, adventurers, and any well-prepared traveler out there, this stylish credit card folding knife functions as a screwdriver, bottle opener, cellphone stand, fruit peeler, and hex wrench & nail puller, among others, making for an extremely useful tool when hiking or camping in the woods.

Portable Cinema

Tired of missing out on your favorite series while traveling? With the Formovie P1 Pocket Laser Projector , you don’t have to. Equipped with a type-C charging port, built-in speaker, and wireless screen casting, this ALPD smart laser projector acts as a portable cinema, allowing you watch movies, play games, and look at your travel photos anywhere. Though not much larger than a power bank, it’s capable of projecting images up to 100 inches in size and works with any iOS/Android smartphone or Windows computer.

Ostrich Pillow

Ostrich Pillow is an extremely useful accessory for when you’re on the go and just need a quick nap to refresh and increase productivity.

Envisioned by Kawamura-Ganjavian architecture and design studio, this groundbreaking product prevents jet lag (a common problem for long-distance travelers) by providing you with a micro-sleeping environment. Although it might seem a little weird, its design is fun and intuitive, featuring polystyrene filling and a soft interior that allows you to sleep anytime, anywhere without being distracted by noise, light, and other things going on around you.

Smartphone Breathalyzer

Compatible with iPhone and Android devices, the BACtrack Vio Smartphone Keychain Breathalyzer  is a fun and affordable way to estimate your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). The gizmo is shaped like a USB flash drive and connects to your smartphone via the free BACtrack app. Be aware, though, this breathalyzer doesn’t have a professional-grade sensor integrated, so don’t use it to judge whether or not you are sober enough to drive.

I really like the sand less products. After a beach vacation my car looks like it needs a major detailing job. Sand less products would really help…how about sand less flip flops!

I always travel with a canister of powder from the local dollar store when taking a beach/sand outing. Sprinkled liberally on damp sandy feet and quickly brushed off with a small towel brings remarkable results. Sprinkle on flip/flops and tap them together, similar results.

Finally a list of things that I actually want!

Scrubba Wash Bag is the most useful thing when travelling. You can use it as “washing machine” and also as a waterproof bag todo keep safe all your gadgets. It’s really worth it.

I love mine and everyone I show it too is amazed by it and the results you get from it.

Thanks Meeroona. This is really helpful. I am traveling to Vietnam. Its going to be a budget trip and am sure a few things mentioned herein above will be really handy.

These items are kinda good for camping in your backyard but not much real use. Have you ever heard of North Face, Rei, etc?

Are you writing to help people or to move some new untested products?

Hi Nichols,

Thanks for stopping by! To answer your question, I always write about things that I like and I would use. Plus, this is not an article about camping gear, nor it is about how to survive in the wild.

Great Products Meeroona. It takes lot of hard work for INNOVATIONS.

Its awesome that you have included products like the Scrubba & the solar powered light. We definitely need travelers turning towards sustainable solutions at a quicker rate! For me personally the sand-less beach mat was a game changer (thank you for that), especially since I am lanky and beach towels always get so much sand on them so quickly.

The scrubba washing bag is GREAT! I have 2

Great recommendations, thank you.

I’m planning to travel in Hawaii next week and this article amazed me, cool gadgets and good recommendations!

Really cool gadgets. I hope I could afford every single one on the list.

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9 Best Travel Tech Products For Long Flights

9 Best Travel Tech Products That Make Long Flights A Breeze

Uncommon goods tune out musical sleep mask , $40, amazon kindle paperwhite 6.8" 8gb e-reader , $139.99, amazon fire 7 kids edition tablet , $99.99, bose noise cancelling over-ear bluetooth wireless headphones 700 , $379.99 $329.99, uncommon goods clutch portable phone charger , $50, pinch provisions blush mini tech kit , $26.99, target quad light 4 led reading light , $14.99, nintendo switch (oled model with neon red & neon blue joy-con) , $349.99, phonesoap white phonesoap go device sanitizer , $100, more from tech, r29 original series.

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9 Best Travel Tech Products Under $100 For Your Next Trip

As a frequent traveler, I use plenty of tech products on my trips — and they go beyond this MacBook Pro to write all Travelbinger content. Since I’m constantly on the road, it’s important I have reliable gadgets and gear, including headphones and battery packs. Thankfully, we live in an era where tech products are at a peak, and I rounded up 9 best travel tech products under $100.

Technology had a boom since I started traveling for work in 2004, and since, I’ve experienced the remarkable tech evolution. MacBooks are lighter , earbuds come wireless , WIFI is stronger and you can book almost everything through your Smartphone ( Samsung’s killing it these days ). It’s why I put together a round up of the best tech travel products for your next trip.

U.S consumers spent $401 billion on tech products, according to a January report by Consumer Technology Association, but you don’t have to splurge on electronics as long as you know you’re investing in top-notch gear.  

Here are the 9 best tech travel products under $100 I highly recommend, whether you use them for yourself or gift them for the holidays. They excel in terms of quality, durability and innovation — and they’re all affordable.

Don’t forget to check out our Travelbinger holiday gift guide – gifts for all types of travelers.

Travelbinger Holiday Gift Guide For All Types Of Travelers 2022

9 best travel tech products under $100

1. ekster smart wallet.

I use the Ekster Parliament Wallet because it’s compact, convenient and crazy affordable. The leather bi-fold comes with a solar-powered tracker using Bluetooth technology so you can always know where your wallet is if you misplace it (and I’ve misplaced it twice now, so it definitely comes in handy!). The linked Chipolo app on iPhone or Android makes the wallet sound an audible ring with the built-in ringer.

Another notable function is the “quick card access mechanism.” A button on the bottom of the wallet releases your cards at the top of the wallet for easy access and removal (versus trying to pinch jammed cards out of a wallet sleeve with your fingers, which always annoyed me).

Ekster Parliament Wallet holds up to 10 cards and also has an elastic band on the sleeve that can fit bills or business cards.

Buy on Amazon: Ekster Parliament 18

2. Mujjo Insulated Touchscreen Gloves

Seeing that I’m constantly on my phone and travel to cold places (not to mention I live in NYC, where the winters are freezing), it’s important for me to have touchscreen gloves.

I’ve gone through many pairs of touchscreen gloves that do not work. They’ve kept my hands warm, but they never seem to let me actively tap away on my phone, so I was excited to finally find a pair that does work.

Mujjo Insulated Touchscreen Gloves are lined with a layer of polar fleece to improve insulation, and they have excellent responsiveness to Smartphone screens. They look great, keep my hands warm and, most importantly, allow you to play on your phone without having to take off your gloves.

I loved these so much, I got in touch with the company, who offered me a discount code for my readers. Another fun story: the company is based in a town in Holland that’s literally a few miles from where I studied abroad in a castle. Small world!

Buy at  Mujjo (Use Travelbinger’s code TBMujjo15 for 15 percent off!)

3. Nomad wireless hub

I covered tech when I worked on staff at CNBC, and one of my favorite brands I discovered while working there was Nomad .

Nomad gear is well made, well designed and the quality is among the best I’ve seen, whether it’s iPhone cases, portable powerpacks to charge your phone or universal cables.

Nomad wireless hub is essential for frequent travelers, and I take it everywhere with me. It’s capable of charging 5 devices at once, including charging your phone wirelessly.

Why is this important? Most devices are now connected via USB, and you can’t always rely on a hotel or AirBnb to have USB plug-ins. Honestly, gone are the days when you struggle to find power outlets in a hotel room; it’s all about looking for USB plug-ins.

When I travel with the wireless hub, it charges my phone, my wireless earbuds(I have two different pairs), my laptop and my iPad. I use it at home too. It’s definitely one of the best tech travel products.

Buy Nomad Wireless Hub at Amazon

4. Pow Mo portable speaker

The Pow Mo Expandable Wireless Speaker is designed to fit in your pocket and has benefits besides easy portability, including magnet design (so you can attach it to your fridge), and it comes with a mount that attaches to your smartphone. It’s also expandable, which improves overall frequency for better sound when it’s expanded.

I used it on a recent trip to Connecticut with friends, and the audio quality definitely exceeded our expectations.

The speaker (played via Bluetooth) has up to 8 hours of playtime with one charge, is water resistant and is compatible with iPhone and Android.

Price: $59.99

Buy  Pow Mo Expandable Wireless Speaker at Amazon

5. Meater wireless meat thermometer

Meater   wireless meat thermometer works in tandem with an app on your smartphone. The app tracks up to four separate Meater thermometers that are stainless steel, and it has a range from 33 to 165 feet, so you can still check the temperature of your food while you’re steps away.

It is *perfect* for camping trips. In fact, it’s great if you’re cooking in the dark and can’t really tell the cook on meats like chicken.

The thermometer has sensors that monitor the temperature. You can set temperature alerts through the app. Meater can also be used for grilling, oven cooking and steaming.

Price: $69.99

Buy  Meater wireless meat thermometer at Amazon

6. Keysmart key holder with USB flash drive

Tired of having a bunch of keys jangling around in your pocket? KEY SMART lets you conveniently bundle them in an easily accessible compact case: https://t.co/fqOlYpdWrC @GetKeySmart #Blog #Review pic.twitter.com/pVahDIONH3 — A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) November 3, 2019

The Keysmart Pro keyholder with Smart Location has many functions. It holds and stacks up to 10 keys for better organization and has a built-in LED flashlight and bottle opener. You can also link it to Tile app to locate your keys on a map, which is the cool “tech” aspect. With a touch of a button on the app, your keys will ring and, likewise, you can press a button on your Keysmart Pro that will make your cell phone ring.

The Keysmart Pro has a charge for 45 days, and there is a battery light indicator to let you know when you need to charge soon. You can also have a 16 GB USB 3.0 flash drive built into the keyholder for $25 when ordering.

I loved this key holder, and if I didn’t accidentally throw away my keys in October, I would still have them! Hopefully I’ll get around to getting another one soon.

Price: $49.99 (+ $25 for USB flash drive add-on)

Buy  Keysmart Pro with Tile Smart Location at Amazon

7. Tangram Smart Jump Rope

Exercise is good for mental and physical health and helps combat stress at work. Tangram Factory Smart Jump Rope  is *amazing* for people who want to get cardio in while they travel, and it can be used to help the user track their jumps without having to keep count mentally.

Tangram Smart Jump Rope https://t.co/rJK6KqQWhx #luxurypersonified #tangram #smartrope #smartgym #smartrope #fitnessrope #skippingrope pic.twitter.com/XxxbuHt5ew — Luxury Personified (@Luxury_Sungroup) August 1, 2017

As you swing the jump rope, your jumps are counted (via magnetic sensors), showing the count number in real time with a LED display appearing mid air, right in front of you. You can also connect it to an app via Bluetooth to monitor calories burned and time elapsed. The charge on the rope lasts for 36 hours and can be charged via USB.

I absolutely love this jump rope. Some times I’m so crunched for time, I can’t get to the gym, so this comes in handy. This is a portable exercise equipment you can take with you anywhere, or offer it as a gift for a friend who is into fitness. I consider it one of the best tech travel products.

Price: $59.95

Buy  Tangram Factory Smart Jump Rope at Amazon

8.  Benjilock fingerprint padlock

This Kevin O’Leary- approved  fingerprint padlock that appeared on ABC’s “ Shark Tank ” in 2017 uses your fingerprint to unlock it. It has come in handy for me when I travel with luggage, and it looks good! It can store up to 10 fingerprints and has a charge lasting up to six to nine months with a rechargeable battery (and also a key lock if you don’t want to use a fingerprint).

The BenjiLock by Hampton Fingerprint Padlock also has built-in LED light indicator that serves as a prompt when the battery is getting low, and it will flash blue when it’s scanning your fingerprint.

The lock can be used when you go to a beach or pool and need to lock up your bag, or a public place that has lockers, like an amusement park. It’s one of the best tech travel products to gift.

Buy  BenjiLock at Amazon

9. Ottlight Command LED Desk Lamp (*BONUS)

Ottlight Command LED Desk Smart Lamp isn’t something you’d travel with, but I have it at home and love it. I wanted to include it because it makes great gifts for travelers who want to come home to awesomeness.

It has five brightness settings and three color temperature modes using ClearSun LED illumination, which reduces eyestrain up to 51%, according to the company, and the light is designed to be made “close to the spectral output of the sun.” Founder John Ott engineered the light to reduce glare and eyestrain, so it’s basically like having natural light inside your apartment or house.

The lamp can be paired with Google Home or Amazon Alexa, so you can command it to turn on or off or change brightness level with voice assist, and you can also do this with touch controls on the lamp.

The lamp has an adjustable height and also has a USB port so you can charge your phone. I keep it next to my iMac !

Buy: Ottlight Command LED Desk Lamp with Voice Assist

The best luggage we’ve used for years is Samsonite . It’s reliable, durable and affordable. Check out the new collection on Amazon .

Travelbinger is proud to be a publisher with Google News  and Apple News

More Travelbinger stories:

I switched from MacBook Pro to MacBook Air – Here’s why I like Air

Your December 2022 horoscope tarot reading forecast for all Zodiac signs

4 essential work from home tech products and accessories  

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Please do! I’m a one-man team for this website, so any help is sincerely appreciated.

Travelbinger is now on YouTube ! Subscribe here for exclusive travel tips and advice from founder Jimmy Im.   Follow us on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .  

Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.

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15+ Best Must-Have Travel Gadgets (Updated 2024)

I was thinking about gadgets that would make things easier while I travel and around 15-20 gadgets popped up in my mind. With some research and study, I have picked the 18 most helpful gadgets that you can carry around to make life easier when traveling. All of these gadgets are very new to the market and suit the best for your trips in the year 2024. Safe travels.

If you have any other gadgets to suggest, feel free to leave them in the comment section.

Being a tech enthusiast, I carry a lot of gadgets when I travel. My favorite ones are inCharge 6 , Sony XM4 Headphones, and River 600 power station (for road trips). Also, I carry an international power adapter and an inflatable neck pillow when I travel internationally.

These are our best gadget picks for travelers

1. minipresso – portable espresso machine.

MiniPresso GR by Wacaco is a super useful Espresso maker which is so portable. With this espresso maker, you can grind your own coffee beans to prepare the drink whenever and where ever you need. Look how good the product looks, I personally liked the ergonomics. Features like lightweight and easy to use make this cool espresso maker one of the must have travel accessories. No matter if you are visiting the chilling New York or hot Arizona, this gadget should be in your travel bag. Also, the espresso maker comes with a cup embedded in it that should be super useful. Costing just under $50, this cool gadget will be worth it.

Features You May Like

• No Battery Needed
• Easy to Operate

2. Zendure Passport II Pro Travel Adapter

• Universal Compatibility
• 61W USB C Power Deliver Port
• 10A Auto Resetting Fuse
• Simultaneously Power 6 Devices
• Super Lightweight and Compact
• Sleek and Aesthetic Design

3. Gravel Layover – A Portable Travel Blanket

• Weighs 11.4 Oz
• Easily Fits in a Backpack
• Multiple Pockets

4. Trtl Fully Adjustable Travel Pillow

Trlt is a Unique pillow that solves a lot of problems with the traditional U shaped travel pillow.  The company claims it as the Scientifically Engineered Travel Pillow With Premium Comfort And Breathability. The pillow is fully customizable. Comforts you in every direction, so the next time you are on a flight, don't worry about the sleep, you can turn around in any way, and yet sleep comfortably, thanks to this Trit pillow. ... [More info]

5. OYO NOVA – A Portable Personal Gym

• Up to 40lbs / 18kg Resistance
• Works out Different Muscle Groups
• Portable (Fits in a Backpack)
• Free Workout Videos

6. Sony XM4 or XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

• Premium Noise Canceling
• Voice Assistant support
• 25+ Hours battery life
• Fast Charging
• Speak to Chat technology
• Superior call quality
• Wearing Detection
• Smartphone app

7. Evo Shaver – World’s Smallest Travel Shaver Ever

Size and Portability

• 6000 RPM motor
• Stainless steel
• Mesh 0.07 millimeters
• Unique Sound Technology for a cleaner shave
• Travel lock mode
• Self-sharpening technology
• USB C Charging

8. EcoFlow River – Modular Portable Power Station

As you may be knowing, portable power stations are becoming more and more popular lately. We have featured more than 5 battery stations here on G for Gadget. Also, power stations aren't new to me and I personally own a couple of these, the biggest one being Ecoflow's new Delta Pro, read my review here . From my experience, the newer power stations are significantly more feature-packed than the older ones. They have a cool design and are super small. Today, I am gonna introduce you to a super cool and compact power station called R600 by Ecoflow. Update: Ecoflow ... [More info]

• 600W Power Capacity
• 288Wh Base Battery Capacity
• 1200W Surge Capacity
• Modular Design
• Expandable Battery
• 0 to 80% Charging in 1 Hour
• MPPT Solar Panel Support

9. PGYTECH OneMo 25L Camera Backpack

• Built-in Pouches
• Water-Resistant
• 25L capacity
• Perfect for Cameras & Drones

10. inCharge 6 – The Only Charging Cable you need

• 6 Different Combinations
• Phone to Phone OTG charging
• 90 Layer braided copper wire
• Magnetic Attachment

11. Uniquebella’s Cool Carry-on Garment/Duffel Bag

This versatile carry on garment bag is the perfect companion for any regular traveler. The duffel bag is made from durable high-density fabric that is waterproof, tear-resistant and lightweight. It can be attached to the top of a rolling suitcase while you make your way around the airport and then detached for boarding your flight. The 2 in 1 duffel bag has very strong zips that will stand the test of time and secure, comfortable straps that you can rely on while you’re on the road. When you open the bag you can lay it out flat to access your clothes and belongings but it can also be hung up and used in this way. Due to the bag’s expert design, it will keep your suits, dresses, and shirts clean and wrinkle-free making this the best carry on garment bag on the market. This is the best suit travel bag for men , but also accommodates all women’s needs as well. The ... [More info]

• 45L Capacity
• Separate Shoe Pouch
• Zipper Buckle

12. Midland LXT630VP3 – 30 Mile Long Range Walkie Talkie

It is always good to carry a pair of Walkie Talkie while are on an outdoor adventure

• 30 Mile Range
• Weather Scanner + Alert System
• 121 CTCSS Privacy Codes
• Rugged Design

13. BenjiLock TSA Fingerprint Padlock

• Fast & Accurate Fingerprint Scanner
• Stores up to 5 Fingerprints
• Up to 6 Months Battery
• Easy to Use
• TSA Friendly
• LED Indicators

14. SCOTTeVEST Revolution 2.0 Men’s Jacket With 25 Pockets

• Stain and Water Resistant
• Removable Sleeves
• 25 Utility Pockets
• Anti-Pickpocket
• Airport Friendly
• 2 Year Warranty
• Machine Washable
• Polyester Fabric

15. Omni 20 – Portable, High Capacity Powerbank

• AC/DC/USB-C/Wireless Charging Options
• Portable Design
• Charges Laptopstoo

16. Pivo Pod – This Smartphone Mount Tracks You Automatically

Have you ever wanted to have a personal photographer who can capture stunning photos and videos? Have you ever wanted to capture mind-blowing time-lapse videos that you see on Instagram? How about a fully automatic videographer for your vlog or workout video? We have a... ... [More info]

17. VIVA Recharge – A Cool Travel Mug Under $50

• Interchangeable Coffe and Tea Filters
• 6h Hot and 12h Cold
• Leak Proof and Easy to Clean
• Smart Brewer + Travel Mug
• 1 Year Warranty

18. MOFT Float – Invisible and Foldable Stand & Case for iPad Pro

• Adjustable Height
• Extremely Slim
• 3 Different Modes of Operation
• Unlimited Angles

19. Insta360 ONE R Action Camera

• 4K Wideangle
• Waterproof upto 16ft
• 1hr Battery Life
• 5.7K 360 Degree Module

20. Vesany – Hidden Camera Detector

Vesany has been discontinued, check out this nearest alternative

Spy cams are one of the worst gadgets that we have today, which can negatively affect you. Although they have some advantages, there is no denying the fact the spy cams can end up causing issues to your life. Often spy cams are misused in today's world. People are blackmailed and requested for a ransom to avoid their spy video from being leaked to the world. So, how can you avoid such issues and ensure your life remains private even when you visit places with hidden ... [More info]

• Wireless Detection
• Infrared Scanning
• Long Detecting Range
• Good Battery Life

If you know any other travel gadget that is your favorite, let me know in the comments below. I will check it out and may include it on this list.

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Editors’ picks: 27 products we tried and loved in June

June was a big month for the NBC Select team: We launched our first Travel Awards series, which was the result of testing more than 120 suitcases , duffels and accessories over the course of eight weeks this spring. Our team traveled to Japan, Europe, Maine and more trying products from major brands in the travel space, including Patagonia , July , Dagne Dover , Thule and Bagsmart , to name a few. 

That’s why in our picks below, where we share our favorite products we tried from last month, you’ll notice a plethora of extra helpful travel finds. We also included standout items from other shopping categories, such as body washes , pet treats and pillows . Some are items we directly purchased, while others are courtesy gifts from brands. 

SKIP AHEAD Travel | Home + Kitchen | Beauty + Wellness | Clothing + Accessories | Fitness + Leisure | Pet | Tech

Selected. Our top picks

select The best fitness tracker is the one you’ll actually wear daily

Our favorite travel finds, uniqlo round mini shoulder bag.

As someone who has been a victim of pickpockets in the past, I’m now super cautious about keeping my items close and under strict surveillance while I’m traveling. During my two-week trip to Italy this month, I took this Uniqlo shoulder bag, and it has been one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made — the strap is comfortable, it’s a great size and, most importantly, its crossbody style stays close and secure to my body at all times. The strap also doesn’t have a buckle, so I don’t run the risk of pickpockets unclipping it. Plus, unlike other travel backpacks I’ve used, it’s actually stylish and looks cute in pictures. The only downside is that the white color gets dirty very quickly, so it’s probably best to get a darker color if you’re prone to stains. – Mili Godio , updates editor

Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 (20L)

Peak Design makes one of our favorite travel backpacks , but this everyday bag is much more appropriate for my daily commute. The brand sent me one to try out, and I’ve been surprised at how much I like it over my previous daily backpack. It can easily carry my laptop, keys, wallet, headphones , earbuds , lunch, water bottle , hat , sunglasses and more, with plenty of room to spare.

My favorite feature is that you can access the main interior from the top flap or zippers on the left and right sides. I can slide the backpack from my back to my torso, unzip a side, and grab my over-ear headphones , all while speed-walking through NYC. It has so many useful little interior pockets, most of which have magnet-closures instead of zippers. The main compartment has removable dividers that help me better organize my stuff. It’s a little pricey, but I’ve loved using it over the past three weeks. — Harry Rabinowitz , reporter

July Compression Packing Shelf

I’m a compression packing cubes girl through and through. As a chronic overpacker, l find they let me pack more clothes than I probably need and I can never tell what cube has what without pulling everything out. 

I’ve never seen or heard of packing shelves, so I was skeptical but curious about trying some out from July. It didn’t look like it would fit as many clothes as I typically squeeze into a packing cube, or have the same level of compression that I’m used to. However, I was able to pack more than seven outfits on its three shelves and organize them so that each shelf had two days’ worth of clothes. Once I unpacked my bags, I would unzip the shelves and hang them up in the closet using their hooks. Doing this made traveling so much easier since I wasn’t unpacking and repacking everything, and I was able to stay organized with my clothes. — Bianca Alvarez , associate reporter

Baggu Large Nylon Crescent Bag

The Baggu Crescent bag isn’t just great for the beach , for me it’s been my go-to bag to take everywhere. As a college student and intern, I’ve been searching for something to carry all my essentials like my laptop , books, notebooks, etc. when traveling on campus or through New York and this Baggu crossbody has been the best. I’ve tried tote bags and backpacks, but nothing can hold as much and feel as comfortable on my shoulders and back like the Baggu. Plus, nothing looks as good, either.

Its size was the biggest draw for me, but an added bonus has been the nylon lining which has resisted spills and kept all my items safe from rain. I also like the wide adjustable strap that doesn’t dig into my shoulder and allows me to easily redistribute my weight when I’m traveling. – Jeffrey Kelly , intern

Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Hardside Spinner

When I saw that this hardshell carry-on suitcase also charged electronics, I immediately had to say “yes” when the brand offered to send me a model to try out. I loved how easy it was to set up the charging portion of my suitcase; it recently came in handy when I forgot to bring a power adapter on my trip to France. Aside from its charging feature, I could easily pack a week’s worth of clothes and more if I fully expanded it (which I did after plenty of shopping.) I was surprised at how much it could hold, while also still fitting in the overhead bins. It’s one of the most convenient and durable carry-ons that I have in my current suitcase rotation. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Acupressure Wristband

Motion sickness hits me hard when I’m in the car and on a boat; no matter what I do, I always feel that horrible nauseous feeling a few minutes into any trip. When I went abroad this summer, I went on a wine tour that involved getting in a van and going up and down some steep hills. I had started reporting on a motion sickness story before my trip, and experts I spoke to recommended wristbands that put pressure on a certain point on your wrist. So, I bought some to see if they actually worked — and they definitely did. I was skeptical at first, but after using them several times in both cars and on boats, they actually prevented my motion sickness from setting in. They come with a storage case, so I don’t have to worry about losing them while I’m moving from one place to another. These little bands will definitely be a staple on all my future trips. – Mili Godio, updates editor

Our favorite home + kitchen finds

Skyview light.

As a chronic “snooze” button presser, who has no less than four blaring iPhone alarms set each day, I’m always looking for ways I can optimize my sleep routine. I’ll try anything to make waking up a less painful experience. I’m not a morning person by nature, so when this new-to-me brand, Skyview, offered to send me its light to try, I quickly said “yes, please.” It’s marketed as a more effective version of a circadian or sunrise lamp and while I can’t speak to its science, I can say waking up to its light cues was incredibly refreshing. I’ve definitely felt calmer in the morning and aesthetically speaking, I love to look at it.

 It changes colors throughout the day — it goes from a twilight to a calming blue to a warm amber to a deep red to signal to your body what it should do (ie: wake up, focus, wind down) throughout the day. I found the deep red before bed to be especially calming. I programmed my desired sleep and awake times in its app, which alerts the lamp when to turn on/off each day. The app is a bit finicky, in my experience. I had a little trouble adjusting my schedule for what time I’d like to wake up and go to sleep, but overall I’ve had a really positive experience using it. It’s also much sleeker than a lot of other similar lights on the market. — Lindsay Schneider , commerce editor

Bnrendles Silky Cnh Pillow with Ear Hole

After getting a helix piercing , I was fully prepared to not sleep on my side for months. But the nurse who pierced my ear at Rowan told me about the solution I never knew I needed: a piercing pillow . I bought one immediately. It’s donut-shaped, so I put my ear in the opening, which ensures that nothing presses against my earrings while I’m sleeping. It’s seriously a godsend for side-sleepers with piercings. I use it every night and place it on top of a standard pillow since it’s pretty small. I also travel with it since I now can’t imagine sleeping without it. I wish I knew about it years ago when I started getting cartilage piercings — I would have been so much more comfortable at night, and I think it would have helped my other piercings heal faster. — Zoe Malin , associate updates editor

Hexclad Hexmill Tabletop Salt & Pepper Grinder Set

Hexclad Hexmill Tabletop Salt & Pepper Grinder Set

I was recently introduced to Hexclad appliances and instantly fell in love with all of their sleek kitchen items. I bought this salt and pepper grinder that comes with its own stand so I can move it from my counter to my table or deck easily without making a mess. The best part is watching it in action. The bladeless grinder has 10 different coarseness settings, so I can easily change and tailor it to the needs of what I’m cooking. It doesn’t take up a lot of counter space and is easy to clean. It’s so good that I even got a set for my grandfather as a Father’s Day present. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Our favorite beauty + wellness finds

Vellum street fat marshmallow tallow bar soap.

I bought this bar soap a couple of months ago while on a solo trip because I wanted to see what all of the tallow soap hype was about. I like this brand in particular because they’re really transparent about their soap-making process and have a great breakdown about the benefits of tallow on their website. (It works by penetrating your skin barrier to moisturize, heal and protect your skin, according to the brand.) I’ve been using this on my face and can’t believe how soft the low lather feels on my skin and after I rinse it off, that taut, tight feeling bar soap typically leaves behind is barely there. It’s also lasting longer than other options I’ve tried. — Nikki Brown , SEO editor

Ilia In Full Micro-Tip Eyebrow Pencil

I’m a natural redhead, so my eyebrows are, naturally, very fair. Hence why I’m a big fan of eyebrow pencils to give them some color and definition. This one does the trick — and then some. You can pick your color based on your hair color (Auburn works best for me) and the micro-fine tip lets me make natural-looking strokes along my eyebrow hairs. It’s a very buildable formula that stays on all day. — Kelsey Fredricks , production coordinator

Wonderskin Wonder Blading Lip Stain

Aside from using lip balms and lip masks , I love adding a pop of color to my lips to make them look a little less “dead.” I often find that no matter how much product I use, it fades almost immediately. After seeing this stain on TikTok, I was curious to see if it’s as long-lasting as people say it is. Spoiler alert: it is. It comes out blue on initial application and then once I wiped it off with a wet paper towel or cloth, it left a pink color on my lips that lasted for hours. All I have to do is top it off with gloss or chapstick. If I want a bolder look, I’ll leave it on for a few extra minutes (I usually leave it on for two minutes) or add an additional layer of the lip stain. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Zima Dental Pod

I’ve religiously worn my retainer for years, and always cleaned it with a toothbrush and toothpaste . But the toothbrush’s bristles can create little scratches in the retainer’s plastic material, which dirt can get inside. Using an ultrasonic cleaner, like this one from Zima, which the brand sent me to try, is a better option, in my experience. The little device uses water and high-frequency waves to scrub grime off my retainer, and it works so well it literally makes the retainer sparkle. It’s about the size of a coffee mug and it’s easy to store when I’m not using it since the power cord detaches. Since using it, I’ve recommended it to everyone I know who wears dental appliances. — Zoe Malin, associate updates editor

Good Time Magnetic Bar Holder  

Good Time Magnetic Bar Holder

Being that I am in a bar soap phase, I immediately said “yes” when Good Time offered to send me this bar holder to try. It’s such a simple but highly effective tool that prevents my soap bars from having the slimy gunk that accumulates when you leave it on a flat surface. It comes with three bar buttons that look like soda caps — I just press them into one side of the bar and then it automatically attaches to the holder. It’s one of those small, affordable luxuries that makes showering more fun. I’ve been trying a couple of Good Time’s soaps too, which smell amazing. The exfoliating bar is a little too harsh for my skin but I love the shave bar and have been using it consistently. — Nikki Brown, SEO editor

Future Society Solar Canopy Bodycare Bundle

I come from a family addicted to perfumes and scented products. Just a small amount of this body wash and lotion keeps my skin smelling like a floral and fruity concoction for a few hours. (The scent initially goes on as strong as perfume, but tones down after the first half hour.) Scented skin care products don’t always work on my sensitive skin, but lately, I’ve been dabbling with applying this bundle on areas not super prone to sensitivity or eczema flare-ups. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Our favorite clothing + accessory finds

Uniqlo ultra stretch airism shorts.

These are the most comfortable shorts I’ve ever put on my body. They’re flowy, stretchy and soft and will be my go-to for lounging and running errands this summer. Since I chafe , I don’t know if I’ll wear them while running or doing hardcore HIIT workouts yet, but they’re a great option for stretching and light workouts like Pilates . — Kelsey Fredricks, production coordinator

Aetrex Sydney Quarter Strap Espadrille Wedge

I have wide , large feet (I wear a 9.5 wide or 10 in sneakers), so I always have trouble finding shoes that fit right and are comfortable but still look cute. That’s especially true when it comes to heels or wedges. These Aetrex shoes (which the brand sent to me to try) haven’t bothered my feet at all, even when walking around in the city or on the boardwalk for an extended period of time. They have memory foam and a special orthotic system that’s meant to relieve foot pain, according to the brand. I can feel the cushioning and arch support as I’m walking.

Because of the width of my feet, I’ve gotten used to not being able to wear strappy sandals since my feet will usually stick out in weird places. These wedges come with an adjustable front strap, so I can make them fit around my feet the way they should. – Rosalie Sparaco, senior social media editor

Rowan CZ 11mm Hypoallergenic Hoops

I am such a fan of hoop earrings and finally bought this pair after eyeing them for months . They’re available in silver and gold and have crystal studs along the front for a simple yet elegant accent. They’re also hypoallergenic, according to the brand, so I’m able to wear them 24/7 without irritating my sensitive skin . — Kelsey Fredricks, production coordinator

select Good socks can make a huge difference when you work out, and these are worth the price

Our favorite fitness + leisure finds, “100 boyfriends” by brontez purnell.

"100 Boyfriends" by Brontez Purnell

Nothing has made riding the subway more enjoyable than this book. While usually I stick to poetry collections, I couldn’t put down “100 Boyfriends,” which is a collection of short stories that focuses on the fictional relationships of various queer men. Brontez Purnell’s deadpan wit was refreshing and added texture to the most harrowing and heart wrenching moments in the book. The book featured well rounded and flawed characters that, no matter how I felt about them, I never wanted to stop reading. — Jeffrey Kelly, intern 

Head Ti. Conquest Pre-Strung 27in. Blue Tennis Racquet

 I became obsessed with tennis after watching “Break Point” (a Netflix docuseries) on a recent flight to Japan. I played tennis years ago, I admittedly wasn’t very good but I decided to give it another try. A few weeks ago, I started practicing on a wall about three times a week with friends. However, after a few days of playing, I knew I needed a better racquet. My shots were out of control; simple forearm shots lacked control and my backhand was abysmal. I bought my first racquet about three years ago on a whim but this time I was searching for a proper beginner option, which led me to the Head Ti Conquest. This racquet gives me much better control compared to my old one, it has a larger sweet spot and it has better balance so I can get a sense of rhythm while practicing and working on different shots. — Jordan Bowman , editor

select Pros share their tips for shopping for the best pickleball shoes

Our favorite pet finds, badlands ranch superfood bites.

One thing my 8-year-old pit bull loves to do is spend her days running and sunbathing in my backyard. With the warm weather fully in swing, it’s been hard to bring her back inside. With the right treats, however, she comes running to the door. My dog’s a picky eater with a sensitive stomach, so I’m usually nervous to introduce new dog food or treats to her. Since these only have one ingredient: freeze-dried wild salmon, I took the risk — and luckily it paid off. She’s been loving them, listening more and I haven’t noticed any stomach problems since introducing them into her routine. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Tick Mitt Tick Remover for People and Pets

I rescued my puppy back in October, and keeping him happy and healthy has been top of mind ever since. Together, we love exploring the outdoors and have spent countless hours at the park and on long walks. However, growing up with Lyme Disease in my family and the stress of keeping us both safe from tick-borne illness affects how freely we can enjoy our time outside. 

In trying to find nontoxic ways to protect him from ticks, I discovered Tick Mitt, a convenient and painless way to remove ticks from us both. Tick Mitt’s a Velcro-like fabric mitt you can swipe on clothes, skin or fur to remove ticks. Once I’ve wiped us both down, I throw the mitt into the included bag and toss it into the dryer, which kills ticks effectively and safely, according to the brand. 

The mitt comes in four colors — I personally opted for the pink and can’t recommend it enough. It’s given me immeasurable peace of mind when taking daily walks with my dog. — Emma Satin, NBC Page

Paul Mitchell Pet Soothing Oatmeal Conditioning Spray

I mainly rely on shampoo and conditioner to leave my pit bull’s coat nice and soft because being a short-haired dog, it can sometimes feel dry and brittle. She also has a white, gray brindle that can look dull, too. After being sent this spray from Paul Mitchell and using it twice a week, my dog’s hair feels less dry and looks shinier. It functions like a leave-in conditioner ; all I do is spray it all over once my dog’s hair once it’s dry post-shower. It’s helped her sensitive skin stay soft — I could now spend hours petting her. — Bianca Alvarez, associate reporter

Catenary Bloom Cat Scratcher

My biggest complaint about cat toys , scratchers and trees has always been how ugly they are. Catenary’s cat scratchers, however, are an exception. Their organic shape, neutral color palette and squiggly pattern make them look like a piece of home decor or art, so they blend into my apartment instead of sticking out. The cardboard scratchers lay flat on the ground, and my cats love digging their nails into them, sitting on top of them and rolling all over them while playing. The brand sent me a set of three to try, so I put one in my bedroom, one in my living room and one in my entryway. Catenary also sent me its Elevated Halo bowl, which is by far the nicest food and water bowl my cats have ever used. — Zoe Malin, associate updates editor

Our favorite tech finds

Nikon zf mirrorless camera with 40mm lens  .

Nikon Zf Mirrorless Camera with 40mm Lens

I wouldn’t call myself a photographer — I am too new to the hobby, and still have a ways to go with many of the artistic elements. One thing that continues to confuse me on many modern cameras are all the unlabeled buttons and command wheels, which is why I wanted to try out this camera from Nikon. It has a vintage-inspired design reminiscent of film cameras, with labeled dials for things like ISO and shutter speed.

I’ve been using it for the past two months after the brand loaned one for me to try. Using it has been some of the most fun I’ve had with a camera all year. It takes detailed shots, has an incredibly accurate autofocus system and makes a satisfying noise with every shot. The buttons and dials have made me much more comfortable using manual mode, something I’ve been intimidated by using other cameras. — Harry Rabinowitz, reporter

Windex Electronic Wipes

I used to think that cleaning my electronics and tech gear wasn’t super important, until I noticed how much of a difference it makes. While it’s subtle, the effect these electronic wipes give to my laptop, phone, desktop and other screens is so rewarding. I don’t have to look at smudges, fingerprints and debris on my phone screen , which can be distracting, not to mention unsightly. I use these wipes all the time to clean my gadgets and it doesn’t damage them in any way or leave any residue. — Cory Fernandez , commerce editor

Netgear WiFi 6 Range Extender (EAX12)

I live in New York City. Naturally, my apartment is not very large. Despite that fact, my Wi-Fi does not really reach into my bedroom — it’s spotty at best, nonexistent at worst. After trying and failing to connect a smart home device in my bedroom, I decided to cave and finally buy a range extender.

I chose this one because my main Wi-Fi router is from Netgear; I wanted a mesh system that plugs flush into a wall outlet — no big box or antennas. After about a 15-minute setup, it connected, and I now have decently fast Wi-Fi in every part of my bedroom. Problem solved. — Harry Rabinowitz, reporter

Why trust NBC Select?

Bianca Alvarez is an associate reporter covering skin care, hair care and gift guides, including recent stories on the best shampoo bars and the best SPF lip balms . For this story, our staff shared their favorite finds from the past month.

Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

Bianca Alvarez is an associate reporter at NBC Select.

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I’ve Been a Flight Attendant for 10 Years, and I Never Board a Plane Without These 15 Genius Finds From $10

From versatile clothes to useful gadgets, they're all I need for a comfy and safe flight.

Travel + Leisure / Madison Woiten

I’ve been a flight attendant for 10 years, and beyond being able to recite the safety briefing from memory or my knowledge of which airports have the best dining options (easily Texas' Austin-Bergstrom), I’ve come to learn that having the right products makes all the difference when you're spending most of your days in the sky. Luckily for me, I don't have to scramble to find the best deals on my in-flight essentials because Amazon is a treasure trove for versatile travel accessories and gear (and most of them are on sale ahead of Fourth of July).  

Whether it’s ensuring my coffee is always hot , my legs aren't aching at touchdown , or my lips moisturized after a long day , over my time as a flight attendant, I’ve really honed in on what is essential to bring on a plane and what you can stay behind — luggage space is precious, after all. If you’re looking for packing inspiration, I've rounded up my go-to products that streamline my suitcase and guarantee a comfortable, safe, and smooth flight. Keep reading to see what I’ll never get on a plane without.

Simple Modern Travel Coffee Mug

I recently invested in a Created Co. Nomad to-go mug for my coffee and it was the best money I’ve ever spent. Not only is it sleek and stylish, but it also keeps my coffee hot for hours on end, and doesn’t change the flavor thanks to a nifty ceramic interior like other travel mugs tend to do. Another quality pick is the Simple Modern Travel Coffee Mug, which is only $16 at Amazon. It has a stainless steel interior and more than 5,600 five-star ratings from shoppers, who rave over its easy-to-clean, spill-proof design.

Yeti Day Trip Lunch Bag

Okay, maybe my best purchase was my Yeti Lunch Box. Not only is it designed almost like a packing cube, making it easy to stow away, but it’s relatively small for a lunch box (it measures just 10.5 inches by 4.5 inches by 8.5 inches altogether). Plus, it keeps whatever is inside cold for hours , and having fresh fruit and protein at arm's reach is a must, especially when we’re delayed and all the passengers are worried about connections.

Bagsmart Compression Packing Cubes

Organization when traveling is key, and this set of six packing cubes makes it sunlike to ensure everything is always in its place. Each cube is a different size, so it’s clear which is for underwear, socks, shirts, and so on, and they even come with little ID tags to make it even easier to identify what’s inside which one without having to open them all. The brand says these help people fit double the amount in their suitcases, and I couldn’t agree more. I never travel without them.

Havaianas Slim Flip-flops

If you’ve ever wondered whether the shoes flight attendants wear are uncomfortable, I’ve got news for you: they are. It’s the main reason I always pack a pair of Havaianas flip-flops — the second I get off the plane, I’m itching to slip into a more comfortable pair of shoes. I love how these pack down small, and for just $14, they’re pretty easy to replace every now and again. 

Laneige Lip Mask

Flying can really dry out my lips, which is why I never take off without this Laneige lip mask in my toiletry bag. I use it when I’m overnight in a city to rejuvenate my lips, and it works every time. I’m not exactly sure about the science behind it, but as a flight attendant, I can tell you this for sure – a little self-care goes a long way when you’re traveling. It’s not just me, either. In fact, other flight attendants swear by it, too.

Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves

As a flight attendant, not only am I traveling, but I’m also on my feet all day long. I’m pretty much the ideal use case for compression socks , and these leg sleeves are my absolute favorite. They’re easy to slip on for a bit in between services or relaxing in my room after a long day. I really like that they’re available in several fun colors. They don’t bind or rub anywhere, and look stylish enough in black to blend in with my uniform.

Vintar Universal Travel Adapter

The way I see it, you’ve got two options: you can grab individual adapters for each region, or this genius $17 find at Amazon. Not only is it compliant with the U.K., Australia, Europe, and Asia, but it also features three USB-C outlets, two USB outlets, and one AC outlet so I can charge six devices all at once. I swear by it to ensure I always have the right country adapter, and it helps me forget things in my hotel less often as everything is plugged into one neat and tidy place.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

There’s no way I’d be able to carry books with me everywhere I go, so I rely on my Kindle Paperwhite to keep my thriller novels always at arm’s reach. There is 32 GB of storage — a.k.a. plenty — and it also has plenty of battery life, so even if I’m on a long haul, I don’t have to worry about it running out of juice. I also love the backlight, which allows me to read even when the cabin lights are off.

Cctoo V-neck Button-up Shirtdress 

Look, comfort is key when you’re traveling, and one of my recent Amazon finds my Johnny Was Milo Shirtdress . It has a floral design that goes with just about anything (including my Havaiana sandals), so I can toss it in my suitcase and use it for several outfits. Whether I’m exploring a city on my day off or enjoying the nightlife, this is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing I own. Unfortunately, it's almost out of stock, so if you're in the market for a similar wear-everywhere dress, the Cctoo V-neck Button-up Shirtdress is available for $41.

Baggallini Modern Everywhere Laptop Backpack

To keep my Kindle, lip mask, chargers, and work tools in handy, I rely on this laptop backpack. It measures 11 inches by 14 inches by 4 inches, and it slips nicely on top of my suitcase, making it convenient to pull around the airport. I love that it has shoulder straps and can be worn as a backpack, and it always provides easy access to my favorite travel essentials.

Logitech Keyboard Case

This Logitech keyboard case for my iPad is sturdy enough to protect my tablet from turbulence, but thin enough to easily fit in my Baggalini backpack without taking away room from other important must-haves. I love having the keyboard so I can quickly jot down experiences and ideas for future adventures, and the case makes a great mount for my iPad if I’m relaxing and just want to catch a movie.

Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses

I stumbled across these great sunglasses when shopping for my favorite Ray-Ban Aviators. I mentioned to the sales associate that I travel for a living and she immediately thought of this chic and compact style. As a minimalist packer, I'm a big fan of their foldable design, which makes them smaller than a pack of gum when they're not in use. Although I love my Aviators, these Wayfarers are more durable and better suited for adventuring on layovers.

BedStu Crossbody Wallet

BedStu has always been a favorite of mine for shoes, wallets, and purses, and this two-in-one wallet has a spot for absolutely everything – even my phone fits in the zipper pocket. The detachable strap is super handy and stays in one of my packing cubes until I’m ready to meet the crew for cocktails or head out for lunch at a local joint. It's a great travel bag for anyone who hates being weighed down by a bulky purse and just wants to hit the town with the essentials.

Shokz Open Run In-ear Headphones

Running on a layover is my favorite way to get the lay of the land.  This unique headset with bone conduction technology allows me to stay aware of my surroundings while listening to my playlist or a podcast. I can take phone calls with a quick touch of a button and the sound quality is fantastic. Another advantage to this style of listening device is that its one-piece design makes it nearly impossible to lose – unlike the popular wireless earbuds that we spend hours helping passengers find on the plane.

Garmin Forerunner 965 Smartwatch

Every flight attendant I know wears a smartwatch. My Garmin Forerunner keeps track of my wild sleep schedule, lets me look back on great runs and hikes in an area when it’s been a few years since my last layover, and does normal watch things like telling me the date and time when I’ve lost track.  Of course, it sends me notifications from my phone, offers tap-to-pay functionality, and lets me listen to music when I’m out on a run. The biggest reason I love this watch over other smartwatch is the unbelievable battery life; I can easily go a week in between charging and the watch is back to full battery in little over an hour – talk about excellent efficiency for a life on the go!

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Related Articles

Microsoft Exec Shares Xbox Lessons for Hotel Owners

Justin Dawes , Skift

June 26th, 2024 at 3:43 PM EDT

Microsoft sees a future where everyone has a personal AI assistant and a digital ID, and travel companies with permission can tap into that data to create personalized experiences.

Justin Dawes

Xbox could teach the travel industry a few things about the customer experience.

That’s why Microsoft, which owns Xbox, is applying strategies from the gaming industry into next-generation tech products for travel clients.

Shane O’Flaherty, Microsoft’s global director of travel, transportation, and hospitality, shared the company’s thinking during a presentation at the HITEC hospitality tech event this week. 

“[Xbox is] probably at the tip of the spear around digital engagement with the consumer,” O’Flaherty said. “The idea is they track every player’s movement on the planet, and they’re constantly presenting them with content to make their journey a better journey.”

It’s all about driving emotional engagement with consumers instead of focusing only on transactions like upsells. The former elevates the overall experience and creates memories, he said — more likely to drive repeat business. 

That approach could work for specialized events, for example.

In gaming: If Marshmello, the DJ, joins the video game Fortnite as the host of a virtual event for 20 minutes, the number of players on Fornite explodes. (Besides the fighting game, Fortnite is a metaverse with multiple places where players can meet and attend events.)

How that translates to travel: If a hotel knows that 40 of its guests love whisky, the hotel could create an impromptu tasting event and send a note about it to those specific guests. “And all of a sudden, 12 people come down, and you’re creating this emotional connection with your brand and creating a community in your hotel,” he said. 

Progression unlock — in other words, completing tasks and getting rewards — is another gaming tactic that travel companies could apply. 

It could be as simple as prompting a guest to take a selfie on a hotel balcony and post it on social media in exchange for a certain number of points. 

“As we rethink what we’re doing around customer journey, the focus in the future is all around content and community,” he said.

First, Data

For hotels, access to very specific guest data is key before that level of personalization is possible.

That’s where Microsoft and others are helping travel companies create easily-accessible robust digital profiles for guests.

It’s a similar model to the customer app that Starbucks has built. If a customer orders or pays for an item through the app, data from that sale is stored to the user’s profile, and then Starbucks can make relevant offers in the future. 

“This is low hanging fruit in our industry,” he said. 

Microsoft spent $50 billion on research last year, all focused on AI, O’Flaherty said, and the company will likely spend that much or more again this year. Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI since 2019, which it where it sources its generative AI tech. (Read: How Microsoft Is Deploying OpenAI’s Tech in Travel )

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Dagne Dover’s Brand New Luggage Collection Has Gifts for Your Fave Jetsetter

Whether they could use a new checked suitcase, a duffel, or a pet carrier, Dagne Dover’s new Luggage Edit has what your giftee needs.

If you buy something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?

That’s right: Dagne Dover has just introduced The Luggage Edit , complete with checked and carry-on suitcases , duffel bags , packing cubes , and more. The collection even includes the brand’s new pet carriers , which make for such a sweet gift for the pet parent in your life. But that’s not the only item in this collection that makes for a great gift .

Editor Picks from Dagne Dover’s The Luggage Edit

Dagne Dover Sydney Checked Luggage

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Dagne Dover Seoul Dopp Kit

Truly, everything in this collection could be a chic, useful gift for your favorite traveler, but what you pick might ultimately depend on the price. Naturally, the suitcases — all available in four stylish colors — are on the pricier side, going for between $595-$725. For something a little less pricey, the duffels go for between $305-$395. For something under $200, you could opt for the Oslo Slim Laptop Bag for $155 for your favorite business traveler or the Cairo Sling Bag for $135, which your giftee could use as an onboard personal item. For options under $100, grab the Dopp kits or packing cubes.

Dagne Dover Kyoto Pet Carrier

Whether you or someone you love is gearing up for a trip, you can’t go wrong with luggage and travel accessories from Dagne Dover’s brand-new drops. Now this is some baggage we welcome!

Micki Wagner is a commerce editor for Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, where she is constantly on the lookout for exciting new products, great sales and deals, and fun gifts. Her work can also be found on Saveur and Worth . When she’s not writing about the latest and greatest products, you can find her checking out new restaurants, spending way too much time shopping online, and binging Parks and Recreation…yet again.

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Wearable Tech Moscow Wearable Tech Conference and Exhibition Moscow 2015

About wearable tech moscow.

• 2015-09-25 12:00:00 2015-09-26 12:00:00 Europe/London Wearable Tech Moscow Wearable Tech Conference and Exhibition Moscow 2015 Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre Eventegg [email protected]

Wearable Tech Moscow will be opened on 25 Sep and it will be end on 26 Sep 2015.

The site of the Trade Show will be Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre which is one of the remarkable locale for such an essential event.

Wearable Tech Moscow is a stand where many immensely important products and solutions are exhibited. Most of these tend to be about Technology, Wearable Technology and Wearable Computing.

Wearable Tech Moscow is once Trade Show.

Smile Expo is the organizer of Wearable Tech Moscow , Wearable Tech Conference and Exhibition Moscow 2015 .

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The blurred lines of bleisure travel demands updated policies.

Published: June 24, 2024

In the era of remote work, many employees feel the need to maximize business travel and remote work and may mix the two. This could create headaches for companies that haven’t adequately outlined employee travel policies.  

In the era of remote work, many employees feel the need to maximize business travel and remote work and may mix the two, a trend known as 'bleisure' travel.

An August 2022 survey by Booking.com questioned adults who planned to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. The survey found 59% of respondents said traveling and exploring new places inspired them to be more productive at work.

As that happens, bleisure is becoming more common. A report released in August 2023 by the Global Business Travel Association found that of 4,700 business travelers surveyed, 62% are blending business with travel. However, this trend can create headaches for companies without clear employee travel policies and the technology to manage them.    

How can companies leverage technology and update their travel policies to keep up with the demand for bleisure travel? What role does expense management software, including automated expense reporting, mobile apps, and real-time expense tracking, play in helping companies balance the pros and cons of bleisure travel? Additionally, how can technology mitigate risks, such as fraud and an employer's duty of care?

Types of Bleisure Travel

Bleisure travel can come in several different forms. Employees may extend their work trips by adding vacation days before or after the business trip. They might also choose to bring their family with them or have them arrive before or after their business commitments.  

When allowed to work remotely, employees may even relocate to a vacation location. Once there, they may travel around the area, using the vacation spot as their home base. This can include visits to nearby cities, cultural exploration, and adventure travel. They might also invite friends and family to visit them for short or extended stays.

Challenges of Bleisure Travel for Employers

With rising interest in bleisure, there are several challenges that companies can understand and address. For example, companies cannot permit personal expenses to become business expenses. Productivity can also be a concern, as is managing perceptions of fairness when allowing employees to take advantage of bleisure travel versus those who remain in-person or hybrid employees.

Bleisure travel can also prove administratively burdensome. Allowing employees to work remotely should not create excessive health and safety risks or expose a company's data and intellectual property to unauthorized access. There's also a risk employees could engage in fraud, even accidentally, by classifying their personal expenses as business-related.

Technology to Manage Bleisure Travel

While bleisure travel can complicate the employee travel management process, each of these challenges can either be eradicated or mitigated with technology.

The inherent complexity of managing bleisure travel stems from the challenge of classifying expenses quickly and accurately. Automated expense reporting captures and categorizes expenses from transactions, allowing employees to separate business and personal travel expenses quickly and seamlessly, especially if they can do so via a mobile app. It also reduces the manual effort of expense reporting and the potential for error, misstatements, and excessive delays in submitting expense reimbursement requests.

Integrating travel booking with the expense system is also critical. It facilitates the process and removes much of the administrative burden from employees, making it easier for them to submit timely and accurate expense reports.

Consequently, employers can see expenses in real time, making monitoring and adjusting travel-related budgets easier. This visibility can also detect policy violations before they become repetitive.  

Analytics and reporting technology provide insights into travel spending patterns, which companies can use to refine their travel policies, amend department budgets, and facilitate the employee experience. For example, suppose the travel data shows that employees opt for certain airlines or hotels when traveling to and from a location. In that case, an employer may be able to negotiate better rates and terms .

Company Data

The right technology solutions can ensure employees access company data using safe and secure platforms. For example, virtual private networks can make it harder for unauthorized users to access company data when an employee uses public Wi-Fi networks. Similarly, mobile device management software allows companies to manage devices remotely, which includes erasing sensitive data if a device becomes lost or stolen. This is in addition to standard security technology, including antivirus, multi-factor authentication, and secure file-sharing technology.

Employee Tracking and Safety

Additionally, there are many technology solutions to help employers track employees' locations, from GPS tracking to check-in systems to remote work tools. Regardless of the solution, every employee must understand and consent to any technology if it's being used to monitor their location and activities. This will facilitate compliance with regulations and relevant laws and can help an employer build and maintain employee trust.

Employers should also be able to locate employees quickly for business-related reasons or in case of emergency. Here, too, technology can help.

The Takeaway

Bleisure travel is a natural outcome and companion to remote/hybrid work . It's also an excellent way for in-office employees to be rewarded for sacrificing personal time for business travel. Proactive and flexible company policies and a robust suite of technology tools designed to monitor and optimize the travel experience can be critical. When handled correctly, employees and employers can benefit from bleisure travel in all its forms.

Learn more about American Express’s suite of supplier payment and corporate T&E solutions  here .

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The Strategist Wedding Registry 100

One hundred items to fill your home — whether you’ve been living together for a decade or are just getting set up..

Sometimes, we like to think about the Strategist as a “department store.” There’s the bedding and linens department, where you’ll find crisp percale sheets , already-broken-in-feeling linen duvets, and pillows for all kinds of sleepers. There’s the kitchen department, stocked with everyday items like Pyrex measuring cups and sturdy box graters alongside handy appliances like rice cookers and stand mixers . Then there’s the tabletop department, where La Soufflerie glassware and East Fork mugs sit on the same shelf. When you visit, you can find a non-boring bedside lamp , striped beach towels , and an extra-large picnic blanket all on the same shopping trip.

When putting together our Strategist Wedding Registry 100, we asked ourselves: What would we register for at our department store? The items here pull from almost every “department” and, as always, are expertly vetted and stood behind by our team. To select the items on this list, we combed through our archives and imagined what would suit couples of all kinds. There are products from our Best in Class series that have been tested and retested by our writers and pieces from our Steal My Registry series, where we hear from people with good taste about what they registered for their weddings. Then, to round out the list, we snooped around our friends’ registries for inspiration and added in any items we might’ve missed — but that are in demand by those actually getting ready for their weddings.

Here, you’ll find items both practical and delightful to fill your home — whether it’s one you’ve been living in together for a decade or just starting to set up. Welcome to the Strategist Wedding Registry.

Note: All bedding prices below are for queen size, unless otherwise noted.

The Strategist  is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about  here . We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

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Away CEO Jen Rubio expands luggage brand into soft-shell bags and puts IPO on the back burner

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! The U.S. Supreme Court accidentally published an opinion allowing emergency abortions in Idaho , Paris Hilton testifies about youth facilities, and Away’s CEO Jen Rubio tells us about the company’s next chapter. Have a great Thursday! – Up and Away. It’s been a tumultuous few years for Away, the direct-to-consumer luggage brand that’s iconic hard-shell bag has been carried by the likes of Margot Robbie and Prince Harry. Allegations of a toxic workplace in 2019 led to multiple changes in management, while demand plummeted early in the pandemic. Earlier this year, the company restructured, cutting 25% of its staff. An IPO went from seemingly imminent to on the back burner.

But Jen Rubio, cofounder and CEO, says the company is past those growing pains—and ready to embrace its next chapter as the startup approaches its second decade in business.

For now, that next chapter includes moving beyond its hard-shell bag and offering customers a softer, quilted version , the company announced Wednesday. Priced similar to the original offering—from $225 to $325—Rubio says Away is not only trying to capture the roughly 50% of the market that prefers soft-side luggage, but also giving existing customers what they are asking for. 

“As much as we’ve gotten people to switch [to hard-shell], to fall in love with our product, there are many, many millions of people who use soft-side luggage exclusively,” says Rubio. “We’re just scratching the surface when it comes to making the best products for travel.”

The new collection, which launches July 9, has been years in the making. In that time, Rubio has learned that offering the same bag in different colors isn’t enough; customers are clamoring for stylish options for all manner of travel, including more durable duffle bags for hiking and camping and children’s luggage for their growing families. The new soft-side Away bag is the first of multiple product launches Rubio says the company has in store for the year. The bags boast many of the beloved features of the hard-shell bags—like the wheels and handle—as well as some new ones, like two no-show exterior pockets.

“A lot of things changed post-pandemic,” she says. “The public can’t see it yet, but internally we are doubling the pace of product innovation…We’re continuing to grow and expand the business, but the how of how we do that has really changed.”

As for the future of Away, Rubio says the restructuring reflected where the company is currently at—not necessarily eyeing an IPO, as it was pre-pandemic, but increasing the number of products it offers and working out a new wholesale strategy.

“At one point in 2019, the thing that made the most sense was to build the business to IPO. But…is that attractive now? Probably not,” she says. “If we’re running the business in a way to keep it growing, keep it profitable, and the brand is really strong and customers continue to love us and we continue to serve them, we’ll always have those options.”

Alicia Adamczyk [email protected]

The Broadsheet is Fortune’ s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Joseph Abrams. Subscribe here .

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Accidental opinion. The U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged that it “inadvertently” published an opinion on Wednesday indicating that it will allow abortions during medical emergencies in Idaho. The state had argued that doing so would violate its abortion ban. Bloomberg

- Fund loses one. One of the cofounders of Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm that invests in companies led by women of color, is stepping down as its COO and general partner. Cofounder Ayana Parsons says her decision is unrelated to an ongoing conservative lawsuit that claims the fund's grant program for female Black founders is discriminatory. Fortune

- Hilton before the House. Paris Hilton told U.S. Representatives that she was drugged and abused by the staff at a Utah foster facility she spent time at as a teenager. Hilton is advocating for two bills that would increase funding for youth services and increase oversight of youth programs. Axios

- Cut from the team. Veteran U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan was cut from this year’s Olympic team. The 35-year-old has struggled on the field in recent years but has kept playing even as her contemporaries like Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz retire. Washington Post

- Forever and six months. A new study out of Georgetown University indicates that women exposed to “forever chemicals” could lose some or all of their ability to breastfeed just six months after giving birth. Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS, can be found in cleaning products, cookware, and more. The Guardian

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Herbivore Botanicals announced Britany LeBlanc as CEO.

ON MY RADAR

They have one of Team USA’s toughest jobs: Picking Simone Biles’ Olympics teammates The Athletic

A court ruled an exhibit discriminated against men. Now it’s in the women’s restroom New York Times

Hoyeon takes Hollywood Elle

PARTING WORDS

“Sport is becoming increasingly more haves and have-nots, and access is waning. It’s such a powerful tool for the development of human beings, particularly women in business.”

— Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, on the importance of drawing more sponsors to Olympic athletes

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