Best Travel Gadgets
The Best Travel Gadgets to Buy Right Now
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Call it a "Champagne problem," but in the past few weeks, I've hit eight flights and too many time zones to remember! As a tech expert, writer, and global adventurer chasing the latest tech and science stories, I'm on the road as much as I'm at home. Whether I'm traveling to Kenya on assignment for CNN to write about how e-readers are changing education or diving in Bermuda for fun, one thing is for sure: I'm always surrounded by my go-to gadgets. Here are some pretty nifty on-the-road devices for fun, business, or anytime!
1 OGIO All Elements Backpack
If you have a love for the water, trust me on the OGIO All Elements Pack ($130). It’s my favorite dive bag and I’m kinda sorta obsessed! For starters, the waterproof pack is comfortable and easy to tote, thanks to its comfy and convenient backpack straps (it’s not easy to find backpack straps on a dive bag). The pack has ultra durable construction with standard roll top to keep water out, and a bonus, removable liner for electronics, along with a pocket for storing devices. Comes in stealth grey, mossy oak, and “rock and roll” colors.
2 Drivemocion LED Car Sign
Now you can express how you feel while roadtripping using this brilliant digital sign. Drivemocion ($40) is an LED display you control via remote. Just attach it inside your rear car window, and use the message or emoji that fits your mood.
3 Lyrix Jive Water Resistant Bluetooth Speaker
Cutest. Speaker. Ever. The Lyrix Jive portable Bluetooth speaker ($13, originally $30) fits in the palm of your hand or tucks easily into your purse or briefcase, so you can take your tunes anywhere.
Bonus: It’s water resistant, and perfect for accompanying you to the pool or beach. It also has speakerphone capabilities (so you can take your conference calls on the road) and the battery gets four hours on a charge.
4 LifeProof Phone Case
These mobile device protectors aren’t just waterproof, dirt proof, shock proof, and snow proof — Lifeproof cases ($50 and up) are also worry proof, and that peace of mind is priceless. Choose from the fre, with its scratch-resistant screen, or the nüüd, which allows you to still touch the screen, and free your mind as you travel. Fits Apple, Samsung, and Motorola devices.
5 LithiumCard Hypercharger
Nothing is worse than when your battery indicator turns into a red sliver. Just stick this credit-card shaped baby ($35, originally $50) in your wallet, and it’s your panic button when you need some extra juice.
6 SleepPhones
If you struggle with sleeping in hotel rooms, perhaps give SleepPhones ($80) a try and listen to music as you drift off to la-la land. The soft wireless band contains speakers and the band can even be washed.
7 Toshiba Encrypted Flash Drive
Protect your data on the road! With Toshiba’s encrypted flash drive ($129) you can’t access the information unless you have a pin, and if you try too many times to get in, it locks the info away forever. Data is gold these days, so keep yours safe. Comes in 4, 8, 12, 16, and 32GB.
8 Onanoff Sound Cover iPad Case
It’s an iPad case, stand, and speaker ($199) in one. Just pop your iPad into this sleek cover and the speakers amplify the volume up to 400 percent. Small but mighty, you can’t beat the sound — and versatility — of this super portable device. Wireless and lasts up to 15 hours on a charge.
9 Tiny Traveler Baby Monitor
Planning a road trip with the little one(s)? Meet the Tiny Traveler ($100). This little gadget is a 3.5-inch baby monitor that lets you keep your eyes on the road. Simply attach the camera to the back seat and the monitor to the windshield and you won’t miss a thing in either direction. The Tiny Traveler comes with camera, night vision as well as two mounts.
10 Apple Watch
It lives up to the hype. Fashion meets function in the Apple Watch ($349 and up), which allows you to read emails, listen to music, send texts with your voice, take calls, view your calendar, and more. Different band sizes, colors, and styles allow for personalization on the go.
11 Primera Trio Portable Printer
As a business traveler, you’re probably all too familiar with the annoyance — and first-born-like cost — of having to use the hotel business center or FedEx (formerly Kinkos) to print out a few pages. Never again, thanks to the Primera Trio Printer ($400)! This tiny printer weighs just 2.6 pounds and can fit in a backpack or purse. And it works just as well as much heavier models.
12 GoPro Hero4 Action Camera
Meet my put-in-your-purse go-to camera. The Hero4 ($500) is small, light, and waterproof, and you can control the 4K video and 12MP photos with a single button. New night photo and night lapse modes provide a whole new way to see Pluto — OK, maybe that’s a stretch, but they’re pretty great low-light add-ons to the latest in the GoPro line. But don’t stop there. Be sure to also invest in an LCD Touch BacPac screen ($80), which attaches to the camera, so you can review the footage immediately and ensure you got the right angle.
