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President's Day weekend is nearly upon us, which means it’s time for people to start moving around. Maybe you’re heading back home, maybe you’ve got a business trip to make, maybe you’re just starting to plan your next vacation. Whatever the case, a few good gadgets can make hitting the road (or skies) altogether less exhausting. (Relatively speaking.) So below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite travel-friendly tech. They’re varied, but all of them will help you survive your ride in their own way.
A pair of noise-cancelling headphones
Whether you’re riding shotgun with the family or stuck on a cross-country flight, at some point during your trek you’ll probably want everything around you to just shut up. You can try asking politely, but a better idea would be simulating the same effect with a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Bose’s QuietComfort series is the cream of the crop here, and its in-ear QuietComfort 20 is the lightest and most portable of the bunch. It’s also $250. If that’s too much, Phiaton’s BT 100 NCisn’t really close to the QuietComfort’s silencing tech, but it’s more than solid for $100, and sounds pretty great to boot. Just make sure you’re cool with its neckband-style design first.
Now, not all of you will need noise-cancelling to enjoy some music on the go. If you’re just looking from something cheap, light, and nice-sounding, I like the clean and detailed sounds of the MEE Audio A151— though by now you should know that there arelotsof otherwaysyou can go.
What to consider:
Bose QuietComfort 20, $299, available at Amazon.
Phiaton BT 100 NC, $99, available at Amazon.
MEE Audio A151, $32.65, available at Amazon.
A laptop
For all the devices claiming to threaten its existence, a good laptop is still the most natural blend of “something for entertainment” and “something for getting things done.” They’re eternally good for travel. If you grab a super thin Ultrabook, they’re aren’t much of a hassle to toss in a bag, either.
There are two clear-cut winners among those: The wonderfully well-made Dell XPS 13 for Windows users, and the long-steady MacBook Air for Apple loyalists. With its sharper screen, lower starting price, and tighter design, I prefer the new XPS 13, but you really can’t go wrong either way.
Laptops are one of those markets where you really see a drop-off in quality if you try to cut costs — there are a few decent budget options out there, but most are too chunky and battery-light to be great companions on the go.
If you know you can be careful with it, though, Toshiba’s Satellite C55-C5241 is a pretty solid performer for just $430. If even that is too much, or you just want something to type up some Word docs on the flight, I don’t mind the $180 Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11, either.
What to consider:
Dell XPS 13 (Non-touch), $799.99, available at Dell.
Apple MacBook Air (13.3-inch), $999.99, available at Best Buy.
Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241, $469.99, available at Amazon.
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11, $167.92, available at Amazon.
A tablet
Unless you splurge on something like a Surface Pro 4— which still appears to be as good as it gets, for a hybrid — your tablet will probably get more mileage as a consumption device than a production one on the road. It’s mostly something for movie watching, web browsing, book reading, and game playing.
To nobody’s surprise, Apple’s iPad line still has the best mix of gorgeous design, super fast performance, and dead simple software for making all that a pleasure. If you grab the flagship iPad Air 2, you’ll get something that’s at least somewhat accommodating to most people’s work too.
The iPad mini 4, meanwhile, is about as powerful as the Air 2, and more compact, but won’t be as friendly if productivity is a big deal.
The entry-level iPad mini 2 is the weakest in the series, and has a comparatively lesser display, but it’s still great for the money, and a little less unwieldy by default. The sheer user-friendliness of iOS on tablets keeps it a step above just about any other budget tablet on the market.
For pure value, though, the $50 Amazon Fire is tough to top. It’s a cheap slate, to be sure, but it’s consistently competent where it matters. If you just want to pass the time with a few videos, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member, it’s a great buy for the cash-strapped.
What to consider:
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, $899, available at Microsoft Store.
Apple iPad Air 2, $499.99, available at Best Buy.
Apple iPad mini 4, $399.99, available at Best Buy.
Apple iPad mini 2, $269, available at Wal-Mart.
Amazon Fire, $49.99, available at Amazon.
A portable keyboard
If you’d really rather not crunch your laptop into your bag, packing a portable keyboard will make working with your tablet less of a headache than it’d be with a virtual QWERTY pad.
These don’t get much lighter and thinner than the Logitech Keys-to-Go, which is what one of the Surface Pro’s Touch Covers would be like if it had genuine feedback and travel. It’s totally spill-resistant, too, and these days you can find it for a relatively affordable $35 or so.
Its ultra-thin design won’t be for everyone, however. If you’d rather a slightly more traditional, though no less affordable, keyboard, the new Logitech K380 feels good, looks good, and isn’t a burden to carry around.
What to consider:
Logitech Keys-to-Go, $34.99, available at Best Buy.
Logitech K380, $34.76, available at Amazon.
An e-reader
If you’re the type who spends your rides plowing through books, Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is a great buy. The Kindle ecosystem is far and away the most reliable of the e-reading crop, and the fine display, big battery, and built-in backlight of the Paperwhite make accessing it very smooth. The only noteworthy issue is that it’s not waterproof; if that’s a concern, Barnes & Noble’s new Nook GlowLight Plus should do the trick.
What to consider:
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, $119.99, available at Amazon.
Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight Plus, $129.99, available at Barnes & Noble.
An unlocked smartphone
You don’t need me to explain why your smartphone is an important travel accessory. There’s a good chance it runs your life as it is. But if you’re a frequent traveler in the market for a new phone, it’s worth picking up an unlocked model — i.e., one that isn’t tied down to a particular carrier.
You’ll still pay a little more for it upfront — though times are changing— but one perk you’ll gain in return is the ability to swap out SIM cards and switch carriers if you’re heading overseas. You’ll keep coverage and avoid pricey roaming charges as a result, and most of the time you’ll even make a little more cash when it comes time to resell the device.
None of this really changes which smartphones are best, though: The iPhone 6s is still tops for most people, what with its wonderful camera, blazing fast performance, full display, and eternally supported app store. There isn’t really anyone for whom it’s outright bad.
Huawei’s Nexus 6P is a fantastic alternative for Android and phablet aficionados, though, and the Motorola Moto G and Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 are well-rounded choices for those on a budget.
And if you just need a cheapo old-school phone in case of emergencies, you can look to something like the Blu Tank II. Don’t judge.
What to consider:
Apple iPhone 6s, $649.99, available at Apple.
Huawei Nexus 6P, $449, available at Google.
Motorola Moto G, $177.68, available at Amazon.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 (4.7-inch), $174, available at Amazon.
Blu Tank II, $19.99, available at Amazon.
A media streamer
Alright, you’ve made it to the hotel, and you want to relax a bit before heading back into the wild. You can catch some Netflix on one of many solid media streamers, but of the cheaper and more compact dongles on the market, I like the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Though its UI caters heavily to Prime members, it’s faster than the Roku Streaming Stick, doesn’t require an outside device like the Google Chromecast, and supports most major apps. It can bypass the pesky captive portals that keep some streamers from connecting at hotels, and its new remote now has built-in voice search. For $40, it does what you need, and does it well.
What to consider:
Amazon Fire TV Stick, $34.99, available at Amazon.
A Bluetooth speaker
You can liven up that hotel room (or the drive to it) by blasting some music (or just some NPR) through a quality Bluetooth speaker. There’s an overwhelming number of options to choose from, but the JBL Flip 3 nets you a full, smooth sound, about 10-12 hours of battery life, water resistance, and a sturdy, colorful design for less than $100. It’s just a great buy.
If you’re backpacking or generally heading outdoors, though, a more diminutive speaker like the JBL Clip+ might work better. As its name implies, it has a built-in carabiner clip that lets it easily attach to a bag or belt loop. It also has the same water resistance. It can’t get as powerful as the Flip 3, naturally, but its sound is still crisp, clear, and largely free of distortion. It’s a superb choice in the $40-50 range.
What to consider:
JBL Flip 3 (Black), $85.50, available at Amazon.
JBL Clip+ (Red), $43.99, available at Amazon.
A travel router
As we’ve noted before, HooToo’s series of TripMate devices are explicitly designed to make traveling more convenient. The TripMate Titan is the high-end model of the group, and acts as a serviceable portable battery, travel WiFi router, and network-attached storage all at once.
It isn’t outstanding in any one of those areas, but it’s the rare all-in-one that actually does multiple things well. It isn’t particularly big, either. For $59 (normally), it’s a fairly affordable way to consolidate a few handy devices into one.
What to consider:
HooToo TripMate Titan, $39.50, available at Amazon.
A portable USB battery
Still, many of you may not need a travel router or NAS to make it through your trip. A portable battery, on the other hand, is almost always something you’ll be glad to have brought with you.
Anker is a tried-and-true name in that market, and its new PowerCore batteries are smooth, slim, and efficient. Ranging from $20 for a 10400mAh unit to $40 for a 20100mAh pack, they aren’t overly expensive either.
That they have near-perfect user reviews on Amazon at the moment should give you an idea of how reliable they are. If you have a long ride ahead, there’s just a heightened sense of security that comes with having one of these things around. They’re usually worth the bag space.
What to consider:
Anker PowerCore 10400mAh, $19.99, available at Amazon.
Anker PowerCore 15600mAh, $36.99, available at Amazon.
Anker PowerCore 20100mAh, $39.99, available at Amazon.
A USB and Lightning cable / Power strip
Then there’s the obvious power-related stuff. Regardless of what gadgets you bring on your travels, it can never hurt to have a few spare microUSB and/or Lightning cables around in case one gets misplaced along the way. Again, Anker has reliable and affordable options here with its PowerLine microUSB Cable and Lightning-to-USB Cable.
Likewise, if you wind up in a hotel room that doesn’t have enough outlets to charge all your devices, a small power strip like Belkin’s SurgePlus Mini Charger can come in handy.
What to consider:
Anker PowerLine microUSB Cable (6ft), $5.99, available at Amazon.
Anker Lightning-to-USB Cable (6ft), $7.99, available at Amazon.
Belkin SurgePlus 3-Outlet Mini Charger, $17.99, available at Amazon.
A mobile hotspot
Finding steady internet on the go (or in a spotty hotel room) is a notorious hassle, but you can bypass much of that annoyance with a mobile hotspot. If you can’t or don’t want to use your phone as such, Verizon’s Jetpack MiFi 6620L is a dependable, consistently well-reviewed option. Like most MiFi routers, it’s not cheap, but Verizon’s network has long been the fastest and most expansive in the country. If you live on the road, it could be a wise investment.
What to consider:
Verizon Jetpack MiFi 6620L, $49.99 (w/contract) or $199.99 (w/o contract), available at Verizon.
An emergency flash drive
Finally, your gear will be more prone to disasters when you’re outside the confines of your home. As such, it’s worth another reminder that you should really go out of your way to backup your data before heading off. If you’re working with a handful of important files in particular, bringing along a spare flash drive is a simple and space-efficient way to keep them safe.
The differences between most USB sticks aren’t enormous, practically speaking — just make sure you buy a USB 3.0 one — but the SanDisk Extreme gets you proven fast read/write speeds and a fair amount of space at an affordable price. With a 4.6 rating after 1,800 Amazon reviews, it’s shouldn’t let you down.
What to consider:
SanDisk Extreme (16GB), $16.66, available at Amazon.
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