I travel pretty frequently for business and, over the years, I like to think I’ve become quite the pro traveler — probably because I put entirely too much thought into things like whether I should use my spinner carry-on or weekender bag, and which battery pack is going to be the ‘right’ one for this trip.
Still, the thought has seemingly paid off. I’m that guy who shows up 45 minutes before his flight, breezes through the TSA pre-check line and gets to the gate right as boarding starts. I love it.
Part of what makes my travel easier and more enjoyable are some simple tech items I make sure I don’t leave home without. I look for, and buy, products that are small, reliable and durable. They have to perform well and without worry of them breaking on a trip.
Here are my essential tech travel items that go everywhere with me:
1. Apple Airpods
I wrote a more in-depth review on Airpods after testing several bluetooth earbuds including Bose Soundlink Wireless and Beats Powerbeats3, and I stick to the premise of that review that Airpods are by far the best bluetooth earbuds on the market for your iPhone.
They really shine when traveling as they are small, have a nice case that charges them, and use Apple’s lightning cable to charge so you don’t need to worry about bringing separate charging cables or docks.
2. Anker Astro E1 Battery Pack
This is a no brainer. The Anker Astro E1 battery pack is small and provides 2 full phone charges on-the-go. It’s well-built and tough, while being incredibly travel friendly.
I use the Astro E1 pretty much daily while traveling as having to look for, or be tethered to an outlet sucks.
If you’re looking for something even smaller, check out our Anker PowerCore Mini review.
3. Tile Mate
I don’t usually lose stuff (says the guy who just lost his sunglasses in NYC last week), but considering the value and importance of the gear I travel with — I really don’t want to take even the smallest chance of losing my bags.
I take 2 Tile Mate‘s on every trip I go in and put one in my carry-on bag and one in my messenger bag. It’s nice reassurance for those times when I get forced to check my carry-on and may even help if my bags get lost or stolen.
For $50 (2 Tile Mate’s), I’d rather have the peace of mind than worry.
4. Anker Powerline+ Lightning Cable
I really can’t stand when gear breaks on me while traveling. I know everyone hates it, but I think my disdain for crappy gear is, for better or worse, quite a bit above average. It infuriates me.
So, I don’t take a chance with probably the most important accessory I take when I travel — the Anker Powerline+ Lighting cable. The Powerline is made from double-braid nylon and just feels like it’s not going to let you down — it is quality.
It’s certainly not the cheapest cable you can find on Amazon, but for $16, I’m not going to deal with cables that crap out every 3 months at the worst possible time.
5. Mykit Universal Phone and Tablet Stand
I’m always looking for somewhere to stand my phone. I used to think a stand was useless as I could either hold my phone or lay it flat on something — I was wrong. When I’m traveling, I run into situations where having a stand (like FaceTime calls) is awesome.
The Mykit multi-angle universal stand is perfect for me. It has a solid stand than can be used at many different angles as well as folded in for easy packing. The non-slip feet are a nice touch and work well on almost all surfaces.
At under $7 on Amazon, do yourself a favor and get one — it’s also great for home or work use making this an even better value.
Do you have a favorite tech travel accessory I missed? Email me and let me know!