As an avid traveler, I can say that being away from home with a dead phone or on a long flight without entertainment is one of the worst feelings in the world. That’s why packing the best travel tech accessories in your carry-on is an imperative step when getting ready for any trip.
I’ll be the first to admit that after packing my clothes and trying to stay organized before leaving, I’ve often forgotten to fully charge my devices or failed to bring the proper chargers to keep them powered up during my flight. There have been multiple occasions when I’ve run out of the house and left my charger in the wall by my bedside, or forgotten to bring an international outlet converter when traveling out of the country.
In the end, these mistakes cost me lots of time, money, and aggravation, trying to purchase them at the airport or once I arrived at my destination. Have you seen the prices of phone chargers at the airport?!?
You’d think being married to a former flight attendant, who always seems to be meticulously packed, would have taught me a few things early on. However, it wasn’t until I had to travel alone that I finally learned how to be a better and more organized packer, especially when it comes to important tech gadgets like chargers and adapters.
Small travel hacks like keeping an extra set of chargers and wall boxes in my travel kit have been game changers for me, and with just a few simple steps they can also change your travel experience for the better.
After learning the hard way, I can say that I’ve even become somewhat of a packing expert. Adding these tech gadgets into my packing routine has certainly changed the way that I travel forever and, looking back, I can’t even believe that I used to manage without them.
Keep scrolling to see my favorite travel tech accessories below, alongside my go-to tech tips for making any journey less stressful.
1. Pack an Extra Charger
Mailesi iPhone Fast Charger
Packing and keeping an extra charger in your carry-on can be a real lifesaver if you forget to bring your own. It’s a must-have travel tech accessory.
I personally keep mine packed so that I never have to remember to grab it — and boy has it come in handy. This one works with iPhones, iPads, and AirPods. If you have an Android, opt for a charger like this that charges your phones and tablets.
2. Tech Travel Cases Are Great for Organization
Bevegekos Tech Organizer Travel Case
Looking for a way to keep all of your travel tech accessories organized? This is the perfect kit.
This travel tech organizer features two compartments that can hold power banks, external hard drives, memory cards, cables, earphones, adapters, and more. It’s compact enough to fit in any bag and also has a lanyard so you can easily carry it on its own.
3. Buy a Wireless Transmitter
Twelve South Airfly Pro
Using a wireless transmitter allows you to enjoy in-flight entertainment with your Bluetooth headphones rather than needing to plug in.
This one is the AirFly Pro from Twelve South, and it’s my favorite because it can connect two pairs of wireless headphones at the same time, allowing me and my husband to watch movies together on the headrest monitors with our own AirPods.
In the past, we would struggle to sync the movies on our individual headrests and plug-in headphones, but this gadget has been the perfect solution.
4. Keep a Portable Battery With You at All Times
Anker 313 Portable Charger Power Bank
The Anker portable battery is another gadget that I absolutely do not leave home without. I take it on both long and short trips because it’s a total godsend if you need charging on the go, or can’t find an outlet to charge your phone.
This battery can hold 2.25 charges for an iPhone and 1.2 charges for an iPad mini, and has a built-in safety system for avoiding an overcharge.
5. Track Your Luggage and Other Travel Necessities
Tile Mate Essentials 4-Pack
If the thought of losing items while traveling is a concern, invest in a tracker like an Apple AirTag or Tile Mate — two essential travel tech accessories after summer 2022 became the year of lost luggage.
Place them in your bags to keep track of their every move, in your laptop case, on your pet’s collar, you name it. This could especially come in handy if the airline loses your luggage, but it also helpful if you want a better estimate of how close your bag is at baggage claim. The Tile app lets you view your Tile’s most recent location on a map and works with both iOS and Android devices.
6. Work While on the Go With a WiFi Mobile Hotspot
Solis Lite 4G LTE WiFi Mobile Hotspot
Need to stay connected while traveling? This
International SIMO Solis 4G LTE Mobile WiFi Hotspot can help you stay connected no matter where you are, both domestically and internationally.
It offers over 16 hours of battery life, connects to up to 10 devices, and doubles as a battery bank to keep all of your devices powered no matter where you are.
7. Don’t Forget an International Adapter When Traveling Abroad
Unidapt Universal Travel Adapter
When traveling abroad, bringing an adapter is a must — but it can be easy to forget amidst all your other to-do’s.
This travel tech accessory is small and compact, allowing you to tuck it in any bag or tech kit. It features several ports and can charge up to 6 devices at the same time in just one outlet. This one in particular works in 160 countries and is perfect for travel.
8. A Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer Will be Your Best Friend for Photos
DJI OM 4 SE 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer
Yeah, I know. It can feel super geeky walking around an unfamiliar town with a selfie stick. But I promise, when you touchdown in a beautiful locale like Morocco or Paris and want to take a professional-grade picture, that feeling will quickly dissipate.
Stay prepared by keeping a smartphone gimbal stabilizer in your backpack to capture the best footage while on your trip. This one is compact and features a magnetic design for fast attachment.
9. Listen to Music and Audiobooks in Your Hotel Room With a Portable Speaker
JBL Clip 4: Portable Speaker With Bluetooth
If you’re someone who likes to listen to music or audiobooks while in your hotel room or Airbnb, you’re going to need a compact speaker like this one from JBL.
The JBL Clip 4 is one of my favorites because of its compact size and amazing sound. It features a carabiner that helps you easily attach it to backpacks or bags, allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your phone, tablet, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device while on the go.
10. Block Out Sound and Enjoy Music While Flying With a Pair of Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sony 1000XM5 Wireless Headphones
If you’re in for a long fight, you’re definitely going to need a pair of headphones with long battery life.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are the best option, hands down. They offer 30-hour battery life with quick charging. In fact, 3 minutes of charging will give you 3 hours of playback time; that’s like an hour per minute! The noise cancellation effectively blocks out background noise (think screaming children) while the intuitive touch control settings allow you to easily pause, play, skip tracks, control volume, and answer phone calls.
