CNET’s Faith Chihil says this is a must-have if you have a window seat on the plane. “It’s so convenient to still have a drink holder when your tray table is up,” she says. “It’s also nice to have your battery, phone and headphones within reach without having to dig into the seat pocket. And I love that it folds flat too.” This makes a great travel gift because your giftee isn’t likely to have it already.
CNET’s David Carnoy says Clckr’s new, trimmer Stand and Grip is one of his favorite MagSafe accessories. “The accessory really sticks to the back of your MagSafe-enabled phone or MagSafe-enabled case and not only makes it easier to hold up your phone but when converted into a kickstand, it props up your device nicely in portrait or landscape mode for video calls or video watching.”
If you’re looking for a very compact power bank you can slide into your purse or pocket, this fast charging one by EnergyQC will do the trick. CNET’s Anna Gragert says she’s used her EnergyQC power bank for years and says she always keeps it in her purse, whether she’s traveling or running errands. “It’s slim and light, so it’s easy to carry around and always does the job when my phone needs a charge on the go,” she explains. “It’s a small, simple device that works great.”
Coming in at just slightly over $25, the Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD is one of CNET’s favorite power banks because it’s small but packs a lot of power. With a 10,000-mAh battery, you can fully charge an iPhone at least twice on a single charge. It also has a fast-charging USB-C port that can quickly get your phone or tablet back to life.
CNET’s Faith Chihil says this phone holder is more secure than a phone kickstand, and you can use it with your tray closed at takeoff and landing. “As a content creator, it’s also nifty for hands-free filming at conventions and for unboxings,” she adds.
It helps to stay as organized as possible when traveling and these storage bags are great for wrangling together all sorts of small items. “Whether it is for organizing cables, flash drives or toiletries, these mesh bags have become a travel essential for long or short trips,” says CNET’s Chris Wedel.
The addition of USB and USB-C ports to travel adapters has been one of the nicer upgrades in recent years. This adapter will work pretty much anywhere in the world and includes a passthrough plug for you to plug in a laptop or other standard device too. (Note that this won’t convert voltage, but that means it will still work with virtually any gadget, except for things like hair dryers and curling irons.)
If you know someone who always runs hot, they will appreciate this mini foldable fan (that also happens to have a flashlight). It has two speeds and is super compact, so they can easily slip it into a purse or pocket.
You can’t ask for a better travel companion than the highly portable (and affordable) JBL Go 4 speaker. It’s waterproof, sounds great for its (tiny) size, recharges via USB-C and comes in a variety of fun colors too. It’s a great way to enjoy music in your hotel room, on a picnic and anywhere in between. And if you happen to get it wet, no problem — it has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. It also made our pick for best pocket-friendly wireless speaker.
Plus, you can get the JBL Go 4 speaker for a great price right now. As CNET’s Ingrid Cruz points out, “At $40, it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this speaker thus far and will likely be the best price for this speaker through the holiday season.”
CNET’s David Carnoy says a benefit of the Anker 622 “is that it’s a wireless battery that has an integrated magnetic flap that converts into a stand.” And although it’s not a fast charger, per se — charging at up to 7.5 watts — he points out that it’s slim and easy to carry around. And the charging goes up to 12 watts if you use a USB-C-to-USB-C to charge your iPhone or Android. The Anker 622 charger also made our pick for best portable chargers and power banks for Androids.
If you’re one of those people who can stand to be a little more organized when traveling — or know someone else who could be — this accessory organizer is the answer. “I’ve had one of these for around 12 years or so and it’s an easy way for me to put all of my chargers, small electronics or whatever, in one place,” says CNET’s Peter Butler. You can also check out his review of the Cocoon GRID-IT for more.
With two USB-C ports, a single USB-A port and a max output of 65 watts, this Anker power adapter can charge almost anything, from a laptop to headphones and many devices in between. Yes, the output and charging time varies when you plug in multiple devices, but it’s still a single mini power adapter rather than the two or three I used to travel with. It’s perfect for those hotel rooms with just one outlet.
No one can ever have enough AirTags, especially that traveler you know who tends to misplace…everything. While you probably know that the tracking devices can be useful when you misplace your keys or wallet, one of the more creative ways to use AirTags is to slip one into your luggage. “To relieve the stress of trying to locate your suitcase, you can put an AirTag tracker inside so you can track its whereabouts,” CNET’s Katie Teague says. And when you purchase the AirTags through Apple, you can get them engraved for free with an emoji, initials or numbers, which is a nice way to personalize this gift.
Watching in-flight movies is a great way to pass the time, but the one downside is that you usually can’t use wireless headphones. Enter the AirFly Pro Deluxe, a small device that turns any 3.5mm audio port into a Bluetooth audio transmitter and receiver for wireless headphones. It also eliminates ambient sound around you, which is a big plus — versus when you use the airline-given headphones.
This deluxe version comes with an international headphone adapter too, plus a suede travel case. CNET’s Nelson Aguilar says that it’s become one of his most treasured travel accessories when he flies and we have no doubt that your gift recipient will feel the same way.
For a solid pair of headphones under $100, check out the EarFun Wave Pro. CNET’s David Carnoy says they’re comfortable, feature decent sound with punchy bass for the price point and offer respectable noise-canceling and voice-calling performance. Their battery life is impressive, too — up to 80 hours with noise-canceling off and 55 hours with it on. They also were our pick for top new budget noise-canceling headphones.
CNET’s Joshua Goldman says that if you want one backpack that you can use for a variety of things, from your daily commute to your airplane carry-on, look no further than the Nomatic Travel Backpack. “I continue to be amazed at how well-designed this bag is every time I use it, and it truly feels like the company thought of everything,” he adds. A few of the benefits include the efficient internal design to hold all your tech (and other) gear and belongings, a retractable clip-on key leash and the handles on the top and sides so you have the option of carrying it as well.
This bag is unique in that, when you expand it, you’ll find yet another zipper that opens the backpack like a clamshell for easy packing. Although it’s a monetary investment, due to its versatility, it’s worth every penny.
For those who still like to take non-phone photos, this is a fun camera to bring along when traveling. It not only allows them to instantly print photos but also to save them onto their phone, making it a win-win.
While the 2022 Kindle Paperwhite was a winner of our CNET Editors’ Choice Award in the e-reader category, Amazon recently came out with a new version that’s even better. The 2024 model is thinner, has a larger 7-inch display, and offers 25% faster page turns. According to CNET’s David Carnoy, “The new Paperwhite does seem like a legitimate upgrade from the Paperwhite (2021) and I suspect people who’ve used that previous-gen Paperwhite will be tempted to make the jump to this model.”
Help your giftee take their favorite entertainment with them on their travels with RayNeo’s Pocket TV. Originally designed to work with the RayNeo Smart glasses, the output is just USB-C, meaning it will work with any USB-C monitor or, if they have a USB-C-to-HDMI cable, any standard TV.
It’s powered by Google TV — so they can access all their favorite streaming apps — with 64GB of memory and room for an SD card. This way, “you can save your shows for offline travel on a plane,” explains CNET’s James Bicknell. “I’ve used it a lot with the RayNeo glasses and it’s a fantastic little ecosystem for watching your favorite shows privately while traveling.”
AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe (USB-C) are nearly identical to their predecessor — you’ll still get amazing voice-calling performance and sound, plus up to six hours of battery life. This all means they are among the best headphones to fly with, thanks to their superior noise-canceling abilities. Pop these in during a flight and let the cabin noise melt away. They made CNET’s pick for best Apple AirPods and you can also check out our review of the AirPods Pro 2.
Traveling requires some situational awareness — listening for boarding call announcements, people walking up behind you on the street and more. But you don’t have to choose between listening to a podcast or hearing your environment with bone conduction headphones, which send sound waves through your cheekbones, not your ears.
CNET’s David Carnoy says that a big benefit of this technology is that you can be aware of — and hear — what’s going on around you while listening to music or having a phone conversation. “They’re very good for podcasts, talk radio, newscasts and audiobooks,” he says. They also made our pick for best bone-conduction headphones.
For capturing memories on rugged travel adventures, it’s hard to beat a GoPro. And while the GoPro Hero 13 is now available, the 2022 Hero 11 gives a large slice of the same features at a more affordable price and is still a great little action camera. Pro tip: You can shave down the price if you opt for the subscription option via GoPro.com (which includes automatic cloud uploading).
Whether your giftee is watching a movie on a flight, trying to distract the kids on a long road trip or just curling up on the couch, the iPad is a great travel-friendly gadget. This 9th-gen 2021 model is compatible with the 1st-gen Apple Pencil and the Apple Smart Keyboard, so it can even double as a decent makeshift laptop in a pinch.
Note: If you want USB-C compatibility to match their new iPhone 15, you’ll need to spend up for a 10th-gen iPad or an iPad Mini. But for me, the 9th is a deal since it’s a fraction of the cost. But don’t just take my word for it — CNET’s James Bricknell is a fan of the 9th-gen iPad too.
CNET’s Chris Wedel says he borrowed a pair of these glasses for an international flight, then quickly decided he’ll no longer travel without them. “The ability to have as much display space as I need for work, and a comfortable viewing angle for watching movies or playing games, makes travel so much more bearable,” he says. “The glasses are also great for working on the go once you arrive at your destination.” For more details on them, you can check out CNET’s review of the Xreal Air Pro 2 smart glasses.
If you know someone who likes to write or draw when they’re traveling, the Amazon Kindle Scribe can be their new digital notepad — and whatever they create can also be uploaded to the cloud. Plus, the e-reader is front-lit with high resolution (300 pixels per inch), which is helpful. “The Scribe strikes a very good balance between a large-format e-reader and an E Ink note-taking tablet,” says CNET’s David Carnoy.
Note that Amazon just came out with a second-gen version of the Scribe, and the included stylus is a decent upgrade. However, the 16B model costs around $60 more and isn’t slated to ship until early December.
If you’re looking for the best of the best when it comes to noise-canceling headphones, the current full-size Sony models are the king of the hill. Sony has made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance, as well as even better noise-canceling and more refined sound. And the battery will last your giftee up to 32 hours. This pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 also made CNET’s pick for best noise-canceling headphones.
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For something a bit different than the standard action cam, try the Insta360 One X2. This nifty little camera will let your gift recipient shoot eye-catching 360-degree videos, which they can then easily edit on their phone with the accompanying app. It has an “invisible selfie stick” and great image stabilization too, so they can get drone-like shots without the drone.
There’s also a cool bullet-time mode that’ll allow them to swing the device around their head for awesome aerial panning videos. While the company came out with the newer X4 earlier this year, this model is about $100-200 cheaper.