We’ve compiled a list of 26 must have travel gadgets that every traveler ought to have in their travel kit (or at least think about having). In this list of the best travel gadgets, you will find a multitude of travel gadgets including:
- Essential travel gadgets
- Unique travel gadgets
- Cool travel gadgets
- Practical travel gadgets
- Gadgets to make flying more comfortable
- Top Tech travel gadgets
- Business travel gadgets
- And more!
What is a Travel Gadget?
What’s a travel gadget you ask? Great question. A travel gadget is some piece of gear or technology that solves a common traveler problem. And if you travel you are gonna run into some funny, weird and downright frustrating travel problems (tangled headphone cords, anyone!?).
Some of these air travel gadgets are pretty cool. Some are pretty, let’s say, unique. Some, essential. Do you really need them all? Probably not, but some of them really ought to be in your travel kit! And some might just be for fun. Some might be more geared as a business travel gadget, while others might be more targeted as a vacation travel gadget. Either way…we got ’em.
Here are the 26 travel gadgets (well, it’s now more than 26…in fact a lot more!) Stay tuned because we keep adding new ones)! Let’s dig in.
By the way, where applicable, we’ve highlighted a few travel gadgets that specifically apply to business travelers (an area we focus on a bit here at the CBoardingGroup). You will know them by this moniker: [Best Business Travel Gadgets]
Best Travel Gadgets – a big ole list
We have categorized this list of travel gadgets into the following buckets: Tech, Clothing & Beauty, Health & Fitness, Safety and Other.
Must Have Travel Gadgets – Technology
Tech, tech and more tech please! We all love tech when we travel and there are some pretty good travel gadgets here. From chargers to headphones to adapters and more. Check ’em out!
Poweradd 2-Outlet Mini Portable Travel Surge Protector (essential business travel gadgets) [Best Business Travel Gadgets]
This portable travel surge protector is pretty sweet. It’s small (5.5in x 1.3in) and includes 2 USB ports. In addition to the surge protected standard 3 prong outlet is also has a wrap around cord for easy storage. Comes with lifetime technical support (in case you can’t figure out how to plug stuff in…lol). We also believe that a travel surge protector is one of the essential travel gadgets travelers need to have – especially business travelers.
Universal Travel Power Adapter
This little gadget is definitely a must-have if you do any sort of international travel. For example, I am heading to Poland soon and snagged one of these to make sure I could translate my US-based power to the system used by Poland.
Speaking of Power Adapters, here’s a quick video that our readers might enjoy that talks about several different international travel adapters and how to use them, etc:
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones
The Beats Solo3 wireless headphones are extremely high quality headphones and perfect for traveling. You can read our review of them here.
Backup wired headphones
While we prefer fancier on-the-ear or over-the-ear headphones we also always bring a set of backup wired headphones. Maybe we forgot to charge our fancy Bose headphones or maybe they got damaged by some yahoo stomping down the aisle (ugh!).
If you have a backup set, you are in the money though. There’s a lot to choose from, but we recommend these affordable fellas from Betron:
Etekcity Digital Hanging Luggage Scale
The Etekcity Digital Hanging Luggage Scale is “…designed to save you stress and money when traveling by airline. With a weight capacity of up to 100 pounds (50 kg) and no setup necessary, you are able to measure the weight of nearly any bag in an instant, at anytime and anyplace.”
This gadget to weigh luggage will make sure you do not go over the weight limit on your checked bag.
We’d love it if you pin this:
Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder – cool travel gadgets
Tired of having to hold your phone or tablet in your hand the whole flight while binge watching Mad Men? Or perhaps just tired of having to jerry rig your phone to stay propped up on the tray table? You need the Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder which is specifically designed for airplane travel.
This must have air travel gadget “allows you to place your device where it can be easily viewed at eye level, reducing neck and back pain and making your travel experience more comfortable.”
We love this cool little device which is why we rank it as one of the best air travel gadgets on our list! Update: I just bought this for my oldest son (and recent college graduate) and he absolutely loves this. It is now his new favorite piece of travel gear.
NTONPOWER Portable Charging Station & Travel Power Strip [Best Business Travel Gadgets]
Only one plug accessible in your hotel room? No problem. This handy travel gadget can solve that for you. The NTONPOWER Portable Charging Station & Travel Power Strip is the perfect solution for plugging multiple devices in on your trip.
QEES Leather Cord Organizer
If you’ve ever traveled for longer than five minutes you know how infuriating it can be when you pull your charger and headphones and other other cords you have in your travel kit out. It’s a tangled mess!
The stylish QEES Leather Cord Organizer is compact and functional easily accommodating and protecting several power cords and headphones. Use this piece of travel gear to stow all of your best travel gadgets!
ELFRhino Earbuds Holder and Cord Organizer
If you are looking for something a little simpler to hold your earbuds then the ELFRhino Earbuds Holder and Cord Organizer is a simple, functional and affordable. And it comes in several different great colors. It is the perfect affordable travel gadget to add to your kit without breaking the bank.
Here’s our product review, btw, on the ELFRhino Cord Holder
We don’t have a lot of small travel gadgets on our list, but this fit the bill and it’s the perfect travel gadget for your stocking come Christmas, perhaps?
Anker PowerCore 20100 – one of the latest travel gadgets we added
Nothing more frustrating than your phone or tablet dying on you with 3 hours left to go on your flight. That’s why the Anker PowerCore 20100 is one of the best gadgets for air travel. This is one of those great travel gadgets that easy to overlook, but so critical to add to your kit.
Check the Price on the Anker PowerCore 20100 – a great tech travel gadget
Read my product review on the Anker PowerCore 20100 here. If I had a top 10 travel gadgets list…this would be on it at around #3. 🙂
The DJI Mavic Pro Travel Drone Kit – overall best travel drone
The DJI Mavic Pro is consistently ranked by drone enthusiasts as a “best value” sort of drone. For travelers looking for the right combination of features, value, and quality without breaking the bank, this is your win. Wired.com ranks it 9/10 and calls it the “best flying eye candy you can buy.” PCMag calls it “The Best Small Drone.” Many drone enthusiasts rate the DJI Mavic Pro as the best drone for travelers.
Listen, I get it. This isn’t an essential travel gadget. In fact, it falls more into the category of fun travel gadgets, but that’s exactly why we added it. Because it’s badass! Drones are just cool. And they are a great travel gadget to add to your next vacation. Bam! Now, go convince your spouse.
Speaking of Travel Drones you might be interested in some comparison shopping for Travel Drones. Check out BestTravelDrone.com to find out more!
Finally, if you’ve already bought a drone and simply looking for tips and tricks on how to travel with your drone check out these great ideas:
- 7 Tips for Traveling with with a drone: the experts weigh in
- TSA Drone Policy
- Delta Drone Policy
- American Airlines Drone Policy
- United Airlines Drone Policy
- Airline Drone Policies
goTenna Mesh to send messages when off the grid
The goTenna Mesh is a one of the best new travel gadgets on the market. It allows you to daisy chain your phone to it and it to other goTenna Mesh’s thus keeping you connected.
The goTenna Mesh crates a backup communication network for you use during emergency situations when cell service is down, etc. Yup…a wicked cool travel gadget if you ask me!
Travel Camera Bundle
A high quality travel camera is always a nice thing to consider for your gadget collection. For example, the Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera Bundle is the perfect kit for your next trip.
And if you are looking for a mirrorless camera check out this post from Year of the Monkey on the Best Mirrorless Travel Camera.
Best Travel Gadgets – Clothing & Beauty
The best clothing or beauty related travel gadgets and travel gear you might need (or want).
World’s Tiniest Travel Iron (w/ case)
Wrinkled clothes suck. Hotel irons suck too. With the Aproca Mini Travel Steam Iron with Travel Case you trip doesn’t have to suck though.
This micro travel iron is a great practical travel gadget to add to your packing list. It’s compact, but functional. Weighs 4 oz! Is tiny at 6.6 x 5.3 x 3.5 inches (one of our smallest travel gadgets). It comes with a great hard case and most importantly…it works!
Portable Travel Steamer
Sometimes getting an iron out really isn’t convenient or the right thing to use anyway. Hotels don’t usually have steamers, and while the old “use the shower steam in my hotel bathroom to take the wrinkles out of my pants” trick is pretty handy, it doesn’t solve every wrinkle we face.
A portable travel size steamer could be the lightweight gadget your trip needs. The Pax Travel Steamer is 8 x 5.5 inches which means it easily fits in your luggage.
Best of all, it takes only 60 short seconds to heat up (which is great if you are dashing out the door of your hotel room and spot that nasty crease in your shirt…ugh!).
Shacke Pak – 4 Set Packing Cubes – Travel Organizers with Laundry Bag
Personally, I think Travel Organizers & packing cubes are lame. But gosh darnit they sure seem to be popular. If you are the kind of person who can’t get organized when you pack the Shacke Pak Cube Set will give you all the essentials to get your travel life more organized. What peeps tells us is is this one of the pieces of gear / gadgets to make travel easier. I guess…
Put your skivvies in one container, your shirts in another and so on. Go on, get organized already with this fast-becoming-essential piece of travel gear (just not essential for me). 🙂
Cosmetic Travel Bag Hanging Toiletry Organizer
Hang the Hikentue Cosmetic Travel Bag and Hanging Toiletry Organizer in your hotel room closet for easy access to all of your beauty products. It’s compact size still gives you the room you need for your favorite conditioner while giving you easy access (when opened and hung) to all of your favorite toiletries.
And it’s available in five colors including the lovely grey, below. Exactly the sort of travel gear I might just buy my wife for Christmas!
butyface Lighted Travel Makeup Mirror
Tired of applying your makeup with crummy lighting in your hotel room? Never again with the butyface Lighted Travel Makeup Mirror that easily fits into your makeup bag and gives you the light you need to get your game face on.
Must Have Travel Gadgets – Health
It’s hard to stay healthy when traveling. But with these must have healthy travel gadgets you can get a leg up on changing that!
See our guide on Face Coverings for Travel here
Trtl Travel Pillow – essential travel gear
Sleeping on a plane is possible. Well, it’s not if you don’t have the Trtl Travel Pillow which gives you comfortable neck support designed for upright sleeping. Get through that brutal long haul red-eye flight in virtually no time by sleeping through it!
For more travel pillow ideas, check out our post on Top Travel Pillows!
And if you are looking to go a little higher end consider the Trtl Pillow Plus which ain’t cheap, but it’s the pillow we consider the best travel pillow we’ve ever used.
Nomader Collapsible Travel Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is a key part of staying healthy while you travel. Many airports now have water refill stations on the other side of the security checkpoint. The Nomader Collapsible Travel Water Bottle is one of the most popular bottles around. You can read our review of it right here!
Alternatively, the Que Travel Water Bottle is another interesting option. We recommend you steer clear of the Baiji Water Bottle.
Manduka eKO SuperLite Travel Yoga and Pilates Mat
Get your downward dog on no matter where you are at – even a Hampton Inn in Minot, ND! The eKO SuperLite Travel Yoga & Pilates Mat is the perfect travel mat to take with you on a trip without killing your valuable luggage space.
This is exactly the kind of travel gear the healthy traveler would go for…you know who you are!
PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Gel Infused with Essential Oils – essential travel gear
See a PriceFight those nasty travel germs with the travel sized PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Gel Infused with Essential Oils. These bottles easily attach to your backpack or suitcase for easy access and are under the TSA guidelines for liquids so you will have no trouble getting them through security.
And this batch is infused with essential oils. So, like basically, it cures cancer and stuff.
This isn’t really a travel gadget per se, but it’s definitely travel gear…and it’s a must-have.
Best Travel Gadget: Weighted Ropeless Jump Rope
The Benvo Weighted Ropeless Jump Rope (say that 3 times fast) is the perfect travel gadget to through in your bag on your next trip. Not only is ropeless, it includes a removable weight that allows you to increase or decrease your workout intensity.
Lightweight, effective and tangle-free, it’s perfect for some quick jump roping in your hotel room. You know, the kind that doesn’t knock over the lamp and pull the TV off the wall!
Nima Peanut Sensor
This healthy travel gadget is fast becoming one of the most essential travel gadgets travelers suffering from allergies can bring with them. Make sure your food is truly allergy free when traveling with this cool travel gadget.
My sister’s children all suffer from various food allergies – some of them deadly peanut allergies. This makes travel difficult for them. Use the Nima Peanut Sensor and simply add a small bit of food to the tester and bam…find out the truth.
This is actually becoming one of the most popular travel gadgets on our list…and we can see why!
It might also be worth considering a travel sized thermometer.
Must Have Travel Safety Gadgets
All of the best travel safety gadgets and gizmos you didn’t know you needed to stay safe while you travel.
Speaking of staying safe, you might be interested in the 9 Hotel Safety Tips – You Need to Know. Or 9 Travel Safety Tips to help you stay safe on your next trip.
TSA Approved Luggage Locks – for when you check your bags
The #1 Travel Hack of All Time is never check your bag. Seriously, don’t do it. But, if you have to (and honestly, sometimes you do), you should lock it.
But you need a TSA Approved Luggage Lock so they guys in blue don’t cut the lock when they search your bag! The TravelMore 4 Dial TSA Approved Luggage Lock fits the bill perfectly and is the perfect travel security gadget to add to your kit.
SABRE Wedge Door Stop Security Alarm with 120 dB Siren – for your hotel
Feeling a little unsafe in your hotel room? Don’t trust those flimsy door latches? No problem. The SABRE Wedge Door Stop Security Alarm sounds a 120 db (aka really flipping loud) alarm if someone attempts to open your door.
Wake yourself up and the guest in the room next to you up…and frankly, the entire hotel floor with this neat, must have travel gadget.
MUNIO Designer Self Defense Keychain – a travel safety gadget
The MUNIO Designer Self Defense Keychain is a traveler’s alternative to pepper spray or stun guns. It’s airport safe and can be used to gouge and jab an attacker with the semi-sharp point.
Sometimes even a small deterrent like jabbing an attacker in the arm with your key ring can be all it takes to get them to move on.
RFID Blocking Passport and Document Protector
Imagine losing your passport while on vacation to Niger. What a hassle. With the Venture 4th Travel Neck Pouch Neck Wallet (an Amazon Best Seller for this category) you don’t have to worry about that happening.
Nor do you have to worry about someone remotely jacking your ATM card due to the RFID blocking feature of this neck wallet.
Must Have Travel Gadgets 2019 – Other
These are all of the travel gadgets that don’t fit into any single category, but are certainly worth considering for your must-have list!
Travel Umbrella – one of the essential travel gadgets [Best Business Travel Gadgets]
14 seconds after it starts raining in NYC, umbrella vendors magically appear hocking $17.00 umbrellas that are so crappy you might as well just get soaked.
But no more! Come prepared with a travel umbrella that easily fits in your travel kit without taking up too much space.
The Kemovan Travel Compact Umbrella comes in 12 colors, is super compact and fairly durable – for a travel umbrella. Throw it in your purse or carry-on backpack and never get caught in the rain again.
I believe that a travel umbrella is one of the essential travel gadgets ever traveler ought to bring with them.
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Wallet Ninja 18 in 1 Multi-purpose Credit Card Size Pocket Tool – a cool travel gadget
Gone are the days of bringing a cool Leatherman multi tool on the plane (Thanks Terrorists). But the Wallet Ninja 18 in 1 Multi-purpose Credit Card Size Pocket Tool is eighteen tools in one and fits into your wallet like any old credit card.
Way cool! I love this must have travel gadget. Frankly it’s one of the most interesting and neat travel gadgets on our list!
Here’s a video of the Wallet Ninja in action:
Here’s a quick video of a few travel gadgets worth looking at!
That’s all of the best travel gadgets 2019…peace out
Ok, that’s it. 26 (actually, it’s more than that now! A lot more…) of the coolest, neatest, must have travel gadgets and cool travel gear out there. I hope you enjoyed the list and stay tuned…who knows we might even find more amazing travel gadgets and gear out there!
What piece of travel gear did we miss in our list of best travel gadgets 2019? What is your essential travel gadget? Your favorite gadgets for air travel? We want to know! Drop us a comment or tweet us. And, don’t forget to follow us on social media including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
By the way, if you are interested in more travel tips and travel advice, you might like these great articles:
- 147 Business Travel Tips – the ultimate list of road warrior tips & tricks
- 31 Amazing Hotel Hacks Travel Pros Use all the Time
- 53 Amazing Gifts for Business Travelers
- Ultimate Bitcoin Travel Directory
- 11 Best Hotel Beds – Where to buy that Hotel Mattress you loved
- 101 Travel Hacks for the Business Traveler
- 11 Packing Tips for Air Travel
- 9 Travel Safety Tips
- Best Travel Drone – compare and contrast the top rated drones for traveling
- What is a Young Driver Fee?
- Anker Power Core 20100 Portable Charger Review
- Best Travel Blogs 2019 – the Ultimate List
- Top Travel Pillows – the best travel pillows for 2019
- Get over jet lag – 11 let lag tips for travelers
- Black Friday Travel Deals – shop from your couch
- Airline Drone Policies – find out if your airline allows drones
- Can you bring tweezers on a plane?
- Can I Bring a Razor in my Carry On? Checked luggage?
- What are the benefits of business travel (and downsides)?
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3 comments
What an incredible though you havent addressed one more concern a portable WiFi. I have been using Skyroam for a while but it has been slow. I have opting for rentnconnect though I dont know its performance. Can you share some of the latest devices that you might be having that might serve a great purpose on that.
Great list! I will take note of this, might be handy as we frequently travel. Thank you!
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