Posted: 5/4/17 | may 4th, 2017
In this month’s travel tech column, Dave Dean, our local travel tech guru, all-around amazing dude, and found of the tech site too numerous Adapters, rounds up the best travel gadgets for 2017.
Working out what to pack — and much more importantly, what to leave behind — is a major hassle for travelers, whether you’re gone for a week or a year. tech gear, in particular, is a problem: models and features change all the time; it’s fragile, expensive, and tempting to thieves; and it can easily distract from the experience you’re trying to have. even worse, a lot of it just doesn’t work very well once you get out on the road.
I’ve been writing about technology for travelers because 2011, and have evaluated much more useless gadgets than I care to remember. Occasionally, though, something stands out: a phone that’s particularly durable, a laptop that’s surprisingly good value, a little accessory that genuinely improves your trip.
Here, then, are my 2017 recommendations for quality tech gear that makes your trip simpler and easier, without destroying your bank balance or luggage allowance.
Smartphones
A smartphone is easily the single many helpful piece of technology a traveler can buy. In fact, because it replaces everything from a flashlight to a camera, a guidebook to a music player and much more, numerous people can (and do) get away without packing any other gadgets.
You can spend under $250 for a good budget model, or close to $1000 for a top-of-the-range version. There are benefits to spending more, of course, but not everyone needs the extra features that come with the higher price tags. These are my top picks across the range:
Budget – Motorola Moto G 5 Plus. Motorola has been making good, economical smartphones for several years, and the Moto G 5 plus continues the trend. For around $230 (less, if you get the model with Amazon ads), you’ll have a phone that does all the basics well. It’s also water resistant. The battery ought to last all but the longest travel days, and there’s a “TurboCharger” that gives six hours much more use in just 15 minutes and you can even stick in a micro-SD card so you’ll never run out of storage space. It’s easily my top budget pick best now.
Mid-Range – OnePlus 3T. OnePlus keeps turning out mid-priced phones with high-end specs, and the 3T is the best so far. For under $500, you’ll get a smartphone with much more storage, RAM, and raw performance than devices costing far more. It has dual SIM slots, so you can easily switch between your home SIM and a money-saving local SIM card; all-day battery life; and a fast charger that takes it from 0 to 60% in half an hour.
High-end – Apple iphone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8. Android owners with big bank accounts ought to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S8. It’s the sexiest smartphone on the market, with a curved “infinity” display that makes every other phone look old and boring. The S8 crams a larger screen into a smaller space than the competition, and it has plenty of storage and RAM plus a micro-SD slot for ensuring that you never run out of space. along with its terrific performance, it is water and dust resistant and has one of the best cameras you’ll find on any phone.
Tablets and e-readers
Don’t want to do every tech task on your phone? While I’ve stopped recommending any of the smaller tablet computers — when your phone has a 5.5” display, there’s little point also carrying a 7” tablet — the larger models are a different story.
Apple: iPad. The conventional iPad is best for many travelers. It’s dropped in both weight and price recently, and you now get a useful, lightweight 10” tablet (Wi-Fi-only version), with enough storage, for bit over $300. It’s ideal for viewing Netflix, browsing the email, and staying up to date on Facebook! (You can get one with a SIM card slot as well, but it’s a lot much more expensive and only worth considering if you don’t have an unlocked smartphone and want to stay connected all the time.)
Android: Asus Zenpad 3S 10. The Asus Zenpad 3S 10 gives you a faster, less expensive tablet, with terrific graphics and much more storage space. It has a fast-charging option (especially helpful for those substantial tablet batteries) and a micro-SD slot to add even much more storage when you run out. It’s a premium tablet, sleek and lightweight, and well worth the money.
E-reader: Paperwhite. If you delight in a good book, consider an e-reader as well. I’ve been using one of Amazon’s Kindles for years, and recently upgraded to the Paperwhite. With its non-glare screen, weeks of battery life, and built-in light that doesn’t strain your eyes or annoy others in dark rooms, it’s easy to recommend. Not carrying physical books saves weight and space in your bag, and in countries where English-language books are hard to find, being able to download a new one with a couple of taps is a godsend.
Laptops
With phones and tablets having muchmore power and storage each year, there’s less need for many travelers to carry something else. If you’re planning to do much more than light work from the road, though, there’s still no replacement for a good laptop.
Windows: Asus Zenbook UX330UA. The best value for money by far is the Asus Zenbook UX330UA. The company has been making very good, lightweight, $700 laptops for a few years, and the most recent model continues the tradition. It gets all the basics best — 8Gb of RAM, a 256Gb solid-state drive, outstanding battery life — while having much more than enough power, and weighing well under three pounds. It doesn’t make silly compromises like cutting out USB ports or SD card readers, and you can even hook it up to a TV in your Airbnb house to view your favorite shows.
Mac: MacBook Pro. The Air, which used to be the ideal travel laptop, hasn’t been updated in so long, it makes no sense to purchase it. The 12” MacBook is also due for an update, and with a relatively slow processor and just a single USB-C port that’s also used for charging, you’re quite restricted in what you can finish with it. If I were considering one of these, I’d likely choose to save a bunch of money, and just purchase an iPad pro and Bluetooth keyboard instead. That said the older version MacBook pro has dropped in price and only weighs 3.5 pounds and comes with old fashioned USB and SD card slots. The new model, while sleek and light, is pretty expensive and doesn’t come with these features. I choose non-Apple products but if you were searching for a powerful Apple computer, the older Macbook pro is the best choice.
Accessories
There’s no need to fill your backpack with gadgets, but a few well-chosen accessories go a long way. better Wi-Fi, simpler charging, easy photo backup, and drowning out noisy kids (and noisier adults), improves any trip. here are eight accessory recommendations to do exactly that:
Multi-USB travel adapter – This is my single favorite travel accessory best now. It’s small and light, and it lets you charge up to four USB devices from a single power socket. It’s terrific in hostels and airports, comes with clip-on adapters that let you use it in 150 countries, and costs under twenty bucks.
Travel power strip – If you’re also carrying devices like laptops and cameras that need charging from the wall, use one of these little power strips instead. With two North American sockets, plus three USB ports, you can power everything at once. just remember to pack a universal travel adapter as well.
Charging cord – I always pack a long USB cable television for my phone, plus a small spare in case it breaks. The extra length is super-useful when the power socket is halfway up a wall… which it always seems to be.
Noise-isolating earbuds – Screaming kids, snoring dorm mates, honking horns. I shut them all out with these noise-isolating earphones. music and podcasts sound great, they drown out practically everything (and everyone), and there’s even a little carrying case to keep them protected and untangled. When I left them on a plane in Bangkok, I went straight out and purchased the same model again.
Rugged USB stick – Whether you’re backing up trip photos, storing a bunch of TV shows, or just sharing files with pals at the hostel, a USB stick always comes in handy. opt for this rugged version — it’ll stand up to a lot much more abuse and costs about the same as much more delicate models.
Travel router and portable battery – Multipurpose gadgets are optimal for travelers, at least when they’re done well, and this HooToo travel router certainly is. It boosts Wi-Fi networks and lets you share them among all your devices, has a 10,000mAh battery to keep everything charged up, and lets you plug in a USB stick or portable hard drive so you can copy files from your phone or tablet.
UE Roll 2 portable speaker – There are thousands of travel speakers out there, but many of them are terrible. If you like to share your songs with the hostel or around the campfire, do yourself a favor and get the UE Roll 2. It’s slim and light and waterproof, with fantastic sound for its size and up to nine hours of battery life. There’s nothing better out there for the money best now.
GRAYL ultralight water purifier – I’ve used a bunch of water purifiers over the years, and the GRAYL is the one I’ve stuck with. It’s lightweight, super-simple to use, and gets rid of pretty much every nasty you can think of, plus it functions as a normal bottle in places where the water is safe to drink. My girlfriend used it each day on a two week trip in Mozambique, and never got sick. If you want safe water all over you go, while cutting down on plastic use, opt for the GRAYL.
***Whatever you decide to take, consider thoroughly how much you’ll really use it — less is much more when it concerns travel, and tech gear is no exception. The less stuff you have to get damaged or stolen, the less time you’ll spend looking after it and worrying about it.
Once you’ve made your decision, safeguard anything delicate with a case (they’re a lot less expensive than purchasing replacements), and make sure anything you really care about is covered by your travel insurance. test everything thoroughly before you leave home, so you know exactly how it works and can deal with any problems while you’ve still got time and a shipping address.
Dave runs too numerous Adapters, a site devoted to technology for travelers. A geek as long as he can remember, he worked in IT for fifteen years. now based out of a backpack long term, Dave writes about travel and tech from anywhere with half-decent Internet and a terrific view. You can also find him talking about the life of a long-term traveller at What’s Dave Doing?
How to travel the world on $50 a Day
My new York Times best-selling paperback guide to world travel will instruct you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off the beaten path, save money, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Click here to learn much more and start reading it today!
Book Your Trip: Logistical suggestions and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a low-cost flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches sites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses and hotels.
Don’t forget travel Insurance
Travel insurance will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s extensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it numerous times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
SafetyWing (best for everyone)
Insure My trip (for those over 70)
Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)
Ready to book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.