Must-Have Gadgets to Bring on Their Next Trip

Best travel tech gifts under $25

EnergyQC Fast Charging Portable Charger 5000mAh

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.”

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Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD

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.

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Ougrand universal travel adapter

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.)

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Portable handheld mini fan

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.

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Best travel tech gifts under $50

JBL Go 4 bluetooth speaker

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.”

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Anker 622 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger with Stand 5,000mAh

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.

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Best travel tech gifts under $100

Twelve South AirFly Pro Deluxe

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.

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Best travel tech gifts under $300

Nomatic Travel Backpack

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.

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Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO instant camera

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.

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)

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.”

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Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

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.

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GoPro Hero 11 Black

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).

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iPad (9th-gen, 2021)

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.

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Best travel tech gifts under $500

Insta360 One X2

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.

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