Travel Gadgets have come a long way since the days of a rubber sink stopper and a set of adapters floating around loose in your luggage. With technology and innovation, there are so many travel accessories that can make your vacations more enjoyable, organized, and fun! With that in mind, we wanted to include the best travel gadgets that you will actually use in 2022.
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The Best Travel Gadgets for 2022
After a lot of testing over the years, these are the gadgets that we think will give you the most bang for your buck and would also make great travel gifts as well.
Essential Travel Accessories
1. Universal Travel Adapter – Best World Travel Plug
If you travel a lot, you’ll know what a pain it is rummaging through your adapters trying to find the right one for the next country. That’s why the OREI M8 All-In-One International World travel plug and adapter work great. It’s got everything you need in one compact plug. This one is more durable than the rest so you won’t have to worry about replacing it after a few trips. Buy it on Amazon
2. PowerCore Lite 20000 Power Bank – Best Portable Charger
Have you ever made a point of going into a coffee shop just to find the charger for your smartphone? If you get yourself an external battery power bank you won’t have to worry about missing calls or updating your Social media ever again. With two USB ports, you can charge two devices at once. This power bank even charges iPads, GoPros and Cameras. Check it out on Amazon
- Looking for more Travel Gear to take with you? Check out our Ultimate Travel Packing List
3. The Belkin Mini Surge Protector – Best For Electronics
The Belkin Mini Surge Protector is one of our favorite travel accessories out there and not only protects your electronics from power surges, it charges several things at once with 3 outlets and 2 USB ports. This is the best charger for travel as it is compact we can power up everything at once. Buy it now on Amazon
4. Tarriss Portable Luggage Scale – Best Luggage Scale
We always try and pack as light as we can, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been hit with some baggage overages before. Since we started using the Tarriss Portable Luggage Scale, we haven’t had that problem. It is small, light and affordable so you can easily take it with you wherever you go.
Travel Gadgets to keep You Organized
5. Eagle Creek Packing Cubes – Best Packing Cubes
It used to be that we’d just throw and go, but now we can organize our clothes and save space at the same time. These Eagle Creek Packing Cubes come in different sizes and they also compress. They are made of lightweight durable material and trust me when I say once you have used these you will never go back to packing the old way again. Get them here on Amazon.com
6. PacSafe RFID Travel Organizer – Best Document Organizer
Pacsafe Travel Organizer – This travel organizer holds all of our travel documents and credit cards in this high-quality oversized wallet. It has RFID blocking technology to keep cybercriminals away from your important information. It easily holds all my credit cards and travel rewards cards and turns into a clutch handbag for nights out too. Buy it on Amazon
7. Gear Ties – Best cable organizers
Tired of getting charging cables mixed up and tangled? We pack our iPhone cables, computer cords, and camera chargers, with gear ties. They’re way better than tape or zip ties because they coil and uncoil with ease and they are color-coded. Buy them on Amazon
8. aLOKSAK Storage Bags – Best Electronics Protector
We always pack dry bags when traveling to take with us on a day of adventure, but these are a good addition for extra storage. These great resealable bags are perfect for putting our cell phones and a cool bonus is that touch screens work through the aLOKSAK bag. Buy it on Amazon
Gadgets to Make Travel More Comfortable
9. Trtl Neck Travel Pillow Plus – Best Travel Pillow
There is nothing worse than trying to get some sleep on the plane. After trying multiple travel pillows the Trtl Neck travel pillow has come out on top. I have never had better sleep on a plane than when I used this pillow. It is comfortable and doesn’t take up much space. This travel gadget is perfect for anyone who does longer flights. Order it here
10. Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder – Best In Flight Travel Gadget
When we discovered this solution for using our phone and iPad on the plane we ordered it immediately. With this handy travel gadget, you can say goodbye to “TV neck”. The Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder has 2 different models, one for the phone and one for the tablet it attaches to the seat ahead of you allowing you to watch your device in comfort.
11. AirPod Pro Wireless Headphones– Best Headphones
High-quality, noise-canceling headphones are a must on planes these days. With all the distractions, talking and kids crying, it is nice to escape to a place of solitude for a while. We used to recommend the Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones, but have recently switched to the AirPod Pro. They have all the latest features and we have found that they are more comfortable to sleep with than the full over-ear headphones. Buy it on Amazon
12. Handheld Personal Fan for iPhone – Best Luxury Item
When you are not used to hot and humid weather, this fan comes in handy. I have found it to be a lifesaver on buses without air conditioning or when I feel like I am overheating and need a quick cool down in hot climates. These cool fans plug into the charging port on our iPhone and immediately turn on giving me a cool breeze. Buy it on Amazon
Tech Travel Gadgets
13. Tile App – Best Security Gadget
Do you ever misplace things like your phone or keys? I know we do, but thankfully we started using the Tile Trackers. You can attach them to different things and track them on the complimentary app. It runs on Bluetooth, so the range is limited, but it beats digging through your hotel room for your keys or wallet before heading out. Tile comes in both keychain and card-sized trackers that fit on your wallet and keys. Buy it on Amazon
14. Bluetooth Speaker – Best Bluetooth Speaker
I’ve never been a fan of travelers distracting other people with their music. But I am a fan of having quiet music playing in our hotel or apartment when we’re traveling. What I like about the Sony XB 12 is that it is affordable and has high-quality sound for a Bluetooth speaker. Plus it is water-resistant and it comes with a protective travel case. You can get it on Amazon.com Buy it here.
15. Sleepphones – Best Airplane Headphones
I always suggest having noise-canceling headphones on an airplane, but when you go to sleep, it can be difficult keeping them on your head. These SleepPhones have Bluetooth technology and are wireless. There’s an easy sizing guide that worked great. They are one of the best travel accessories to add to your travel kit. I ordered a medium and it fits perfectly. Check them out and see what you think
16. iPad 8th Generation Retina Display
While a Kindle is one of the best gadgets for reading, we take the iPad along with us on our travels because of its versatility. The new iPad is one of those tech devices that can be used in a lot of different ways. I can be a book reader and a movie screen, If you add the smart keyboard and apple pencil to the mix, you can bring it along as a lightweight option over a computer. You can also get it on Amazon.com
Health and Hygiene Travel Gadgets
15. UV Toothbrush Sanitizer – Best Sanitizer
It has always been important to wash and sanitize your hands. We were doing this even before COVID happened. It doesn’t matter if you stay in hostels or hotels, this cool gadget keeps your toothbrush safe and sanitized. It is battery-operated and uses UV light to kill 99% of all bacteria on your toothbrush. The Pursonic S1 Portable UV Toothbrush Sanitizer is an economical addition for peace of mind.
16. Hand Sanitizer
Well not really a “travel gadget’ per se, it is an item that essential in today’s world. These small portable bottles are the right size to take on the plane and can be used wherever you go.
17. Water Purification Device – Best Water Purifier
When it comes to gadgets you are looking to take with you traveling I am sure water purification is not something you would think of. But thanks to advancements in technology we can now carry something like the SteriPen.
The art water sensor and UV technology to destroy 99.9% of those nasty micro-organisms. It is run with batteries and can fit in your pocket. What we love about this bit of tech is that it is chemical-free. Buy it on Amazon.com
Photo and Video Accessorites
18. Capture Pro Camera Clip
Keeping your camera handy is one of the keys to taking great photos. You don’t want to be rummaging around your bag when that perfect shot pops up. The Capture Pro Camera Clip from Peak Design is a mount that attaches to the front strap of your backpack or your belt. It holds your camera in place wherever you put it and leaves your hands free to do other things.
19. GoPro Hero 9 Black – Best Action Camera
The GoPro is our favorite adventure camera. We have been using Gopro’s since the beginning and find they are indispensable for adventure travel. The Hero 9 Black takes ti to another level. Shooting 5K with 20mp stills, front and rear screen display and 30% more battery life, this is one camera you want to have with you when you travel. Check it out on Amazon.com
20. DJI Mavic Pro 2 Drone – Best Compact Drone
DJI Mavic Pro 2 Drone – This is the ultimate gadget that brings your travel videos to a whole new level. It’s an excellent way to get a different perspective and point of view for all your travels. Just make sure to obey the law and learn how to fly it properly before putting it to the test in your travels. Buy it on Amazon.com
21. Samsung Portable SSD T5 – Best Portable Storage
The one tip I can give you is to NEVER erase memory cards until they are backed up on at least 2 devices. That is the main reason we travel with a portable hard drive. It allows us to reuse our memory cards without worrying about losing our shots. I love the Samsung Portable SSD because it is lightning fast and it is tiny making it perfect for travelers. Also, the SSD (solid-state drive) makes it very durable, so it can withstand the rigors of travel. Available on Amazon.com – Check it out on
22. Joby Gorillapod 3K
The Joby Gorillapod 3K allows us to mount our smartphone, camera and GoPro on the flexible tripod and capture time-lapse photography, Steadicam shots (with the iPhone and GoPro Hero 9) and we can mount it to anything.
When we’re walking around town, we don’t need to carry a bulky tripod anymore, we just use the Joby. It’s a great alternative to a traditional tripod if you want to pack light. You can buy Amazon.com – Buy it here
23. Lifeproof Case
You spend a lot of money on your smartphone so why wouldn’t you take care of it. A lot of phones are now water-resistant, but the LifeProof case is completely waterproof making it the perfect smartphone case for travel. We took our iPhone coasteering i
n Wales while inside a Lifeproof case and it stayed airtight.
If you drop your phone a lot like me or plan on doing water excursions or adventure travel, you’ll want this case.
Check it out on Amazon – If you are an Android user they also make them for the Samsung too!
Best Personal Items
24. Sandless Beach Mat – Great for the Beach
I love going to the beach, but I really hate having sand all over me. I go crazy sitting on a sarong or towel at the beach and get covered in sand. This CGear mat really does wick away the sand. When the sand is wet, it needs to dry, but once it dries, it falls through the matt giving you a sand-free beach experience. Check it out on Amazon
25. Steam Clip
I was unsure about this one, but it is a really cool little travel gadget. While it doesn’t steam your travel clothes, it does make steaming them in the shower of your hotel room easier. The SteamClip attaches virtually anywhere and works with any hangers. For $11.99 (for one) it’s worth keeping tucked away in my suitcase. Buy it on Amazon
26. USB Headlamp
We are still fans of headlamps even with built-in flashlights in our cell phones and power banks. Why? Because with headlamps we are completely hands-free. Plus, the light beams are stronger and we often use them for night sky photography to get that perfect beam in the air or to paint light in a night scene. We like this Black Diamond model because it is rechargeable. Buy it on Amazon.com
Want to know what Travel Photography Gear we Carry? Check out The Complete Travel Photography Gear Guide
27. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
I don’t know about you, but when I am traveling, I’m on my phone a lot. Be it watching movies or binging TV series on the plane or on a bus, checking Google Maps for directions, or booking hotels and flights, my nose is always in a phone. Blue light is terrible for the eyes so I always wear blue-blocking glasses when working on my computer or spending long amounts of time on my phone. Buy it on Amazon
28. Collapsible Water Bottle
We’re all about saving space, and while we used to carry a stainless steel hard water bottle, we’ve switched to the Collapsible to save space. It’s a great alternative to traditional water bottles. We like this silicon water bottle because it is lightweight and bendy. Plus, a portion of profits go to Dolphin Rescue so how can you go wrong with that? Get it on Amazon
There are a lot of travel gadgets out there that are a fad or look cool online, but the gear we list above is the gear we use and know what works.
Do you have a favorite travel gadget that you can recommend? Let us know in the comments, we are always looking for more the best travel accessories to try out.
Read More Gear Guides
- Best Travel Gear – Unique Ideas for Smart Packing
- The Best Anti Theft Travel Bags and Accessories
- Best Travel Organizers for Smarter Packing
- The Ultimate Travel Packing List (By Professional Travellers)
And you may also like
- The Complete Travel Photography Gear Guide
- 45 Best Gifts for Travellers
- Travel Photography Gear Guide: What’s In My Camera Bag?
Also, check out more of these travel tips
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in the post above, but these are all products we highly recommend. We won’t put anything on this page that we haven’t verified and/or personally used.
Love the article, thanks.
Very nice, love those gadgets!!
The post was excellent. The great information and the gadgets were great. We should all use them while traveling and make them essential items. Because they help us travel efficiently, I always use them whenever I go anywhere. I love how easy it is to travel with a tablet stand.
I enjoyed reading your blog post. You included so many helpful tips that I never thought to take with me while traveling. I especially like the idea of the external hard drive, which is a great way to ensure that your photos are safely backed up!
Hello Dave And Deb,
These are some awesome gadgets, have one of not many of them, going to get some subsequent to understanding this. Much obliged for sharing.
Hi Dave and Debs
What a fantastic list of gadgets you have put together. I will have to invest in most of these someday soon.
On a different note: The photo of Santorini looking across the volcanic island at the top of the page looks so surreal.
Did you take that pic yourself as it looks almost too real to believe. It seems too perfect to be able to get a shot like that.
Yes we did take that photo. We had a beautiful view from our cave hotel overlooking the caldera. You can read all about it here. https://theplanetd.com/where-to-stay-in-santorini-greece
Great post, Great knowledge, and Great Gadgets. We all should use them while travel and make them essential things too. As they are helping us in travelling effectively then why not use them always while going anywhere. Personally I use many gadgets and I love how my travelling becomes super easy.
These are some really useful gadgets, have one of few of them, gonna get some after reading this. Thanks for sharing.
I love to travel… I have read somewhere “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before”. we do not take of these useful gadgets when traveling but we consider this while planning for the next trip and take with some useful gadgets with us.
Hey Dave And Deb,
Thank you for this excellent article! I recommended this article to my travel partners. We are planning to trip, and this guide surprised us. Your recommendations are cool!
Great article! I like this tips about gadgets
amazing gadgets, even few of i already carried but some of i have seen first time and really excited to have all those. This month i am planning to buy gorila pod.
Thanks for your article!
Excellent information for the travellers tips of the best travel gadgets for the tech lover. I really enjoy reading this blog which gives the most important & useful knowledge for the backpackers.
Wow! I am a tech lover and I really love all these gadgets that you were listed.
Great, USB ports I can charge two devices at once and it even charges iPads and camera batteries.
Some great tips! Fathers Day in Australia is a while away though. I combined Father’s Day, Christmas and Birthday for my Dad last year (since they all fall in November and December) and got him an Ipad mini.
thank you for giving such wonderful information
Thankyou for this wonderful blog post. It helped us recently during a travel.
I just love tech, I have a friend in Dubai who likes these kinds of gadgets. We tell each other about new tech like these.
We love tech too. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes down the pipe in 2018
Hey Deb and Dave, this list is fantastic. And mentioning the dry-bag in your video is a very smart move. Carrying all those electronics is one thing, but keeping them intact is a whole different story.
One time, when I was on a boat tour in Thailand, they tried to scare us into buying a veeeery overpriced dry-bag because “our stuff could get wet” along the way. They weren’t too pleased when I leisurely pulled out my own 🙂
So yeah, thanks for this list. I’ll check it again before I leave for my next trip.
Seraina
Thank You for sharing this..This is very useful tip for any adventurist and travel baackpacker
This is really useful tip for any adventurist and travel backpacker
Thank you for this gadget list, very useful
hanks!
Thanks for sharing.These are some really useful gadgets, have one of few of them, gonna get some after reading this.
I totally agree with your recommendations! Especially the Sony RX100 Mark V is simply the best pocket camera you can buy right now.
Excellent guys! Technology is becoming an ever-increasingly important part of our lives – especially for the digital nomads out there! Light, portable, affordable and good quality are key aspects!
These are some really useful gadgets, have one of few of them, gonna get some after reading this. Thanks for sharing.
Great list! I don’t exactly have the same models for all the gadgets in your list, but pretty much have all of them and right now I am looking for Goal Zero products to charge my devices through solar energy when I am a little on the off the beaten track. Thanks again for the list guys!
Great blog post. Lots of helpful products included that I would never think of taking when travelling. Especially like the idea of the external hardrive, very useful to ensure photos are safely backed up!
Cool gadgets! I’d love to have a portable hard drive. It’s so, so important for backing up pictures and other important files.
Glad to found this post, it’s very to important to know for all tech-savvy traveler. This is a great list with awesome gadgets. Keep it up and cheers.
Great tech ideas! I consider myself up to date with technology, but apparently I am not as up to date as I thought. You mentioned a few ideas that I did not know about. The fitbit is a great idea. I didn’t know that you could get a drone for aerial picture taking. Sounds great!
Awesome, so glad that we could give you a few new ideas. We do love our fitbit.
Thank you for this post, I love reading about travels almost as much as I love to travel
You’re welcome. Cheers!
Some great tips! Fathers Day in Australia is a while away though. I combined Father’s Day, Christmas and Birthday for my Dad last year (since they all fall in November and December) and got him an Ipad mini. He loves it and its great for when he wants to skype me when I’m travelling (unfortunately he has been suffering some mental health issues so I’m always really anxious to keep in contact with him), it was a win-win situation. I also got my Pa a kindle which is an amazing gift for an older dad/grandpa as they can increase the font to not strain their eyes. Pa was struggling with books and had to actively look for big text at the library- this solves that problem. I loaded it up with over 200 free books and he is good to go. The only thing is both of them often call me when they can’t work something out !!
Great tips Britt. And sorry to hear about your dad, but I am glad that you an keep in touch with him. My dad loves having Skype. That’s amazing that you out 200 free books on yourPa’s kindle. I’ll have to do that!
Thanks for the update on the latest gadgets, things are changing so fast sometimes its hard to catch up! That petcube looks awesome, first time iv seen it.
good tech stuff!!!
cheers
Perfect gadgets while traveling! And these gadgets will definitely help you store your documents without any worry. Travel tension free with Zoomlee!