I'm a tech writer, and these are the 11 must-have travel items that make my life easier
Here in 2025, packing for a trip means more than just socks, underwear and your mood-relaxing med of choice. You also need the right tech, whether it's to keep your phone charged, locate missing luggage, drown out all the noise or tackle other travel hassles. Over the years I've assembled what I consider the ultimate travel-tech lineup, the items that make trips easier and safer — and often less stressful as well. (Let's face it, even the right meds get you only so far.)
Below I've rounded up some of my favorite products in this category, starting with the essentials and then shifting into nice-to-have extras. Me being me, all these options lean toward the affordable side — because the trip itself is costly enough.
Related: We asked a flight attendant to share her travel must-haves — all under $25
When I think of the biggest challenge I have when traveling, I think of power: How to make sure my phone, watch, earbuds, e-reader and other devices stay charged for the duration. That means packing the right plugs, cords, power banks and the like. At a minimum, the first two items below should keep everything juiced up, provided you've got access to electricity (like in your hotel or Airbnb).
The hotel room never has enough outlets, and often not the right kind for your devices. This adapter turns one AC outlet into three (with surge protection), while also adding four USB ports: Two Type-A, two USB-C.
Those ports can charge your phone and other small devices pretty quickly, as they output 30 watts when used individually (meaning one Type-A and one Type-C) or 15 watts per port if all four are in use.
Just as impressive is the price: $23, right inline with some wall adapters that are USB-only.
On a recent trip, I went to plug my phone into the rental car, only to discover it had only USB-C ports — the smaller, reversible connector that's quickly becoming the industry standard. Unfortunately, my charging cord had a USB Type-A connector — the older, slightly larger rectangular version that's been on PCs since the late 1990s.
Maybe someday everything will unify under USB-C, but for now, many of us have to contend with different ports and plugs. That's why I pack this four-foot, nylon-braided, hydra-headed cable, which covers all the bases.
At one end: a USB-C plug with an available Type-A adapter. At the other, USB-C with Micro-USB and Lightning (for older iPhones, AirPods, etc.) adapters. It supports up to 60-watt fast charging and is very reasonably priced at $15.
If you own the "big three" Apple devices — iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch — you should definitely take advantage of wireless charging while you're on the road. Hence this folding charging pad, which is slimmer than many similar products and therefore an easier travel companion.
Bundled with an AC adapter and USB-C charging cord, it's able to simultaneously charge all three of the above devices. And you can get it in red, orange, yellow and a variety of other colors — a nice change from the usual all-black and all-white tech.
Whether I'm going somewhere for one night or a week, I immediately set this up on my bedside table. Then it's just like home: Drop all my devices at the end of the day for overnight charging, with only a single cable connected to the wall outlet.
Similar to Apple's widely praised AirTags, the Pebblebee Clip uses the very same Find My network to help locate your lost stuff: keys, bags, suitcases and so on.
However, the Clip can alternately pair with an Android phone instead, leveraging Google's Find My Device network in like fashion.
It's rechargeable, too, meaning you won't need to replace the battery every year. And it has flashing LEDs to further help you find your missing item.
These things aren't foolproof, but given how inexpensive they are, I always travel with them. One in my backpack, one in my suitcase, etc. Learn more in my roundup of the best Bluetooth trackers for finding lost stuff.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, if you're the type of person who routinely forgets or misplaces their wall adapters, check out the PlugBug: It's a 2-port 50-watt USB-C wall charger with Apple Find My built in. Neat!
Take it from me: Your phone battery will die at the worst possible time. And there won't always be an available AC outlet to save the day. That's why a mobile charger is absolutely essential.
I like this one from Baseus. It's compact enough to fit in your palm, but packs a 10,000-mAh battery, built-in USB-C cable and pair of USB ports (one Type-A, one Type-C). It even squeezes in a digital status display, which I greatly prefer to the usual row of remaining-charge LEDs.
Just as impressive, it can output up to 45 watts for some pretty fast charging, and that built-in cable also works for charging the Picogo itself. Pretty sweet for a power bank priced at just $30.
The InfinaCore P3 Pro is more than just a 10,500-mAh mobile charger with three USB ports and a Qi2 wireless charging pad. It's also a wall charger, able to plug right into an AC outlet by way of its folding prongs.
That means you don't have to pack a separate AC adapter for overnight device charging (or for charging the power bank itself). Love it.
InfinaCore also provides three international adapters so you can plug in just about anywhere in the world.
I also like the integrated "spec deck" status screen that shows available power, time to charge, input/output activity and even the device's own temperature. The display rotates so you can always read it, regardless of plug-in orientation.
To top it all off, the P3 Pro can output up to 65 watts, meaning it's suitable for charging larger devices like a Nintendo Switch or many laptops. Small wonder this small wonder is my new-favorite travel companion.
Noise-canceling earbuds are awesome for travel, as they can make airports, airplanes and other noisy environments a lot less nerve-rattling. Apple's AirPods Pro are the go-to choice for iPhone users, but I think the EarFun Air Pro 4 are nearly as good for around half the price — and they're great for Android users, too.
These are some seriously feature-packed earbuds: adaptive ANC, in-ear detection, multipoint connectivity, Bluetooth 5.4 (the latest version of that spec) and IPX5-rated water resistance.
The only thing missing is spatial audio, which creates a sort of virtual focal point for music and videos — hardly essential, but something I really like.
If you're looking for that, check out our list of the best wireless earbuds for 2025. And read my full EarFun Air Pro 4 review to learn more.
If you don't like the feeling of earbuds nestled (some might say jammed) in your ear canals, consider "cans" instead — also known as over-the-ear headphones.
Soundcore's Space One is a surprisingly good option given its $100 price tag (which is often discounted to around $80). In addition to very good sound and ANC (active noise-canceling), you get stellar battery life.
These don't fold, though, so if you want something a bit more compact for travel (and/or don't mind spending a bit more), be sure to check out our list of the best noise-canceling headphones for 2025. You'll also find a detailed review of the Space One, which was our top budget pick.
Whether you're reading or watching a movie, you don't want to have to hold your phone for hours at a time. This flexible folding stand (which can also accommodate a small tablet or e-reader) is perfect for travel, as it lays completely flat when not in use, taking barely any space in your carry-on.
In fact, it's thin enough that you might be able to tuck it in behind a stowed tray-table, thereby putting your screen closer to eye level.
I've used one of these for years; it's great not just for airplanes, but also coffee shops, hotel beds and anywhere else you want to use your phone hands-free.
It's a first-world problem, but a problem all the same: You plunk down in your airplane seat, all set to watch some in-flight entertainment, when you realize there's no way to use your AirPods with the plane's built-in system. They're wireless, of course, and paired with your phone. Now what?
Enter the AirFly Pro, a little dongle that plugs into any 3.5mm audio jack (like those still common on airplanes) and pairs with AirPods or other wireless earbuds or headphones.
It can also work as a receiver: You can plug it into the AUX-in jack on, say, an older home stereo or car radio and then use your phone to stream music, podcasts, etc. All this happens via Bluetooth, with little more than a button-press required for setup.
A phone is no longer optional when you travel; it's essential. It stores your reservation info and boarding passes, helps you navigate strange cities, maybe even translates for you. And if yours get lost, stolen or dropped into the ocean, you could have a serious problem.
So if you're taking an extended trip, especially one overseas, consider packing an inexpensive backup phone. For example, the Motorola Moto G Power (typically around $180) is surprisingly capable, with a big screen, great battery life, even expandable storage. And it's globally unlocked, so it can work with any carrier.
Speaking of which, it also supports eSIM technology, meaning you can easily add cellular service to it — no need to hunt down a SIM card.
And don't worry if you're typically an iPhone user; this Android phone can run all the same apps. Just set it up ahead of time with the essentials and you'll have a useful backup should the need arise.
Now let's focus on the conveniences, the items that help smooth travel's speed-bumps. I'll start with noise-canceling earbuds and headphones, because most of us like movies, music and/or podcasts to keep us entertained along the way.