9 Cool New Gadgets That Change The Way You Travel

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For frequent flyers, backpackers, and road trippers, preparation is always the difference between a frustrating trip and an enjoyable one. This year has given us plenty of new gadgets that can make life easier for those who are always on the go. From tech that can help save space to noise-cancelling headphones like the AirPods Max 2, there are genuinely useful travel upgrades out there, including both new concepts and successors to previous devices.

There's only so much you can fit into a carry-on or a backpack, so choosing the right gear is more important in these instances. Fortunately, this year has delivered a variety of new travel-friendly gadgets that solve real pain points, but to make sure they're worth your hard-earned money, we put together a list of items that have received positive feedback from professional reviewers and users alike. Whether you're hopping between airports, exploring remote trails, or driving across the country, we have rounded up some of the coolest gadgets that will change the way you travel.

The Sharge HyperTower 170 is a direct contradiction to the idea that less is more. This is a 25,000 mAh powerbank that features a maximum charging output of 170W. That overall power is spread across four outputs: three of them are USB-C, and the last one is USB-A. If you're using all four ports, one of the integrated USB-C cables will output 100W, and the other two USB-C ports will give you 20W and 30W, respectively. In this configuration, using the USB-A port will give you an additional 15W of charging.

Keeping track of all this output can get difficult, so Sharge has included a full-color display that allows you to see how much power each port is pulling. You can also cycle between different modes for the display to see remaining battery life for the power bank itself, the output interface, cycles and temperatures, as well as error messages. The HyperTower 170 also includes a retractable USB-C cable and a braided USB-C cable that doubles as a strap. It's a bit on the heavier side at around 24 ounces, but when you don't have access to wall outlets or lack the right adapter, it's a very useful travel companion.

Even if you don't travel that often, the Mophie Roam 3-in-1 Charger is the type of MagSafe accessory you might end up using daily. It's a beautifully designed wireless charging station that folds up and fits into a neat leather pouch. Mophie created this charger with travel in mind, and things don't move around at all in the leather pouch as a result. This Mophie charger can wirelessly charge your iPhone at 25W, the Apple Watch at 7.5W, and AirPods at 5W.

The iPhone and Apple Watch pads can fold up, allowing you to use them as stands for the two devices. Out of the box, it comes with a 40W USB-C brick and a 1.5m-long cable. The power brick features foldable prongs designed for the US, but you also get adapters for Europe, the UK, and Australia. Ultimately, it's a clever space-saving charging solution that replaces the need for a bunch of separate cables.

Under the surface, the Ugreen Finetrack 2 Air is just another Bluetooth tracker, but the unusual design and the low price make it very intriguing. Instead of having a puck or tile shape like most trackers, this one is fitted inside a soccer ball-style housing. It's a neat idea — AirTags are convenient, but they're not exactly discrete because of the recognizable design. The FineTrack 2 Air works with the Apple Find My network, but it is only compatible with iPhones as a result.

In terms of design, it features reflective lights and comes with two lanyards and is only available in black. The integrated speaker in the Finetrack 2 Air is noticeably louder than Apple's AirTags, making it easier to locate. It also features an IP68 rating, making it completely dust-tight and submersible in water. Unfortunately, the battery is non-replaceable, but that's something you won't have to worry about with an expected five to seven years of battery life. At $20, it's $10 cheaper than an Apple AirTag, making it a viable alternative for iPhone users.

There are plenty of cheap wireless earbuds that are worth buying, but if you want a fashionable design, features like Spatial Audio, and good active noise cancellation, the Nothing Ear (3a) earbuds offer incredible value. They come in a transparent case, and the buds themselves have a similar transparent design with opaque accents. You can get them in four colors: pink, white, black, and yellow.

The ANC capability here is admirable, blocking out enough noise during travel so you can comfortably zone out, and with it enabled, you get around six hours of battery life. It won't compare to the likes of the AirPods 3 or Sony's WF1000XM6, but at $100, that comparison doesn't matter much. The Nothing Ear (3a) also have a call-recording feature, and the 32MB of onboard storage allows you to record up to two hours of audio straight to the earbuds. As for the sound quality, these are bass-forward earbuds that sound enjoyable across various genres. Nothing has also added LDAC support here, a Bluetooth audio codec that promises higher bitrate and better detail.

A lot of great Android gaming handhelds sell for half the price of a Nintendo Switch 2, but the Anbernic RG Rotate is one of the more interesting ones. As the name suggests, the RG Rotate has a display that flips out to reveal the D-pad and other buttons underneath. It's an excellent space-saving design, and it's about the size of a Game Boy Advance SP. For a device of its size, the 3.5-inch IPS display is vibrant and sharp with a resolution of 720 x 720.

As it runs on Android, you can easily download emulators from the Play Store to get you up and running. It's powerful enough to run N64 games, but it works best with emulators for the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation 1 because of the 1:1 aspect ratio. Devices like these require a bit more setup than a traditional handheld like the Nintendo Switch, but they're a fun and cheap way of reliving nostalgia if you want to pass the time on layovers.

MagSafe wallets aren't anything new, but Moft's version adds a lot of features that help it stand out. The Moft Trackable Tripod Wallet snaps onto the back of any MagSafe-compatible iPhone, and the bottom half of it folds out to function as both a tripod and a kickstand. It also features support for Apple's Find My network and an integrated speaker, making it easy to find when lost. You can only fit two cards in here, but that's enough for your ID and main credit card.

The latest version also features a shutter button that pairs to your phone through Bluetooth, but because of this shutter button and the Find My integration, it requires an internal battery. Fortunately, you can wirelessly charge the wallet once to get six months of battery life out of it. It's a great iPhone accessory, but if you own an Android, get the older version without Find My — it's $10 cheaper and comes with a metal ring that makes it compatible with phones that lack MagSafe.

Whenever you're traveling, the sound of engines, roads, and crowded areas can quickly tire out your brain. Active noise-cancelling headphones are a great solution to this, and the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless are some of the best wireless Hi-Fi headphones you can buy with that feature. They are comfortable, have a fantastic battery life of up to 50 hours, and feature better active noise cancellation than their predecessors, the Momentum 4 Wireless.

In terms of sound quality, the Momentum 5 Wireless pack a good bit of punch in the bass department, the midrange is excellent, and they handle distortion very well. These headphones also feature a user-replaceable battery, making them very viable for long-term use. At the time of writing, though, there's no official word on how much that replaceable battery will cost. Regardless, the Momentum 5 Wireless ($400) are great wireless headphones, and they're cheaper than competitors like the Sony WH1000XM6 ($460).

Reading is a great way of passing the time during travel, but not everyone has the space for physical books or even an Amazon Kindle. If you're looking for something more pocketable, the Durobo Krono is a great device for reading on the go. This e-Reader features a sharp 6.1-inch ePaper display and runs on Android. This means you have full access to the Play Store, allowing you to download something like Audible and use the device to listen to audiobooks.

The main draw here is obviously the compact size. It weighs around 6.13 ounces, and you can easily use it with one hand. According to ZDNet, the battery life is exceptional, as it lasts several weeks on a single charge. The Krono also features a physical dial that can be used to adjust brightness or record voice notes. There's also a built-in AI assistant called Spark, which can generate summaries and transcripts of your recordings. The dial can also be used for scrolling through pages while reading.

While the Sony WF1000XM6 are a pricey pair of wireless earbuds, their active noise cancellation alone makes them worth considering. According to SoundGuys' testing, the WF1000XM6 performed better than its predecessor, the WF1000XM5, in both active and passive noise cancellation. They are excellent at blocking noise in trains or planes. For travelers, the Adaptive NC Optimizer is a welcome feature that automatically adjusts noise cancellation according to your surroundings.

The overall sound of the WF1000XM6 is crisp and detailed, with good separation across instruments and vocals. These earbuds also do a great job of handling distortion at high volumes. In terms of battery life, you can expect around eight hours of usage out of these buds, which is just about average compared to other flagship earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Clearly, you are paying for the sound quality and ANC capability with these here. Just keep in mind that while the overall ear fit is better than their predecessors, the WF1000XM6 are still too big for people with smaller ears.

To keep things focused on the latest and greatest, we only included gadgets that have been released in 2026. We prioritized travel-friendly gadgets that solve real pain points, whether that's battery anxiety on long stretches without an outlet, noise on planes, lost items, or boredom during layovers. Each recommendation was chosen based on a combination of hands-on testing from authoritative review outlets like Soundguys, ZDNet, The Verge, and early user feedback.

We looked for devices that offer meaningful improvements in portability, convenience, value, or features compared to older options. For example, the Mophie Roam Travel Charger makes wireless charging a breeze when away from home, and the Durobo Krono is a great alternative to bigger eReaders like the Kindle. All products selected have an Amazon rating of at least 4 stars, but as a lot of these products are relatively new, the rating is subject to change.