Best Travel Technology Gear in 2022

Have you started to travel more regularly again? Let me suggest some of my favorite tech pieces and bags that will make traveling comfortable. It’s so easy to toss every cable you can imagine in a huge bag, but that only leads to more problems while you’re out and about exploring. With a few carefully selected cables, wall chargers, holders, and cases, you can have everything you need in an organized, compact place.

My goal for years has been to craft a small bag out of a few select items to cover any situation that might arise while traveling. Technological advances such as the iPad Pro and computers use USB-C ports for charging and have helped reduce the size of my bag. Finding the best single charger has made it almost all the more important.

Here are gear selections that aren’t necessarily new, but have all been tested and found to work well. There are quite a few refined product options because, frankly, there are a lot of great travel gadgets out there. As always, the listed prices may fluctuate over time.

Air Slim Bag

Finding the perfect tech bag has been a simple obsession for me for several years. The one I’m happiest with at the moment is the Aer Slim Pouch. The obvious gist of the tech bag is that it needs to carry all the accessories I might use while traveling, but, in my opinion, it should also be compact.

The Slim Pouch opens center and opens wide enough to expose all of the compartments. Internally, it has four pockets of different sizes with a large opening that I use for my longest USB-C cable. On the outside is a shallow pocket that I use for my ElevationLab GoStand, ChapStick, and a 3.5mm headphone adapter.

Buy on Aer for $39.

bellroy lite duffel

Much like a magician’s hat, this Bellroy Lite duffel holds more than it might seem. No matter if you are a day traveler or a long weekend away, this 30 liter bag can hold an extraordinary amount of clothes. To make the most of its compact size, the duffel bag can be unzipped in any direction and opened wide for easy access. It has a few internal pockets that can fit things like a wrap belt. Furthermore, I am a huge fan of the ripstop fabric that the bag uses. It’s made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and feels extremely lightweight.

Buy at Bellroy for $119.

Satechi USB-C 3-Port 66W Wall Charger

There are a lot of good wall chargers out there but very few are great to travel with. Power is the lifeblood of your entire tech bag, and keeping all your devices running is very important. But you don’t want to bring multiple chargers if possible. That’s why I love the Satechi 66W USB-C 3-Port Gan Wall Charger: It packs multiple ports in a compact design.

The total charging speed of 66W is enough to charge most laptops in time. Even when splitting the power output between three devices, the available power should be sufficient. At this point, I think USB-C is in wide enough use to rely exclusively on the type of port on this charger.

Buy at Satechi for $54.99.

Nimble Champ portable charger

I consider the battery pack an essential part of my travel bag. You never know when your phone, tablet, or laptop will need the longest battery life. The Nimble Champ portable charger is my favorite, mainly because the 10,000 mAh version is so small. It can fit almost anywhere. In addition to the size, the charger can be used with a USB-A or USB-C cable. You can also use both ports to charge two devices at the same time.

This portable battery does not have a large capacity, but it should be enough to charge your phone two full times. A larger device can give a little more life when necessary.

Buy at Nimble for $49.95.

Otterbox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe 5K

Another portable battery option is the Otterbox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe 5K. If you have an iPhone 12 or later, this battery pack can be attached magnetically to the back of the phone without the need for cables. This product is especially useful for the days when you are outside and cannot carry many accessories with you. Another great feature of this particular device is that it can be recharged without using a cable. You can place this battery on top of another MagSafe charger to refill it.

Buy at Otterbox for $69.99.

Apple MagSafe Duo Charger

If you have an Apple Watch, you will need to carry a charger dedicated to that device. I love this dual charger because it combines a wireless iPhone charger and an Apple Watch charger. When folded, the Apple MagSafe Duo is thin enough that it doesn’t take up much space in the bag. Additionally, only one Lightning cable is needed to give the Duo its power, which means that fewer cables need to be brought in.

Buy from Amazon for $119.

ElevationLab GoStand

Recently while flying, I sat in the exit aisle, so I had to put my bag in the overhead cabin. I just chose to watch a show on my phone instead of trying to pull multiple devices. The Elevation GoStand is ideal for supporting the phone in portrait or landscape position on a small airplane tray table. It works great for a video call in a hotel room. It can be adjusted to fit all sizes of phones and their cases as well. Best of all, the GoStand is very compact when folded.

Buy from ElevationLab for $19.95.

Anker Powerline III USB-C Cable

There’s nothing special about these Anker Powerline III USB-C cables except that they tend to be reliable and come in different lengths. Personally, I like to carry some short, 1-foot cables with me because they take up less space in the bag. The short cables can also be controlled on a plane, bus, or in the car.

If you need a 10-foot option, there is one available as well. These cables have up to 60W of charging speed, but most people will be fine with that.

Buy on Amazon from 16.99.

Belkin Braided USB C to Lightning Cable

You can use the USB-C to Lightning cable that came with your iPhone, but the Belkin Braided USB C to Lightning cable is a great alternative. It supports the fastest iPhone charging speeds and comes with a magnetic cable management accessory.

Buy from Amazon starting at $15.78.

Kento Travel Tumbler

In my opinion, traveling with a water bottle is a must. I’ve evaluated dozens of water bottles in the past, and the Kinto Travel Tumbler has been a great companion. The water bottle is very small, so it can slip into almost any side pocket of the bag. The bottle can keep coffee hot for 6 hours or drink cold for 6 hours – and cold for longer. The actual bottle features a flip top and removable cap that can be sipped from either side. It’s a sleek design that comes in two sizes: 12 oz and 17 oz.

Buy on Kinto from $32.50.

Owl Backpack

There are a few major design options on the Day Owl Backpack that I really love for travel. I appreciate that the water bottle holder on the side is completely hidden. Are you passing through a station to catch a flight? No bottle falls out of the zip pocket. I also like the shallow top and side zip pockets for stashing eyeglasses or a purse very quickly. I’m a huge fan of the shoulder straps, which can be adjusted without a dangling cord, like no other backpack has ever been made.

The main backpack compartment is roomy for a large jacket or headphones, but still has a small amount of organization to prevent small items from tipping over. On the outside, this bag is unpretentious and simple, but it has enough tricks to keep it consistently useful no matter the type of trip. I also like the material it is made of. The exterior panel looks solid, while most of the interior is soft and welcoming.

Buy at Day Owl for $149.

Bedouin pen

Do you quickly notice a phone number or some flight information? I have found it helpful to travel with a good pen. There is nothing great about the Nomad Pen other than that it is extremely durable. It has a solid metal body and a smooth push-button. There are no clips or anything that can break. It uses a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 ink cartridge that is also refillable.

Buy from Nomad for $49.95.

Classic black copper cow coffee

There are some logistical challenges in bringing coffee on a trip: primarily all the extra equipment needed to make it. Copper Cow Coffee Instant Pot solves most of these problems with a unique bag of ground coffee that hangs over any cup or mug. If the hotel room had a Keurig machine, I would pour the water and turn it on without the K-Cups, simply to get the hot water and use it to pour a Classic Black coffee can. If you want a creamer, Copper Cow Coffee sells individual creamer packages, too.

Better than Cooper Cow’s job is the taste of his coffee. It’s good that I sometimes use it at home when I’m in a hurry. Makes a worthy cup of coffee.

Buy at Copper Cow Coffee from $11.20.

Bellroy Transit Backpack

With a little restraint, the Bellroy Transit Backpack can be the only travel bag you need for short trips. The 28-liter model can carry shoes and some pieces of clothing, as well as a laptop bag and tech bag. The Transit Backpack is a modest backpack, with a fully enclosed water bottle pocket on the side and a laptop pocket for up to 16 inches.

I was able to use this backpack as my only luggage for a quick cross-country trip, and it worked great. It kept everything I needed without feeling overly bulky, a trait I attribute to Bellroy’s focused design acumen. This backpack comes in several different capacities, but if you’re not sure about the size, I’ll stick with this medium.

Buy at Bellroy for $239.

Moft Snap-On . Phone & Wallet Holder

If space is at a premium, the Moft Snap-On Phone Stand and Wallet is a great way to combine several items. The slim wallet can hold two cards and attaches magnetically to the back of the iPhone 12 and 13. It also unfolds to become a phone holder either in portrait or landscape mode. This is a small piece of gear I used to prop up my phone on an airliner staircase and in a hotel room.

Buy at Moft for $29.99.

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