Tech & Travel – A Power Couple

When you’re travelling you need tech that makes life easier and more comfortable, fits into your suitcase and fulfils some pretty specific demands. So next time you book that last-minute break, look into some of these top travel accessories to take away with you. Some of them are designed specifically for when you’re on the road and others are multi-taskers that you won’t put down when you get back home again.

Cases that look and act smart

If you’re constantly on your phone when travelling and want a powerful charger that’ll be right by your side, let your suitcase do this and much more. The top two smart suitcases on the market have enough power in their built-in battery to charge a phone at least four times over. They also have the advantage of looking sleek and providing features like built-in scales and tracking devices in case they get lost or stolen.

If being incognito is your main aim, the Raden smartcase hides all its tech in a water-resistant polycarbonate shell. Its app also tells you if your luggage is the right weight for your airline, and gives you updates on flights, weather, traffic and public transport.

Or for practicality and security, choose the Bluesmart case with a lock that only opens when you and your phone are in close proximity. It also has dividers for keeping laptops or tablets stowed away safe. Both cases come in either cabin or check-in sizes.

Music on the go

Travelling gives you the perfect excuse to catch up on the latest releases, or get back into some of your old favourite tracks. If you’re travelling alone or want to catch some ZZZs on a night flight, pack some noise-cancelling headphones.

Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones have exceptional sound quality and react to the noise in your environment to cancel it out, or you can adjust the noise-cancelling level yourself between three settings. All that and Google Assistant is built-in so you can receive texts, manage tasks and get answers via Bluetooth without even looking at your phone.

If you’re a more sociable music listener, a portable speaker will start your nights out in style at the hotel. You can also use the rugged and waterproof Scosche BoomBottle speaker for hiking, cycling or listening to tunes poolside (as long as fellow pool users don’t mind). It’s shock-absorbing, has two 40mm speakers that send the music in all directions and the clever shape fits in most bike drinks-bottle holders for tunes on the move.

Get organised

Are you in charge of an epic stag-do, or just super organised with your own travel schedule? The TripIt app keeps all your details in one place so you have everything in one handy itinerary at a glance, which can be synced with your calendar. Just forward the app all your confirmation emails for flights and transport, hotels, rentals and other bookings and it’ll store them all together.

You can add extra details in manually and share it with fellow travellers. Best of all, TripIt is free and will work on your Android, iOS, Windows Phone or Blackberry device. You can also upgrade to the pro version for $49 a year (about £37) to get things like real-time flight alerts and to track reward program points.

Fix up, look sharp

To keep your crisp look up all holiday long, pack the world’s smallest steam iron in your case. Only marginally bigger than a computer mouse, the SteamFast Home and Away Iron heats up in 15 seconds and delivers 420-watts of steam de-creasing action across three levels.

Ideal for travelling to hot countries where your holiday wardrobe is cotton and linen based, you can also use it for your favourite going out shirts on your next lads’ holiday.

Quality travel snaps

If you’re passionate about capturing those special holiday moments then you have a choice to make when it comes to deciding which camera is right for you. As an amateur photographer you might not want to take you’re expensive camera equipment away with you, in which case you will love this click-on lens set for your smartphone. The Aukey Optic Pro Phone Lens clips on to your phone around the camera and fits over your case too.

There are different lenses for different kinds of shots or you can get the 3-in-1 set with a 198° Fisheye Lens, + 110° Wide Angle Lens and + 15X Macro Lens. Together they cover detail, landscapes and high-quality selfies and action shots, and the set’s a bargain at £13.99 with a carry pouch and two-year warranty.

Whether you’re the kind of holiday planner who seeks out hand-picked escapes or a bargain-hunter who leaves it all until the week before departure, getting your hands on some clever travel tech can make all the difference at every stage of your journey – from packing to capturing those special memories.