In today’s fast-paced world, we creatives often find ourselves on the go. It’s a perk of the job and an aspect we enjoy – at least sometimes. At other times, though, it can be a real headache not being able to share our work, produce content, or connect with others as easily as we can from our home or studio.
The answer is, of course, to take more stuff with you. But then your trip can turn from a fun break to an exhausting nightmare, as you needlessly tire yourself out lugging a huge bag or suitcase around with you.
The trick is to find tech that offers high-quality performance while remaining compact and lightweight. To help you out, we’ve curated a list of our favourite travel-friendly gadgets.
From portable storage solutions to powerful cameras and projectors, this collection of digital accessories will empower your creativity and keep you productive no matter where your journey takes you. Finally, note that, unlike other websites, we don’t make affiliate revenue if you click the links below; we’ve purely included them so you can find more information if you need it.
When you’re on the road and often dealing with clunky, slow or even non-existent internet, it makes sense to bring your biggest project files with you on a portable device. And here’s our top recommendation.
With up to 2TB of storage, the Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD offers ample space for your projects. The built-in fingerprint scanner provides an extra layer of security, along with password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption. It’s very fast, too: the read/write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s ensure you can transfer large files in seconds.
SSD stands for Solid State Drive, which means it’s built with no moving parts. The T7’s sturdy metal body promises to keep your data intact from falls of up to two metres. So, while it’s not waterproof, we reckon that overall, this SSD hits this sweet spot in terms of balancing performance, security, portability and price.
Whether you’re heading for a meeting with a client or a creative conference, power is often a problem. You bring your charger so you can top up on the way. But then either all the power sockets are taken, they’re not working for some reason, or there just aren’t any. That’s when you need a power bank as a backup.
We like the Anker PowerCore 10000. It’s from a reliable, acclaimed brand, so you can be sure of its quality and durability. It’s ultra-compact, so it doesn’t weigh much or take up much space in your bag. With its 10,000mAh capacity, you can charge your phone, tablet, and other devices multiple times. And it’s pretty fast charging, too. All this at a price that represents very good value indeed.
Do you need to connect multiple devices to your laptop at once? The latest ultrathin laptops are generally very portable, but the downside is they’re a little short on ports, making this more difficult than it should be. If that’s a problem you’re currently facing, you’ll find the Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2 is a lifesaver.
This sleek hub, boasting a lovely slim design and aluminium finish, offers HDMI (4K 60Hz), USB-C, USB-A, microSD, and SD card slots. So, whatever peripherals you have, you’ll be able to connect them all to your laptop at once.
Do you hate typing on your phone? We do, too, which is why we appreciate the Logitech K380. This beautiful keyboard can connect to multiple devices simultaneously, allowing you to switch between your tablet, phone, and laptop with ease. Plus, its long battery life means you won’t need to worry about charging frequently.
Overall, despite its affordable price tag, this keyboard offers a premium typing experience with comfortable low-profile scissor switches and a stylish, slim design.
You might think of a monitor as too big and bulky for travel, and most of them are. However, there are an increasing number of excellent portable monitors, and here’s our favourite right now.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC Portable USB Monitor offers a large 16-inch (15.6″ viewable) Full HD screen. Yet its slim 8mm profile and lightweight 780g design make it highly portable.
This clever monitor features a hybrid signal solution that allows it to connect to any laptop with just a single USB Type-C or Type-A cable for both video and power. It also has a foldable smart case that can act as a stand.
The monitor can automatically detect its orientation and rotate between landscape and portrait modes accordingly. It uses an IPS panel with wide viewing angles and delivers vibrant Full HD 1920×1080 resolution visuals. It includes ASUS Eye Care technology with TÜV Rheinland certification for flicker-free and low blue light emission to protect eyes during extended use. You also get an ASUS Blue Light Filter with four different settings to reduce blue light exposure.
6. Noise-cancelling headphones: Sony WH-1000XM4
Having decent noise-cancelling headphones can take your mind off even the most arduous flight or train journey. We recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4: over-ear headphones that provide exceptional sound quality and noise cancellation, making them ideal for work and travel. They’re also comfortable for long wear and offer impressive battery life. What more could you need?
Well, Sony has actually thought of a few things. The Speak-to-Chat feature automatically pauses audio when you start talking, while Adaptive Sound Control adjusts ambient sound settings based on your activity for optimised awareness.
Overall, these headphones seamlessly combine industry-leading noise cancellation prowess, exceptional audio fidelity, smart adaptive technologies and premium wireless design for an unrivalled listening experience. Nice.
For photographers on the move, the Fujifilm X100V combines portability with high performance. This compact camera looks cool to boot: with an elegant design with aluminium top and bottom plates for a refined classic look and classic analogue-inspired controls, such as the dials for exposure compensation and shutter speed.
Of course, all this would be pointless without excellent image quality. And that’s delivered by a 23mm f/2 lens that provides high resolution, low distortion, and great close-focus performance. The 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 back-illuminated image sensor and the powerful X-Processor 4 quad-core CPU translate that into pictures.
The autofocus system is advanced, too. It can focus down to -5EV in low-light conditions and features enhanced face and eye detection tracking. A focus limiter function lets you set a distance range for even faster autofocus. A further standout feature is the hybrid viewfinder, which allows switching between an optical viewfinder and a high-res OLED electronic one. There’s also a two-way tilting touchscreen LCD.
Finally, the battery life is robust, with up to 350 shots per charge using the EVF or 420 shots with the OVF. This camera can record around 55 minutes of 4K video or 75 minutes of Full HD video per charge.
Your studio isn’t the only place you can present your work to clients on a large scale. You can do so anywhere with the Anker Nebula Capsule II portable projector. This Coke can-sized projector offers a 720p resolution and up to 100 inches of screen size. It harnesses cutting-edge DLP technology and 200 ANSI Lumens brightness, making it ideal for low-light environments.
It also comes with a built-in Android TV, so you can stream directly from your favourite apps when you’re chilling in your hotel later. All in a portable, convenient package. Sweet.
