Two of My Favorite Travel Products That I Won’t Leave Home Without

As technology advances, the are a few types of products that can help make our travel more efficient and improve our experiences. Today we are going to discuss two of them. 

Smart phones have become our trusty sidekicks. They have so much of our daily existence in every app, note, reminder, or calendar item. They’ve become something that’s so very hard to live without. I can attest to this first hand when my brand new iPhone 14 Pro Max was unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. I had trouble getting my insurance to believe I lost it after owning it for just about 10 days. Hence, I was without a phone for nearly 6 days — and all on a trip to NYC. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t get use any of my airlines apps or authenticate any websites on my iPad (which I used as a temporary mobile device). I was beside myself. But I digress. Here are my top pf the heap products for travel!

Ultra-Thin Portable Charger

Even with your trusty sidekick with you, smart phones eat through battery life like whales in a sea of plankton. Being on an airplane or other modes of transportation, often without a plug for your charger, is something you have to prepare for. Power banks have become a necessity but I have always hated how bulky and heavy they are, not to mention having to drag around an extra cord. 

With the advent of magnetic phones, we now have magnetic portable chargers. What a revolution! I’ve tried several but have fallen in love with the Clutch Pro charger. It is the thinnest on the market but still carries enough power for a whole mobile charge if needed. It connects easily with its own little attached cord and is light and easy to carry and use. 

If you are interested, get a 20% discount with the Nicole04185 code at Clutch Pro.

Cons of this product: You have to recharge it after each full use for a few hours

Smart Watch

You probably don’t think of an Apple Watch or other smart watches as a travel product but I believe it is one of the best devices out there. Let me explain why.

Other than your phone, where else can you set a display with the date, weather, different time zones, compass, and much more, without having to swipe. With the latest iPhone, you can create a Travel Focus and when you turn it on, your watch face will change to the one you customized especially for travel.

Additionally,  your watch can help you with directions, has an SOS capability for better safety, Apple Pay, currency converter, and my absolute favorite app: camera remote. 

No more do you have to take crappy selfies or ask someone to take a photo. You can lean your phone on a wall, books, a glass, or tripod, and use your camera mode to set up the shot, and then hit the timer button. You don’t have to run back over to the phone to reset the timer and take more photos. Do it straight from the watch! It’s a miracle. I use this feature ALL the time. You can even set the camera remote app on your Travel watch face to make it easy to find. 

One new feature is the digital key based on the Apple HomeKit technology. Currently, Hyatt hotels has implemented the technology so you can open your hotel room with your watchOS8 and higher. 

The cons of the smart watch is obviously that it needs to be charged every night, and additionally, somethings like GPS require decent cellular coverage. While the Apple Watch now has international roaming, we all know how bad cell coverage can be at any weirdly given time. I guess nothing is perfect. 

If you don’t own one, check this low price for an Apple Watch on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3YB7P1T

In full transparency, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Safe travels!