I proudly carry my Star Alliance Gold card, my preferred airline’s Elite card, and the confidence that comes with TSA Precheck whenever I fly. I know the best places to stop in the airports to grab a quick and healthy bite to eat, know just what to pack to make travel a breeze whether going on a work trip or on family vacation, and time it just right to always walk up to the gate just a few minutes before my boarding group is called. My time traveling has helped me streamline my packing to ensure that I’m only bringing the most essential devices that can work just as hard as I do but also help me keep an eye on things at home when I’m away. Here is my list of must-haves for frequent fliers and road warriors who are constantly on the go.
Kindle Paperwhite ($119)— The new Kindle Paperwhite is a book lover’s dream. Affordably priced at $119, it’s still the same compact size but boasts a better screen, crisper text, and customizable fonts that prevent eye strain while devouring your favorite books during a long flight. I love that it boasts weeks of battery life so it’s one device it’s ok to forget to plug in when I’m on the go! For a more detailed review, read 3 Reasons Why You’ll Love the New Kindle Paperwhite (that make it worth upgrading!
Nest ($249)—Easy to set up and designed to save you money on home heating and cooling costs thanks to being connected to your home WiFi and learning your preferences, Nest can also be operated via a mobile app to provide you with remote access to your thermostat so you can turn down the temperature after you leave the house or set it so the interior of your house is just as you like it the minute you step the the door. It’s a well engineered, beautiful product that never needs replacement batteries, helps me be smart about energy usage, is designed to save us money, and assists in reducing our family’s carbon footprint. For a more detailed review, read Nest Thermostat Connects Your Home to Save You Money.
Samsung T1Solid State Drive (SSD) drive (starting at $119.99 for 250 GB)— In my seemingly never ending search for the Holy Grail of storage, my new favorite device is my Samsung T1 500GB Solid State Drive (SSD) drive. This sleek, slim drive fits in the palm of my hand (it’s a lot thinner than a deck of cards and its footprint is smaller than a business card!), plugs directly into my USB port, and is lighting fast when transferring files. It’s perfect for storing tons of high-resolution photos, HD videos, and other files that you need to offload from your camera or laptop hard drive quickly. It helps me back up important files on the go when hotel WiFi might be slow or my connection might be unsecured. With Samsung T1 SSDs starting at $119 for 250 GB, this is definitely a device you don’t want to leave home without! For a more detailed review, read How the Samsung T1 SSD Has Become My Holy Grail of Portable Storage Solutions.
Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones ($299)— Whether on the plane, train, or subway, my trip is always better when I have my Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones with me to minimize white noise that comes with traveling like the guy in the seat next to you snoring, hum of the engines, or overtired baby whose ears are bothering them three rows back. These compact earbuds feature soft silicone tips (comes with three different sizes for you to customize your fit) and come with a soft zippered pouch that slips right in your pocket, laptop bag, or backpack that barely takes up any room in your carry on and are honestly worth every penny. I love mine so much that I bought my husband a pair. While he didn’t think he needed an upgrade from his old over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones, I don’t think they’ve left his laptop bag since!
Piper nv ($279)— You can’t put a price on peace of mind when you’re traveling for work or when on vacation. Piper NV provides the ability to monitor your home via the app on your smartphone while you’re away thanks to a better camera than the previous generation and night vision technology. This easy to set up system uses z-wave technology so it can serve as a home automation hub for controlling lights and monitoring door and window sensors. I love the peace of mind that Piper nv provides but also that it’s a one time cost and there isn’t a monthly service fee associated with it like other systems on the market. Comes in black or white. For a more detailed review, read Upgraded Camera Plus Night Vision Technology Automates & Monitors Your Home.
SkyBell ($149.99)— SkyBell upgrades your current doorbell and makes it smarter thanks to WiFi and video streaming that allows you to see who is ringing your doorbell from the comfort of your couch, from a conference room, or while on vacation anywhere in the world. You’re your doorbell is depressed, the SkyBell app sends a push notification to your phone that you can tap on to bring up a video feed of who is at your front door so you can see them and also talk to them directly from your phone. It also features a motion sensor that detects when someone is at your door even if the doorbell hasn’t been depressed. One-way video capabilities allow you to see who is at your door without them being able to see you, even before you decide to answer. Comes in silver or bronze. For a more detailed review, read SkyBell: See Who is At Your Door From Your Smartphone.
Ventev Chargesync Tangle Resistant Cables (from $14.99)— Nothing is worse than pulling out a rat’s nest of charging cables when your device is running in the red but since packing Ventev Chargesync cables, I’ve been tangle free. Besides never tangling, I love that these 6 foot long cables are long enough to go from strangely placed outlets in hotel rooms on to a desk or night stand, are durable, and come in a variety of different colors. They come in micro USB or Lightning versions for iOS devices and in a variety of colors. Everyone in my family has their own color charge cables so we can tell at a glance, whose cable is whose!
Need more ideas? Visit my Frequent Flier Gift Guides that will help you find the best gifts for those always on the go and other 2015 Gift Guides that will help you find the best gifts for all ages!
Samples were received for review purposes. Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. All images courtesy of the companies.
