This story is part of Christmas gift guide 2020, CNET’s gift selection with expert advice, reviews and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
Let’s be honest. Thanks to corona pandemic, your to travel this year it probably involved moving from your living room to your bedroom. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need travel tech. Maybe it’s a drive across the country for a change of scenery, but even if your wanderlust is limited to lodging, there are still plenty of must-have gadgets for your holiday shopping list. And if you’re not using them right now, just remember you’re stocking up on that not-too-distant magical future when it’s safe (and possible) to make our way around the world again.
Look at this:
Best travel tech gifts for your stay
5:58
Solgaard
A good backpack with many pockets is a must. Pockets, among other things, keep your tech stuff organized. Our choice is the Solgaard Lifepack. It comes with the basic things you’d expect – a padded compartment for your laptop, handy pockets for your phone and sunglasses – but it also has a few secret pockets for valuables and an anti-theft lock on the inside. One of the really handy features is the built-in power bank with bluetooth speaker. You charge it in a regular socket and there is also a solar panel on the front so that it can charge slowly when you are on the road. Skip the speaker for a thinner power bank and you’ll save $ 24.
David Carnoy / CNET
Speaking of Bluetooth speakers, the Tribit StormBox Micro is an excellent choice. This recent CNET Editors’ Choice Award winner originally sold for around $ 60, but you can often find it on sale for under $ 50. For that price, you get up to 8 hours of battery life and more bass than almost any speaker in this format that CNET has tested. It is water and dust proof and has a handy strap on the back to attach it almost anywhere.
David Carnoy / CNET
Whether you’re trying to block out noise from an airplane or just your neighbors, you need a good pair of noise canceling headphones. We love Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones. They retail for $ 350, but that price often comes down on holiday sales – in fact, you can get nearly two for the price of a single pair of AirPods Max. They have great sound quality even on voice calls, offer excellent noise cancellation and can switch between two separate Bluetooth devices such as your phone and your laptop.
Scott Stein / CNET
Whether you’re crawling on the couch or trying to distract the kids on a long road trip, this is a must. The eighth-generation iPad, released in 2020, is our pick. It has Apple’s A12 processor, so it’s great for gaming. Add the first-gen Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard and you’ll have a decent homeschooling rig in no time. Retail price for the 32GB model is $ 329, but it often drops to $ 299. That said, the better option is sticking with price cuts on the 128GB model – the list price is $ 429, but we’ve seen it this season drop to $ 380.
Josh Goldman / CNET
If you want to get away from screen time and get outside, the DJI Mini 2 drone is great for going on vacation or just playing at your local park. It costs $ 450 and gives you 31 minutes of flight time on a single charge and records in 4K at 30 frames per second. Another selling point? If you’ve been at home all year round, this is the fastest way to fly without getting on a plane. This model is so small that you don’t need a drone license in the US.
For something different from the standard action cam, try the Insta360 One X2. This handy little camera will set you back $ 430 and let you shoot cool 360-degree video and edit it on your phone with ease. It has an “invisible selfie stick” and great image stabilization, so you can take drone-like photos without the drone, and there’s a cool bullet-time mode that lets you swing it around your head for great aerial panning videos. Both adults and children will enjoy this a lot.
David Carnoy / CNET
Wherever you are, a fast charger is a must. This 30-watt dual-port charger from Aukey has USB-C with power delivery support, which means it can charge devices such as smaller MacBooks. You can also use it to charge two devices at once, such as your phone and your iPad, all for $ 21.
Amazon
For the car, Aukey also makes a 21W USB-C car charger, with dual ports, fast charging, and power delivery support. And it’s low profile, so it’s designed to fit flush with your car. This frame costs $ 15, but it often retails for $ 10.
David Carnoy / CNET
And finally, Aukey’s PB-N83 Mini USB-C Power Bank gives you 10,000 mAh of juice in a footprint smaller than a credit card. It has an LED power indicator and both USB-C and USB-A ports. You can charge two devices at the same time or connect them to charge the power bank and your device at the same time. It retails for $ 21, but like the other chargers, it’s often on sale.