Twelve South’s travel-friendly ButterFly is a sleek, ultra-compact gizmo that starts off about the size of an AirPods Pro case (2¼” x 1″), then unfolds to reveal…

1. A 15W MagSafe charger for recent iPhone models and AirPods.
2. A 5W magnetic fast charger for your Apple Watch and 2nd-gen AirPods Pro.

Both sides of the charger can be used at once, in case you’re wondering.

Its compact folded size makes it so easy to slip into a pocket or bag, and it’s constructed with a beautiful and durable anodized aluminum shell that’s been paired with a soft vegan leather interior and strap for that luxurious-feeling experience Apple users are accustomed to.

The ButterFly isn’t just about charging on the go. It’s got a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a versatile companion for your desk or nightstand too. Fold it one way and you’ve got a handy stand for your iPhone, perfect for video calls or using the new StandBy mode in iOS 17:

Meanwhile, tilt the Watch charger and you’re all set for Nightstand mode:

This little powerhouse might just become your new travel and/or nightstand buddy, and it can be yours for $130 on Amazon.

Note: They’ve also just announced an upcoming ButterFly SE model that shares the same compact design as the original, but has a soft-touch finish and comes in three colors (with matching charge cables) rather than just aluminum, and it won’t include the 30W power adapter or 5 international outlet adapters that come with the standard ButterFly.

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Although at first glance it has a similar silhouette to their Via Backpack, instead of being made for everyday commuting, Bellroy’s Transit Backpack is intended more for quick trips out of town.

This is evident from the moment you open the 28-liter main compartment, which unzips all the way down for easy access to your stuff and has compression straps to keep it all in place, along with two mesh compartments along the flap for smaller necessities.

Behind that main compartment is a separate zippered 16″ padded laptop sleeve and another zipper pocket where you can stash a phone and charging stuff, both of which make it easier to get through airport checks.

You also have a few external-access scattered around for storing keys, sunglasses, a passport, a wallet, a water bottle, etc.

The Transit was made for comfort as well, which can be attributed to the padded shoulder straps, contoured foam back panel, and detachable sternum strap that can be slid up and down to best suit your chest shape.

Get the Bellroy Transit Backpack for $179 on Amazon in your choice of Nightsky, Black, or Ranger Green. If you’re planning on a slightly longer trip away, check out the 38-liter Transit Plus ($319).

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Alright, you picked up a fancy new audio interface and you think you’re ready to record…but instead of getting a dynamic mic that naturally cuts out background noise, you opted for a condenser mic because you wanted to pick up every little detail of your recordings.

Normally your options would be to rent out a studio recording space somewhere or concoct some home-brewed audio treatment setup. However, those of us living in small spaces may not have that luxury, and other people may just not feel like going to all that effort.

That’s why Eric Chiu started a company called Poroso, where he sells a product invented out of his own frustration: the SOBO portable sound booth.

Essentially, the SOBO is a PVC pipe-and-joint frame covered by sound-diffusing thick blankets that attach with velcro straps, and it comes with a couple wireless LED lights, a phone/tablet holder, and a duffel bag. Nothing you couldn’t assemble yourself if you wanted, but it sure saves you all the time and effort of sourcing materials and tools, cutting pieces to size, sewing on straps, etc.

Fully assembled, it stands at 80″ (6 feet 8 inches) tall, with a width of 38″ (3 feet 2 inches) in all directions. The whole thing goes up in just a few minutes, and after recording, you can simply deconstruct it for storage.

This is a perfect solution for musicians, podcasters, voice actors, and voiceover artists who require pristine, professional-level audio for their work assignments and personal projects, but don’t have access to a full studio space (especially while traveling).

Get the SOBO for $400 on Amazon.

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While Eagle Creek’s “Pack-It” lineup of packing cubes is primarily known for helping organize your travel luggage, they also offer Gear Cubes that are designed for holding gadgets and electronics, outdoor tools, and anything else you want moisture to stay away from.

Available in a few sizes and colors, each Gear Cube is made from 100% recycled 900D polyester twill fabric that resists punctures and scuffs, and they coat that material with 200D TPU laminate to provide a moisture-repellent barrier to keep the contents safe and dry.

Notice the internal zipper mesh pocket for holding smaller items.

Aside from those points, you can use these like any other packing cube — keep a few of them in a larger bag to separate and organize different types of items, or carry one as a standalone bag using its grab handle, or use the corner snaps to attach it to the inside of your day bag. Whatever you go with, your stuff will stay protected and organized inside.

Get the Eagle Creek Gear Cube in these sizes:

• X-Small ($27)
• Small ($37)
• Medium ($47)
• Medium X3 ($57)

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When you’re out hiking on the trail, adventuring through the wilderness, or even bouncing between sketchy hotels while traveling abroad, having a continual source of clean, safe drinking water is absolutely critical. With Grayl’s titanium UltraPress water purifier bottle, obtaining that water couldn’t be easier.

This portable water filtration/drinking system allows you to scoop water from any freshwater source — stream, lake, sink, tap, etc — and press it into clean, safely drinkable water in just 10 seconds. More specifically, it removes waterborne pathogens (99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts) while also filtering out particulates, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals.

It’s comprised of an outer titanium cup — which can be used alone to heat water and cook food when necessary — and an inner press (outfitted with an ultra-powdered activated carbon filter) that holds up to 16.9 fl oz of filtered, purified water.

Here’s what the process looks like:

The filter can clean up to 40 gallons of water — across 300 presses or 3 years, whichever comes first — before needing to be replaced. And, thanks to the one-way silicone valve pre-installed in the filter cartridge, the UltraPress is drink-mix-ready, meaning you can add your favorite sport drink mix to your water and get those extra electrolytes when they’re needed most.

Get the titanium UltraPress for $200 on Amazon in your choice of Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, or Covert Black.

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Traveling light doesn’t have to mean compromising on packing space or functionality. In fact, with the right gear you can have the best of both worlds, and tomtoc’s Navigator-T66 backpack embodies this balance perfectly.

Available in 40-liter and 28-liter sizes, the Navigator-T66 is a carry-on-friendly bag designed for business and leisure travelers alike, with dimensions that fit snugly within IATA’s flight size requirements, along with a variety of multi-functional compartments (inside and out) to hold everything from laptops and tablets to clothes and cameras.

The large main compartment of the 40L bag fits up to four days’ worth of essentials (two days for the 28L size), and unzips like a suitcase to offer quick access to those things, as well as making it easier to pack and unpack than a typical backpack. The tech compartment on the back also swings open up to 180° to make getting through airport security checkpoints a breeze.

I’m a fan of how the bag is actually constructed too. They used durable, post-consumer recycled fabric (made from PET plastic bottles) to keep things more eco-friendly yet still robust, and they outfitted it with premium YKK zippers rather than cheaping out with lesser ones.

They also focused on wearable comfort even when the bag is fully loaded, as evidenced by the 3D padded back panel, thick contoured shoulder straps, and adjustable chest buckle.

For those trips when you do need to bring separate luggage along, the Navigator-T66 has a pass-through strap on the back so you can hang it on a suitcase for easy transport.

You can get the tomtoc Navigator-T66 in two sizes and colors:

• 40-liter: Available in Black ($81) and Gray ($86)
• 28-liter: Available in Black ($76) — (Gray unavailable as of July 19th, 2024, but keep checking the Amazon page for when it returns)

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Cuisinart’s portable Venture propane grill is an ingenious little thing that should serve you nicely on any summer sojourns you’ve got coming up. Made up of a few stacking components — a wooden lid, the grill itself, and a base piece with propane canister storage — the whole thing is about the size of a picnic basket and is super lightweight for easy carrying.

The grill evenly outputs up to 9,000 BTU across a 154-square-inch porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grate — a deceptively small footprint that actually offers enough space to comfortably cook 4–6 burgers, or about the same number of small kabobs, or a dozen hot dogs, or 2–4 steaks plus veggies.

That wooden lid can be used as a food prep board or serving tray, or simply a solid place to set stuff on while you’re cooking.

When you’re done cooking, the whole thing nests back together to be toted away, always ready for the next adventure, whether it’s at the beach, the campsite, the park, the hiking trail, the tailgate party, the festival, or wherever else.

As I write this on July 1st, 2024, the Venture grill is on sale for $154 on Amazon (down from $210), presumably for upcoming Independence Day festivities.

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Latest on our list of great travel cutlery is this stainless steel nesting set by BLACK + BLUM. It has the standard three implements — fork, butter knife, and spoon — all of which nest together perfectly into a snap-shut carry case.

Keep this set in your bag and you’ll never again have to worry about tossing out wasteful single-use plasticware, no matter where your travels or work commitments take you. The utensils and case are all easy to clean, and the set as a whole takes up very little space in your bag, so it’s convenient in more ways than one.

Get this portable cutlery set for $15 on Amazon.

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While walking around the various Disney World parks lately, I’ve noticed an increasing trend of people wearing personal neck fans to keep cool in the relentless scorching sun. As I’ve started digging deeper into this phenomenon, I’m realizing that even calling it a “trend” might be shortsighted because, much like having a way to stay hydrated all day, this sort of gizmo is likely to become practically standard-issue summerwear in the decades to come, sad as that is to say.

Well, if you are going to buy one of these things, you might as well get a good one, and the Comlife neck fan is what I’m recommending today.

This thing can move a LOT of air to keep your neck and face cool and refreshed throughout the day, and it’s quite comfortable to wear over that time, leaving your hands free all the while. It has three speed settings and a 5000mAh rechargeable battery (with USB-C port) that offers around 4–8 hours of usage on a single charge.

They market it as “bladeless,” and while it’s true that the neck vents themselves aren’t spinning blades to move air, there are still a pair of high-speed rotor blades concealed in the base of the fan that do the work of drawing in air. Most reviewers say they’ve had no issues with hair getting caught in those rotors, but there are a few people who complain otherwise, so if your hair is on the longer side, I recommend pulling it back while wearing the fan.

Get this neck fan for $32–34 on Amazon depending on your choice of black, white, or pink color.

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The team at Peak Design has just released two all-new families of packing cubes for keeping your various odds and ends organized while traveling.

They come in two types of ultralight fabric:

1. 100%-recycled 50D “Terra Shell” nylon, which is weatherproof and highly abrasion-resistant. [Available in Small ($25), X-Small ($20), and XX-Small ($15)]
2. 180g “Powernet” see-through nylon mesh that is stretchy (expands up to 2x in size!) and breathable, making it ideal for wet clothes and gear, as well as bulky or oddly shaped items. [Available in Small ($25), X-Small ($20), and XX-Small ($15)]

Both materials are Bluesign approved, Fair Trade Certified, and 100% carbon neutral, so you can feel good about the impact of your purchase. They’re also both available in a handful of colorways, my favorite being “Eclipse”:

Whichever size/style you go with, you’ll be treated to thoughtful design features such as 1) their ability to be converted into ultralight sling bags by attaching a carry/camera strap (not included), 2) the two strap passthroughs that allow the cubes to be externally mounted onto a larger bag, and 3) the way they all fold totally flat and cinch together with the elastic zip pull cord when not in use.

You can get a set of three ripstop or a set of three mesh packing cubes (each contains one of each size, only in black) for $50 a pop, or you can use one of the links I included above to browse the individual sizes and then their respective colors.

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Some months back, the team at 1Zpresso — which, fun fact, I used to pronounce as “one-zee-presso” but is actually “EEE-zee-presso” due to its Mandarin origins — released the J-Ultra manual espresso grinder, which improves on the JX-Pro model in a few ways:

In short, the J-Ultra is lighter, the 48mm stainless steel conical burr now sports a titanium coating for increased durability and grind distribution, and the catch cup has switched from threading on to attaching magnetically:

Most importantly, the adjustment mechanism has moved from being a small top dial @ 12.5 microns per click to a larger external ring @ 8 microns per click. That is a huge deal for espresso lovers, as it grants you an even higher degree of control over your dialing-in process.

Even if you have a “budget” espresso machine to work with, you’ll find the performance of this hand grinder is so high that, once you’ve got your beans dialed in, your shots come out just as tasty as those from a much more expensive setup. It never ceases to impress.

Take your home and travel espresso game to the next level by picking up the 1Zpresso J-Ultra grinder for $199 on Amazon. ☕️✨

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&SONS (“and sons”) presents a unique take on the dopp kit with their Essentials Toilet Bag, a military-inspired waxed canvas and leather travel companion that looks like a tool/gear roll but is made for carrying your overnight essentials.

Inside the bag are pockets and holders for grooming scissors, a razor, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small bottle of aftershave, a badger shaving brush, a comb, and more. The whole shebang can be hung on a wall by the main strap buckle for easy access to its contents:

While the 100% cotton waxed canvas exterior is quite water-resistant, the ‘pull-up leather’ accents aren’t necessarily so, so be sure to take care of them accordingly.

Get the Essentials Toilet Bag for $105 at the &SONS shop.

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Released a couple months ago (March 2024), iClever’s BK09 foldable keyboard is like a newer, expanded cousin to the BK05 model I wrote about in 2019 (and which released in 2015).

The basic idea is similar in that it’s a nondescript clamshell case you can easily fit into a bag pocket, and opens up into a fully functional Bluetooth keyboard to handle any typing jobs you’d rather not do with onscreen keys — no matter where you happen to be.

The main differences here are 1) the numeric keypad at the right end, and 2) USB-C charging instead of micro-USB. The first of those is obviously the bigger deal, especially for anyone whose work has requires a lot of calculating and/or data entry.

One feature I’m happy they kept is the ability to pair the keyboard with up to three devices, which you can switch between by pressing fn+Q, fn+W, or fn+E respectively.

There are plenty of other key shortcuts you can use as well, and they’re adaptable to Mac/iOS, Android, and Windows devices as needed:

Get the iClever BK09 keyboard for $40 on Amazon.

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It seems that designing portable power stations is the thing every tech company wants to be doing these days. Even DJI, which is primarily known for their drones and video production equipment, is getting in on the action with their new Power 1000 and Power 500 power stations.

At this point I feel like explaining to our readers what makes a power station useful is like explaining what a vacuum cleaner does — you guys have heard it all before, right? — so I’ll skip straight to the stats:

• The Power 1000 ($999) has a maximum power output of 2,200W and a battery capacity of 1,024Wh. Ports include two 140W USB-C, two 24W USB-A, two AC outlets, and two of DJI’s proprietary “SDC” (Smart DC) ports that offer an array of functions, including fast-charging drone batteries.
• Meanwhile, the lighter and more compact Power 500 ($499) has a maximum power output of 1,000W and a battery capacity of 512Wh. Ports include two bidirectional 100W USB-C, two 24W USB-A, two AC outlets, and a single proprietary SDC port.

Both models’ LFP cell batteries support fast recharging and have the capability to be fully charged in just 70 minutes via grid power. I know battery capacity numbers like the ones listed above can be a bit inscrutable at times, so this example device chart put together by DJI should be helpful:

Compare the DJI Power Series models on Amazon and get ready to take your outdoor adventures and content creation to the next level. 🤙⚡️

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For travelers who take their tea habit seriously — and would never leave home without a way to brew the stuff — comes this portable tea serving set, which comes with a tea pot and three teacups (one large, two small) that all nest together into a compact zippered travel case.

Each of the nesting components is made from a heavy-duty rough-textured ceramic, and wood accents on the top and sides of the teapot allow you to handle the hot tea without burning yourself. Meanwhile, the lid doubles as a 360° filter that keeps the loose leaves/herbs inside as you pour the tea out.

This is an awesome little way to make sure you always have access to fresh tea everywhere you go — provided you’ve packed a tiny canister of loose leaves and have access to hot water there.

Get the set for $26 on Amazon in your choice of black or green.

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