Here I am sharing the best travel gadgets in 2020 you should know about. World travellers are an increasingly common class in Australia (and in other countries as well), and even as travel itineraries are getting more wild, rustic, and adventurous, they are also getting more high-tech.
PS: I have updated this article since it was first published a couple of years ago!
The ever-growing list of unique and helpful “travel gadgets” offers too many benefits and comforts for the serious traveller to ignore. And while the selection must of necessity be constricted and subjective, here are what at least I count as the 37 best travel gadgets for 2020.
The best travel gadgets 2020
Contents
1. The World’s Smallest Steam Iron
So you’ve invested in some tough-skinned but still comfy and stylish clothes to take on your latest travel adventure? Great. But what happens when you’re out in a rugged domain with no iron to take the wrinkles out of them?
Enter a 420 Watt travel steam-iron no bigger than a computer mouse (but admittedly a bit bigger than an actual mouse.) This is the smallest such device in the world, and it is perfect for taking out “suitcase wrinkles” as well as “hiking wrinkles” when you don’t have room for an ordinary iron in your luggage.
2. The Scrubba Wash Bag
And to complement #1 above, consider investing in a travel-friendly means of washing your hiking pants and other attire. The Scrubba Wash Bag is small enough to fit in your pocket when compressed. It makes it easy to wash clothes in the sink or tub (or lake): just add a small amount of detergent and utilize the included flexible washboard to give your dirty clothes a good scrubbing in only a few minutes.
3. A No-sand Beach Bag
Let’s say you’re planning to explore the 40-plus miles of sandy beaches in Orange County, California.You need to bring a beach bag along, but you remember how impossible it is to keep the sand out of those bags.
Now there is a solution. The Sandless Beach Tote is made of woven strands of PVC and/or PE material that is ideally spaced to drop the sand but nothing else. And the material is also mould/mildew resistant, so there’s no need to worry about moisture. Its strong stitches won’t easily break, and it has a handy pocket inside to keep your phone/wallet dry.
Alternatievly, check out this beach tent that comes highly recommended for those beach days.
4. Videographic Sunglasses
Wouldn’t it be great if you could take video clips of your vacation experience, hands-free, without stopping the action? Now you can, with the Snap Spectacles. These glasses shield your eyes from UV light but also come with a camera inside the frame that lets you effortlessly video-record whatever you are seeing at the moment.
The recordings can be sent directly to your smartphone, and the eyeglass protection case also serves as a battery recharger.
5. Shoe Heaters
If you are going to be hiking somewhere a bit chilly, the Therma CELL Heated Insoles can keep your feet both warm and dry throughout the journey. They incorporate water resistant material and an in-built shoe thermostat to make your trip as comfortable and high-tech as possible. Also, they come in various size.
6. GoTenna
When backpacking in remote regions, it’s not uncommon to lose your cell phone signal. GoTenna is a small radio plus antenna that can fit into your pocket. It works in tandem with your smartphone to help you communicate with other smartphones up to 50 miles away in any direction (under ideal conditions).
GoTenna just might save your life, get you “un-lost,” or let you communicate important information to your travel partners who aren’t right there with you at the moment.
7. All Clear UV Purifier Bottle
In many rugged areas where more and more people are going on adventure-travel excursions, it’s very possible you could lose access to pure drinking water for hours on end or even days. You can’t risk drinking bacterially infected water, but you have to quench your thirst. And you might even have this sort of problem in a hotel room in some remote areas, not just out on the trail.
The CamelBak All Clear UV purifier bottle solves the problem. It can purify virtually any water into safe drinking water in only one minute. The system kills off harmful germs with UV radiation. It can handle a little less than a quart at a time.
Over to You:
- Can you add any other travel gadgets to this list of ‘Best Travel Gadgets of 2018’?
- Would you like to buy some of these gadgets for your traveling?
- Which gadgets have you bought so far?
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This post is before at the right and perfect time. I’ve been searching for the tech gadgets you’ve noted and will look further into them. Love all your breathtaking photos too!
I have to resist too many gadgets, I love them way too much! The Snap Spectacles are definitely calling my name, that sounds so cunning, I need to put these on my list for Father Christmas! Shoe heaters too, I hate getting cold feet!
This is amazing list of gadgets to have. Thanks for sharing . No sand beach bag sounds so cool.
Some of these gadgets are so cool. I have never heard of the GOTenna before but I think I might get one for when I go backpacking in South America sounds like a great little gadget.
These gadgets are amazing! They sound so useful! I might buy that mini steam iron soon, because having wrinkled clothes just annoys me so much.
I think I need that sand-less bag. My pet hate about the beach is when I bring half of it home with me in my bag, on my towel and in my shoes! This is a great list of travel-savvy stuff. I also like the idea of that tiny iron. Does it take ages to iron something big though?
Each and every one of these products would be super useful for me, that is for sharing. My favorite, however, would have to be the Videographic Glasses! I’m always documenting everything!
The no-sand beach bag sounds amazing! I need to get one of them!
I had no idea heated shoe insoles were a thing! I wish I had those for my three peaks challenge!
I love the idea of the flexible washboard! It’s not like we can’t find water to wash clothes on most of our travels. But a washboard would sure make the scrubbing a lot easier.
All of these are awesome! I would love the no sandbag. I get so frustrated when I have so much sand in my bag then it gets all over everything else! Awesome post, very informative.
I don’t bring a lot of gadget when I travel, just my camera and some other stuff. I think these are worth checking out, especially for people who enjoy traveling to places that involve swimming, hiking or any other outdoor activity!
I am not much of a traveller but you got me on steam iron, that sounds awesomely cute ?
So I’m not going to lie, I’m one of those princesses who to stay in a hotel haha that has the comforts of an iron and all that but I did find the video graphic sunglasses really cool. It’s kinda a fashionable go pro :)!!!
Like the poster above, I mostly stay at hotels but this is a great list. I’m starting to get interested in new gadgets for travel as well.
I don’t believe they have a product like Videographic Sunglasses now!! Only recently i was wishing for someone to invent a product which records live as we look around. Sounds like just the thing to try.
I didn’t know that there are such gadgets hahaha. Shame on me! The only gadgets I brought with me when I travel are my camera and cellphones. The more gadgets you’ll carry means hassle and back breaking. Thanks for sharing, it’s good to know about this stuff.
I always get so annoyed with hotels that don’t have irons – so a mini travel iron would be perfect!
Lots of nice travel toys in this post, will check out the glasses for a gift for Mr PossesstheWorld. Thanks for sharing
We don’t do foreign travel but I have my packing and travel list for several types of trips – weekend, long road, short road, conferences, and overnight.
4 & 5 are what dreams are made of. Thank you for bringing these to my attention ☺️ Great post!
Well I want it all for sure. We love to travel and I feel like these gadgets would make our experiences so much easier. Particularly the water purifier bottle and the no-sand bag. Thanks for sharing!
As a frequent traveller myself, I am convinced I need ALL of this right away 🙂
I am planning a long hiking trip doing a full trek of the Appalachian trail in the states, it’s estimated to take between 6-9 months to do complete through hike. These gadgets I can see becoming very useful especially with the change of the seasons that will occur during those months.
For people like me who loves travel, these are really really helpful! If I could bought all of these now, I could say that I am prepared for 2018. <3
I would love to try the Snap Spectacles, I think it’s a fantastic idea to video while you are wearing the sunglasses. I have always been fascinated by those videos in which you can see the world from the “eye-point” of the cameraman, and with these sunglasses it seems that I could do exactly the same thing.
I’ve never done any extreme travelling that really calls for gadgets but I would imagine the videographic glasses would be amazing to take some beautiful high up scenery shots!
GOTenna sounds amazing! I have never heard of that before, I have to have it! Great list, these gadgets are so cool!
Oh! My! Word! Love these gadgets. I need to get one of those no sand beach bags and that little steam iron. I’m not sure I’d iron clothes on a hike though, but when you get off the plane after a looooong flight, that would be just perfect
The shoe heaters interest me, although i need to look into them deeper. Really interesting.
I’ve heard of the scubba wash bag but I still haven’t tried one. Did you? How is it? The GoTenna sounds very useful!
Great gadget list, many I’ve never heard of. The no sand beach bag sounds appealing
great list first of all! the mini travel iron is super handy, but the best gift in my opinion is without any doubt the water bottle purifier. I think it should be on anybody’s must have list!
I love this list! I think I need those shoe heaters and the mini steam iron! I’ll definitely share this with family so they know what to get me for Christmas haha
I need that no sand beach bag! I live 10 minutes from the beach and my house/car/whatever is constantly filled with sand!
I agree with you about the High Tech travel. As the world is getting smaller, the high tech is getting better. The list you have mentioned is really good, the smallest steam Iron and the no-sand beach bag are on the top of my list to check.
Great list of gadgets! I always love to hear about new items!
The washbag sounds so handy but the glasses have sold me!! They sound amazing and even if you don’t use them on trips like these, their fab if you have kids!
Stunning photography!
The shoe heaters and the smallest iron are so going to be in my christmas list. WOW thanks for sharing these wonderful gadgets my traveling just got so much easier
I don’t think I need an iron on vacation but I like the sound of the shoe heaters. Lovely photos to illustrate your post!
I do not like rustic adventures but in case I venture on one such adventure it is good to know that there are there some high-tech gadgets there to support my comfort levels.
You had me at the Scrubba Wash Bag. But these all sound like great products!
Wow! Video-graphic glasses. That is a genius gadget to have. Sounds so cool. The steam iron is a good idea also because you never know if one will be provided or not.
I’d love to have a pair of shoe heaters, even if I’m not going hiking.. it’s always nice to keep your feet warm and dry. And the Snap Spectacles are awesome! That would be a great way to record one’s trips. Thanks for sharing!
I need to check out these shoe heaters… My toes are always cold especially when I go home to Michigan!
I love travel gadgets! The shoe heaters are great – we take our boot heaters for our snowboarding holidays. Really can’t live without them! I think I might have to invest in the scrubba bag and the no sand beach bag!
Snap spectacles pays my attention. Best to capture every moment with my travel. It could be my bestfriend all through my destination.
Wow, I had no idea there were so many INCREDIBLE little gadgets out there!! They all sound so helpful for any trip you might take, the sunglasses sound particularly awesome.
Wow! Video-graphic glasses. i think i need a pair of those and some for my bf he loves to go on adventures and film it and take photos.
Such great ideas! I’ll be traveling to Alaska next year and those shoe heaters will definitely come in handy!
I have never travel to anywhere cold but I will keep the shoe heating insoles in mind because they sound like heaven! I also love to pack and travel light so thanks for the tips!
Wooow! I didn’t know that something like videographic sunglasses exists! I need to have them 😀
Thank you for this post, it’s so damn useful. I saved it!
Ana
Those are awesome stuff to have when you travel especially when you go to places that aren’t really complete with all the things that you need. I would love to get a UV purifier bottle! Sounds amazing!
The No Sand beach bag would be perfect for summers here on Cape Cod!
Wow these are really amazing glasses to use on a different adventure! I can’t Imagine how wonderful when I’m wearing this Videographic Sunglasses, Hands-free Capturing of beautiful places, Awesome!. Can’t wait to try this product.
Those are some very intriguing gadgets! I don’t think I’d heard of any of them before!!!
I can’t wait to travel more! Life is short and seeing the world is something everyone should get to experience. These gadgets sound like must haves, especially the shoe warmers!
Such a great compilation list of travel items. I am intrigued by the video glass and shoe warmers, they both sound fantastic!!!
All of these gadgets seem very handy, especially the first three. I think the No Sand beach bag would be the most practical for any traveler.
Some really great gadgets to consider. I would add, Dell 87840 Tablet. The iPad may have finally met its match with Dell’s powerful 8.4-inch OLED-screen product, and not just because it’s .1 inch thinner than the iPad Air 2. Plus the Seagate Seven Portable Drive. It looks like an old-school internal hard drive, but is the world’s thinnest 500GB external hard drive.
These are all great tips for travelers. I have an Videographic Sunglasses and it is so amazing because it’s hands free and easy to use. Lots of gadgets to consider before we travel.
This looks like the perfect list of travel gadgets.The UV purifier water bottle would be perfect for us as we sometimes go on long distance treks into the mountains. The shoe warmers sound fantastic, who wouldn’t love to put on warm shoes after a night in a cold tent!! We will definitely be giving this list another look before our next trip.
These all sound great! I especially love the idea of the snap spectacles!
I absolutely love them all! Traveling is hard when I don’t had any helpful things like these.
Amazing list of travel gears to own. Few I already have with me . Videographic Sunglasses and shoe heaters I will like to try.
I love a good gadgets, there are some really exciting ones here. I always get cold feet so the heated insoles look perfect for me, but I’m most excited about Snap Spectacles – how cool would it be to have a pair of these for your travels?!
Wow i have never heard about the show heater…it will be of great help in cold winter treks when my feet almost freeze…
Your article is a perfect guide to the globe trotters and I think it is going to be used for this also who are going to arrange their trip in few days..
This is a great gift guide! I think the water bottle sounds neat.
I so need that GoTenna and mini steam iron! Now I finally have some Xmas list ideas for my family who have been bugging me for it!
These sound so useful, especially the videographic sunglasses, I need those in my life.
Wow so many amazing travel gadgets I had no idea about! I think I’d love the Sandless Beach Tote, Snap Spectacles, and CamelBak All Clear UV purifier bottle. The UV purifier bottle would also be perfect for people who live in areas where there is really little drinkable water.
The glasses and warm shoes sound great! A sandless beach tote would be so helpful, too. I haven’t tried the UV purifier bottle but sounds like something I’d love to try out, especially on long hikes. Thanks for the gadget list!
I seriously love the shoe warmers and the steamer. These will have to go i my bag for my next trip!
These are great gift ideas! I’d put those glasses on my wish list! very cool item with a dual purpose! The shoe heaters would be so awesome this time of year in a lot of places. It doesn’t get that cold in California, but I’d still love to have them.
A no sand beach bag? What a genius idea. I’m going to google and see what options I could find so I can eventually stop leaving my car all sandy! Thanks for the info…
These are a great help to adventure seekers out there to make the best out of the experience. I will be sharing this for sure.
So many great ideas for traveling. I love the mini-iron. I could use the no-sand bag here at home too, for every day life!
These items are so cool; sunglasses that double as a video camera, a 420 Watt travel steam-iron no bigger than a computer mouse that take out suitcase wrinkles and hiking wrinkles when you travel, along with Therma CELL Heated Insoles to keep your feet warm and dry if you venture up cold mountains. This is technology on steroids.
Thank you for all of these tips. It will serve us, travelers, a good reminder of what to bring when travelling.
Oh my god, the worlds smallest steam iron!!!! Awesome list, I was just taking a look at the purifier which looks like a great option for my trip next year in which I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018. Thanks for the great list of gadgets !
Great travel gadget list. And you do travel a lot, love it!
This is a super wow post. It has the coolest travel gadgets listed. love the sandless tote idea and the small as mouse iron. Amazing how did you find these?
I’m always looking for new travel gadgets. Good tips! I especially loved the sandless beach bag. I could be useful here in California!
Wow, all of these gadgets sound so cool and are definitely life savers while travelling. I would be haooy have my hands on small steam iron, the sunglasses and the shoe heaters, they would be mygo to travel partner forever. Thanks for sharing some of the smartest travel gadget inventions :).
My bag is always full of sand, I would love to see if this works! Great, fun list and perfect gift guide for travelers.