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It’s officially summer, which means vacations and lots of traveling. That used to mean that you only needed to grab your smartphone and a charger and you were good to go. But these days, people are going on vacation for weeks and might need to get some work done while their away. Or want to use their phone as their only camera while they are traveling. Luckily, that is still a possibility, with the right accessories.
We have rounded up the best accessories to take with you this summer, no matter where your travels might take you. Whether that’s a pair of headphones for the flight, a camera add-on to make your Pixel 3 camera even better, or just a few spare cables, we’ve got it all.
Anker PowerCore 15000 Redux
There are many battery packs on the market that you could choose from. But we chose this one for a couple of reasons. One it’s still pretty small and thus, portable. It’s also got a pretty good capacity inside, around 15,000mAh capacity. And finally, because it has USB-C for input, meaning you only need to carry one cable around with you.
The USB-C port on this battery pack is only used for input, that means no USB-C PD. But it does mean that the same USB-C cable you use to charge your phone, can also be used to charge the battery pack. Making things much easier for everyone.
You can pick up the Anker PowerCore 15000 Redux from Amazon using the link below.
Anker PowerCore 15000 Redux - Amazon - $31.99COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
Traveling means that you’re going to want to get a pair of headphones to take with you. And the COWIN E7 are the perfect pair. These are pretty low-priced, but still pack a real punch.
These headphones price might be low, but your expectations should not be. These are active noise cancelling headphones, so you can take these on the plane and listen to your favorite music without heading the plane noises that we all hate. These also offer up some pretty good battery life. We’re talking about around 30 hours on a charge, and that’s with ANC turned on. So they will last through your entire flight.
You can pick up the COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones from Amazon using the link below.
COWIN E7 - Amazon - $54SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack
While most people are loving Peak’s backpacks these days, we’re recommending a SwissGear backpack because they are tried and true and can really take a beating. Not to mention, they can fit a ton of stuff in them, without them breaking. In fact, I take a SwissGear backpack with me everywhere I travel, and after over ten years of owning the same one, I’m still shocked at how much stuff can fit inside.
This is the 1900 Scansmart backpack, which means that you won’t need to take your laptop out – you will. Don’t ever buy a backpack that promises to be TSA approved, because you will still need to remove your laptop. That’s not why this laptop is on this list. It’s on this list because it has a ton of compartments and can handle a laptop up to 17-inches. And on top of that, it has plenty of cushion to keep your laptop protected.
With the many, many pockets on this backpack, you’ll be able to squeeze everything in with ease, and never worry about having to leave something behind becuase you don’t have space.
You can pick up the SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack from Amazon using the link below.
SwissGear 1900 Scansmart Backpack - Amazon - $65JBL Endurance Run
Looking for a pair of headphones, but don’t want to deal with Bluetooth – or the higher prices that come with Bluetooth? Then the JBL Endurance Run is going to be the one to get. These are wired headphones and they are under $20. Which is not a bad price at all.
The JBL Endurance Run are made for runners, hence the name. These are going to be great for taking on the go, as they are cheap so that if you do lose them, it’s not a big deal. They have texturized, rubber earbuds, so that they do fit comfortably in your ears, and you won’t need to worry about them falling out either.
You can pick up the JBL Endurance Run from Amazon using the link below.
JBL Endurance Run - Amazon - $16Anker [3-Pack] Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A
This three pack of USB-C to USB-A cables are a bit on the expensive side, but they are worth it. You’re getting three braided cables for $19. Braided cables are really good options for a lot of people because they do not break as easily. Imagine you have a dog who likes to chew on your cables, they are less likely to break if they are braided versus plastic.
In fact, Anker says that these are the strongest USB-C cables on the market right now.
A three pack of cables is always good to have, as you never know when you might leave one behind at the hotel, on the plane or even at home. So having extras is always a good thing.
You can pick up Anker’s Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A cables from the link below.
Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A – Amazon – $19″ link=”https://geni.us/OPbj9yI”]
AUKEY 3-Port USB Wall Charger
This is an incredible wall charger and definitely worth taking with you when you travel. It sports three USB ports, with one being a Quick Charge 3.0 port. Allowing you to quickly juice up your phone before you need to head out to the bar. So you aren’t heading to the bar with an almost-dead phone.
The other two ports use AUKEY’s AiO technology. This basically works to make sure that the phone that is plugged in is getting as much juice as it can handle, up to about 2.4A. So it’s slower than Quick Charge 3.0, but it is still a form of fast charge, and definitely nice to have around when you are traveling.
You can pick up this AUKEY 3-Port USB Wall Charger from Amazon using the link below.
AUKEY 3-Port USB Wall Charger - Amazon - $21.99Xenvo Pro Lens Kit
Xenvo has a wide angle and a macro camera lens that you can clip onto your phone and make those cameras even more versatile. The wide angle lens is really useful, especially when you’re on vacation. As you can really take in all the sights and sounds, and not miss a thing. It’s also good for those that might want to vlog their travels this summer and upload them to YouTube later on.
The macro lens is a 15x macro lens, so you can get very close up to subjects. Remember that this won’t make a bad camera good. So if you have a phone that has a terrible camera already, this isn’t going to do much for you.
You can pick up the Xenvo Pro Lens Kit from Amazon using the link below.
Xenvo Pro Lens Kit - Amazon - $36RAVPower 26800 PD Portable Charger
Rounding out the list, we have another portable charger. This is the RAVPower 26800 PD Portable Charger, which has made our list for two reasons. The capacity, and the fact that it has USB-C PD.
USB-C PD is a pretty important technology, it really makes battery packs like this one very versatile. That is because it is able to charge things like laptops and even your Nintendo Switch, while you’re on the go. In fact, I’ve used this one in particular to charge my MacBook Pro many times while traveling and absolutely love it.
With 26800mAh capacity here, you’re going to be able to charge your phone almost 8 times before it needs a recharge – depending on the phone you have, and its battery capacity. It is a pretty hefty battery pack, which shouldn’t be a real surprise, but it does get the job done, which is what matters.
You can pick up the RAVPower 26800 PD Portable Charger from Amazon using the link below.
Wrap Up
Some might say that technology has made vacations worse, as many don’t want to unplug for a week and just indulge in what nature has to offer. But in many ways, it has made vacations much better. Think about the camera on your smartphone. It’s pretty impressive that it can take pictures that are just about as good as a DSLR, and it fits in your pocket. Pop on another lens, and you can get a whole other camera experience on your smartphone. This is going to allow you to remember that vacation forever, especially if you back up your pictures to Google Photos.
Adding in things like battery packs, USB-C cables and even a nice wall charger, and you’ve got everything that you need to go on vacation this summer. None of these products will break the bank – a big reason why we chose the options we did in this round up. Since you already spent a ton on the flight, train, cruise and other things for your vacation, the last thing you want to do is spend $300 on a pair of headphones. So these are all very affordable options for your summer vacation.