You might presume that much of the whole point of a holiday is to escape many of the trappings of your usual day-to-day life, including technology. But let’s face it – you’ll be bringing all of your favourite portable gadgets and gizmos with you anyway. In that spirit, we decided to take a look at five of the gadgets that could prove almost literal lifesavers on your next break.
1. Bluesmart Smart Suitcase
If you’re going to be bringing a suitcase regardless, you might as well make yours a ‘smart’ one. The Bluesmart Smart Suitcase solves that perennial holiday problem – lost luggage – thanks to its inbuilt GPS, which enables you to track its location anywhere in the world. It even incorporates a power bank for charging up your phone, a scale that prevents you from packing so much that you get pulled up at the airport, and a digital lock for deterring would-be thieves.
2. Noke Bluetooth Padlock
While the aforementioned suitcase is certainly an impressive bit of kit, you could find yourself shelling out over $400 or around £300 for it once postage and packing are taken into account, which could exceed the price of your entire holiday. You may therefore decide to purchase a cheap standard suitcase instead, ‘teched up’ with additions like this Bluetooth padlock from Noke. As you might expect, it enables you to keep your suitcase nicely secure without the need for a key – you simply pair your phone with it via Bluetooth to unlock it. Marie Brewis wrote a highly positive review of the Noke padlock for TechAdvisor, describing it as “the smartest padlock we’ve come across.”
3. PlusUs LifeCard
Portable chargers don’t come much more compact than the PlusUs LifeCard, which is as thin as a credit card, meaning that you can easily slip it into your wallet or purse for those panic situations when you suddenly realise that your main battery pack is drained. The standard LifeCard boasts a 1500 mAh capacity and you can choose from a range of classy finishes, including brushed stainless steel, mirror polish stainless steel, brushed copper and gold sheen.
4. Overboard Waterproof iPhone Case
One of the most eagerly anticipated features of the recently announced iPhone 7 was its water resistance, with The Sun even deciding to test the new Apple smartphone’s capabilities by dropping it down a toilet. However, even this new device is strictly only water resistant rather than completely waterproof, and previous iPhone and iPad models don’t offer much effective water protection at all. You may therefore be thankful that you invested in one of Overboard’s renowned waterproof phone cases so that you can continue taking calls, snapping pictures and watching movies on your device irrespective of how wet it gets.
5. ZeroUV Polarized Lens Anti-Glare Sunglasses
No one likes the glare that can result from light reflecting off wet surfaces, particularly when they are involved in a vigorous outdoor activity – such as cycling – for which the utmost visibility at all times is essential. That’s why you may find these anti-glare sunglasses a godsend, particularly given the 100% protection guarantee that they offer against harmful UVA/UVB rays.
Whatever form your own next holiday takes – perhaps a traditional package holiday with Thomas Cook or Thomson, a city break in London or Paris or a cruise to any of a wide range of destinations with a reputable operator like Imagine Cruising – there’s no question that the right gadgets can make all of the difference to your travelling experience.
Plus, with so many more travel-oriented gizmos out there, including innovative car chargers, convenient Bluetooth headphones and well-priced e-readers to name just a few, you certainly have plenty of options to truly ‘tech up’ your next vacation.
