When you spend a few days out of the office, it’s difficult to bring along all the tech gear you need to stay connected and productive. Whether you’re working remotely or you travel frequently on business, you know it’s a struggle to be on those long conference calls and stay powered up on the road. Here are our top picks to help keep you running and in touch while on the go.
Laptop
The right laptop can make or break a business trip. You want speed, security and portability, along with the ability to give compelling presentations on the go. The
Lenovo Yoga 720 laptop has fingerprint recognition software for safe and secure logins, a powerful processor and a crystal clear High Def screen with razor thin bezels so your presentations will pop. And since the Yoga has a 360-degree hinge, you can transition from laptop mode to tent mode to share those presentations with a group. Convert to tablet mode for reading on the go or writing notes right on the screen using the optional Lenovo Active Pen. The 720 runs Windows 10 and boasts 10 hours of battery life, perfect for those long days on the road.
Portable Speaker
You don’t need to endure long conference calls on your crappy-sounding smartphone, send them to the
Jabra Speak 710 for HD voice quality and convenience. The Speak 710 is a portable speakerphone with an omni-directional microphone that picks up sounds from any angle so you can pace your hotel room while you talk. It connects to a PC or smartphone via USB or Bluetooth and boasts up to 15 hours of battery life. Use it to connect to Siri or Cortana or the digital assistant of your choice with the push of a button. It also plays great-sounding music for when you’re kicking back at the end of the day.
Portable Power
Today’s travelers never leave home without a smartphone but today’s smartphones can’t make it through the day without a boost in power. And if you get grounded in an airport, your laptop and tablet are going to need a recharge as well so you can stay productive. To keep all your devices charged up, we recommend an external battery pack and a phone case with a built-in battery.
Check out Incipio’s offGRID battery cases for your phone, or go for the convenience of wireless charging with the Mophie Charge Force Powerstation. It’s an external battery pack that can wirelessly charge any phone with a Qi-enabled battery. If you have an iPhone, which isn’t compatible, you can get a wireless charging case for your phone. Then you place it on the Powerstation and you’re good to go. There’s also an extra USB port built into the charger so you can power up two devices at the same time.
If you’re always looking for extra outlets in your hotel room or airport lounge, Belkin’s Travel RockStar is a 3-in-1 device that plugs into any AC outlet and provides extra outlets and a USB port for charging other devices. It also has a built-in 3000 mAh battery so you can charge your devices on the go.
With all these devices to charge, don’t leave home without Nomad’s Universal Cable. It’s made of rugged Ballistic Nylon so it won’t fray and comes with all the adapter tips you need to charge your various devices; Lightning, USB-C and Micro USB.
Comfortable Headphones
If you fly a lot for business you know the power of comfy headphones.
Plantronics BackBeat 500 wireless Bluetooth headset is lightweight with soft memory foam cushions that make it super comfortable to wear. It has on-ear controls, great sound and boasts 18 hours of battery life.
A Great Bag
To carry around all this gear, you’ll want a bag that’s fashionable as well as functional; and that goes for both and women. Whether you prefer a backpack, tote bag or rolling bag,
Knomo makes organizing your tech gear super easy with pockets and zippered compartments designed to protect your precious cargo. Guys should check out the
Cromwell backpack with a padded laptop section that can hold up to a 15-inch laptop. It’s water-resistant and the roll-top closure offers extra security. Women should consider the
Reykjavik model which can be used either as a tote bag or a backpack. Both have inside pockets with RFID blocking to keep your phone, cards and passports safe from identity theft.
Hoodie
If you’re more of a Hoodie kinda guy or girl, you can stash all your gear inside your pockets of the
SCOTTeVEST Hoodie Cotton. Yes, this hoodie, with its 21 pockets, can hold tablets, smartphones, batteries and more. It also keeps you organized with hidden conduits for routing your charging cables between pockets or funneling headphones up to the collar.