5 Cool New Gadgets Every Digital Nomad Should Check Out – BGR

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

The current age of remote work and worldwide interconnectivity has given rise to a new kind of working professional: the digital nomad, someone who can freely travel the world while still turning in regular work. There’s a very particular freedom that comes with this lifestyle, though of course, it also has its own headaches. Luckily, being a digital nomad means wielding technology with expertise, and there are plenty of helpful gadgets out there, like universal adapters and external hard drives that can help you access the world from anywhere.

While being able to travel while you work can be liberating, it comes at the cost of the creature comforts that come with working in an office or at home, such as using a full PC tower or knowing what kind of electrical standard you’re operating on. With the help of a few choice gadgets, though, you can alleviate some of these headaches, or even eliminate them entirely.

All of these gadgets are available for purchase now on Amazon. They have each been released within the past year and have user ratings of at least 4 out of 5 stars based on a minimum of 300 reviews.

Something you learn very swiftly upon leaving your home country is that nearly every other country has its own standards when it comes to electricity. This primarily manifests as differently-shaped plugs and outlets, which a power adapter from the United States may not be able to plug into. To ensure you can receive power no matter where you go, try the Epicka Pulse Duo Universal Travel Adapter, available on Amazon for $49.99.

This 65W adapter uses a series of retractable plugs and prongs to mimic the plug and outlet shapes from a large number of different countries’ power standards. Just deploy the correct prongs using the switches on the side, and you can plug in while visiting Japan, Germany, France, China, Australia, and more. The front AC outlet is universal, and there are also various USB plugs along the adapter’s sides, all of which can be used simultaneously when charging. It’s got built-in safety shutters for protection when not in use, and it’s made of flame-retardant material for extra peace of mind.

The Epicka Pulse Duo Universal Travel Adapter has received a 4.5 out of 5 rating based on 306 Amazon reviews. One user called it an outstanding travel adapter, specifically highlighting its safety and efficacy while traveling on a cruise ship.

Part of being a digital nomad is being constantly on the move. As a side effect of that, there’s a good chance you won’t always be within plugging distance of an outlet, which your laptop or phone may not appreciate. In such circumstances, it’s vital to have a portable source of energy, such as the Anker Prime Power Bank. This gadget is available on Amazon for $229.99.

As with most power banks, the Anker Prime is designed to carry a charge long-term and provide it whenever your other electronics and gadgets get thirsty. It’s got 300W of total power output, delivered via two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. When connected with a fast-charging cable, it can fast-charge compatible devices at up to 140W, enough power to get a MacBook Pro up to 50% capacity in about 27 minutes. A smart display on the side of the device shows you exactly how much charge is remaining, and you can fine-tune its power output using its companion smartphone app. The whole device is TSA-certified, as well, so you don’t need to worry about traveling with it.

The Anker Prime Power Bank has a 4.7 out of 5 rating based on 551 Amazon reviews. One user called it a travel essential, with enough capacity to charge their iPhone several times over while still having power left over for their laptop.

Even if you have portable power solutions for your nomadic work setup, one thing you’re not going to find in the middle of nowhere is free Wi-Fi to piggyback off of. Instead of hunting down a sufficiently-advanced cafe in a nearby town, you can conjure forth Wi-Fi for work and leisure with the TP-Link Dual-Band Travel Router, available on Amazon for $89.99.

This portable Wi-Fi 6 router can get you online in three different ways: serving as a router for tethered smartphone internet, acting as a security intermediary for public sources, and extending existing Wi-Fi signals. However you’re connecting, the router will allow your devices to do so either with an ethernet cable or wirelessly, delivering up to 2,402 Mbps on a 5GHz connection. As an added perk, the router has a built-in VPN and security protocols, protecting you even if you have to use sketchy hotel Wi-Fi.

The TP-Link Dual-Band Travel Router has a 4.4 out of 5 user rating based on 11,605 Amazon reviews. One user called it a great travel router that offers peace of mind when connecting to unstable or unsecure open Wi-Fi sources. Their only complaint was that it doesn’t have its own power source.

If you’re constantly hopping between buses, cafes, and airports, backpack bouncing behind you all the way, there’s an ever-present risk that you’ll end up forgetting or dropping something vital, whether it’s your wallet or your phone. If you’re going to be traveling around, it’d be a smart safety measure to attach a UGreen FineTrack Tracker Tag, available for $16.59 apiece on Amazon. That’s nearly half the price of an individual Apple AirTag, incidentally.

These simple tracking tiles can be paired with any iOS device and tracked with the Apple Find My app. With the Find My network’s help, you can track the tag’s location just about anywhere in the world. If it leaves the network’s range, it will send you a ping with its last known location to help track it down. When within Bluetooth range, the tag will produce an audible chime to let you know that it’s nearby. It’s Apple MFi-certified, protecting your personal information with end-to-end encryption. Of course, it goes without saying that it’s small enough to fit in a carry-on bag, ensuring you won’t lose anything on long trips.

The UGreen FineTrack Tracker Tag has a 4.4 out of 5 user rating based on 5,524 Amazon reviews. One user said it was a better tracking tag than AirTags for those in the Apple ecosystem, offering particular praise for its battery, which is both long-lasting and replaceable.

If you’re ever outside of Wi-Fi range in your travels, you won’t be able to access things like cloud storage. This means data on your laptop or smartphone will need to be saved locally, and depending on the specs of either, you may not have much space to spare. For some extra storage capacity on the go, try the Gazelle High-Speed Portable External Hard Drive, available on Amazon for $29.99.

This compact storage device features 500 GB of data capacity, connecting to devices via a dual interface USB 3.0 and Type-C connector. It doesn’t require any setup or apps; you can plug it right into most electronic devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets and begin moving files around right away, transferring data at 120MB/s. It only measures a couple of inches across, small enough to store comfortably in your pocket or in your backpack without creating needless clutter or adding weight.

857 Amazon users have given the Gazelle High-Speed Portable External Hard Drive a 4.5 out of 5 rating. One user called it an excellent value for the price, saying it was easy to set up and use, and transfers files very quickly and quietly.

If you’re a digital nomad, it’s important that you get good, reliable tech, as you won’t exactly have ample opportunities to make returns or get refunds. To ensure reliable quality for all of these new gadgets, we narrowed our focus to those with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Additionally, to ensure those scores are properly weighted, we narrowed further to products with at least 300 user reviews.