10 Best Travel Electronics to Bring on a Road Trip

When you think of what to bring on a road trip, electronics are probably not the first thing to come to mind. Still, the best travel tech can be a game changer once you’ve gotten clothes, snacks and your vehicle sorted.

Before you head out on your next road trip, make sure you pack these 10 electronics.

1. A Dashcam

The absolute best travel electronics are those that keep you safe. When it comes to a road trip, dashboard cameras take the cake for that category.

More than 5 million car crashes happen each year — that’s over nine a minute. While a dashcam won’t prevent accidents, it will make it easier to get what you deserve from your insurance company. Check out options from Garmin and Vantrue for some of the best dashcam deals for your road trip.  

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2. A Portable Charger

You probably already own another one of the best travel electronics — a smartphone. Your phone is the most convenient way to communicate, navigate and learn about nearby attractions, taking the place of many once-separate devices. Given how crucial it is, you’ll want to keep it alive, so you can’t go wrong with a portable charger.

Of course, you can always charge your phone by plugging it into your car, but what if you’re a passenger? What about when you’re walking around outside your vehicle? A portable charger is the way to go. Whatever brand you go with, make sure it has enough capacity for a few charges and doesn’t take up much space.

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3. A Good Camera

Your fully charged smartphone is also a good enough camera for casual photography, but you may want something more. Whether you want higher-quality photos of your trip or a more unique aesthetic, a DSLR or instant film camera is an easy way to level up your adventure.

Go with something from Nikon or Canon for a DSLR. For something less high-end but with more cool factor, pack an instant camera like the Fujifilm Instax Mini. Just make sure you bring some film or an SD card for your camera, too.

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4. A Power Inverter

A more practical, if less exciting, piece of travel tech to pack is a power inverter. These devices turn your car’s DC circuit into an AC one you can plug other electronics into. That’s normally not an issue for small gadgets like phones, but it’s a big convenience for laptops.

Power inverters are also handy if you plan on camping out of your vehicle. You can plug projectors, coffee makers or any other portable appliances into them for a more comfortable experience. Whatever you use it for, remember to double-check the voltage of your gadgets to find an inverter that works for them.

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5. A Portable Jump Starter

Portable jump starters are another one of the best travel electronics for road trips. It’s surprisingly easy to wear out your car’s battery if you’re using it to power other gadgets without the engine on. If that happens to you, you probably don’t want to wait around for a kind stranger for a jump.

Mini jump starters come in a huge variety of price ranges, from around $60 to over $150. You don’t necessarily need a more expensive one as long as it’s small and has enough peak amperage and cranking amps. Look at your car battery to learn what those figures should be. 

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6. A Tire Inflator

Similarly, a tire inflator is nice to have on a long road trip. Most inflators use large air compressors and sit on workshop floors, but you can find some small enough to fit in your trunk or even in your hand.

Once again, you don’t need anything fancy. Keep in mind, though, that a more powerful compressor will inflate your tires faster. Always check your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure before using these tools, too. That’s between 32 and 35 PSI for most cars, but you can find an exact number on the inside of your door.

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7. A Lightweight Laptop

Your list of what to bring on a road trip should also include a few items that are just for fun. While you can stream movies and play games on your phone, the bigger screen of a laptop will be more enjoyable. Given that you may be low on packing space, though, try to bring a small, lightweight one.

Yes, laptops can be expensive if you don’t already have one. That said, you can still find a great laptop for under $1,000 today. It may not be worth buying one solely for the trip, but it could be the right time to get one if you need a new work computer anyway.

8. A Handheld Gaming System

Along those same lines, you may want to pack a handheld console, especially if you’re not the one driving. Today’s handhelds can run games as well as some desktop PCs and offer some impressive battery life for long drives.

Your two best options here are the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. Go with the Steam Deck for performance and access to your favorite PC games, but take advantage of the Switch’s nine-hour battery life if you have a longer stretch ahead.

9. A Mobile Hotspot

While you can certainly play games and use your laptop offline, having a Wi-Fi connection makes things more convenient. That’s why a mobile hotspot makes the list of the best travel tech for road trips.

Mobile hotspots work like the built-in service on your phone — you plug a SIM card in, and they use cellular data to create a Wi-Fi network. However, you’ll get a better connection from one of these than you would on your smartphone. Netgear makes some of the best ones for all carriers, but you can also get one from your cellular provider.

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10. An E-Reader

Whether you have an internet connection or not, an e-reader is a handy bit of travel tech. Books take up valuable packing space, but electronic options are often smaller than a full-size tablet.

Kindle is the big name in e-readers, and for good reason. They have a huge range of sizes, functionality and prices. That said, the Barnes and Noble Nook or an iPad Mini will also work well.

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Bring the Best Travel Electronics on Your Next Road Trip

Are you stuck thinking of what to bring on a road trip? Start with this list of the best travel electronics. You don’t need everything on this list, but taking a few of these will give you all the entertainment, convenience and safety you need for a great adventure.