Today, you can book a hotel or flight, navigate virtual maps and take beautiful sunset photos easily from your phone wherever you’re traveling to. Knowing which accessories are truly useful while on the go isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of accessories for traveling that will make your phone even better.
Best Smartphone Accessories for Traveling
From protective cases and screen protectors, to add-on camera lenses for wide-angle shots and virtual meetings, make sure you pack the following best smartphone accessories for your next travels.
1. Screen Protector
A screen protector is a defense barrier between your smartphone’s glass touch screen and the surrounding environment that ensures your device is crack and scratch free. When choosing a screen protector, find one that’s compatible with your phone and durable. However, the screen protector only covers the front of your phone’s screen, which is why you’ll need a durable protective case to secure the back from water, shock, dings and other types of damage. Check out our guide on the best screen protectors for Android and iPhone.
2. Smartphone Case
Few things are worse than dropping your smartphone and picking it up only to find that the screen is cracked. A sturdy protective case for your Android smartphone or iPhone can prevent any drops, dents, scratches or bumps on your phone without being overly bulky in your pocket. If you spend a lot of time at the beach or by the pool, look for a case that’s water-resistant so your phone won’t get wet.
3. Waterproof Case
Dropping your phone in the pool or muddy puddles while on vacation is a next-level tragedy. Fortunately, you can prevent disaster and take the anxiety off your shoulders with a waterproof case or bag for your phone and keep it safe wherever you go. Many waterproof case designs allow you to submerge your smartphone under water and capture great videos or photos. Plus, the case keeps your phone dry, safe, and has more space to stash other things on there like your credit cards or cash.
4. Cable Charger (Android, iOS)
Cable chargers are the most essential smartphone accessories on this list as they’ll ensure your smartphone never runs out of juice. Whether you’re using an Android or iPhone, you need to pick a cable charger that’s durable and compatible with your device. The materials these chargers come in include braided nylon, stainless steel or gold plating. If you have an iPhone and need a third-party cable charger, find one that’s compatible and certified like the SyncWire iPhone charger Lightning cable, so that it works as expected with your device. If you need a fancy charging cable for Android phones, try the iSeeker nylon-braided tangle-free cable with extra charge and sync, higher durability and increased flexibility. Check our guide to USB cables and how they work before snagging up one for your smartphone.
5. Power Bank
While traveling, your smartphone may quickly run out of juice and you’ve barely started your vacation. One of the reasons for this is taking endless videos or photos, or streaming movies and music on the go. With a portable power bank, you can keep your phone topped off while on the go or at your Airbnb. This way, you can fully capture more memories and not have to deal with a dead phone battery.
6. Wall Charger
If you’re traveling by air, it’s not always easy to find a power outlet because more often than not, they’re all taken. With a multiport USB charger (with both USB type-A and type-C), you can juice up your smartphone in no time before boarding your flight. Look for a wall charger with fast-charging, versatility and compact form factor, which is necessary when traveling. Multiple ports also ensure that you can charge two things at once without spending too much time at the airport charging station. Make sure you carry the charging cable that came with your smartphone or invest in one of the USB cable chargers we’ve mentioned. And, don’t forget that if traveling to Europe, you may need a power adapter, too.
7. Selfie Stick
Selfie sticks have evolved over the years thanks to their growing popularity, especially with the social media selfie craze that started a few years ago. Today, selfie sticks come in compact sizes for easy portability, with various add-ons, waterproof or Bluetooth so you can make breathtaking travel photos. They’re also good to have when you want to capture large groups or when there’s no one else around to snap pictures for you. Some selfie sticks can extend up to 30 inches long and come with a wrist strap, which makes it easy to capture your entire surroundings with extra safety and security.
8. Handheld Video Stabilizer
If you take lots of videos to document your travels, a handheld video stabilizer is a good smartphone travel accessory. This gadget offers steady and smooth filming so that you never post a shaky video again. The video stabilizer comes with a magnetic ring holder and phone clamp that allow you to attach your phone to the stabilizer for perfect filming on the go. Plus, it comes with a creative dynamic zoom shot that delivers a Hollywood feel, gesture control for snapping pics or starting videos with just a gesture, and it’s compatible with most smartphones.
9. Smartphone Camera Lens
Most smartphones today can take beautiful photos and videos thanks to the multiple lenses that allow you to change perspective on the fly. However, if yours doesn’t have such a great camera or has only one lens, you can use an external smartphone camera lens to amp up your smartphone photos and videos.
10. Selfie Flash Light
Selfie flash lights ensure that you take good lighting with you everywhere. Most of these portable smartphone flash lights are easy to use and attach to your device easily. Plus, the light comes with LED bulbs for adequate lighting so you can take great selfies especially in low light scenes. The lights are rechargeable and you can select the intensity of the light that you like the most. The light also comes with a clamp that holds well and is designed with scratch-resistant and anti-slip sponge to prevent it from falling off and protect your phone from scratches. You can also use it as a great emergency light for dark circumstances. A good alternative to buying a selfie flash light is installing a front flash camera app. The app provides simulated camera flashes if your phone doesn’t come with a built-in front camera, so you can better light your selfies. If you’re using an Android smartphone, you can download the Selfie Master front flash camera app or Selfshot if you use an iPhone.
11. Bluetooth Speaker
A Bluetooth speaker is good to have when you’re biking, hiking, swimming in the pool or lazing at the beach. These speakers are better than smart speakers especially where there’s unstable or no WiFi at all, and they’re great for the outdoors. There are many Bluetooth speakers that deliver good or even better audio quality than smart speakers and work with any smartphone. Some Bluetooth speakers are waterproof, double as a speakerphone, and come in multiple colors with great battery life between charges. Check out our list of the best Bluetooth speakers for more of the best options worth considering, or pick a pair of the best Bluetooth earbuds.
12. Car Mounts
A car mount is a great smartphone accessory to have, especially if you’ll be doing road trips. The mount holds and secures your phone safely while you drive for a smooth and hassle-free trip. Not only that, but you can also use your phone and look at directions hands-free while driving. You can choose a magnetic car mount or a non-magnetic one that wirelessly charges your device while securing your phone in place.
13. Activity Tracker
If you want to keep track of your health while you’re traveling, a smartwatch is the perfect wrist companion to your smartphone. You can view activity tracking, fitness information, and get a second screen for notifications. Plus, smartwatches come with various connectivity options, sensors, and track your sleep, activity, steps and general fitness. Some smartwatches support measurements like stress tracking, blood oxygen levels, and are fully waterproof allowing you to use your watch while swimming or underwater. More advanced smartwatches include GPS and LTE so you can leave your phone in your car or hotel and track your runs or listen to your favorite music on the go. Take a look at our customized list of smartwatches and fitness trackers to carry with you.
14. Picture Keeper Connect
It’s easy to take photos and videos while traveling, but you’ll need to find space to hold all your memories and remember to keep them backed up if you’re using cloud storage. With Picture Keeper Connect, you don’t have to worry about how much space you have or keeping them backed up. The little gadget plugs into your phone and has an accompanying app that backs up your files automatically to the built-in storage. You can also copy your files to other devices that have the app installed, or send photos to and from your laptop. The device doesn’t need mobile data or WiFi to back up or share your photos with outers, making it ideal if you’re in a place with slow, expensive or no internet access.
15. Portable Safe
A portable safe is a little bag that you can fill with valuables including your smartphone and keep them safe. The safe comes with a stainless steel wire mesh embedded in cut-resistant poly canvas fabric, which you can pull to shut and lock your belongings for maximum security. On top of that, you can lock the safe securely with its TSA accepted three-dial combination lock and cable the bag to fixtures such as furniture in your hotel room, a beach chair or tree to prevent theft where items need to be left unattended. The bag can carry your credit cards, money, wallet, passport, IDs, and smartphone among other valuables. Plus, it’s water resistant and has a slash safe vault for peace of mind and carry handles and convenience.
16. Foldable Keyboard
A foldable keyboard is an essential smartphone accessory if you don’t want to travel with your laptop. This way, you can send simple emails, quickly edit a document without awkward auto-correct mixups.
Smartphone Travel Accessories
Whether you’re going on a month-long adventure or a quick weekend trip, your smartphone is already a hub for all your trips. You can watch your favorite movies with friends on Netflix, carry your hotel reservations or boarding passes, read free books, and even organize photo albums on social media. Our list of must have smartphone accessories is by no means exhaustive, but they’re worth adding to your carry-on bag so you can travel more easily with your device.
