Best travel accessories for Apple users to take on vacation

Whether you vacation at the beach, in the mountains or anywhere in between, you’ll surely bring your iPhone, Apple Watch and maybe an iPad or even a MacBook with you. We have suggestions for accessories to simplify keeping your gear charged and organized. Plus some to make the trip more fun.

We’ve tested all these gadgets so we know they do what they promise.

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Suggestions for practical and fun travel accessories for iPhone, MacBook and iPad

These suggestions break into some broad categories. When you’re traveling, you need to keep your Apple devices charged. The first group of recommendations is for charging options that you plug into a wall socket, and the second lets you go off the power grid. You’ll also need to protect your precious gear with a bag or case — we have suggestions.

Those are all so practical, so we also recommend some accessories to make your holiday more enjoyable.

• Charging on the go
• Free yourself from power sockets
• Protect your gear on the trip
• Have more fun on your holiday

Charging on the go

You can bundle up your usual charging cables and take them with you on trips, but you take the risk of forgetting them. A better option is a charger designed for travel that can stay in your luggage. These are conveniently small — just right for a hotel room nightstand.

The Kuxiu X40 3-In-1 ($69.98) simplifies your travel charging by juicing up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods from one device, cable and outlet. It folds up to be so very small, but looks brilliant when opened into an adjustable stand. Griffin has been testing it, and his review gives it four stars.

Buy it from: Amazon

Of course you’ll need to charge your MacBook and/or iPad, too. The Ugreen 65W GaN Fast Charger ($49.99) has a pair of USB-C ports, but is much smaller than Apple’s equivalent. And it sports fold-down prongs for greater portability. Read our review by David.

Buy it from: Amazon

The Chargeasap Zeus 270W ($219) is a more premium option with three USB-C ports and one USB-A port, plus a small screen to display charging status. As its name indicates, it can handle a maximum of 270W, which is plenty for even the most demanding MacBook. It has fold-down prongs and comes with clip on adapters for power sockets around the world. Rajesh wrote an extensive review.

Find it at: Chargeasap

Free yourself from power sockets

Nothing is more handy than a power bank when you travel where there are no wall power outlets. One of these can keep your iPhone, Apple Watch, etc. going when you’re off the grid for days.

I’m a fan of the OtterBox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe ($36.34). It magnetically clings to an iPhone and wirelessly charges the handset with 5,000 mAh. And it has a USB-C port for other Apple devices. I wrote  a review of this gadget that I take almost everywhere.

Buy it from: Amazon

When it comes to power banks, I believe in “go big or go home.” My ongoing tests of the HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack ($249.99) have impressed me. It has four USB-C ports, stores 27,000mAh, and can output 100W through a single port. Its display gives more info about the battery status than any rival I’ve tested.

Find it at: Hyper

For many of these accessories, you need a cable to get power to your devices. The Rolling Square inCharge X ($29 to $39) is a charging cable with multiple adapters built in. A single cable can handle USB-C, USB-A, Lightning and even micro-USB. Read my review for more details.

Buy the small version from: Amazon
Buy the 5-foot version from: Amazon

Protect your gear on the trip

Don’t put your expensive gear in a checked suitcase — there’s no telling where it’ll end up. When I travel, my Mac, iPad, etc. go into a HyperPack Pro ($199.99). The backpack offers plenty of pockets and sleeves for loads of gear. Plus, a built-in tracker using Apple’s Find My technology means it can easily be found if misplaced or accidentally left behind. Read my review to see why I love it.

Buy it from: Hyper

Or there’s the Troubadour Pioneer Backpack ($275). It’s not as high tech but looks more stylish. David’s review is quite positive.

Find it at: Troubadour

I’m deliberately skipping cases for MacBooks and iPads because you don’t go on holiday to Bangkok with just a MacBook case. But your AirPods are likely to ride in your pocket as you travel, and some extra protection is reasonable. I use the SwitchEasy Odyssey ($19.99) for my AirPods 3.

Buy it from: Cult of Mac Store

David uses a Totallee Case for AirPods Pro ($29), which is slimmer and lighter but still adds a layer of protection. And style, too.

Find it at: Totallee

Travel accessories for more fun on your holiday

Not all the accessories you take on vacation must be practical. Some add to the enjoyment of the trip.

There’s no better example than the Backbone One ($99.99). It slides easily into a suitcase but adds the physical buttons and sticks you’ve been missing when playing advanced games on iPhone. The game controller is just the thing for long plane rides. I enjoyed the heck out of reviewing it.

Buy it from: Amazon

Or make the vacation nights more fun with the EZCast Beam J4a ($225), a pico projector designed for travel. It fits easily in a bag but can show a movie large enough for the whole family. This was another enjoyable review to write.

Buy it from: Amazon