Eight Great New Travel Items to Ease You Down the Road
As I routinely travel 100,000+ air miles a year, not to mention an abundance of nautical miles, I am always on the lookout for new and improved items to make my traveling life easier. Here are a few that have passed the Jet-Fuel-Jules test:
1. Stephanie Johnson Manhattan Collection: 21-inch Carry-On Spinner & Travel Tote by Ricardo Beverly Hills
This light, expanding carry-on weighs just 7.5 pounds and is as chic and sleek as it is practical and sturdy. Three interior zippered pockets keep items well organized and comes with a TSA-friendly water-resistant toiletry pouch and draw string shoe bag. Faux-leather embossed exterior trim and cheetah-print lining made me roar with happiness. Paired with the matching tech-friendly Travel Tote with the same elegant accents, you will be styling no matter where your travels take you. MSRP $270 and $130
2. Malibu Bay 2.0 Weekender Carry-On Duffel by Ricardo Beverly Hills
This tech- and eco-friendly duffel with RFID protection, padded laptop and tablet pockets made with durable dreamfel® fabric is the bag you take when there is a serious chance you will return home with more than you left. I recently took this to India where I suspected shopping might not be a spectator sport. With a wide pass-through strap fitting securely over the telescopic handle of my wheelie carry-on, this bag made me wish I bought more. MSRP regularly $140.00 on sale now for $69.99
3. Treya Lite Convertible Satchel by Moshi
This is a modernization of a classic made with eco-friendly, ultra-soft, 100-percent vegan leather. More cool: it is actually a 4-in-1: a large messenger bag with laptop section, interior RFID pocket and zippered compartments, a back-pack for hands-free convenience and secure Napoleon pocket, a stylish, roomy briefcase, and a detachable satchel which can double for a night out on the town. The straps and satchel can be ordered in complementary colors for the truly stylish among us. MSRP $209.95
4. Perfect Travel Dress by United by Blue
This is the Rolls-Royce of beautiful, flattering travel dresses. United by Blue’s Vista Convertible dress is lightweight and made from organic cotton jersey knit. It packs flawlessly arriving at your destination ready for anything. Coupled with a blazer, its suitable for a board meeting. Paired with strappy sandals, you’ll be ready to dine or dance the night away. Not only will you look great, you will feel great since buying from United by Blue will make you feel socially responsible: UBB cleans a pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways for every item it sells. MSRP $88.00
5. The Ultimate Travel Pants by ADAY
Aday’s Throw & Roll black leggings are by far, the best travel pants I’ve encountered. Not only does this item pass the comfort and chic test with flying colors, they are all at once, light weight and breathable, yet warm on chilly nights or flights. Even more remarkable, they roll up tight and take just a tiny amount of precious carry-on real estate and can be easily washed in a hotel sink at night and dry quickly. As they can be easily dressed up or down, I will never travel anywhere without a pair of these in tow. MSRP $125
6. Foldable Shoes by Rollasole
After a day of working, traveling or a night on the town, those fashionable shoes you are donning will want to come off. Rollasoles to the rescue. These are foldable, comfy flats in a variety of styles and colors that fit in your purse or briefcase and will make you sigh in relief. MSRP $29.99.
7. Porto Q 5K Battery Charger by Moshi
This sleek portable battery with built-in wireless charger is my new favorite gizmo. Requiring no cables and with possessing 5,000 mAh, your phone can be charged twice on a single charge when you are on the go. Once back in your office and plugged in, both your phone and the device re-charges. Everyone else who tried it loved it too that it quickly sold out, but happily it is now available again. MSRP $84.95.
8. Pre-charged, disposable emergency charger by ChargeTab
A traveler’s nightmare – running out of juice – ends in a dream with Chargetab’s emergency mobile device charger. Made from repurposed, refurbished batteries with a biodegradable shell and weatherproof packaging, Chargetab is lightweight, individually packaged, has 1500 mAh, and an on-off switch providing four hours of talk and text. Compatible with Apple or Android devices, it has a two-year shelf life and needs no additional wires. Best of all, when a Chargetab is purchased, there is one less battery that will sit in a landfill. MSRP $19.99 for three units.
Happy travels!
Julie L. Kessler is MoneyInc’s Travel & Luxury Editor and writes travel for several major media outlets. She is also an attorney, legal columnist and the author of the award-winning book: “Fifty-Fifty, The Clarity of Hindsight.” She can be reached at Julie@VagabondLawyer.com.
