Five New Travel Gadgets 2016

The Smart Suitcase

The smart suitcase is just that, smart. It has a range of features to make travelling as easy as possible and you will always know the location of your suitcase is as it has in-built GPS. No more lost luggage with this handy feature! The suitcase can be controlled using a mobile app and before you ask, if your phone does start to get low on battery life, the Bluesmart has a built in power bank which can charge your phone for you (up to six times) before you arrive at one of our Manchester Airport Hotels. If those features aren’t enough to tempt you, it also has a built in scale so you will never go over your weight limit again. It has a special slot handy for storing your laptop and a digital lock to keep thieves out. It costs £278 and an extra £20 shipping from the US, making it come in just under £300.

The Smart Umbrella 

An umbrella is an essential item to pack, especially if you are travelling or holidaying in the UK. Many of us leave our trusty umbrellas all over the place and are constantly replacing them, so let us introduce you to the Umbrella, the new smart umbrella technology. The Oombrella comes with an app which you download onto your phone or tablet. Your smart umbrella can then send you a notification that lets you know if it is about to rain. It will also notify you if you leave it anywhere by mistake, no more lost umbrellas for you. Its two unique features are its hyper-local weather data and it’s tracking information. It also works well as a good old-fashioned umbrella and is wind resistant, you can also choose the colour you like and size when ordering it. Sensors in the umbrella handle can tell you the temperature, light, humidity and pressure. This is used to provide notifications such as “Take me with you as it will rain in ten minutes”. At the top of the umbrella there is a screw thread so you can attach your GoPro on it if you want to capture a new angle or use your umbrella as a selfie stick!

The Smart Portable Wi-Fi

If you are travelling and want to make sure you have Wi-Fi at all times, whether you are on a business trip or family holiday, then the Mi-Fi could be just what you are looking for. Relying on data roaming, especially for multiple devices and if you are abroad can really add up cost wise, so the Mi-Fi is a cost effective Wi-Fi device. You can share the Wi-Fi connection from a sim to up to ten separate devices, so you only pay once. One of the best in this category is the TP-Link M7350 which has an inbuilt LCD screen which gives you information such as how strong the signal is, the data used, and how many devices are connected to it. It also has a  micro SD slot so you can store up to 32GB and it is unlocked so can be used by any mobile phone sim card. You can get it from Amazon for under £70 and is a great gadget to take with you when travelling.

The Smart Solar Backpack

Many of us take a carry-on when travelling and often the option of choice is a backpack, which can hold a lot and is easy to carry, especially if you have other luggage to bring at the same time. So why not have a backpack which can also charge up all your electric devices using solar power. The bag itself is light and well-designed and you can use it just like any other backpack. Some of its extra features include headphone cable hole, water resistant construction, a rubberised bottom and uses an Energy Independent System to charge your devices using the sun. It would be a great piece of luggage if you are going to a special event or festival this summer, especially if you plan on taking lots of pictures. For extra safety there is a whistle built into the shoulder strap and it has multiple pockets to protect your devices.

The Smart Padlock

If you like the idea of the super hi-tech Bluesmart suitcase, but aren’t willing to splash the cash, you can still “tech-up” your normal suitcase using a smart padlock for under £20. One of the best on the market is the Master Lock Bluetooth Smart Padlock which you use in combination with an app.  Using the app you can unlock the padlock so there is no need for keys and number combinations anymore. After downloading the app you can follow the instructions step by step to add the lock and start using your phone with the smart padlock.