Don’t go to the airport without this simple AV travel kit

We’ve all been there, at the airport, waiting at the gate ready to board, when that dreaded announcement comes that your flight has been delayed. If you’re lucky, it’s a short wait. If not, it could mean hours in the airport or even an overnight stay—preferably in a hotel, but we’ve all done the four-seat stretch, am I right?

Whether you’re stuck in the terminal or holed up in a hotel, a small travel AV kit can be the difference between misery and sanity. The right gear can block noise, let you stream your own shows, and keep you connected and powered up for the long haul. Here are some essentials.

Block the noise with ANC headphones

Airports are noisy. You’ve got the chaos of boarding calls and other airport announcements, screaming kids, and the general rabble-rabble of airport chatter assaulting your senses. This is where a pair of active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are the single most important piece of travel tech you can bring.

Over-ear vs. in-ear for flying

• Over-ear ANC headphones give you the best isolation. They create a physical seal around your ears, handle low-frequency rumble (like airplane engines) better, and usually have better ANC overall.

• In-ear ANC earbuds are more compact and comfortable for sleeping or reclining, but their effectiveness depends heavily on getting a good seal.

Top over-ear pick: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

How-To Geek’s top pick for the best overall noise-cancelling headphones, the industry-leading Bose QuietComfort Ultras offer excellent ANC that can be adapted to your ears’ specific shape, size, and depth for a tailored experience. Bose’s signature sound is full and clear, the Bose app offers a ton of customization features, and they have a battery that lasts up to 24 hours on a charge. They’re also super comfortable for long stretches of use, and they pack up nice and small in their included carrying case. That can be a bit pricey, though, regularly priced at $429, but they’re the only ANC headphones you’ll ever need.

For a budget option: How-To Geek recommends the $70 Anker Soundcore Life Q20i.

Top wireless earbuds pick: Apple AirPods Pro 3

A How-To Geek editor’s choice, the 3rd-gen of Apple’s AirPods Pro are the best wireless ANC earbuds the company has ever made. With some of the best noise-cancelling in the business, this generation of AirPods Pro fits better than ever, with a slight design tweak and new foam-infused silicone ear tips ensuring they create a great seal for blocking out all that airport noise. “Bouncy and alive” is how our reviewer described their sound, with better bass and treble response. With up to 8 hours of battery life (24 total, from the case), pocketable design, and all kinds of Apple-friendly features, the $250 AirPods Pro 3 are no-brainers when it comes to wireless earbuds.

Always pack a 3.5 mm cable for wired listening on in-flight entertainment systems. You’ll thank yourself when Bluetooth is off-limits

Pack better sound with a compact Bluetooth speaker

Less for your boarding gate and more for your hotel stay (whether waiting for your flight or at your destination), a compact Bluetooth speaker is a must-have AV accessory. Your phone’s speaker sounds terrible, but a decent Bluetooth speaker will improve the sound of your music, podcasts, TV or movie viewing, and as a white-noise machine. I bring one with me wherever I travel, whether packed in my checked baggage or in my carry-on.

Sonos Roam 2

The excellent Sonos Roam 2 is our pick for best overall Bluetooth speaker, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve taken mine across oceans, to conferences, and even on camping trips, as its light and compact (2.4” x 2.3” x 6.6” and .93 lbs) cylindrical shape is easy to tuck away in a backpack or carry-on. It’s also rugged, with an IP67 dust and waterproof rating, rubberized ends, and a sturdy build. It sounds great and is louder than you’d expect, but its best trick is that it connects to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Sonos Roam 2’s battery life is decent, lasting up to 10 hours, but if you’re staying in a hotel, you can plug it in.

For a more budget-friendly option, I can’t speak more highly of the JBL Flip 7. It features JBL’s well-balanced sound, solid companion app, a 14-hour battery, and is IP68 rated for around $100.

Bring your own entertainment with a streaming stick

If you’re not the type that travels with a laptop and you’d rather not watch TV shows or movies on your phone, and you find yourself staying a night in a hotel while your flight gets sorted, a compact streaming stick takes up zero room and will help you avoid pricey pay-per-view or trashy local channels.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

If you’re familiar with Roku, you know that they are some of the most widely used streaming devices in the world, giving you access to streaming services from Netflix to Prime Video and beyond. Whether you use it at home or just for travel, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is one of the company’s best and most reasonably priced.

For travellers, it’s built-in HDMI connectivity means no cable is necessary, and it can be plugged right into a hotel TV’s HDMI port, provided the port is accessible and the hotel hasn’t blocked it, as some do. It’s recommended that you set up the device at home before you leave and link it to your Roku account. With Roku’s “Hotel and Dorm Connect” feature that lets you authenticate using your phone, setting up and connecting to the hotel’s WI-Fi should be simple, and the device comes with a solid remote, too.

A tiny travel router, like the GL.iNet GL-AXT1800, is a portable solution that logs in to a hotel’s internet (either via Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and creates a secure, private Wi-Fi network for you to connect your devices to.

Cables, adapters, and portable power

Whether you’re waiting in the airport, in the hotel room, or on the plane, it’s always a good idea to travel with a compact pouch with a range of helpful cables, connectors, and adapters in it—you never know what you might need to connect to.

Anker PowerLine II 3-in-1 USB Cable

If you’ve ever found yourself with several devices to charge or plug in, and they all have different types of USB connections—USB-A, USB-C, micro USB, Lightning—if you have one of these Anker PowerLine II 3-in-one USB cables in your kit, you’ll be sorted for all those connections. Durable, affordable, and from a reputable brand like Anker.

Ugreen Revodok Pro 6-in-1 USB-C Hub

There are more expensive USB hubs out there, but for $20 you can’t go wrong with this one from Ugreen. While its only drawback is its lack of SD card and Ethernet slots, the Ugreen Revodok features two USB-A and two USB-C ports with 10 Gbps transfer speeds, and an HDMI port that supports 4K video at up to 60Hz for smooth connectivity to a TV or monitor.

Duttek Right Angle HDMI Extension Cable

If you do find yourself in a hotel room where the HDMI cable is in an awkward spot behind the TV for you to connect your streaming stick or laptop to, then this short, one-foot HDMI cable with a right-angle is perfect. The Duttek Right Angle HDMI Extension Cable supports HDMI 2.1 and 8K/60Hz and 4K/240Hz resolutions for high-quality images no matter what you connect it to.

Anker 737 PowerCore Power Bank

One of the most important items for extended airport stays is a power bank. They’ll keep your devices charged if you can’t find a free outlet, so you can stay entertained. There are a few rules for power banks on airlines, though: power banks must not exceed 100 watt-hours (Wh), which equates to 27,000 milliamp-hours (mAh). That makes the Anker 737 PowerCore perfect. How-To Geek’s top choice for best overall power bank, its 24,000 mAh capacity will charge laptops, tablets, and phones rapidly and features a handy charge-monitoring display.

Bellroy Tech Kit organizer bag

Lastly, pack all your cables, chargers, adapters, and other essentials together in the compact and slick-looking Bellroy Tech Kit. The zip-up bag features elastic loops, magnetic pockets, and stretchy mesh sections for securing and neatly stowing your stuff.

Heaven forbid you get stuck in the airport or on an overnight hotel stay while your flight gets sorted out—you want to see your family and friends ASAP, we get it. But if you do, hopefully, some of these AV travel tech ideas will keep you entertained and make it more manageable.