5 Best In-Flight Gadgets

By Allison Davis

You can deal with the cramped legs, lack of sleep, and over-priced sandwiches, but the real worry on long-haul flights is the fear of going stir-crazy. Here are a few gadgets to keep you plugged in, entertained, and comfortable for extended hours in the air.

Get Extra Power

In-Air Task: Keeping your iPhone or iPod juiced for long-term use.
The Gadget: An external battery
Our Pick: Mophie Juice Pack Air, a sleek case that doubles as a rechargeable external battery. Mophie promises to double the lifespan of your iPhone (or give up to 44 hours of audio playback).
Price: $99.95, or $44.95 for iPod touch

Stay Kink-Free

In-Air Task: A simple way to prop up your iPad to avoid arm fatigue.
The Gadget: A non-cumbersome stand
Our Pick: Joby’s Gorillamobile Ori is the ultimate adjustable stand. Save your neck by having your tablet held in either landscape or portrait mode. The design—based on the notion of origami folds—allows it to sit at several heights. When you’re done, it also serves as an ultra-protective, lightweight aluminum carrying case.
Price: $69.95

Assure Some Sanity

In-Air Task: Drowning out crying babies, loud conversations, snoring passengers, or just enjoying your music.
The Gadget: Noise-canceling headphones
Our Pick: Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones are pricey but are the most highly-rated silencers on the market and also the most comfortable. The added bonus is that they replace noise pollution with Bose sound quality—and so your play list will sound better than ever.
Price: $299.95

Lighten Your Load

In-Air Task: Getting in a full work day at 30,000 feet.
Necessary gadget: A perfect laptop
Our Pick: The 11-Inch Macbook Air is less than an inch thick and weighs just over two pounds, but you’re not sacrificing anything for the size. The Air still boasts the same graphics and speed as its larger MacBook counterparts. Plus it has up to 5 hours of battery life.
Price: $999

Keep Yourself Organized

In-Air Task: Making sure all your devices and accessories are safely stowed.
The Gadget: Grid-It
Our Pick: Instead of buying a whole new bag, grab a Grid-it Organizer. It's a system of rubberized elastic bands that grip cords, smartphones, gadgets, adapters, or whatever you're schlepping. Some models are specifically designed to hold MacBooks.
Price: $24 ($49 for MacBook Air model)

Photo credit: gchutka / iStockPhoto