
It’s 2019: What do you bring with you to make a trip better? Darpa is making robots that can jog up stairs, Google’s Deep Mind is so smart they had to turn it off, and there are sunglasses that can record your entire vacation and upload it to social media. So in honor of mankind’s accomplishments, we’ve given our inaugural Fodor’s Travel Tech & Gear award to the travel tech that does the best job of pulling its weight when you’re on the road and making you feel like you’re in 2029. From shirts that air-condition themselves to viral luggage to inclusive sizing, here’s the best in what to wear, what to bring, and what to pack it all in, according to us.
The Best Suitcase

WINNER
Away
If you’ve spent one minute in an airport over the last year, you’ve no doubt spotted those hard-shelled, wheeled suitcases with the horizontal grooves in a riot of different colors. That’s the Away bag. The female-owned online brand has a cult following that includes millennials and celebs. Away has managed to disrupt the snoozy luggage market by finding the sweet spot between cheap suitcases that fall apart and expensive bags that function perfectly but are perfectly unaffordable. The mid-priced Away suitcase is durable enough to come with a lifetime guarantee, looks sharp, and solves multiple travel problems: TSA-approved combination lock? Check. 360-degree spinner wheels? Check. Built-in charger with an ejectable battery? Check. Hidden laundry bag? Check. With all that functionality packed into a streamlined minimal design, Away is far and away the winner of Fodor’s Best Suitcase award.

RUNNER-UP
Arlo Skye
The Best Carry-On

WINNER
Away
Everyone you know with an Away loves their suitcase and there’s a reason why: It’s simply the best bag on the market in its price range. Sleek, stylish, and so smooth that doormen, taxi drivers, and luggage handlers will all comment on how nicely it rolls, this bag is batting way out of its league. If you don’t already own an Away Bigger Carry-On, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon with the bag that’s big enough to let you overpack and small enough to make it into most overhead compartments. Just don’t let them weigh your bag, or else they’ll find out just how much you’ve been able to cram inside.

RUNNER-UP
Herschel
The Best Personal Item

WINNER
Everlane
The sole personal item you get to take on the plane with you is your most important travel buddy. That one little bag that has to fit under the seat in front of you has to pull a lot of weight while not weighing you down. Like that one friend you can take anywhere, Everlane’s Modern Snap Backpack is as comfortable in the office as it is on a hike or anywhere in between. The generously padded interior compartment shields your laptop from shocks, and the pair of open slot side pockets make it easy to find those grab-and-go items you need constant access to. This tailored-looking bag looks better than most backpacks because the straps–rather than the usual dorky padded black ones–match the twill exterior, giving it a sophistication that ensures you won’t be mistaken for an eighth-grader when you wear it.

RUNNER-UP
Paravel
The Best Travel App

WINNER
PackPoint
At Fodor’s Travel, we get most excited about traveling far off the beaten path where there are no Starbucks, few influencers, and nowhere to buy an extra pair of hiking shoes in case you leave yours behind. That’s why we awarded PackPoint our Best Travel App award. Because it can predict what you’ll need based not only on your destination but the weather report; whether you’re headed for business, pleasure, or adventure; popular local activities; and other smart information, it can save your packing bacon before you leave the house.

RUNNER-UP
App in the Air
The Best Headphones

WINNER
Senheiser
These headphones win for one supreme reason: comfort. On-ear headphones have a tendency to fatigue a listener’s ears or head, but the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC is made for long listening sessions. Featuring ergonomic(!) ear pads, you won’t feel the pressure of traditional headphones closing in on your brain. And if your long listening sessions just happens to be a transcontinental flight, these headphones have you covered with an active noise cancellation feature to ensure your sound is Sennheiser quality. The battery is outstanding, lasting up to 25 hours for a full day’s listen without a charge. The downside of most on-ear headphones for travelers--the bulk and size--is eliminated as well since these babies are foldable.

RUNNER-UP
Jabra
The Best Travel Camera

WINNER
Pixel 3
This year, our favorite travel camera isn’t a DSLR or pricey mirrorless model. It’s the onboard camera on Google’s new Pixel 3 phone. We love this phone for most travelers because it’s one of the best camera phones on the market. Not only does it have a ton of megapixels (12.2 Megapixels with Image Stabilization, just slightly more than the latest iPhone) for startlingly-crisp photos, it has a host of other bells and whistles that help you nab gorgeous photos on the go without lugging around another piece of equipment. One of our favorite features? The camera auto-opens in about 1 second by pressing the volume button on the side of the phone, perfect for whipping it out to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment before it’s gone. It has a night mode setting that captures club and night scenes better than most stand-alone point and shoots. And if you’re looking to add something extra to your Instagram stories, you’ll love the augmented reality settings which let you do things like make Childish Gambino and Iron Man pose for a photo on the Great Wall of China, which is pretty cool.

RUNNER-UP
Light
The Best Travel Gadget

WINNER
Spectacles V2
In our humble opinion, the best travel gadgets do more than make your vacation easier: they add a little fun to it. And Spectacles do a great job of giving you something more to look forward to on your next vacation. Right out of the future, Snapchat’s Spectacles V2 are a pair of sunglasses for uploading vacation moments. They take 360 video (meaning no matter where you move your phone, the uploaded image always looks fullscreen) and photos with a click of a button. You can even wear them underwater to do a little recording under the sea. Whether you already communicate with the world exclusively via Snapchat or are looking for a good reason to use it, Spectacles are a fun way to upgrade your vacation.

RUNNER-UP
DJI Mavic Pro 2
The Most Inclusive Travel Wear

WINNER
Uniqlo
At Fodor’s we’ve always been proponents of the democratization of not only travel, but travel wear. And Uniqlo has become our favorite travel brand for inclusive outfitting. Their partnership with Hana Tajima’s gorgeous line of modest wear and hijabs, EXTRA SIZES up to XXL, and sizing for the statistically short and tall make this a one-stop shop for a wider range of travelers looking for something comfortable when they hit the road. They even feature cooling, quick-drying garments for hot weather travel, and clothing that turns sweat into heat when you’re visiting colder climes. One of our favorite Uniqlo features? Their steps toward sustainability, which includes a program that takes back used items and gives them to people around the world who are in need.

RUNNER-UP
Universal Standard
The Best Travel Pot
