35 Clever Travel Gadgets That Might Inspire You To Start Packing Your 2025 Calendar With Trips

Storytime: After traveling summer 2022 carry-on only, and being a person who tries to carry on whenever possible, I finally bought a couple of Apple AirTags during 2022 Black Friday sales. And I am SO grateful I did. My normal carry-on bag was too big to fit the Lufthansa luggage requirements (and BOY, do they check that!) so I had to check my bags for a December 2022 trip to Vienna and back from Prague (with a layover in Frankfurt). My bag didn’t make it onto the plane in Frankfurt, and once I landed in Newark, New Jersey, I pulled up the app on my phone and saw that yes, my backpack AirTag was indeed with me, but my suitcase AirTag was still in Germany. (The screen grab is from an Amazon review, but you get the gist.) The AirTag also helped me track FedEx’s delivery of the suitcase to my parents’ house, where I was spending the holidays immediately after my Europe trip ended. I was even able to see it on a highway less than an hour’s drive from my parents’ house. TL;DR: I think AirTags are very much a worthwhile investment if you travel a few times a year. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Promising review: “This was my very first AirTag, but it will not be my last. I travel quite a bit, and it’s comforting to be able to watch your luggage as it travels with you through the airport, into baggage claim, and back out. I’ve heard of a few success stories with lost luggage in which these things saved the day. Worth the price, and the setup is super easy with an iPhone. I appreciate that you can name them and assign your favorite emoji to the display. Will be purchasing more for myself and as gifts.” —Malissa

Get it from Amazon for $24.