Last Updated: 7/7/2020 | July 7th, 2020
In this guest post, tech expert Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters shares this tips and suggestions to help you decide which tech items are best for you and your trip — and which you can leave at home.
“Should I bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone?”
It’s a question I’m often asked — and for good reason. There are pros and cons to each device and, with overlapping features, picking the one that’s right for your trip can be confusing.
There are a lot of issues to think about with each device: size, weight, costs, insurance, and security. Striking the right balance between them all isn’t easy, but it is possible.
As a tech guy, I carry a lot of devices (and a lot of chargers) but for those not obsessed with every new device on the market, you only need one device — you want to keep it simple on the road. Here are the pros and cons of carrying a smartphone, laptop, or tablet with you on the road (as well as some gear suggestions).
Smartphone
Everyone travels with a smartphone these days. They’re our camera, our map, our translator, and our way to stay connected with friends and family back home. They’re light, small, and perfect for minimalist travelers who want to keep things simple.
Unless you’re intentionally trying to travel unassisted by technology, you’ll probably have a phone with you.
Not sure if you want to travel with only a phone? Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons:
Pros
- They replace multiple devices. There’s no longer a need to pack a separate flashlight, map, music player, or alarm clock.
- It’s easy to get connected when you need to, even if you’re not using cellular data. Cafés, airports, and train stations usually have free Wi-Fi available.
- There are hundreds of useful travel apps out there that work both online and offline. Currency converters, translation tools, navigation helpers, guide books, itinerary trackers, and more can help make your travels easier (not to mention Netflix and other entertainment apps).
Cons
- The biggest con is battery life — it’s rare to find a smartphone that will last more than a day of normal use. Long flights, bus rides, and days of exploring often result in a dead phone before you get to your accommodation. With everyone else in your dorm room also wanting to charge their gadgets every night, even finding a power socket isn’t always easy (this means you’ll likely want to buy an external battery charger).
- Although phones are getting larger, a smartphone screen isn’t ideal for entertainment — books and movies aren’t so great on a small screen.
- Websites without mobile-friendly versions get annoying very quickly.
- Typing on phones is fine for updating your Facebook status or sending a quick message, but you’ll end up frustrated if you’re hoping to do much more.
Recommendations
If you aren’t planning on using your device for work, don’t mind a small screen, and just need to use basic apps like maps and translation, a phone is your best choice. If you’re not picky, any basic smartphone will do. However, if you want something with an excellent camera, consider a Google Pixel 4 or an iPhone 11 (older Pixels will also suffice, as will any iPhone from the 8 and up).
If you’re on a budget, Huawei and Motorola both make affordable phones. The P Smart from Huawei and the Moto One Macro are both under $150 USD.
Tablet
Since the iPad came out a decade ago, tablets have exploded in popularity. They offer a larger screen than a smartphone and better battery life too. But they are more expensive and take up a lot more space as well.
Tablets are a great ‘middle of the road’ option for travelers who want a bigger screen (for movies or books) or need to do more computer-related tasks and want a larger keyboard — but who don’t want to lug around a laptop.
They’re also a great choice for anyone traveling with kids since you can fill them with fun apps, games, and offline TV shows.
Pros
- While you might not have standard calling or texts, tools like WhatsApp and Skype can be good replacements if your Internet speed is fast enough. All of the apps work as well or better than on a phone, and the larger screen makes many tasks a little easier.
- Battery life is usually longer than a smartphone, especially when in flight mode or just using Wi-Fi.
- If your tablet does have a cellular data option, you’re in luck there, too — tablets usually have an unlocked SIM card slot. Pick up a local, data-only SIM and you’re good to go.
Cons
- Size is an issue. Even the smaller 7-8″ versions won’t really fit in your pocket unless you’re wearing a large jacket. They’re also heavier than smartphones, especially if you have a full-size tablet.
- Taking photos with tablets is a pain. The case gets in the way, the camera’s aren’t great, and they are just not convenient to haul everywhere.
- While the screens are bigger, the apps and input are usually exactly the same as a smartphone. That means typing is still slower than using a proper keyboard, and software options for doing real work are limited. While you can use a Bluetooth keyboard to speed up your typing, that’s yet another piece of technology to buy, power, and carry around.
Recommendations
For those looking to do more with their device, especially watch a lot of movies, a tablet is a lot easier on the eyes. When it comes to tablets, I recommend the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 and the iPad Air.
Personally, I think tablets work well in tandem with a smartphone. If you’re a carry-on only traveler, you can easily pack both (and their cables and chargers) without getting too weighed down.
Laptop
It wasn’t so long ago that if you wanted to get online when you traveled, your only choice was to carry a laptop or find a dusty Internet café. Those days are long gone now, of course — so are there still reasons to pack a laptop at all?
Pros
- The biggest advantage of a laptop is versatility. There’s software to do pretty much anything a traveler could need, and websites always work best on a computer. Storage space is rarely an issue, and it’s easy to backup photos from a separate camera/phone.
- Laptops are much more powerful than any tablet or phone and combined with the larger screen and proper keyboard, getting things done will be faster and easier. That’s more time enjoying happy hour, less time in front of a screen.
- Hybrid tablet/laptops are becoming more common, which, if you buy a good one, provides the best of both worlds without carrying separate devices.
- If you work from the road, a laptop is necessary. Anything else will end up costing you far more in time and frustration than you ever save in weight and cost.
Cons
- Weight. While laptops are getting lighter all the time, you’re still not going to be slipping it in your pocket as you head out the door. Add in the weight of the charger, and you’ll definitely be looking for excuses to leave it in your dorm or hotel room when you can.
- Price. The price tag can be substantial — depending on what you need, expect to pay anything from $500-$2,000 USD — or more. Carrying a gadget that valuable guarantees extra worry about theft or damage, and travel insurance typically either won’t cover the full cost or will require an extra premium to do so.
- They’re fragile and hard to replace overseas.
- They have a lot of power — power you won’t use. Laptops are great for travelers running an online business, but your everyday traveler rarely needs all the hard drive space, computing power, and apps.
Recommendations
If you’re running an online business, a laptop is a must. However, if you’re just a regular traveler and you have a decent smartphone or tablet, you likely don’t also need to bring a laptop.
If you’re a long-term traveler who’s going to be on the road for +6 months, a laptop might be worth bringing since you will have lots of time to use it. However, if you’re just traveling for a few weeks or a couple of months, you can likely get by with just a phone or tablet.
If you do want to bring a laptop, the Dell XPS 13 or Macbook Air are my suggestions. They’re light and can do pretty much everything you’ll need!
If you do bring a laptop, make sure that you also invest in a durable case for it. Chances it’s going to get beat up sitting in your bag for weeks and months at a time. Spend the extra money to keep it safe.
What Should You Use?
For most casual travelers, a smartphone is the best choice. It replaces a dozen or more other gadgets, fits into a pocket, and, with a bit of patience, can be used for most online tasks. If it has an unlocked SIM slot, getting mobile data is relatively cheap and easy — and given how many places offer free or cheap Wi-Fi, you could choose to just use that instead. Best of all, perfectly usable phones can be bought for under $200 USD.
If you prefer a tablet, by all means, take one with you instead — or in tandem with a smartphone. For the vast majority of people, a phone/tablet combination will cover everything you need and then some. The improved battery life and larger screen of a tablet make up for its disadvantages. You’ll be looking at $250-$600+ USD, depending on the tablet model/brand.
Unless you work online, there’s little need for a laptop on your next trip. While they provide ultimate power and flexibility, the size, weight, and cost of most laptops mean they aren’t worth the trade-off.
Another thing to remember is that travel insurance only offers limited coverage for electronics (unless you upgrade your plan). Make sure that, no matter what technology you bring, you save the receipts for it in case you need to make a claim.
In the end, we are all going to have our own needs and preferences (as well as our own budget). But as long as the technology you bring works for you and isn’t slowing you down or limiting your enjoyment, then that’s all that matters.
Dave runs Too Many Adapters, a site devoted to technology for travelers. A geek as long as he can remember, he worked in IT for 15 years. Now based out of a backpack long term, Dave writes about travel and tech from anywhere with half-decent Internet and a great view. You can also find him talking about the life of a long-term traveller at What’s Dave Doing?
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Need to book your trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. The are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.
Andrea Anastasiou
Ahhh, how I wish I didn’t have to carry my laptop around, but as you also mention, it’s a must for anyone who’s working on the road!
I wouldn’t trade my Macbook Pro for anything in the world, although I do wish it were as light as the Air…
Rachel
Why must it only be one? My combo of Android smartphone + Samsung chromebook is perfect. Phone for walking around, chromebook for evenings. Plus they’re cheap ($250), lightweight, and if you lose/break it you don’t lose you’re information since it is a chromebook!
Gina
I highly recommend the Lenovo Yoga 2 laptop for travel. I have the 13″ version. It’s light, fits easily in a small backpack, has 6-8 hour battery life and best of all, it seems like it’s virtually indestructible. It cost about $950 on sale at Best Buy in early August.
I work remotely while traveling so the 13″ screen was a must. I have an 11.6″ Acer Aspire too but the Lenovo blows it out of the water in terms of speed.
Ron Mitchell
I find the Samsung Galaxy to be perfect for downloading photos and typing up some travel articles for the word press blog while on the road! Plus, it fits into a backpack (on the top).
Mandy
Great read. I agree cell phone is one of the most Verile light weight tools you should carry. One of the things i love about my s5 is i can run a 128gb micro sd card, and hold tones on music, movies and pictures.
You can not leave out the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. This is by far the best laptop/tablet you can get, also one of the lightest if not the lightest. If you have not used one you need to go check them out.
Kathryn
I have one of the 7 inch Samsung tablets. I got the wifi only but definitely wish I’d got the mobile version for travel. It’s small enough to slip into a tiny handbag. It takes great photos if the light is good but I’d never use it in artificial light.
I’ve also got a tiny, basic Samsung smart phone and used it for listening to music on flights on my recent trip. That kept my tablet battery free for more important things. I now to learn to use it to connect my tablet to the internet.
There are probably not the best options but I figure it’s better to work with what you have than spent money trying to get the perfect device.
Katie
When I travel on shorter trips, I only bring my phone and it’s perfect. When I travel for longer periods I bring my laptop and my phone. I’ve only used a tablet a few times, and honestly didn’t like it much, so I never bought one. I will be replacing my older Macbook Pro with an Air soon, so excited!!
Sigurdur Bjorgvinsson
I completely agree with the phone, I have the nexus 4 and it is the best phone I have ever had, it can do everything including taking great photos. It has been extremely helpful when I travel.
I think tablets are kind of useless since you can’t really use them like laptops and they take up way more space than a phone.
I am planning to buy one of those Chromebooks for about $200-$300, I think they are perfect for travelling light. They are small and can do the job.
Juergen
Between my wife and me we seem to have collected most of our recommended gear, but then we’re travelling overland in our camper.
Nexus 5 – still a very good phone, and with LTE standards varying throughout the world you wouldn’t really find a 4G LTE phone which works worldwide.
Nexus 7 – I have the 1st generation (was cheaper) and use this mostly as an offline navigation tool (no SIM card in it right now); the GPS receiver is much better than in my previous Garmin and Tomtom devices, and the larger screen makes it easier to read in glaring light (as happens in a vehicle from time to time). At evenings I read eBooks on it, though it’s heavier than my wife’s Kobo Glo. Several other apps make it a useful all-day tool – I’d wish for a small external keyboard, then I would use it more.
Laptop: I have an ASUS Zenbook UX32, which I course more than praise. I’d been always convinced by ASUS’ quality, but this one let me down – badly – until after 3 unsuccessful repairs (screen, harddisk, motherboard and SSD) it was replaced under warranty – unfortunately in Germany, so now I fight with a German keyboard… Next time I would buy a Lenovo. My wife has an HP Envy 4, same age, half the price (was an ex-demo model, hence cheap), which works perfectly.
External back-up hdd: I can recommend the Western Digital MyPassport, small, so far flawless, not very expensive.
Plus we travel with a Huawei E586 MiFi device; like an USB stick to pick up mobile internet, but you it functions as a mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices = perfect to keep tablet and Kobo updated. Setting up a hotspot on Windows seems to be hit-and-miss, as sometimes it works well, other times I fight constant IP conflicts.
Greetings from Chile!
Steven Grimm
I find a laptop is a must for photography if you’re carrying around a standalone camera and use it regularly. You can do photo editing on a tablet, but it’s so much slower and the selection of software is so much more primitive that working with your photos becomes an exercise in frustration.
Dave
Yeah, the photography thing is an interesting one. It’s hard to know where the line is crossed regarding ‘working’ — there’s a big difference in requirements between, say, a casual traveler who takes photos of their travels and throws a few of them up on Facebook now and then, vs a blogger who intends to publish their photos online, vs a professional or semi-pro photographer.
For the casual traveler, a tablet (or even phone) with Snapseed really can be all they need. If you’re intending to publish your photos, and especially if you want to get paid for them, you’ll likely need a laptop and better software — but for me, that’s crossing over into the ‘working on the road’ category that I mentioned anyway.
Baguio
Ever since i bought a Samsung note 3 i stopped bringing my laptop when i travel. It is handy and i can almost do everything. However, i do agree that battery life is an issue and looking for compatible power sockets is really difficult. So my solution was to buy a power bank that can fully charge my device twice.
Cata
Like you said, it’s mostly a matter of where/how/for how long you’re traveling and whether you’ll be working or not during the trip. A laptop is definitely needed for work – a smaller, lighter ‘ultraportable’ laptop will make life even easier.
If I’m not working and am just going away for a shorter period of time, I always chose to go with the smartphone. It does pretty good as far as functionality goes and I don’t really need to play high quality videos, but I do need storage space, so I always make sure to bring an extra memory card.
I’m with you on the battery life dilemma. It’s too short no matter what, you might have to invest in an electrical socket adapter and even then, everyone will be wanting to go first. Forgetting/losing the charger can also be a bummer, but that’s how I learned that some bars and restaurants (or if not, their employees) carry at least two types of chargers, so asking them nicely might work 🙂
Matt
Having access to a smart phone etc does make it easier to travel, and you can keep in touch with people and let them know you are safe much more easily. But I do see so many people now traveling with their heads buried in their computer/phone constantly. I started traveling in 94 before the Internet…yes, I’m getting on in years…but it certainly did seem more of an adventure back then, you would have to call home from a local phone shop, or use poste restante…basically you were removed from knowing what was going on at home, even what was going on in the world. I had a few years gap in traveling, and when I went back traveling in the late 90’s, I was shocked to see so many people spending so much time on the Internet. Now it’s even worse.
I would suggest trying to leave your laptop/smart phone at home, and see how you get on. Live for the moment, and experience the place you are in fully, rather than telling people every 5 minutes what an amazing time you are having on facebook.
James
I am 6 weeks into a my round the world trip, and so far I feel like it was a mistake to bring my laptop. I terms of technology, I brought a simple cellphone, an iTouch, which is like a new iPod, and a laptop. Cell has been useful for occasional calls, but the iTouch 5 has been amazing. It has wifi, flashlight, offline maps, offline train timetables, music and all of that. I can access Skype when I need it, and it is also my camera. Importantly, it also has a lot more battery life than a smartphone, and is small enough to keep in your pocket. I regret bringing my computer, which I have barely used. Definitely recommend it for travel.
Edgar
A few things:
First at laptops: what you don’t mention is blogging and you only briefly touched backups . When traveling the world I found that typing blogs on my ipodtouch was quite tedious. So picked up a netbook for +/-200€ and typing blogs became a dream. @backups: I came upon so many people who lost their photos due to shabby Internet cafe’s or no backups at all. A tablet is the minimum to do it well.
Then travel insurance. Of course this differs per country, but if you have such shitty insurance that they only cover 500$ I can’t help wonder if they cover immergency extraction or search and rescue operations.
So just spend the money on the tablet or get a tin and light laptop.
Dave
Yep, I didn’t go into every permutation in detail, as the post was already nearing 2000 words and I don’t think Matt wanted a novel. I’ll be covering backups, and pretty much everything else related to security, in my next post, but in brief, it’s definitely possible to back up photos from your main camera to a phone if it’s got enough storage (either natively or via a microSD card).
Regarding blogging — well, much like I said regarding photography earlier, it’s hard to know where to draw the line with what’s “working” and therefore justifying carrying a laptop, and what’s not. If it’s your income source while you travel, you will almost certainly want a laptop to do it with. If it’s more of a hobby or way of updating the family back home, it’s harder to justify carrying a laptop just for that reason. Netbooks used to be a reasonable compromise, but nobody is really making them any more — something like the Asus Transformer I mentioned would be the alternative now.
At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to you what combination of gear you carry. As long as you’ve thought about your needs in detail, and carry equipment that meets those needs without being total overkill, you’ll likely be happy with it.
As far as insurance goes, it’s not uncommon to have a per-item limit of a few hundred dollars unless you pay extra to specify the more expensive items. That’s got little to do with medical or other emergency cover — they’re different things.
rebecca
Highly considering the Surface Pro, have been playing around and researching it and if it wasn’t for the expense I would consider trading in my mac and tablet to replace it with the surface. I only carry my mac for my adobe design applications but I hear the the Surface can handle them too
Kristin McNeil
I’m trying to decide between the Macbook Air 13″ or the new Macbook Pro with retina display. The new Macbook Pro is only a half pound heavier than the Air so weight isn’t really a deciding factor. Will the Air have problems running PhotoShop (not heavily but enough to edit photos now and then)? If I go with the Pro should I get 13″ or 15″? Any advice?
Dean Lindsey
I have a Samsung 4 with T-Mobile service. I travelled all over China and Japan last year, had excellent data and text messaging, all free, 20 cents per minute for phone calls. Great deal. (Facebook supposedly is banned in China, I used it the whole time I was in China to stay in tourch and to send pictures.
BonnieJ
Our local library has a free app I installed on my iPad enabling me to download books (including guidebooks) so I use the iPad like an e-reader. Besides doing without the book bulk, the books disappear automatically when they come due! I can also renew online before the due date.
Only thing I don’t enjoy about the iPad is that I don’t type as fast on it, and I do like to journal while in a special place.
John Luangco
+1 on the Nexus 5 being a great smartphone for a reasonable price and served me well in my 3 weeks of travel. (The only negatives for me was the relatively poor battery life). I’ve recently upgraded to the Nexus 6p which although a bit more expensive, addresses the two main drawbacks of the Nexus 5 ( awesome camera and battery life)
I also brought the Nexus 7 with me on my travels but found I didn’t really need it much.
If anything I would have brought my computer the surface pro instead which is a hybrid between a powerful laptop and a tablet and provides the portability without sacrificing too much power.
Toby
One absolute must when travelling is to have a phone that can provide a 3G/4G wifi hotspot and a local SIM card with lots of data. That way you can always use your phone/tablet/laptop online as long as you have signal! Even worth buying a cheap unlocked 2nd mobile handset just for this option to provide Internet to all your devices. One warning is it does burn battery quickly if in constant use.. but so worth it!!
Ryan Schuller
I think I only will carry my smartphone with me if I were going to travelling. I mean I don’t think i’d need other entertainment while I’m doing so. I definitely wouldn’t need to watch a film, so I wouldn’t need bigger screen with me. All I need is an extra batteries for my smartphone to help me exploring. But that is all because I would totally leave my work and stuff, I do not want for work to disturb my holiday! But I think it is save to bring extra phone with you while travel, just in case something bad happen to the one you use, so that you still have another one to keep you connected. Or maybe you can get it fixed there, or maybe just call us to the rescue!
David Meyer
Well, I don’t travel much but when I do, I carry my MacBook Air and Nexus 9 tablet with me to get my things done on the go. Usually I use my MacBook to catch-up with e-mails and stuff and Nexus 9 for editing photos with Snapseed as I love capturing and editing photos.
In case if someone is looking for a good laptop that can deliver good portability then I would definitely recommend the Apple MacBook Air, its light-weight design is perfect to work smoothly on the go. However, I’m currently using the one with 4GB RAM which quite lags sometime so I would recommend the newer 2016 model with 8GB RAM.
Arina
I still don’t now:(( so hard to decide. I need a device for reading books, send emails, and writing documents a lot, like a lot!! But also would be great to have the capability to send files, notes directly to watsup… Question, what should I buy? :(( thank you
Also, I want something ultraportable as in most cases I would be carrying the device in my purse, and use it while traveling