Tech, travel, and a toddler: Here's what we're taking on the road

My wife and I enjoy traveling, and we're getting back to doing so with some regularity with our toddler. Traveling with a toddler necessitates a lot of planning, and I'd like to think we're at a point where we have a decent handle on things. Our daughter is about to turn two later this month, and she's at the phase where she can identify colors and count to twenty, so she turns everything in her surroundings into a counting or color-based game.

Here’s what we’re packing while traveling with our toddler, whether it’s an extended vacation or a short visit to meet relatives.

Phones and tablets

We tend to go overboard while packing travel tech, and that's even more true with a toddler involved. We've done a decent job limiting screen use, but an iPad is a must-have when traveling; I download YouTube music videos ahead of time (she likes everything from grunge to heavy metal and Telugu songs), and have one cartoon available just to have some variety (she's keen on Pingu).

The 11-inch iPad Air M3 is ideally suited for travel as it's smaller than the Pro models (we use the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 13-inch iPad Pro M4 at home), and battery life is great.

Other than that, we have our phones. While I prefer foldables when going on press junkets, they're just not feasible with a toddler, so I take either the Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Vivo X200 Pro, and my wife has the Vivo X200 Ultra as her daily driver. A key consideration in choosing phones is camera; both Vivo devices and the Pixel do a great job taking photos of fast-moving objects, and that's essential with a toddler.

Audio and cameras

Most of the time, our toddler doesn't allow us to take photos and videos of her, and this is where having an action camera like DJI's Osmo Action 5 Pro has proved invaluable. The camera is significantly smaller than a phone, it has a built-in viewfinder — at the front and back — and it takes good images and videos. While the caliber of photos doesn't match that of the X200 Ultra or X200 Pro, it allows us to capture moments that would be impossible with a phone.

I looked at kid-friendly headsets and earbuds, but most of the options lacked the same build quality as mainstream choices, so I opted for Creative's Zen Hybrid SXFI. They're light enough that the heft isn't an issue, and they do a good job with noise isolation — something that comes in handy on a long-haul flight.

My wife and I use Bose these days; she has the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and I use the QuietComfort Ultra headset. Both products have standout noise isolation, highly customizable sound, and they're among the lightest in their categories; if anything, our toddler tends to use the Bose headset more than I (she's always interested in trying out products my wife and I are using).

A Bluetooth speaker is useful to have as well. We take Tribit's StormBox 2 as it is easy to pack and has good sound, doesn't weigh much, and comes with IPX7 water resistance. It's just easier to play songs than use an iPad while waiting at the lounge or gate, and the StormBox 2 can be easily attached to the outside of a bag.

Charging and accessories

Outside of that, we carry power banks; while I have 48,000mAh power banks at home, they're not designed for travel, so I turn to the UGREEN Nexode 25,000mAh and Anker's 27,650mAh Prime power banks. Both have vertical designs and are easy to slot into a bag, and they do a good job of charging all of our gear on the go. I've had both power banks for the better part of a year now, and they've been reliable.

I also take an external SSD that contains videos, cartoons, and enough storage to transfer data from the action camera or phones. I'm partial to Seagate's 2TB Ultra Compact SSD as it is smaller than most other options, and it has a rugged design alongside USB-C connectivity.

Travel gear and luggage

We like traveling with tech bags, but they're limited in the amount of things they hold — if you're traveling with a toddler, you'll need to carry a lot of stuff. So we use a duffel; the current go-to choice is Bellroy's 55L Venture Duffel. It opens wide, stores everything we need with relative ease, and has several carry modes — it can be used over-the-shoulder, as a cross-body, or as a standard duffel thanks to the grab handles.

We use the duffel to store baby essentials, toys, and food (in individual packing cubes), and have a change of clothing for everyone as well. We also pack at least five board books (she loves to read), and my wife recently bought a busy book, which has so many different activities that it's an effortless way to entertain a toddler on a flight.

I use Bellroy's Transit Travel Pack Pro as my tech bag, and it's fantastic; it stores all the tech I take without any issues, and it has enough mesh pockets and cubbies to slot in all my accessories. My wife recently started using the Matador GlobeRider35, and the 35L size is ideal for carrying the rest of our tech and accessories. It features two main compartments, numerous storage pockets, and a clamshell design that makes packing even easier.