6 products that will free up your hands for easy-breezy travel
These practical products will definitely come in handy
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At the airport, you need to use your hands a lot. At the initial security screening alone you have to dig through your bag to find your ID and tap your phone to pull up boarding passes, all while gripping your carry-on bag. A less stressful — and more mobile — experience is within reach with these six products that free up your hands and maybe even some of your time.
Airwheel SE3S rideable suitcase
Why drag a suitcase when you can ride it?
You can use this suitcase the traditional way, by using the handle to wheel or carry it around. If you want to free your hands and feet, hop on and let the built-in electric motor get you where you need to go. The suitcase, made of "super resilient and waterproof" thermoplastic, works in a "sitting or standing position," Travel and Leisure said, and is able to reach speeds of up to 8 miles per hour. It is on the heavier side, weighing 21 pounds when empty, but has "decent interior capacity," with room for clothes, accessories and a laptop. ($879, £691.50, Amazon)
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Attaché purse hook
This elegant purse hook elevates handbags
Keep your handbag a safe distance from the dirt and germs found in airports and train stations without having to physically hold it. The Attaché "looks like an ornamental bracelet" but opens into a hook travelers can use to "hang their purse on the edge of a bar or table," the Scottsdale Progress said. It also works on carts and in bathroom stalls and supports up to 35 pounds. Choose between two styles and three colors: silver, gold and antique gold. ($46, £36.21, Amazon)
Ecodunia Umoja sling bag
Ecodunia bags are sustainably made from materials like fair-trade cotton
This sustainably made, adjustable crossbody bag is as durable as it is versatile. Wear it across your body or shoulder, leaving everything you need close at hand. Ecodunia products are handcrafted in Kenya using ethically sourced material, and the Umoja comes in both canvas and vegan leather and in several bold colors. Every bag is lined with a traditional African fabric, giving each its own special look. ($79, £62.50, Ecodunia)
Perilogics universal in-flight airplane phone holder mount
This adjustable phone mount stays put on a tray table
Stay entertained from take off to landing with the help of this rotating phone mount. It "clamps snugly to your tray table," SFGate said, fits most smartphone sizes and is adjustable, so you can get the best viewing angle. While on the plane, use it to watch a movie or television show, and at your destination "attach the mount to the edge of any table for FaceTime sessions." ($9.78, £7.70, Amazon)
Riemot luggage cup holder
This caddy holds all types of bottles and cups
Stop juggling your passport, phone, coffee cup and boarding pass while navigating the airport. Slip this drink caddy over your carry-on handle and have a "temporary, dedicated space to store an airport drink (or two) and your phone," Travel and Leisure said. There are two pockets that fit bottles and to-go cups, plus a back-pocket sleeve for smaller items. ($16, £12.50, Amazon)
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Vigorport luggage straps
Vigorport's luggage strap makes it easy to move around with multiple bags
This luggage strap makes traveling with multiple bags a piece of cake. The "double-looped T-shaped design" allows users to "seamlessly connect two suitcases to one another," Good Housekeeping said, and an additional strap in the set can "secure a smaller third item, like a personal bag." Made out of nylon with a metal buckle, the strap can hold up to 400 pounds. ($22, £17.50, Amazon)
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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