Gadgets Galore: Your Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” will soon be ringing in the ears of every brick-and-mortar shopper this holiday season but all I want this year is to be able to travel again, freely and unencumbered.

At Omio, we live to travel and many people in our lives are the same. With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to think about what to get that intrepid traveller in your life who seems to have everything. Here’s our ultimate Christmas gift guide.

If you’re like me and can sleep on a plane, having the right tools to have a zen-like flight are essential. With air rage on the rise, I want to be able to tune it all out as much as possible. The Silentmode Powermask does the trick. This washable mask/headphone combo was designed to block out annoyances, from children crying to that talkative couple next to you. It’s so effective that you can meditate easily, even while travelling. Plus, with a subscription to Breathonices, you will have access to audio content to help you on your way. You can also connect it to any music app via Bluetooth so you can fall asleep to podcasts, audiobooks or music, whatever you choose.

When you wake up, you’ll want to jumpstart your day and coffee is essential. I avoid airline coffee as it uses the same water that’s running through the toilet (gross!). This season, I’m never without the WACACO Nanopresso portable coffee maker. This colourful, stylish machine allows you to prepare great coffee—cup included!—almost anywhere and saves you money, too. Just fill the small compartments with coffee and hot water, pump the nozzle a few times and ecco—perfetto espresso every time.

As an Italian, coffee is essential but water is the elixir of life. Yet, if you’re unsure if it’s drinkable, a water purifying device is a must. I love the Steripen Adventurer Opti. This small but powerful tool eliminates viruses, bacteria and protozoa in less than two minutes. Using UV light particles, the device turns green when the water is cleaned. It’s portable and so lightweight, I find it perfect for backpacking and hiking adventures. 

Like nearly every other traveler, on my last trip from Berlin, I spent a lot of time at security control and, despite the extra time I gave myself, I was still running to the gate to make my flight. Trudging through airports is a thing of the past with the practical and fun Micro KICKPACK Luggage Scooter. With an intuitive click system, the detachable backpack can easily be converted into a scooter—rear brakes included!—saving you time and energy at the airport or train station. The case also has plenty of pockets and space for your clothes and gadgets.

As a budding photographer, I love taking snaps of my adventures so I always have my smartphone handy. While my phone camera is pretty sweet, I wanted to improve the quality of my photos without having to buy a new camera. Enter the Xenvo Pro Lens kit. This compact kit comes equipped with two attachable lenses that are compatible with all smartphone models, tablets, even laptops. Take sharp, quality snaps of people, travel scenery, architecture, even extreme closeups sans lens flare and reflections. The kit also includes a rechargeable, adjustable LED light and a compact carry case so it makes it ideal for on-the-go travel.

While you can use these gadgets at home they are most useful when traveling. Instead of trying to find inspiration, tickets and a hotel on separate sites, I use the free Omio app to search, compare and book my travel throughout Europe and North America. I can choose my mode of transport as well as the specific companies, select the price and time that’s right for me, download a mobile ticket and I am ready to go. The app also lets me book accommodations via Booking.com.