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Great Early Black Friday Deals on Essential Travel Tech
The airport slowdowns are (hopefully) behind us, and ravel season is kicking into high gear. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s around the corner, many of us will soon be navigating airports, road trips, crowded train stations, and – sigh – traffic jams.
Right on cue, Amazon has dropped prices on useful travel-friendly tech that keeps you connected and entertained wherever the journey takes you. These are the kinds of gadgets that turn long layovers, cramped passenger seats, and late-night arrivals into something a bit more bearable.
Just remember: these deals won’t stick around for long. If something catches your eye, whether it’s a long-wanted upgrade or a spur-of-the-moment “why not?”, it’s worth grabbing before the discounts disappear.
Apple Watch SE 3: Big-Time Travel Companion at a Budget Price
Apple’s newest SE model finally feels like a “real” Apple Watch, not the compromise option. Thanks to the upgraded S10 chip, you get many of the same features found in the premium lineup: an Always-On display you can glance at while wheeling luggage through the airport, faster on-device Siri for quick timers and translations, and durable glass that’s 4× more crack-resistant for the bumps of travel. The SE 3 also adds more advanced sleep and health insights, including sleep score, wrist temperature tracking, and even sleep apnea notifications, which is helpful for staying on top of your wellbeing on business trips or jet-lag-heavy vacations.
For travel, I love that the SE 3 packs real independence: with optional cellular 5G support, you can leave your iPhone in the hotel safe but stay connected for calls, texts, Apple Pay, maps, and boarding passes right from your wrist. It charges up to twice as fast as the previous SE, so topping up during a layover is no hassle – 15 minutes gets you up to eight hours of use.
Right now, the Apple Watch SE 3 is just $199.99 (usually $249) — 20% off. New Apple products almost never go on sale this fast, making this the moment to grab one for yourself or as a gift while this discount lasts.
Read more: Apple Joins Google to Provide Digital ID for Flight Check-in
Soundcore AeroFit 2: Secure Fit, Great Sound – Without Shutting Out the World
Open-ear earbuds live or die by comfort and sound quality. The Soundcore AeroFit 2 nail both. Their soft, non-invasive ear-hook design stays secure without pressure, making them ideal for long listening sessions – whether you’re listening to an audio walking tour, catching up with family while walking the dog, or biking to your favorite playlist. In our testing to find the best open-ear headphones, they delivered surprisingly full, vibrant audio and crisp call quality – proving that staying aware of your surroundings doesn’t have to mean compromising on sound quality. And their rich, engaging sound even beat pricier competitors.
Style and practicality aren’t afterthoughts for the AeroFit 2. The adjustable hooks fit a wide range of ears comfortably, and the compact case offers quick grab-and-go convenience. The AeroFit 2 get up to 10 hours of battery life per charge (42 hours with the case), reliable touch controls, and water- and dust-resistant durability. They also come in four color choices: Midnight (a grayish black), White, Minty Green, and Midnight Blue.
Earlier this year, the AeroFit 2 received a firmware update that enables them to provide real-time translation for 100 languages. While they're not as accurate as dedicated translation earbuds, they're perfect for that last minute getaway to a place where you don't speak the language.
The multi-function AeroFit 2 are a steal at $77.99 (usually $129.99) — 40% off. It’s one of the best deals in the open-ear category right now.
Read more: The Best Open Ear Headphones You Can Buy Today
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INIU
INIU Pocket Rocket P50: a Tiny Charger with Serious Speed
The INIU Pocket Rocket P50 proves that big power doesn’t have to mean big size. Roughly the size of two macarons (yum!), this is the smallest 10,000mAh 45-watt power bank on the market (3.3”x2.0”x1.0” and 5.6oz) – perfect for tossing into a purse, carry-on, or even a jeans pocket. Despite its tiny footprint, it delivers enough juice to charge a phone to nearly three-quarters full in just 25 minutes, and it can top up three devices at once without breaking a sweat.
INIU’s engineering stands out here. The P50 uses upgraded TinyCell Pro ultra-dense cells to deliver higher energy efficiency with less heat buildup, extending battery life for both the charger and your devices. The power bank also includes a built-in cable with an E-Marker chip that supports Samsung Super Fast Charge 2.0 and a display showing real-time battery levels – details that make everyday charging that much easier.
This season’s Black Friday pricing makes the P50 an even smarter pick: $28.05 on INIU's official site (15 percent off) or $27.99 on Amazon. It’s an ideal stocking stuffer for travelers, remote workers, and anyone who refuses to run out of power on the go.
Amazon Fire HD 8: A Solid Everyday Tablet at a Can’t-Beat Price
If you want a tablet for streaming movies, browsing the web, checking email, and entertaining the kids without overspending, the Amazon Fire HD 8 at $54.99 (usually $99.99) — 45% off is the one to beat. It delivers an 8-inch HD display, a faster processor with 50% more RAM than the previous model, and a tougher, lighter build that’s easy to toss into a bag for travel or daily use. Up to 13 hours of battery life means it can handle binge-watching or long flights without constant charging.
Amazon also added a better 5MP rear camera and expanded support for apps and Alexa voice features, plus the option to increase storage to 1TB if you go all-in on offline downloads. Yes, you’re tied to Amazon’s Appstore (no Google Play), but for the basics – Netflix, YouTube, Disney, Instagram, and Duolingo are among the 70,000 apps – it covers what most people want.
Roku Streaming Stick HD: The Streamer That’s Made for Travel
When you want to stream Netflix or Max from a hotel room TV, you need something compact, powerful, and easy to stash in a carry-on. The latest entry-level Streaming Stick in Roku's lineup delivers exactly that. It plugs neatly into an HDMI port and is small enough not to block the ones next to it – plus, it now pulls power straight from the TV’s USB port. For frequent travelers like me, that’s a huge upgrade. And the voice remote makes quick work of finding what you want to watch.
Roku didn’t overcomplicate things here. You still get the same simple interface people love, quick access to all the major streaming services, and a clean design that disappears behind the TV. It even supports Bluetooth Headphone Mode so you can binge without keeping your fellow travelers (or housemates) awake.
Right now, the Roku Streaming Stick is just $19.00 (usually $29.99) — 37% off. It’s a practical stocking stuffer for anyone who wants to take their favorite entertainment wherever they go.
Sony WH-1000XM5: Elite Noise-Canceling – Now at a Crazy Low Price
Sony and Bose keep trading punches for the best noise-canceling headphones crown, and when the Sony WH-1000XM5 arrived, they became the ones to beat. Two processors control eight microphones to deliver exceptional active noise canceling that adapts to your surroundings, from jet engines to a loud subway commute.
Sony backs up the noise canceling with a redesigned, ultra-comfortable fit and superb sound powered by a carbon-fiber driver unit for improved clarity and rich bass. And features like multipoint pairing, adaptive sound control, and 30-hour battery life add to the appeal.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 drop to $248.00 (usually $399.99) — 38% off. If you want flagship noise-canceling headphones without paying flagship prices, this is the smartest moment to buy.
Soundcore Sleep A20: A Better Night’s Rest, Even in Noisy Places
If you’ve ever tried to sleep on a plane or next to a snorer, you know the value of the right earbuds. The Soundcore Sleep A20 are built specifically for nighttime comfort and silence. They use a curved, ultra-soft design that stays comfortable for side sleepers and double-flange ear tips that block three times more noise than the earlier A10 model. That passive noise isolation makes a real difference when the goal is simply drifting off without distraction.
The A20s can play relaxing sleep sounds or your own music or podcasts, and Soundcore added automatic sleep and position tracking to help you understand your nightly habits. Battery life offers up to 14 hours in sleep mode (80 hours with the case) so they won’t die mid-flight. My colleague used the previous-generation model on a grueling trip to China and found them indispensable for getting real sleep.
For Black Friday, the Soundcore Sleep A20 drop to $143.99 (usually $179.00) — 20% off. If ANC is a must-have, you can get the new A30 Model – along with “snore masking” – for $193.99, (usually $229.99). Both offer a comfortable, affordable path to better sleep anywhere you go – from airplanes to hotel rooms to your own bedroom.
JBL Go 4: Tiny Speaker, Big Sound
The JBL Go line has been a staple in my house for years. It’s the speaker we toss in a bag without thinking whenever someone’s headed to the beach, a baseball game, or the park. It’s shockingly loud for its size, seems practically indestructible, and always comes through when we need it. The new Go 4 pushes this beloved little speaker forward with even punchier bass, a more travel-friendly design, and a sturdier strap that makes it easier to grab and go.
You can pair two Go 4 speakers for full stereo sound or double the volume when you’re outdoors competing with wind and crowd noise. And it’s still fully ready for the elements with IP67 dust- and waterproof protection, Bluetooth 5.3 for reliable streaming, 7 hours of battery life, and customizable EQ in the companion app. It’s the ultimate “tiny but mighty” travel speaker – durable, great-sounding, and always down for an adventure.
This Black Friday, the JBL Go 4 is just $39.95 (usually $49.95) — 20% off. For an ultra-portable speaker with sound that far exceeds its size, it’s an easy win.
TP-Link AX1500: Better WiFi Everywhere You Travel
Hotel WiFi is notoriously awful – slow speeds, device limits, and those annoying captive portals that force you to log in again and again. The TP-Link AX1500 Travel Router fixes all of it. This tiny gadget creates your own private WiFi 6 network wherever you go, delivering better reliability than connecting straight to a hotel network or phone hotspot. Any available internet connection will work with this travel router: Plug into Ethernet, use your hotel’s WiFi, or tether your phone.
The router handles the hotel login, so all your devices can connect without the headache of authenticating each one. And by saving your router's WiFi information to your (and your kids) devices, they will automatically log into the travel router when on the road. No more fielding questions about the WiFi login information. And you can power the router from a USB-C power bank when you’re camping or on the road.
You can also set up your VPN to run directly on the router. Once it’s installed, every device you connect – laptops, tablets, game consoles – gets encrypted protection, even those that can’t run a VPN app. At $39.98 (usually $69.99) — 43% off, the TP-Link AX1500 Travel Router deal is a no-brainer for frequent travelers, remote workers, and families juggling multiple devices on hotel WiFi.
[Image credit: Sean Captain/Teclicious via ChatGPT, Apple, Amazon, Anker, INUI, JBL, Roku, Sony, Techlicious, TP-Link ]
