With the summer season in full swing, you will most likely plan a vacation with your friends, family, loved ones, or even by yourself. As you’re preparing the things you’ll need for your much-deserved vacation (which includes the upcoming Holy Week), you’ll need a few gadgets to keep you prepared on the go.
We’ve listed three essential gadgets you’ll need for your vacation, and included two options based on your budget.
Compact Power Banks
Top Pick: Anker 321 MagGo 5000mAh Power Bank – Php 1,736
If you’re an iPhone user–or uses an Android phone that supports wireless charging, Anker’s most compact power bank option is the 321 MagGo, which supports MagSafe wireless charging so that you can simply mount the charger at the back of your iPhone or Android phones (if your case has the needed magnetic attachment points) and not worry about fumbling with cables.
Alternate option: UGREEN 5000mAh USB-C power bank with Stand – Php 1,299
Power banks are a must-have for every vacation, but sometimes we want something that’s compact enough to slip in our pocket. This one from UGREEN can give you roughly one full charge to your phone, and it has a built-in stand to let you prop up your phone and binge on your favorite shows. It has decent fast charging at 22.5w, which should be accepted across all phones.
Waterproof Pouch
Top Pick: Ringke Floating Waterproof Phone Pouch – Php 1390
While most phones have at least an IP64/65 rating to give them adequate water resistance, a waterproof pouch is handy for carrying your other non-waterproof essentials for a beach trip. This one from Ringke may have a premium price tag, but this waterproof pouch is large and can float, saving you the worry of it sinking down to the seafloor.
Alternate Option: Baseus IPX8 Waterproof Pouch – Php 469
If you need an affordable and reliable waterproof pouch, Baseus has one that’s good for up to 30 meters and allows you to use your phone for underwater shots. Its one-piece clip design is unique and is less cumbersome to use compared to other waterproof pouches.
Wireless Earbuds
Top Pick: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC – Php 5,574
We swear by the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC when we tested them last year as one of the best TWS earbuds for under Php 6k. What makes them great is that they provide an ideal balance between solid ANC performance, stellar HiRes audio quality, and reliable battery performance. No wonder a lot of people swore by it when we asked for what our readers recommend.
Alternate option: OnePlus Nord Buds 3 – Php 1,790
Having a pair of TWS earbuds is handy these days for sound tripping, and we recently reviewed the Nord Buds 3. OnePlus’ budget TWS offering has decent audio tuning that lets you appreciate all of your favorite music tracks. While we wished for better ANC performance, the Nord Buds 3 are excellent for under Php 2k if you prioritize audio quality.
Fitness Tracker
Top Pick: Xiaomi Smart Band 9 – Php 1,999
Xiaomi is the first brand that comes to mind with fitness trackers, and their Smart Band 9 is made even better: it can monitor over 150 different workouts on top of the usual health tracking features, and its battery life can last as long as 21 days on a single charge–way better than most smartwatches (and even some fitness trackers) in the market.
Alternate Option: HUAWEI Band 10 – Php 1,899
HUAWEI is another solid brand when it comes to fitness trackers, and they recently updated them to support GCash QR Pay, giving you access to true cashless payments without using your phone. The Band 10 has all of HUAWEI’s comprehensive health tracking features–all encased in a premium aluminum alloy body and with a battery life that can last you up to 2 weeks on a single charge.
Portable Power Station
Top Pick: EcoFlow River 2 – Php 9,290
You’ve probably heard of EcoFlow when it comes to portable power stations, and the River 2 is among their reasonable offerings. Boasting a 240hr LiPo battery, the River 2 can power up to 600w, allowing it to charge up to 5 devices simultaneously from its 300w AC plug, two USB-A ports, USB-C port, and DC-in to keep you covered while you’re out on a camping trip.
Alternate option: Yoobao 150w Portable Power Station – Php 5,595
While this one is above our Php 2,000 price cap for this list, this is one of the most affordable power stations that you can get with an AC outlet for powering appliances like an electric fan during a camping trip. This one has a total capacity of 26400mAh and supports 45W USB-PD for fast charging your gadgets while on a camping trip.
