How to prepare for a holiday travel weekend
The summer travel season is in full swing, with Orlando International Airport expecting thousands of travelers over the Independence Day weekend.
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I typically test around 30 different products and then choose a few to feature in my live segments on the Today Show.
Some of the best things I’ve featured over the years have come from recommendations from friends, cold calls from gadget manufacturers, and product pitches in the media, but usually I comb the globe to find the truly hidden gems that solve everyday problems.
Each product must also meet the show’s requirements: they all have to be under $100, they can’t have been used on the show before, and they risk losing the hard-earned trust of millions of viewers if they don’t live up to expectations. No pressure, right?
With all of this in mind, check out my latest picks for Summer, The Today Show, and you!
Great gadget for the beach, the trail, or your own backyard
There are a ton of portable power banks out there, but I never leave the house without my tiny but mighty Nimble CHAMP ($59.95). It’s smaller than a deck of cards, yet holds up to three days of power (10,000mAh) and can charge two devices simultaneously. And it’s made from 90% recycled plastic, so you can use it with peace of mind. It comes in five colors and works with all your devices, including iPhones, iPads, Android devices, headphones, wearables, and Bluetooth speakers.
Speaking of small but mighty, the new LG XBOOM Go XG 2T ($79.99) is my current favorite wireless speaker. There are a few reasons why. First, it’s built to withstand high temperatures (which is a big deal if you’ve seen the weather forecast lately). Second, it’s IP67 waterproof, so you can (on purpose) drop it in the pool in front of your family’s shocked eyes. Plus, this palm-sized speaker packs some serious sound, making it perfect for summer adventures of all shapes and sizes. Plus, it gets rib-cage-shaking bass with Boost EQ, and a little built-in drawstring makes it easy to attach to handlebars, backpacks, or the side of a tent.
TIKI’s Bitefighter Outdoor LED String Lights ($129) are another must-have for any patio or backyard, especially if, like me, mosquitoes consider blood a delicacy. The string lights feature bright, weatherproof LED lights and little pods filled with repellent liquid that, when dispersed, acts as an invisible shield against mosquitoes. Because I hate spraying myself with bug spray, this is a game changer.
If the daytime temperatures get a little too high, pick up the Torras COOLify 3 Cyber ($279), a true wearable personal air conditioner that will literally cool you off. At first, I was worried about the silly look of this gadget that you wear around your neck, but then I realized it would be even sillier to get drenched in sweat while doing yard work. It’s pricey, sure, but if the heat is making you swelter (and hot flashes at the same time), it’s well worth it.
1982 called and asked for their paper luggage tag back. The Knog Scout Travel Tag ($59.95) is the next generation luggage tag, tracker and alarm. Pair it with the Knog app, add your contact info and add it to your iPhone’s Find My app just like an AirTag. You can then “see” it or locate it on a map. If you lose it, you can turn the entire Apple Global ecosystem of devices into your own personal search party. It doubles as a luggage tag. If anyone finds it, they can scan the QR code on the back to get digital contact info.
But that’s not all! This key-sized tag also has an 85dB motion-sensing alarm that can be activated in the app or with a button on your device. It can be set to be super sensitive, so if you leave your backpack and someone tries to steal it, an alarm will sound on the tag and your phone. It’s also rechargeable, lasting about two months with daily use. The app will send you an alert when the battery is low.
Was the thought coming out of your mouth? Why is everyone suddenly not wearing headphones in public places?
A cold snack on a hot day
It’s no exaggeration to say that the kitchen has always been one of the most tech-rich rooms in my house, and that’s still the case in 2024. No, I don’t have a fridge that automatically tells me when I’m out of milk, but I do have an ice cream scoop that heats up automatically. Yes, you heard me right.
No disrespect to anyone who still uses the old-fashioned “dip a metal spoon in boiling water for a minute” ice cream scooping method, but the ScoopTHAT! Radii Heated Ice Cream Scooper ($29.95) is nothing short of magical. It’s one of those gadgets you don’t think you need until you try it, and then you’ll never want to let it go. The liquid inside the Thermal Core handle transfers body heat to the scoop head, which glides over frozen ice cream like butter, giving you perfectly round scoops every time. The only downside is that it’s not dishwasher safe.
When you want to really wow your summer guests, just toss some perfectly scooped ice cream into a Cruz BlenderCap ($149) bottle, add oat milk and fresh berries, give the blender a go, and create something that looks straight out of the ice cream shop.
The high-tech blending cap screws onto most wide-mouth bottles like HydroFlask and Stanley, and even small peanut butter jars, and it also comes with a vacuum-insulated bottle that can keep your drink cold for 24 hours.
Just add your ingredients, twist the cap, turn everything upside down, and let the ultra-powerful blender work its magic, anytime, anywhere. The entire unit is rechargeable and holds about a week’s worth of battery power, depending on how often you use it.
At 1.5 pounds, the blender cap is a little heavy to throw in a purse or backpack, but I currently travel with one and find it super handy, and while it’s a bit of an investment, it’s so easy to use that it’s well worth it, especially when you compare the price to other premium blender gadgets.
My dog is also getting in on the gadget action this summer with the Petlibro Capsule Dog Water Fountain ($59.99), which is a great problem-solver for pet owners who want convenience without the mess. The capsule holds 2.1 gallons of water. It’s super quiet, has a sleek, modern look, and is designed to keep water from splashing onto the floor. It also has an always-on, five-layer filtration system that removes hair, heavy metals, and odors, and also prevents bacterial growth so the water never gets so dirty that you’re like, “Ugh, I can’t drink it.” It does have to be plugged in, but it stays powered for 16 hours, even if the power goes out.
For more fun in the sun:
The HOVER Air x1 ($349) is the simplest, easiest-to-use personal photo and video drone I’ve ever reviewed. It has built-in stabilization and anti-collision algorithms, and it flies on its own, following you and capturing your every move. The more you tinker with it, the cooler it gets. While flying, you can lock onto a specific subject or monitor gesture controls to operate it with simple arm movements. The camera captures super-clear HD video and can stay in the air for up to 10 minutes.
The Chill-N-Reel Fishing Can Cooler ($15) is a favorite “fun find” from Shark Tank. It’s a drinks cooler that keeps your soda or beer cans at the perfect temperature while you fish with its integrated handline reel. That means you can fish and sip your drink using the same tools. #Funded.
PoolCandy already makes some of the best summer gadgets and pool toys, but this year they’ve taken it up a notch with their Motorized Tube Runner Pool Float Collection ($149), the world’s first motorized flamingo and unicorn pool floats, and they’re awesome.
Each float comes with a joystick controller that fits into the front of the tube, and push buttons give you propulsion, while little fan-like propellers let you zoom through the water, move in any direction (they can rotate 360 degrees), and if you have multiple floats you can even play with them as bumper cars!
The propellers are D battery powered so they won’t go very fast by any means, but they are perfect for cruising around the pool or lake.Each float can hold up to 250 pounds.
Jennifer Jolie Emmy Award-winning consumer technology columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact [email protected]