Also check out: Best Travel Backpacks
One absolutely essential commodity that these days we cannot live without while traveling is internet access. Let’s face it, nobody wants to go to the local coffee shop to tap into the snail-paced free spotty WiFi internet connection on your phone just to check an email or a Facebook update. Thanks to these amazing travel-sized wifi routers, we can ensure that all of our handheld devices can receive a WiFi connection at any hotel or ethernet plug in. We did the research for you and found the top 8 best travel routers for your travel needs.
How to Choose the Best Travel Routers
Finding the perfect hotel with free WiFi may not be the easiest and most accessible thing especially when traveling overseas. Have no fear, these travel routers are here to save the day and your entire trip! We broke it down to the essentials of what to look for when purchasing your perfect travel router to make your next vacation a flawless one.
Size
When it comes to the best travel routers, size does in fact matter. In this case, the optimal size for traveling will be some handheld and lightweight, especially if you will be backpacking or have limited space in your luggage. You want to make sure that the size of the router is just right for your needs: too big, you may not be able to carry the router with ease, and too small, you may have issues finding it in the abyss of your bag.
Charging Battery (mAh)
So you find an internet connection that works. Excellent! However, your phone is now DEAD! Don’t worry, travel router saves the day yet again! Some travel routers also come with a built-in charging battery for your mobile devices, so you can stay fully charged on the go and never have to worry about searching frantically for a wall plug again.
WiFi Speed (Mbps)
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Nobody wants to place their bets on a snail in a horse race. We made it easy for you to find the optimal internet speed for your dollar. Whether you’re downloading and streaming movies and music, or you’re just trying to check a couple of work emails, these travel routers come with different speeds to make your traveling internet experience worthwhile.
USB Backup
If you’re the type that’s trigger-happy with your camera on vacations and you run out of space on your phone, then you’re definitely going to like this feature. USB backup allows you to connect an external hard drive directly through a USB port so you can backup your photos and videos from another device with the wireless system. It also allows you to stream any saved movies, music, or photos that are saved on the hard drive wirelessly to other devices.
Power Source (Micro USB, AC Outlet)
Some people who don’t like to fiddle around with cables will prefer a direct plug-in feature through an AC outlet, which many travel routers offer. Other travel routers will provide a power charge through Micro USB, which can then be plugged into any USB power source such as a computer, car charger, or external battery.
SD Card Backup
This is a great feature for those who take lots of pictures on a professional camera and want to transfer them from an SD card to another device. You can also use the SD card slot to store photos taken on, say, your phone and store them on a separate SD card to save space for more photos on your next excursion.
The Best Travel Routers
D-Link Systems Wi-Fi AC750 Portable Router (DIR-510L)
Size:2.3 x 0.6 x 5.5 inches
Charging Battery: 4000mAh battery
WiFi Speed: 300Mbps + 433Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: Micro USB Charge
If you’re looking for the fastest travel router, then look no further because the D-Link Systems AC750 offers the fastest data transfer speeds of all handheld routers. This router utilizes dual-band performance, giving you transfer speeds up to 300Mbps on the 2.4Ghz channel and 433Mbps on the 5Ghz channel allowing you to use a portable network for even competitive gaming.
You can instantly create a secure wireless network from an ethernet connection or create a stronger signal from an existing wireless network with this little router. If you have multiple devices such as a tablet and phone, you can create a universal network for your devices so you don’t have to pay for a connection for each one saving you money. If you’re working on a public WiFi connection and want to be connected to a private session, you can create your own private network from a public one that only you can access.
While you’re on the go, you may find it difficult to keep your devices charged. This little travel router provides a 4000mAh built-in battery so you can keep your mobile devices powered up. You can also free up space on your mobile devices with the USB back-up. But what makes this travel router the most unique is the ability to stream your media from anywhere with the easy to use MyDLink Shareport software.
Though it’s only the size of an iPhone, this little travel router packs a serious power punch giving you fast transfer speeds and essential connectivity for your next trip.
HooToo Wireless Travel Router – TripMate Nano
Size: 2.2 x 0.7 x 2 inches
Charging Battery: No
WiFi Speed: 150 Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: Micro USB Charge
This tiny little machine packs a lot of punch for its size. This router is lightweight and small and fits in the palm of your hand close to the size of a pack of post-it notes, which means you can basically take it anywhere with you in your pocket. For those of you who are not quite tech savvy, it has a simple straight-forward construction that even the most technologically inept can handle like a champ.
The device is Android/IOS supported and uses TripMate so you can transfer all of your valuable trip photos and videos from your phone to another device. You can also create your own private protected sharing network to share data between multiple devices, like streaming movies or sharing important files. This device uses a USB 3.0, so sharing speeds are seamless, especially if you’re streaming movies to a separate television screen.
If you reach a place where only cable internet is available, you can easily convert the network to wireless using the little travel router. This allow up to 150Mbps WiFi and data transfer speeds, so you don’t have to worry about snail-paced internet speeds. You can keep it charged through a micro USB, so you can plug it in a computer, external battery, or USB wall charger.
Overall, this tiny travel router is the perfect budget-friendly device that is straightforward and gets the job done. If you’re looking for a simple way to get a portable network on your next trip, this is the right router for you.
TP-Link N300 Wireless Wi-Fi Mini Router (TL-WR810N)
Size: 3 x 3.3 x 1.1 inches
Charging Battery: Can charge USB devices when plugged in
WiFi Speed: 300 Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: Plug-in
This little hand-held router packs a lot of punch for its size. It is one of the more powerful and versatile travel routers on the market, offering more access on your trip or even at home. It’s sleek design and minimalistic exterior makes it easy to set up and take on the go without extra headaches.
For those of you who are enemies of untangling cables, it’s your lucky day. This router has a built-in adapter, which means you can plug the entire lightweight device into the wall. You can also charge your other mobile USB devices through the extra USB port while you stream a network.
What makes this travel router stand out from its competitors is the versatility it offers. The router comes in four different featured modes: Router, Range Extender, Client, and Access Point Mode. Router Mode allows you to create a secure and protected wireless network that other devices can access while simultaneously providing internet access when connected to a wired internet source. Range Extender allows you to extend an existing network so you can optimize the spread of internet access to devices that are further away. Client Mode allows other devices that only work on a wired connection to access the wireless network. Access Point Mode allows you to create a wireless network.
These features make this router one of the more handy travel routers on the market, and also comes with a 2-year limited warranty. It’s insanely fast 300Mbps internet speeds makes this one of the fastest and top-notch routers for your next travel experience.
HooToo Wireless Travel Router – TripMate Titan
Size: 1.6 x 1.6 x 3.7 inches
Charging Battery: Built-in 10400mAh power bank (5V/2.1A)
WiFi Speed: 150 Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: Micro USB Charge
This little router does it all and even more! Smaller than the size of a can of soda, this charger is extremely portable that it could fit in your back pocket. There are three different plug ports on the router: Micro USB, WAN, and USB, which makes the process of setting up a wireless network on the go easy as 1, 2, 3.
The HooToo travel router triples as a wireless router, USB backup device, and a 10400mAh power bank, which is one of the highest charge capacity built-in batteries available. Once charged up, you can use the device without having a power source, so you don’t have to worry about searching for a power plug to access a wireless network. The USB backup runs on USB 3.0, offering lightning-fast data transfer speeds for backing up your valuable photos and videos.
The new MTK7620 chip allows this device to connect to a separate USB hub and access multiple hard drives for streaming or sharing data. For those of you who are fans of falling asleep to your favorite shows, this device is Chromecast compatible, so you can stream your favorite Netflix shows on any device while you relax on your trip.
Overall, the HooToo wireless travel router is definitely a must for your next trip or even for at home use.
RAVPower FileHub Plus
Size: 3.8 x 2.1 x 1.1 inches
Charging Battery: Built-in 6000mAh power bank (5V/1A)
WiFi Speed: 150 Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: Yes
Power Source: Micro USB Charge
Another excellent travel router is the RAVpower travel router. This tiny router packs a mecca of power even though it’s about ¾ the size of an iPhone 6. The router is powered by micro USB so you can keep it charged through any USB charging device or use it without a power source. It also comes with a powerful 6000mAh built-in power bank that can charge all of your portable devices.
This puppy runs on internal dual band antennas ensuring you a stronger wireless connection. It allows up to five different wireless devices to connect at once, so you can stream your favorite music or movies to all of your friends at once. The RavPower travel router also uses USB 3.0 to transfer and upload data seamlessly if you’re on the road and want to make more space on your phone.
Planning on taking a camera and forgot to bring enough SD cards? This travel router has a SD/SDHX/SDHC built-in reader so you can transfer photos in and out of SD cards and onto separate hard drives. You can also use the device alongside with Chromecast and Roku to stream your favorite shows on the big screen at home or on your travels.
The RAVpower travel router is one that does it all! If you’re looking for a convenient machine to keep all of your travel files organized in a simplistic manner, this is the right router for you.
ZyXEL Wireless Pocket Router [MWR102]
Size: 2.3 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches
Charging Battery: No
WiFi Speed: 150 Mbps
USB Backup: No
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: USB or AC
We almost didn’t believe our eyes when we first glance at this tiny router. Smaller than the size of a credit card, the ZyEXL travel router is definitely one of the most portable devices on the market. If you’re looking for a no-hassle device that you can take virtually anywhere, this is the right device for you.
The router offers triples as a router, an access point, and a client bridge so you can take all of your wireless network needs on the go. For those of you who are not interested in messing with all the extraneous details, this to-the-point router provides data transfer rates up to 150Mbsp, so you can stream your favorite movies and back up important documents with ease.
Sometimes you may discover that power outlets are difficult to find while traveling especially overseas. The main power source for this router can be used with AC or with Micro USB charge, giving you more charging options to keep your wireless network up and running. This device also provides WEP, WPA, and WPA2 encryption, keeping your network safe and secure.
If you’re looking for something that’s going to be reliable, portable, and easy to use, this router is definitely the perfect travel companion for you.
NETGEAR Trek N300 Travel Router (PR2000)
Size: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2.2
Charging Battery: No
WiFi Speed: 300 Mbps
USB Backup: Yes
SD Card Backup: No
Power Source: AC or Micro USB Charge
For those who travel often for business or pleasure, the NETGEAR Trek N300 is the perfect handheld router for all of your network needs. This little pocket router provides you with a secure, easy to set up connection that you can feel safe using virtually anywhere. Seamlessly create a stronger existing signal, create a wireless network from an ethernet cable, extend the range of an existing wireless network, or create your own personal hotspot to avoid expensive per-device fees.
Though it is a small device, this little router runs high transfer speeds up to 300Mbps, giving you super streaming quality if you want to bring movies or games on the road. The router also comes with a high-performance flip-up antenna that ensures the best connection. For those who are IOS users, you can download the NETGEAR app and manage your wireless networks through your iPhone.
You can easily move between wireless, wired, and off modes with an external switch located on the device, so you don’t have to worry about complex settings. You can also keep the router powered via direct AC outlet or through micro USB.
This router is a must if you want a travel router that can provide you with the fastest speeds for an easy setup.
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