9 Essential Gadgets To Make Long-Haul Flights Easier

Ample space is becoming something of a rarity on flights nowadays. As airlines do the utmost to squeeze more people onboard, economy class is becoming increasingly cramped. However, we can find solace in the gadgets that make our long-haul flights a bit more bearable. Even those stretched out in first class are finding their flights all the better with these mile-high must-haves.

Technological innovations can improve health and comfort while in the air, and let's not forget about the all-important entertainment perks. New technology in fields away from electronics is also constantly evolving and improving our red-eye and way-too-long-haul flights. Flying tips are best sourced from those frequent flyers who are constantly jet-setting from one destination to the next. But getting tips on the gadgets that make long-haul flights easier, well, you've come to the right place.

Whether you're on a one-way red-eye from New York to Tokyo or have multiple layovers over a few days (godspeed), investing in a few luxury gadgets to make the trip (and subsequent trips) more bearable is a splurge you likely won't regret.

Before boarding, having peace of mind about your luggage makes long-haul flights more bearable. Apple AirTags can help you to keep tabs on your bags and also reduce anxiety at the baggage belt on arrival. AirTags track your luggage (or anything else for that matter) with Precision Finding via Bluetooth and Apple's extensive Find My network. The location range is globally encompassing.

However, they can't guarantee a problem-free vacation. If your luggage is outside the Bluetooth range, the Find My app relies on the worldwide network of Apple devices to locate your AirTags. So, if none are in the area, it could be tricky. However, with more than 2 billion active Apple devices worldwide, your luggage would need to end up somewhere pretty remote not to be retrieved.

AirTags are small and weigh very little. Setup with an iPhone is straightforward, and the battery can last for up to a year. However, use is mainly limited to Apple users. Fortunately, alternatives have emerged for travelers with Android devices. They apply the same tricks to locate your luggage, although the different brands have tracking networks of various sizes.

A different but useful gadget for security is the TSA-approved AirBolt Lock. This smart travel lock offers locking and unlocking via your phone, a backup code if your battery dies, and advanced encryption. It's also compatible with TSA master keys (which you can disable at any time). This ensures your lock will get to your destination in one piece should the authorities decide to give your luggage a closer look. Additionally, the AirBolt can be found via crowd-sourced location tracking. However, the network is limited in comparison to Apple's Find My network.

At times, it can feel like a crime when you want water at an airport. How often have you downed your only bottle before going through TSA, only to find them selling more on the other side at prices that are nothing short of extortion?

You can be forgiven for thinking that you'll get some on the flight, only to discover the paltry little plastic containers just big enough to quench the thirst of a four-year-old. You'll likely not want to constantly bother the flight attendant to get the H2O you need when flying, so why not try a smart hydration bottle? Once on your flight, you can ask the attendant to fill it up, or you can do it yourself at airports that do have fresh drinking water available for free after security.

The HidrateSpark ranks as one of our favorite smart water bottles. It tracks every sip and syncs it via Bluetooth to your Water Tracker app to ensure you are hydrating fully. If you forget to drink, the bottle glows to remind you. This feature is beneficial because many people forget to drink even when they are starting to dehydrate.

It's available in a choice of colors and sizes and has battery life enough to last most long-haul flights. It also keeps drinks cold for 24 hours (or hot for four), and it recharges quickly via USB.

Stress occurs not only during the frustrating check-in and boarding processes but also when squeezed into a small space for hours during the actual flight. Furthermore, at altitude, less oxygen gets where it's needed, and a lack of movement slows blood flow and can cause stiffness and discomfort.

It would be ideal to stretch out in first class and put your feet up. But, with airline fares the way they are, most of us are reduced to flying economy class, which at times can feel like a cattle car. Thankfully, a gadget such as the TheraGun Mini Massage Gun can iron out your aches and pains and help you have a more healthy and comfortable flight.

Many portable massagers are still quite bulky for air travel, but not the TheraGun. It's highly portable at just 5.5 x 5 x 2 inches. It weighs just one pound. It comes with three attachments: one dampener for general massage, one standard ball that you can use to relieve small muscle groups, and a thumb for relief in the lower back and trigger points. It has a two-hour battery life and is rechargeable via USB. The settings are customizable, and it's quiet, ensuring you won't bother other passengers.

If that isn't your speed, a non-tech gadget you can buy to help with blood flow and general health during flights is compression socks. They are ideal for anyone whose ankles swell on long journeys. They apply graduated pressure to the legs, particularly around the ankles, and improve circulation and reduce swelling and fluid buildup. They also prevent pooling blood and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis and blood clots.

Health is the most important factor when flying, but comfort is also vital if you want to survive long-haul and red-eye flights. Many passengers won't fly without the ubiquitous inflatable neck pillow that people start huffing and puffing into before the airplane has even taken off. Inflatable footrests are also beginning to appear on flights, but they can be a little cumbersome. A better option might be a foot hammock, such as the Everlasting Comfort. It's not ideal for tall people, but those under six feet can enjoy a variety of positions for optimal support.

Once you are comfortable, you'll either want to sleep or be entertained. If you are using your smartphone or tablet to pass the time, it can get tiresome holding it after a while. That's fine for short flights, but for long-haul flying, you'll need a good stand for your device to ensure viewing comfort.

One notable stand that's ideal for flying is the Flight Flap. It's basically just a flat, rectangular mat made from sturdy materials that you can bend any way. This means you can securely fix it to the tray table or hang it from the back of the seat in front of you, ensuring you can focus on your comfort while watching. It's sturdy enough that it will stay in its fixed position and will also safely cradle your device. When not in use, you can make it flat again and easily slip it back into your pack.

Once health and comfort are covered, how else can you ensure your long-haul flight survival? Let's get to the all-important entertainment options. Of course, you have the airline's entertainment system, which is enough for many. But, that's for upright sitting, and can be constantly interrupted by cabin crew and pilot announcements, and they likely won't have the show you've been binge-watching at home. How on earth will you manage?

Most people will download movies and shows to a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. And that's great if you can get comfortable with your device. But have you ever considered a pair of AR glasses? They're an outstanding choice for in-flight entertainment because they project a giant virtual screen that only you can see. You can connect them to laptops, tablets, smartphones, and game consoles for an experience that'll melt the hours quickly. 

The Viture One Light glasses are a favorite of ours. They project a 120-inch virtual display in Full HD to each eye. If you want to step up a level, you could try the pricier Viture Pro XR Glasses, which offer an even bigger virtual screen, a wider field of view, a 120Hz refresh rate, and better brightness. Both glasses feature a handy (at least for the nearsighted) myopia adjustment dial and our reviewer was also impressed with the balanced sound. However, sound leakage is always a problem with glasses of this sort, and on a long-haul flight, it's best to use them with earbuds or headphones so as not to disturb those around you.

The stress of travel not only affects us adults but kids too. Combined with the excitement of the whole affair, traveling with children can sometimes be tricky. Once settled and comfortable, a long-haul flight is a perfectly acceptable situation where kids can indulge themselves in entertainment.  

If your child or children are bookworms, an e-reader is the obvious pick. Kid-friendly tablets are also ideal because they offer a variety of entertainment options. However, just about any child (OK, let's not kid ourselves, us adults, too!) loves a game console when onboard. With a handheld game console being the only practical option, the go-to for long-haul travel is the Nintendo Switch, although the Steam Deck is also a possibility. The Switch easily packs away into hand luggage, is lightweight, and you can use it as a handheld device or set it on the tray table using its built-in stand. 

The Nintendo Switch OLED has the best battery life, which is a significant factor on long-haul flights. We also noted in our review that it boasts a stunning display that's larger than its predecessors. Now, imagine how good the in-flight entertainment would be if you paired it with a good set of AR glasses...

We all know the drill: you get yourself comfortable, flick through the inflight entertainment system, and pick out what you want to watch or listen to. Once up in the sky, you plug in the airline's complimentary headphones only to be horrified by the sound quality. If only you could use the AirPods in your bag, you'd be wire-free and be able to hear the sound clearly.

While there are beginnings to Bluetooth being available on airplanes, it's a long way off from being widely available in first-class, never mind economy. However, there is a solution: the Twelve South AirFly. It's a compact transmitter you can plug into the airline's entertainment system's audio jack to create a Bluetooth signal for your Beats or Pods to pick up. Voila! Instant audio upgrade and one less wire to worry about.

In fact, the AirFly is compatible with all Bluetooth wireless headphones and is one of our must-have AirPods accessories. You can choose from the base SE model for a single connection and a 20-hour battery life. Alternatively, with the Duo model, you can connect two pairs of headphones, while the Pro model offers the same double pairing on top of a more extended battery life.

While on the topic of headphones, choosing a pair featuring ANC is an excellent way to block out the ambient noise of the airplane, including chatter and the constant low growling of the engines. Earbuds may be the best choice over awkward headphones if you want to utilize the ANC to help you catch some Z's because the best models sit comfortably in the ear.

Of course, it's not all about sleeping, comfort, health, and entertainment. A long-haul flight can also be a great time to get productive. It's not just offline work you can get sucked into. While most airlines incur an extra charge, more and more now offer Wi-Fi connectivity onboard, allowing you to put some serious hours into your projects.

The best laptop on a long-haul flight is the MacBook Air 13-inch. It's impressively slim and lightweight and will easily slip into any carry-on bag you bring onboard and fit nicely onto a tray table. It's also a deceptively powerful machine, especially the M3-chipped model. That's not to say the M2 model is a slouch; our reviewer felt the performance difference to be marginal, and opting for the older version can save you some money. While we're at it, the M1-chipped MacBook Air is still available.

However, if you prefer a 2-in-1 so you can switch to tablet mode, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is an excellent option. It has a sleek design ideal for taking onboard, and our reviewer noted that it boasts excellent video performance, making it a good source of entertainment when it's time to wind down.

And, of course, with all these gadgets, you'll want a high-capacity power bank to charge them all. The Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank just meets the TSA battery size allowance. At 99.54Wh, it's barely shy of the permitted 100Wh and can be taken aboard without worry. It's a fast-charging, 250W, multi-device power bank that utilizes Power Delivery 3.1 technology to charge up to three devices simultaneously during your long-haul flight with its two USB-C ports and one USB-A.

It is wise to have all your gadgets fully charged before boarding. But if you get caught short, or you have some devices with limited battery lives, this power bank will keep you connected. It even holds enough juice for more than a full charge of a MacBook Air. If you have a layover, you can recharge the power bank in just 37 minutes, ensuring you have all the gadgets you need fully charged to make your long-haul flight that bit more manageable.

However, with all these gadgets and devices, one more product to make life easier is an electronics travel organizer. Having all those cables, earbuds, flash drives, card readers, adapters, chargers, styluses, etc., etc. in one place makes life on long hauls and red-eyes so much simpler. The BAGSMART Electronics Organizer Travel Case is ideal. While it is compact, the design is well-planned, and there is ample room for all your accessories with its mesh pockets, elastic loops, and card slots.