15 cool gadgets every business traveller wants for Christmas

Mark Gambino

Like it or loathe it, travel is now a necessary distraction of modern-day business. But despite the inevitable disruptions it can cause, there are ways to ensure the endless ballet of airport transfers, noisy departure lounges and cabin shenanigans cause minimal impact to your productivity and your sanity.

With the aid of a little innovative technology, transitioning between your desk and mobile office can now be done on a single device.

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Likewise, if you've ever felt the sting of low battery anxiety, you'll be happy to learn many new devices boast enough power to get you through the longest ultra-long haul flight, gate to gate. Of course, with the appropriate battery backup, you could circumnavigate the globe and still come up smiling.

Go solo for ultimate freedom

Using one device for all your business needs has been a Holy Grail promised to us for years – that day has finally arrived. No more juggling files between devices. No more multiple power supplies weighing down your carry-on bag. No more leaving the right device in the wrong office.

Various smartphones, like the new HP Elite x3, combine desktop-class power and performance with the flexibility of a mobile device, allowing you to literally work from your pocket.

Functioning like any normal smartphone on the road, simply dock the Elite x3 when you get back to your desk and enjoy all the benefits of a full-size monitor and keyboard, without the compromises usually associated with mobile hardware. That's right; this smartphone can replace your desktop, laptop and existing smartphone. Talk about a triple threat.

I've got the power

Despite airlines achieving huge leaps in comfort and amenities in the past decade, sometimes even the most modern aircraft can fall afoul of technical problems, leaving you out of power. This is the moment when you reach for your trusty, portable battery backup – preferably one with multiple USB ports.

Available in a variety of capacities, shapes and sizes, today's battery backups pack more punch than their siblings of recent years. Whereas once you may have been lucky to get a single full charge from your backup, you can now expect to charge both smartphone and tablet, at the same time, a number of times over.

Smart luggage manufacturers have likewise acknowledged the needs of the modern business traveller, and are now incorporating battery backups into carry-on luggage and laptop bags. Freedom never felt so good.

Scroll through the gallery above to explore the latest innovative equipment to help you travel like a true pro.

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