Travel Gear: making travel easier

Steamline Entrepreneur Luggage

If you’re looking to cut a dash on your next trip, Steamline’s luggage combines old world cruising style with modern suitcase functionality. There are TSA-compliant combination locks so security doesn’t rip it open, and smooth running wheels and aluminium pull-out handles for easy airport navigation. Steamline has a whole range of these vintage-inspired pieces, from vanity cases to check-ins. €270 for the carry-on, from steamlineluggage.com

JBL Clip

JBL has approached the portable speaker market with a veritable double album compilation of options and variations. The Clip is light and tough, with decent sound as you’d expect from JBL. True to its name – and its real point of difference – is a useful, integrated carabiner you can handily hook up on your travels. It’ll pair with any Bluetooth device and throws out fivve hours of sound from a two hour full charge. There’s also a 3.5mm jack if you can’t pair it up. Of course, given the smartphone is likely to be your player of choice, it’s got a mic too, so you can make and take calls between tracks. €50 from pixmania.ie

Vanmoof Electrified 3 Bike

The Dutch know a thing or two about cycling and Amsterdam-based Vanmoof’s new Electrified range tackles one of the key features of e-bikes: how ugly they usually are. Vanmoof’s e-bikes are gorgeous, with a discreet 250W motor on the front, a battery hidden in the crossbar and Philips lights seamlessly part of the frame. GPS tracking is integrated. It’s a pedal-assist, so you need to crank away to get the motor to kick in and although the 80 per cent boost is not as spectacular as some less attractive models, you’ll still save burn. From around €2,500, see vanmoof.com

[ @tomtomkelly ]