If your mornings are anything like mine, you’re probably running out the door within an hour of waking up only to see the sunrise through the dirty windows of various forms of public transportation. Airplanes, trains, and automobiles, oh my. They all have one thing in common when it comes to traveling — it often feels like a lot of work. And no matter how long your commute is, the monotony of getting yourself to the office can take its toll.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your morning stress and make your commute as hassle-free as possible. Whether you’re heading to the office for your first full-time gig or returning to the office after working from home for the past few years, ZDNET has compiled a list of everything you need for your office commute based on my own personal experience. Compiled. Traveling between New York and New Jersey and testing by our experts.
A portable charger
If my long travels have taught me anything, it’s that a portable charger isn’t a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity. By the time you’re ready to go home, you don’t want a dead phone lying around that could limit your entertainment along the way and, not to mention, be potentially dangerous. Thankfully, my job as a tech editor gives me the opportunity to test some of the best things on the market, especially the MagSafe options that are perfect for extending my iPhone 14 Pro’s battery.
This MagSafe power bank (ZDNET’s pick for the best budget MagSafe power bank) easily connects to your iPhone 12 or higher. According to ZDNET contributor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, who reviewed the power bank last year, depending on your iPhone’s size and battery status, the power bank can fully charge your iPhone in one go. May be enough to charge.
It takes about two hours to get all the juice out of this battery pack, and you can charge your iPhone while the power bank is charging itself, which is pretty convenient. Like some of the other picks on our best magsafe battery packs list, it doesn’t have an overly bulky design and has an attractive profile.
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A pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds
Trust me, there’s nothing you want more during your commute than to drown out the sounds of the train, bus, subway, or streets with noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds. There’s nothing more annoying than someone blasting their music or cell conversation from their device at 7 a.m. Take it from me and don’t be that person – quality listening experiences to bring some zen to your commute. Invest in
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra earbuds offer a high-quality audio experience with advanced features for all types of listeners, earning ZDNET’s top spot for best overall noise-canceling earbuds based on expert testing. .
“As for music, the QuietComfort Ultra delivers impressively spacious sound. On a run, these earbuds fit snugly in my ears, which I credit to the extra grip of the stability band along with the oval shape of the ear tips. Yes, says ZDNET expert Nina Remont, who reviewed the Ultra earbuds earlier this year.
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A work bag for travelers
Of course the most important essential, a bag should be durable and light enough to carry your essentials to get to work. Moreover, your bag needs to be able to hold your laptop and keep it safe during the sometimes difficult or rough journey. Backpacks are a great traditional travel option that can help streamline your frequent trips to and from the office, while totes offer different, yet comparable benefits for your daily commute.
Due to the nature of my commute, which requires a car ride, a train ride, a subway ride, and a 15-minute walk each way, I quickly decided that a good old backpack was my go-to. Perfect for work needs, and made it easy to put on and off when using public transit. I quickly settled on the Under Armor Hustle Pro model thanks to its water-resistant and stain-resistant finish, and the upgraded strap system that ensures the straps are adjusted for balanced weight distribution. .
The bag also features a PU-coated bottom, sleeve for up to 15-inch laptops, gusseted bottom pockets, double side pockets, and two front pockets: one insulated and the other tricot lined for valuables, in which I carry my emergency kit. I keep All in all, I’ve had this bag for several months and it still looks brand new, which is no easy feat considering all the dirty places it gets during travel.
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A Wi-Fi hotspot
Although some public transit can provide Wi-Fi and so some phones can be activated as hotspots, specially designed traditional hotspots are a reliable and fast way to access the Internet en route. So you can use your travel time for work. or recreational purposes easily and consistently. The best hotspots can be set up by your phone provider and are a game changer for people who spend a large part of their day on the go.
The Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8800L is extremely fast and reliable, and has an easy-to-use touchscreen. This hotspot offers dual-band frequencies and is compatible with both your laptop and smartphone, and includes a USB-C connection.
You can easily connect up to 15 different devices if needed, and use your hotspot for up to 24 hours before needing a charge.
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You may also need:
It’s never a bad idea to be prepared, but you don’t want to drag everything but your kitchen sink with you to the office. Here are a few additional items to consider for your travel needs, from simple MagSafe wallets that make it easy to swipe transit cards (my favorite MagSafe accessory) to upgrades for those Up to entertainment.
The short answer here is no, you don’t need to buy extra items to keep on hand during your trip. While ZDNET highly recommends these products as travel essentials, only you know what you really need for your everyday lifestyle. You may prefer to carry a few more items in your work bag or you may not bring anything with you except your cell phone — whatever works best for you.
As someone who could arguably be called a super-commuter, I feel qualified to recommend some minimum essentials to get uber back and forth to work. Here are my top 5 must-haves:
- A comfortable bag or tote.
- Magsafe battery pack or portable charger
- Noise canceling earbuds or headphones
- A MagSafe wallet (or anything that provides easy access to transit cards and tickets)
- A water bottle (Ovala FreeCip is my personal favorite, although I’ve also used bottles from Swell, Stanley, Hydroflask and more). Any bottle will do, just stay hydrated.
Some of my next recommendations would be to have an AirTag to track your bag in case it gets lost or stolen, an additional entertainment device, like a Kindle, an emergency snack, and to keep your work badge safe. An ID lanyard for — I really like the retractable version from the OrbitKey for easy scanning in and out.
Since the start of the pandemic, many workers are starting to return to the office after working from home. Many companies are now moving to a hybrid work schedule, which means that workers have to go to the office two or three days a week, and can work from home the rest of the days.
Some companies have even begun implementing full return to office orders for current employees, which means many workers can return to the traditional five-day in-person work week.
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