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Tag: travel tech

Compact travel keyboard with laptop and backpack, illustrating the best travel keyboards in 2026
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Best Travel Keyboards in 2026: Mechanical, Foldable, and Portable Options

updated May 15, 2026

The best travel keyboard in 2026 depends on whether you need something foldable, mechanical, ultra-light, or wireless. Here are the best portable keyboards for working on the go.

Quick Picks: Best Travel Keyboards in 2026

The best travel keyboard depends less on one perfect product and more on what you can actually tolerate carrying. A keyboard for a hotel desk, a coffee shop, a train seat, and a cramped tray table are not necessarily the same thing.

Use Case Best Keyboard Type Why
Best overall travel keyboard Low-profile mechanical keyboard Good typing feel without taking over your bag
Best ultra-portable option 40% or compact keyboard Small enough for tight spaces, but requires a learning curve
Best foldable option Foldable keyboard or split keyboard Easy to pack, though typing feel varies dramatically
Best commuter keyboard Quiet low-profile or scissor-switch keyboard Less annoying in shared spaces
Best mechanical travel keyboard Compact hotswap mechanical keyboard Customizable switches and layout without full-size bulk

There are a few approaches to travel keyboards. In previous years, we discussed folding keyboards as a possible solution. But a lot of those do not have the typing experience of a mechanical keyboard. So how can you get the customizable typing experience you want while on the go? All of my thoughts below use open source firmware for maximum customizability, and hotswap switch options where offered. In making

If you care more about thinness than switch feel, a scissor-switch board may be the better travel keyboard than a tiny mechanical board.

If you are looking for something other than a mechanical keyboard, you can consider something like the Keychron B series. These are scissor switch keyboards, a popular choice on laptops, but they offer full customizability with ZMK open source firmware. The smallest is the Keychron B1 Pro, at $33.99 but if your travel needs allow, you can get larger ones.

The next option would be a low profile mechanical keyboard. There are a lot of good options there.  Keychron, which makes a variety of mid-market keyboards, offers Ultra-Slim QMK open source KS-33 low profile mechanical switch keyboards. They offer a 75% at the lowest rate, the K3 QMK at $74.99 at the time this was published. They make a smaller 65% version as well.

If you want to bump up a level, you can go for a Nuphy low profile. Nuphy offers their Air series. The v2 series uses QMK open source firmware, and the newer v3 has reverted back to proprietary software, so for now would recommend the v2. I bought a used original version of this keyboard, acquiring used versions of both the 60 and the 75, both of which suffered from battery swelling, which is apparently not uncommon, but the ones I got used work perfectly well wired without a battery. Nuphy does not sell replacement batteries and tried to talk me into buying a new one. The Air60v2 is currently $109.95 and the Air75v2 is at $101.95.

The next option for portability is something that isn’t usually used for portability at all. Split keyboards. Split keyboards are usually a preference of individuals for ergonomic reasons. But a split also means your keyboard divides into two pieces. While there are a lot of unique layouts for these, you can get traditional layouts, just in two pieces. There is the Epomaker Split65. Epomaker does suffer from reports of inconsistent quality, but they are a popular budget brand. If you are willing to build, you can go over to companies like Keebio. They offer a kit and an assembled set of split keyboards, like the 65% Quefrency. They also offer the 60% FoldKB.

At the moment, my preference is for a 40% keyboard. These are keyboards that have less than 50 keys. There are a variety of layouts for these. While there are 40% made by bigger companies like Keychron, such as their Q9, you have to go a bit off the open path to find a bit more variety. I have my other site, selling supplies for these tiny keyboards, called Mechdreams, where you can see some of these. These small keyboards are great for small spaces, and you can fit one in your pocket, or even on your belt, and they are fully functional keyboards, although there is a learning curve.

So, what does this tell us? The best travel keyboard is the smallest or thinnest you can fit in your bag and still enjoy using.

 

Published on February 20, 2026
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Portable travel router next to a laptop and phone in a hotel room, illustrating the best travel router for hotel Wi-Fi in 2026
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Best Travel Router for Hotel Wi-Fi in 2026

There are many reasons to use a travel router when on the go. For example, protecting yourself from malicious actors on hotel wifi. As I write this, I am in an extended stay at a foreign hotel. The hotel TV has built in YouTube and streaming, and on three occasions so far, the TV has been taken over by people in other rooms apparently by accident.

At minimum, a travel router isolates your devices from the other people on the hotel wifi. But it can do so much more. It can allow you to add a streaming device to the TV, as many cannot navigate the captive portal. Many can support a connected USB drive to act as a simple media server to stream to the device you connect to your TV.

Finally, your device can act as a VPN gateway for your devices, something I am doing with my travel router as we speak. Every web request is running through my VPN server in my apartment. My current preference has been the GL.iNet line of travel routers. They run a variant of an open firmware and have general been reliable. I have had several.

Quick Picks: Best Travel Routers in 2026

The best travel router depends on what problem you are trying to solve. Hotel Wi-Fi, captive portals, VPN sharing, streaming devices, and working from a temporary setup all put slightly different demands on the router.

Use Case Recommended Router Why
Best mature travel router for most people GL.iNet Beryl AX / MT-1300 A reliable, mature Wi-Fi 6 travel router that should be enough for most hotel Wi-Fi, VPN, and portable-networking needs.
Best current personal pick / proven travel setup GL.iNet Slate Plus / A1300 The travel router I have been using on the road; still useful if you do not need the newest or fastest option.
Best faster Slate option GL.iNet Slate AX A newer Slate-series option with more performance, though it may be more router than many hotel Wi-Fi setups need.
Best premium Slate option GL.iNet Slate 7 Adds a control screen and newer hardware, but the premium may not be worth it unless you specifically want those features.

 

My current one for this trip is the A1300, aka the Slate Plus, released in 2022.  But I have been finding it was time to try to improve throughput of my VPN. So, I looked at what was available.

A year younger is the slightly faster Beryl AX, the MT-1300. The Slate Plus has two WAN and one LAN port, the Beryl AX has one LAN port.

There are two newer versions in the Slate line, the Slate AX and the Slate 7. The company is also prepping a new addition to the Beryl line. The Slate 7 offers a LCD control screen, which is a useful feature, but not necessarily worth the premium. The Slate series also has a reputation for running a bit hotter.

So, even though the Beryl AX is two years old now, and newer devices exist, it is a more mature reliable choice. Even spending an extended time traveling, do you need faster wifi, or 2.5gb networking? Neither of which most hotels have. What you need is speed and reliability, and the ability to add additional security measures.

Published on November 27, 2025
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Best Low-Profile Travel Keyboards for Working Anywhere

I recently took two trips out of town. I have been evolving my hotel room set up for years after my employer had me spend extended times in hotel rooms and it always involves an external mechanical keyboard. I had written about the folding keyboard search as part of this previously. In that article, I only mentioned the Royal Kludge F68 in that context as a mechanical low profile keyboard that folds. But I didn’t talk about low profile keyboards themselves. I’m limiting myself to mechanical keyboards per my preference for them.

Updated note: If you want a broader comparison of mechanical, foldable, compact, and commuter-friendly boards, see my full guide to the best travel keyboards in 2026.A low profile mechanical keyboard, also called an ‘ultra-slim’, even in a larger form factor, can take up less space than a comparable keyboard and still have some of the advantages of mechanical keyboards. Like full size mechanical keyboards, you have keyboards with hotswappable switches and ones without. While they come in larger sizes, for travel a 75% or smaller makes sense.

Some people find the low profile keyboards better for ergonomics. Also, if you are coming from a laptop keyboard, the angle can be similar enough, but it is definitely a more premium experience.

I tried out the Keychron K3. There are several revisions and variants, and the newer ones have QMK/VIA and different wireless capabilities. For example, the K3 Pro which is hotswap and bluetooth.  The K3 is a 75%. The smallest Keychron makes is the K7 at 65%. I was able to get a hotswappable K3 on a deal, and that allows me to try different Gateron low profile switches. It came with Browns, but there are other ones to try that may be more to my liking. Either way, I was perfectly satisfied with using these on those recent trips. I even printed a case to transport it.

There is also the Azio Cascade Slim, which is hotswappable, and finally the more expensive and often reviewed alternative is the Nuphy line. They make the Air60, and Air75 variants that fit into the travel category.

Finally, on the budget side, Royal Kludge, in addition to my F68, has the N80 Low Profile 75%. It includes a little LCD screen. Redragon, also known for being on the less expensive side, has the K652. Both are budget models that get decent, if mixed reviews. The Redragon K652 is hotswappable with the Outemu low profile switches. The Royal Kludge uses their own branded low profiles and is hotswappable. However, some research suggests TTC or Cherry MX LP switches are compatible.

You can also go with the entirely niche, but prebuilt Chosfox Geonix48…another Ortho, or their L75 75% keyboard.

Even kit-wise, if you want to build one. There is the 60% Cerberus from Pikatea….which is ceasing operations in December of 2024. Boardsource has the Equals48 and Equals60 kits, which are both Ortholinear keyboards.

The two most popular low profile switches are the Gateron Low Profile and the Choc V1 Low Profile. The Keychrone, Azio, and Nuphy all use the Gateron type. Choc V1 seems to be the domain of ergonomic type keyboards mostly. Despite the useful utility of this category, it seems as if the low profile market for traditional form factors is limited.

In the end, after all that, there are some good options…and most of the choices come in traditional red, blue, or brown switches, so you should be able to find something to suit your preferences.

 

 

 

 

Published on November 29, 2024
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Best Keyboard for Travel: What Actually Works on the Road?

In my previous writing, about using a Mini PC on the Go, I mentioned a 60-65% keyboard as the right size in my opinion for travel. So, what are the different types of keyboards?

  • Full-size
  • Tenkeyless(TKL) – A tenkeyless is the same size as a full-size keyboard, but omits the number pad.
  • 75%  – condenses the function keys
  • 65% – usually retains the arrow keys while condensing the other function keys.
  • 60% – removes the function and navigation keys
  • 40% – the smallest keyboard

Updated note: This article is more of a practical reflection on what makes a keyboard good for travel. For a current buyer-focused guide, see my updated list of the best travel keyboards in 2026.

I have long since given up on full sized keyboards. All my home keyboards are TKL. This is something of a practical issue. I’m left-handed, and the number pad is on the right side of the keyboard, favoring right handed typists. In the rare cases when you need it, you can try for a keypad such as this inexpensive one from Kisnt, which has Red, Brown, and Blue switch options and PBT keycaps already.

40% is too small. I know people are very passionate about this size once you get used to the combinations to use it. The most economical 40% I found was at the local Microcenter.

For my latest attempt, I opted for a 65% Keychron K6 that was discounted at the time I purchased it and is still reasonable. The K6 is bluetooth and USB-C, but has a hardware rather than a software switch between wireless and wired. Some models of the K6 are hotswappable, meaning you can change the switches.. Compare that to the well reviewed Royal Kludge RK68, which has a software switch. 65% gets you the arrow keys, which I do enjoy having as dedicated functions.

I previously used a 60%, and tried several variations, but missed those arrow keys. However, if I opt to try a 60% again, I might try the Royal Kludge RK61, which is not only hot-swappable, but has QMK/VIA support…which allows you to remap the keys to a configuration of your liking. Since I’m on a Keychron kick of late, they have the K12. The Pro Version has the QMK/VIA support.

By the time you get to 75%, you might as well carry around your tenkeyless on a trip, thus making the 65% percent the perfect compromise between the two.

 

Published on March 25, 2024
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