Just like in every other aspect of your life, technology is making travel more comfortable. So when you hit the road in 2017, there are new gadgets that can make your travel life easier. Some assist you in making sure your appliances work no matter where you are, some help you to sleep better on airplanes, while others help you keep track of your luggage.

Smart Suitcase

If you ever lost a piece of luggage while traveling, you will understand why smart suitcases are all the rage in 2017. Trying to locate that luggage is sometimes the hardest thing to do, so even though we are in the young days of this tech, it is not too early to tell that it will become a mainstay with travelers.

The idea is that you use an app and your phone to check vital information about your luggage, including: where it is, how heavy it is, and even whether it has been opened. You can even charge devices through a USB connection.

Today you have an option of purchasing luggage that has this feature or adding tracking devices to your existing luggage that provides all of the smart luggage features.

The location technology part of it works by means of a GSM chip that syncs with your phone and tells you where your luggage is in relation to your phone. You get a notice when it comes within a certain distance of your phone.

This is one of those technologies that will be standard on all luggage in the not too distant future.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

Traveling with a pair of headphones is pretty common. They allow you to listen to music on the go, and make hands-free calls. The new standard in travel headphones though include a fantastic feature called noise canceling.

Noise cancelling headphones use microphones and some fancy processing to create an opposite sound wave from the one that’s headed for your eardrum. This inverse wave is sent through the headphone driver, and if it’s done correctly, the inverse wave cancels the intruding sound wave. For example, while on a plane or train, the headphones send out an inverse wave to cancel the engine noise, so you can relax more easily,

Low, steady sound is easy for these types of headphones to cancel out. Higher frequency, and transient sounds, aren’t. So you will hear some voices and even perhaps babies, but they will be lower and the overall effect is fantastic. These headphones cost a bit more than regular headphones, but for travel they are definitely worth the extra expense.

Power Converter

Take care of your electronics wherever you travel. You can mistakenly burn out your shaver, hair dryer and other appliances if you do not use a power converter.

Technology is helping to make the world seem a lot smaller, but there are still areas where it has done little. One is in the area of electrical standardization which varies by country.

The United States and most of the West use electrical systems operating at 110-120 volts. Almost every other country uses 220-240 volts as a standard. The 110v systems have a 60Hz cycle while most of the 220v systems operate at 50Hz. These differences can make appliances run faster or slower or overload others causing them to burn out. This is why you need to get a power converter that lets you to use your appliances no matter what the voltage.

The newest power convertors adopt very quickly to power surges and drop offs which was a common gripe with older ones. Also the newer ones have several outlets and USB ports allowing you to charge your phone and tablet without needing another outlet.

These items each provide you with benefits that more than justify their prices. So when you travel in 2017, its time to go high tech.