Keeping things lightweight and portable in this day and age is an increasingly important part of our lives. We’re expected to carry more electronics with us than ever before, but backpack space is still a finite resource. That means that if you’re on the go, you’ll need portable peripherals that’ll easily fit into whatever you’re carrying, but also provide the freedom to work and play the way you want.
Fortunately, we’ve got your back with a lineup of some of the best wireless keyboards, foldable headsets, and more portable devices to add to your arsenal. With these, you can make sure you’ll be able to work or play hard no matter where you are.
Wireless Mice
A good mouse should feel like an extension of your hand, whether you’re sitting down to write a paper or playing games. If you’re going mobile, you have to be looking at wireless mice with high capacity batteries and a smooth, easy-to-transport form factor.
Wired mice have been the standard for gaming for years, but if you’re on the go, the last thing you want to worry about is bulky wires that are easily damaged and that take up space in your backpack. The good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice performance for quality with modern mice, and you can often find a small mouse that still has a quality sensor and a decent battery life without breaking the bank.
Logitech M557 910-003971 Black Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse – $24.89
Your mouse is the center of any laptop work environment, so it’s important to have one like the Logitech M557 at your side. This mouse delivers a smooth and consistent performance on multiple surfaces, all while maintaining the high-performance, 12-month battery life that Logitech has made standard in the wireless peripheral industry. Plus, the small size and form factor make it easy to slip in a pocket or laptop bag without having to worry about bulky cords or reorganizing paperwork to keep it safe.
Microsoft PL2 ARC Touch Mouse – $48.41
Microsoft’s PL2 ARC Touch Mouse has become a standard in mobile work environments, partly because of its slim, adaptable shape, and the innovative features that are useful whether you’re sitting down for light browsing, or getting ready for a big presentation.
The beauty of the ARC Touch is its smooth, adaptable form factor that can go from a ready-to-use wireless mouse to a thin, flat peripheral for storage and presentations. Mice don’t get more portable that something that flattens down to less than the size of your average smartphone, which means it can fit almost anywhere you need to store it.
Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse – $59.39
If you’re a gamer on the go, you’ll need a wireless mouse that’s sleek and portable, but still delivers the kind of customization and performance you need to be able to pull off clutch plays. Fortunately, Logitech offers the G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse for just that purpose.
The G305 might not be the fanciest looking mouse around, but it’s lightweight, durable, and the sleek minimalist design will fit nicely into a pocket or backpack without issue. What’s more, the G305 promises a high performance 100-12000 DPI sensor, and a 1ms response time, all without compromising the 250 hours of performance you can expect out of a single AA battery.
Mousepads
Although modern wireless mice work on the bulk of surfaces, dedicated mouse pads for on-the-go gaming or casual work environments can be useful for more reliable mouse performance. Whether you’re trying to find a spot in a crowded study hall, or on the floor of a lecture hall or airport, a mouse mat means you can trust your mouse is going to work and stay clean.
Considering mouse mats can be about as thin and portable as your average manila folder, there’s really no reason not to add them to your laptop bag or backpack.
Corsair Gaming MM200 MM400 High Speed Mouse Mat – $16.99
The Corsair MM200 is a gaming mouse mat that keeps things smooth, professional, and thin enough to fit in almost any backpack on the market. The hard polymer surface means you can trust your mouse will work the same way it does when you’re at home.
MSI Thunderstorm Aluminum Gaming Mousepad – $34.44
The MSI Thunderstorm also promises to deliver performance and portability on the go. The aluminum construction makes it extremely durable, lightweight, and easy to clean.
Compact Keyboards
Mobile computing setups are becoming more popular because of how little space they occupy. Although most people still prefer a laptop or desktop for serious work, the ability to sit down and type up a paper or notes on a smartphone or tablet is incredibly appealing to anyone that doesn’t want to deal with the bulk and battery life issues of a laptop.
That said, working from a tablet without a good wireless keyboard isn’t always easy. When looking for a good portable keyboard, focus on two things: size, and tactile feedback. The former is just to keep things lightweight and easy to transport, while the latter comes down to making sure that you enjoy your typing experience. Some people love the feel of a soft silicone keyboard, while others hate that the keys don’t have that familiar click and tap of a traditional keyboard. Fortunately, there are plenty of options for both kinds of typers.
TeKit Ultra-thin Foldable Silicone Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard – $17.65
If you’ve adapted your mobile workstation to take advantage of smartphones and tablets rather than lugging around a bulky laptop, it’s worth snagging a wireless Bluetooth keyboard like this silicone option from TeKit. Not many keyboards on the market can offer a smooth typing experience, wireless Bluetooth functionality, and a full set of media keys while still maintaining the ability to roll up to smaller than the size of a can of soda. TeKit’s made a cozy niche in the industry off of those features specifically.
Portable Foldable Wireless Bluetooth3.0 Keyboard – $43.99
Of course, if you prefer the feel of actual keys, there are also foldable wireless Bluetooth options with aluminum outer shells. These have similar functionality to the ones above, but with the tactile feedback of real keys at your fingertips. Thanks to a foldable design, once you’re done working you can compress it down to about the size of an external HDD, and drop it in your bag or pocket.
Portable Speakers
Portable speakers are great whether you’re relaxing somewhere to study, kicking back with friends, or taking a break from the daily grind to get away from it all. With that in mind, you’re always going to want to focus on three things with portable speakers: durability, battery life, and overall sound quality.
The first two features are arguably the most important, because you’re going to want to make sure that your speaker can hold up to the abuse of a mobile lifestyle, and you don’t want to have to question whether you have enough battery. That said, it’s always good to make sure a portable speaker is well equipped to deliver high quality audio if possible, but don’t expect to be getting the same kind of quality that you would from a full surround sound system.
Treblab HD55 – Deluxe Bluetooth Speaker – $69.97
If you need a portable speaker, it’s hard to go wrong with the Treblab HD55. It has great ambient sound quality, heavy-duty durable design, and great battery life with 10-hours from a single charge. The Treblab HD55 is perfect for camping, or just taking your music and audio on the go wherever and whenever you need it.
VisionTek 900892 BTi65 Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker – $36.13
Or maybe you want to go hyper-portable. The VisionTek BTi65 Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker offers an even more rugged, durable design that can be easily clipped to a backpack, carried on a wrist, or mounted to anything you can imagine. All of this while maintaining a 10-hour battery life and the option for wired or Bluetooth connectivity from up to 30 feet away.
Wireless Headsets
Wireless headsets are a great option if you want superior audio quality on the go. It’s important to look for a set that has Bluetooth connectivity, a decent ten-plus hour battery life, and preferably some kind of built-in microphone so that you can also answer calls. Of course, portability is always a question when it comes to a good headset, which is why wireless functionality with a high capacity battery is essential.
No one wants to have to manage wires and cords while they’re on the move, and a good Bluetooth headset can keep you unplugged, but still engaged with your content. After that, it’s ideal if your headset can fold up for easy storage, but if it doesn’t, the lack of wires will more than make up for the difference in the long run.
Voxoa Inc VXH330 Bluetooth HD Wireless Stereo Over-Ear Headphones – $39.95
If you’re on the go, but don’t want to sacrifice audio quality, it’s hard to go wrong with a set of Voxoa Inc’s VXH330s. Not only are they an affordable Bluetooth headset that offers fantastic audio quality and a built-in microphone/media keys, they’re also incredibly portable thanks to a design that lets the fold up to fit conveniently in a bag, purse, or the included carrying case.
TRITTON Swarm Wireless Mobile Headset – $129.99
If you prefer more substantial headphones, but hate having to transport them because of their size, the Tritton Swarm Wireless Mobile Headset is definitely worth its weight. Not only does it offer superior audio quality, touch controls, a built-in mic, and up to 40 hours of battery life, but it can also fold flat for easy transport no matter what your lifestyle demands.
August EP650R Bluetooth Wireless Stereo NFC Headphones – $68.70
If you’re looking for a wireless circumaural option but don’t want to break the bank, the August EP650R Bluetooth Wireless Headphones are a great runner-up. Although not quite as portable as the Trittons listed above, they have a lot of similar features like high-quality audio, a built-in microphone, wireless connectivity, and a pile of media keys to make flipping through songs and videos on your phone easier than ever.
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