Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Travel Tips
  3. Cool Gadgets
  4. World's Weirdest Travel Gadgets

World's Weirdest Travel Gadgets

By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans and Mark Ellwood
December 04, 2009
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Courtesy of Sure Fit
Imagine you’re strolling down the crowded streets of a beautiful, if sometimes unsafe, foreign city famous for its pickpockets. You’re enjoying the scenery but you have an uneasy feeling because you are, quite literally, a walking target. But what if there was a way to keep your wallet and passport on your person and safe from sticky fingers? Well, there is. The Doberman Mini Mobile Alert pickpocket alarm sounds off at a startling 95 decibels the moment a thief grabs the goods.

These days, it seems there’s a quirky product for every type of traveler: the germaphobe, the security freak, the easily bored, and many, many more. “Odd gadgets have always been with us,” says Carol Mangis, senior editor at techie PCMag.com. “But since consumer electronics of all sorts are booming, manufacturers work at standing outside the norm just to grab a piece of the attention.”

Related: Best New Travel Gadgets for 2014

New York City–based Hammacher Schlemmer has been selling quirky products to the American public since 1848, and many that were initially perceived as wacko are now commonplace (the pop-up toaster, steam iron, and microwave oven, to name a few). And with approximately 20 million copies of SkyMall catalogue tucked into seat pockets on 32 airlines and Amtrak trains, it’s clear that people are not only perusing the countless odd gadgets, tools, and contraptions that fill its pages but purchasing them too.

In fact, the catalogue is so popular it’s developed a cultlike following by passengers who read it more for entertainment than for retail therapy. There’s even a send-up spoof of the publication; Kasper Hauser’s SkyMaul features such hilarious and ludicrous products as a Llamacycle and Pepper Self-Spray.

So what are some of the weirdest real travel gadgets and gizmos on the market today? Try metal-detecting sandals—the perfect gift for treasure-hunting beachcombers. They may or may not be a guaranteed hit for visitors to, say, the sugary sand beaches of the Caribbean, but they would potentially alert the wearer to any razor blades underfoot.

And why lug your bag when you can take advantage of the Glyde Gear Backpack: just lower the foot platform and use it as a scooter to race through the terminals. (Please note: helmet not included.)

It’s possible that many of these items will one day be as widespread as the once-oddball toaster, but we wouldn’t bet on it.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans
Start Slideshow

1 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Hammacher Schlemmer

Metal-detecting sandals, self-propelled suitcases, and bacteria-disinfecting wands are just a few of the quirky products available to the discerning traveler.

Imagine you’re strolling down the crowded streets of a beautiful, if sometimes unsafe, foreign city famous for its pickpockets. You’re enjoying the scenery but you have an uneasy feeling because you are, quite literally, a walking target. But what if there was a way to keep your wallet and passport on your person and safe from sticky fingers? Well, there is. The Doberman Mini Mobile Alert pickpocket alarm sounds off at a startling 95 decibels the moment a thief grabs the goods.

These days, it seems there’s a quirky product for every type of traveler: the germaphobe, the security freak, the easily bored, and many, many more. “Odd gadgets have always been with us,” says Carol Mangis, senior editor at techie PCMag.com. “But since consumer electronics of all sorts are booming, manufacturers work at standing outside the norm just to grab a piece of the attention.”

New York City–based Hammacher Schlemmer has been selling quirky products to the American public since 1848, and many that were initially perceived as wacko are now commonplace (the pop-up toaster, steam iron, and microwave oven, to name a few). And with approximately 20 million copies of SkyMall catalogue tucked into seat pockets on 32 airlines and Amtrak trains, it’s clear that people are not only perusing the countless odd gadgets, tools, and contraptions that fill its pages but purchasing them too.

In fact, the catalogue is so popular it’s developed a cultlike following by passengers who read it more for entertainment than for retail therapy. There’s even a send-up spoof of the publication; Kasper Hauser’s SkyMaul features such hilarious and ludicrous products as a Llamacycle and Pepper Self-Spray.

So what are some of the weirdest real travel gadgets and gizmos on the market today? Try metal-detecting sandals—the perfect gift for treasure-hunting beachcombers. They may or may not be a guaranteed hit for visitors to, say, the sugary sand beaches of the Caribbean, but they would potentially alert the wearer to any razor blades underfoot.

And why lug your bag when you can take advantage of the Glyde Gear Backpack: just lower the foot platform and use it as a scooter to race through the terminals. (Please note: helmet not included.)

It’s possible that many of these items will one day be as widespread as the once-oddball toaster, but we wouldn’t bet on it.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

1 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The UpRight Sleeper

Credit: Courtesy SkyMall

It may look like a choking device, but this ferocious contraption isn’t aimed at spinal injury patients. It’s actually intended to keep your head steady when you doze off. Uprightsleeper.com; $39.99.

—Brooke Porter

2 of 20

3 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Glyde Gear Backpack

Credit: Kyle Reeves

Not content to carry or pull your bag? You can lower the foot platform and use this bag as a scooter to race through the terminals. Please note: helmet not included. Amazon.com; $74.99.

—Brooke Porter

3 of 20

Advertisement

4 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

USB Air-Conditioned Shirt

Credit: Courtesy of Kuchofuku

Plug this shirt into a laptop and built-in fans whir into action—perfect for stuffy airport gates. If you’re far from a socket, don’t worry: it takes four AA batteries as backup too. Kuchofuku-products.com; price on request.

—Brooke Porter

4 of 20

5 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tugo Cup

Credit: Courtesy Tugo

This hammock is strung between the upright handles of your rolling luggage as a more convenient way to transport a cup of coffee (it keeps an extra hand free). But perhaps the emergency room nurse who invented it should have considered the risks of scalding as the coffee sloshes around. Goodtugo.com; $12.95.

—Mark Ellwood

5 of 20

6 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

EZ Sleep Travel Pillow

Credit: Courtesy EZ Sleep Travel

The only pillow that doubles as an impolite gesture. Prop one of these unwieldy cushions to the side of your airplane seat and it won’t just offer you a softer headrest—it will entirely block off your seatmate. Ezsleeptravel.com; $25.

—Mark Ellwood

6 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Urinelle

Credit: Courtesy of Magellans.com

The idea of disposable, biodegradable cones that allow ladies to urinate standing up—say, over a squat toilet while traveling abroad—might make you cringe. The testimonial raves, though, reveal a delighted fan base and a need that’s been filled. Magellans.com; $9.50 for a seven-pack.

—Mark Ellwood

7 of 20

8 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

HumidiFlyer

Credit: Courtesy Humidiflyer

Strap on this contraption to keep breathing moist air throughout a flight: the flight attendant inventor claims this will reduce sinus and breathing problems, even jet lag, if used long enough. But how can you brave the gawking from fellow passengers long enough to find out? Humidiflyer.com; $65.

—Mark Ellwood

8 of 20

9 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

BeltzBib

Credit: Ken Lloyd

No need to worry anymore about spills and upsets from a drive-through meal. Fasten this bib to your seat belt, and the huge pouch will catch any drips, crumbs, and fries. Come to think of it, though, if you can’t eat in the car without this kind of baby-style invention, you should probably just pull over. Dans-products.com; $13.95.

—Mark Ellwood

9 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stash Card

Credit: Courtesy Wireless Garden

This tiny, fiddly card slides into that empty PCMCIA slot in your laptop and turns it into a hidden safe. There’s only one problem: hiding valuables inside a valuable? It seems somewhat, well, counterproductive. Stashcard.com; $9.95.

—Mark Ellwood

10 of 20

11 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Toothpaste Tablets

Credit: Courtesy SkyMall

Pop one of these chewable tablets into your mouth before brushing—handy substitutes, the makers claim, for tubes that exceed the one-ounce on-board limit. Then again, you could just buy a travel-size tube of your regular brand at any drugstore. Skymall.com; $12.50 for 120 tablets.

—Mark Ellwood

11 of 20

12 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Travel Bidet

Credit: Courtesy of Sanicare

Allegedly invented by French furniture designers in the 1600s, the bidet (that post–powder room cleanser beloved by Europeans) has been updated for the squeaky-clean set. Sanicare’s pocket-size travel version is battery operated and comes with its own travel pouch. As one reviewer noted on SkyMall’s website: “I was nervous at first, but after a few squirts, I couldn’t stop gushing.” Eeeew. Sanicare.com; $39.95.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

12 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Metal-Detecting Sandals

Credit: Courtesy of Hammacher Schlemmer

Ever wonder what lies just below the surface at the beach? Tin cans, discarded razor wire, or—better yet—buried pirate treasure? Hammacher Schlemmer’s smart sandals use “beat frequency oscillation technology” to signal when a metallic object is underfoot. The downside: they detect a mere two feet underground—and you have to strap the battery pack to your calf (good luck explaining that tan line at the hotel pool). Ebay.com; $59.95.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

13 of 20

14 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

TouchscreenCell Phone Watch

Credit: Courtesy of Hammacher Schlemmer

If you’ve ever fantasized about living life like 1980s animated hero Inspector Gadget, this chatterbox gizmo is for you. Because it operates on the same tri-band network as run-of-the-mill phones, you can use it just about anywhere on earth with your home-base provider. To avoid stares, we recommend talking into your wrist in the privacy of your hotel suite. Ebay.com; $42.99.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

14 of 20

15 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Pickpocket Alarm

Credit: Courtesy of Doberman Security

The sly pickpockets of the world have met their match: Doberman Security’s tiny watchdog holds cell phones and wallets securely in place. Thanks to the pull pin trigger, if anyone tries to lift them from your pocket, they—and you and even the auditory-impaired people around you—will hear a 95-decibel alarm (louder than the average lawnmower). Amazon.com; $0.98.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

15 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Banana Protector

Credit: Courtesy of Lazybone

Anyone who’s ever experienced squished banana syndrome firsthand will recognize that this British-designed product (a plastic case formed in the shape of the fruit) is not just weird, it’s useful. Since low potassium levels can lead to traveler’s fatigue, we suggest you pop a banana (or plantain—they’re equally tasty) in your bag before you hit the road. Lazyboneuk.com; $6.22.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

16 of 20

17 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Movie-Screen Eyeglasses

Credit: Courtesy of Vuzix

Plug your iPod into these eyeglasses, sit back, and you’ll feel like you’re in a movie theater. A tiny, rechargeable built-in lithium ion battery provides up to five hours of continuous use (perfect for domestic cross-country flights). According to the company’s own marketing materials, this streamlined number transforms you from geek to chic: “Now you can look fashionable while enjoying the big-screen movie experience.” Look for them in this month’s Vogue (or not). Amazon.com; $294.99.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

17 of 20

18 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Disinfection Scanner

Credit: Courtesy of Sky Mall

This anti-germ gadget works like a magic wand for the hygiene-obsessed. Simply turn it on, hold it over sleeping areas of your guest-room bed for 10 seconds, then breathe a sigh of relief: you’ve just killed 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses (the lab-tested nano-UV light annihilates everything from dust mites to E.coli). Skymall.com; $59.99.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

18 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Huge Swiss Army Knife

Credit: Courtesy of Hammacher Schlemmer

Perhaps the handiest handheld device on the planet, the Wenger company’s grandest export has 87 (!) tools—including six razor-sharp blades, a fish scaler, a screwdriver, even a shotgun choke tube—in its 8.75-inch size. The gadget performs 141 functions in total, making it the only tool you’ll need on any camping trip.Amazon.com; $1,379.82.—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

19 of 20

20 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Personal Seat Protector

Credit: Courtesy of Sure Fit

Introduced by a company that specializes in slipcovers (for everything from wing chairs to your shedding dog’s favorite couch), this handy item protects you from your fellow travelers’ dirt and grime. It’s made of a machine-washable polyester-Spandex blend and comes with its own handy carrying case. Surefit.net; $3.50.

—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

20 of 20

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans and Mark Ellwood

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 20
2 of 20 The UpRight Sleeper
3 of 20 Glyde Gear Backpack
4 of 20 USB Air-Conditioned Shirt
5 of 20 Tugo Cup
6 of 20 EZ Sleep Travel Pillow
7 of 20 Urinelle
8 of 20 HumidiFlyer
9 of 20 BeltzBib
10 of 20 Stash Card
11 of 20 Toothpaste Tablets
12 of 20 Travel Bidet
13 of 20 Metal-Detecting Sandals
14 of 20 TouchscreenCell Phone Watch
15 of 20 Pickpocket Alarm
16 of 20 Banana Protector
17 of 20 Movie-Screen Eyeglasses
18 of 20 Disinfection Scanner
19 of 20 Huge Swiss Army Knife
20 of 20 Personal Seat Protector

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

World's Weirdest Travel Gadgets
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.