5 Must Have iPad Airplane Accessories
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Yesterday I told you about my little iPad travel experiment. I decided to leave my MacBook Pro at home and travel with my new iPad instead. The experience went smoothly, but you’ll probably want to add some accessories to get the most out of your iPad. Here’s my Top 5 iPad airline travel accessories:
- Klipsch S4 in-ear headphones – As a frequent airline traveler, I’m always looking for the best set of headphones to block out engine noise or the screaming kid in seat 14c. I’ve gone through all types of headphones from over-the-ear Sennheiser headphones to noise-reducing units from Bose and Phillips. I now prefer the in-ear sound isolating headset and my current favorite is the Klipsch s4. These are a great set of headphones that do an excellent job of isolating external noise and staying firmly planted in your ears. The headphones are extremely comfortable and come with three exchangeable ear-tips to make sure you get the perfect fit. The Klipsch S4 are great sounding earbuds at an excellent price. I really like the small size – they fit perfectly in my iPad sleeve. $79
- Belkin Vue Sleeve – Belkin is a well known iPod and iPhone accessory maker and their iPad gear is sure to be just as popular. We picked up the Belkin Vue sleeve when we purchased our iPads and it’s a great little sleeve. The iPad is well protected and the sleeve sports an outside pocket which is perfect for carrying a sync cable, power supply or set of headphones. The pocket is transparent so you can quickly see if you packed the right cable with your iPad before you head out the door. The case is made of durable Neoprene and zips closed to make sure all your gear stays secure. BelkinVue Sleeve (black or purple) $39
- GoGo Inflight Internet - If you do enough air travel, staying connected is priceless. I fly American Airlines several times a month and take full advantage of GoGo’s Inflight Internet service on my flights. The WiFi service gives you access to the Internet using iPad’s built-in WiFi capabilities. The speeds are not blazingly fast but I’ve been able to routinely average 300+ kbps on my flights. The service costs between $4.95 – $12.95 per flight or you can buy a monthly subscription for $34.95. The GoGo service is available on many airlines; however, you might want to double check your flight has it, before you plan to get important business done in-flight.
- Apple Wireless Keyboard – If you are looking to get a lot of e-mail or typing done on your iPad while up in the air, you definitely want a keyboard. I have used the iPad’s standard on-screen keyboard for short mail sessions and it works great. However, for long sessions I prefer using Apple’s Wireless Keyboard. The keyboard is made of the same aluminum material used for the iPad and has a great feel, perfect for long typing sessions. It easily connects wirelessly to the iPad via Bluetooth and runs off 2 AA batteries. The keyboard is the perfect travel companion, it’s nice and compact and easily slips into a small computer bag or roll-aboard suitcase. $69
- iPad Stand – This is a must have but I’m still not sure which stand I’m going to settle on. I have used the Apple iPad Case and it does a nice job doubling as a stand but is not as stable as a dedicated dock. I’ve been able to play around with the Apple iPad dock and it does a nice job of holding the iPad and is compact enough to travel with but I don’t know how well my iPad will stay upright when we hit some light turbulence. I really want to try out the new A-Frame from Griffin or the Skadoosh stand from JaDu and should be getting some sample units shortly. I’ll be testing a variety of docks over the next several weeks and look forward to seeing which one makes the perfect travel companion. For now, I’ll make do with the Apple iPad Case. $39
If you do a lot of air travel, you owe it to your self to give the iPad a try as your main work device. The iPad already is a great gadget and with these 5 accessories you’ll be able to do almost any task you’d want to tackle on a plane.
