Top 11 Best Travel Routers in 2023: That Can Ease Your Travel

Many of us have to travel for work, school, college, and a variety of other reasons. Generally, people just use mobile data for short trips. Especially if you are just planning on browsing and watching some videos. At most, you will be able to watch a full movie on your mobile data. But that’s pretty much it. Anything more taxing can’t be handled by mobile data. It won’t have the speed, security, or data needed for those needs. That’s why you need a travel router for such purposes.

Travel routers are lightweight as well as small. This makes them very portable. You will be able to tuck it inside your backpack easily. These routers will let you connect to any public wifi with ease while also ensuring that you get the needed security on your device. What’s more, is that travel routers ensure that you don’t get limited due to some arbitrary one-device-for-one-person rule that some public WiFis have. This way you will be able to hook multiple devices easily. 

That’s not it. A travel router with an Ethernet port will ensure that you can get a wireless connection out of a wired one. This will allow you to make a shared network out of your connected devices. If you get a router that has a USB port, then you will be able to reap further benefits as well. But that’s not all. These routers will work as wireless extenders as well. So if you are not getting a powerful WiFi signal, then using this will give you the signal strength you need. 

As you can see, a travel router comes with a lot of benefits, and as such many manufacturers are trying to cash in on this market. But how will you know which one is of superior quality and is the very best that you can get? To help you out, here’s a list of the very best travel routers in the market: 

Top 11 Best Travel Routers in 2023

Travel routers come with a lot of benefits like portability, small size, range extension, better security, and more. Having this little device will make your travel much easier and comfortable. Whether it is through the hotel or airport WiFi, you will be able to get your work done much easily: 

Image	Product	Features	Price
	NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Router	Item Weight: 8.5 ounces Product Dimensions: 4.15 x 4.15 x 0.8 inches Battery: 5040mAh battery	Check Price on Amazon
	GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl) VPN Secure Travel Gigabit Wireless Router	Item Weight: 1.17 pounds Product Dimensions: 7.52 x 6.18 x 1.93 inches Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet	Check Price on Amazon
	TP-Link N300 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router	Item Weight: 7.2 ounces Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches Battery: n/a	Check Price on Amazon
	TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router	Item Weight: 8 ounces Product Dimensions: 2.64 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches Battery: n/a	Check Price on Amazon
	GL.iNet GL-AR750S-Ext (Slate) Gigabit Travel AC VPN Router	Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches Item Weight: 3.03 ounces Battery: n/a	Check Price on Amazon
	GL.iNet GL-AR300M Mini VPN Travel Router, Wi-Fi Converter, OpenWrt Pre-Installed, Repeater Bridge, Hotspot, OpenVPN, Programmable IoT Gateway	Product Dimensions: 2.28 x 2.28 x 2.28 inches Item Weight: 1.41 ounces Battery: n/a	Check Price on Amazon
	TRENDnet AC750 Wireless Dual Band Travel Router	Item Weight: 1.71 pounds Product Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 6 inches Battery: n/a	Check Price on Amazon
	TP-Link N150 Wireless 3G/4G Portable Router	Item Weight: 3.32 ounces Product Dimensions: 3.75 x 2.75 x 6 inches Battery: 2000mAh	Check Price on Amazon

1. NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Router

• Item Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 4.15 x 4.15 x 0.8 inches
• Battery: 5040mAh battery

This device will keep you as well as your friends or team connected wherever you go. If there’s any work to be done, then you will be able to get it done without any issue at all. With this, you will get reliable and fast mobile internet on 20 devices at least. With this, you will be able to surf, stream, chat, and get a host of other things done. 

This device will give you 1Gbps download speed to stream, game, make video calls, and do more. With this, you will always be entertained or be able to complete any needed work. This router also comes with a USB port that will let you insert a storage device. Now with this, you will be able to share the media and other data to the other devices connected. 

With this device, you are going to get long and stable battery life. With a 5040mAh battery, you will be able to use the router for a whole day and even use it to charge your cell phone. This travel router isn’t just a large solid block, it comes with a huge color display that shows a lot of details like mobile-signal strength, data usage, as well as network management. 

You will get Wifi of 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with this. When you will use it you will understand that this is the fastest and most stable WiFi possible currently. If you find yourself in any trouble while operating the router then know that it comes with an instruction manual. You can refer to this for any troubleshooting. Do note that this works best on T-Mobile and AT&T networks. 

2. GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl) VPN Secure Travel Gigabit Wireless Router

• Item Weight: 1.17 pounds
• Product Dimensions: 7.52 x 6.18 x 1.93 inches
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet

This is a dual-band wireless router that can serve the best as your travel companion. It comes with USB support and Ethernet ports for flexible internet connectivity. You no longer have to worry about internet connection while traveling, easily carry this compact travel router in your backpack for instant internet connectivity.

It comes with powerful internet speed in both bands, delivering speed up to 867Mb per second in 5GHz and up to 400Mb per second in 2.4GHz. This speed is highly suitable for gaming, movie streaming, and downloading. 

Browse safely with this wireless router, as it comes with the best security features like IPv6 support, pre-installed OpenVPN & WireGuard. The router is compatible with over 30 VPN service providers. It is Cloudflare Supported and has a toggle switch for VPN/Tor. The router comes with pre-installed OpenWrt, allowing you to install multiple applications. It will be a perfect choice for DIY projects.

The router is equipped with MU-MIMO technology to support multiple devices at the same time and deliver high-speed internet. You can connect up to 40 wireless devices at the same time in this router. As it is compact in size and lightweight, it is very much suitable for everyday traveling. 

The router has 1 WAN Ethernet port and 2 LAN Ethernet ports. It has a USB-A 3.0 port and a Type-C port. There is also a MicroSD card slot for playback and media viewing. You get all these at a very cheaper cost!

3. TP-Link N300 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router

• Item Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches
• Battery: n/a

This travel router is compact so you will be able to fit it in your bag easily. Since it is very small, so it won’t take up much space on your desk at home as well. Do note that this router runs with the 2.4GHz devices. You will be able to use Amazon Fire-TV-Stick as well as Chromecast with this. Using this you will be able to stream videos easily no matter where you are. 

The router comes with a micro-USB port that will give you a lot of flexibility. You will be able to power this using a USB cable or an external adapter. Using this router you will be able to make a very secure and safe WiFi hotspot. You can share this with your friends and family easily no matter if you are in a library or an airport. 

This travel router will give you 300Mbps of speed to take care of streaming videos, making video calls, and more. You will get a lot of options to choose from here. You will have access to Client, Access Point, Repeater, as well as Bridge modes. Know that using this you will be able to use it for a variety of purposes. Know that this router will work with Windows 2000, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows Vista, and more. 

You don’t have to worry about security issues while using this router as well. Know that your network will be safe since it comes with advanced protected security encryption. The device comes with Wifi of 802.11 b/g/n. With this, you will get a stable as well as a fast internet connection. If you have trouble setting up the device or accessing it then you can call the company’s support line up for help. You will also get a whole 2 years worth of warranty on this device. 

4. TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router

• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Product Dimensions: 2.64 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches
• Battery: n/a

This device is compact and travels sized. You will be able to tuck it in your bag or purse easily. Know that even though it is small but it has the firepower needed to work. With this, you will be able to have the needed internet access to work from anywhere you want. There is a mini USB port through which you will be able to get the power of the device. 

With this router, you will get the wifi standard of 802.11ac. This is the fastest currently available and is certainly better than the N speeds. You will be able to access transfer speeds of 733Mbps with this. As such you will be able to use multiple applications simultaneously with this. You will be able to stream videos, play games, get data transfer work done, and more with this. 

But the USB port isn’t just for charging the device you will be able to use it to share the needed media and files through the internet browser using a variety of computers. Also, note that you will be able to charge devices like your phone using the USB port. This kind of multiple uses of the USB port will make things easier for you while you are traveling. This router supports dual-band modes so you will be able to use both 2.4ghz as well as 5ghz. So you will get the range as well as the speed with this. 

With this device, you are going to get 5 kinds of modes. One of the range extender mode that will enable your maximize the coverage as well as get rid of dead zones. Second is the access point feature that will enable you to make a whole wireless network for WiFi supporting devices. The third is the client mode that will let devices access an already created WiFi network. The fourth mode is the hotspot mode that will let you connect to any outdoor-WISP-AP so that you can create a whole private WiFi-hotspot. The fifth mode is the router mode that will let you connect to Ethernet (for example, of a hotel) and then make a private network to share the internet to all WiFi devices.

5. GL.iNet GL-AR750S-Ext (Slate) Gigabit Travel AC VPN Router

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches
• Item Weight: 3.03 ounces
• Battery: n/a

This device will let you access dual bands. You will be able to get speeds of 2.4ghz as well as 5ghz with this. With 5ghz you will get speeds of 300mbps and with 2.4ghz you will get speeds of around 400mbps. Know that this router is compatible with 3g/4g USB-modem. Using this you will be able to easily convert any public network to any private WiFi. This will allow you to get secure surfing done. 

This device is open source as well as programmable. The OpenWrt/LEDE comes pre-installed as well as backed up by a software repository. That’s not all. You will find that WireGuard and OpenVPN both come pre-installed in here. This will ensure that you remain compatible with more than 30 VPN networks. As a result of this, you will be able to carry out browsing, surfing, and more while remaining safe. 

The router comes with large storage. You will get 16MB of NOR flash and 128MB RAM with this. Do note that you will get 128MB of NAND Flash with this as well. There is a microSD slot present in the device that will give you a huge storage space of 128 GB. Now you will be able to access and store anything you want. Big files, movies, and games, can now easily be stored. 

The device comes with more surprises. You will get a USB 2.0 slot with this as well as 3-gigabit Ethernet slots too. You will get 2 LAN and one WAN slot. Do note that you will get a warranty for one heat with this. If you face any trouble while installing it or accessing it then know there is a user manual that you can refer to. Of course, you will find that the package comes with a power adapter Ethernet cable as well as a USB cable. As such you don’t have to buy anything separately, everything is already included.

6. GL.iNet GL-AR300M Mini VPN Travel Router

• Product Dimensions: 2.28 x 2.28 x 2.28 inches
• Item Weight: 1.41 ounces
• Battery: n/a

With this device, you will get a huge storage space. You will get 128MB worth of NAND Flash, as well as 128MB of RAM as well. This NAND Flash can be expanded using external USB devices. You will find that this router comes with 2 Ethernet slots as well as one GPIO and one UART. You will be able to get these by yourself. 

You will be able to use it as a gateway for carrying out IoT development. But its main use is that you will be able to convert any public wifi to a stable wireless one. Once you do that you will be able to share your wifi network with other devices. Know that you will be able to plug it into any of your devices like laptops and such to get the power supply. So you can securely charge your other devices with this as well. 

An additional important feature of this device is that this router will help make the public network into a private one using a firewall. This means that you will be able to engage in more secure and safe surfing. Another advantage is that all of your devices will automatically get included if you want into the new WiFi network. This will ensure that you don’t have to go on putting the password again and again for each device. 

Do note that this device can indeed convert your cellphone’s tethering as well as the 3G and 4G modems right into one private WiFi. This device comes loaded with features. But on the physical side, it is very handy as well. It is pocket-friendly, lightweight, as well as portable. 

Note that this router comes with pre-installed OpenWRT where you will get 4000+ software to choose from. That’s not all. You will find that this device comes loaded with OpenVPN as well. This feature works with more than 20 VPN service providers.

7. TRENDnet AC750 Wireless Dual Band Travel Router

• Item Weight: 1.71 pounds
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 6 inches
• Battery: n/a

This device works with Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, Windows 2000, Mac PC, and more. Know that WiFi N and WiFi AC devices are all supported by the 300Mbps WiFi-N and 433Mbps WiFi-AC networks. The wifi network will be encrypted so you will be safe while using your devices on the public network. 

This router is lightweight and compact. You will be able to carry it with you wherever you go. To make things easier for you there is an external switch that helps set the router to WISP mode, AP mode, router mode, and repeater mode. This same switch will help you turn the device off as well. 

As such you will get 4 modes to use here. This will give you the flexibility to use and make your travel much easier. Now you will be able to enjoy entertainment easily or get your data-intensive work done fast. Another benefit of this device is that you will be able to make a special isolated network that only your guests will be able to access. Do note that you will only be able to do this in the router mode. 

This device comes with a whopping warranty of 3 years. So you will be able to use this device without any kind of worried. Also note that it comes with interchangeable plugs that will allow you to use the device in European countries, North America, as well as the UK. So you can travel far and wide with this and not face any kind of issue.

Ultimate Buying Guide To Choose the right Travel Routers in 2023

A travel router is small and compact. It is very lightweight so you will be able to carry it easily. With the help of this, you will be able to extend the wifi range, create hotspots, make access points, and more. This will make your entire travel infinitely easier. 

Since there are so many benefits so you might think picking any travel router up will get the job done. But as you might have observed in the above list, that’s not the case at all. Different travel routers bring different features to the table. But among so many options, how will you decide which one is the best overall? To help you out, here are the features which you must keep in mind while buying a travel router: 

1. Modes

Make sure that the travel router you buy comes with 5 modes. These 5 modes are the hotspot mode, access point mode, range extender mode, router mode, and client mode. Having multiple options will ensure that you have the flexibility needed to adapt to any kind of situation. This way you and your team will always have options to access and use reliable modes. If you can’t find 5 modes, then go with 4 modes. Don’t go any lower or it won’t be worth your money or time. 

2. Battery

The higher the battery, the better it will be for you. Know that you won’t always find a power outlet to connect your router too, so having a big battery will ensure that you can get your work done anywhere you want. Always aim for batteries that will last a while day as this will significantly reduce your worries. These large life batteries all range around 10400mAh. If you can’t find such large batteries, then go for 5040mAh batteries at least. Anything lower will not give you the time you want. 

3. USB port

Always make sure that your router comes with a USB port. A USB port is invaluable in a router. You can use this port to charge your router as well as use it to charge other devices like cellphones as well. What’s more, is that if you plug in a pen drive in this then you will be able to share the files there with the other devices connected on the network. This will make any work more accessible to others. 

4. Speed

The greater the speed, the faster your work will get done. With higher speeds, you will be able to play games, make video calls, download movies quickly, and more. So when buying a travel router make sure to buy one which comes with speeds of one Gbps. If you don’t a router with this speed, then you can go lower till 700mbps. Anything lower will be really slow for the demands of today’s age and especially if you are relying on your router to get office work done. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Best Travel Routers in 2023

1. Do travel routers need any external source to power it?

It generally does. Some travel routers do come with an inbuilt battery that will give you some hours of charge, but ultimately with a power cord, you will get a secure connection. This is one major drawback of travel routers since you always need to be near a power source to use it. 

2. Will using a travel router safeguard your data as well?

You will get better accessibility as well as security when it comes to your device. But do note that these routers won’t safeguard the data that you choose to share over any public wifi. So it’s always advised that you take precautions and think that in actuality, your device is directly connected to a public wifi network. 

3. Is it better to have a single band or dual band supporting router?

Of course, having a dual-band will be more beneficial for your work or entertainment needs. There are two bands in total. One is the 2.4ghz and the other is 5ghz. The former one will give you the range needed and the latter will give you faster speeds. So having both means that you will get the best of both worlds. When you need the range, then use 2.4ghz and when you need the speed to work on large files when using 5ghz. 

4. What to do if you can’t correctly access the wifi network through the router?

There’s no need to worry or panic at all. Most routers come packaged with a user CD and guide. In here you will get all the troubleshooting solutions as well as a step-by-step guide on how to install and access the router. If these guides don’t have your unique problem’s solution, then call the technical support center of the company you bought the device from. Also know that you can access the troubleshooting tutorial videos on YouTube as well to find a solution. 

Overall, travel routers are handy, easy to carry, and easy to use. These pocket dynamites will give you the range, power, signal, as well as the variety you need. No matter if you have to attend a conference call or want to enjoy some gaming, with these travel routers you will be able to get it all done. Do note that you will be able to also create a very secure connection with this. This is the one solution to multiple kinds of internet travel problems.