Toolkit
The kit that turns a café table or a hotel desk into a proper place to work, and the rules that catch people out: power banks on planes, and the plugs and voltage in every country we cover.
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Sources: UK CAA: power bank rules, March 2026, FAA: lithium batteries, August 2026, IATA: power banks, March 2026, Emirates, August 2025, Singapore Airlines, March 2025, Qantas Group, November 2025, Electrical Safety First: travel advice
For every country we cover, plus the UK and the US.
| Country | Plug types | Voltage | Frequency | UK plug fits? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | G | 230V | 50Hz | Yes |
| United States | A, B | 120V | 60Hz | Adapter |
| Portugal | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Spain, including the Canary Islands | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Hungary | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Greece | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Malta | G | 230V | 50Hz | Yes |
| Croatia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Georgia | C, F | 220V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| United Arab Emirates | G | 230V | 50Hz | Yes |
| South AfricaOlder buildings have the large three-round-pin Type M socket; new buildings since 2018 use Type N, which takes a two-pin European plug. Pack an adapter that does both. | M, N (and C) | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Thailand | A, B, C, O | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| Malaysia | G (also C, M) | 230V | 50Hz | Yes |
| Indonesia | C, F | 230V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| JapanTwo flat pins, so a three-pin laptop plug may need a two-pin adapter. 100V everywhere: chargers marked 100-240V are fine, single-voltage UK appliances are not. | A (B rare) | 100V | 50Hz east, 60Hz west | Adapter |
| Mexico | A, B | 127V | 60Hz | Adapter |
| Colombia | A, B | 120V | 60Hz | Adapter |
| ArgentinaLooks like the Australian plug, but live and neutral are the other way round and the pins are longer. | I (also C) | 220V | 50Hz | Adapter |
| BrazilNo single national voltage: it depends on the state and even the city, and the sockets look the same. Only plug in things marked 100-240V. | N (C fits) | 127V or 220V | 60Hz | Adapter |
| Costa Rica | A, B | 120V | 60Hz | Adapter |
Sources: Mains electricity by country (Wikipedia, citing the IEC), IEC World Plugs, Japan National Tourism Organization, Argentina.travel, June 2025, Sparks Electrical News, April 2018, WorldStandards: Brazil
A laptop on a café table is a recipe for a sore neck. A stand, a keyboard and a mouse turn any table into a proper desk.
Lifts the screen to eye level and folds to a 33 cm stick weighing 178 g.
The catch: Dearer than most stands, and once the laptop is raised you need a separate keyboard and mouse.
Specs: Roost
Only 4 mm thick, so it slides into a laptop sleeve and you never leave it behind.
The catch: It only tilts the laptop (15° or 25°); it doesn't lift the screen to eye level.
Specs: MOFT
A full-size typing feel in a compact board that switches between three devices.
The catch: Heavier than it looks at about 506 g, and the battery lasts about 10 days with the backlight on (up to 5 months without).
Specs: Logitech data sheet
A 99 g mouse that works on glass tables, which is half of all café tables.
The catch: Small for big hands. Some locked-down work laptops need a Logi Bolt receiver, which comes with the For Business version but not the standard one.
Specs: Logitech data sheet
Portable monitors run off one USB-C cable. Worth it if you live in spreadsheets or code; heavy if you don't.
A current (2026) 16-inch 16:10 screen with two USB-C ports and 65W pass-through, so one charger can power the screen and the laptop.
The catch: At 0.9 kg it adds real weight to a carry-on, and at 300 nits it can struggle in bright sunlight.
Specs: ASUS
The lightest here at 860 g, with USB-C on both sides.
The catch: An older design with a plain 1080p, 60Hz panel.
Specs: Lenovo
Noise cancelling makes open-plan coworking, noisy cafés and long flights bearable.
Up to 30 hours with noise cancelling on, and a cable for seat-back screens.
The catch: Over-ear headphones take up room in a bag. Sony's pricier 10th-anniversary model now sits above it.
Specs: Sony
A 15-minute charge gives 3 hours, which helps when you land with a flat battery, and they play audio over USB-C.
The catch: Bose quotes up to 30 hours, or 23 with Immersive Audio on.
Specs: Bose
The lightest option, and the case can be found with Find My if you leave it behind.
The catch: The best features need an iPhone; on Android they are ordinary earbuds.
Specs: Apple
One good charger can replace three. Check the label first: if it says 100-240V you only ever need a plug adapter.
One 170 g charger for a laptop and a phone, and it takes 100-240V, so it works in every country on this page with just a plug adapter.
The catch: A 16-inch MacBook Pro can draw more than 100W, and the total drops to 89W with all three ports in use.
Specs: Anker
Charges two laptops at once and refills fast between flights.
The catch: At 600 g it is heavy, and at about 99.7Wh it sits just under the 100Wh line most airlines use.
Specs: Anker
Built-in cables, so there is nothing to forget, and a clear 90Wh rating.
The catch: 595 g, and no single port goes above 100W.
Specs: Anker
Hotel and café Wi-Fi is the thing most likely to ruin a working day. These help.
A VPN on a travel router covers every device at once. Our VPN guide · eSIM calculator
Joins the hotel Wi-Fi once and gives all your devices your own private network, with a VPN for everything at once.
The catch: Some hotels limit you to one device or block repeating; you may still need to plug into Ethernet.
Specs: GL.iNet
A touchscreen to switch the VPN on and off or share the Wi-Fi by QR code, without an app.
The catch: Heavier at 295 g, and its VPN is slower than the Beryl 7's.
Specs: GL.iNet
Where there is a network socket, a cable is usually faster and steadier than crowded hotel Wi-Fi. UGREEN's 2.5G adapter works without a driver on Mac and recent Windows.
The catch: Fewer hotel rooms have a socket these days.
Specs: UGREEN
Laptops get stolen from café tables and bags go missing on transfers.
Stops the person next to you on the train or in the café reading your screen. 3M's Bright Screen filters flip up for screen sharing; Kensington's magnetic ones let a MacBook lid close.
The catch: They dim the screen for you too.
Specs: 3M
Drop one in your bag to see where it is when it doesn't come off the carousel.
The catch: Needs an iPhone on iOS 26 or later; no use on Android.
Specs: Apple
Works with Apple Find My or Google's Find Hub, so it suits Android phones and mixed households.
The catch: Each tag is set up on one network or the other.
Specs: Chipolo
Carry-on packs that fit a 16-inch laptop. Check your airline's size and weight limits: many budget airlines allow less than these.
The lightest pack here at 1.48 kg, with a hip belt that tucks away and a 30-year guarantee.
The catch: Osprey only says it "meets domestic carry-on size requirements"; at 55 × 35 × 23 cm it's over some European budget airlines' limits.
Specs: Osprey
Tough fabric and a well-organised laptop section; also comes in a 28-litre size.
The catch: About 1.77 kg empty, which eats into a 7 kg cabin allowance.
Specs: Aer