4 grand gifts for techie travelers (video)

Still waiting — not so patiently — for Apple’s delayed AirPods? Well, wait no more, because an alternative exists. It’s one of my four gift picks for tech-obsessed travelers this holiday season, along with a jacket that has pockets deep enough to store your entire office, a super-small laptop charger, and a travel bag that’s unlike any other bag I’ve ever seen.

Here’s a quick overview of these four new or upcoming products. You can also see them in action in the video above.

Henty CoPilot

As of this writing, the Henty CoPilot two-bag system is still a project on Indiegogo, with an estimated delivery date of February 2017. So if you buy this one as a holiday gift, you’ll need to get extra creative with an I.O.U.

But it could still be worth it. Henty CoPilot is a hanging bag that does a good job of preventing wrinkles, and it comes with a second bag that you can take to the gym or elsewhere. Everything rolls into a single bundle that you can wear as a backpack. It has a padded laptop compartment, as well.

The bag is quirky and creative, though certainly not for everyone. It will cost at least $250 when it becomes widely available, and it’s currently listed for $189 and up on Indiegogo.

SCOTTeVEST OTG Jacket

SCOTTeVEST’s OTG Jacket has 29 pockets designed to hold all of your tech gear, including laptops (yes, laptops), tablets, smartphones, ereaders, digital cameras, and as you can see in the accompanying video, even a beverage from south of the border. The more you cram into the pockets, of course, the heavier and boxier the jacket becomes.

Still, for quickly stashing a few tech items, such as a smartphone (in a clear, touch-friendly interior pocket) or a tablet, it works quite well. The jacket is available for men and women, and it costs $215.

FINsix Dart

Billed as the world’s smallest laptop charger, FINsix Dart ($100) is indeed ultra-compact and lightweight, and it comes in multiple colors. However, the 65-watt charger is currently only for Windows laptops. It comes with a bag of compatible tips, and the company says a tip for USB-C MacBooks and MacBook Pros will be available soon.

Skybuds

After multiple delays, Apple’s AirPod earbuds are expected to be released some time early next year.

Alpha Audiotronics, Inc.

Meanwhile, you can get some Skybuds for $250. They’re basically ear plugs that stream music into your eardrums and let you make phone calls. Sound quality is OK, but nothing special. You’ll need to be comfortable wearing little RF transmitters in your ears if you want to use Skybuds, but people who yearn for a “truly wireless” experience should appreciate this 2016 CES innovation award winner.