8 of our favorite gadgets for your daily commute

By Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks From Business Insider

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subway
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Each day, millions of people (myself included) spend an hour or two commuting.

It’s not the most fun part of the day, but it doesn’t have to be spent bored and sulking.

The products on this list will help you be productive (or entertained) during that time spent on your way to and from the office.

For the music listener
Amazon
This is the group I fall into. I listen to music on my way to work, during work, going home from work, and at home. Yet, I’m of two minds when it comes to how to solve the music-on-commute problem.

On the one hand, if you want to block out all the sound in the world besides your music, the answer is to invest in a pair of MDR-1000 headphones from Sony. They’re incredible, and their noise cancelling is second to none based on my testing. If you want premium sound for an hour or two a day to keep the edge off, this is your best option.

BUT! Commuter trains can be packed during rush hour, and fumbling with big headphones might not be feasible all the time. My daily pair of commuting headphones are these budget earbuds from iFrogz. They don’t block as much noise, they don’t sound nearly as good, but they’re so small and well designed that I can easily pop them in and out of my ears and into and out of my pockets.

A benefit to both headphones is that they’re Bluetooth, so you won’t have to worry about long cables getting caught in your clothes during winter.

iFrogz Impulse Bluetooth Headphones, $49.99, available at Amazon

Sony MDR-1000 Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones, $399.99, available at Amazon

For the reader
istock
Reading is something I wish I did on my commute, but unless I’m listening to an audiobook, it’s not my speed. If you like reading, though, the best tech product for you is the Kindle.

It’s lightweight, has a battery life of weeks, and is capable of holding thousands of books. The Kindle has come a long way in its nine years of life. This latest model has a touchscreen, so you can swipe between pages instead of hitting buttons. It’s thin enough to fit easily in a backpack or purse, and light enough to be used one-handed.

If you’re a paperback devotee, but still want something techy, you should pick up Walter Isaacson’s book “The Innovators.” It’s on my to-read list (and I’ve heard a bunch of good things!). It chronicles the rise of many prominent names in the world of tech. Of course, this title is also available for Kindle.

Kindle, $79.99, available at Amazon

“The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution,” $12.23, available at Amazon

For the person who wants to block the world out
M. Dolly via Flickr
If you’re not a morning person (guilty), or want to use your commute home to decompress before hitting Netflix and making dinner, buy some earplugs.

You get the benefit of blocking out the world, without the distraction of music. I’ll admit that sometimes I listen to jazz or classical music to achieve the same tune-the-world-out zen. Other times I leave my earbuds in without any music at all.

These ear plugs are highly rated on Amazon, and if people just plain bug you sometimes, they might be the perfect way to tune them out and focus on something else.

Etymotic Research ETYPlug Hearing-Protection Earplugs, $12.99, available at Amazon

For the person who wants to binge watch on the go
Business Insider / Jillian D’Onfro
No train or bus will rob you of your latest Netflix binge. Sure you have to be in on time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be entertained on the way.

Prime members have been able to locally save video for years, and Netflix has just followed suit today. If you want to bing-watch on-the-go, buy an inexpensive tablet.

No product rules that category like the basic Fire Tablet. It might not have the greatest screen of all time, but it’ll be bigger than your phone’s. Another benefit to picking this up over your phone is that you won’t burn your phone’s battery, take up its storage, or use up its data.

Like the Kindle, the Fire Tablet is thin and light; paired with some Bluetooth headphones, it’s a more than adequate way to rewatch the recently-revived “Gilmore Girls.”

Fire Tablet, $49.99, available at Amazon

For the person who wants to play video games
Kiyoshi Ota
I was talking to a friend about commuting recently and he mentioned he spends his catching up on video games.

If you’re looking to play some old classics or newer titles during your commute, you should get a 3DS. Not only do you have access to the rich library of 3DS games that have been released over the last five and a half years, but it’s capable of playing regular DS games, too. That’s 12 years’ worth of games.

Add to that the ability to download older games through the 3DS’s Virtual Console and you’ve got enough entertainment to last many, many, many, commutes.

Nintendo 3DS XL, $199, available from Amazon

General commuting luxuries
pcruciatti / Shutterstock
If you’re all good on commuting tech, there are still some miscellaneous items that might make your commute a little easier.

The best backpack I’ve ever used on a commute is Everlane’s Modern Commuter Backpack. It has commuter in its name, and was designed with one thing in mind. It’s smaller than a typical backpack, but it’s stylish and capable of holding a laptop, lunch, and some spare tech accessories with ease.

I find myself recommending Anker portable batteries all the time, but it’s with good reason! Sometimes you forget to charge your phone at work, or can’t because of a busy out-of-the-office meeting. Being able to charge your phone or any other device on-the-go is a life-saver. You might not use it every day, but you’ll definitely remember the days you do.

If you have to dress up for work, Wolf & Shepard make the most comfortable dress shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re relatively expensive, but they’re well-made and will be something you wear over 200 times a year. I’ve worn them and forgotten I was wearing fancier shoes until I looked down, or someone pointed them out to me.

Everlane Modern Commuter Backpack, $68, available at Everlane

Anker PowerCore 10,000 External Battery, $23.99, available at Amazon

Wolf & Shepherd Dress cShoes, $345, available through Wolf & Shepherd

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