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Last Updated on February 9, 2021
Now while we all like the idea of traveling, the actual getting to your destination and back can be a tedious affair. Imagine sitting on a bus or even a plane for hours without any sort of entertainment – no radio, no TV, no books, no magazines – it just spells out boredom. Thankfully, because of the advent of modern technology, there now is a fantastically easy way to have all modes of entertainment at the tips of your fingers: tablets.
Light, compact and powerful, with a good tablet by your side, you’ll never have another boring spell ever again. From streaming the hottest Netflix series to reading that juicy horror novel by Stephen King or even listening to your favorite symphony by Beethoven, you’ll be able to do all of this with a flick of a finger. Better yet, they’re hugely affordable nowadays and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
So, to help you navigate your way through this messy jungle of tablets, check out our list below on some of the best tablets out there and take your pick!
Best Tablet for Travel of 2020
1. Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1″ 1080p Full HD Display
Starting our list with a pretty well-known tablet, Amazon’s Fire HD 10 offers easily some of the best tablet experiences out there in the market right now. Coming in either black, marine blue, or punch red, what immediately draws the eyes upon first glance is its gorgeous 10.1-inch HD display. With a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and coupled with a pretty generous battery life of 10 hours, you’ll easily be able to enjoy a whole day’s worth of entertainment with this tablet.
Further, coming in either 32 or 64 GB, you can be sure that you’ll be able to download and store countless movies, songs, games and books without breaking a sweat.
Plus, you’ll even be able to use Alexa to help you through your entertainment sessions by asking her to pause movies, play songs, open certain apps and so on. And when we look at its processing power through its two 1.8 GHz cores and 2 GB of RAM, you can rest assured that no application will be too demanding for the Fire HD to handle.
But wait – no holiday is complete without a memorable photo, right? With the Fire HD 10’s 2MP-rear facing camera, you’ll even be able to snap brilliant looking photos and take lengthy videos at any time. All this combined with its hugely affordable price point makes this option a great choice for just about anyone, you just can’t go wrong with this tablet.
2. Samsung Electronics SM-T830NZKAXAR Galaxy Tab S4 with S Pen
Climbing up slightly higher on the rung of price, Samsun’s Galaxy Tab S4 absolutely delivers a premium experience for anyone who can afford it. With its brilliant, super crisp and clear AMOLED display stretching 10.5-inches over a whooping display resolution of 2560 x 1600, you’ll be able to view one of the best screens out there in the market right now through rain and sunshine – literally.
Furthermore, this tablet is built almost like a powerhouse when we break it down. With a Snapdragon Octa-Core processor, 4 GB of RAM and storage options of either 64 GB or 256 GB, you’ll not only be able to play with practically any game or watch any movie in full HD but work with Photoshop or any other demanding app.
It doesn’t just stop there though – with its cinematic Dolby Atmos surround audio system, you can fully expect yourself to be in for an auditory treat which brings to the limelight, even the subtlest of basslines.
Now if all this talk makes you worry for its battery life then fret not. With a reported battery life of up to 16-hours, even with a day of heavy usage, you won’t find yourself scrambling for a power outlet at all.
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5″, 256GB WiFi Tablet Rose Blush
If the Tab S4 had everything you thought you wanted but you’re willing to go the extra mile for an even more powerful device, then you should seriously consider the Tab S6. Probably sitting as one of the absolute best Android tablets in the market, this quality tablet will offer any user exactly what they expect the word premium is mentioned.
Boasting a 2-in-1 build that practically allows users to treat the Tab S6 just like a laptop and coupled with the S Pen, this tablet offers far more than a mere entertainment tool. This is a professional level tool here which even the elitist of digital artists and video editors are sure to use.
With a hugely immersive AMOLED 10.5” display coming with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, only the Apple’s iPads could even hope to compete with the quality of images you’ll be able to see with the S6. Its processing prowess is equally ludicrous – with a 2.84 GHz processor and 8 GB of RAM along with a hard drive of 256 GB, even decently priced laptops out there would struggle to keep up with the S6’s blazing trail.
And what’s even more impressive is how compact it is -weighing just 0.92-pounds despite all it promises to do is –, it cannot be emphasized enough how this is a huge leap when it comes to technological advancement.
Don’t even get started on asking about its battery life. It can last up to 15 hours if you must know, by far one of the best we’ve ever seen in the market right now.
4. Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 128GB) – Space Gray (Previous Model)
Another top-of-the-line device – if you can stomach the price tag – that is absolutely worth every penny is, unsurprisingly, Apple’s iPad. With its beautiful, slick and clean design, once you hold this tablet in your hands, it will just scream quality.
By far the best feature here comes through its 9.7-inch Retina display which provides any viewer some of the most immersive and clearest viewing experiences they will ever have with a tablet. It’s not just a good looker though – this thing is absolutely capable of holding a candle even when paired up with laptops when we look at its processing power.
Thanks to its A10 Fusion chip and 128 GB of in-built memory, it doesn’t matter if you’re just fiddling around with Netflix, composing music on Garage Band or even editing your latest travel vlog on iMovie – the iPad will be able to do all of this without breaking a sweat.
Its 8-megapixel camera is nothing to scoff at as well and will easily allow you to capture all sorts of precious memories and footage as crisply as possible. And with up to 10 whole hours of battery life – while not the longest on our list – it’ll easily be able to survive a day’s worth of constant use.
5. Apple iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) – Gold (Latest Model)
An albeit smaller alternative to the iPad above is Apple’s iPad mini which still, don’t be mistaken, packs a powerful punch despite its small footprint. Also coming with a retina display with wide color and true tones across its humbler 7.9-inch display, you’ll be able to do anything you could do with its larger sibling just as well with the iPad mini. With its shiner A12 Bionic chip with neural engine, you’ll find that the iPad mini actually outperforms its sibling by quite a significant margin!
This means that you’ll never have to worry about downloading any app when it comes to pure specs. Plus, it wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that the iPad mini can be thought of like a mini laptop.
Portability is also a huge factor here. With its barely 0.66-pound weight and standing at 8 x 5.3 x 0.24 inches in dimensions, carrying this tablet around should be effortless. Now when it comes to capturing precious moments on film, the iPad mini does not fall short. Thanks to its 8-megalpixel rear camera, even taking photos in the worse of lighting conditions will still produce a pretty decent image.
And what about its battery? Surely for all that its doing, there should be some compromise made here. Well, no. It still boasts a solid 10-hours of constant usage so there aren’t really any red flags to point out in this regard.
6. Microsoft Surface Go with Type Cover Bundle 10″ Touchscreen
Coming with a fantastic price-tag while delivering a high-quality product, Microsoft’s Surface Go continues to amaze us with its sturdy design, great graphical display and solid speakers. Its 10″ LCD touchscreen pixel sense display coming at an 1800 x 1200 resolution isn’t the most impressive on our list, but it still offers a great viewing experience with eyewatering clarity.
Running on an Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor and paired with 4/8GB of RAM alone with 64GB of in-built memory also easily kicks the Surface Go up to the top of solid performers on our list. It isn’t the fastest but again, it is embedded solidly in the middle of the pack still allowing users to do just about anything on this tablet.
Now we should stress that Microsoft intended to create a productivity device with this tablet. And in this regard, it more than lives up to this aspect. Its brilliant lightweight keyboard is fantastic to use while its trackpad remained crisp and responsive even during long work sessions. Sure, it takes a while to get used to its shallow keys but within 15 minutes, it’ll warm up to your hands completely.
Now while the battery, unfortunately, sits as the worst on our list don’t forget, our list is only comprised out of the best tablets out there right now. This being said, its reported 9 hours is truly nothing to scoff at – just don’t forget to bring your charging cable if you plan on using the Surface Go all day though!
Three Things to Consider in a Travel Tablet
There honestly isn’t an answer to the popular question: what’s the best tablet? It truly depends entirely on your individual circumstances, personal preferences and financial ability. Regardless, to help you get a rough idea on what you should be looking for, we’ve written a little section down below on the top three things you should always look for in a tablet meant for travel.
Budget
When it comes to tablets, the most expensive doesn’t necessarily translate to the best option. Sure, the general rule of thumb is that with pricy options, you get a device that’s fitted with flashier features, faster processors and clearer screens. This is great if that’s what you’re looking for but don’t forget – you’re looking for a tablet for travel first and foremost.
You don’t need a laptop-like tablet to watch movies or listen to music! Likewise, a counter argument is that you can think of expensive tablets as an investment for the future. Who knows whether your preferences may change within the next months? Regardless, before making any decision, set yourself a strict budget and stick with it to prevent yourself from needlessly wasting your hard-earned money.
Durability
A tablet meant for the road is a tablet high at risk. Travelling means moving around a lot and movement tends to be not-so-conducive for the lifespan of a tablet. It doesn’t matter how careful or meticulous you are, if you’re travelling frequently you should seriously prepare yourself for an inevitable accident.
And to make things worse, tablet’s aren’t generally built to withstand punishment like this (none on our list at least). So, to minimize any future tears we strongly suggest that you both purchase a decent protective case for your tablet and if applicable, purchase some warranty!
Functionality
Tying heavily into your own personal preferences, if you’re just looking for a device to keep you entertained during long-haul flights, you probably don’t need the fanciest tablet out there. Something like the Amazon HD 10 should do just fine for you. On the other hand, if you want to do a little more with your tablet like edit videos or work remotely during travel, you should opt for a tablet that is built to do these sorts of tasks.
The Surface Go will be a more than suitable option if this applies to you in this case.