Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The 6 best tablets for travel in 2024

The back of the iPad Air 5.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus Pad held in hand
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

With the world opening up once again for tourists, you’re going to want to buy a tablet to beat the boredom of long flights and waiting times. Not all models will be able to serve this purpose though, so to help you decide what to purchase, we’ve rounded up our recommendations for the best tablets for travel. We acknowledge that there are different types of travelers, so we picked devices that will cater to each of them, while considering a specific set of criteria when making our selections.

While you can also use your smartphone during your trips, the larger screen of tablets will help provide more amusing entertainment when you need it. The best tablets for travel will let you catch up on work, watch streaming shows, check social media, and whatever else you may think of doing while you’re on the way to your destination, or while you’re taking a break from all the sights and sounds. Read onward to figure out the best tablet for travel for you, then go ahead and purchase it so that the device will be ready and waiting for your next adventure.

Recommended Videos

The best tablets for travel in 2024

  • Buy the if you want the best overall tablet for travel.
  • Buy the if you want a tablet for travel that will keep you productive.
  • Buy the if you want a tablet for travel to watch streaming content and play mobile games.
  • Buy the if you want to get your child a tablet for travel.
  • Buy the if you want a tablet for travel that’s extremely portable.
  • Buy the if you want a tablet for travel for an affordable price.

Apple iPad Air 5th Gen

Best tablet for travel for most people

The back of the iPad Air 5.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Powerful performance of Apple’s M1 Locked to iPadOS
Bright and colorful display
USB-C port

It’s not a surprise that our top choice among the best tablets is also the first tablet for travel that we recommend. Simply put, the fifth-generation Apple iPad Air is that good. Performance is amazing with Apple’s M1 processor, as you wouldn’t want to get even more frustrated when you’re already dealing with the stress of travel. The tablet also features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, which is bright and colorful to help you better enjoy your favorite content.

The Apple iPad Air 5th Gen will take advantage of the features of the iPadOS 17, which is the latest version of Apple’s operating system for tablets. It’s slim and light so it’s easy to bring with you during your travels, it comes with a USB-C port for wide compatibility, and it works with the Apple Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard as extra accessories for additional input options.

Specifications
Storage 64GB, 256GB
Display size and resolution 10.9 inches, 2360 x 1640
Operating system iPadOS

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Best tablet for travel for professionals

The Surface Pro 9 with the Type Cover keyboard lifted up.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Powered by Windows 11 Home Relatively expensive
13-inch touchscreen
2-in-1 laptop design

For those who are planning to work even while they’re traveling, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 will make sure that you’ll remain productive. It runs on Windows 11 Home, so you’ll be able to use it with the most popular productivity apps — Microsoft Office — and it will make sure that you can get all your tasks done quickly with its 12th-generation Intel Core i7 Evo processor and 16GB of RAM.

As a tablet, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 offers a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and you can prop it up using its built-in kickstand. However, it transforms into a laptop using the Surface Keyboard that comes bundled with it, in case you need to respond to an email or make a quick report. Some people prefer bringing their work with them on their trips, but that’s why the Microsoft Surface Pro 9  is one of the best tablets for travel — it will help you get back to your vacation as soon as possible.

Specifications
Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Display size and resolution 13 inches, 2880 x 1920
Operating system Windows 11 Home

OnePlus Pad

Best tablet for travel to watch movies and play games

Genshin Impact running on OnePlus Pad with a wooden table and fake flowers in the background.
Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Up to 144Hz refresh rate Weird placement of rear camera
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
Slim and lightweight

The OnePlus Pad sits on top of our rankings of the best Android tablets, and that’s partly because of its sharp and vibrant 11.6-inch LCD touchscreen. With 2800 x 2000 pixel resolution and an up to 144Hz refresh rate, it’s an excellent display for watching streaming content and playing mobile games because you’ll be seeing sharp images and smooth movements. The tablet also supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to enable a personal cinema, and the viewing is even more immersive because of the narrow bezels surrounding the screen.

Adding to the reasons why the OnePlus Pad is one of our best tablets for travel are its slim and lightweight design with a thickness of just 6.5 millimeters and weight of 552 grams, its smooth CNC aluminum unibody, and an all-day battery life that will go from zero to full charge after just over 60 minutes of being plugged in.

Specifications
Storage 128GB
Display size and resolution 11.6 inches, 2800 x 2000
Operating system Android

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

Best tablet for travel to keep your children entertained

A young boy uses the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro to video chat,
Amazon
Pros Cons
Designed for children Limited performance
One year of Amazon Kids+
Two-year replacement guarantee

If you want to keep your children busy during your travels, giving them a tablet is one of the easiest options, and the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro will be your best bet. It’s not the most powerful device out there with just 3GB of RAM, but it will be more than enough for your children as they play games and watch videos on its 10.1-inch touchscreen with Full HD resolution, and they’ll be kept busy with its 13-hour battery life.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is great for children because it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which offers age-appropriate books, games, videos, and apps. It’s also bundled with a kid-proof case to keep the tablet safe from damage, though it features a two-year worry-free guarantee — if the tablet breaks within that period, it will be replaced for free.

Specifications
Storage 32GB
Display size and resolution 10.1 inches, 1920 x 1200
Operating system Fire OS

Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen

Best tablet for travel that’s easy to carry

An iPad Mini in landscape mode displaying its home screen.
Adam Doud / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Compact and lightweight No headphone jack
Works with Apple Pencil 2
USB-C port

If you want to make sure that you won’t have trouble finding a place for your tablet in your luggage, get something compact like the Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen. It’s very portable with its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and weight of just below 300 grams. However, despite its small size, it offers fast performance for your apps with Apple’s A15 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM, which is the same configuration that you’ll find in the iPhone 13.

The Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen is compatible with the Apple Pencil 2 if you’re thinking about using it to take notes or draw sketches of the places you visit, and it may be upgraded to iPadOS 17 so that you have access to the operating system’s latest features. It’s also equipped with a USB-C port for charging and other accessories.

Specifications
Storage 64GB, 256GB
Display size and resolution 8.3 inches, 2266 x 1488
Operating system iPadOS

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen

Best tablet for travel with a cheap price

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (Gen 3) tablet.
Peter Szpytek/Digital Trends / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Very affordable Can’t handle demanding tasks
2K resolution
Immersive Reading Mode

For those who just need a simple tablet for their travels, the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen is an affordable but decent option. Its display is relatively large for a budget device at 10.6 inches, and it’s bright and sharp enough for most purposes. The tablet also features a quad-speaker system with Dolby Atmos, so that you can better enjoy watching streaming shows and the videos that you’ll take with it.

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen is equipped with an all-day battery so it can keep you company throughout your trip, and it’s protected by a durable aluminum chassis that keeps the tablet light at 465 grams. Book lovers can activate the device’s Immersive Reading Mode to make the screen easier on the eyes, which will be helpful if you’ll be stuck on a plane or train for hours.

Specifications
Storage 32GB, 64GB
Display size and resolution 10.6 inches, 2000 x 1200
Operating system Android

How we chose these tablets for travel

Not all tablets are excellent choices as travel companions, and to determine which ones are, we came up with this set of criteria that we followed to narrow down our choices for the best tablets for travel. While certain characteristics will be more important for different types of travelers, you generally want a tablet that will check all these boxes so that you won’t find it lacking once you’re already on your trip.

Portability

The first thing that most people will think about when choosing a tablet for travel purposes is whether the device will be portable. While tablets with larger screens will need a bit more effort if you want to make space for it in your luggage, they may still be considered portable if they’re slim enough to easily slide into your bag. As an electronic device, you wouldn’t want to have your tablet placed somewhere that’s going to be out of your sight, so it’s important that the device you buy will fit into the hand-carry bag that you always bring with you during your travels.

In selecting the best tablets for travel, we chose devices that maintain portability even if they have relatively large displays, though of course, that will still depend on the biggest device that you’ll be comfortable bringing with you.

Versatility

While you may have a specific purpose in mind for your tablet while you travel, it would be better if the device is versatile enough to handle different kinds of activities. For example, if your tablet is primarily for browsing the internet, it should still have a display with decent resolution in case you decide to watch a video. If you think you’re going to be playing mobile games most of the time on your tablet, you should still think about having enough storage space left over when you need it to take footage of anything awesome that you come across in your trip.

Some tablets have accessories, either bundled with the device or requiring a separate purchase, that will give you extra options. A stylus will help you pass the time by drawing the sights that you see, while a keyboard will make it easier to compose emails or write on your travel blog. This versatility helps make the best tablets for travel very valuable companions.

Compatibility

If you use a specific set of apps for work and play, or if you have accessories that you can’t leave home without, you better make sure that they will work with the tablet that you buy. The best tablets for travel are widely compatible with all of the popular apps and accessories, as they’re powered by top operating systems and they come with a complete set of ports.

We made sure to select tablets that will work with everything that you usually use, which means going for trusted brands that have taken this into consideration when building their devices. Whether you’re an iPadOS or Android fan, there’s something for you in our list of the best tablets for travel if you want to stick to the ecosystem that you’re used to back home.

Durability

Traveling requires a lot of movement, which will possibly expose your tablet to much more wear and tear compared to using it at home. We chose devices that are relatively durable because you wouldn’t want to go home with a broken tablet, which will be an additional expense to repair or replace. Tablets with built-in protection for their touchscreens and made with tough materials are excellent choices as travel companions.

For the more adventurous travelers, you may want to buy a rugged case or something similar for your tablet so that it will better withstand potential damage. This is partly why we chose some of the most popular models for our list of the best tablets for travel, as there will surely be rugged cases and similar accessories available for them.

Value for money

Last but not least, we believe that you should receive fantastic value for money with every purchase, and getting a tablet for travel is no exception. Whether you’re on a tight budget or you’re willing to make a significant investment, the device that you buy should make you feel that you paid more than what it cost you.

Affordable tablets should still provide decent performance, and premium tablets should pack all the latest features. It would be a good idea to set a maximum budget for your purchase to further narrow down your options, but no matter what, you won’t regret spending your cash on any of the best tablets for travel that we’ve highlighted above.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

Aaron Mamiit

Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated with tech ever since. A gamer at heart, Aaron believes that while the tech industry is often dealing with side quests, it always remains on track with the mission to save the world.

Aaron has been writing tech deals since 2020, covering not just gaming, but also every other type of electronic device out there -- everything's important for the boss fight that we call life.

 

This is the best Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra pre-order deal
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's Quick Settings screen.

Samsung's newest entry in the S line just dropped this week, and it already has some great phone deals. Today, you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and enjoy some considerable discounts. In typical Samsung style, there are a ton of benefits to reap here. There’s a considerable $120 discount on the 512GB variety of the phone, but you also gain $80 in Samsung credit to use on anything else on the site. It gets better: there’s up to $900 instant trade-in credit too depending on the phone you’re trading in, meaning the phone could cost as little as $400 once you factor in the discount and credit on the usual price of $1,420. Want to learn more about the phone? Let’s take a look.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S range is slipping down the rankings of the best phones or best Android phones, but it’s still a much loved range. While we don’t have a full review of the latest model just yet, we do have a great comparison of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max, so you know which flagship model to consider.

Read more
Best Samsung Galaxy S25 pre-order deals: Secure the phone today, for less
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

If you're a fan of the Samsung S24 lineup of phones, then you'll be happy to know that Samsung has just announced its latest lineup of S25 phones, and you can pre-order them already. There have been quite a few upgrades this generation, although one of the big talking points this year revolved around AI and the effort Samsung has put into integrating it into their phones. You can check out more information on our Samsung Unpacked 2025 event roundup for a breakdown of what Samsung talked about, and if you're ready to pre-order, we've collected all the best pre-order deals for you below.
Best S25 deals from Samsung
You can pre-order the Samsung S25 directly from Samsung, and while it doesn't have a direct discount, you can get up to $500 in trade-in credit, which brings it down to $300, and you can also get another $50 in Samsung Credit which will bring it down to just $250. You can also snag the S25, which does have $100 in direct savings that brings the price down to $1,020 from $1,120, plus you can trade-in and get up to another $700 in credit. Finally, you can snag yourself a pre-order for the Samsung S25 Plus with a $120 direct discount which brings it down to $1,300, and there is even another $900 trade-in credit you can get depending on the device you trade in.
There is also a full break-down of the Samsung pre-order deals on the Samsung S25, as well more information on the Samsung S25 Ultra pre-order deals from Samsung.

Best S25 deals from Amazon
One of the most clearcut deals is from Amazon on the S25, which gives you a direct $100 discount, bringing it down to just $800, rather than the usual $900. That's an 11% discount on the 128GB version of the S25, which is pretty substantial given that it's still in pre-order. Unfortunately, Amazon isn't offering any deals on the S25 Plus or the S25 Ultra, but we'll keep an eye out and update this page when and if we see any deals on them.

Read more
Samsung just slashed the price of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic next to each other.

If you've long been interested in Samsung's smartwatches and you don't mind going for a previous-generation model to access huge savings, here are some offers from Samsung to check out -- the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 for only $190 instead of $350 for savings of $160, and the 43mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for only $300 instead of $450 for savings of $150. We're not entirely sure how much time is remaining on these smartwatch deals, so we highly recommend completing your purchase immediately if you're interested in either of them.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, LTE) -- $190, was $350

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, LTE) -- $300, was $450

Read more