Top holiday gifts for road warriors

By Samantha Chapnick

November was gift-testing month for me. Of the hundreds of products tried, these emerged as my favorites for the frequent business traveler who already has it all. Some are perfect when you’re on the road, and some are just right for those times when you finally settle back into your own home.

For the light traveler: Chargepod
What’s the use of a one-ounce, 2 mm device if the charger weighs 800 pounds and takes up half the suitcase?

After being disappointed by the complications and weight of several other multi-chargers, the Chargepod has just about delivered me from tangled, transformer hell.

Taking a cue from nature, its hexagonal shape charges six devices at once via small and affordable tips and doesn’t weigh more than a pound (charger included). This makes it super easy to charge all of our family’s iPods, Nanos and iPhones at home and on the road.

For the gadget guru: Invisible Shield
By 9 p.m. on June 29, I owned an iPhone and haven’t stopped raving about it since. My only complaint: the ugly case that hides all that sleek Apple cool design goodness.

Then along came a way to protect my investment without sequestering away like a nun in the 1500s: an Invisible Shield. As the name implies, this is a very durable layer of plastic that is allegedly strong enough to withstand scratches, tears, even attempted stabbings. I haven’t tried the latter, but it has survived all manner of other physical insults over the past month and looks the same as it did the day it was applied.

Even better, it’s cheap, it’s made for almost all portable devices, and it has a lifetime warranty (for the shield, not the device).

For the family wo/man: Photoworks luggage tags

One easy way I distinguish my luggage from the conveyor belt masses — and remember why I travel for work in the first place — is with a personalized luggage tag from Photoworks. In three genuinely easy steps, I turned a favorite photo into a two-sided luggage tag. By virtue of my child’s smiling face, my bags finally stand out from the crowd.

For the audiophile: Shure earphones
The moment it’s OK to use portable electronic devices, my Shure SE530 earphones are on.

Take it from one who knows, this or one of the lower-priced models is by far one of the best gifts for the traveling music lover who already has everything else. The “sound isolating” capabilities alone are worth the price.

Gone is the whir of the engines, the crying of the baby in seat 14E, the long flight plan of the overly chatty pilot, the flight attendants, even the “I’m boreds” of my overstimulated spawn (well, that’s optional).

All that’s left is Patti LuPone and Leonard Cohen doing concerts just for me, or a private screening with Scorsese.

For the serenity seeker: Seda France candles

After a day of meetings, a night of exploring and my obligatory 30-minute workout, all that’s left on my travel agenda is a robe and relaxation, with the scent of Seda France Candles.

All candles are NOT created equal. To the true taperphile (taper: Latin for candle), a high concentration of scented oils makes for a heightened relaxation experience.

Seda France hand-poured candles are so potent with pleasing fragrance, they work their magic without even being lit, which is good because most hotels frown on anything involving matches or fire.

I take along two Hyacinth travel tins. They make the clothes in my suitcase smell nice and my austere hotel room a little more homey.

For my green side, they make a good gift because the elaborate toile pagoda packaging, complete with gold rope tassel, means giving without wrapping — a bonus for the environment and overworked, underpaid journalists.

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