Taking fewer articles of clothing is one big step towards packing light when you travel, but what about electronics?
For me, I’ve gotten the clothes and toiletries to a minimum, but no matter what, I’m pretty much tied to my laptop. And for many occasions, I need that laptop so I can edit images, write blog posts, compose emails, and stay on top of work from the road. On shorter trips, I’ve tried to bring just an iPad mini or my phone, but the reality is that, even if there’s an app for certain tasks, I hate responding to emails and writing blog posts without an actual keyboard.
In the past couple years, I’ve tried a couple of different things to try and work around my personal dilemma:
- I got one of those keyboard docking stations for the iPad Mini. The problem was that the keyboard was also quite mini.
- I got a bluetooth keyboard that’s a little bit bigger, but if you’re going to pack that, then you might as well just bring a computer. I use it at home to have a more ergonomic setup with my laptop.
I pretty much put the idea of being able to take my computer off the packing list in the back of mind until a few months ago when a certain product was brought to my attention. That was when a deals site I follow put the myType Keyboard up for sale. Full size. Folds in half. Bluetooth connected. Yep, I had to try it out!
It took a while before the keyboard arrived at my door, but when it did, I immediately gave it a test run. Not bad. There are indeed plenty of pros and cons for using it, so here we go.
The Pros of the myType Keyboard:
It’s lightweight. It comes in at just 122 grams (4.3 oz) without the usb charging cable. If you’re using it in conjunction with a phone or tablet that you might already be packing, it’s a small addition.
It’s a full-sized keyboard, but it folds in half! The keys interlock so it’s also super thin after doing so. This differs from a similar product on the market that rolls up.
It’s floppy in nature. So if you have it in your purse, your backpack, or even your pocket, it’s less likely to crack and break.
It connects via bluetooth. To my laptop, phone, iPad, etc.
The Cons of the myType Keyboard:
It’s not cheap. It’s listed at over $50 for one, but on sale at Amazon for a smidge less.
There’s a learning curve. The keys are wobbly, and a few keys are spaced a little differently than a normal keyboard. I liken the vibe to those old computer keyboards where you have to press quite hard to type, and therefore, type speed is slower. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than no keyboard at all, in my opinion. Whether this will be good enough for you to warrant purchasing depends on your particular needs and wants for packing.
And that’s pretty much the run-down on the myType Keyboard review. I’m really liking it for many reasons, especially the transportability of it. But, there’s still that level of discomfort that comes when I fumble more often on the wobbly keys. Still, I was able to type this blog post using just the myType!
>> Check out the myType Keyboard on Amazon. Please note we are Amazon affiliates, so if you make a purchase, you will be supporting this site, at no additional cost to you.
Does this mean I can leave the laptop behind on future big trips?
I’m not sure yet. There are a lot of factors that go along with me needing a laptop, such as image and doc storage, programs for editing graphics or now podcasts, and just the ease of using it for work endeavors.
That doesn’t mean it’s not possible with the right level of planning and the integration of the right apps. I’ve been taking a huge step in the right direction by relying more on Google Drive and Dropbox for online storage. Canva is available on the iPad, and I have a few people I can now look to in order to get work related tasks completed if I’m without proper capabilities.
The only way to know is to test it out more and more. So if anyone finds a crazy awesome flight deal to the US from Australia in the near future, please let me know!
Would you be interested in something like the myType Keyboard? Have an alternative that’s served you well? Let us know!
Any updates on whether the keyboard makes it possible to leave your laptop at home during long trips? I’ll be studying abroad in South America next month and I’m thinking about leaving my laptop at home (mainly because it’s so bulky – 17in…it’s a dinosaur lol). I’ll be gone for 5 months and the only thing I could see myself needing my laptop for other than school work, would be like you said…storage. Not sure if you’ll reply in time, but anywho thanks in advance.
I did not bring my laptop with me on my long term travel adventures. I had found it pretty easy to find cheap or free internet cafes, especially in Australia.
For $2 AUD you can join PeterPan Adventure Travel Gold Card. At any of their travel centers, you can use the computers free for unlimited use to plan your traveling, email, facebook, book airfaire etc. You do pay for printing but that’s fairly cheap.
I traveled with my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0. Worked quite well for me!
Although, I really like this keyboard!!!! It would’ve been pretty handy too!
I’d love to hear an update on whether this has been the right keyboard for you!