Exclusively for Upscale readers, Leslie E. Royal’s column reviews the best consumer products, services and brands to get as well as buy and why. This month’s feature spotlights innovative technological devices and inventive products that will help make the lives of millennials simpler, less stressful, more productive and more stimulating.

Ideal for the airport

NapAnywhere Travel Pillow

Designed by a physician expressly for travelers, NapAnywhere travel pillow is a great remedy for relief from stiff neck while on long flights. Just pop it into your purse, backpack, laptop bag or carryon. (www.napanywhere.net)

Clakit Clip-On Pouch

Hard to keep up with your passport, cellphone, money and tickets while going through airport security or boarding your flight? The Clakit Clip-On Pouch safely secures all of those items and more. The lightweight, durable pouch attaches easily to your belt, backpack, carryon or other strap up to three inches. (www.clakit.com)

Drydel Stain Pen

Spot a spot on your clothing, grab the lifesaver – a Dryel stain pen. (www.dryel.com)

The Hydaway Water Bottle

You no longer have to choose between paying outrageous prices for bottled water at the airport or finding space in your packed carryon bag for a water bottle. Get the cool, collapsible, reusable Hydaway water bottle.  Folding down to 1-inch, these colorful containers can expand up to 21 ounces. (www.hydawaybottle.com)

Dining at Home or a Friend’s Spot

Hot Logic Portable Oven

Everyone should own a Hot Logic personal mini or family size portable oven. Take your favorite sizzling dish to dinner. Guests will be impressed that you are serving it up hot with this plug-in device. When you’re at home, you can reheat leftovers and even cook from scratch too. (www.hotlogic.com)

Stainless Steel Shaker33

You’ll be a heralded mixologist at the party when you handcraft the best cocktails ever with the Stainless Steel Shaker33. Enhanced features: leak-proof, dual flow strainer and large format. (www.savino.com)  

Elevating Your Artsy and Creative Side

We know. We know. You kinda like snapping hundreds of pics at a time. We get it.  But your smartphone doesn’t. It will alert you when you are out of storage. Continue to capture memories with The Picture Keeper Connect. No internet is required. Just plug this small device into your phone, store those images and continue to record your videos and snap those photos. (www.picturekeeper.com)

Experience the joy of journaling, writing your first book and even sketching with fabulous pens and pencils by U Brands. The high-pigment colored pencils, glitter, neon and pastel pens, and the elegant Catalina Porous Tip Pen are quite wonderful. With these utensils, writing has never been so much fun. (www.Ubrands.com)

On the Run

Your daily workout just got a little easier. As you jog, walk the treadmill or engage in high energy aerobics, keep your wired or wireless earbuds in place with stylish PodStraps Neck Strap and BudStraps Flex Sport Neck Strap. (www.budstraps.com) The fashionable Magneat accessory ensures that headphone cables remain untangled on those late night runs and day time hikes. (www.onanoff.com) But before you make that run, guard against the elements and… the insects. Bugband towelettes are easy-to-use wipes, to protect from mosquitos, flies and gnats. (www.bugband.net)

Head to the Office or Coworking Space with Ease

Ditch the laptop bag and opt for the The Berlin Backpack created by KNOMO London. This sleek, ultra-light backpack has plenty of space and compartments to hold a laptop, wallet, a change of clothes and a few other items. The separated padded space holds laptops up to 15-inches. (www.knomobags.com) If you prefer a bag half the size, the teardrop shape Healthy Back Bag is an option. It relieves pressure from your neck and shoulders by contouring to the shape of your spine. A small laptop or tablet will fit snugly in a hidden, padded pocket. (www.ameribag.com) And if you are an individual experiencing commuter nausea as you travel to work by bus, train or bumper-to-bumper traffic, maybe a technical device called Reliefband can help. Worn like a watch, the reusable, digital, therapeutic device can be ordered from www.ReliefBand.com.  

The Consumer Collection Column appears in each issue of Upscale magazine. This article was in the October 2017 issue.