Stop guessing. Start understanding your gear.
Travel Gear Tested publishes independent travel gear reviews with no sponsorships, no paid placements, and no affiliate pressure. Every product is evaluated through real-world use, design quality, and long-term practicality, not marketing claims.
The Product Developer Behind the Reviews
Hi, I’m May. I travel like everyone else, but I look at products differently.
For more than a decade, I worked as a Product Developer, taking over 100 items from first sketch to factory production. That means I’ve spent years evaluating materials, stress points, stitching, foam density, and every little detail that decides whether a product survives a real trip or falls apart halfway through.
Most online reviews tell you what someone likes.
I tell you why something works, how it was built, and whether the design decisions actually make sense for real-world use.
What makes these reviews different
I’m a product engineer, and I break down travel gear the same way I do in development work: by looking at how something is built, how it behaves, and where it fails.
Design & Structure
Does the shape actually support you, or does it rely on friction that gives out after 20 minutes?
Is the internal frame doing real work, or is it mostly decorative?
Does the geometry help your posture or force you into one uncomfortable angle?
Materials & Build Quality
Not a chemistry lecture. Just the practical questions:
Is the shell too soft to hold structure?
Is the foam dense enough not to collapse? Where will it deform first?
Durability & Weak Points
Every product has a failure point.
I look at stitching patterns, connection points, Velcro fatigue, and components that loosen with real use, not showroom handling.
Ergonomics Over Time
A product that feels fine for 10 minutes can be torture after an hour.
I focus on long-haul reality: pressure points, sliding, readjustments, and whether the design works with your body instead of against it.
Real-World Behavior
No staged photos. No unboxing hype.
Just how the product behaves on actual flights, in cramped seats, through sleep cycles and repositioning.
I’m not here to praise every product.
I’m here to dissect it.
From the lab to the road
This site mixes two worlds:
my product development experience and my real travel habits.
I treat every piece of gear like a prototype on a test bench.
If it holds up, I’ll tell you.
If it cuts corners, I’ll show exactly where and how.
No sponsors. No gifted products. No marketing scripts.
Just the truth, backed by design logic and hands-on understanding.
My promise
Every review on this site is grounded in:
– product development expertise
– engineering-level scrutiny
– real-world testing
– respect for your time and your money
Travel gear has to work.
And you deserve to know which products actually do.
