Key takeaways
- Pros: Wi-Fi 6 speeds, strong built-in VPN client/server support, flexible connection modes
- Cons: More configuration options than casual users may need, though defaults work fine out of the box
A travel router solves a specific problem for remote workers and small business owners on the move: hotel, Airbnb, and coworking Wi-Fi is often shared, unsecured, and sometimes outright unreliable. A compact travel router creates your own private, often VPN-protected network on top of whatever connection is available, so your laptop and other devices connect to a network you control instead of the venue’s open Wi-Fi directly. Here are seven real, currently sold travel/VPN routers worth comparing.
These are distinct from the mobile hotspot routers covered elsewhere on this site — hotspot routers create their own cellular internet connection, while travel routers typically repackage an existing Wi-Fi or ethernet connection into a more secure, private network.
GL.iNet GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX)
The Beryl AX is a favorite among remote workers for its combination of Wi-Fi 6 speeds, a genuinely usable web interface, and built-in support for popular VPN protocols including WireGuard and OpenVPN, which it can run as either a client or server. It can also repeat existing Wi-Fi, plug into ethernet, or tether to a phone hotspot depending on what’s available.
- Pros: Wi-Fi 6 speeds, strong built-in VPN client/server support, flexible connection modes
- Cons: More configuration options than casual users may need, though defaults work fine out of the box
GL.iNet GL-AX1800 (Flint)
The Flint is a slightly larger, higher-throughput option in GL.iNet’s lineup, aimed at travelers and remote workers who want faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds for things like video calls over a VPN tunnel without the smaller Beryl AX’s more compact, pocket-sized constraints.
- Pros: Higher throughput than pocket-sized travel routers, same strong VPN client/server support as GL.iNet’s lineup
- Cons: Larger and less pocketable than true travel-sized routers
GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal)
The Opal is one of the smallest true travel routers available, designed to disappear into a laptop bag while still supporting WireGuard VPN client connections and acting as a secure Wi-Fi repeater for hotel or shared networks.
- Pros: Very compact and travel-friendly, solid WireGuard VPN support, simple setup
- Cons: Lower throughput ceiling than the larger Beryl AX or Flint models
TP-Link TL-WR902AC
A budget-friendly, pocket-sized travel router that can act as a Wi-Fi repeater, access point, or client, with enough flexibility to cover most basic travel networking needs. It supports VPN client functionality for certain protocols through its firmware, though with a more limited feature set than GL.iNet’s dedicated travel routers.
- Pros: Inexpensive, genuinely pocket-sized, flexible basic connection modes
- Cons: VPN features are more limited than GL.iNet’s lineup, and the web interface is less refined
ASUS RT-AX57 Go
ASUS’s travel-focused AX57 Go brings Wi-Fi 6 speeds and the brand’s familiar router interface to a travel-sized form factor, with support for VPN client connections and the option to double as a standard home router when you’re not traveling.
- Pros: Wi-Fi 6 performance, familiar ASUS router interface, doubles as a home router when not traveling
- Cons: Slightly bulkier than GL.iNet’s smallest models
GL.iNet GL-MT2500 (Brume 2)
The Brume 2 skips Wi-Fi entirely and focuses on being a small, fast VPN security gateway — plug it between your existing router and the wall, and it handles VPN client/server duties, VPN cascading between multiple providers, and basic firewall rules over its 2.5G WAN port. It’s a different travel-adjacent tool than the Wi-Fi routers above: useful for someone who wants dedicated VPN hardware without replacing their actual Wi-Fi setup.
- Pros: Dedicated VPN gateway with strong WireGuard performance, 2.5G WAN port, runs OpenWrt for deep customization
- Cons: No built-in Wi-Fi at all — it needs to pair with an existing router or access point to create a wireless network
Netgear Nighthawk M6
The Nighthawk M6 blurs the line between travel router and mobile hotspot — it can tether to a phone hotspot or hotel Wi-Fi like the routers above, but it can also take its own SIM card and create a 5G cellular connection independent of any venue’s network entirely. For a worker who travels somewhere without reliable Wi-Fi at all, that’s a meaningfully different safety net than a pure Wi-Fi-repeating travel router.
- Pros: Can create its own 5G connection via SIM card, not dependent on venue Wi-Fi at all, also works as a standard Wi-Fi travel router
- Cons: Costs more than dedicated travel routers, and cellular data requires its own SIM/data plan
Buying Tips
If VPN support is the main reason you’re buying a travel router, check exactly which protocols it supports (WireGuard tends to be faster and simpler to set up than OpenVPN) and whether it can run as a VPN client to your existing VPN provider, not just as a VPN server for remote access into your home network. Size and weight matter more than spec sheets suggest once you’re actually packing for a trip — the smallest, truly pocketable options like the Opal sacrifice some throughput for convenience.
Also confirm the router supports your hotel or venue’s login method; some travel routers struggle with captive portal logins (the “click to agree” pages common at hotels) and need a quick workaround to get online in the first place.
Decide whether you actually need Wi-Fi hardware at all, or just VPN gateway functionality — a dedicated gateway like the Brume 2 makes sense if you’re happy with your current Wi-Fi setup and only want stronger VPN handling layered on top, while a full travel router makes more sense if you need both the Wi-Fi and the VPN in one small device. And if your destination’s Wi-Fi reliability is genuinely in question rather than just its security, a cellular-capable option like the Nighthawk M6 solves a different problem than any pure Wi-Fi travel router can.
FAQ
Do I need a travel router if my laptop already has a VPN app installed?
Not strictly, but a travel router extends VPN protection to every device you bring — phone, tablet, smart devices — through one connection, rather than installing and configuring a VPN app on each device separately.
Can a travel router work with hotel Wi-Fi that requires a login page?
Most can, though you typically need to connect a laptop to the hotel Wi-Fi through the router’s interface first to complete the login page, after which the router shares that connection securely to your other devices.
Is a travel router the same as a mobile hotspot?
No — a mobile hotspot creates its own cellular data connection, while a travel router typically repackages an existing Wi-Fi or ethernet connection (like hotel Wi-Fi) into a more secure, private network. Hybrid devices like the Nighthawk M6 can do both.
What’s the point of a VPN gateway like the Brume 2 if I already have a travel router?
It’s aimed at a different situation — someone who’s happy with their existing Wi-Fi router or access point and just wants stronger, dedicated VPN hardware handling the encryption and routing rather than relying on their main router’s built-in VPN features.
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