Best mobile hotspot 2024: top portable Wi-Fi hotspots for international travel

If you've ever been bored while out camping, on holiday abroad, or just fuming at a home broadband breakdown, you might be in the market for one of the best mobile hotspots in 2024. These handy devices can ensure that you always have access to the internet, helping you to stay connected and operating at maximum capacity.

Unlike the fiddly process of tethering to a phone, the best mobile hotspots have excellent range, meaning that you can set them up and still get good connectivity even if you are in a different room, which is useful when working in hotel rooms, conventions or anywhere where multiple people will likely need access and they all can't huddle around a tethered mobile. Of course, remember to stick to your mobile data plan to avoid any surprise charges.

If that all sounds alluring, we've rounded up the best portable mobile hotspots on the market today. We've got budget options right up to premium systems, so we're quite confident you'll find a product that is perfect for your travelling needs. And, speaking of travel, if you're shortly going to be going off on a trip (lucky!) then be sure to check out T3's ultimate travel guide, as well as our best suitcase and best carry-on luggage buying guides.

Best portable Wi-Fi hotspots to buy in 2024

What you should know about Wi-Fi hotspots

If you've looked over the list of devices we've compiled and you're still wondering just what a Wi-Fi hotspot actually is, we'll cover some of the basics for you. These devices effectively hook onto mobile networks and then operate a Wi-Fi network that you can then use on a wider range of hardware.

This basically lets you use Wi-Fi on the likes of a laptop or gaming handheld without that device needing a SIM card slot to get data flowing. It can be hugely useful if you're travelling and don't have access to a safe or trusted Wi-Fi network to use when connecting your devices up.

That does mean that there's generally an extra cost to consider when buying a hotspot. The hardware will cost whatever its price is, but you'll also need a SIM or eSIM to access mobile data through it. Thankfully, many carriers around the world offer affordable data-only plans and even hotspot-specific plans that can get you plenty of data without too high a cost.

How to choose the best Wi-Fi hotspot for travel

You'll want a data connection abroad if you want to use WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the rest abroad, but what you get depends on what you buy.

The first choice is to buy an off-the-shelf hotspot without a SIM, then buy a separate SIM card from a dedicated supplier or network provider (your current operator might even offer one if you check). This gives you a lot of flexibility.

The other option is to buy an all-in-one mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device that has a built-in eSIM – this all-in-one package will normally come with some free international data, plus the chance to easily top it up online whenever you run low.

Getting everything together in one bundle can potentially save you some money, but make sure you're getting the amount of data you want and compatibility for the countries you're visiting. Prioritise 4G or 5G data if you want an ultra-quick connection, but plan to buy data in bundles to save money. Check the availability and strength of the internet in your destination too, it might be good enough on its own if you're lucky.