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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to turn any airplane seatback screen, gym machine or hotel TV into a wireless listening session with your own earbuds, choose Twelve South AirFly SE; if you need one bag that swallows a 17-inch laptop, a week of clothes and all your travel tech, choose Bxiuna Travel Backpack. One is a tiny Bluetooth transmitter. The other is a 40L carry-on pack. They solve two completely different travel problems, and this comparison is about helping you decide which problem is actually yours.
• Twelve South AirFly SE — biggest strength: It plugs into any standard 3.5mm jack and sends that audio to your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, with 20+ hours of battery life on a single charge.
• Twelve South AirFly SE — biggest trade-off: It only pairs one set of headphones, and it's useless if your audio source doesn't have a physical 3.5mm jack. Hearing aids that rely on Bluetooth Low Energy or a companion app won't work with it.
• Bxiuna Travel Backpack — biggest strength: A roomy 40L, water-resistant polyester pack with a padded sleeve for laptops up to 17.3 inches, six compartments, five pockets and a built-in headphone jack for your phone.
• Bxiuna Travel Backpack — biggest trade-off: It's a bag, not an audio device. Its headphone jack is just a pass-through port for a wired pair, so it does nothing to make your existing wireless headphones work on a plane.
• Who each pick is for: Pick the AirFly SE if your headphones are the problem; pick the Bxiuna backpack if your luggage is the problem.
The AirFly SE is a small plastic transmitter, roughly an inch and a quarter wide and under two inches tall, weighing about 14 grams. It charges over USB-C and runs for over 20 hours per charge, and you can keep using it while it's plugged in — which matters on a long-haul flight where the seatback screen is your only entertainment.
What it does best is remove one specific annoyance: being forced to use the cheap wired headphones handed out on a plane, or sitting in a gym with a dead pair of earbuds because the treadmill only has a headphone jack. Plug the AirFly SE into that jack, power it on, and it flashes white and amber as it enters pairing mode. Put your Bluetooth headphones in pairing mode, and it connects within seconds. On future uses it reconnects to the same headphones automatically. It supports Bluetooth 5.2, aptX and SBC, and outputs stereo audio, so it works with AirPods, Sony, Bose, Beats, Galaxy Buds and basically any headphone that pairs with a phone.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, gym-goers on cardio machines, people with older car stereos, and anyone with a Nintendo Switch or hotel TV they'd rather listen to wirelessly. Volume buttons on the unit give you control without reaching for your phone.
Bxiuna Travel Backpack: Who It's For
The Bxiuna Travel Backpack is a 40L (listed at 37 liters of storage volume) soft-shell polyester pack in blue, built around a padded sleeve that fits laptops up to 17.3 inches. It's water resistant, hand-wash only, and organized around two main zippered compartments plus six total compartments and five pockets, including two ventilated mesh pockets that are handy for cables, chargers and other small tech.
The travel-specific design details are where it earns its keep. There's a trolley sleeve that slides over the handle of your rolling suitcase, so you're not carrying the weight through the airport. The back panel uses a honeycomb airflow padding with breathable, adjustable shoulder straps to cut pressure and heat on longer walks. And there's a discreet anti-theft pocket on the back panel, which is the kind of thing you appreciate in a crowded terminal.
The headphone jack is the detail that connects these two products. The Bxiuna has a built-in port that lets you run a wired pair of headphones from your phone while the bag stays on your back — genuinely useful for commuters. But it's a pass-through for wired audio only. It will not pair with your AirPods, and it will not help you listen to a plane's seatback screen.
Who should buy it: business travelers and commuters who carry a large laptop, students, hikers and anyone doing a carry-on-only trip who wants one bag with real compartment structure. It's also positioned as a gift for a frequent traveler.
Who should skip it: minimalists who want a small daypack, anyone who prefers machine-washable gear, and anyone hoping a backpack will solve their wireless-audio problem. It won't.
• Best for wireless headphones on a plane → Twelve South AirFly SE. It's the only one of the two that turns a 3.5mm jack into a Bluetooth signal.
• Best for carrying a 17-inch laptop → Bxiuna Travel Backpack. The padded sleeve is sized for laptops up to 17.3 inches.
• Best for battery life → Twelve South AirFly SE. 20+ hours per charge, and it works while charging over USB-C.
• Best for capacity and organization → Bxiuna Travel Backpack. 40L of space, six compartments, five pockets, two of them ventilated mesh.
• Best for airport mobility → Bxiuna Travel Backpack. The trolley sleeve and honeycomb back padding are built for moving through terminals.
• Best for protecting against theft → Bxiuna Travel Backpack. The back-panel anti-theft pocket is designed for exactly that.
• Best for gym and hotel-TV audio → Twelve South AirFly SE. Any 3.5mm jack becomes a wireless source.
• Best if you want both problems solved → buy both. Honestly, they don't overlap at all, and a traveler who flies with a big laptop is a realistic candidate for owning each.
In my opinion, the Twelve South AirFly SE is the one I'd buy first, because it fixes something no other item in your bag can: it lets the good headphones you already own work on a plane, a treadmill or an older TV. The Bxiuna Travel Backpack is a genuinely well-organized 40L carry-on with a laptop sleeve, trolley strap and anti-theft pocket — but plenty of backpacks do that job, while very few devices do what the AirFly SE does. If you're choosing strictly on travel-headphone usefulness, the AirFly SE wins. If your actual gap is luggage, the Bxiuna is the practical pick. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both are worth buying only at a number that feels right to you.
how to pack headphones for travel
For over-ear headphones, use the case they came with if you have one, and pack them flat against a soft layer like clothes rather than against the laptop sleeve's hard edge. If you're using the Bxiuna Travel Backpack, the two ventilated mesh pockets are a reasonable spot for earbuds and small cables, while larger headphones fit better in one of the two main zippered compartments. Keep the charging cable with the headphones so you're not hunting for it at the gate.
what is the best headphones for traveling
There's no single answer, because the AirFly SE's own spec sheet makes the point: it works with any headphones that support standard Bluetooth and can enter pairing mode — AirPods, Sony, Bose, Beats, Galaxy Buds and similar. What matters more for travel is battery life and a secure fit, plus knowing your headphones can pair manually. If they support Bluetooth 5.2-era standards and pair with a phone, they'll pair with the AirFly SE.
how to wrap headphones for travel
Wrap the cable loosely in a loop about the size of your palm rather than winding it tightly around the earcups, which stresses the joints. If you're traveling with the AirFly SE, you don't need the cable at all — the whole point is that your headphones connect wirelessly to the 3.5mm jack, so the only cable to manage is the short USB-C charging cable.
what are good headphones for travel
Good travel headphones are the ones you already own that pair over standard Bluetooth, since the AirFly SE supports Bluetooth 5.2, aptX and SBC and outputs stereo audio to a single pair. Prioritize long battery life and a case that survives being stuffed in a 40L pack. One caveat from the spec sheet: hearing aids that rely on Bluetooth Low Energy or a companion app won't work with the AirFly SE, so check with your hearing aid manufacturer first if that's your setup.
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