The unassuming travel kettle – one of the most overlooked heroes of the travel technology market. A staple in many backpacks, a portable kettle has saved many a camping trip, holiday or adventure.

Ensuring you’re never too far away from a good brew, it’s important to find the very best travel kettle that won’t let you down next time you find yourself without your usual amenities. But making a decision on which is the best on the market is becoming increasingly difficult as top-name brands, such as Russell Hobbs, Quest and Lakeland are all putting their best foot forward.

Luckily for you, we’re here to help you sift through all the options, showing off eight of the very best travel kettles to take on your adventures.

How to Choose the Best Travel Kettle UK

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when it comes to choosing the best travel kettle – weight and capacity, speed of boiling, noise and additional features.

Weight & Capacity

The likelihood is, you need to pack your portable kettle into your already very stuffed backpack. So you’ll preferably want a travel kettle that’s small enough and light enough to carry with you. Travel kettles tend to be more lightweight and more compact compared to normal household kettles. Usually, small travel kettles tend to weigh around 0.5kg, while full-sized kettles can weigh as much as 1.6kg.

Ultimately, the lighter the better when shopping for the best travel kettle. However, on the flip side, a small travel kettle is likely to have less capacity. Most portable kettles can only boil up to 1 litre of water, and some only half a litre. Travel kettles also tend to measure around 18cm in height, 11cm in depth and 17cm in width. So make sure you think about the size of your bag and which portable kettle will fit in.

Speed of Boiling

A common issue with travel kettles is how long they can take to boil compared to normal kettles. You don’t have time to be waiting around for your cuppa in the morning when on holiday – you might have more important things to see and do. Some portable kettles can take up to one minute longer to boil than ordinary kettles. So it’s important to test this out before committing to a purchase.

Noise

If you’re travelling with some late risers but can’t wait for your coffee in the morning, you’ll need to get a quiet travel kettle. Thankfully, portable kettles do tend to be a lot quieter than household kettles, which can sound like drills when boiling. There are some travel kettles that are better than others when it comes to noise, though, so this is another thing to consider.

Additional Features

Many of the best travel kettles will come with some additional features that make them easier to use. Most portable kettles will come with dual voltage, making them adaptable to whichever country you’re travelling to, while others might include cups, spoons, containers and even a travel bag. You might also be better looking for a travel kettle with a water gauge as this can be really helpful to see how much water you have to boil or whether it needs a refill. If you’re going to be using your portable kettle in a caravan or campervan, and will be travelling to a hard water area, it might be worth opting for a kettle with a limescale filter – very few travel kettles have one, but it will help keep bitty limescale out of your tea.

The Best Travel Kettles UK

Kampa Collapsible Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for: on-the-go

The Kampa collapsible travel kettle is portability at its finest. It is a ‘Squash kettle’ which is fully foldable, compact and electric – perfect for using in a small tent or stuffing in your backpack to take with you on the move. Despite being perfectly portable, the Kampa travel kettle can hold an impressive 0.8 litres of water (around 4 cups) thanks to its innovative expandable silicone body. When not in use, you can fold it down for storage with dimensions of 17.5 x 13 x 13 cm.

The base of this collapsible travel kettle contains a hidden electric element in its base which draws 1kW of power. Boiling time is admittedly slightly slower than some of the more power-hungry travel kettles out there, but it still comes in at under 5 minutes for the full kettle. The silicone body feels tough and secure giving us peace of mind that it won’t develop leaks, while it comes complete in a collapsible package that’s ideal for minimising packing volumes. The Kampa Squash Travel Kettle is a little pricier than some of the other options on this list, but the review really speak for themselves, with a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon.

Russell Hobbs Compact Electric Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for: lightweight

The Russell Hobbs travel kettle makes for the perfect travel companion. Made of ultra-lightweight plastic, this small travel kettle can fit in your backpack or suitcase without taking up too much space or too much weight to carry. Considered one of the best kettle brands out there, you can trust that you’re in safe hands with this one. Despite its lightweight design, has a capacity of 0.85 litres, making it large enough for three hot drinks.

With 1kW of power, this travel kettle isn’t as powerful as most household ones but it certainly does the job. It also has dual voltage control so that it can be used in any country without issue – just plug in and use as normal. The travel kettle lid is hinged to allow for easy filling and the heating element is concealed to make for easy cleaning. This portable kettle is also equipped with a boil dry protection safety feature – this means that if the kettle were to start evaporating its water, the power automatically switches off.

Arendo Cordless Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for: style

The Arendo cordless travel kettle is a smart little option that is great for travelling or just for smaller kitchens. Designed in a lightweight black and white plastic and a stainless steel interior, the Arendo small travel kettle is incredibly portable and stylish at the same time. It features an easy-to-use two-button usage – one press for on, long press for off and temperature selection. A multicolour power-led indicates the temperature using a colour-based system. It also has an automatic turning off function for safety and to conserve power.

This compact travel kettle has a stainless steel, double-walled interior so the hot water doesn’t come into contact with the plastic exterior, keeping it relatively cool to the touch. Meanwhile, it has a keep-warm feature which helps maintain the temperature of the water for up to an hour. It is energy-saving thanks to its adjustable temperature modes and power of 1.1kW.

Quest Compact Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for: space-saving

Next on our list of the best travel kettles is the Quest 35690 Compact Travel Kettle – a small 0.5 litre option that comes complete with a pair of cups, perfect for having your morning coffee in. But the main advantage of the Quest portable kettle is its size. At only 17.5 x 17 x 8 cm, it is one of the smallest, but also one of the cheapest travel kettles not just on this list, but on the market as a whole. With a 0.5 litre capacity, it can hold enough water for two small hot drinks – perfect for romantic weekends away or a tent trip for two.

This travel kettle might be small, but it is also very mighty. With a rated power of 600W, this portable kettle is energy-saving but boils in as little as 5 minutes. It also features dual voltage supply, making it ideal for caravans, boats and even the garden shed. Once this kettle has finished boiling, it will automatically switch off for safety and energy saving.

Lakeland Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for:

For a travel kettle that stands out from the other white plastic models, opt for this brushed steel kettle from Lakeland. Again, this portable kettle is slightly heavier than some other travel kettle options, but it makes up for this in quality. Made of stainless steel, this portable electric kettle feels sturdy and has a three-year warranty. And, if you’re wanting value for your money, you won’t need to purchase any additional accessories as this travel kettle comes with two spoons, two travel cups and a drawstring bag to transport it in.

With 1kW power and 0.5 litre, it boils pretty quickly, makes enough for two cups and is energy-efficient. This is the best travel kettle if you can’t survive without your daily brew. Ideal for hotel rooms, holiday homes and camping trips, this portable kettle can be popped in your luggage so you have access to a delicious tea or coffee on the road.

Aozzy Car Kettle

The best travel kettle for: road trips

Even fancied a cuppa on the road? With the Aozzy car kettle, you can! The Aozzy travel kettle is the ideal companion for your road trip. Powered by your car’s cigarette charger base, this portable travel kettle is easy and convenient to use while on the go. Designed with a double-layer structure, the inner is made of food-grade silicon boron glass, while the exterior is made from polycarbonate plastic which is anti-collision and well-insulation. It features an intelligent boiling and insulating system which is controlled by an intelligent micro-computer. With display screen and easy buttons, you can select from boiling or insulation and adjust temperature as needed.

Powered by the cigarette lighter charger base, this travel kettle features a standard 12V vehicle power supply plug with a built-in fuse to ensure safety and sufficient boiling. This travel car kettle comes with clips and a car holder so that it can be installed in the air conditioning outlet to save space in the car. Whether you’re on your way to work in the morning, or on a long road trip, this is the best travel kettle for in the car.

Gobesty Foldable Travel Kettle

The best travel kettle for: small bags

This foldable travel kettle is a lifesaver when travelling. When going on holiday, storage space is often limited – that’s where the Gobesty portable kettle comes in handy. Perfect for travelling with small bags, this travel kettle is lightweight and transforms into a mini travel kettle. And, when it comes to capacity, this collapsible travel kettle doesn’t disappoint either. With a generous 0.6 litres of capacity, the Gobesty is slightly above the others on this list.

The plug cord is detachable so it can be easily removed when not in use and the body is made from food-grade, PBA-free, heat-resistant silicone. The base of this travel kettle is made from stainless steel with a plastic handle. If features boil-dry protection and overheat safety features to give you complete peace of mind. When folded, this collapsible travel kettle measures just 10cm, and when unfolded just 18cm. The boiling time of this travel kettle is 4 minutes, which is similar to most household kettles.