In this article you’ll find the lowdown on the research I’ve done on finding a good travel Ukulele.
After Having multiple “travel Ukuleles” not work out for me this year……I decided to really dive in and do a ton of research on the best Travel Ukuleles out there. As I was searching for quality travel ukes……..I was shocked at the options I found. There are great solid builds with fantastic tone (Seriously, the tone on some of these is exceptional) that was similar to your average (or some above average) Ukulele. You might find yourself using some of these as your everyday Uke. You don’t have to settle for bad tone to get a good travel uke.
It should go without saying…….but not all Travel Ukuleles are built the same. There are so many different options. Everything from plastic Ukuleles that you can literally wash after a beach trip……to ultra thin Ukulele’s. The options for Travel Ukuleles are all very unique.
Now….
We decided not to rank these from best to worst. For example, #1 is not necessarily better than #7. Each of these has their own awesome, unique qualities. All of these Ukes are great choices. Everyone has different needs, so no Uke on this list is necessarily better than the others.
I will repeat myself: Not all of these are for every player, for instance I personally do not like plastic Ukes. They work great for so many people, they’re just not my cup of tea. I think they sound tinny. You might not think so.
Warning: Some of these Ukes are ultra thin compared to normal Ukes. Don’t skip over these and assume their tone won’t cut it because of this. Some of these thin Ukes sound just as good as your average Uke. I’ll prove that. Don’t Skip them! You’ll be surprised.
(Top 7) Best Value Travel Ukuleles
Makala Waterman –
While, this one is not my favorite option……….I made this the first on the list because this is the one I think most people are looking for. It’s extremely durable, light, and affordable. All while sounding (reasonably) nice. Which is what most people want in a Travel Ukulele.
So, despite all that…….why don’t I like it?
For me, this isn’t cutting it for two reasons. For one, the action is way to high and two…………….the tone is just to tinny sounding. If neither of those bother you, awesome!
I guess, I technically could’ve adjusted the overly high action height (action height is the distance between the strings and the fretboard). However, I didn’t want to do this for an inexpensive Uke. Just not worth it to me. I’d be better off buying a slightly more expensive Uke.
Of course, these Ukes are perfect Travel companions for those who need a sturdy option that can withstand most outdoor adventures. If that’s what you need then this option is most likely your best bet.
Eddy Finn Beach Comber –
If you’re not interested in another budget friendly plastic Uke, go ahead and skip this one. This uke is simply another great option for anyone that wants an extremely durable travel Uke.
What’s the best thing about this one? Super affordable. Worst thing? I simply don’t like how it looks. Which is a shame, because this is actually a pretty great option for a plastic Uke.
What you’ll probably enjoy though, is that this Uke doesn’t sound very tinny for a plastic Uke. Something I noticed was a problem with a lot of the plastic Ukes. I couldn’t really figure out why this one sounds better though. Maybe the sound hole placement?
It’s got some other nice features as well other than the price and the tone. I do like that it is a cutaway and that you can adjust the bridge (not all plastic options allow this).
Kala (ka-sstu) –
Beautiful ukulele. Warm full sound. Super high quality.
That basically sums it up, other than the price point (which is a little high). This Uke is thin (measurements here)…………super thin. Still, it sounds incredible which is very odd. I wasn’t at all prepared for how it sounds.
Be careful though…….
This ukulele isn’t really meant for someone who wants to go through harsh weather conditions. This ukulele is more meant for travel because it is small. Making it easier to slide in a backpack or wherever you want to put it.
If you don’t really need to have an extremely durable travel uke, this is the one. Take a listen for yourself, and fall in love (not joking).
Vorson Aug24 ABS –
Probably the perfect option for someone looking for something to basically be able to beat up and not have to worry about it at all.
This guy is super inexpensive, and sounds pretty decent (not incredible, but okay), and is made of plastic. You won’t have to worry about bringing this one anywhere.
Anyways, give it a listen. You won’t be as surprised at the tone as say the thin Kala, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Skip to 1:30 to hear it in action..
Note: there is tons of talk online saying that this is actually the same Uke as the Korala Ukes (which are now extremely hard to find). Basically they’ve just stuck a new label on the instrument and called it a day. I couldn’t find any information that I could say 100% backed that claim, so I’m not going to say that they are. However, the builds do look almost identical. So it may be true.
Eddy Finn (ef-trv-c) –
Here’s another option that’s super thin and very high quality. Great travel Uke, but not one you’d want to bring camping.
This is more of an option like the Kala, it isn’t as high quality, but it is close. The tone is very clear and warm. The build is exceptional.
Again, however this is a more expensive option. Which can be a problem, especially with a uke you’ll want to bring to many different environments. I’d say this is more of a travel option for around town rather than say, a beach trip……..but to each their own.
I would like to mention that again, like the other Eddy Finn…….the soundhole is very unique. I do like the design of this one, not like the other where it’s slightly off center.
Take a listen here:
Kmise Travel Ukulele (Gorgeous Uke) –
So, this may come as shock to you if you know anything about KMISE products…………..but this is my favorite option. Why?
Because this is the most inexpensive option you can find without that “tinny sound” you get from plastic Ukuleles. Honestly, I think the tone from these is great. Many people aren’t fond of KMISE, but I personally love them. They’ve made tons of great changes and their Ukuleles (and Banjoleles, and all their products for that matter) are stellar. Seriously, they’re a high build quality nowadays and right now they’re a stupid good deal.
In the future I really think they’re going to be one of the higher end brands.
Anyways, I won’t rant about them anymore. If you search em up you’ll find tons of people talking about how they’ve come a long way and are a high quality instrument now.
So, on the downside of course this isn’t exactly the Uke you can take anywhere and not have any damage. But, at least you don’t have to worry about it to much because it isn’t super expensive.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, it’s thin.
Ammoon Electric (solid wood) –
So, I realized when I was searching that there was a lot of people that were looking for quiet travel Ukuleles. Not that this is something I would ever want, but I guess it makes sense that if you’re traveling and looking to be quiet in say a hotel room then you’d want a quiet Uke.
I found this option, it’s an electric Ukulele that seems to do the job. Nothing incredibly special about it really, other than that it can of course be played quietly and it is thin and small. I think for some people, this is the right choice.
To all the people that are looking for quiet travel Ukuleles, honestly there are tons of electric Ukuleles that should do the job that are thin because they simply don’t need room to amplify the sound. Poke around any site that sells Ukes and you should find some good options, this one though did seem to be the smallest.
Some Obvious (And not so Obvious) tips for buying your first Travel Ukulele
#1 Think about the environment you’ll be carrying your Travel Uke around in.
This is most likely obvious to everyone reading this, especially considering you’re looking specifically for a travel Ukulele. But, it should bear repeating that since instruments are made of wood they can crack if the humidity goes back and forth from high to low.
This can do some serious damage to your instrument, and you’ll need to purchase a humidifier if you plan on going to any dry areas.
This is of course, if you’re choosing a wood option, this isn’t as much of an issue with the plastic Ukuleles. But, if you go to an extremely dry area you might have problems with the glue that holds your frets coming off. Which thankfully isn’t a hard fix (if you know what you’re doing). It would take quite a long time for that to happen however.
There are a ton of options out there if you decide to get a humidifier for your Uke. Most are pretty inexpensive and sit in your soundhole. You can however, simply get a humidifier to bring along and place in your room where you’re staying. Kind of over the top, but I’ve heard of people doing it. I guess it’s nice because you don’t have to deal with the dry air yourself to.
#2 Do Not let Luggage handlers your Uke.
I’m sorry if you’re a luggage handler, but I will never forget how appalled I was watching a video of one of my buddies multiple thousand dollar Gibson literally get thrown in a video he shared on facebook.
I think about it all the time. It literally had fragile stickers all over it.
Really, this shouldn’t be a big deal. You should be fine bringing it with you as a carry on. Just seriously do not be tempted to let them handle your Uke.
Don’t believe me? Watch this shocking video below. Think about someone doing that to your instrument (or anything you own for that matter) makes my blood boil.
This is also not the only video I found, just one of the worst.
#3 Seriously Consider getting a Hard Case
Again, kind of obvious. I didn’t realize however how inexpensive these were. Tons of really high quality options that won’t break the budget, I don’t remember seeing some of these even a few years ago.
Having a hard case will give you piece of mind, and no matter what you’re going to have to get a case anyways so you might as well get a nice one that will protect your Uke. You don’t to get anything absolutely wild like the Fiberglass Crossrock cases, there’s tons of super inexpensive ones that will work.
#4 If you plan on going somewhere very hot, be warned.
I know I said before that the plastic Ukuleles were the best option for those that really needed something that could get beat up. That is still true.
But…
These do run the risk of actually caving in slightly if you take them around hot temperatures for a long while, you don’t actually want to bring these out in the sun. Many people online have had this happen to them, while this isn’t an issue I’ve run across…….it is something to keep in mind.
#5 Don’t forget to pack a TON of picks in your Uke bag!
YES. I AM ONE OF THOSE WEIRD PEOPLE WHO PLAY UKE WITH A PICK! JUDGE ME. lol.
Seriously though, pack a ton of picks! (If you don’t play fingerstyle that is). Nothing worse than forgetting them! Then again, the whole reason I ever started practicing fingerstyle was out of boredom late night when all the shops around me were closed. So, maybe it’s a good thing lol.
#6 Hit. Up. The. Local. Store.
If at all possible. Especially if you’re a beginner. Go to your local store and test them first. I know this might seem obvious……….(and you can skip this step if you have experience buying Ukes of course) but really it’s almost always best to buy your instrument from a local store.
Unfortunately, even extremely nice high end stores don’t offer that much when it comes to Ukes, at least when it comes to a large variety. So I understand your struggle if you’re like me and you’ve recently moved to a rural area. (I’m in a town of literally 500 nowadays) We’ve got a truck stop. That’s seriously all there is around here. Not a lot of options! Nearest decent music store is over an hour away.
Summary:
Just like buying any other instrument, buying a travel Uke is really up to personal preference. I chose this list after looking at tons of different options out there, and I think each of these will be good for the right person. There is no one size fits all!
Hope you enjoyed reading this, if there’s anything you think I should add…….or anything you think I’ve forgotten please leave a comment. Thanks!