Essential festival tech for Glastonbury 2019: phones, power banks and speakers

With Glastonbury 2019 just around the corner, now's the time to get the essentials in order. Cheap tech can be a lifesaver for a weekend in a soggy field, but choose something that will last if you want to stick out the festival in style.

A simple phone can be a great investment if you don't want to be fretting over your pricey contract smartphone, pick up a power bank to avoid the crowds around a plug socket and, of course, a festival wouldn't be complete without a speaker to relive your favourite tunes.

Browse Which? Technology for all the latest news, product reviews and advice.

Simple phones with capable cameras

We keep things simple with our simple phones test - we're looking for handsets that are easy to use, last a long time but still get the basics right.

Alba Sim Free 2.8 inch (£20)

This cheap simple phone from Alba pairs a decent number of features with a reasonable price. It has a 2.8-inch screen and a clear screen with large icons.

The Alba has two Sim-card slots, which is unusual for a simple phone. Switching between different Sim cards is a nice bonus if you make a lot of international calls - one Sim can handle UK numbers and the other can deal with international calls.

Is this one of the best simple phones money can buy in 2019? See our expert verdict in our Alba Sim Free 2.8 inch review.

Doro 1370 (£26)

The Doro 1370 could be a good fit for Glastonbury - it's small enough to tuck into your pocket and has a 3Mp camera. This simple phone's camera obviously won't compete with the picture quality you'd get from a flagship mobile, but you're paying a very low sum for convenience.

This simple phone has basic 2G network capability and a built-in torch, handy if you're weaving between tents away from the main stage in the evening. There's a micro-SD card slot onboard, so you can add up to 32GB of space for your festival snaps.

To see how many hours you'll get from this mini mobile on a single charge, see our full Doro 1370 review.

For every simple phone we test, we pay close attention to the features that matter the most - ease of use, battery life and call quality. Uncover our full range of simple phone reviews.

Other smartphone battery-saving tips

If you're set on taking your smartphone to Glastonbury instead of a simple phone, there are a couple of ways to get more from a single charge without turning it off. To squeeze some extra life from your smartphone:

Avoid battery-life woes with our guide to the mobile phones with the best battery life.

Power banks for all-day battery life

Ever wondered if power banks actually deliver the power they promise? We decided to find out.

Energizer Max Portable (£9)

On sale for less than a tenner, this power bank from Energizer might catch your eye if you don't want to spend big. It has a claimed capacity of 2,500mAh and will easily tuck into your pocket or backpack.

There's a USB and micro-USB port at one end of this power bank. An LED on the front face of the Energizer tells you when it's fully charged.

See how the Energizer Max Portable compared to other low-capacity power banks.

Juice Squash XL (£23)

This is the highest-capacity power bank we've tested, offering up a whopping 11,200mAh of juice. It comes in a vibrant blue, pink or yellow, and you can use it to charge two devices at the same time. LEDs on the side of the Juice Squash XL let you know how much power is left.

Can this battery pack deliver on its power promises?See how the Juice Squash XL compared to other high-capacity power banks.

To see which battery packs will last you all through Glastonbury, see our expert guide on the best portable power bank chargers for 2019.

Bluetooth speakers for tunes in the tent

Keep yourself entertained outside hours with a Bluetooth speaker that will last.

Sony SRS-XB01 (£19)

If you're shopping for a cheap Bluetooth speaker to pack in your bag for Glastonbury, you might want to try this Sony model. The SRS-XB01 can be controlled using your smartphone or with the four physical buttons on the top.

The speaker comes with a carry handle and is IPX5-rated, so it's water resistant, but not fully waterproof.

Read our Sony SRS-XB01 review to find out how it fares in our tests.

Ultimate Ears Blast (£75)

If you want a bit more bass this Ultimate Ears claims to deliver, plus it's well designed for outdoor use thanks to its waterproof shell. It's wi-fi enabled, so you can stream music to it from Amazon Music or Spotify. Support for the Alexa voice assistant lets you control the speaker hands-free and an equaliser (available through the UE mobile app) lets you tweak the sound to your liking.

In theory, it will survive in up to one metre of water for around 30 minutes. We doubt you'll be scuba diving at Glastonbury (although stranger things have happened), but it's nice to know that the speaker can survive the rain.

Whether you're shopping for a large speaker to sit in the living room or a portable alternative to take outdoors, check our expert reviews before parting with your money. Head over to our full range of wireless and Bluetooth speaker reviews.