While it’s easy to rent a portable 4G Wi-fi router from a vendor, if you travel frequently and don’t want to waste your time collecting or returning the router, it makes better sense to buy your own router.

You can also get one offering better performance and more advanced functions than those provided by the rental companies.

Before buying your own Wi-fi router, you should make sure that the router is unlocked (which means you can use SIM cards from any telecom carrier) and is compatible with the 4G standard and frequency bands (there are two different 4G LTE standards: TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE) used in your travel destinations.

Other considerations include the Wi-fi standards it supports (preferably 802.11ac, which is backward compatible with all previous generations), download/upload speeds, battery life and other additional features, such as a LAN (Local Area Nework) port to connect to broadband and a microSD slot for data storage.

Check out 5 flagship models from the major router manufacturers that would make for a good choice – depending on your needs and budget.

1. Netgear Nighthawk M1

The Nighthawk M1, which costs about HK$2,380 to HK$2,980 (US$300 to US$380) is probably the most advanced model on the market. The router can connect with up to 20 devices at the same time.

It is the industry’s first mobile router to achieve a download speed of up to 1Gbps and upload speed of 150Mbps (by supporting the latest 4G LTE Advanced Pro Category 16 standard). The router supports 802.11ac Wi-fi standard with dual bands (2.5GHz and 5GHz).

Its removable 5040mAh battery is large enough to last for the whole day. A USB Type-C slot is provided to connect with an external hard drive to share data with all the connected devices.

2. Huawei Mobile Wi-fi 2 Pro (E5885)

The Mobile Wi-fi 2 Pro (HK$1,010 to HK$1,140) supports LTE+ Category 6, offering a download speed of up to 300Mbps and 50Mbps for uploads.

The router supports 802.11ac Wi-fi standard with dual bands. It can connect with up to 32 devices. With a large 6400mAh battery, it can last for the whole day, and can also be used as a powerbank to charge other devices.

3. TP-Link M7450

The M7450 (HK$873-HK$1,298) has similar design and performance as Huawei’s E5885, but it has a smaller battery (3000mAh) and cannot be used as a powerbank.

The router supports LTE+ Category 6 with maximum download speed of 300Mbps and 50Mbps for upload.

It supports 802.11ac with dual bands, and can connect with up to 32 devices.

4. ZTE MF980

The MF980 (available in the United States for about US$200) supports LTE+ Category 9, offering a download speed of up to 450Mbps and upload speed of 50Mbps.

The device supports 802.11ac with dual bands. The router can connect with up to 32 devices.

Its battery, at 2200mAh, is relatively small and can last for only about 10 hours.

5. Xiaomi ZMI MF885

If battery life is your primary concern, you should check out Xiaomi’s ZMI MF885.

Designed as both a powerbank and a Wi-fi router, it is equipped with a large 10,000mAh battery.

However, it offers only standard 4G LTE performance, with a download speed of up to 150Mbps and 50Mbps for upload.

Connecting with up to nine devices, it supports Wi-fi 802.11b/g/n standards, but not the latest Wi-fi 802.11ac.

With the price of HK$495 to HK$598, it’s still a good buy, despite its mediocre 4G performance.

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