Thank you to Roaming Man for providing me with their device in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions and recommendations are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
On my recent adventure to Morocco and France, I was provided with a Roaming Man to use for the entire duration of the trip. Considering the length of my trip was nearly a month (my longest to date), this was a welcomed solution to my “how-to-do-my-data-for-a-month” question. There are different options out there and since I’ve never done anything besides a global extension of my domestic carrier plan, I was excited to try something new.About Roaming Man
Meknes, Morocco
Roaming Man is a 4G global, portable wifi hotspot perfect for world travelers. Compatible with any wifi-enabled device, it is secure, affordable and available in over 130 countries!
Features
Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Connect up to 5 devices
- 15-hour battery life
- Doubles as a powerbank
- Size: 4.6 inches x 2.5 inches x 0.8 inches
- Weight: 0.44 lbs
- Screen: 3.5 inch LTD
- Unlimited Data (for the most part-restrictions do apply)
Functionality
Essaouira, Morocco
Your Roaming Man wifi device will arrive in the mail. Along with the device, a carrying case, USB cord, and a return envelope are included in the package. Shipping (both delivery and returns) is free.
NOTE: You will need your own wall plug or USB port.
Your device should come charged and ready to go, but be sure to check it and charge if needed before your trip. Turn the device on to test it and once it boots up, it’s ready to go. The device name and password will automatically come up on the screen. On your phone, tablet or computer, select your Roaming Man device in the wifi menu and then enter its password. That’s it! You’re done and good to go!
You might also like: MY GEAR & TECH EQUIPMENT
Front Lines
So, how did Roaming Man fare on my trip? I was very pleasantly surprised. There were only a handful of times where it was really slow or didn’t work and that only lasted while we were between cities and only for a few minutes before service returned as normal. However, this isn’t an unusual occurrence for any wifi device or service.
Sahara Desert, Morocco
In Morocco, it worked in the Sahara Desert!! I was totally prepared for it to not work in the desert and did not reasonably expect it to work. I mean, it’s the desert. However, we had full service during our entire overnight excursion in the Sahara. That in and of itself made it totally worth it!
In France, I was in Paris and the farthest I went outside the city was Versailles so naturally, I had great service as expected. It was nice to have a smooth transition with uninterrupted service in both countries from hotel wifi to Roaming Man. It was also nice to have Roaming Man as a backup when the hotel wifi was slow!
Conclusions
Sahara Desert, Morocco
- 4G wifi that works almost everywhere (including the middle of the Sahara Desert in Morocco)
- Doubles as a phone charger-no need to carry an additional apparatus
- Connect up to 5 devices
- Fast connection/speed
- Private, secure connection
- Charges my phone quickly
- Doesn’t have to be configured-turn it on, connect, done.
- Coverage in over 130 countries
- Covers countries that some popular US phone carriers do not (ex: Morocco)
Paris, France
Because nothing is perfect…
- $100 deposit (I wasn’t required to pay this, but it is standard and you do get it back once the device is returned)
- $10/day for service which is my phone carrier cost per day
- Somewhat bulky
- No screen protector-must store in its carrying case (which takes up more room) to not risk scratching the screen.
For me personally, the pros outweigh the cons and I would happily use it again!
PIN IT!
Hopefully, this is the information you need to make an informed decision and honestly, if you are wanting a sure bet, this is it. If you are looking for a portable, fast, reliable wifi device to use in most any location, Roaming Man is for you!
If you want to try out Roaming Man, be sure to take $10 off your order with discount code “THANKS10” !
‘Til next time…
Trimm Travels,
We have been looking for wifi solutions as we travel. After visiting Sri Lanka, we switched to Sprint for international service. However, the domestic side of things hasn’t been great so far. Perhaps we’ll switch plans again and look for a Roaming Man plan for when we travel. I can definitely see the advantages.
Hi Jenn and Ed-definitely try it out and see how you like it. It was definitely a lifesaver for us on that trip and the fact it worked in the Sahara was just mind-blowing! Thanks for reading! 🙂
We have exactly this question as we slow travel most of the time – “how-to-do-my-data-for-a-month” and we would add an ‘s’ in front of the month ! Happy to find out about Roaming man. Good that it can connect upto five devices as most of the time, single person would have at least 2 devices to connect and if you are a pair, this one takes care of that! Being present in up to 130 countries is also a plus. Like the honest review with highlighting not-so-good points too as they help to make a mindful decision.
Hi, yes it does help to be able to connect up to 5 devices for sure and the area it covers is fantastic. Just like any other service out there, it won’t cover every inch of the globe, but it covers a lot (hello Sahara Desert)! I’m glad you like the review. I did want to make sure everything was pointed out so people could make an informed decision. It is a great device though! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I’m impressed that the device worked in the Sahara Desert! I also like that the device looks like a phone and not a huge bulky device.
Hi Candy, yes it wasn’t too bulky and looks a lot like a phone! I was SO impressed that it worked in the Sahara Desert! I couldn’t believe it…I certainly didn’t expect it to work there! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I have a 7-country, 7-week European trip this October/November. Would l6ive to try this new gadget. Perfect for a travel blogger.
Hi Carol, yes that would be the perfect time to try it out!! If you do, I would love to know how it went for you! And how much fun will that trip be?!?!? Thanks for reading! 🙂
This sounds pretty good. As a matter of fact, I’m happy with free wifi most of the time. On my last travels, I was amazed that there was wifi literally everywhere. And since last summer, we don’t pay for roaming in Europe anymore which helps a lot.
Hi Renata, yes that definitely helps and there is more of the free wifi than there used to be. But when you’re going to destinations like Morocco where there isn’t always wifi (especially in the desert) and you’re out and about walking so much or in car/bus rides driving all over the country, it’s SO nice to have! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Great review. We are familiar with Roaming Man but holding off on trying it until they launch their satellite version. We currently have an outstanding Tmobile global plan with free text and unlimited data and no throttling anywhere we are in the world as long as there is a mobile signal. 😉 Wondering did you find your speed throttled at all once you passed 500mb of data in a 24 hour period, which is very easy to do when working with photos.
Hi Michael, good question! Yes, it was supposed to slow down once we passed 500MBs but a lot of the time it didn’t. I couldn’t believe I had gotten to over 700MBs one day because it hadn’t slowed down. But yes it technically is supposed to happen. Would be interested to hear how the satellite version goes…although we had coverage in the middle of the Sahara Desert!! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Finding WiFi is always an issue for us. I am not really a big fan of local sim card because between my husband and I, we have too many devices that need to connect. Roaming Man seems like a great option. I wonder if they can ship the WiFi device to any country? And how long does it usually take to ship?
Hi Cat, same for me. I’ve never done a local SIM card but I’m not really wanting to do that for a couple of reasons and one is having too many devices like you. I checked with the company and they actually don’t ship outside the US, but they have a partnership with this company in Canada so maybe that helps you out? Thanks for reading! 🙂
I travel a lot and do a lot of social media on my phone so I am always looking for ways to have good wifi on the cheap! This looks like a great service that I absolutely need to check out!
Hi Andi, yes it is fabulous if you need to do a lot of social media! I had to do a ton of it too every day that I was gone for almost a month and it was a lifesaver for this…especially when I was in the car for long rides between locations! Check them out and thanks for reading! 🙂
This was a really interesting read. I didn’t even know a device like this existed! I also sooo appreciate that you’ve given a pros and cons list. I feel like it’s a bit expensive if you are only in one country and could get a data plan for that country. However if you are country/continent hopping like you did it sounds ideal!!
Hi Sarah, I’m glad you found the article helpful with the pros and cons list. I feel like it’s important to give a realistic review and nothing is 100% perfect. That said, Roaming Man is close! It was definitely useful for our trip! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Wow – it worked in the Sahara Desert?! That. Is. Crazy. Consider me a fan — like you said, that alone is worth getting one! When we visited Japan last October, we used a pocket WiFi device that worked okay, but it sounds like Roaming Man has better range. It also looks more lightweight than the other device I used. Thanks for sharing — great find!
Hi Julianne-YES! It worked in the SAHARA!! Can you believe that? I didn’t think it would and didn’t expect it to either!! I have heard of pocket wifi devices too and wondered how they fared. Roaming Man does have a great range and with the ability to connect multiple devices AND use it as a charger, it was really a lifesaver! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I didn’t even know if something like this existed. I have to pay $10 a day for every day that I use my data with AT&T. But with AT&T I often lose service so this may be an alternative that could be slightly more affordable in the long run, although I don’t know about the hundred dollar deposit. I almost feel like just buying it out right would be worth it and activating it when I needed it.
Hi Janiel, I’m finding that you aren’t alone by a long shot. A lot of people don’t know that this device exists. And yes, my friend and I both discovered (she has AT&T and I have Verizon) that neither of our phone carriers would have worked in Morocco as Morocco wasn’t on either global plan. So that was even an OPTION!! Yeah, the $100 deposit is a downside, but then again it’s just a deposit you get back when you return the device and I can understand their need for collateral on a device like that. I’m not sure you can buy it outright, but that’s definitely something to look into! Thanks for reading! 🙂
This sounds awesome – this is my eternal battle when travelling – getting mobile data! For some reason my phone doesn’t switch over to roaming, even though my Telco provider offers it in the countries I visit. It’s highly frustrating and I end up paying so much money on overseas SIM cards. This sounds like a great solution. The fact it even worked in the Sahara Desert is amazing!
Hi Juliette, isn’t it an eternal battle?? It’s even worse with your struggles with your carrier! I don’t really want to do multiple SIM cards either so really Roaming Man is the perfect solution! It just absolutely blew me away that it worked in the SAHARA!! We couldn’t believe it! Check them out and thanks for reading! 🙂
Haven’t really found myself in such a situation where I can’t do without Wifi but I figure, thats something which is going to happen soon, as my travels are increasing. Am glad you mentioned on the cons as well, as now its all upto me to choose what I want to do, based on my budget and usage.
Hi Arnav, if you can go without wifi or don’t need it when traveling, that’s a different story I guess. I can’t go without it with my job, but I also don’t like to go without it for safety reasons (and let’s face it, I like my connections). But if your travels are increasing and you find you need wifi, check them out. It’s a very reliable device! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I have thought about something like this for some time now, its crazy that you got signal in the desert! By the way, the link didn’t work for me. Not sure if just my issue or not though.
Hi Damien, Definitely check them out! Yes, a full signal in the SAHARA DESERT!!! How crazy awesome is that?? Can you tell me which link didn’t work for you? I know I have a few, want to be sure it is working. Thanks for reading and letting me know! 🙂
I appreciate the detailed review — and the connectivity in the Sahara is impressive! However, I have unlimited text and data on my phone for $10 per day when out of the country, AND I use it as a hotspot when I need it. I have a hard time seeing why I would carry another object along with my camera equipment and laptop.
Hi Ann, yes that was a drawback for me as well. I, too, have my domestic plan via my phone carrier for $10 per day. The problem this trip was my phone carrier (and other major US carriers) didn’t work in Morocco so that wouldn’t have been an option. Granted, there aren’t a ton of countries that it won’t work in, but this trip it saved me! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Ohhh great option for travelers! That is absolutely insane it worked in the desert haha. As someone who needs to work from the road, its important i have access to wi-fi so I’ll definitely keep this in mind for my next international trip!
Hi Ashley, I know! Wasn’t it insane that we had coverage in the desert?? Absolutely amazing! Definitely keep it in mind for your next international trip! Thanks for reading! 🙂
These days, I am really frustrated with the internet issues during travel. Tried to use domestic carriers and their devices none of them had impressed me. Maybe, this time I am gonna experiment with Roaming Man and would let you know my experience.
Thanks, Heather for this detailed information.
Hi Diyasree-I understand your frustration completely! Roaming Man was the difference in so much for me on my Morocco and France trip. I had no expectations of it working in the Sahara Desert but IT DID and that was when I really became impressed with it. I hope you get to try it out and have the same experience. Thanks so much for reading! 🙂