Freewrite Traveler Review | Is It Worth It?

I'm reviewing the Freewrite Traveler, a distraction free word processing tool from Astrohaus. Things I cover include but are not limited to its size, weight, battery life, wireless syncing, cost, keyboard, and more. Should you buy a Freewrite Traveler? Is it worth the $429 price tag? I'm sharing my thoughts and who I think it might be good for!
Get Traveler for $170 off (not an affiliate link!): getfreewrite.com/products/fre...
Use Code "ALEXA" for an additional 5% off! Good on either the Traveler or the regular Freewrite!
Thank you to Astrohaus for sending me the Freewrite Traveler for review. This is not a sponsored video. Opinions are my own.
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Freewrite Basics/How It Works
04:43 Keyboard & Typing
05:19 What I Liked
10:27 Caveats to Consider
14:35 Should You Buy One?
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+FILMING SPECS+
Camera: Canon t6i
Mic: Rode VideoMic Go Light
Lighting: Limo Studio Soft Kit
Editing Software: Pinnacle Studio 22

[@AlexaDonne]

If you are interested in getting a Freewrite, I got a discount code! Use Code "ALEXA" for an additional 5% off! Good on either the Traveler or the regular Freewrite! Currently you can get the Traveler for $170 off + use the 5% discount code above: getfreewrite.com/products/freewrite-traveler? (note: this is NOT an affiliate link!)

[@crypticbeliever1238]

Do you know how much time publishers give you to write the second book in a series after they buy the first book? I'm curious because I've heard writers talk about deadlines and want to know just how much faster I'd need to get at writing to make such deadlines.

[@AlexaDonne]

@@crypticbeliever1238 6-9 months, if you are lucky. Sometimes less but it depends. You might get a year due to the lead time of the first one being published two years out.

[@crypticbeliever1238]

@@AlexaDonne Thank you! This helps a lot! I now know I need to either double or triple my writing speed because it took me a year to write just the first draft of my first book.

[@cerealgods]

me: I want *hears price* me, now acutely aware of how poor I am: I want

[@kats6736]

The alphasmart she mentions at the beginning is like $50 bucks on ebay.

[@sincityquinn]

Don’t waste your money. The Alphasmart is better.

[@INTCUWUSIUA]

@@sincityquinn And if you do still want one of these you could probably put one together for much cheaper out of an e-ink display, a Raspberry Pi, and a mechanical keyboard.

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

​@@INTCUWUSIUAEven cheaper is a Chinese Special bluetooth keyboard and a word processor on an old phone or something.

[@JonathanSanchez-kk1lr]

7:20 In an alternate universe, Alexa still uses her gaming laptop and dedicates her time to be a streamer instead of an author on KZbin

[@AlexaDonne]

Hahah I have legit thought about steaming my gaming but it makes me SO ANXIOUS b/c I'm a very aggressive player (I get MAD at the AI when they mess w/ my game) and I think I'd feel very exposed. It's a side of me few see haha.

[@NineSixRane]

We'd LOVE to see you post a gaming video on this channel! You can post one gaming video first to feel the reaction.

[@tobesoquiet]

Please do more reviews! It's really useful to know what I should ask for when it comes to the holidays and my birthday when I want to get writing tools. Plus I really trust your feedback and opinions when it comes to this stuff.

[@NightOwlReader2790]

Hearing how much it costs almost made me cough out blood!!

[@kevinbirge2130]

If you adjust for inflation, it’s what a decent typewriter used to cost. Not a great one. A good one. The build quality is there-it looks and feels like its price. An investment.

[@johnhinkleman9757]

It’s a high quality product. I understand not everyone can stomach the price. But you have to pay if you want quality.

[@jethonjenkins5798]

You're reviews always seem Fair and Balanced. Thank you!

[@Deadseriousliving]

I have this and love it! Looking forward to when I am free to move about and use it out in the wild 😄

[@joshuaisaac99]

Is the posture awkward to look down at that tiny screen for longer periods of time?

[@hazelphoenix203]

Thank you for the review, Alexa! The cost is the biggest con for me. But I would also want the ability to edit my documents more easily. I think I'll stick to my clunky laptop unless there's a significant drop in price. But I appreciate the video, I was on the fence on this one and now I'm much more comfortable in my decision :)

[@pipitameruje]

I'm on the same page. For this sort of price I would rather get a nice tablet with a keyboard that I can attach or even just type on screen, which would work fine for the sprints and sudden rushes of ideas. But the review was helpful in that it "exposes" the features of this that wouldn't work for me.

[@mina352]

At the price, a Microsoft Surface or iPad with a keyboard might be better - and they can both do much more thant his as well!

[@muskndusk]

Maybe buy an old Thinkpad and disable connecting to the internet. I have a Thinkpad X200 which is a perfect writing machine which has only writing software, such as Word, Scrivener etc. I transfer files between this and my main laptop using a thumb drive. It was only £75 from ebay. You can get some nice, small, Thinkpads from there.

[@dixonnegron1083]

Screen size seems too small and my eyesight isn’t great. I think I’d rather stick with a bigger screen.

[@TheDakini9]

I totally love your review of this.

[@readingontherun4677]

💕The shape and size. Easy to throw in a purse. Cute!

[@theatheistpaladin]

I just got something similar. I have the Re:markable 2. I can handwrite with a stylus and it can translate it. 400 USD. It's very sturdy, and I am having fun with it. I am writing so much more than I could before.

[@LeonardoOliveirapop]

Very nice review. Thank you very much for it.

[@NancyKuykendall]

Excellent review. Thank you.

[@gabbys.2084]

Saw this nifty device on TikTok and decided to take a peek at some reviews before considering to save for it. Only makes me more excited at the prospect of it! Also, you have a lovely smile.

[@sincityquinn]

I wanted to love this so bad. Ive had it since it was released and found that I’ve gone back to my iPad Pro with the magic keyboard. The Alphasmart is better and its hundreds of dollars cheaper. This is just not worth the money. I had the original also. And the fact that you could not go backward was so frustrating. If the e ink screen wasn’t so slow, on both, that wouldn’t be a problem. But as someone who types as fast as I think, that became a problem really quickly. After years of typing with auto correct, you really don’t understand how many mistakes you make. And when I look back and see that spelling are just brutal, or have to wait literally 3 second for the words to catch up on the screen, THAT is a distraction that I can not deal with. Plus, I lost several drafts after it updated. Even though the documents had been updated in real time. They were just gone.

[@dadtype2339]

Sorry late to the party, wow, lost work sucks, been there too. I have been trying to understand this, but I don't get it and it's because I already have a method that works for me, I do all my first drafts on a typewriter, so you can write distraction free, and to the work yourself and you save on paper memory, shows your work. I also have a 1990 brother EP-43 a thermal quiet typewriter, it's about the same size as the Freewrite, and best of all battery, 4 C size, lasts about 3 weeks, with heavy use, it cost me $9.00 and then I hand type the pages transfer by hand which adds another layer of editing, story and structural understand of what's been written, yeah takes longer than WiFi zipping but the story suffers missing that step. eBay is where I got mine, hard to find one for 9 bucks now, but, yeah, that's what I do, and I appreciate your comment. Thanks for reading, my Best and Cheers.

[@lmpeck4329]

Really helpful. Thank you.

[@lr.red.writes]

I've seen this thing so many times. I really want one but I cannot justify spending that much on something with only one use. When they have a special sale I'll definitely grab one.

[@Charlyaraya]

I got it expecting to write everywhere as a Traveler… it doesn’t have a screen light and by the price it is a total dealbreaker. I started the return process 1 hour after receiving it, I was not able to see well what I was typing

[@iamwarlock1292]

That was priceless what you did with 'finding' the directory! I laughed because that's totally something I would do. I tend to pants my electronics too 😁 but I love this item! So portable. I like to write in the park since CoVD (a little cold now but in warmer weather) and usually have a notepad for the purpose, or cards (I'm trying to learn how to plot) or voicenotes. I've just ordered an Alphasmart off eBay that was in my price range. And I'm putting a Freewrite Traveler on my wishlist. I just don't see a downside... great review!

[@dukeofdenver]

This looks soo good

[@MorningStar-dj9wl]

Ty! I had wondered what it was.

[@RicBret]

They did add cursor keys to allow you to go back and change a word without the death by 100 deletes methods. There are many , non-intuitive, keystrokes that can enable similar editing features.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I've loved the original Freewrite. It made it easy for me to get in a daily quota of writing. My weakness has always been getting the material typed. Handwriting was easy. Yes, it was too expensive. But I love it! And, yes, I really did spring for the Traveler this fall. I prefer the original, but the Traveler is much nicer to take out...not that I'm doing much of that right now.

[@audiem.7353]

For the price, I'd get an entry level iPad and a blutooth keyboard (either a logitech keyboard case, or a keyboard without number pad). The Scrivener app syncs with DropBox and so I can work on my manuscript on my phone, my iPad or my laptop. (For someone who wants the portability and versatility, the iPad is small enough.) But I do think it's lovely and great for professional writers. The product looks great and I like that the screen seems to be more forgiving on the eyes.

[@ruubytues]

This is what I use! A little Logitech. I just ordered a full-size wireless keyboard so I can elevate the screen so I’m not looking down anymore but the iPad keyboard has served me well for years.

[@DetoxMyLifeWithTNichol]

I have a regular Freewrite, and what I love about it, the most, is that it allows me to freely explore ideas without feeling like I am doing several tasks at once. I really think it’s about literally FREE-writing, and not worrying about mistakes or writing the perfect piece of writing. That’s my biggest issue, which is that I tend to focus more on the perfect words instead of the overall creative process, which is simply just getting my thoughts on to paper, or I should say, into the Freewrite Typewriter. Overall, the price, and the fact that the typewriter doesn’t have the backlight that I would prefer, is a negative for me, but it does allow you to think more freely and more creatively, specifically if you enjoy writing rough drafts rather than editing as you go.

[@fellerya2760]

I know this is an old video, but I love your voice and how clearly you speak. You mentioned Scrivener many times, would you ever be willing to do a how-to-use video for that program? I have tried but I get immediately overwhelmed as soon as I open it and just end up closing the program again.

[@DrVVVinK]

About the sound, I use a chromebook to type and I downloaded a typewriter extension, and I love it.

[@Civ89]

Hi, what Chromebook do you have? I'm looking to buy one myself.

[@DrVVVinK]

@@Civ89 www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-chromebook-3-11-chromebook-amd-a6-4gb-memory-32gb-emmc-flash-memory-onyx-black/6419029.p?skuId=6419029

[@katpaints]

Oh, do I love this idea!!! I just got a new Samsung phone - Note 10 lite, which I LOVE - and using a bluetooth keyboard with it, It does a great job on Google Docs. I have been addicted to things that make my eyes blink and my jaw drop for decades. I am declaring myself satisfied! LOL! It is SO appealing! Did you ever try one of the early word processing typewriters? It let you type in a tiny window and you had to do all corrections before hitting return. It was horrible for a touch typist! They have come a very long way!

[@KaoriKino]

I have it and I love it! I'm not using the wifi on it this time because I'm not comfortable using Postbox (Astrohaus's cloud storage system), but I've been able to connect it directly to my PC with usb. My last Freewrite wouldn't connect to my computer, so my advice is if you get one make sure it connects to your pc right when you get it so you can send for a replacement if it doesn't work!

[@r.brooks5287]

Thanks, you answered all my questions.

[@NikkiGregory]

I still 💘 the typewriter best. I'm not a professional writer but the old fashioned typewriter just feels great.

[@f0nk3m0n]

Ur review is very very thorough and well put together. As far as the product goes, that is SO expensive just for a drafting tool, cool product tho

[@justrashaad3963]

I would totally buy this, the price is a little daunting, but they have an installment payment feature so I don't mind.

[@sincityquinn]

I got it for half the price and still feel like I spent too much on it. I wanted to love this thing so bad. I swear I did. The software and the screen are just a deal breaker. Everything else is great. Love typing with it. I love how you can travel with it. I’m still waiting for someone to make one with a front lit, wider screen, with the ability to navigate with less frustration.

[@authoramandaanderson2657]

I actually love it. Expensive, but I use it for every first draft!

[@AeroBlastX775]

@@sincityquinn how did you get it for half the price?

[@janiceknepp4604]

I would definitely have to save for this but this would be great for Nanowrimo

[@lenalawlipop]

Hi Alexa! This looks cool, though like you said it's definitely an investment 😅 Have you tried FocusWriter, for distraction free writing software? I found it years ago and it works really well for my drafting style (though I do edit on other softwares)

[@lichterin143]

in the time before quarantine/lockdown i was taking my huge ass gaming laptop to libraries/cafés and i will still do that after (i don't get enough workout in the first place, i can carry around a heavy backback for a bit lmao) but this sounds honestly like a great device for a lot of people

[@pauliecaccamise1980]

I’ve wanted one since Gen 1!

[@marklindquist2352]

So do you think it would work well as a diary?

[@muskndusk]

Although the alphasmarts are no longer made there are lots of them on ebay, usually ex-school models. I have two: the Neo, and the Neo2.

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

When you sink it to Google docs, does it always have to go through postbox first?

[@TurnFullCircle]

Hi Alexa, just revisiting this very informative vid....can you still recommend the Traveler? ~I ask as I am still procrastinating whether to buy or not....long term does it still fit the bill?? cheers

[@veronica0406]

That price, though 😳 IPad plus airplane mode equals less distractions? Goodness. Great review, thank you.

[@sentarose]

I spent the money on this and don't use it quite as much as I'd like to but I'm hoping that once I get into the swing of it it will become a more common thing for me to pick up. You actually can move up within the screen that you can see using the arrow keys and one of the other special keys. I love the fact that I can email the information off of it to myself. I prefer to protect my writing by having it in more than one location and being able to have it sink to a cloud but then also email it to myself feels really good to me. the keyboard is really comfortable and I find that I can type longer on it for two reasons first that the keyboard actually doesn't wear my fingers out because there's some give to it it's I like the clicky sound but also because it's really small and portable I can actually put it on a pillow on my lap and it's more ergonomic. There are cases that you can get that's a lot less expensive than the one that sold by free write. Personally I'm storing it in the box it came in. And then I will probably just put it in a small laptop bag then Amazon sells for 10 bucks. one of the features that no one doing the review is talking about that is my absolute favorite. Is a feature in their cloud storage area of their website. This allows you to go and use their website to do your writing without other distractions I guess but that's not how I use it. I love that I can go to that particular part of their cloud storage area with my phone and press my microphone and it will take dictation to type. and it's actually pretty accurate and it will store it right there on the cloudwhere the rest of my writing is already stored on the cloud for that company. When I get into the editing stage I store my material in Dropbox. I'm not that fond of Google docs but I do use it for arcs. I'm not convinced that this was a good purchase. when I bought it they weren't offering a 30-day trial on it. So I spent the money and I'm keeping it the problem is is that I don't tend to reach for it as often as I'd like. And I really think that that is not this device's fault but the fact that I'm having trouble focusing in on my writing all together. the truth is I actually enjoy using it when I pull it out it's just a case of my procrastinating on my writing and if I was better at writing more often I would probably find that this was a really helpful device for me.

[@dreamcastleTM]

thanks for this review. do you have any issues with glare on the screen? trying to decide if im going to get one...

[@obsesivefunatica]

This looks lovely BUT I would personally recommend reviving an old notebook laptop (I have a Compaq Mini which has a lovely keyboard like this devise). I've installed Linux Mint on it with Libre Office (both free). Because the laptop is so old, there's not much point trying to surf the web, but it is powerful enough to get on essential sites. It's great for not getting distracted, and I've been so much more productive. It's literally £50 off of ebay for an old notebook laptop, which will get the job done, and will be a lot more customizable.

[@MrDcrules]

Does this have a light?

[@obblivionkr]

I’m really bummed that they removed the backlight on the PORTABLE MODEL Also the software is pretty buggy? How has it been so far for you?

[@GaryFidel]

Could anyone comment on whether typing on the keys creates noise that is loud enough to be a problem for someone near you - say at a coffee shop, in a conference room, or even in the library?

[@VanJolene]

Alexa, I had the same problem with the screen savers. Do you have a msg that says to download the program update? They helped me fix it right away. Make sure it is plugged in to charge into an outlet. NOT a memory bank. Good wifi connection is critical. Let it update and it should be fine afterward. BTW, I paid less than $300 for mine a yr before it's release.

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

I thought there was a hot key combo to jump the cursor around?

[@jenniferacres8182]

The screensavers for this are in your Postbox settings. It looks like you currently have the simplified screensaver, so you can just toggle that switch off to get the author screensavers

[@AlexaDonne]

THANK YOU. I do wish Postbox had more instructions ha. I'm like "explain it to me like I'm 5"

[@jenniferacres8182]

@@AlexaDonne Same here lol! It's only been by me poking things in there that I've found anything

[@staceycoates1418]

This sounds great, but without a good ability to edit I really don't think that this is the product for me. However, I am looking to get a new laptop and I may just turn this one into a word processor, and then turn the internet off when I need to sync my documents.

[@saffirechanning7286]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2023 to you, Alexa! Like you, I write a lot too! And like you, I also wear eyeglasses. Do you have any problems seeing what you're typing on the Freewrite Traveler? Does it give you the option of using different fonts in your documents? What features would you add to improve the device? I'm strongly thinking about buying one for myself.

[@estherestelle7920]

Will this work with Evernote? Does anyone know?

[@user-pg3de9qx8d]

I wouldn't like to have to look down at the little screen so far down by the keyboard. Don't you get a cramp from that?

[@michaelrasmussen5443]

Three years later what are your thoughts about the device?

[@WinterWind]

Use autocorrect for the common typos. So even when you do typo them it doesn't come out in the actual sentence 👍

[@anarchsnark]

I love the idea of an eink screen because my eyes ache after hours of writing on a bright screen, even after adjusting settings. I'm also very particular about keyboards (as much as I love my chromebook, the too soft keyboard leaves much to be desired) so I'd love to give this a try when I have some more spending money.

[@authorrobinshackleton296]

Hmm... so where do they sell all the returned items that have been used for 30 days on the cheap?

[@AlexaDonne]

Good question! It's possible they'll do refurbished ones at a lower price if some get returned but I don't know :)

[@writenowdream3882]

I too carry a big ole purse everywhere :)

[@aacoolio]

Hey Alexa! I have a question. I have an old neo and can store about 70k words on it. Do you know how many the free write cam store? Thanks!

[@josenieves1678]

It holds one million plus pages of draft. Says so one it’s website.

[@pipitameruje]

So, I have an issue: I love handwriting. It often gets me started on a good writing day and I use it to kickstart my stories. The thing is: I then need to type it all into a file to edit and keep going. I've tried speech to text, but it's too slow and it takes me a while to correct the misperceived words and what not. Does anyone have a solution for this?

[@pipitameruje]

@@natasha8271 It picks up on handwriting? Really? Thanks, I'll look into it. Ps: I'm a doctor and my calligraphy shows it. Any feedback on handwritten notes to text concerning this?

[@pipitameruje]

@@natasha8271 I just had to come back to you. You may have just solved my problem brilliantly! Thank you! Damn thing is really cool, and has a nice return policy in case my handwriting is too hard for it to read. Thank you so much!

[@pipitameruje]

@@natasha8271 I know it has been 3 weeks, but I got my Remarkable 3 days ago and the thing is awesome! Thank you for pointing me to it.

[@tharcblack]

I'm struggling to understand how the synching works. Do you need your laptop nearby and on? What if you write while on a plane? Does it synch then, or does it wait until you have signal?

[@tharcblack]

@B. Gordon thanks!

[@Dorito230]

You CAN go and edit word for word on the Traveler, as opposed to the OG Freewrite.

[@orionterron99]

It's quaint as a novelty, but how is it superior to, say, a tablet with a keyboard attachment?

[@caesuracrossing5473]

When I'm done with my after pay payments ill save up for this device

[@WorldOfARandomVegan]

I hear you 100% re the keyboard!

[@MegaYash96]

Why don't FreeWrite keyboards have arrow keys?

[@cemo255]

I remember old writing teachers telling me that they miss their typewriter because it changes your writing process, especially because it forces you to rewrite instead of editing as you go. So this tool is in between journal writing and computer writing. I wonder how it would affect your writing over a long period of time? Would love to buy it but I agree with you that I don't think I will buy this until I'm writing professionally!

[@Lucillesxroblox]

totally changes your flow - in a good way!

[@reihwan]

Personal first put off's is the whiteness. Speaking from experience it'd be yellow within a year for me, even with regular cleaning. And... I wonder if they'd do keyboard layout options? Not all of us write in English so that's something I always look for in these kinds of things. "The options" so to say. Interesting thing though, but not a necessity for me I think.

[@BibBubDude]

Dang, take a bath ya nasty. That or put the cancer sticks down.

[@quailypoes]

I wish the area around the screen wasn't white. That seems like a design mistake, since any bright light on it will make the e-ink screen seem so dull by comparison 😥

[@hoodiehat7126]

New shift arrow to edit; your welcome!

[@one_smol_duck]

Ohhh -- I was on board until you said you can't key forward and back. I see how that could work well with some people's writing styles, but it would make the thing totally unusable for me. Ah well -- I'll just be cheap and buy myself a bluetooth keyboard lmao

[@lindam78]

I was pondering this but the price was a very big con for me. I just bought a pomera DM30 e-ink typewriter instead.

[@AlexanderRabu]

How do you like your Pomera?

[@MM-pj4bl]

I don’t see where you can try it for 30 days and just pay shipping .....

[@Emerald3ME]

The price point 👀

[@nicklang6798]

Nice. But crazy price.

[@thewritingsisters]

As usual here’s a writing tool but let’s not make it accessibly for the blind - pass too Pricey

[@S-N-Forge]

Alexa: "I am also not the person to buy apple products, because I find them over-priced." Me: "I would die for you."

[@KitKatToeBeans]

Besides the price what truly put me off is that it doesn’t have printer capabilities. Just let me print!! 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@KrazyVideoChick]

I am the same when it comes to keyboards, lol. Very picky. I hate those keyboards that have that space in between in the keys. Just yuck. Now almost all laptops come with that type nowm

[@Fonnsterify]

$429. Why did it go up in price???

[@PaulHopebringer]

It's "on sale" now for $499. Seriously. That's actually why I came here to watch this review. ...I still can't figure out how this thing isn't closer to $40.00. What am I paying for?

[@pkxdsisters7021]

You look like Jay lo

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

$430!? What the FUCK!? Oh I'm sorry, did the cost of ARM microcontrollers and injection molding jump up 2000% or something? This thing cost ~$20 to make. The most expensive part being the molded plastics.

[@jennifermarea8011]

I really wish you had said wide ass purse instead of giant ass purse. Missed opportunity.

[@MegaYash96]

she totally forgot to mention about the missing arrow keys

[@josenieves1678]

It’s actually not missing arrow keys, they are not dedicated but they are there through shortcuts.

[@edwardtuoix]

C'mon young people! Just get a note pad and some pencils! $10... not $500.

[@zenadventurer69]

Are you seriously telling me that people are spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on something like this because they don’t have the discipline not to be checking your email and your messages and FaceTime in their Instagram and the Twitter every 15 minutes seriously just how screwed up is this freaking generation man?

[@blackstter6317]

Way too expensive. Buy a NEO2 for $50.

[@sapien01010]

More like Expensivewrite

[@GrimGearheart]

So incredibly overpriced.

[@EvertvanIngen]

No, its not worth the money

[@remyscreepycorner5135]

Distractions are in your mind, not your computer

[@kasetophono]

Sooo tired of paid ads, jeez, can someone just give an honest review? Lady, you try to tell me that the fact you can’t go back on the text and edit/rearrange it is not infuriating? No, “it’s supposed to eliminate distractions”…