In partnership with Texture. I stood in front of a huge rack of magazines in an adorable beachside shop in Antibes. Familiar titles like Elle Decor or Vogue seemed like fantastic options for the short plane ride to Paris.
Except, they were all in French, which I can’t read. And, the extra weight in my handbag from thick magazines is not something my now-ailing back can handle. Since I never re-read them, they simply wind up in a recycling bin.
This is where an app like Texture comes in. Pay a monthly fee and have access to a gigantic library of magazines, including recent and past issues, throughout five devices without the hassle of toting around and tossing thick magazines (or running into language issues while overseas).
So, before my last flight, I downloaded my favorite magazines like Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit and Travel + Leisure to my iPhone and read them while on the go. There are 14 different travel magazines amid hundreds of others in a wide range of topics that you have access to after joining.
How Texture Works
After downloading the app and a few magazines to your device, it’s time to read. Most are basically digital copies of the paperbound versions (ads and all) but instead of flipping through pages with fingers, you swipe (it’s faster).
If you’re in the mood to browse, head over to the highlights section to get lost in popular articles from various magazines that I suspect are chosen based on your interests. I stumbled upon a great piece about salad recipes in Men’s Fitness and an all-ages guide to National Parks in Better Homes and Gardens. These are magazines I probably wouldn’t have downloaded otherwise. Articles in the highlights section can be read individually without downloading the entire magazine though you’ll need to be online (not in airplane mode) to access them.
I’d also seen Sunset magazine’s 2016 Travel Awards pass through my Twitter stream and forgot to save it but happened to see the article in the travel highlights section on Texture. Yay!
Downloaded magazines are accessible offline, which means they’re great for planes. I flip through magazines while waiting for take-off and during landing and taxi as well as during beach and pool time.
Magazines for Kids
Let’s just say that traveling kids these days, including mine, can be glued to their iPads and iPods while in transit and during downtime in hotel rooms (like here at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris). I’m so grateful for these devices, but keen for my daughter to break from watching shows to learn something new. I’ve downloaded National Geographic Kids for her through Texture, a magazine I almost bought a print subscription for.
Because kids will be using your account, make sure that they only read magazines that you approve of and download to their iPads. In theory, they could download a magazine like Cosmopolitan which is not age-appropriate for my young daughter, for example, but with supervision (like with anything else on the internet) you can avoid this.
What Could Be Better
Sometimes, it takes an extra second or two to load full-page images. And, I’ve heard that the resolution on the most recent iPad Pro needs some improvement.
You do need to be the type of person who will flip through multiple magazines each month to get the most value out of the app, however, you might find yourself reading even more magazines with it. The monthly fee of $14.99 is far less than what I would normally spend on print magazines during a trip, for sure.
Try it for Free
Texture offers a free 7-day trial to see if you like it. I didn’t have to enter credit card information for the trial, which I appreciated, you will be charged through iTunes when the trial is over.
Try it and let me know what you think!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Texture. The opinions and text are all mine.
