Hide Me, Baby One More Time
Why every digital nomad needs a VPN (and why we currently recommend PureVPN)
If you’re the type who happily jumps on the free Wi-Fi at airports, cafés, or that hostel where the router looks like it survived the ‘90s… congratulations: you’ve just invited half the internet to poke around your files.
That’s why digital nomads like us don’t ask if you should get a VPN — we ask why on earth you don’t have one yet.
The digital seatbelt you can’t skip
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is basically a secure tunnel for your online life. It hides your real location, encrypts your traffic, and keeps random strangers (and data-hungry corporations) from knowing when you’re paying your taxes or bingeing Love Island.
For nomads, that means:
Logging into your bank on dodgy Wi-Fi without sweating
Streaming your home Netflix or BBC iPlayer when you’re 10 time zones away
Unlocking better flight deals by checking prices from “different countries”
Getting around censorship walls that pretend Google doesn’t exist
Sending invoices and large files without praying no one is watching
Our current pick: PureVPN
We’ve tested the big names — Nord, Surfshark, Proton, Express — but right now PureVPN is our go-to. Here’s why:
Audit-backed no-logs policy
WireGuard protocol = fast and stable, even for HD video calls
Wide network: thousands of servers across dozens of countries
31-day money-back guarantee so you can test it while hopping borders
Split tunneling + kill switch baked into the app
Yes, in 2017 PureVPN caught flak for cooperating with the FBI by handing over connection logs. Today, their practices have changed and are now independently verified. Transparency matters — we like providers who learn, fix, and publish reports instead of hiding skeletons.
How we use it
Install the app on laptop + phone.
Enable kill switch + auto-connect on public Wi-Fi.
Pick WireGuard in settings.
Switch servers depending on whether we need speed (local) or access (home country).
Run a Speedtest: if it’s under 25/5 Mbps, hop to another server.
Final word
Nomads need VPNs the way we need coffee: every single day, in every single country.
PureVPN is our current favorite because it’s fast, affordable, and finally transparent — but we’ll keep testing and switch allegiances if something better comes along.
Until then: lock your tunnel, then go unlock the world.