Over the years, we’ve had our hands on thousands of pieces of travel gear. Packing cubes, travel adapters, collapsible water bottles, portable bidets, you name it, we’ve probably tried it.
This list is full of handy travel products, all of which have been tested by our team. Whether you’re looking for the best of the essentials, the most powerful tech, eco-friendly products, or just some fun ones for off-colored adventures, we’ve got you covered. Let’s jump right in.
Travel Essentials
We’re talking travel pillows, earbuds, TSA-approved containers for liquids. You know, the stuff you wouldn’t want to go on a trip without.
Trtl Travel Pillow
Traditional travel pillows can be a bit bulky and prevent you from leaning back on the headrest naturally. This swanky alternative feels more like a scarf. It’s made of soft fleece that wraps around your neck and secures with a strip of velcro. A small, plastic neck brace inside the pillow holds your head and chin comfortably in place as you catch some quality zzz’s. We found it works great with a hoodie as the Trtl Travel Pillow base will rest comfortably in the collar. Pull up your hood, and you’ll sleep like a (hopefully quiet) baby. Taller folks might want to opt for the Trtl Travel Pillow Plus as it’s height adjustable.
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Matador Travel Earplugs Kit
The person sitting next to you on the plane is snoring wildly enough to make their own experimental mixtape. Not a problem—you’ve got a Matador Travel Ear Plugs Kit. Earplugs are just too darn easy to lose, and these come in a handy silicone case with an attached keyring. All the minimalist and hyper-optimized packers out there will appreciate this, as you can just clip it on, and it won’t take up any space in your bag.
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VELCRO Brand Cable Ties
Does trying to find your phone charger in a ball of tangled cords drive you mad? Us too, which is why the VELCRO One Wrap Cable Ties are our best hack for keeping unruly cables in check. They’re reusable, affordable, and simple to use, so this pack of 100 will probably last you forever.
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humangear GoToob+
TSA-approved containers for your liquid toiletries? In fun colors with a dedicated area to write in labels? Yes, please, we are so tired of getting our soap and lotion bottles confused. Hello, Humangear GoToob +. For the one bag travelers out there who prefer the carry-on only route, these silicone bottles with locking caps are the way to go. Just make sure you write your labels on with a Sharpie, as a regular old pen will rub off.
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humangear GoTubb
Snacks are one of the most important things we bring on a trip and we like to pack them in these Humangear GoTubbs. Even if you’re not a snack fiend like us, these recyclable plastic containers have so many uses and are handy for keeping track of small items you don’t want to lose. Use them to store dried fruit, jewelry, hair ties, SD cards, USB sticks, cat food, your Polly Pocket collection, whatever! The best part? You can open them with one hand and get to your stuff in a jiff.
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PackTowl Personal Towel
Coming back from an epic beach hopping trip with a dingy towel stuffed in your bag is a recipe for some serious funk—and not the kind of funk that makes us wanna dance. Avoid that by carrying a Packtowl Personal Towel. We’ve used this quick-drying microfiber towel for over a year in many different environments worldwide, and it’s still going strong. It comes in various sizing options, from washcloth size to XXL (imagine a large beach towel).
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Travel Organizers
Get organized with packing cubes, tech pouches, and dopp kits. Unless you like shuffling through your whole bag just to find your phone charger or that one pair of socks you like to sleep in (which we’re sure you don’t).
Aer City Sling
If you haven’t jumped on the sling trend, then allow us to change your life. Do you dread shuffling through all your pockets to empty them while going through airport security? Put all your essentials in a sling and just throw it in a bin. Don’t have any pockets on your outfit at all (we’re looking at you women’s dresses)? Sounds like you need a sling. We love being able to keep our essentials neatly organized and within reach, and the Aer City Sling is a most excellent choice. At 2.4L, it’s the perfect size for keeping a low profile, and the internal organization is very versatile. There’s space for your phone, keys, wallet, power bank, excess cords, passport, snacks, and even a Nintendo Switch!
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Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Packing Cubes
Want a way to pack your clothes comfortably and optimize space without adding extra weight to your bag? Grab a set of Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate packing cubes. This extremely lightweight and flexible line of packing cubes comes in a variety of sizes including some that are compressible. Take the roll top shoe sac along on your next hiking trip to keep your dirty shoes separate or the medium-sized compression cube to make sure all your alternate outfits will fit in your carry-on.
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Bellroy Toiletry Kit
For a sophisticated and polished way to carry your toiletries, look no further than the Bellroy Dopp Kit. What’s a Dopp kit, you may ask? It’s just a fancy word for a toiletry bag. The magnetic toothbrush sleeve inside this Dopp kit is a gamechanger. It keeps your toothbrush separate from other products, so you don’t have to worry about getting shampoo or soap on it. Buttery-soft mesh pockets and leather accents add an oh-so luxurious touch to this travel essential.
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Fjallraven Passport Wallet
Frequent travelers know how important it is to have a well-organized wallet, so why not choose one that’s as stylish as it is functional? In comes the Fjallraven Passport Wallet, with its top-notch craftsmanship and two (yes, two!) passport pockets. If your travel companion is the type to lose their passport, or if you’re a spy and travel with more than one, this will come in handy. Besides Fjallraven being a reliable travel gear brand with a fun name to say, this wallet has a really thoughtful interior layout. And the brand’s logo—an arctic fox—is really freaking cute.
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Thule Subterra PowerShuttle
MacBook charger, wireless earphones, power bank, miscellaneous cords, mouse, adapters... the list goes on! For the digital nomad with more tech accessories to pack than clothing, the Thule Subterra PowerShuttle is an excellent tech pouch to keep it all in check. It’s got various pockets and elastic bands to keep your cords organized (our favorite part). If you need even more space or travel with over-ear headphones, opt for the bigger Subterra PowerShuttle Plus.
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TOM BIHN Travel Tray
The Tom Bihn Travel Tray is a nifty travel accessory to keep small items organized. Set it on your nightstand, and when you empty out your pockets at the end of the day, you’ll have your keys, phone, and wallet all in one place. Or put your toiletries in it and keep it on the sink—there’s a ton of ways to use this handy little tray. Cinch up the drawstring at the top, and it turns into a small bag you can carry as a tech pouch or snack sack. We like snacks.
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Matador On-Grid Packable Backpack
It’s nice to have a lightweight backpack for daily adventures that you can fold up, stick inside your luggage and just unpack when you need it. That’s precisely what the Matador On-Grid Packable Daypack is for. It compresses down to nearly palm size, so no worries about it taking up space. When you arrive at your destination, just unfold it, stick your essentials in, and you’re good to go. It’s weather-resistant and has a lowkey aesthetic, so you won’t look like an unprepared tourist.
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Travel Tech
We know how much it sucks when your phone dies in the middle of an epic adventure. Or when you miss an awesome shot because you couldn’t get to your camera in time. Stay connected and ready to go with these power banks, camera clips, smartphone tripods, and more.
Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W
The Anker PowerPort III 3-Port Charger is literally everything you’d need in a charger. Forreal, it has three ports for simultaneous charging, comes with USA, UK, and EU compatible plugs, and is a fraction of a MacBook charger’s size. We know how bulky those things can be, so we’re more than happy to replace it with one of these. Two of the charging ports are USB-A, and there’s only one USB-C port, but this works well if you have travel companions who are using a variety of devices or haven’t upgraded to USB-C cables just yet.
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Anker PowerCore III Elite 25600 60W
So you’ve got your badass, superfast wall charger and want a power bank to carry while you’re out and about. Opt for an Anker PowerCore III Elite 25600. It has all the same features as the PowerPort III—two USB-A ports and one USB-C port for simultaneous charging—without needing to be plugged in. With its vast capacity, this baby can charge some phones up to six cycles.
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Kikkerland Universal Travel Adapter
This universal travel adaptor works in over 150 countries. It looks kind of weird, but it’s basically a transformer toy—the two pieces can configure into almost any outlet you want it to. We used this adaptor for over a year, and it held up better than you might expect for a product that costs around ten bucks. Keep in mind that it’s not a converter, so you’ll want to check the voltage of the country you’re visiting before plugging it in. Most modern devices are dual voltage and shouldn’t be an issue, but just something to keep in mind.
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Microsoft Surface Go 2
For travelers who don’t need a full-scale laptop but still want something light and portable for entertainment, social media, or even dumping travel photos quickly, there’s the Microsoft Surface Go 2. It’s basically right in between a laptop and tablet at 10.5 inches—just make sure to get the detachable type cover if you want to use it in laptop mode. When fully charged, the battery can last for up to 10 hours. If you’re a student, artist on the move, travel blogger, or just someone who doesn’t want to lug around a bulky laptop, consider traveling with this smaller alternative.
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JOBY GripTight ONE
The JOBY GripTight ONE GP Stand is great for the casual photographer, or really anyone with a smartphone—that means you (probably). The tight clip holds your phone securely in place, and the flexible tripod legs can be used stationary or wrapped around something stable. Or, use it handheld style to record your travel blogs. Either way, it doesn’t take up much space and is a convenient tool to beef up your Instagram feed.
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Peak Design Capture Clip
For more serious photographers, there’s the Peak Design Capture Clip. This thing is a breeze if you want to be able to carry a heavy DSLR hands-free. Just install the clip onto your belt or the shoulder straps of your backpack. Boom, now you’ve got instant access to your camera. No more digging around your bag frantically while that perfect shot passes you by.
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Eco-friendly Travel Products
We are here for products that reduce single-use plastic and don’t take up any additional space in our bags. If you’re going to travel the world and explore all the wonders this planet has to offer, why not do it sustainably?
Vapur Eclipse Water Bottle
Never pay for expensive bottled water at the airport again. The Vapur Eclipse Water Bottle is reusable and compressible. Roll it up, stick it inside the attached carabiner, and you’re good to go. Or use the carabiner to clip the bottle onto your bag if you want easy access to it. However, you should be aware that it lacks any insulation and won’t keep your water cold, but that’s a small price to pay for a bottle that’s so easy to pack.
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Final Co. FinalSpork
This collapsible, stainless steel spork is basically the only utensil you’ll ever need—one final spork to rule them all. It comes in a handy case that you can attach to your keys after you’ve folded the spork up neatly. Final Co. also makes a FinalFork, but the spork is much more versatile as it can be used as either a fork, spoon, or knife. Bring along the FinalStraw 2.0, and you’ll be saving the environment one meal at a time.
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Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Pure-Castile Bar
Shampoo? Body wash? Laundry detergent? Toothpaste?? Yes, you can actually use the Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap Bar for all of that (though if you’re going the toothpaste route, maybe opt for the peppermint scent instead of tea tree). No need to pack a bunch of plastic bottles or worry about the TSA liquid allowance when you’ve got everything you need in one bar. The wrapper is made out of recycled paper, and every Dr. Bronners product we’ve ever tried always lasts us a reealllyyy long time.
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Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags
Use these Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags to pack your own snacks. They’re dishwasher safe, microwaveable, and sealable, and we’ve used them for both snacks and toiletries. When using these for munchies on a flight, just be mindful of people who may have nut allergies! The “sandwich” sized bag is TSA compliant for packing your carry-on liquids too. There’s no limit to the fun color schemes they come in, but may we suggest Rainbow?
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Unique Travel Accessories
These accessories may not be essentials that you pack on every trip, but having them handy will elevate your travel experience. At best, you’ll discover a product that makes traveling that much easier. At worst, you’ll end up with a funky carabiner or a wool buff that you can use in a million different ways. It’s a win either way.
Buff USA Wool Buff
Multifunctional products that take up little to no space are kind of our jam, in case you haven’t noticed. That’s why we will always recommend the Buff USA Wool Buff. First of all, you can use it as a scarf, beanie, headband, face cover, bandana, or hood. Secondly, it’s made with Merino wool, which is one of the softest materials ever. And third, it’s incredibly warm and weighs as much as about 2 slices of bread. Is this the best thing since sliced bread? Maybe. Just don’t try eating it—we can’t vouch for how it tastes.
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Scrubba Wash Bag
Wash your clothes anywhere in the world with the Scrubba Wash Bag. On the road, on top of a mountain, while backpacking through the desert… Well, anywhere that has soap and water. This obviously isn’t necessary if you stay in a hotel (you know, with a washing machine). But it’s a valuable accessory for the minimalist cross country road tripper or remote countryside explorer. For a budget option, you could opt for a dry bag instead, but you’ll miss out on the internal washboard that allows you to actually scrub your clothes clean. It’s called the Scrubba for a reason!
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Sea to Summit Lite Line Clothesline
No clothespins or clips are necessary to dry your clothes on the Sea to Summit Lite Clothesline. Just secure your clothes tightly in between the beads along the line. It comes in a tiny little pouch that fits in your palm and takes up very little space. If you’re going on a rustic camping trip or just want a convenient way to dry your clothes, why not take it along!
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Heroclip Hybrid Carabiner Clip
Part carabiner, part clip, full hero. Seriously, the HEROCLIP Hybrid Carabiner Clip has saved our bag from sitting on numerous sticky airport floors. Swivel the carabiner out from the bottom, and you’ve got a handy clip that you can use to hang your bag off the side of a table or over a bathroom door. Of course, it works fine as just a carabiner, which has a million different uses on its own. We like using it to clip a water bottle, keys, or organization pouch to our bag.
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Jibbon Key Organizer
We didn’t realize how much we needed a key organizer until we used one. Having an obnoxious amount of keys jangling around your bag can scratch up your other stuff and take up a ton of space—not to mention the noise. The Jibbon Key Organizer is made with sleek Italian leather that makes us feel like sophisticated adults whether we’re using it during travel or everyday life. It holds five keys comfortably, or up to nine if you use the included extender.
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Going on a trip soon? Check out these other travel accessories ideas!
