premium travel gear

The Best Gear for Travel

By Wirecutter Staff

Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends.

But what does it mean to travel well? We’d say that along with traveling safely (of course), traveling well involves avoiding hassle, carrying a single bag (if possible), and bringing only the necessities.

“Traveling well is a fine balance between finding inspiration in the unknown while being grounded in something,” said Wirecutter founder Brian Lam. “Sometimes that is a memory of home, a family, a significant other, friends, etc. Sometimes it’s just the familiar, reliable stuff in your bag.”

Over the past nine years, we’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing dozens of products to find the most dependable items that will help you travel well. On top of that, we sought the advice and wisdom of Doug Dyment, author and creator of OneBag. As a traveling businessman and public speaker, he has logged millions of miles over the past few decades. We also ran our picks by travel-gear reviewer Eytan Levy, the Snarky Nomad .

And we relied heavily on the experiences of Wirecutter staff, an especially mobile group of individuals. Our staffers have worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica—the five most frequent flyers among us travel about half a million miles in any given (normal) year.

The research

Flying/riding, just in case, travel tips.

A well-packed bag is one that contains less than you think you need but everything you actually need. If possible, fitting everything into one carry-on and personal item will give you more freedom compared to checking a bag or two. You’ll be glad you did if (and when) things don’t go according to plan. Consider this example from OneBag’s Doug Dyment: “I’ve been in situations where I’ve landed in Chicago on my way to New York and everything was snowed in, no flights were flying anywhere, but I was able to rent a car or take a train whereas everyone whose bags were being held hostage by the airlines were simply stuck.” While carry-on-only isn’t feasible (or advisable) for every trip—especially extended business trips or weddings where you need multiple outfits to maintain appearances—if in doubt, it’s better to cut.

Carry-on backpack (non-roller)

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A versatile small pack for a week or a weekend.

The Allpa’s clamshell design makes organizing your things simple. The strap design lets you easily wear this durable bag on your back or carry it in your hand while you’re on the move.

Buying Options

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

An easily customizable large bag for long trips and expensive gear.

This bag was built with photographers in mind, but most travelers will appreciate its easy accessibility and clever tuck-away straps, and the elegant way the bag expands and contracts depending on how much you’ve packed. The accessory cubes cost extra, though.

We spent six months testing 22 bags, and in the end we chose two as our top picks for travelers determined to never check luggage again: the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for most trips) and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L features an easy-to-pack clamshell design and highly adjustable straps that make it a great all-around bag for any traveler who’s dedicated to packing light, or for a smaller person who wants less to carry. Handles on all four sides of this bag make it easy to grab no matter where you’ve stowed it, and the Allpa’s straps are contoured to comfortably fit people who have large or small chests. It’s not a specifically gendered design, but our female tester noticed the improvement right away.

The bag is protected by a full lifetime warranty and has the build quality to back that up. Its front panel is made of a waterproof, TPU-coated 1,000-denier polyester (a strong fabric covered in a flexible plastic coating), which means you can lay it on its back in a wet field or in gravel without worrying about moisture soaking through or jagged edges ripping the fabric. The rest of the paneling is made with 1,680-denier ballistic nylon, which feels similar to a strong canvas but with a more prominent weave. After four years of testing, this single backpack (plus a personal item to store under the seat) has replaced nearly every travel bag or piece of luggage that Kit Dillon, Wirecutter’s senior staff writer who covers luggage, uses.

One caveat: The Allpa has a minimal amount of administrative organization—places to keep pens and papers, spaces to hold tickets, and so forth—which is where the personal item comes in handy. As the name suggests, “personal items” are very, well, personal, and no one bag will work for all travelers; we offer a range of recommendations in our full guide to them .

The larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the Swiss Army knife of backpacks: adjustable, customizable, and (if you spring for the extra cubes and organizers) an almost perfect system for a photographer or gearhead on the move. Most bags’ expanding mechanisms aren’t worth the extra zipper they’re built on, and they look about as attractive as a boiled ham splitting out of its plastic packaging. Not so with the Peak Design: It looks just as good fully packed at 45 liters as it does compressed to a 30-liter daypack. You can access the bag through a back panel, which doubles as a computer and tablet pouch, as well as through a front one, if you unzip the pass-through divider. You can also get into the main compartment via two wing-like trapezoidal flaps that run along each side of the pack. In its natural shape, the Travel Backpack holds 35 liters, but an expansion zipper lets the bag swell to 45 liters.

If you want to use the bag as a daypack, you fold in the top corners and snap them down, reducing the bag’s volume to a slim 30 liters. It still feels larger than a normal daypack, but we think that’s a small compromise for the ability to use one backpack as both your travel bag and your daily explorer. The bag itself consists of 400D nylon and polyester fabrics—it feels tough, but not as tough as the Cotopaxi Allpa. As for flaws, it is expensive, especially if you commit to the entire system of packing cubes and camera cubes . The adjustable design and multiple zippers do add complexity, and complexity adds potential weaknesses, though Peak Design covers all of its bags with a lifetime warranty.

Finding the right bag is a personal choice, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. That’s why we have picks in our full review of carry-on travel bags that can double as traveling offices , bags that are easy to carry while you’re walking long distances , and budget options for travelers who want to give the one-bag strategy a try.

Carry-on bag (rolling)

Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Carry-On Spinner

Great features, great value.

This spinner carry-on offers the best balance of size, value, reliability, and durability, with high-end details. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

Since 2015, we’ve researched several dozen suitcases and gone hands-on with the 47 most promising candidates in a variety of tests—including having active flight attendants test bags for us in a fake plane fuselage in their training facility. We determined that for most people the  Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Expandable Spinner  offers the best balance of features, durability, and price for most flyers who log less than 25,000 miles annually.

It features smooth-rolling, user-replaceable wheels; solid and comfortable, telescoping handles; and a hard-wearing nylon exterior propped up by a solid internal chassis. The Elite only improves on past iterations in the Platinum line by reducing the size of the stowed handle (which used to jut out about an inch) and adding a second zippered, exterior pocket for easy access on the go and a USB pass-through extension that lets you insert your own battery pack for charging your phone. And at 7.8 pounds when empty, this carry-on bag is about half a pound lighter than its predecessor. Compared with other bags in this price range, you also get surprisingly high-end components and a warranty that covers anything, even airline damage, for the life of the bag (as long as you register the suitcase within 120 days of purchase, which is easy to do on any smartphone).

Upgrade pick

Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22″ Carry-On Expandable Spinner

For frequent flyers.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles a year, invest in a bag with unique features, superior details, and plenty of expandable room. This manufacturer guarantees your satisfaction.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles annually and you’re willing to invest in a higher-quality product, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22-Inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner. It can fit more clothing than any bag we tested, thanks to a cavernous interior and clever expansion and compression system that can adjust to variable levels beyond open and shut. Wirecutter’s founder, Brian Lam, has put more than 150,000 miles on his so far, and it’s held up great. His only complaint is that longer pants will need an extra fold, or to be rolled. In taller bags, pants will only need to be folded over once.

Checked luggage

If you need to pack more stuff than a carry-on and a personal item can hold, our first piece of advice would be to reconsider whether you need that extra outfit “just in case.” But you’ll have times when you need to travel with several pairs of shoes, formalwear, a winter coat, special equipment (like diving or camping gear), or all of the above. In these cases, there’s no way to avoid checking a bag.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Men’s)

The best travel backpack for people with longer torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with longer torsos.

May be out of stock

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Women’s)

The best travel backpack for people with shorter torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with shorter torsos.

If you’re going someplace where you’ll need to walk a lot (or if there’s dirt or cobblestone roads), we recommend a travel backpack. Specifically, the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Men’s) for men (and tall women) and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Women’s) for those with shorter torsos. The Ruckpack’s thickly padded, stowable straps are fully height-adjustable. The bag is made from rugged, recycled ripstop nylon and is guaranteed for up to a year. And it holds about 60 liters, which gives you noticeably more space than our other picks while still keeping the overall dimensions manageable. You can read all about why we like the Ruckpack in our review of the best travel backpacks .

Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner

The best checked bag for most travelers.

The bag provides a luxury feel at a reasonable price, with a capacity, warranty, and reliability that should suit most travelers. The 25-inch model should offer plenty of room for most people without going over airline weight limits.

If you don’t plan on walking around while carrying all your stuff, the  25-inch Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner Suiter is our favorite piece of checked luggage for all of the same reasons we loved the carry-on size: It has excellent organizational features, it’s especially durable, and it has a better warranty than anything in its price range.

Luggage tags

Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag

Strong and easy to see.

Rugged silicone and a metal cable mean this tag (which comes two to a pack) may well outlive your luggage. The brightly colored case displays its owner’s name but keeps other personal information out of sight.

A good luggage tag should be durable, simple to use, and discreet. Ultimately, a tag should allow someone to get your luggage back to you quickly and easily, and it should withstand the wear and tear of being thrown onto conveyor belts time and again. After researching the top-rated and best-selling models, reading existing luggage-tag reviews, and comparing fourteen tags , we recommend the Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag for most travelers because it’s the only one we’d trust to survive being smashed by other bags, jammed into walls, and generally abused by baggage handlers. It’s the most durable tag we tested, and it comes in a wide selection of colors to help any bag stand out from the rest.

The Ovener tag’s silicone body seems nearly indestructible and is available in four bright colors (you get two tags per pack). Whereas other tags also feature metal cables, this tag has a metal grommet to keep the cable from eventually wearing through the silicone case.

Should you lose your bag, the Ovener makes it easy for a Good Samaritan to find your contact information. To fully access the info card, you have to unscrew and remove the metal strap; this lets the card slide out of the case. Most luggage tags we tested secure their info card in this way. It isn’t a difficult or time-consuming process, but it is an extra step compared with using a tag that displays all of your information openly. Still, for anyone who wants to keep their contact information out of view, the extra step is worth it.

Another approach to increasing privacy is to hide information in a QR code, as the Dynotag Smart Deluxe Steel Luggage Tag  does, or to provide a user ID number, as the Okoban UID Luggage Tags  do. But these seem like overly complex solutions to a problem that doesn’t really exist. The Dynotag requires a scanner app that many phone owners don’t want to bother with, and the Okoban requires going online and entering a code, which might deter otherwise-willing Good Samaritans.

Compression sacks

Originally designed for reducing the bulk of lofty sleeping bags, compression sacks are stuff sacks modified with additional nylon end caps that can be pulled together by strings or straps to remove air and create a smaller, denser package that’s easier to pack. Most travelers use compression sacks to condense socks, underwear, and other stuff you don’t mind getting wrinkled into a package with half as much overall volume. For example, an 8- to 12-liter sack can compress a fleece jacket and a long-weekend’s worth of socks and underwear into something that fits in one hand. They also make a decent pillow in a pinch.

Osprey StraightJacket (8L)

Easier access, less compression.

It has a full-length zipper on its side that allows access to the bag’s entire contents. However, it doesn’t compress as tightly as traditional designs.

Most compression sacks require you to empty out the stuff at the top to get to the stuff below it, but the side-zipper design on the Osprey StraightJacket allows access to the entire contents of the bag at once. The compression straps attach sideways, and are less likely to get tangled and twisted like on most compression sacks with lengthwise straps. It can also sit up on its own, and the handle design lets you break it out as a last minute carry-on to avoid an overweight-baggage fee. However, it doesn’t compress down as compactly as the traditional designs we tested so it’s not the best option if compression is your top priority.

GobiGear’s SegSac takes a different approach to solving the same access issue: It has four inner dividers that run the length of the sack in order to keep your socks separate from your underwear, winter accessories, towel, what have you. This means you don’t have to take out your T-shirts to get to your socks. Unlike the Osprey, it compresses just as much as a normal compression sack, but it loses points for versatility because the segmentation prevents it from handling large items like a down jacket or sleeping bag.

Packing cubes

Packing cubes could change your life. (Okay, maybe just your traveling life.) Packing cubes are basically bags to hold your clothes that you organize within your luggage. Though seemingly superfluous, they’re brilliant in action. If you imagine your suitcase as a dresser, you can think of these cubes as individual drawers: Put all your underwear and socks in one container, all your shirts in another, and your workout clothes in yet another. Then pull out only the cube you want. They make packing and repacking wonderfully simple.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Well built with easy access.

Simple and solidly constructed, these packing cubes keep your bag organized while you’re traveling.

The three-piece Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set keeps a week’s worth of clothes organized and moves easily from suitcase to hotel dresser. We’ve been recommending the previous version of these cubes for years, and after testing this newly updated set, we now recommend this version.

The full-size cube is great for shirts, shorts, and insulating layers. The half-cube and quarter-cube are perfect for underwear, socks, and other thin fabrics such as stockings or sleepwear. These cubes are made of 300-denier polyester (a strong fabric) and stay upright when empty, so they’re easy to pack. The Pack-It cubes’ windows are made of the tightest mesh link we tested—better for resisting snags—and the smooth zippers close easily around all corners, even when a cube is overstuffed.

The Eagle Creek cubes have the ability to unzip fully to allow full access to their contents while sitting in a dresser drawer. That means your clean clothes stay protected against some potentially dicey motel dressers. In 2022, Eagle Creek updated the design of these cubes, and now the company no longer uses YKK zippers, which are widely accepted as the best around . That said, we couldn’t tell any difference between Eagle Creek’s zippers and other brands’ YKK zippers, even with a magnifying glass, and their performance was indistinguishable. (For what it’s worth, an Eagle Creek product manager assured us that the proportion of zipper-related warranty claims hasn’t changed since the company made the switch from YKK.)

Most travelers are likely to be well served by the Reveal set. But if you value lightness above all, the more expensive Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Cube Set is about 50% lighter than similar-size competitors (just over 1 ounce for a medium cube, whereas the Eagle Creek classic style weighs about 4 ounces). Unlike the Reveal set, this set is water resistant. However, the Isolate design’s thin sides—which don’t allow the cubes to stand up on their own—make those cubes a bit more challenging to pack than the Reveal cubes.

Buying the right gear can help organize your existing travel kit, but it’s a red herring if your goal is better portability. “It’s mostly the clothing that allows you to reduce what you need to carry,” explains veteran traveller Eytan Levy, better known as the Snarky Nomad . That’s because clothing, which is very voluminous, makes up the bulk of what’s in your bag. He recommends traveling with basic-looking clothes because you can always buy or rent something nice in a pinch, whereas lugging around formalwear just in case will always be a pain. It also helps if you can avoid cotton and stick to merino and synthetic fabrics, which dry faster. This allows you to do laundry by hand in the sink as needed to reduce the amount of clothes you need to carry.

Travel underwear

Good travel underwear keeps you feeling fresh and clean, even when your destination is gritty.  To find the best , we researched an array of underwear designed for men and women to find 34 pairs meeting our criteria: moisture-wicking and breathable, quick-drying, odor-resistant, stretchy, stylish, and cut to fit a variety of body types.

We then conducted rigorous pretesting (wearing the underwear for two days at a time, machine-washing them repeatedly, and tracking their drying speed when hung on a clothesline) before taking them out into the real world. Our testers went backpacking 215 miles throughout Portland, Oregon; hiking in the Canadian Rockies, including walking from the lowest point in the Continental US to the highest; and road-tripping to the national parks of the West. Testers who flew to their destinations wore the underwear on the plane, too.

Afterward, we checked for signs of wear, such as seam breakage and pilling on the fabric. As we continued to test the finalists, we repeatedly checked for durability problems. In addition to comfort and fit, we noted whether each pair seemed lightweight and packable.

ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief

Best for most men.

Durable, quick-drying, and relatively inexpensive, this soft-fabric version of ExOfficio’s time-tested Give-N-Go undies will get the job done for years.

The ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief is the best men’s underwear for travel because it balances fit, comfort, odor-proofing, and value better than anything else we’ve tested. The Sport Mesh fabric excels at breathing and wicking and has better odor-resistance than other fabrics. It feels soft on the inside and smooth on the outside so it slides against your pants instead of creating friction, reducing potential for chafing. It also features a sculpted crotch area that gives wearers some much-appreciated support, without feeling stifling. These boxer briefs dry quickly, pack compactly, and weigh less than almost all the other boxer briefs we tried—basically they’re everything you’d want from a pair of excellent travel underwear.

Patagonia Women's Active Hipster

Best for most women.

These light, stylish, quick-drying hipsters stay in place whether you’re walking, flying, or hanging upside down.

The Patagonia Active Hipster doesn’t appear special upon first glance. Only after trying everything else and living through their failures to stay put did we remember what “special” really means in a pair of underwear: Feeling as if you’re wearing nothing at all. The Patagonias have the best fit, comfort, and style out of all the panties we tested. The nylon material is fast-wicking and better than most synthetics for odor-proofing, making it well suited for athletic activities. The Active Hipster is lightweight and packable, and is the fastest-drying underwear we tested—making them perfect for minimalist travelers who go weeks at a time with just one or two pairs. But these same characteristics make them great for any traveler looking for comfortable, packable panties, regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Budget pick

Uniqlo Men Airism Boxer Brief

Comfortable, compact, and fast-drying, these are a great value but don’t fit quite as nicely and aren’t as supportive in the crotch.

Uniqlo Women Airism Ultra Seamless HipHugger

Similar fabric to the Men’s Airism, with a no-ride cut for women, these underwear are the least expensive of any we tested and among the best performing.

If you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing performance, the Uniqlo Airism line has long been a great choice for men and women who can wear sizes small and medium. In recent years, both lines have expanded their size range somewhat (men to 3XL, and women to XL). If these fit, you can replace an entire underwear drawer on a tight budget, as long as you can deal with the slightly odd cut and less-effective odor-control treatment.

If you’ve never traveled with merino wool socks, you’re missing out. These aren’t the scratchy wool socks your grandpa wore in the army; they are soft and stretchy ones that have natural sweat-wicking and odor-resisting properties that keep your toes comfortable under all conditions—even when wet. This combination of odor, moisture, and temperature regulations makes them ideal for traveling. "Because of its natural anti-bacterial properties, washing merino wool on a daily basis isn’t absolutely necessary,” explains Snarky Nomad , "after letting it air dry overnight while you sleep, it’ll seem brand new.” The only major downside is that merino tends to be a bit pricier than synthetic counterparts. But it’s a worthy trade-off, since you can go for longer with fewer pairs.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (women’s)

The best quality for women.

The best mix of comfort, durability, and cushioning in a versatile height.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (men’s)

For the best quality.

The same great versatile sock as the women’s model, but in different color options and more sizes.

Darn Tough’s Light Hiker Micro Crew socks (both the men’s and women’s versions) have been our favorite hiking socks for years. Darn Tough made its name through its quality guarantee : “Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable, and best fitting socks you can buy. In a nutshell, if you wear a hole in them, we will replace them free of charge, for life.” Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (hardcore backpackers who walk from Mexico to Canada in one continuous trip) praise them for their durability, comfort, and blister resistance. When you hold a pair of Darn Toughs next to a pair of Smartwools (which only have a two-year guarantee ), the difference is clear. The Darn Toughs are more tightly knit, the yarns are finer and feel sturdier, and the stitching is tighter.

Wirecutter’s Michael Zhao once wrote of his Darn Tough socks: “While I haven’t yet owned mine for life, my oldest pair is coming on three years old and I have trouble telling them apart from the newest pair I bought last month. During those same three years, I’ve worn through the heels of two pairs of Smartwool hikers and runners, had three pairs of Icebreaker ankle socks start to unravel, and developed holes in the heels and toes of six pairs of Stoic trail socks. Meanwhile, the Darn Toughs look as good as new. And unlike cheaper socks you can get from Costco or military surplus stores, they’re not so thick that you can’t wear them in warmer climates.”

WrightSocks

Light and fast-drying.

Not as durable but much lighter and faster-drying. A dual-layer design prevents blisters better than any other synthetic sock.

If you prefer a vegan product, have a wool sensitivity, or if you’d like something a bit cooler and are willing to sacrifice some durability, WrightSocks (both men’s and women’s sizes at that link) made from synthetic Coolmesh are a great choice (we like them better than Darn Tough’s synthetic option, which felt stifling). Like most synthetic socks, they’re lighter weight and dry quickly, but what sets WrightSocks apart is their dual-layered design, which prevents blisters by diverting friction between your shoe-lining and the sock onto the inner layer of the sock as opposed to your skin. This combination of blister prevention and light weight makes them particularly popular amongst runners in addition to travelers. Popular women’s travel gear review site HerPackingList calls them “the perfect sock for active travelers who will be on their feet for hours or days at a time.” Wirecutter writer Geoff Morrison switched his whole sock drawer out for these since he started traveling seven years ago and hasn’t looked back. “I've never gotten a blister, even after walking over 30 miles in a day during the 2014 Le Mans,” wrote Morrison in an email interview.

But with the WrightSocks, what you lose in weight, you also lose in durability. After just three trips through a washing machine, both the women’s and men’s versions we tested had substantial pilling in several locations. Morrison notes that his tend to start looking worn after about six months and that he replaces them about once a year. Also, avoid the dryer if you can because multiple user reviewers state that they’ll shrink in the dryer over time. (They dry quickly enough without the dryer that this isn’t really a huge issue.) And because they’re not merino, they really start to stink after a full day of walking around; bring extra.

Havaianas Top Flip Flop (Men's)

The best flip-flops for men.

Durable, grippy, and squeak-free when wet.

Havaianas Top Flip Flop (women’s)

The best flip-flops for women.

Same shoe in women's sizes.

A good pair of travel flip-flops should be lightweight, cheap, and flat. That way they’re easy to take wherever and it won’t matter if you lose them. After testing the super popular Havaianas, Ipanemas, Crocs, and Old Navy flip-flops, our pick is the Havaiana Top (for men and women ). These high-density PVC Brazilian classics are world-renowned for their durability, affordability, and reliable traction, even when wet. They weigh just 150 g, compared to the 220 g Ipanemas. They pack down to almost nothing, unlike the big and boaty Crocs. And while other cheap flip flops can get squeaky when wet, the Havaianas stay mostly silent, which is why they’re so popular in beach towns all over the world. Ultimately, this is what earned them the pick over our previous pick from Old Navy.

Clothesline

While doing laundry at home can be a large weekly event, OneBag author Doug Dyment recommends approaching travel laundry as a part of your daily routine, especially if you’re trying to pack as little as possible: “The laundry should be more like cleaning your teeth—something you do everyday. It only takes about five minutes to do it. Every night, do your socks and underwear and you’ll have clean socks and underwear everyday.”

A secure, hassle-free option

The Flexo-Line attaches easily to a door handle or faucet and grips garments securely between its loops.

Check out OneBag’s laundry packing list if you want specific tips on how to do it and what you’ll need, but it’s a pretty simple setup: All you need is a toiletry bottle of powdered detergent, a towel to help expedite drying, and a travel clothesline to finish the drying process while you sleep at night.

Specifically, you want a braided—not twisted—surgical latex clothesline with looped ends, which means you want a Flexo-Line . The Flexo-Line can stretch up to 7 feet long, which is enough to span most hotel bathtubs, and it has loops that you can attach easily to a door handle, bath spigot, or faucet. The braided construction is superior to twisted designs made from other materials because the latex does a better job of gripping garments securely between the loops, which means you don’t need any additional clothespins.

Dyment has tried them all, but the Flexo-Line is the one he comes back to. As he explained to me in an interview, “There are others that are fine, but there are far more that are not fine.” More specifically, Dyment says to avoid anything that’s not made of latex , because clothes will inevitably slip out of them. He also says to never, ever trust a suction cup: “They don’t work, period.” If the Flexo-Line is unavailable, Dyment says that the Rick Steves collection from Kiva Designs also makes a nice braided line that is a bit more expensive. If you have a latex allergy, Dyment recommends going with a length of cord ( paracord is nice because it’s durable and you can use it for other things as well) and stainless steel safety pins meant for cloth diapers , because they take up far less space than a clothespin and won’t rust. In fact, it’s worthwhile to get these items even if you can use a latex line because they’re great for making luggage repairs and performing other MacGyver-ish tasks in a pinch. To hang up the clothesline, we recommend using a bowline knot on one end and a taut line hitch on the other. These knots work well together because the bowline creates a simple, slip-proof loop to anchor one end while the taut line hitch allows you to adjust for tension and locks tightly in place. If you could commit any two knots to memory forever, these are the ones to learn.

Laundry detergent

Minisoak Travel Packs

A travel size version of the best delicates detergent.

Perfect for traveling because you don’t even need to rinse it out.

When you’re washing your underwear in a hotel sink, you want a fast and easy experience. For this, we recommend the no-rinse detergent Soak . That’s right, we said no rinse . You just add a drop to the sink, fill with water, and leave your garments to soak. Then press out the water and hang. Done.

In our tests of delicates detergents , Soak cleaned almost as well as our top laundry detergent, Tide; plus, it comes in individual packets of powder  that are great for traveling, as well as in  travel-size bottles of the liquid version . In addition to unscented, it's available in a variety of scents, although Lacey and Celebration are not the most descriptive of scent names. They all smell nice, not overpowering. Soak also comes in an assorted travel pack with two single-use packets of each scent, if you want to test-drive one or two before you buy. In that mini size, you get eight packets for $11 currently, but you really need only a squeeze, not the the whole packet, to wash a couple of pairs of socks and underwear.

One downside to Soak is that you won’t find it in a grocery store or big-box store. But it is available online at Soak’s site . And if you really want to walk into a store and put your mitts on a bottle, you can find it at most local yarn stores.

Don’t feel like buying Soak or bringing along a bit of your own detergent? Shampoo also works pretty well for cleaning garments in a pinch, so make use of that free bottle from the hotel. But a caveat: Neither Soak nor shampoo contains enzymes , which are biological molecules in laundry detergent that break down certain stains. If you have especially stinky or stained clothes, you might need to break out the Tide .

When we first published this guide, this section addressed only toiletry kits and bottles, razors, and packable towels. The times, and traveling, became more complicated. One thing we've learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick and don’t want to share your misery: with a cold, the flu, Covid-19, whatever. Fortunately, compared with early 2020, medical-style N95s and KN95s (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. 

Toiletry kit

We’ve researched dozens of travel toiletry bags and dopp kits over the past several years, and we tested 23 of the top-rated contenders in our most recent round of tests. After packing and unpacking a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries, conducting spill tests, and living out of the top performers on the road, we have a few different picks that stand out thanks to their style, packability, and quality of construction.

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small)

A space-saving hanging bag.

This lightweight, well-organized bag fits a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries into a compact package. It’s meant to be hung, which makes it good for tight spaces, but it doesn’t have much in the way of internal structure.

The Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small) is compact and durable. It’s small enough to stash in a backpack or laptop bag, but it holds enough travel-size toiletries to keep us supplied for a week. You can open it and hang it from a shower curtain or towel rod to easily see and grab your items. It comes with a shatterproof mirror, two micro-mesh zip pockets and an open pocket for toothbrushes, lip balm, and tweezers, and a large compartment for bulky lotions and hair-care items.

L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag

For more stuff and longer trips.

With a 6.4-liter capacity and over a dozen compartments, this toiletry bag has a place for everything—and everything will stay put during transit, too. It can also accommodate non-travel-size bottles.

The L.L.Bean Personal Organizer (medium) is a great option for longer trips and people who travel with full-size bottles. Its 6.4 liters of storage spread across a dozen compartments means there’s a dedicated place for pretty much everything you could want to bring on a trip—it even has a removable mesh shower caddy for shampoo and body wash. This level of organization is crucial for larger toiletry bags because, as we discovered after years of traveling with our picks, contents that aren’t securely fastened can shift around in transit, which increases the chance of spilling. The downside of all this organization is that the L.L.Bean weighs 14 ounces when empty, so it’s not ideal for carry-on travel.

If neither of these bags seems right for you, read our full review of the best toiletry bags and dopp kits to learn more about our picks and everything we tested.

Toiletry bottles

Sea to Summit TPU Clear Zip Pouch with Bottles

These six TSA-friendly bottles are sturdy and smartly designed, dispensing liquids more precisely than any of the other bottles we tested.

For traveling with liquids in your carry-on, the Sea to Summit set is your best bet. All six bottles conform to TSA size limitations; three of them can hold 3 ounces of liquid each, and three can hold 1.5 ounces each, for a total of 13.5 ounces. Despite the set’s name, the bottles themselves are made not of thermoplastic polyurethane—“TPU" refers to the zip pouch—but a high-density polyethylene material, much like what you’d see used in most plastic milk jugs. It has an almost-smooth, semi-transparent surface just textured enough that it’s not slippery when wet. The plastic is also flexible enough that you don’t have to squeeze very hard to get your shampoo or liquid soap or whatever going. An insert at the mouth of each bottle helps regulate the flow, and the screw tops prevent liquids from leaking in transit.

Razor (faces)

Gillette Mach3

The best manual razor for most faces.

This classic razor’s three widely spaced blades provide the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. Its handle is comfortable and well designed, and replacement blades can be had for a fair price.

We researched and tested 100 manual razors for our full razor guide , concluding that the Gillette Mach3 is our top pick for manual razors. Although the three blades require a little extra time for a closer shave, it performs comparably to the latest and greatest offerings for as little as half the price.

The Gillette Mach3 provides the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. The Mach3’s simple, round handle is easy to grip and maneuver, and its three blades offer a close shave without over-irritating the skin or getting clogged with hair. And the price of Mach3 blades—$2 per cartridge or less, whether you buy them online or in a store—came close to, or even beat, the pricing of shave-club rivals, and the Mach3 shaved better than those competitors.

Five of our eight testers named the Mach3 among their top three razors, and two named it a favorite.

Razor (legs/body)

Gillette Venus Smooth

The best body razor.

This classic Venus is one of the easiest razors to grip and maneuver and its three-blade design keeps the blades remarkably free of hair.

Disposable razors (both the completely disposable and replaceable-cartridge variety) are fine to take through airport security , and among them we like the Gillette Venus Original best. After testing 22 top-rated body razors and panel testing the five best of them , we prefer its capable, three-blade head and easy-to-maneuver handle to the competition’s. Plus, as with any Venus, the Original’s body is compatible with any other Venus head and many heads from Gillette’s facial razors, making it exceptionally versatile.

The Original’s head has three blades separated by considerable slats of space, making it far easier to clean the head between strokes. And it includes simple aloe strips above and below the blades, allowing the lubricant to ease the shave without transforming your razor into a swamp. The Original is intuitive to hold and secure to maneuver, thanks to a contoured handle with corrugated chevrons of rubber. Though our testers have a wide range of hand sizes, no one found the Original difficult to grasp. Despite the significant ribbing, it doesn’t feel too bulky. Gillette claims its razors have lasted for five weeks; we think one razor for a weeklong trip should be fine.

(Know that, confusingly, the Venus appears for sale on some retail sites under the name Venus Close and Clean or Venus Smooth. It’s the same razor. If you’re unsure which Venus model you’re looking at, check for the Original’s three blades and trademark sea-foam blue color.)

Towel (packable)

PackTowl Personal

The best all-around packable towel.

The PackTowl Personal Towel is lightweight, soft, absorbent, quick to dry, and odor-resistant.

With store pickup or REI membership (limited patterns)

(limited patterns)

We put 20 top-rated towels through a battery of tests including regular shower use, a trip to the beach, camping, and a 48-hour stay in a ziplock bag under the hot Hawaiian sun. After all was said and done, the Packtowl Personal Towel is still the best all-around travel towel for most people. In addition to being the softest lightweight towel we tested, it was more absorbent than competitors made of similar materials. It had the best odor-resisting abilities and comes with a convenient mesh carrying pouch. We also have alternate picks for ultralight and all-natural towels below.

The Personal Towel’s suede-like material was the softest of the thinner towels. The Personal Towel also had superior absorption when compared with other similarly constructed towels such as the Sea to Summit DryLite  and the Shandali UltraSport —in our tests, it absorbed 2.8 times its weight in water, while the others absorbed between 2.3 times and 2.7 times.

One of just two we tested that featured an added antimicrobial treatment, the Personal Towel was only a little musty smelling after 24 hours in a sealed ziplock bag, and remained unchanged at 48 hours.

If you’re looking for a budget option, consider the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel , which is a tad smaller than our other picks and is made from a seemingly lighter-feeling fabric. Unlike most budget options, it has an antibacterial coating and still managed to carry a pleasant smell after being testing in different environments.

Regardless of how you get to your final destination, it’s likely you’ll be stuck in a seat that’s less than ideal. Travel gadgets that claim to reduce this misery, such as compression socks, are popular. But when they take up precious luggage space for the duration of your trip—not just the flight or train ride–they need to be worth every cubic inch of space. The less you can make do with, the better off you’ll be.

Neck pillow

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

More support for most necks.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows we tested because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case. Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, though supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks.

Noise-cancelling headphones

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones.

The Bose 700 headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear set has the most versatile active noise cancellation we’ve ever tested. With 10 levels of noise reduction to choose from, everyone should be able to find a setting that meets their needs. We also enjoyed the lightweight and comfortable design and the easy-to-use controls. What distinguishes the Bose 700’s ANC is the amount of adjustability it gives you: Most noise-cancelling headphones offer controls for only on/off or maybe high/low/off, but with the Bose 700 pair you can set the ANC level from 0 to 10, so you have more flexibility to dial in the ideal setting for your comfort. The 20-hour battery life, while not the best we’ve seen, is more than sufficient to get you to most destinations. We have additional options—including earbuds and surprisingly good budget options for  over-ear headphones and earbuds —in our full guide to noise-cancelling headphones .

Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs

For blocking out the most noise.

These blocked the most noise in our controlled testing and got the most votes from our subjective sleep panel.

When you’re traveling, it can be difficult to fall asleep to unfamiliar noises. That’s why we spent several hours researching new contenders and tested four top-rated models while sleeping in a house that was next to an airport in order to determine that Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs are the best earplugs for most travelers .

The Mack’s 37.1 dB noise reduction rating was the highest among the models we tested. According to Cooper Safety , that’s enough to reduce the volume of a gas lawnmower to that of a normal conversation. What made the Mack’s earplugs so effective is the fact that we could insert them and rest assured that they would stay in the whole night. Meanwhile, the Howard Leight MAX1 might be a favorite from crowdsourced sleep-aid review site Sleep Like the Dead , but the earplugs would inevitably fall out in the middle of the night. Thus, they failed to block out the noise of planes landing and taking off throughout the night, despite the MAX1’s 33 dB noise reduction rating. The Howard Leights also made our ears ache on occasion, whereas the Mack’s has a tapered shape that was consistently comfortable night after night.

The Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs cost about 20¢-35¢ per pair when purchased in a 50-pair pack. They come in a plastic case is about the size of a large coffee mug, which is small enough to toss in a large bag or suitcase. Many other ear plugs like our runner-up, the 3M’s E-A-Rsoft OCS1135 , can only be ordered in industrial-size lots that, while perhaps appealing to those who travel constantly (or run a hostel), are annoying to store and often lack a reusable container of any sort.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

For air travelers and back-sleepers.

The lightweight and contoured Nidra mask is a light-blocking win for most face shapes, with deep eye cups that allow the wearer to blink freely and arrive feeling refreshed.

When bright lights hamper peaceful shut-eye, we recommend the light-blocking, contoured Nidra Deep Rest sleep mask. Of the 20 masks we tried over two rounds of testing , the Nidra blocked the most light on the most faces. It’s contoured to rest on your face like a pair of soft goggles, with fabric lenses that sit around your eyes (instead of directly over them). This design provides more space for your eyes to flutter during REM sleep, ensuring that you come through red-eye flights with less redness in your eyes. Makeup wearers will also appreciate that, with the Nidra’s elevated eye cups, there’s a smaller chance of smudging.

Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask

A flat, silk mask.

A silken exterior material, a flat design, and an adjustable strap make this mask a fit for almost any face, but it puts pressure on the eyes.

If the Nidra Deep Rest doesn’t fit your face quite right, we also recommend the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask . It lacks contoured eyecups and thus applies some pressure to the eyes overnight like any regular eye mask does. But its flat design easily conforms to fit your face, and its silk exterior feels smooth and soft against skin (the padding is made of cotton). Its relative lack of structure makes it more difficult to knock off when you’re tossing and turning. Testers also liked that the Alaska Bear’s unobtrusive buckled strap didn’t snag on long hair the way a Velcro strap could. We think the Alaska Bear is a terrific eye mask for sleeping while traveling or in bed—regardless of your preferred sleep position—but we find the Nidra mask’s roomier eyecups more comfortable.

Sleeping bag liner

Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner

For a silky feel and extra warmth.

The Sea to Summit silk liner wicks moisture, doesn’t retain smells, packs down to the size of an apple, and even weighs less than one. It makes scratchy motel and hostel linens a lot more bearable.

A silk sleeping bag liner is a great way to insulate yourself from scratchy, cheap, poorly maintained linens you might find at a hostel or motel. On top of the obvious bling appeal of sleeping in silk, it’s the best performing material, too: absorbent yet quick-drying.  This makes silk superior to cotton, which becomes uncomfortable as soon as it gets moist, and synthetics, which retain smells more readily. Silk is also super strong, and its light weight means manufacturers can give you full body coverage in a compact package.

Our favorite is the  Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner , which is available in a variety of sizes, including regular, long, and even double for sharing. Whichever you pick, it will pack down to about the size and weight of a medium-sized apple. You won’t need it everywhere you sleep, but you’ll be glad you have it the next time you run into a set of scratchy sandpaper sheets at a cut-rate boarding house. (We have also used this for sleeping on long plane flights with great success.) Cocoon and Rab are the only other options when it comes to 100 percent silk liners available online and backed by a real company with a warranty, but those come in only one size. (Western Mountaineering makes silk liners as well, but they’re mainly available through independent retailers.)

Few things are better than landing at an airport, turning on your phone, and having it just work. No hassles, no stress, no worries about brutal roaming fees. You can check in with loved ones, scope out the route to your lodgings, and maybe post an Instagram story or two—because your phone works just like it does at home. This is especially freeing, and it makes travel so much easier. (Of course, phones aren’t the only useful tech to bring: Check out our accessories reviews for guides to the best cables ( USB-C , Lightning , and Micro-USB ), Wi-Fi hotspots , Bluetooth speakers , and more.)

Unlocked mobile phone

One of the most useful gadgets for international travel is an unlocked smartphone that’s compatible with cheap, prepaid phone plans you can sign up for at your destination. Unless your carrier offers plans including high-speed data that you can access internationally (i.e., you’re with T-Mobile or Google Fi), traveling with a phone under contract with a major carrier means paying an arm and a leg for data. Being able to access data-guzzling apps like Google Maps or Google Translate on the fly is worth the hassle to unlock a phone. Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp are free, easy ways to communicate with people you meet on your trip and people from home. Plus there’s checking email, TripAdvisor, banking, social media, and so on.

An “unlocked” phone means you can buy prepaid SIM cards in the country you’re visiting, letting you access their local network for significantly less money than the roaming fees incurred by your home carrier. With a prepaid SIM, your phone effectively becomes a new phone with a new (now local) phone number. Instead of seeing “Verizon,” “AT&T,” or “Sprint” at the top of your phone, you might see “Vodafone,” “Yes Optus,” “M1,” or whatever provider you choose in the country you’re visiting. The first thing to check is if your phone will work where you’re going. If you’re unsure if your phone will work where you’re going, check the Wikipedia page for your phone or contact your provider.

Your phone will also require a removable SIM (which most newer phones have). Most countries require a passport or other ID to buy a prepaid SIM without a contract, but switching the SIMs is easy. Most stores will do it for you while you’re there. Depending on the country/provider, this could take as long as 10 minutes but is often faster. The next question is easily the most complicated: Can you unlock your phone? Each carrier has different rules and criteria. Generally, if you have a brand new, expensive phone, they may not let you unlock it (there’s usually a waiting period after the purchase date). But if it’s a little older, or if you’ve paid it off, they probably will. The thing to remember is that a provider can deny an unlock request without giving a reason. You might be lucky, though; certain phones on certain providers are unlocked by default. Here are Verizon and AT&T’s pages on unlocking. Alternately, you can buy a pre-unlocked phone just for travel. Amazon and Best Buy, for example, sell unlocked phones. This is also a good option if you think you might lose your expensive phone and a cheaper one will suffice while you travel.

Plug adapter

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter

Best universal travel adapter.

With four plugs that will work in most countries, plus faster-charging USB ports (and more of them) than its competitors, this adapter is the best all-around choice.

You save $4 (17%)

In a sea of almost-identical travel adapters, the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter stands out, combining the best of the features we look for. It contains the three most common international plugs and a US-style plug, which should cover you in the majority of countries around the world. It has the most USB ports—four of the standard USB-A and one USB-C—of any universal adapter we tested, and it charged more of our devices faster. A replaceable fuse and an included spare should take the brunt of any accidental, unfortunate, or shockingly bad connections. The Epicka is fairly compact and well built, and it even comes with an extra USB cable and a nylon case.

However, no universal travel adapter is truly universal, and they’re all a lot bulkier and more expensive than simple plug adapters. If you want the smallest adapter possible, or if you’re going someplace where a universal adapter won’t work (more on that in a minute), a plug adapter could be what you need.

Ceptics International Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter 5 Piece Set

The best plug adapter.

Individually, these tiny plug adapters are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than any universal travel adapter. To juice up multiple devices, though, you’d need a separate multiport charger too.

The tiny plug adapters from Ceptics are barely larger than the prongs they convert. Small, simple, and cheap, they’re perfect for someone who wants to carry only the adapter they’ll need and who already has a multiport USB wall charger they like. Like our universal adapter picks, this set contains the three most common international plugs and the US plug. However, it also includes a somewhat rarer plug used in some European countries that has two thick, cylindrical prongs. This means that the Ceptics set will likely cover you in even more places—as long as you pack the appropriate plug adapter. These charts should help you find the shape you need before you order.

However, getting your gear to work in different countries isn’t quite as simple as it should be, and there’s no single solution that’s guaranteed to work for everyone. Our picks should work for you, but you may have some random piece of equipment, or be traveling to some country, for which our “good for most” picks just won’t work. (Case in point: One Wirecutter editor visited Iceland a few years back. The house she stayed in had outlets unlike anything on those charts, and the plug adapters she had used elsewhere in Reykjavik didn’t fit at all. It turns out the mystery sockets belonged to an obscure Italian system from the 1960s that was popular in Iceland for a time. Luckily, the hosts had power strips in the house that her adapters fit into.) The world is a big place, and when it comes to electricity and wall outlets, there’s a lot of variation. That’s important to keep in mind.

Whether two-prong or three-prong, an adapter just changes the shape of your plug, not anything about the electricity coming through the wires. However, this usually isn’t a problem because almost every power brick that comes with modern electronic gear is capable of accepting both the 110-volt standard used in the US and the 240-volt commonly used abroad. If your device has a power block on the cord, it likely says something like  “100-240 V ~ 50/60 Hz”—that’s the all-clear to use it without a voltage converter so long as the range covers the voltage of the country you’re visiting . This includes the vast majority of modern laptop and USB chargers. Products without some sort of power block at the end or with a non-detachable cord—in particular, things with heating elements like hair dryers and curling irons—are more likely to need a voltage converter. Putting 220 V through a US 110 V device would be like attaching a firehose to a drinking fountain—you’re likely to blow your face off. But voltage converters are tricky devices, and most of the inexpensive ones have awful (or dishonest) reviews. Since hotels and hostels will often have hair dryers and most newer gear can do the full range of voltages, we strongly recommend that, whenever possible, you only bring items that work with a much simpler (and more reliable) adapter.

Wire/gadget organization system

Now that every device has a battery, every battery has a charger, and every charger has a cable—never mind power-plug adapters if you’re traveling abroad—the sheer quantity of accessories needed just to keep your gadgets running can take up more space than the devices themselves. And unless you organize them, you can bet on having to blindly fish them out of the least convenient spot at the bottom of your bag. Unfortunately, our pick for carrying tech necessities, the Incase Nylon Accessory Organizer, has been out of stock for a few years. It will, however, be coming back in 2024, according to Incase.

The Incase cable organizer is a poly-nylon blend, so it’s durable. It is a soft-shell bag, however, so its contents can distort the bag’s shape when it’s full. But the bag’s edges remain rigid—so the seams don’t pucker—its contents don’t fall out, and zipping and unzipping the bag is still easy. We have other picks in our full guide to bag and cable organizers , including a customizable mesh-pouch setup and a stylish duo of cosmetics travel pouches ; we’ll also start testing other options to replace this one.

USB battery packs

A USB battery pack (also called a power bank) can keep your small electronics—from phones and cameras to tablets and more—going while you’re on the road. Although the length of your trip will determine exactly how much extra juice you’ll need to have on hand, whatever your requirements, we have a great USB battery recommendation for you. The Zendure SuperMini 20W is about as small and lightweight as a power bank can possibly be while still offering enough capacity to juice up most smartphones up to three times. Its USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port can charge most handheld devices (and recharge the power bank itself) at top speed with the included USB-C cable and a compatible wall charger (the one that came with your phone will work). The USB-A port can handle any older, non-USB-C devices you might have kicking around, too. The SuperMini’s rounded edges make it easy to hold and slip into a pocket.

If you’re traveling for leisure, try not to get too wrapped up in technology because you might miss what you’re actually there to do: experience a new place. OneBag’s Doug Dyment said in an interview, “Wearing headphones and staring at a screen is like putting a digital wall around yourself when you’re traveling. It makes you seem unapproachable and uninterested in what’s around you.” That may be a good thing if you do truly want to be left alone, but Dyment went on to say that some of his most memorable traveling experiences were the result of just looking lost and getting help from the locals. “One minute, you’re a lost foreigner in an unfamiliar village, then someone asks if you need directions. Before you know it, you’re eating dinner with his family.”

Travel binoculars

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The overall best binoculars.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars have performance comparable with that of many models that cost thousands more.

Our top pick for binoculars is durable and great for near-home hikes. In hot or dusty environments that may call for a clearer optical boost, the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8×42 binoculars deliver top quality. Its focus dial offers a wide range of depths that makes it easier to see whatever it is you desire—birds, grass or darkened areas of the forest. Our recommendation comes with the assistance of a professional ornithologist who spent over 100 hours putting 17 pairs of binoculars to the test in the mountains of Southern California and the rain forests of southern Mexico.

Although the Celestron TrailSeeker ED binoculars don’t offer a clear edge-to-edge view to the same degree of the Athlon Optics Midas EDs , they’re a comparable runner-up model that’ll be lighter on your wallet if having binoculars while traveling is a must. The TrailSeekers are equipped with great light-gathering qualities, close focus, and impressive optical resolution.

Ebook reader

Amazon Kindle (2022)

The best e-reader for most people.

Amazon’s most affordable Kindle is also its most portable, and it’s finally been upgraded with sharper text on its 6-inch screen and support for USB-C charging. Those features bring it in line with much-pricier e-readers.

The entry-level Amazon Kindle finally got an upgrade, with the same crisp display and USB-C charging as the pricier Kindle Paperwhite has (and with double the storage space of the previous entry-level model). If you have $20 more to spend, the Amazon Kindle Kids is worth it even if you’re not a parent; it comes with a case, one year of Amazon Kids+, a two-year warranty (compared with the standard version’s one year of coverage), and no ads. Getting rid of ads on the base model costs $20 alone. Amazon’s well-stocked ebooks store remains its biggest selling point, along with the ease of checking out library books via Libby and sending them directly to a Kindle.

Even if you don’t have time for pleasure reading on your trip, it’s worth investing in a Kindle because many major travel guides are available in fully searchable ebook formats now. Furthermore, e-texts will also work on your phone, tablet, and computer, thanks to the Kindle ecosystem.

Travel water bottle

CamelBak Podium 21oz Bike Bottle

A lightweight squeezie.

This squeeze bottle is leakproof, light enough to throw into a carry-on for a flight, and cheap enough that if the TSA forces you to ditch it, the loss won’t break your heart.

If you’re tired of paying for a liter of water every time you take a plane trip, try a lightweight water bottle that you can stuff into your bag and then refill once you get past airport security. For years, we looked for a reliable collapsible travel bottle, but we were disappointed so many times: The HydraPak flopped, the Hydaway tasted plasticky, the Vapur and the Platypus collapsed (in a bad way), and the Nomader didn’t pack down very small. And in our experience, the implied way to carry a full one correctly—clipped to a backpack or belt loop—left them swinging around haphazardly. We’ve recommended all of these bottles in the past, but we’ve always been left wishing there was a better way.

Basic, light, and cheap, a squeeze bottle made for cycling is now our sincere recommendation for airport travel, and we like the CamelBak Podium in particular. It has a twist lock that provides extra assurance that it’s closed tight when you toss it in a bag—plus, it’s dishwasher safe. In addition to its being light and relatively compact, if the TSA takes it, you’ve lost only a few dollars instead of your investment in an expensive insulated bottle. The lid on this bottle is not covered, though, so if you dislike the idea of this bottle swimming around in a bag with the drinking surface exposed, you may prefer another of our water bottle picks, the Thermos Hydration Bottle , although some of our testers didn’t like having to fuss with the lid or flip lock on the Thermos.

Packable daypack

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that fits in your palm.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your luggage or coat pocket, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, we think you’ll prefer one of our more-structured picks.

Packing a stowable daypack, one that stuffs down to fit in your luggage when not in use, is a relatively small investment of space in exchange for a high return of function and flexibility. After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack we recommend. Packed up, it is very discreet: nearly the size of a keychain accessory. The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, which means it’s very light and water-resistant. It has reinforced stitching at stress points, allowing the Ultra-Sil to carry more weight than you would expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially when compared with our more structured picks.

If comfort or waterproofing is important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Field Notes 3-Pack Original Kraft Memo Books

For ultimate portability.

Field Notes are cheap but contain high-quality paper that earns praise from pen and stationery geeks across the web.

For writing your adventures as you travel, you can’t beat the portability, practicality, and romanticism of a pocket notebook. There’s nothing better in that category than Field Notes (three-packs available in a variety of styles and types ). These pocket-sized notebooks are widely praised for their excellent paper quality, and the Pen Addict’s Brad Dowdy tells me “Field Notes is pretty much the runaway pocket notebook champ.” Dowdy has praised it for the lack of feathering or bleedthrough with almost any pen, as well as for the light brown ruled lines, which are easier to write over than solid black. Austin Smith of Art Supply Critic told us in an email that his recommendation is “Field Notes has it, no question.” The Well-Appointed Desk has reviewed a slew of different Field Notes variants for those looking for something a bit more interesting.

Field Notes Expedition

A weather-resistant option.

Weather-resistant Expedition Field Notes are great if you’re writing in wet conditions, but don’t get them if you don’t need them. The synthetic paper feels weird and can cause some inks to smear.

If you think you’re going to be writing in foul weather, Field Notes also has the waterproof Expedition version with pages made from a synthetic water-and-tear resistant paper. You should only get these if you really need them, because otherwise, they just feel unnaturally slick and are more prone to smearing ink. At least one user has said that the paper shows less soaking through when wet than the similar Rite in the Rain books . The one caveat is that the synthetic paper will only work with pencils and certain inks ; thankfully, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT , our pick for best pen , definitely makes the grade.

Things can go wrong while you’re traveling, both where you are and where you’re not. Though you can’t prepare for every worst-case scenario, the peace of mind that a little bit of preparation grants will allow you to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of having to worry about what could go wrong. But preparation doesn’t simply mean buying more stuff just in case; it also means making efficient use of what you already have.

Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit

For the best combination of sewing tools.

The Merchant & Mills Rapid Repair Kit is the only travel kit we found that had objectively high-quality thread and scissors.

There’s nothing quite like a wardrobe malfunction to put a damper on vacation, especially when traveling with limited clothing. A good travel-size sewing kit allows you to mend a popped button or ripped seam on the fly—or even tackle more pressing issues like fixing a tent, sleeping bag, or backpack. After 15 hours of research, interviews with sewing teachers and avid home sewers, and tests of six travel and full-size kits, we found the Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit had by far the best tools and was the easiest to keep organized. Standard travel sewing kits usually contain mediocre thread and plastic-handled scissors that break easily. They can also be hard to keep organized (a truth we confirmed when testing six top-rated travel and full-sized kits). The Merchant & Mills set was the only one that had high-quality thread, all-metal mini scissors (don’t worry, the TSA shouldn’t stop you ), and a durable tin case (about the size of a deck of cards) to keep everything well organized.

Because the sewing pins are neatly stuck into paper inside a slim envelope and the three needles are housed in a mini glass vial, this kit also limits the risk of losing a sharp object in your bags. We found the Merchant & Mills needles easier to thread than others (no need for a fussy needle threader!) and we also like the vintage-looking safety pins that come clipped together along with two small white buttons. Although this kit only comes with black and white thread, the thread is strong and there’s more of it than you’d get in a flimsier set with shorter strands of multiple colors. We do think it would be nice if the kit included a more durable measuring tape than the paper one included, but overall everything about this kit is leagues ahead of anything else we considered. We didn’t find editorial reviews for any of the kits we tested, but the Merchant & Mills rapid repair kit was recommended by several sewing bloggers and is sold in many reputable indie fabric shops.

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella

The best umbrella for most people.

This is a solidly built, easy-to-find umbrella that holds up in high winds. It also comes in a variety of colors.

price may vary by color or style

An umbrella you take traveling should be small, light, sturdy, and affordable. After putting in 66 hours of research and evaluating a total of 48 umbrellas across five rounds of testing (including one thunder-snowstorm), we found that the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella is the best umbrella for most people. Its durable, nine-rib construction held up admirably against gale-force winds, and it’s as sturdy as umbrellas that sell for more than twice as much.

The Repel folds up to an 11½-inch long, 14-ounce package that fits easily into most bags and glove boxes. And it forcefully expands at a touch of a button to reveal an ample 37-inch-diameter canopy that protects your head and torso from precipitation in all but the windiest of conditions. Its lengthy, textured handle is easy to grip for hands of all sizes. We also appreciate that the Repel comes in a wide variety of colors, so it’s easier to pick yours out of a crowded umbrella bucket. Finally, despite its affordable price, it’s backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee, but only if you purchase directly from Repel and register the item under the company’s warranty.

Packing method for clothes

While packing cubes and other organization tools are helpful for maximizing your bag’s usable space, efficient packing is also achievable without the aid of tools and compartments. One Bag’s Doug Dyment tried all manners of folding aids and compression products but was unsatisfied with their claims of compression and wrinkle prevention. Frustrated, he developed his own method of packing clothes compactly called the Bundle Method, which he’s used and perfected over several decades of traveling.

The Bundle Method involves layering your shirts and pants at opposing angles on a flat surface, then wrapping them around a small “core” parcel (e.g. a packing cube full of underwear and socks). We won’t get into details, but Dyment does on his website ; you can watch this easy-to-follow video from NBC . The resulting bundle is compact and has no sharp creases that will require ironing out later on. Additionally, Dyment explains that “the slight tension created in the fabric by the wrapping process, along with the anchoring of the resulting bundle, greatly reduces the chances of wrinkling.” You then put it in your bag and use the tie-down straps to provide just enough pressure to keep it together.

While simple to perform, this packing method isn’t something you can master in one go. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike. The downside is that you can’t just leave your clothing packed and expect to be able to access your underwear without fully unpacking your clothes first. But unpacking is a good habit to get into anyway, as it allows your clothes to breathe and avoid wrinkles or mildew. Wirecutter founder and frequent traveler Brian Lam says that unpacking the moment he enters a room has a grounding effect that allows him to feel a bit more at home in a new environment.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle for you, you can do what we did before we found out about bundling: roll up your socks and underwear tightly and place them in packing cubes, then put your wrinkle-prone items (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets) in a garment folder—we used the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Garment Folder . This is also travel guru Rob King’s preferred method of packing. Though the garment folder is not quite as space-efficient as the bundle method due to the added bulk of the folder and folding board, the plastic backboard does go a long way towards preventing wrinkles. Just be aware that if you leave your clothes in there for longer than a day, they’ll begin to develop unsightly creases that require an iron to get rid of.

A big thank-you to the Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, Oregon, for lending us a suite to use for the photos in this guide.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guide

Wirecutter Staff

Mentioned above

• There’s more to a great in-flight personal item than being small enough to stuff under a plane seat. Here’s how to choose the right one for your travel needs. The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags  
• The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is our backpack pick for most travelers. We also have picks for other travelers, including those who want to carry a bit more. The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks  
• After 10 years of airport dashes and overhead-compartment stashes, the Travelpro Platinum Elite is still the suitcase we want to carry. The Best Carry-On Luggage  
• For trips ranging from a week to multiple months, the Osprey Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 carried everything we needed comfortably. The Best Travel Backpack  
• After researching 30 models, we found that Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who check bags. The Best Suitcases for Checking  
• We chose five luggage tags that will help you identify your belongings in a sea of similar suitcases. The Best Luggage Tags  

Further reading

How to Sleep Well (or at Least Better) While Traveling

by Christine Ryan

Our sleep and travel editors recommend gear for coping with travel-induced insomnia, vetted through hours of testing and years of personal experience.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Haley Perry

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

The Best Travel Pillow

by Sabrina Imbler

After testing eight travel pillows on four red-eye flights in window, aisle, and middle seats, we think the Travelrest Ultimate is the best for most travelers.

The 56 Best Travel Accessories of 2024

Packing for a vacation can be overwhelmingly difficult at times, especially when you’re a paranoid person. At the same time, having some essential travel accessories in your bag turns out to be of utmost importance when hitting the road.

It’s like, you don’t realize what is missing until you need it.

If you are anything like us, we adore traveling but absolutely loathe packing. Our goal is to save our readers some heartache by thoughtfully listing 56 best travel accessories you can consider having when you plan a trip next time. These are grouped into different categories, so you can quickly identify the items according to your needs.

Fight Germs, Bacteria and Viruses

During traveling, it is important to carry out basic protective measures by washing your hands with soap or hand sanitizer to curb the spread of deadly diseases. Wear a surgical face mask if you are sick and take Vitamin C to boost your immune system.

Best Essential Travel Items

Best travel backpack: the north face borealis backpack.

Staying true to its brand name, The North Face Borealis Backpack is an excellent travel backpack to have on your list. It is built to accomplish all types of explorations including hiking high up in the mountains without having to worry about its sustainability, thanks to its tough 210D Cordura® nylon ripstop.

The backpack has injection-molded shoulder straps and lumbar support for extended hours of backpacking. Storage wise, it sports a highly protective padded laptop compartment and another front compartment with multi-use pockets . It also has a mesh water bottle holder and an elastic bungee holder for external packing. All this and waterproof material make it the most durable and versatile travel backpack available.

Best Luggage Lock: Master Lock TSA Accepted Luggage Lock

Let’s face it: You hate checked baggage or carry-on luggage inspection. Everyone does. You do not know if your lock will be cut without your permission or luggage getting damaged in the process. For peace of mind, The Master Lock is a TSA accepted luggage lock that allows authorized TSA screeners to inspect the luggage without damaging the lock.

It comes with a 1/8″ diameter shackle made of vinyl-covered flexible braided steel that resists any form of abuse and is highly durable. Choose from four striking colors- red, blue, black, and silver for easy identification of the baggage and also to showcase your personality. The secure lock has a set-your-own number combination feature so that you don’t have to worry about the keys. The maker even throws in a limited lifetime warranty for every purchase, so you can rest assured that this brand provides extended support.

Best Luggage Scale: Etekcity Digital Luggage Scale

Never again worry about your luggage exceeding maximum allowance with this Etekcity Digital Luggage Scale. It is small in size and convenient enough to be carried along. The scale is sensitive to measure changes as low as 0.1 lb (0.5g) and can measure up to 110 lb (50kg) of baggage weight with an overload indicator .

The rubber handle provides a formidable grip, and the digital LCD shows room temperature with zero and tare function. Conveniently, it has a built-in low power indicator when the battery is required to be changed. Besides just knowing your luggage weight, you can also easily weigh your laundry basket with the secure strap.

Best Travel Pouch: Venture 4 th  Travel Neck Pouch

Make your check-in and transit smooth and secure with the Venture 4th Travel Neck Pouch. Made with high-quality RFID Blocking material, this pouch keeps unwanted and harmful digital thieves and scans at bay. It has three compartments including two zipper pockets and a transparent pocket for putting IDs and boarding passes. The pouch can securely store all your important documents, cash, and passport in a concealed manner so that you can travel worry-free.

The material is lightweight, waterproof, and very sturdy . It is most suitable for carrying with you on a cruise ship vacation or public transport. A money-back guarantee makes this a risk-free purchase.

Best Water Bottle: Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle

Quench your thirst timelily with this Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle. Manufactured with high-quality BPA-free silicone , this bottle is strong enough to carry water without leakage as well as comfortable enough to hold it while drinking. The most innovative feature is that it can smoothly collapse into a roll, making it easy to pack in a bag without occupying much space.

It is made from non-toxic materials, so you don’t taste or smell plastic while using it, as is the case with other bottles. Moreover, it is freezable, dishwasher safe, and can handle any drink at any temperature without breaking a sweat!

Best Umbrella: Repel Windproof Automatic Travel Umbrella

Now shield yourself from unexpected weather conditions with the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella. Its framework is made of a triple-fold chrome metal shaft and nine reinforced fiberglass ribs that do not turn inside out even during powerful gusts of wind. Just like its brand name, the umbrella has exceptional water repellency .

That is the magic property of the coated Teflon material that allows 100% waterproof cover over your head. You may wonder what is so ‘ Automatic ’ about the Repel umbrella? Well, the handle has an anti-slip grip and a built-in open-close switch that automatically opens/closes your umbrella. It is very compact and lightweight to be carried along, and it comes with a lifetime warranty to keep you dry, year after year.

Best Beach Blanket: ScorchedEarth Pocket Beach Blanket

The ScorchedEarth Pocket Beach Blanket is the true definition of what you might not realize you are missing until you need it. It’s a must-have for any kind of outdoor activities – beaches, camping, hiking, picnics, tanning, open parties, and more. It is pocket-sized when packed in a pouch, yet it can be stretched out to 60” x 55” in dimension when fully unfolded, which perfectly accommodates up to 4 people.

It comes with rust-proof anchors on the corners that can be secure in the ground to stabilize it in windy conditions. The mini sand pockets prevent the blanket from turning upside down at the beach. The polyester material is waterproof and puncture-resistant , thus making it the best beach blanket to have.

Best Laundry Bag: Gogooda Mesh Laundry Bags

Increase the lifespan of your delicate clothes with this Gogooda 7pcs Mesh Laundry Bags set. These laundry bags come in seven distinguishable sizes and shapes so that you can carry along the ones you need. The strong polypropylene nylon mesh prevents clothing from tearing, tangling, and releasing colors into each other.

The zippers come with an auto-lock so they don’t open up while still in the washer. These bags are a perfect choice for washing lingerie, baby clothes, compression socks, and sweaters while on a trip.

Best Travel Mug: Contigo Travel Mug

Contigo Travel Mug is the tumbler you need to keep your drink temperature-proof for hours. It is made of THERMALOCK vacuum-insulated stainless steel that keeps your beverage hot for 5 hours and cold for 12 hours . It has a tight lid that uses AUTOSEAL technology which makes it spill-proof . No more coffee stain on your shirt. To start drinking, just push the button and then take a sip. The lid is dishwasher-safe and easy to clean. Pick your preferred color and capacity from 16 oz to 24 oz.

Best Personal Water Filter: Lifestraw

Lifestraw is a fantastic choice for adventure seekers to bring along to consume safe drinking water anywhere. What makes it unique is it contains a hollow fiber membrane technology that uses a filter pore of just 0.2 microns that filters 99.9999% disease-causing microbes and other substances and microplastics that cause contamination. It can be used to filter up to 4000 liters of water from any source.

For the skeptical, rest assured they have passed the rigorous testing protocols set by the US EPA , NSF , ASTM . This personal water filter weighs only 2 oz, making it ideal for travel and adventures like hiking, camping, and extreme survival.

Best Raincoat: Baleaf Unisex Rain Jacket

Do not let the rain come your way with the Baleaf Unisex Rain Jacket. It is made of 100% water-resistant nylon material that keeps you dry. Weighing at just 0.48 pounds, it doesn’t burden you as you wear it. It also has reflective logos and branding to increase visibility in the dark. The funnel hood and elastic cuffs keep water from seeping inside. It can be packed compactly into its back pocket, making it easy to carry at different places.

Best Hiking Backpack: AmazonBasics Hiking Backpack

The ultimate travel accessory for backpackers, AmazonBasics Hiking Backpack is the one you need for a great backpacking experience. Made in very durable polyester material, this backpack has an internal frame that doesn’t lose shape and ensures a comfortable fit. It has a main compartment and multiple storage pockets along with a sleeping bag compartment to pack in all your necessities.

The outer coating is water-repellant and it also has a water-resistant rainfly for heavy downpours. The shoulder straps are heavily padded , and the straps are adjustable too. It comes in 3 sizes- 50L, 60L, 70L and in 2 different colors. Pair it with the portable sleeping bag by Winner Outfitters and ‘Outdoorsman Lab Ultralight Sleeping Pad’ for a great night’s sleep while camping.

Best Space Saver Bags: Samsonite Compression Packing Bags

One bag travel fanatics rejoice! Now gain extra space in your bag with Samsonite Compression Packing Bags. Available in a pack of 12, these bags can maximize storage space up to 80% without requiring a vacuum or pump. The plastic used is 70 microns in thickness and is durable.

The bags are air-tight and water-tight , hence preventing any odor, dust, moisture, or insects from affecting your clothes. Using these space saver bags dramatically helps in keeping your bag well-organized and orderly.

Best Clothesline: HAWATOUR Portable Travel Clothesline

The HAWATOUR Portable Travel Clothesline has earned the reputation of being the best clothesline for drying clothes on a camping trip . Made in a lightweight yet strong material, you can move it outside or indoor effortlessly. It has 12 clothespins that can firmly hold wet clothing .

The black stoppers between each clothespin prevent it from sliding towards the center, hence the clothes remain separate for effective and fast drying. It weighs just 7 ounces, and the elastic string can be stretched for up to 10 feet.

Best Travel Hangers: Trubetter Folding Hangers

The Trubetter Folding Hangers is a smart choice for anyone who wants to go on an extended vacation . Made of high-quality ABS plastic, these hangers are absolutely lightweight and sturdy enough to hold clothes. The non-slip design prevents clothes from falling or drooping when hung for a long time.

Available in a pack of 10, these hangers are foldable so that they can be packed in a bag without it occupying much space. The innovative and practical design means you can unfold half of it for hanging baby clothes and fully unfold it for hanging adult clothes.

Best Headphone Splitter: AmazonBasics 5-way Multi Headphone Splitter

Enjoy your music with friends without sharing your headphones with this AmazonBasics 5-way Multi Headphone Splitter. The headphone splitter can be plugged into a 3.5 mm AUX port on any device like a smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc., and it splits the cable line into five similar 3.5 mm ports that can act as the female component for up to five headphones. It is made of ABS plastic that is durable. It can also be used to mix songs from different devices, making it the perfect choice for travel.

Best Travel Adapter: NEWVANGA International Universal Travel Adapter

The NEWVANGA International Universal Travel Adapter is a no-frills universal power adapter to use for any device while traveling. It accepts sockets from more than 150 countries with US/EU/UK/AU plugs.

It has a maximum power rating of 6A, suitable for AC input of 100V-240V. It comes with a built-in fuse that protects your device when the current exceeds 6.3A. All purchases come with two years limited warranty for the product.

Best Shoe Bag: YAMIU Travel Shoe Bags

These YAMIU Travel Shoe Bags will keep your shoes separated from your clothes as you pack your bag the next time. Manufactured using the highest quality nylon material, these shoe bags are 100% waterproof and dustproof that will keep them well protected and clean.

You can use it to carry your shoes while packing, during beach visits, or even for your daily visit to the gym . The zippers are extra durable and long-lasting. It comes in a pack of 2, 4, or 10 bags, and the brand offers a lifetime warranty for the product.

Best Garment Bag: WallyBags Garment Bag

Attend those board meetings in style with the WallyBags Garment Bag. Your suits and gowns will stay crease-free and sharp in this easy-to-carry garment bag. It is made with a weather-proof and water-resistant polyester material that is lightweight and foldable so that you can even pack it in your luggage.

The handle can easily be used to attach it to your trolley bag or tie it to your cabin luggage. It can handle up to six garments with hangers that can be locked so that the garments won’t fall to the bottom of the bag.

Best Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses

The Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses can protect your eyes from the harsh sun rays with its 100% UV coating . From the best brand in the world, these sunglasses are high on style as well as very handy to carry while traveling.

There is a case, a cleaning cloth, and a Ray-Ban warranty card inside the package. The nylon frames are durable and can be folded easily so that they can be harmlessly packed inside a bag even if you don’t have the case. Multiple frame designs and lens colors make the purchase a no-brainer for all men and women.

Best Wet Wipes: Surviveware Biodegradable Wet Wipes

You know the struggle is real with all the dust and sweat you accumulate on your body when touring in a humid country. Founded by backpackers, Surviveware biodegradable wet wipes are the only solution to a traveler’s hygiene requirements.

Unlike other wet napkins, these wipes are hypoallergenic, scent-free, and alcohol-free . Its pH-balanced formula, along with Vitamin E and Aloe keeps your skin moisturized and nourished for a long time. These wipes are for multi-use, be it for a casual traveler or an intense backpacker on a hike. The best part- it can be used on any skin type without any irritation.

Best Travel Slippers- Sunshine Code Memory Foam Slippers

Cheap hotels don’t usually provide any slippers. And the ones that are given for free are paper-thin and fragile. Make your travel comfortable with Sunshine Code’s memory foam slippers. It is made of ultra-soft cotton that feels great on your feet as you wear them. The slippers are lightweight enough to be carried for multiple uses- travel, hotel room, home, etc.

The outer sole is made of anti-slip rubber and is durable enough to be worn in all seasons. These slippers are washable and are available in many different colors and sizes for both men and women.

Best Messenger Bag: Travelon Anti-theft Classic Messenger Bag

Travelon specializes in bags that safeguard your personal belongings from pickpockets and bag snatchers. This messenger bag has many anti-theft features. First, the locking straps can be used to lock the bag with stationary objects to prevent theft.

All the compartments are lined by stainless steel mesh that protects from slash-n-grab thieves. It can holds items like Kindle, phones, books, and more. The messenger bag also has RFID blocking slots for cards and passports, taking identity theft seriously. Select from many designs and colors to suit your fashion taste.

Best Compression Socks: Wanderlust Travel Compression Socks

Doctors recommend these premium Wanderlust branded travel compression socks to eliminate problems caused to feet due to long walking, sitting, and standing. The gradual compression formula is effective in compressing feet up to calves.

Its seamless design, soft foot padding, and comfortable material significantly stimulate blood flow and circulation , prevent swelling and injuries, eliminate pain, and provide long-lasting comfort for travels longer than 6 hours. The cotton blend material provides excellent breathability at the same time. The testing result data show that it is also suitable for athletes recovering from injuries .

Best Travel Bike Helmet: Foldable Bike Helmet by Park & Diamond

When style and safety meet, you get the new Park & Diamond Foldable Bike Helmet . Traditional bike helmets have always been bulky and dull. Park & Diamond designed it to look and feel like a baseball cap but with a reinforced frame and material underneath. It has passed cycling helmet safety standards from the U.S. CPSC and EU EN-1078.

Bikers who love to cycle on vacation can finally pack a helmet in their luggage and enjoy cycling without getting weird stares in public.

Best Laptop Backpack: Harber London Slim Laptop Backpack

This slim laptop backpack from Harber London has no bulky padding, which helps it to keep a slimmer profile.

That said, there are still some great features that we really like! It’s water-resistant with weather-proof zippers for all your gadgets on the go. The front pocket is perfect for chargers and miscellaneous items, and the detachable magnetic system key holder is perfect if you’re looking to be hands-free.

There are also lots of interior pockets fitted just right inside! You can fit an iPad Pro 12.9″ with a keyboard attached or smaller tablets, so nothing goes missing when you head out for work or play while keeping everything organized in one place thanks to its custom made aviation-grade aluminum buckles.

Made with full-grain cowhide leather from an expert craftsman in Spain, you can be sure of the bag’s durability and never have to worry about losing anything again.

See Related: Harber London Slim Laptop Backpack Review

Best Travel Gadgets

Best travel door alarm: lewis n clark travel door alarm.

Travel door alarm is the most underrated and most forgotten gadget that most people don’t put in their essential accessories list. The Lewis N Clark’s Portable Door Alarm has thin blades that clips between the door and doorframe. It alerts you with a blaring alarm when it is forced open from the outside. It is so loud that it will wake you up from the deepest slumber.

Most budget hotels don’t have heavy-duty door locks so this is an added protection. The built-in flashlight also helps in seeing in the dark during an emergency. You might think this non-eye-catching device is unnecessary, but as the saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry .

Best Action Camera: GoPro HERO 11 BLACK

A must-have for content creators, the GoPro HERO11 Black can capture the most stunning best-in-class video with a mere click, thanks to its upgraded HDR 27MP sensor . It is rugged and waterproof up to 33 ft for use in any weather conditions and extreme sports . It can record 5.3K super-resolution videos with gimbal-like stabilization dubbed ‘ HyperSmooth 5.0 ’.

The all-new voice control feature lets you do hands-free photo taking and video recording when it recognizes your voice commands. Other specifications include GPS, Live Streaming, 8X Slo-mo, and many other innovative features. Don’t forget to also download the GoPro app for footage editing on the go. Now you can ditch your heavy DSLR camera.

Best Mobile Hotspot: GlocalMe G4 Pro Portable WiFi Hotspot

This WiFi hotspot is made specifically for those who need fast 4G LTE internet access while traveling to the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is so small to fit inside the pocket yet capable of providing download speeds up to 150 Mbps on 4G and 43.2 Mbps on 3G.

It can be used to create a secure Hotspot for family or friends wherever you want. The Glocalme App for iOS and Android allows you to manage hotspot contracts and usage details. Impressively, it has enough juice to last up to 15 hours on a single full charge.

Best Power Bank: Bonai 30000mAh Portable Charger

Are you craving infinite power like the mighty Thanos from Marvel Universe?

Well, you can have it too, sort of. The Bonai Portable Charger has a monstrous 30000mAh high capacity power made to last for several days or even weeks to provide extra battery juice for all your electronic devices. Power Banks are an absolute necessity when traveling. It has four USB 5V / 5.6A ports and two lighting ports that can simultaneously charge all your devices at the same time.

The hardware is made up of a sturdy alloy that is fire resistant . The high-density Li-Polymer battery performs amazingly even after hundreds of charge cycles. With its built-in LED flashlight, this brilliant little device can help you see what’s wrong even if it’s dark or nighttime.

The intelligent circuitry of this device is designed to protect against overcharging, short-circuiting, and voltage instabilities. It also has the capability to withstand electromagnetic damage during storms!

If you want a smaller, less capacity external power bank, then the Anker PowerCore 10000 is a crowd-favorite among frequent travelers.

Best Book Reader: KINDLE By Amazon

Books make long travel enjoyable, but carrying a lot of books is inconvenient at the same time. With the Kindle by Amazon, you can store thousands of digital books in this E-reader without any hassle.

Unlike other tablets, this device has a 6-inch glare-free high contrast 300 PPI display that does not emit blue light which is harmful to the eyes. The battery can last for weeks , making it ideal for travel. You can choose books from an extensive collection of best sellers on Amazon’s Kindle website. This latest generation E-book reader now has a built-in front light and also supports audiobooks through Audible so that you can listen to your favorite book hands-free.

Get the Kindle Oasis for a bigger 7”, 300 PPI display and waterproofing with adjustable warm light.

Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker: OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth Speaker by Cambridge Soundworks

The OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth Speaker by Cambridge Soundworks is the latest wireless portable speaker that delivers high-quality sound on the go. Powered by two precision neodymium drivers, the speaker promises crystal clear sounds even at the highest volumes.

It is ultra-lightweight, water-resistant (IPX5 certified), and rugged for using it anywhere. Its triangular design makes the base stable and easy to carry. The 2200mAh battery delivers up to 12 hours of playtime. For serious listening, go for the JBL Flip 4, which sounds louder and fuller and has better bass.

Best Wireless Headphone DAC: FiiO BTR5 Bluetooth Receiver

Whether you like it or not, the 3.5mm headphone jack is not making a comeback to future phones. The guys at FiiO have been pumping out value-oriented audio products and cool devices for years, and the new FiiO BTR5 solves the problem of not having the earphone input.

Equipped with the latest Qualcomm CR8675 Bluetooth chip, powerful ES9218P*2 DAC , and all kinds of Bluetooth codecs (AptX/aptXHD/aptXLL/LDAC/LHDC/AAC), this is the best alternative to the in-built earphone jack. To use it, simply establish a Bluetooth connection with your phone and plug in your earphone to the device’s audio jack. That’s it!

Bluetooth audio may be frowned upon but make sure you give this a listen before bashing it. We guarantee you will be surprised by how close the audio quality is to the wired connection.

With its beautiful screen and dual outputs at 3.5mm and 4.4mm, the new BTR7 Portable DAC is even more powerful than its predecessor. Perfect for all flagship IEMs.

Audiophiles who want to power up their high-impedance headphones should go for the EarStudio ES100 MK2 24-bit Bluetooth portable DAC with a 2.5mm balanced jack providing two times more voltage. What’s more, the mobile app for the ES100 MK2 has one of the sleekest designs and is packed full of useful features like EQ, a loudness calculator, and the ability to change audio codecs with a few taps.

Best USB Solar Charger: Riapow Solar Charger

Praise the sun! This wireless and USB solar charger collects the power of the Sun and is capable of converting 20% solar power into usable energy. With a battery capacity of 26800mAh, it has enough juice to fast charge your devices multiple times. It is weatherproof, lightweight, and portable so that you can carry it almost anywhere you go. Best used for camping and all outdoor adventures.

Best Emergency Light: GearLight High Powered LED Flashlight

Find your way in the darkness with GearLight’s high-powered LED flashlight. You may think your phone’s LED flashlight is enough, but it is not.

This powerful and versatile flashlight features a 12 times brighter LED bulb that is efficient to work in any darkness. It has a high-grade solid aluminum construction that is weatherproof, shockproof, and water-resistant . Other features like SOS , zooming, and multiple sizes of the lumen are a nice inclusion. It also has a tactical tail switch for single-hand use in any situation.

Best Travel Accessories for Men

Best shaver: panasonic electric travel shaver.

The Panasonic Electric Travel Shaver has been specially made for any man who is often traveling. It uses a floating single-blade system positioned at a unique angle to match facial contours and gives a close shave consistently. The wet/dry feature lets you wash the shaver to clean it or use it with lather foam for a nice and clean shave even in the shower. The battery life is equally impressive; just 2 AA batteries allow you to shave every day for more than 60 days !

Storage-wise, it comes with a soft travel pouch. Being lightweight , it is slim enough to slip inside your backpack when hitting the road.

Best Grooming Kit: Toiletry Bag For Men By Emissary

Staying well-groomed on long business tours is an absolute necessity for men. This stylish toiletry bag for men by Emissary is the answer to all those grooming needs. Made from tough canvas and PU leather bottom, this bag can comfortably accommodate all the tools and toiletry required for grooming.

It is 100% waterproof and sturdy enough to be carried for long tours without losing its shape. The zipper compartments are made of high-quality YKK zip, and the main compartment has little pockets to keep everything organized. After all, it comes with a money-back guarantee. It is nicely packed in a classy-looking gift box, thus making it a great gift too.

Best Deodorant for Men: Dove Men Plus Care Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick

Dove is consistently voted as one of the best cosmetic brands in the industry. This is why you can trust Dove Men Plus Care Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick as an essential travel accessory to have in your bag for men.

It is enriched with an improved formula that keeps your skin protected and moisturized . The fresh scent is believed to keep your skin odor and sweat-free for up to 48 hours. You can use it every time after a bath as it is dermatologically tested, so it does not harm your skin.

As a stick form moisturizer, it is much better to use than any of those alcohol propellants containing spray tins. Since the deodorant stick is a consumable product, we highly recommend you to use the “Subscribe now” checkout at Amazon for delivery every three months.

Best Versatile Travel Backpack: Peak Design’s The Travel Line Backpack

Peak Design is having tremendous success on Kickstarter showcasing their new Travel Line Backpacks . We bet you have never seen such a versatile, classy, and durable backpack ever.

What makes it so attractive is the inclusion of multitudes of compartments , pockets, magnetic catches, weatherproof zippers, and tons of customizability. You can just get the backpack itself or entire series of add-ons like a duffle pack, shoe/tech/wash pouches, and packing cubes to store gadgets like cameras, lenses, toiletries, power chargers, and even jeans.

Best Travel Jacket: SCOTTeVEST Windbreaker Jacket

The most versatile travel jacket is here: loaded with 19 pockets and many more features and partitions, the Windbreaker Jacket from SCOTTeVEST is the best fashionable travel jacket to have on your accessory list. The zippered pockets are made from water-resistant polyester material. They can hold almost anything- be it a passport, tablet, mobile phone, wallet, documents, camera, pens, and the list goes on. This jacket can practically be worn anywhere in any season due to its removable hood and sleeve.

Best Travel Accessories for Women

Best portable steamer: steamfast mini steam iron.

Our readers always ask us how to keep clothes from wrinkling in the luggage. You can bring low-maintenance clothing items for a start, or upon arriving at your destination, iron your clothes in ten minutes with the Steamfast Travel Iron.

Weighing at less than 1 pound, it is a palm-sized compact steam iron that is very portable to carry along for your travel. It provides 30% more steam flow as compared to other steamers. The benefit of dual voltage functionality is that it is usable anywhere in the world. The travel steam iron has an anti-slip handle and non-stick soleplate for safe use. Steamfast also offers a money-back guarantee and helpful customer service to the buyers.

Best Dry Shampoo: Dry Shampoo By Batiste

If your hair often turns greasy and damaged while on the move, then this dry shampoo is the thing for you. Its starch-based formulation requires no water while using it. With the help of the special ingredients, the shampoo removes excess oil and dirt from your hair, leaving them supple and bouncy .

The classic fragrance leaves hair fresh, full of volume and texture, and provides a long-lasting shine to it. It comes in a 6.73 oz bottle- just a few quick sprays, style your hair, and you’re ready to go.

Best Jewellery Organizer: Ellis James Designs Travel Jewellery Organizer

On the outside, the Ellis James Travel Organizer looks luxurious . Featuring two zipper pockets, a large main compartment, necklace straps, ring, bracelet, watch strap, and an earring roll conveniently store and organize all your jewelry and prevent it from getting tangled together. It has a quilted design that looks elegant. This is the perfect budget gift for her or your own valuables.

Best Scarf: Travel Scarf By WAYPOINT GOODS

This travel scarf makes every sense when it comes to fashion and convenience at the same time. Also known as the Infinity scarf, it is perfect to be used as a shawl or even a blanket to keep you warm . Featuring a non flimsy fabric that feels great against the skin, this scarf is a great travel companion on long-distance flights or during the winter months.

It contains a concealed zipper pocket that can be used to securely store your passport, keys, boarding pass, cards, and even some cash. This is one of the best Christmas or Mother’s Day gifts available.

Best Lingerie Pouch: Freegrace Travel Organizer Underwear Bag

Made especially for frequent female travelers, the Freegrace Travel Lingerie Pouch is the best way to pack your lingerie when on the go. This pouch neatly organizes your undergarments as per your requirements so that you don’t have to waste your time finding them from that messy trolley bag.

Due to being lightweight , waterproof, and robust nylon material, it helps to prevent your bras from being blemished, and it can even be folded when not in use. It can hold up to three bras and four panties simultaneously or be used to store makeup items, cosmetics, socks, and toiletries.

Best Laundry Detergent Sheets: LG Fresh Fiji Power Sheet

The laundry detergent sheets by LG (Yes, the same LG electronics company) are the best detergent sheets to use during the inconvenience of carrying liquid detergent for laundry when on vacation. Available in a pack of 30, a single sheet from this pack can be used to wash a load of about 18 pieces of clothes.

It is lightweight and very convenient to carry along. It contains detergent, fabric softener, and dye fixer that are eco-friendly and harmless to clothes, making them fresh and shiny after every wash. This is hands-down the most cost-effective way to take care of laundry during a trip.

Best Mini Hair Dryer: Conair 1600 Watt Compact Hair Dryer

The Conair 1600 Watt Compact Hair Dryer is a lifesaver for ladies who travel often. Getting long wet hair to dry naturally can take hours! Due to its compact size and foldable design , this hairdryer is easy to pack without taking up a lot of space in your luggage.

It weighs just 1 lb; hence your arms don’t get tired when holding the dryer up high for some time. It has two heat settings and two speed settings suitable for all types of hair. The dual voltage function allows it to be used in different countries . Plus, the noise level is quite tolerable.

Best Travel Mini Container for Cosmetics: Oursunshine Travel Bottles

Feel at home anywhere you go with these mini travel containers. Available in a pack of 6, these bottles come in three sizes (2 each)- 3 fl oz (89ml), 2 fl oz (60ml), and 0.3 fl oz (10g). They can be taken along anywhere and can safely get through the security check at airports.

Made of BPA-free food grade silicone material, the bottles are proven to be leak and spill-proof. The best feature is its squeezability for forcing out the last drop. Refilling is easy with the wide-mouth design .

Best Travel Accessories for Long Flights

Best noise-canceling headphones: bose quietcomfort 45 wireless headphones.

There’s no doubt about the sound quality and customer support when it comes to Bose . Its noise-canceling headphone comes with a three-level noise-canceling dual-microphone system that literally cuts away any audio distraction outside. The headphones are Alexa-enabled, which enhances the hands-free experience and virtual assistance.

The battery lasts up to 24 hours of wireless playback- perfect for a long flight. Its effortless Bluetooth pairing and range of 30 ft. give added convenience.

In comparison, the new Sony WH1000XM5 has a slight edge in sound quality, especially in the high-frequency region and deeper bass impact, but lacks the Bose’s superior comfort and call quality.

You might want to listen to a high-resolution music streaming service if you have these headphones.

Qobuz is the perfect solution for audiophiles and music lovers who want to experience their music in the best possible quality . With over 80 million tracks available in Hi-Res or CD quality, Qobuz has something for everyone. Plus, their exclusive content and hand-picked playlists make it easy to find new music to love. Try Qobuz today for free and see what you’ve been missing!

Best Airplane Footrest: Basic Concepts Airplane Footrest

If you think that most economy-class airplane seats are too cramped , you have to try this airplane footrest. The thick memory foam is soft and contours around your feet as they rest on it. It provides ultimate support to your feet and lower back as well and prevents soreness and swelling .

Do bring the footrest hammock during long transatlantic flights, as it easily packs in your luggage without occupying much space. The straps can also be easily hung on the arms of the tray table and can be adjusted according to your comfort. You can store it in the included compact drawstring bag . Gift this to your frequent flying friends, and they will appreciate how such a little piece of fabric makes a whole lot of difference during long flights .

Best Lumbar Pillow: Cushion Lab Extra Dense Lumbar Pillow

Long journeys are stressful for those people with back problems. This ergonomic lumbar cushion is specially designed to relieve back pain and stiffness while sitting in a car or plane for long hours or traveling by any other means.

Its Hyperfoam material quickly adjusts to your spine alignment and even corrects your posture while providing support at the same time. It comes with a long adjustable strap to fit on any size of chair or seat. The cushion comes in a small bag so that you can carry it anywhere you like.

Best Neck Pillow: BCOZZY Chin Supporting Travel Pillow

Those long-duration flight journeys won’t bother you with discomfort again with this neck pillow. Its revolutionary and patent design provides adjustable support to the chin , preventing extreme movement of your neck. The soft cushions on the side are large enough to keep the head position stable while you sleep comfortably.

The flat back prevents your head from being pushed forward and helps relax the neck muscles as you use it while traveling. It also has a button strap that easily attaches to your backpack. There are 9 different colors available, so finding one that suits your style shouldn’t be an issue.

Best Travel Blanket: Travel Blanket Set by PAVILIA

Never again feel too cold in an airplane cabin when you use this travel blanket. Founded by avid travelers, PAVILIA’s ultra-soft blanket can be used as a blanket, a pillow, lumbar support, and neck support. It is very lightweight, warm, and smooth as you feel it. It is 60” by 43” in dimension but can be packed into a small zipper pouch for easy packing.

Made of extra warm plush coral fleece, the blanket is designed in a poncho style that sits on your shoulders and does not slip as you sleep cozily on planes or trains.

Best Travel Accessories for Happy Snappers

Best phone camera lens: xenvo camera lens kit.

The Xenvo Camera Lens Kit is the perfect choice for professional quality smartphone photography when on the move. Smartphone’s photo-taking ability has come a long way, and the iPhones, Samsung Galaxies, and Google Pixels provide photo quality that rivals dedicated ones.

This kit comes with a Truview 0.45x wide-angle lens capable of capturing beautiful photos, no matter what the subject is- scenery, portraits, architecture, sunsets, landscape, or even selfies. It also comes with a Clarus 15x macro lens that takes detailed close-up photos of small subjects like petal patterns and insects.

The lens is made up of airplane-grade coated glass that eliminates artifacts and vignetting resulting in phenomenal HD photos. For long-distance shots, the AiKEGlobal telephoto lens provides 20X zoom power which is mandatory for bird watching, golf, and concerts. If you happen to own an iPhone or the Pixel phone and want the absolute best regarding image quality, then take a look at the Moment’s case and lens combo.

Best Tripod for Smartphone: UBeesize Tripod S

Use your smartphone camera to maximum potential with the UBeesize Tripod S. This premium tripod’s innovative design and flexibility allow users to bend the octopus-style legs and wrap them over an uneven surface or object. The joint is made of a high-grade metal ball and screw that safely mounts your iPhones and all smartphones. The tripod is light in weight and easy to set up. It also comes with a wrist strap and a wireless remote control that can be used from a range of 30 feet.

Best Phone Case: JOTO Universal Waterproof Cellphone Case

Protect your precious smartphone with this universal waterproof smartphone pouch. This highly innovative and durable cell phone case is IPX8 Certified waterproof (up to 100 ft.), snowproof, and dirtproof at the same time.

It has a simple snap-lock that provides 100% protection to your smartphone or cash or anything else that you keep inside. The large transparent windows on both sides make it ideal for capturing photos and videos. The included neck strap can keep your hand free as you enjoy your vacation without worrying about dropping your phone ( Read our full review here ).

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Why have I not thought of using a door alarm before? Already put in my shopping cart for my next trip. As you said, it is better to be safe than sorry. Plus it is cheap too.

Yeah, whenever I mentioned the door alarm to people, they were so surprised like they never even heard it before.

I always bring one along on any trip as it is so compact to put inside my bag.

Nice huge list of the travel accessories,,thanks man.

No problem Lettie.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful information.

You’re welcome!

Bookmarked as a reminder for my packing list. Thank u.

Thanks, I’m pleased you liked this article.

The Peak Design backpack looks really nice but it is so expensive!

It’s not cheap, but looks great and made in high-quality material so it will last!

Great ideas for every vacation!

Thanks very much Hettie

That travel blanket looks so goofy to me. Not sure I want to wear it on a plane..lol

It looks fine in person and for people who needs the additional warmth, this blanket is a must have on flights.

I love this list..Really awesome writeup.

I’m buying the Bose QuietComfort 35 through your link today. You convinced me enough to get one. Thanks!

Thanks Johnny!

I like how you organized the accessories into different categories. Makes it easier to find things I need.

Glad to group them together, and give a clearer picture of the things matter to you most.

Awesome post! Going on holiday next month so this is very useful to me indeed.

I hope you found some accessories to suit your needs to bring along.

I have the North Face backpack. Already used for two years and still holding up well. Many designs to choose from..One of the best for solo traveling for sure

Cool recommendations. I would add Nintendo Switch to the list as it is an amazing portable gaming console to bring along.

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The 20 Best Luxury Travel Accessories to Elevate Your Itinerary

Calling all globe-trotters

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Ready to say bon voyage? Let’s pack with the best luxury travel accessories first.

The Best Luxury Travel Accessories of 2023

Rimowa Cabin

Sofia Cashmere Cashmere Cable-Knit Travel Set

Graphic Image Passport Cover

Apple AirTags (Pack of 4)

Hermès AirTag Hermès Key Ring – Montagne

Away Travel The Insider Packing Cubes (Set of 6)

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood Eau de Parfum Travel Spray Refills (Pack of 3)

Hermès Herbag Zip Cabine Bag

Swell Onyx Travel Bottle Set

Anne Klein Apple AirPods Paperclip Chain Necklace

Investing in a high-quality luggage scale is a must to avoid surprises at the airport, while stylish passport cases add a touch of personalization to essential documents. For tech-savvy travelers, smart luggage sets with built-in charging ports and GPS tracking capabilities offer both convenience and peace of mind. To stay connected in style, a multipurpose travel adapter is a must-have. All together, the best luxury travel accessories and gadgets ensure the journey is well organized and hassle-free while showcasing my sense of style.

The Rimowa original aluminum suitcase is a must-have travel accessory for fashion enthusiasts. It’s known for its streamlined aesthetic and unmatched durability.

Catching the red-eye? This cashmere cable-knit travel set will keep you cozy with its blanket, soothing eye mask, warm socks, and chic pouch.

Elevate your travel ensemble while enjoying added security and a touch of personalization for your most important travel document.

Never lose track of your checked bags or passport holder again. Apple AirTags offer peace of mind by allowing you to track and locate your belongings in style.

Why not give your luggage AirTags a taste of chicness?

If you aren’t using packing cubes, prepare for your life to change. They provide efficient organization, maximize luggage space, and keep your clothing and accessories wrinkle-free.

Feel and smell fabulous no matter where your adventures take you.

Invest in a travel bag you can pass on from generation to generation. This one is it.

Decant your beloved lotions, shampoos, and other beauty essentials into chic leak-proof containers, ensuring you can maintain your impeccable grooming routine while on the go.

Here’s a stylish and practical solution to keep your AirPods secure and easily accessible, eliminating the risk of losing them during your trip.

Royce New York Personalized Adapter & Leather Case Set

Charge your devices anywhere in the world with an adaptable charger and coordinating leather case.

Paravel + Net Sustain Main Line Duffel

Opt for the perfect duffle bag to keep you below the maximum weight limit. She’s also the perfect weekend bag with a sleek design, spacious interior, and durable construction.

Mark & Graham Small Travel Jewelry Case, Foil Debossed

Keep your jewelry safe, untangled, and easily accessible in this smart travel jewelry case, ensuring you can effortlessly accessorize while on the move.

Twelve South AirFly SE, Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter

Now you don’t have to sacrifice audio quality while you’re in flight. Use your AirPods, earbuds, or wireless headphones anywhere without cords in the way.

Brouk and Co Roll-Up Backgammon Travel Game Set in Vegan Leather

Stay entertained while you’re in transit with this compact backgammon game. The mat easily rolls up to stow in your carry-on—and the leather case is beyond chic.

Cadence The Originals (Set of 6)

Take your capsules and supplements on the go with these compact travel carriers. The sides are magnetic so they’ll stick together and you’ll never lose track of them.

Slip Frequent Flyer Travel Set

Calling all frequent fliers: This travel set is for you. It includes a padded travel pillow, a face mask, and a sleeping mask, all crafted from hair- and skin-friendly silk.

Naadam Lofty Cashmere Blanket

Stay cozy and chic on long flights or while lounging at your destination with this packable cashmere blanket.

Etekcity Luggage Scale

Stay on top of weight restrictions with this at-home luggage scale. It’ll ensure your carefully curated wardrobe remains intact while avoiding any fashion emergencies at your destination.

Janessa Leone Hat Carrier, Leather

Avoid the nuisance of holding your sun hat with this brilliant leather carrier.

Alicia Banilivy is Harper’s Bazaar's Fashion Market & Retail Credits Editor. Alicia oversees all Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, and accessories shopping credits for print issues. She has expertise in luxury fashion, editorial market, and styling. When Out-of-Office, Alicia spends her time as a personal shopper and closet organizer. She enjoys traveling, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.

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The Best Travel Gear and Accessories of 2024

After a decade of travel, and numerous stints of nomadic living, I’ve learned how to travel pretty minimally, which means the things that I do buy are exponentially more important to me. It’s taken quite a few years time to learn what the best travel gear is, mostly through trial and error.

My travel gear works for me, but it may not work for you. Because I travel so often, and because I don’t want to be replacing my gear every few months, the quality of what I choose to use is of utmost importance.

Cost is the next determining factor, but I think you’ll find that the travel accessories I use are pretty reasonably priced. That said, sometimes I do think it’s worth forking out for a piece of quality travel gear that’s going to last you—quite literally—for your entire life.

I travel carry-on only—with two bags—one on my back and one on the front. For more information on how I pack, and how I get away with never having to check a bag, you might like this article on how to travel carry-on only .

If you’re looking for what I believe to be some of the best travel gear on the market, look no further than here!

Travel Gear Roundups

• Best Backpack Brands
• Best Travel Backpacks
• Best Carry-On Backpacks
• Best Travel Backpacks for Women
• Best Travel Daypacks
• Best Packable Backpacks
• Best Waterproof Backpacks
• Best Carry-On Duffel Bags
• Best Tactical Backpacks
• Best Hiking Backpacks
• Best Roll Top Backpacks
• Best Anti-Theft Backpacks
• Best Laptop Backpacks
• Best Luggage Brands
• Best Carry-On Luggage
• Best Hardside Luggage
• Best Soft Side Luggage
• Best Lightweight Luggage
• Best Checked Luggage
• Best Samsonite Luggage
• Best Luggage Sets
• Best Garment Bags
• Best Hardside Luggage Sets
• Best Rolling Carry-On Luggage
• Cheap Luggage Sets
• Best Men’s Luggage
• Best Wheeled Luggage
• Best Affordable Luggage
• Best Affordable Carry-On Luggage
• Best Luggage for International Travel
• Best Spinner Luggage
• Best Carry-On Luggage for Men
• Best Rolling Luggage
• Best Travel Shirts
• Best Travel Shoes
• Best Rain Jackets
• Best Travel Clothing Brands
• Best Travel Water Bottles
• Best Jacket Brands
• Best Mirrorless Cameras for Travel
• Best Merino Wool Brands
• Best Travel Gadgets
• What to Wear Hiking
• Best Hiking Shirts
• Best Hiking Pants
• Best Hiking Sandals
• Best Midlayers
• Best Trail Running Shoes for Hiking
• Best Outdoor Clothing Brands
• Best Hiking Boot Brands
• Hiking Shoes vs. Boots
• Best Hiking Camera Backpacks
• Best Backpacking Tents
• Best Tent Brands
• Best Sleeping Bag Brands
• Car Camping Essentials

Essential Travel Gear and Travel Accessories

Let’s start with the basics. The bare essentials. On every trip, you’re going to need backpacks/luggage, toiletries, various tools, and organizational methods to keep it all in one place. After years of extensive testing, these are some of the best pieces of travel gear and travel accessories on the market today.

Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack (Men)

The Osprey Farpoint 40L is, in my opinion, the all-rounder best travel backpack. The best part? It’s sized for carry-on only!

If you’re looking for something slightly larger, the 55L version is another great option (it comes with a detachable daypack) and is also sized for carry-on travel.

Click here for my full Osprey Farpoint review .

Osprey Fairview 40L Backpack (Women)

For the ladies in the crowd, the Fairview 40L is the same bag as the Farpoint but built for the female frame. Again, the 55L version of the Fairview is a slightly larger version with a removable daypack which is also sized for carry-on travel!

Click here for my full Osprey Fairview review .

Peak Design Everyday Backpack

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack comes in 20L and 30L sizes and is the best travel daypack for every adventure. It’s carry-on sized, serves well as an every-day backpack in the city, but is just as well suited to a hike in the mountains.

This is like the Swiss Army knife of backpacks, and where many others have failed, Peak Design has come through with a remarkably elegant and functional design. With top and side access points and removable internal organizational panels, this is one of the most versatile bags you can buy.

Compression Sacs

The secret to traveling light? Compression sacs ! They’re like packing cubes with a vacuum. Put your clothes inside, roll the compression sacs to press all the air out, and seal it shut.

You’ll fit a lot more stuff into a much smaller space—up to an 80% reduction in size!

Compression Packing Cubes

If packing cubes and compression sacs had a baby, they’d be compression cubes . They have a compression zipper to shrink the size!

Stay organized and save space at the same time.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Tech Sac

Keep yourself organized with these see-through travel sacs .

Great for organizing cables, toiletries, or whatever other random travel accessories you have rolling around your bag.

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag

The perfectly-sized toiletry bag, the Sea-to-Summit toiletry bag is water-resistant, durable and has loads of internal mesh pockets.

It comes with a shatterproof mirror and easily hangs from any hook which makes it ideal for unpacking and repacking (as in, you never have to unpack it!)

GRAYL GEOPRESS Filtered Water Bottle

Not only is the GRAYL GEOPRESS BPA-free, but it removes 99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoan cysts. You can drink from almost any freshwater source around the world, like hostel sinks, wells or lakes and even murky rivers without getting sick.

Not only does it purify the water, but it filters it, too, so even sedimentary sources are perfectly safe to drink from. Take clean water with you wherever you go—and stop buying so many plastic water bottles!

Leatherman Squirt PS4 Multi-Tool

Measuring only 2.25 in. in length and weighing less than 2 oz, the Squirt PS4 is small enough to take along on every adventure.

The stainless steel body houses a pair of regular pliers, needle-nose pliers, scissors, 3 screwdrivers, wire cutters, replaceable tweezers, a wood/metal file, straight knife, and a bottle opener.

Just make sure you don’t try to carry this on, or TSA will confiscate it!

Black Diamond Storm 400 Headlamp

Black Diamond has been a household name for climbing and outdoor adventure gear since the late 80’s. This headlamp cranks out 400 lumens with a longer burn time in a more compact form.

It has multiple brightness modes, flood and spot modes, dimming, red, green and blue modes, an adjustable strap, and it glows in the dark so it’s easy to find. This is one the best headlamps I’ve ever used.

Sea to Summit Ascent Sleeping Bag

Made from responsibly sourced 750-fill-power duck down, the all new Ascent sleeping bag from Sea-to-Summit is perfect for backpacking or camping—it weighs just 2 lbs 7 oz and is rated to 15-degrees (F).

This versatile sleeping bag is ideal for most climates, including fall, spring, summer and mild winter weather. It packs down to the height of a water bottle and takes up just 6.2 liters of space when compressed, making this the perfect sleeping bag for hiking and camping.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack

An essential piece of the best travel gear, a dry bag keeps your valuables safe whenever you’re near the water. The Ultra-Sil dry sack comes in sizes from 2L – 35L and is ultra-lightweight and completely waterproof!

Pack a change of clothes or carry your camera, this lightweight dry bag is durable and comes with a roll-top enclosure.

Pacsafe Prosafe 800 Luggage Lock

Lock your zippers to keep your belongings safe, whether you’re checking your bag on a plane, riding the train or bus, staying in a shared hostel room, or simply browsing night markets.

Works great on lockers, too, if you ever need to stash your bags somewhere for a day.

Best of all, this lock is TSA-approved and you don’t need to carry a key around with you.

My number one travel accessory! I never travel without earplugs .

Whether you’re sleeping on the plane, in a loud hostel or hotel, or just need to block out the world for a while, these are an essential travel item.

aLOKSAK Waterproof Bags

If you’re going to be near the water, you need a way to keep your electronics and important documents dry.

This set of four waterproof bags do everything they’re supposed to—and nothing more. Waterproof to 200ft.

Universal Power Adapter

The most forgotten piece of travel gear? A power adapter!

Make sure you’re equipped for whatever country you end up in with this universal power adapter that fits every country (on both sides!).

Men's Travel Clothes

As a male traveler, myself, these are all my top picks, and the clothes I always take with me when I travel. Everything below is a piece of performance travel gear that will keep you warm, dry, ventilated, or whatever your particular travel situation calls for.

Arc'teryx Beta LT Weatherproof Jacket

The granddaddy of lightweight rain shells, the Beta LT by Arc’teryx is top of the line. Be forewarned, it isn’t the cheapest piece of gear you’ll buy, but this is an item that lasts a lifetime.

It’s completely waterproof but also breathable at the same time, which means you won’t drench yourself in sweat (and you’ll actually stay dry).

Made to be lightweight and packable, this is the perfect rain jacket for every adventure.

Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody

The Atom LT Hoody by Arc’teryx is one of the best midlayers you can buy, and also serves as an outer layer when weatherproofing isn’t an issue.

It’s incredibly lightweight and packable, but versatile and also does a remarkable job regulating your body heat.

Vuori Tradewind Performance Tee

I’ve been loving all things Vuori lately, and their Tradewind Performance tee is no exception. I don’t know how they do it, but everything they make is unbelievably comfortable and made for active lifestyles.

The Tradewind is a polyester/elastane blend with UPF protection and quickdry capabilities. Whether you’re working out at the gym, hiking in the backcountry or even lounging around at home, this shirt does it all.

It’s soft and stretchy and, being made mostly from polyester, this travel shirt does an excellent job wicking sweat and regulating body temperature.

Bluffworks Chino Travel Pants

Bluffworks makes pants just for travelers. Though they have a few different versions available, the chinos are by far the most versatile pair.

These technical travel pants are breathable, wrinkle-resistant, quick-dry, stretchy, and best of all, comfortable. These will serve you everywhere from the board room to the top of a mountain.

KÜHL Radikl Shorts

KÜHL is known for their pants, and they make great shorts as well. Whether you’re on the plane or hiking in the mountains, the Radikl shorts by KÜHL are perfect all-rounder short for active and adventurous travelers.

They are rain and stain resistant and they feature 4-way comfort stretch technology and multi-functional pockets.

Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Low 2

Hiking boots can be too bulky to travel with, and their bulk and stiffness can actually be uncomfortable on the trail. I’ve found hiking shoes or trail runners are almost always a better option.

These hiking shoes are lightweight, travel easily, are waterproof with waterproof membranes and have aggressive grippy soles to keep you confident on any terrain.

ExOfficio Travel Underwear

Ditch your cotton underwear—they don’t serve travelers well.

ExOfficio makes underwear just for travel, which means they’re lightweight, ultra-breathable, quick-dry, moisture-wicking, and gosh darn comfortable.

You could easily travel forever with just two pairs of ExOfficio’s—one to wear and one that you wash in the sink (or shower) each night.

Cool Mesh II Wrightsock

Wrightsock doesn’t have any fancy marketing, but they make one heck of a sock.

Though they produce a lot of styles, the Cool Mesh —their best selling— is a breathable, lightweight double-layer sock designed for a minimal feel.

They’re great travel socks that serve well for running, walking and hiking. Best of all—they dry really fast!

Women's Travel Clothes

The female members of the TravelFreak team weighed in and provided some recommendations for their favorite travel clothes. Similar to the men’s section, these are all performance items as opposed to fashionable ones.

Arc'teryx Beta LT Weatherproof Jacket

Invest in quality gear once and you’ll save money over time. The Beta LT by Arc’teryx is the epitome of this mantra.

It’s a top-of-the-line, lightweight rain shell that you’ll use for the rest of your life. Though it comes with a heftier price tag, it’s the only one you’ll ever need, which means you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

This is, by and far, the best travel rain jacket I’ve ever owned.

The Atom LT Hoody belongs in every traveler’s bag. It’s a warm yet breathable midlayer that also serves as an outer layer when you’re not dodging the rain. Surprisingly lightweight given its warmth rating, there’s a reason Arc’teryx is one of the best outdoor clothing brands on the market.

Ably Polly T-Shirt

The ultimate travel t-shirt, the Polly by Ably is made from 100% premium cotton but treated with Filium. It’s a revolutionary technology that makes fabrics water-repellent and stain- and odor-resistant.

Wear it for days on end and nobody would be able to tell!

Athleta Stash Pocket Leggings

A pair of leggings are a must for any female traveler, but a good pair of leggings will elevate the entire travel experience.

You want leggings that will last—and these ones will. Built with breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric, these Athleta leggings have light compression properties and a buttery soft feel with 4-way stretch for full range of movement.

Perfect for hikes, yoga or long plane rides.

prAna Isaline Sports Bra

prAna makes some of the best clothes for active adventurers, and the Isaline sports bra is no exception.

Made from recycled polyester, this sports bra is moisture-wicking, comes with removable modesty cups and features a wide racerback with lattice straps.

Great for jogs, yoga, relaxing and even summer hiking.

Columbia Redmond Waterproof Hiking Shoes

Since hiking boots are bulky to pack, hiking shoes are the next best option with a sneaker-like low profile.

The Redmonds by Columbia are waterproof yet breathable which means they’re perfect in the rain—or any time, really!

The soles are sticky and, above all else, these won’t cost you an arm and a leg (you wouldn’t be able to wear shoes without a leg, anyway).

Electronics

Running a travel blog means I have to travel with slightly more/different equipment than most. Weight and size of electronics are big factors, but everything here easily fits into my two bags. What you see below is essentially my mobile office!

MacBook Pro

Big enough for professional work but small enough to carry everywhere you go, the MacBook Pro is the best option for professionals who travel or people who need to get work done on the road.

As someone who works and travels constantly, I use the 15″, but this is probably too big for the average person.

Google Pixel 4

Sporting the best camera in any smartphone available, the Google Pixel 4 is also one of the best overall smartphones you can buy.

It runs pure Android, which means it doesn’t come with any extra software installed (a.k.a. “bloatware”) that might slow down your device.

LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB

Hard drives have a habit of breaking or crashing when on the move.

Luckily, LaCie makes a drive with a patent-pending rubber casing that protects the drive from drops and heavy-ish abuse.

Inside the casing are Seagate drives which are some of the best and most well-respected drives in the industry.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

No bag is fully packed without an eReader, and the Paperwhite is arguably the gold standard.

Featuring a paper-like reading experience and a crisp 300ppi display, the latest Paperwhite is now waterproof, which means no more worries in the bath or by the beach!

JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker

Bring the party—or the chill—everywhere you go. This Bluetooth speaker is incredibly rugged and durable (it’s fully waterproof!) and has sound so good it might surprise you.

Bring it to the beach, start the party at your hostel or listen to podcasts in the shower—it’s all good with the Flip 5 .

Plus, the cylindrical shape means it fits perfectly in your water-bottle pocket, so it’s extremely portable!

Travel Photography Gear

If you’re interested in my photography equipment, these are the mainstays of my kit. For some extra photography accessories, plugins, and courses, check out my post on  the best equipment for travel photography .

Fujifilm X-T3

The most compact, pro-level travel camera you can buy at a very reasonable price point. You won’t find a better bang for your buck than the X-T3 .

For other options, check out this post on  the best mirrorless cameras for travel .

Fujinon 16-55m f/2.8

The elite “standard zoom” for the Fujifilm X-mount series with a fixed f2.8 aperture. It’s a pricey lens, but if you’re serious about your photography, you’ll definitely want this one in your arsenal.

Because Fujifilm cameras have a 1.5x crop factor, this lens is equivalent to 24-82mm, which is similar to the industry standard 24-70.

Fujinon 10-24mm f/4 Wide Angle

Every travel photographer needs a wide-angle lens, and this is, without question, the best one available for the Fujifilm X-mount.

Because Fujifilm cameras have a 1.5x crop factor, this lens is equivalent to 15-36mm (similar to the standard 16-35).

3 Legged Thing Punks Corey Travel Tripod

You may or may not have heard of 3 Legged Thing, but they’re a company to watch. The Punks Corey is made of aluminum, weighs 3.4lbs and is just 13.7″ when folded.

It’s lightweight and compact but expands to a full 58″ high. It even turns into a monopod when the situation calls for it. Ballhead included.

DJI Mavic Pro 2

Without question, the Mavic Pro 2 is the best drone for travel photography. With 31 minutes of flight time and a range of up to 4-miles, you’ll be able to capture any aerial you want.

The Pro 2 features a Hasselblad camera with a 20MP CMOS sensor for optimal image quality.

Highly recommended are the Fly More bundle (extra batteries and propellers) and DJI Care Refresh (warranty)—which you will most definitely be using.

GoPro Hero 8 Action Camera

Everybody knows GoPro, and for good reason. They make the best action cameras on the market.

Their latest release, the GoPro Hero 8 , ships with some of the best stabilization technology I’ve seen, which means you can film without a gimbal!

The 12MP sensor shoots at 4K and, like the Hero 5 and 6, has a touchscreen LCD.

Rode Video Mic

Any videographer will need an external mic, and this Rode shotgun mic fits the bill. It’s an excellent all-rounder microphone and it won’t break the budget.

Vello ShutterBoss Wireless Intervalometer

If you plan to shoot tripod selfies or long exposures longer than 30 seconds, you’ll need an intervalometer. Vello makes the best and this one is wireless up to 250 feet!

Travel Insurance

We never leave home without travel insurance. In the same way you’d insure your home, health or car, it’s equally important to insure your trip. Whether your trip gets canceled, you get injured on the road or your smartphone gets stolen, travel insurance covers your back.

It could, literally, save you thousands of dollars.

My insurance company of choice is World Nomads . Just fill out the form below for a free quote, check out the full World Nomads travel insurance review , or click here for a comparison of the top travel insurance companies out there.

Jeremy Scott Foster

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33 Different Luxury Travel Accessories

Posted on Published: August 5, 2022  - Last updated: September 12, 2022

Categories Travel

Travel has always been an exhilarating way to relax and rejuvenate while exploring new states, countries, continents, and cultures. In many ways, travel across the globe is now easier than ever, depending on your ultimate location and travel plans.

Travel is most enjoyable if you can do it with not only essentials but the little meaningful luxuries in your life. Fortunately, innovation and ingenuity have combined to offer some unique luxury travel accessories now available to every traveler.

The luxury travel accessories noted below have been categorized as technology and non-technology-related luxury travel accessories –

Luxury Travel – Non-technology Accessories

For the less tech-oriented needs of luxury travelers, consider these clever and imaginative accessories are both beautiful and functional –

1. Pure Silk Sleep Mask

The Pure Silk Sleep Mask, which is available in seven colors, has been designed with a trade-marked slip-silk that is a natural temperature regulating mask. The material is the highest grade, long-fiber silk, and has a 22 momme thickness.

Additionally, this hand-washable silk sleep mask won’t clump or twist hair overnight, which avoids the dreaded bedhead look in the morning. The mask measures 2.5 inches wide by eight inches in length.

2. ROYCE New York – Leather Pill Storage Organizational Case

Source: Bloomingdale’s

If you are taking a week trip, there is no need to carry a 30-day supply of medication. The ROYCE Leather Pill Organizational Case is the perfect solution for the luxury traveler. The pill organizer is available in five colors (silver, blue, pink, pink & dark pink).

ROYCE pill case is made with a fabric lining, a cotton dust bag , and magnetic closure. This leather pill case fits easily in luggage and even a purse, as its maximum width is only 6.5 inches.

3. S’well – Traveler

The S’well Traveler Moonstone offers a sleek but simply designed traveler cup. The S’well Traveler Moonstone keeps beverages hot or cold for hours with an easy non-slip grip. The traveler cup is constructed from 18/8 stainless steel and should be hand washed.

The travel mug’s capacity of 16 oz., and it is 8.11 inches in height. Moonstone refers to its off-white color, but it is available in a variety of designs, colors, styles, and sizes  – with one to match every personality!

4. Riki Cutie Portable Lighted Mirror

Source: Nordstrom Online & In Store

The Riki Cutie Portable mirror is an ultra-lightweight, powerful travel mirror that includes three brightness levels. This mirror is shatterproof and consists of a built-in kick-stand as well as a finger-ring that retracts for ease of use when you want to put makeup on perfectly, but you are on the go. It includes a rechargeable battery and USB cable, plus a soft carry case.

5. Travel Storage for Tie and Cufflinks

Source: Artemest

The travel accessory for tie and cufflinks from Pinetti is a sophisticated, elegant, and sleek luxury travel accessory for the man who travels in style. Constructed of leather on the outside, the inside is lined in velvet with two separate areas of storage – one for a tie and the other for cufflinks.

This tie/cufflink storage accessory is handmade in Italy and measures approximately 4” wide, 3.75” in depth, and 2.95” in height.

6. The World’s Smallest Automatic Umbrella

Source: Hammacher Schlemmer

Hammerer Schlemmer offers the world’s smallest automatic umbrella in either black or plum. This 8-inch (when closed) umbrella fits easily in a purse, luggage, and even a pocket. This automatic umbrella from Hammacher Schlemmer opens and closes with the touch of a button to a 40” umbrella canopy.

This unique travel accessory from Hammacher Schlemmer is made in Portland, Oregon, includes a steel shaft and steel ribs, so it can withstand breezes, and is offered with a lifetime guarantee for use under normal conditions.

7. Handheld Garment and Fabric Steamer

This handheld 1500w fabric steamer and garment from Electrolux is the perfect luxury travel accessory. At only one pound and two steam levels, this handheld steamer can remove creases in less than one-half minute.

This travel steamer offers 18 minutes of consistent fabric steaming on any material, including silk, cotton, wool, fiber, etc. This Electrolux handheld travel steamer stands about 12.5 inches high and is designed to use minimal energy and zero waste.

8. The Lamzac Inflatable Lounger

Source: Saks Fifth Avenue

This waterproof-coated lounger bed (or chair) is a comfy travel accessory that is only 14” long by 7” wide when folded. The lounger inflates in seconds and collapses just as quickly. This lounger comes with a carrying case and can hold up to 550 Lbs.

When inflated, the Lamzac Inflatable Lounger measures 78.75 inches in length, 19.75 inches in depth, and 35.5 inches in width. This portable lounger repels dirt and moisture and is an excellent choice for outdoor activities like concerts, festivals or a quiet beach getaway.

9. The Prepster 2 Person 3-Day Emergency Kit

For the person who likes to be prepared for any emergency, the Prepster three-day emergency kit for two people is the perfect travel accessory. This emergency kit includes everything two people will need to survive in facing an emergency event.

This consists of a solar/hand-cranked emergency radio that has an LED flashlight and a 2000 MAH lithium battery that includes a USB port. Plus space blankets made from mylar, food rations, a tube tent, and a host of other emergency essentials.

10. Lunya Washable Silk Robe

Source: Lunya

Lunya’s silk robe is offered in a variety of colors, including a limited-edition serene pink. This 100% Mulberry silk robe is low-maintenance comfort, and the perfect luxury travel accessory. This silk robe from Lunya can be washed by hand, or machine washed in cold water. 

This unique silk helps maintain a comfortable body temperature and includes a removable belt, interior tie, and pockets. The Lunya silk robe is designed to be an oversized fit and is available in a variety of sizes from XS to 1X.

11. ROYCE Leather Wine and Champagne Carrying Case

When transporting your favorite champagne or wine, the ROYCE leather carrying case is the perfect travel accessory. The carry case is luxe pebbled leather and lined with velvet and has a zipper on each side for easy closure.

This luxurious accessory is 16 inches in height, 6.5 inches wide, and 4 inches in diameter and ships free. If you are in or visiting NYC, visit Saks on Fifth Avenue for free monogramming.

12. Ren Clean Skincare Pillow Spray

Even traveling in luxury can be tiresome. To ensure every traveler gets a great night’s sleep no matter where you are, the Ren Clean Skincare Pillow Spray includes a relaxing combination of natural oils that have been shown to have sleep-inducing effects.

A simple spritz of this lavender mist on your pillow before bed releases relaxing aromas that calm mind, body and soul, helping you to drift off to sleep.

13. ROYCE RFID Blocking Four Zip Travel Organizer

Source: Bergdorf Goodman

The ROYCE travel organizer offers digital security protection as it protects RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips in credit from being skimmed by criminals. An RFID is a system consisting of these components – a radio transponder, a radio receiver, and a transmitter.

This leather organizer is available in black, tan, navy blue, red, and silver and measures 8.5 inches long by 5.25 inches wide by .75 inches deep. This is offered with free shipping from Bergdorf Goodman.

14. Versace – Medusa Studded Travel Mug

For the luxury traveler who wants the best, the Medusa Studded Travel Mug from Versace should top the list. This enriched crystal tumbler holds 16 ounces and includes a lid and reusable straw.

This glamourous travel aluminum mug, which is made in Italy, is available in blue, lilac, black/gold, pink, and white/gold. The mug features a crystal-studded Medusa, surrounded by Grecian borders, and is perfect for coffee, juice, and smoothies.

15. Lululemon Carry Onwards Mat Travel

Source: Lululemon Athletica

The travel yoga exercise mat from Lululemon is available in black, due pink, and dusty rose. This travel mat is made from a natural rubber material and sustainable sources. Its clean edges will not fray, and it weighs just under 3 pounds.

When folded, the travel mat measures 13.4 inches by 6.5 inches by 2.2 inches. Unfolded, this luxury travel mat measures 71 inches by 26 inches. The mat can be machine washed but washed separately in a cold, gentle wash cycle.

16. Wolf – Blake Watch Roll w/Capsule

Luxury travelers often take along more than one watch so that they have a choice for different occasions and times of the day. The Blake Watch Roll (with a jewelry capsule) is made from leather and offers several components.

The watch roll is available in brown and black and weighs one pound. It measures 7.75 inches long and is 3.5 inches in diameter. The snap closure is adjustable and allows for the safe keeping of many valuables.

17. The DownTown Company – Silk 3-Piece Travel Set

This DownTown Company’s silk travel set offers travelers luxurious sleeping appointments, no matter where one roams. The three-piece set is made in Portugal from 100% machine-washable mulberry silk and includes a silk eye mask, a down alternative microfiber pillow, and a silk pillowcase. It is offered in an off-white or natural color.

18. Anti-Nausea Wristband

Source: The Sharper Image

Even luxury travelers can experience nausea from time to time. Sharper Image’s Anti-Nausea Wristband helps to reduce motion sickness. This wristband is non-invasive (and has no side effects) with simple electrical impulses gently generated on the wrist.

There are ten intensity levels available with this anti-nausea wristband that lasts up to 18 hours on a signal full charge. This wristband is available in charcoal and fits wrists from 5.5 inches to 9.25 inches. Its charge time is 75 minutes.

19. Brooks Brothers Leather Tie Case

Source: Brooks Brothers

When traveling with multiple destinations and purposes, packing formal attire or additional outfits is a necessity. The Brooks Brothers leather tie case helps keep silk ties from wrinkling on the journey. This imported, beautifully crafted calfskin leather cases is fleece lined (with the Brooks Brother’s Golden Fleece) and includes a snap closure. It measures 15.75 inches by 5.75 inches wide.

Luxury Travel – Technology Accessories

20. montblanc summit 2+ edition smartwatch.

Source: Montblanc® Official

The Montblanc Summit smartwatch is classically elegant and blends the art of fine watchmaking with the benefits and features of a smartwatch. This functional yet elegant unisex watch is fully loaded and includes increased battery life and an outdoor app. This watch from Montblanc is the first luxury LTE-enabled watch that helps you navigate the globe.

21. Fingerprint Travel Lock

To keep luxury safe and locked, the innovative fingerprint travel lock is among the latest cutting-edge devices for travelers. This travel lock, which is rechargeable by USB, is quite durable and employs biometric authentication technology – storing up to ten fingerprints at one time.

Each full charge can open the lock up to 100 times on this single charge. The battery has a six-month standby feature, depending on use.

22. Translation Pen

The Translation Pen from Sharper Image is the perfect travel accessory as it translates printed text automatically. This incredible device can pair wirelessly with Bluetooth headphones, so it can be used privately.

Foreign texts in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Russian, and Portuguese can be read back to the traveler in any one of their native language. Simply hold the pen over the printed text to translate.

23. Bang & Olufsen BEOPLAY H 95 Noise Canceling Headphones

Source: Bang & Olufsen

The Bang & Olufsen Noise-canceling headphones offer sound quality that will likely beat all expectations. These over-ear headphones are adjustable and available in these colors, – black, Nordic ice, grey mist, gold tone, chestnut, and navy blue.

These innovative luxury headphones offer five levels of noise cancellation, with the ability to adapt to outside noise. The headphones are crafted with detail and include aluminum frames and lambskin leather.

24. Apple Air Tag

Source: Apple

The Air Tag from Apple is an ingenious gadget for the luxury traveler who wants to keep track of their luggage even when it leaves their sight. The iPhone can be used as a tracking device to find your luggage or backpack with great precision.

An Air Tag sends out a Bluetooth signal to find your luggage or any number of items. The process is safe and encrypted to protect your privacy. In addition, the device is efficiently designed, so battery life is not depleted by data usage.

25. Wireless Notepad

This award-winning notepad transmits notes or sketches to an electronic device like a laptop, smartphone or tablet, etc. This innovative Hammacher Schlemmer product uses embedded sensors, uses a smart pen (and A5 paper), and connects via Bluetooth technology.

The notepad measures 9 inches long by 7 inches wide by .5 inches high. A USB cable is included and provides 30 days of power on one charge. The pen uses 3 AAA batteries.

26. Calpak, Oh Joy! Portable Charger

Source: CALPAK

This portable, stylish charger from Calpak is the perfect accessory for a luxury traveler. It is a compact battery charger that fits inside a luggage tag. It can be charged through a USB port and offers 2000 mAh power. The Calpak portable charger also includes an insert identification card. This 4” by 3” case weighs less than a point and is available in a pink and gold design.

27. Moskiz Solar Power Bank and Charger

This high-capacity, wireless-functioning solar power charger and battery bank from Moskiz offers a fast-charging external battery. This unique waterproof, luxury accessory is ruggedly made for outside use and includes a powerful LED flashlight for bright LED use at night.

This power bank and charger measure about 7 inches by 3.74 inches by 1.18 inches and weighs 350 grams. This solar-powered bank and charger has a standby time of twelve months.

28. Flight 001 4 In 1 Travel Adapter

When traveling internationally, it is essential to be prepared for everything. The Flight 001 travel electric adapting device will enable any traveler to modify the current of electricity in 150 countries. This adapter measures four by three by 3 inches and weighs a mere .2 pounds. The travel adapter is colorful and includes blue, red, green, and blue.

29. The Best Digital Camera Binoculars

An innovative travel accessory for every luxury traveler is the Digital Binoculars with a built-in digital camera. These digital camera binoculars from Hammacher Schlemmer offer tremendous 8x magnification and vibrant photographs through their 32 mm lenses.

The camera provides a resolution is 1920 x 1080 and a 32 GB memory card slot. The lithium battery, which is rechargeable, provides two hours of constant use. This binocular product measures 6 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 2 inches high, with a weight of 15 ounces.

30. Bluetooth Headphone Adapter

When you want privacy on an airplane (or the treadmill on a boat) and prefer to use wireless earbuds or headphones to catch a movie or the latest episode of your favorite show, the Sharper Image Bluetooth Headphone Adapter is the perfect accessory.

This adapter works with two pairs of wireless headphones/earbuds, even if there is only one headphone jack in use. The adapter includes a rechargeable battery with an average use life of 20 hours before needing recharging.

31. Bose QuietComfort – Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Source: Bose Corporation

Bose is a well-known name in superior audio, and these QuietComfort earbuds are no exception. With a strong 30-foot signal, these noise-canceling earbuds offer great comfort and high-fidelity audio, with a battery life of six hours.

These Bluetooth 5.1 earbuds offer two settings (Quiet & Aware) and are both weather and sweat weather resistant. Bose’s innovative earbuds are easy to use and pair with use with phones for a total of seven devices and are offered with two sizes of fitted ear tips.

32. The Offline Password Vault

In the modern world, digital piracy is a concern for all travelers. This electronic password vault remains offline and can safely store (and retrieve usernames, passwords, and PINS). This device measures 4.75 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep, and 1 inch in height.

It can hold up to 400 passwords and retains these even if the batteries need replacing. The password device has a backlit LCD and is password protected. This and all Hammacher Schlemmer offer a lifetime guarantee if used under normal working conditions.

33. Portable DVD Player

This portable DVD player from Hammacher Schlemmer offers a 15.5-inch screen and a lifetime guarantee. This DVD player is easy to operate, has incredible charge time, and has the highest quality of sound and crystal-clear picture.

This includes a stereo headphone jack as well as a remote controller. It charges on AC electricity or the autos’ 12-volt DC outlet. The player measure 10.75 inches wide, 15 inches long, and 2 “ high. HS’s portable DVD weighs 4.25 pounds.

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