1. An in-flight phone mount for a hands-free way to watch all those episodes of Ted Lasso you downloaded for the flight. It can also be mounted on your luggage for long (aka boring) layovers.
Perilogics is a small business creating hyper-functional tool holsters and bags for carrying your stuff on-the-go.
Promising review: “I travel for a living and fly often. I regret not buying this in the beginning when I started traveling. I can clip it to the back of the seat in front of me and also on the windows. It is small enough to fold up and fit in my pocket. This is random but related — if you are sitting in an exit row on an airplane, you cannot clip this to the window until the plane is in the air — other than that, they do not care if it is clipped to the window during the flight. Highly recommended.” —Chrissie Jo
Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in seven colors and multipacks).
2. A set of portable soap sheets so you and the fam can always guarantee access to cleansing hand soap, even in the most — How do I say this nicely? — ~neglected~ public restrooms.
Promising review: “Love this product. Provides great suds as any handful of soap would. This is excellent for travel, especially in public bathrooms that don’t always guarantee soap. Discreet and great for places where you might not want to touch the dispenser. A lot comes in one container. Gave some packets away to my family.” —Kerry-Ann Archibald1
Get a three-pack (150 sheets total) from Amazon for $7.59 (available in larger multipacks).
3. A pair of reusable anti-nausea bands that may help soothe churning stomachs caused by long car rides and cruises without copious amounts of Dramamine.
For more info on how to use acupressure for nausea management, check out this guide from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Promising review: “I have always suffered from motion sickness. My whole life, I have hated long car rides, even short car rides. As soon as I get in the car and buckle in, I already feel the nausea. I bought these for a 16-hour road trip, and they worked 100%. I felt perfectly comfortable the whole way through. I could even watch movies and text on my phone and feel alright. My two daughters suffer from the same thing (ages 1 and 3) to the point where they can’t keep any food down. The kid’s bands worked for them 100% of the time, too. 10/10 recommend. I’ll be buying more for sure.” —Veronica
Get a pair from Amazon for $8.48+ (available in five colors).
4. A refillable sunscreen sponge applicator because the quicker you get this gooey, greasy mess over with, the quicker you all can get back to what this vacation is really about. Simply fill up the chamber with the sunscreen of your choice, give it a shake, and the genius roller ball and sponge combo will take care of the rest.
Promising review: “Used for the first time today on my 7-year-old. For the first time in his life, he actually enjoyed having sunscreen applied to his skin! Very easy to use and not messy at all. Extremely pleased with this purchase!” —amyj
Get it from Amazon for $15.98+ (available in eight colors and multipacks).
5. And a tube of Burt’s Bees after-sun soother if a few sunburns are still likely, even with diligent sunscreen application. Apply this hydrating formula ASAP and enjoy sweet relief from pain and itching.
This product is formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, or SLS.
Promising review: “I’ve had this bottle for over a year! It’s lasted with my family through Disney World, Destin spring break, and every time we go to the pool! I’ve had some bad sunburns. I slather this on and reapply after it’s soaked in and I wake up with a deep tan. Whatever is in it is like magic! The smell is kinda weird to me, but as well as this lotion works it could smell like cough syrup and I’d still happily use it.” —Natalie Smith
Get it from Amazon or $14.14.
6. A stick of non-greasy Gold Bond anti-friction stick for preventing sweat-induced chafing on your thighs, heels — wherever! — and all the painful irritation that comes with it.
Amazon
Promising review: “I just used it for five days in 90-degree-plus weather at Bonnaroo music festival in the middle of Tennessee on a farm in June with 100,000 people walking several miles, dancing, and sweating every day. I am happy to report that this product is a lifesaver. My thighs didn’t chafe once, and I have big ones! I had to reapply once during the day. I strongly recommend buying this if you have large thighs and need relief from chafing. I couldn’t wear dresses or skirts in the heat if I was walking anywhere, and now I live in them because of this stuff! Buy it! It works!” —Isaac
Get it from Amazon for $6.28.
7. A pack of laundry soap sheets so you can pack a little (or a lot) lighter by washing a load of clothes in the hotel sink or bathtub during your stay.
Promising review: “Took them on vacation so I could pack light. These worked great! My daughter was covered in mud one day, and these took out all of it. Will be ordering them for future trips! Keep in mind you do not get a ton of suds, but your clothes still come clean and smell good.” —Maggie Dennis
Get 50 sheets from Amazon for $12.97.
8. Plus, a six-foot travel clothesline that’ll make drying your freshly cleaned laundry right in the hotel room a straightforward affair that doesn’t involve draping wet clothes over every square inch of available space. You don’t even need clothespins — just hang the clothes between the braided cords.
Promising review: “Love this clothesline! We take this with us on resort vacations. It’s nice to be able to wash out swimsuits, etc., and hang them to dry every day so they don’t smell after days of nonstop ocean fun. This one is nice because you don’t need clothespins, and it stretches pretty far. I was able to hang up two kid’s swimsuits, two kid’s rash guards, two adult swimsuits, and two adult rash guards, and still had room for more. This is a must if you take any tropical vacation where it’s humid and hard for clothes to dry out.” —Haley G
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
9. A pair of affordable wireless Bluetooth earbuds because everything is better — long flights, hotel hot tubs, you name it — when you’re not tethered to your tech by a cord or fretting over water damage. Thankfully, these buds are waterproof, come with a handy travel/charging case, and connect to your devices in one easy step.
Promising review: “The earbuds are everything I had hoped they would be. I like the fit in my ear, and that is important for achieving the sound I want. I like the fact that they are waterproof and can use them on vacation without worrying about damaging them.” —C S
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in two sizes and five colors).
10. Plus, an AirFly Pro wireless transmitter if you (and a buddy) actually want to use said Bluetooth earbuds to watch those free in-flight movies.
Promising review: “Worked beautifully on a recent eight-hour flight from New York City to Frankfurt! Really easy to pair with my Bose noise-canceling earbuds and charges quickly. The sound quality was excellent. I’m so excited about this product that I’m going to buy one for each of my family members!” —emily p murray
Get it from Amazon for $54.99 (available in black and white and three other styles).
11. A pack of towel bands so you don’t have to spend the better part of your vacation chasing down windswept towels while you’re trying to relax. Plus, these bands take up far less precious bag space than towel clips do.
Promising review: “Last-minute purchase for a trip to Jamaica. So happy I bought them. They always kept our towels on the chairs correctly. It was also easy to tell our chairs apart from others on the resort. Will definitely be recommending them to others.” —RG
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $11.99 (available in four colors).
12. A pack of moisture-proof travel pill organizers to make packing the ever-growing collection of prescriptions and vitamins now required to maintain your body MUCH more space efficient than the alternative — a plastic bag of stray pill bottles.
Promising review: “These were the perfect size to hold all our medicine. We didn’t need a Monday through Friday organizer. We just needed something to help consolidate medicine for travel. It held way more than I was expecting and came with labels so no confusion of medicine.” —Momof3
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $8.97 (available in two color combos).
13. A foldable 3-in-1 wireless charger for forgetful packers who always seem to leave behind at least one vital charging cord. With this all-in-one dock, you’ll always have what you need to power your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
Promising review: “I have been using this charger at home and when I travel. I mainly purchased it for traveling. It works well, folds up into a neat compact square, and charges my iPhone, watches, and earbuds all together without having to bring three separate chargers with me. You will love the convenience, trust me!!” —BobC
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in five colors).
14. Or a braided 4-in-1 fast charging cord because why pack four chargers when you can pack one super long and sturdy cable that can handle all your destination charging needs?
Promising review: “My husband and I have different phones with different charging ports. This was great for our international travel and limiting the number of cords we needed to carry. Was useful during travel for charging both devices and for charging other family members’ devices as well. Quick charging as well.” —veronicawhite
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
15. And an all-in-one universal wall adapter so no matter where you go, you don’t show up in a new country with no way to charge your tech!
Promising review: “Probably one of the best $13 I spent on anything. If you travel a lot, especially internationally, this is a must-have because you have every kind of adapter on one plug and don’t have to worry about constantly buying a certain adapter every time you travel to a different country. This has it all.” —Abby Graumann
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in four colors).
16. A tri-fold travel wallet that’ll keep everything (and I mean everything) on hand and organized as you run to catch your flight. Money, cards, boarding passes, passport — you name it — all protected with RFID-blocking tech.
The wallet has a passport pocket, boarding pass compartment, three credit card slots, an ID slot, a slim card pouch, a slim pocket, a ticket slot, a cellphone pouch, a coin zippered pocket, a key holder, and a pen holder.
Promising review: “Great for traveling. It holds all my important info for an international vacation. Didn’t have to worry about misplacing my passport or fear my card info being compromised.” —Crystal
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 27 colors).
17. Or a waterproof travel document holder because you’ve got a whole gaggle of travelers depending on you to keep track of their passports and boarding passes, which is a lot easier to do when they’re all organized in one easy-to-access place.
Promising review: “I took my kids on their first international trip, and this thing was a total lifesaver. It fits easily in a fanny pack or small purse for easy access, and it fits my whole family’s passports, vaccine cards, boarding passes, and a pen with plenty of room for cash and cards if you decide to use it as a wallet for your trip. It made getting checked in a breeze and helped my family keep everything organized.” —Kevin Garcia
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five colors).
18. A set of refillable TSA-friendly toiletry containers if you’re sick of spending a small fortune on name-brand travel-sized products and just want to make your own. You won’t have to worry about leaking, and the entire set fits in the provided clear zip pouch.
Promising review: “I purchased one for myself and had a really good experience traveling with them. Nothing leaked, not even the witch hazel. I was really impressed and bought two more for my daughters and took them on our family vacation. We love these travel kits.” —M
Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in six variations).
19. A nylon anti-theft rucksack to avoid wasting precious space in your suitcase with extra bags. This ultra-versatile style can be worn like a backpack or shoulder bag, so when it’s done being your airport personal item it can be a stylish purse for dinner.
Promising review: “A must-have for traveling! This backpack is lightweight, has multiple pockets on the inside and outside for small items, and was so awesome for an eight-day vacation to Hawaii! I felt safe with my items in it, and it was a great small personal item on the plane. Highly recommend!” —Marianne :]
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in two sizes and in eight colors/styles).
20. A refillable travel perfume atomizer for a compact and shatter-proof way to transport your favorite scents so you don’t have to spend your whole trip not smelling like your best self.
Using the atomizer is easy: Simply unscrew the cap to your perfume bottle, place the perfume nozzle into the hole at the bottom of the atomizer, and pump the perfume inside.
Promising review: “Usually, I’ll take whatever samples I haven’t tried out yet with me on vacation, but these let me take my favorite fragrances with me when I travel without worrying about losing or breaking the big bottle! I find myself throwing them in my purse or gym bag as well since they are so portable.” —Labernatty
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $6.99.
21. A portable door lock so you can up the security at any hotel or Airbnb with one low-tech addition that installs in seconds and is designed to fit just about any door you’d encounter.
Note: This can get flagged while going through security, so you may want to put it in an easily accessible place in your checked bag to be safe.
Promising review: “I bought this to use in an Airbnb in an unfamiliar residential area. The lock system was easy to use, worked perfectly, and allowed my family to enjoy our vacation without worrying about security. It’s a simple product that works!” —G. Mills
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in multipacks).
22. A cute portable USB-C charger that’ll supply your phone with the juice it needs so you never have to skip a photo op because of a nearly dead battery.
Promising reviews: “I love that I don’t have to worry about having a cord. Charges fast and stays charged. I keep it in my purse. Has saved me from having a dead battery numerous times.” —Crystal Bearden
For iPhone users, there’s also a lightning cable version available!
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in five colors and multipacks).
23. A waterproof pouch because you don’t want to leave your phone behind on those wet ‘n’ wild vacation adventures (and miss those photos?!). You might as well skip the low-grade “What if it gets wet?” panic and give yourself peace of mind that your tech is protected.
It fits any phone up to 100mm x 170mm (or about 3.9 inches x 6.7 inches). And you can totally use the touchscreen through the case — including the camera! People take incredible photos with it.
Promising review: “The swim-up bar was our group’s meeting point every day while on vacation in Costa Rica. I had no worries about misplacing my phone or damaging it in the pool. I caught lots of candid shots because I didn’t have to fumble with getting it out of a dry bag. I had my phone around my neck and shot through the plastic!” —Diane
Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in 14 styles).
24. A versatile travel harness seat if you’re nervous about showing up to the restaurant you’ve been excitedly scoping out for weeks, only to find out they don’t have a high chair for your tot. This adjustable harness rolls up tiny enough to stash in a bag and converts most any chair into a kid-friendly option for on-the-go feedings.
Amazon
Liuliuby is a New York City-based small business founded by mompreneur Mari Liu to reimagine everyday baby products after her own experiences as a new mother.
This harness is designed for ages 6 months and up.
Promising review: “This thing was amazing! Ten stars — it fit every type of chair we encountered on our Kenyan vacation! Kept our toddler controlled and made feeding on the go so easy. Very lightweight and packable, a vacation must-have!” —Kireme1
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
25. A makeup-erasing cloth to gently — but effectively — remove your makeup with just a little bit of water, so you can finally downsize your toiletry bag. Plus, it’s endlessly reusable! Once it gets dirty, just toss it in the wash.
Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed
I bought one of these cloths after including it in previous posts, subsequently selling myself on it (hazard of the job). It honestly works better than I could’ve imagined! You really do just need to dampen it with water to have your makeup melting off in seconds. I think this is a great zero-waste option for people (like me) who don’t wear a ton of makeup on the day-to-day because you can get a lot of uses from this cloth without needing to wash it constantly. I’ve found it especially handy for traveling, as I don’t need to pack any liquid/cream removers or drop money on single-use wipes. It also washes up shockingly well. I’ve had it for close to three years, and every time it comes out of the washing machine almost entirely stain-free, I’m equally shocked.
Get it from Amazon for $14.25+ (available in 16 colors).
26. A trusty stain-removing pen for tackling stains the minute they occur instead of being forced to wear your morning coffee through every museum tour and photo op.
Promising review: “I keep it in the car for little spills on seats or clothes. A must-have when traveling and having meals in the car…I keep one in my husband’s truck so he can quickly stop stains on his favorite shirts.” —Samantha bingham
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $7.88.
27. A heavy-duty bag strap so you’re not stuck wearing (or holding) everyone’s jackets while navigating the airport. This simple little add-on attaches to luggage, purses, or backpacks to free your hands of those travel essentials that are just too bulky for your bags.
Promising review: “I bought two straps to use for my trip. It was so worth it! It held my family’s light jackets and kids travel neck pillow. We also used it to hold our water bottles on our hikes. I wish I knew about these sooner!” —Lisa H
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in six colors and in multipacks).
28. A hands-free luggage drink caddy that’ll finally make it possible to handle your luggage, pull up your boarding pass, *and* transport your iced coffee at the same time.
Promising review: “This is an amazing travel accessory! When you are trying to juggle your hot beverage with a water bottle, your phone, and a boarding pass, this is a handy, easily stashable uni-tasker to have. Fits perfectly on my carry-on bag and larger rolling bags as well.” —Pirate
Get it from Amazon for $13.74+ (available in 24 styles).
29. A helpful “Pack this!” checklist because sometimes the biggest travel headache is figuring out what to bring. This should help you generate ideas and ensure you’re not kicking yourself later after realizing you forgot your toothbrush.
Promising review: “This is perfect. Whenever we travel, my kids always say, ‘Make me a list of what I have to pack.’ I always worry I will forget to tell them something random like underwear or pajamas…so now, I just check the boxes, they pack, and can review the list if they want to add anything.” —AmyH
Get it from Amazon for $7+ (available in two colors and a road trip edition).
30. A digital luggage scale if you’re tired of sweating it out at the baggage check counter, hoping to avoid paying pesky overage fees. This scale is super accurate, so you can be confident in your under-50-pound pack-job.
You can also switch between pound and kilogram measurements.
Promising review: “Works great, a must-have when flying. Very accurate scale. Easy to read with the light on it. It’s a must if you have a wife like mine who loves to shop for clothes and fill up her suitcase along with mine, or if you want to stay under that 40 pounds and avoid paying the extra for overweight baggage fees. Easy to use, very accurate, well-made, and a nice design. Very pleased. Saved me money.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four colors).
31. Slip-on quick-dry water shoes with sock-like flexibility to get that barefoot feel in the water without that barefoot vulnerability. Plus, the low profile makes them easy to pack, since we know shoe space is limited, to say the least.
Promising review: “Love these water socks. They are comfy and cute. I have never owned a pair before but I wanted to try these for an upcoming vacation in Belize. I have tried them out a couple of times in a swimming pool, and they are great. I love that they are so lightweight that I forget I am wearing anything on my feet at all. They give me the confidence to stand in the pool without worry of stepping on something or scratching my feet.” —AJS
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in women’s sizes 4–13.5, men’s sizes 3–12, and in 43 styles).
32. A Trtl neck pillow for actually supporting your neck while you try to catch some mid-flight z’s. It’s way less bulky than traditional travel pillows and will keep you from head bobbing onto your neighbor’s shoulder.
Amazon
Promising review: “I am a terrible flyer who recently took the red-eye from Dubai to Chicago (15 hours). The Trtl Pillow was a mini lifesaver! I was able to comfortably rest my head on the support and felt warm enough to actually doze off….a rare accomplishment for this skittish flyer. The Velcro works wonderfully with regard to adjustment, and I liked wrapping the fabric around my mouth and nose. Sort of felt cozy…even if I did look like a ninja in a neck brace! Overall, this product has changed the way that I fly, and I am so thankful for this invention and the opportunity to support a small company with big ideas.” —S.Viruly
Get it from Amazon for $64.99 (available in four colors).
33. A lay-flat drawstring makeup organizer so you can stop dumping the full contents of your makeup bag out on the hotel room floor whenever you need to find that one shade of lipstick you just know for certain you packed.
Lay-n-Go is a woman-owned small business that’s been in business for over 10 years! What started as a solution for quickly cleaning up Legos has evolved into a full line of products to solve a wide range of organizational needs.
Promising review: “I’ve been in the travel industry for 16 years and up til now I haven’t found a durable and easy-to-access makeup bag. They are always too small or so big your makeup rolls around and gets on everything. This is the perfect size to fit a full face worth of makeup products without being bulgy or bulky. The brush holders inside work perfectly, and any small items like bobby pins or hair ties go great in the zipper compartment to keep them easily accessible. Highly recommended if you do make-up on the go.” —ASilver105
Get it from Amazon for $24.95+ (available in 3 sizes and 31 colors/styles).
34. A reef-friendly sand removal bag if you love everything about a beach day except for the way sand lingers in every crevice. This microfiber pouch is filled with a proprietary powder that whisks sand away, so you don’t have to spend your boardwalk dinner feeling like a dry, gritty mess.
Amazon
Promising review: “This is my fourth summer using this product and only my second time replacing it, so that shows how long it lasts. I don’t go to the beach a whole lot, maybe five times in the summer. However, it’s so nice to have. It’s not like regular powder. This leaves your skin so smooth. Must have beach item if you are a beachgoer!!” —Kelly Hering
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
35. A freezable snack box with built-in cooling technology that you can load up with snacks to fuel your adventures knowing they’ll stay cool and fresh all day long. Vacation time is too short to spend any of it hunting down snacks just to avoid any hangry meltdowns.
Promising review: “This will carry four frozen breastmilk bags and keep them frozen for six to eight hours, which is perfect for domestic airport travel or small outings. I like to bring a few extra bags with me on trips for a night out or if it will be hard to nurse somewhere. Awesome product and less bulky than other cooler bags.” —Joshua
Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available in 15 colors and prints).
36. A set of travel compression cubes because you’ve committed to packing light, and that means packing a week’s worth of clothing into a carry-on. Plus, it keeps everything super organized, so you don’t have to ruin your gorgeous pack job looking for a sleep shirt.
Promising review: “This is a must-have item for anyone who is committed to traveling lightly and taking small bags whenever/wherever possible. If you are an urban back-packer or even an outdoors backpacker, these are amazing bags that make the rest of your bag so much easier to pack!” —Lisa
Get them from Amazon for $18.95+ (available in packs of two, three, or six, and 11 styles).
37. Or a set of space-saver bags to significantly compress your clothes by sucking out all the air — no vacuum required! These are designed for travel, so all you have to do is fill up a bag and roll it out to release air through the built-in valves.
Promising review: “These were lifesavers! We took a 10-day trip to Europe and could pack only in a carry-on using these! I used two mediums in my carry-on, and my husband used three. I packed all my undergarments, five dresses, four pairs of jeans, a number of blouses, three pairs of shorts, and a few other pieces of clothing. And still has room for my shoes. These will definitely be used each time we travel now. Well worth it.” —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $21.85.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
