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1. 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 three colors).
2. A transparent toiletry bag so you can avoid getting stopped by TSA when you inevitably forget to put your skincare in a see-through bag. Plus, this bag is super durable and will give you relief from those intrusive "Gosh, I hope my serum doesn't leak all over my clothes" thoughts.
Promising review: "I travel very frequently and had never heard of a liquid travel bag like this before. I was a little worried because the back is not see-through, so I brought a 1-quart plastic baggie as backup just in case. But everything I needed fit perfectly and I had no issues in TSA/China security. So far I have been through MSP, IAD, NKG, and PEK airports using this pack already and it's a life-changer! I will never again have to worry about having to scramble to buy baggies just for liquids, and it is much more durable." —Courtney Swanson
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 11 colors).
3. Or a waterproof toiletry bag with enough space to pack up your entire 14-step self-care routine in the most space-efficient way possible. Plus, it's equipped with a rotating hook so you can hang it on the back of a door or in the shower for convenient access.
Promising review: "We are a family of seven, and this held all of our bathroom supplies for a weekend trip. This is a must-have for traveling. The best feature is it being able to hang up on a robe hook or the back of a door. It frees up hotel sinks and keeps you well organized." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in 2 sizes and in 12 colors).
4. Some Tide sink packets each loaded with the perfect amount of detergent for washing those salty bathing suits and dirty undies so you can avoid overstuffing your suitcase even on multi-week excursions.
Each pack comes with three packets, and they're tiny enough to easily slide into the side of any toiletry bag,
Promising review: "I have taken these packets on travels throughout the world. They are small and fit in my bag. They are good for a wash in a sink or wash bag... Glad to have them. They don’t leak either." —Barbara Jefferson
Get nine packs from Amazon for $7.28.
5. 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 $9.59.
6. 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 and as a two pack).
7. A set of travel compression cubes because you're committed to never checking a bag if you can avoid it. Plus, it keeps everything super organized so on the off chance TSA does need to look through your bag, they won't have to ruin your perfect pack job seeking out the culprit.
Tripped Travel Gear is a small business started by Tim and Fin (Plus, their dog!). The pair has been living out of their backpacks since 2015 and creates quality travel products to make life on the road easier.
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!" —Amazon Customer
Get them from Amazon for $18.95+ (available in packs of two, three, or six, and in 11 colors).
8. An all-in-one universal wall adapter so you don't show up in a new country with no way to charge your phone — no matter where you go!
Promising review: "Probably the best $13 I've 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 Santiago
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in four colors).
9. 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! 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 $28.99+ (available in two sizes and in 14 colors/styles).
10. Or a lightweight water-resistant backpack for finally finding the perfect airline personal item with easy access to your laptop and plenty of space for chargers, books, a change of clothes, and more. Plus, cushy airflow panels fight against the dreaded back sweat during your walking tour or as you run to catch your flight (we've all been there).
The bag has a separate compartment to hold up to a 15.6" laptop, a hidden anti-theft pocket on the back for valuables, a luggage strap, hanging clasps, and an external USB port to hook up to your own power bank.
Promising review: "I just returned from a trip abroad and I used this backpack as my personal carry-on. It's roomy, fashionable, durable, and functional. The best feature in the backpack is the hidden zipper pocket where I was able to keep my passport and wallet and not worry that someone might pull it out. Everything was safe, had a place, and was easily accessible. It was a little bulky looking when I had it filled before my trip but that was to be expected. Overall, I was very happy with this backpack and would recommend it highly." —rachel
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in 4 sizes and in 23 colors).
11. An adaptable hair diffuser if you're tired of lugging your blow dryer half-way across the world just so you won't have to be without your diffuser. This attachment adjusts in size to fit most any blow dryer so packing light and using the Airbnb dryer doesn't feel like a sacrifice.
Promising review: "Purchased for a recent trip to UK, Croatia, and Montenegro. Doesn’t disappoint. Great for curly hair. Lightweight, small enough, and doesn’t take lots of room. Highly recommend for international hotel travel!" —Karen and Liz
Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in seven colors).
12. A travel-sized wrinkle release spray that makes it easy to revive crumpled, fresh-out-of-the-suitcase clothing even when you don't have easy access to an iron.
Promising review: "Hate dragging out the old hotel iron and board so I just spray my wrinkled clothes with this and viola! Takes the wrinkles out, and off I go — no wrestling while putting the iron and board away. I even have a small travel iron or use my hair styling irons if I want a better finish, but this usually does the job nicely." —Audie
Get it from Amazon for $6.05.
13. A pack of moisture-proof travel pill organizers because it'll 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 $5.78.
14. Some reusable bottle bags so when traveling with that host gift bottle of wine, you won't spend the whole trip fretting over broken glass and stains. This padded bag is designed with an absorbent lining, so even if the bottle breaks, the spill will stay self-contained.
JetBag is a small business specializing in bags designed to protect your wine and your stuff.
Promising review: "Love my jet bags. We can travel with a bottle of wine without having to worry that the bottle might break and ruin things in the suitcase. Love having a bottle of wine when we arrive at our destination!" —Kathy Karst
Get a set of three from Amazon for $14.99 (available in four styles).
15. A plush velvet travel jewelry case to make traveling with your favorite dainty necklace a reality without also committing to a half-hour untangling sesh while rushing to get to your 8 p.m. reservation.
Promising review: "I purchased this box for a weekend getaway. In the past I have just thrown all of my jewelry into little makeup bags, but then everything gets tangled and disorganized. I love that this box keeps everything organized and leaves all my necklaces tangle-free!" —Dogmom206
Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in 12 colors).
16. 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 have everything you need to power your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods for the duration of the trip.
This is only compatible with iPhones 12 and newer, AirPods 2 and 3 and AirPods Pro/Pro 2, Apple Watch Ultra/SE/8/7/6/5/4/3/2.
Promising review: "I absolutely hate having to worry about all the different cords I need for travel — iPhone, AirPods, watch. This is extremely convenient and saves me the hassle of having three different cords. Absolutely love this gadget!" —Blanca
Get it from Amazon for $29.96+ (available in nine colors).
17. 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, slim pocket, a ticket slot, a cellphone pouch, a coin zippered pocket, key holder, and 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 $13.99+ (available in 27 colors).
18. Or a waterproof travel document holder because you're in charge of keeping track of everyone's 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 fit 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 $8.49+ (available in seven colors).
19. The 4-in-1 Alleyoop Pen Pal so you can pack an eyeliner, lip liner, brow pencil, and highlighter with a fraction of the usually required bag space.
Promising review: "I love the ease of this product. It’s so perfect and the colors are great for all looks — casual, fancy, quarantine extra, everything! I love how effortless it is and how easy it is to use. I’m serious that as a makeup novice, these colors are impossible to mess up. I love it! " —Stephanie H.
Get it from Alleyoop or Amazon for $20 (available in three shades).
20. A super-cool garment bag duffel to keep your best clothes neat and wrinkle-free, while still offering an empty bag's worth of space for all your other travel bits and bobs.
Bonus — the bag is water-resistant and has two exterior zip pockets, two interior shoe pockets, and a padded handle wrap.
Promising review: "I purchased this in preparation for some day trips for work and it sure did the job. My suit stayed crisp and I was able to fit everything I needed. The bag feels very durable, which I can't say for some of my other bags that cost five times the amount. Although many bags have a separate compartment for shoes, be careful not to overlook the importance of this feature when shopping for luggage. The last thing you want is to wake up and get dressed, only to find that something on the bottom of your shoes found its way onto your clothes. The side pockets make it easy to get essentials out of your bag, including when it's in the overhead bin on a plane." —Ronald
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in five colors/styles).
21. A refillable travel perfume atomizer for a quick and easy way to transport your favorite scents so you don't have to spend your whole vacay 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: "These things are perfect! Easy to use. Great size for traveling! And didn’t change the smell of my perfumes!"—BMF722
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $7.99.
22. A set of six magnetic travel containers with custom removable labels and wide openings that make traveling with TSA-compliant versions of your entire self-care routine a breeze. And, yes, they're totally leakproof and airtight.
Cadence is an Asian woman-owned small biz creating the most stylish reusable travel containers you've ever seen. They're gentle on the planet and feature an intuitive, leak-proof design.
Check the products description for a in-depth summary of how much f every type of product these containers hold.
BuzzFeed editor Abby Kass is upping her travel game with these containers:
"I used these on a six-day trip recently, and they were perfect. I customized the label so I knew which one was my shampoo vs. conditioner and did a general label for any other things I wanted to bring a long. They do hold a surprising amount, and were small enough to slip right into my toiletries bag and go through TSA with no problem. The container was easy to open in the shower (even with wet hands), and I had no leakage from them (like I did from my face wash bottle that will not be making the trip with me next time. SMH). These are an incredibly useful tool anyone who travels wants in their luggage."
Get a set of six from Cadence for $84 (available in seven colors).
23. Or 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 $8.99+ (available in 12 variations).
24. A genius magnetic luggage tag that doubles as a hat clip so you can finally bring your favorite wide-brimmed beauty on vacay without a) packing it and crushing it, or b) committing to wearing it/holding it.
The Fileist is a Los Angeles-based, woman-owned small biz founded by celebrity stylist Lindsay Albanese. The marketplace feature's a curated selection of hyper-functional style goods from a collection of woman entrepreneurs.
Promising review: "After losing two hats on airplanes, I found TopTote! I loved it so much and it’s so helpful when traveling, I’ve purchased at least six more to give to friends. If you wear a hat and travel with one, TopTote is a MUST-HAVE!" —Deanne Hume
Get it from Nordstrom or The Fileist for $55 (available in additional styles).
25. Plus, a heavy-duty bag strap because no one wants to be stuck wearing (or holding) their puffy jacket 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 $8.49+ (available in six colors and in multipacks).
26. A mini wallet emergency kit printed with the city skyline of your choice so you're always stocked with those easy-to-forget provisions that'll save you in a pinch! A bandage for those new shoe blisters, a sewing kit for lost buttons, or a deodorant wipe because — don't lie — we've all been there.
Anne Cate is a Cleveland-based, woman-owned small business creating minimalist keepsakes to commemorate your favorite locations, with over 100 hand-designed skylines depicting cities and colleges from around the world!
What you'll get: Inside your mini wallet, you'll find a hair tie, lip balm, floss pic, sewing kit, bandage, emery board, safety pins, earring backs, makeup wipe, bobby pins, mints, deodorant wipe, stain remover wipe, tampon, hand sanitizer, and pain reliever.
I, your resident forgetful person, bought the NYC skyline version of this to toss in my purse or work tote whenever I go out. It's filled with a bunch of easy-to-forget bits and bobs that will (and have) saved the day in a pinch, all pre-packaged in a stylish and high-quality wallet. It's my perfect little SOS kit.
Get it from Anne Cate for $25 (available in a variety of styles and in a mini dopp kit version).
27. Plus, a teeny tiny first aid kit to fulfill your role as the prepared mom friend without eating up a quarter of your luggage space with medical supplies.
The 27-piece set includes safety pins, sting relief wipes, razor blade, butterfly bandages, spot bandages, and knuckle bandages.
Promising review: "This is a must-have for camping or hiking or even traveling. It has all the necessities and in such a tiny tin can, super portable. The products are nice quality so this is a great product." —Castillos
Get it from Amazon for $5.50.
28. 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.
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 regards 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 $63.99+ (available in four colors).
29. A versatile everything top that can be worn not one, not two, but FIVE different ways. Packing light, meet your perfect match.
Hackwith Design House is a small, woman-owned business. Their sustainable designs are made to order and sewn in their Minnesota studio. Their sizes run from XS to 4X. And if you like one-of-a-kind finds, check their site on Mondays when they also release limited-edition designs so you can be one of only 25 people to own a piece!
BuzzFeed editor Chelsea Stuart will be packing this versatile top from now on:
"I have this shirt and I *love* it. All credit for its discovery goes to TikToker @jennifer.bianca who I happened to stumble across on my FYP. It checks all my boxes: black, comfortable, versatile, and durable. My initial worry was that I wouldn't feel secure in it (I have a 38DDD chest and most wrap tops/dresses I've tried haven't stayed where they're supposed to), but I haven't had an issue with this! I've worn it tied in the front giving me a square neck (like the middle picture) and tied in the back giving me a V-neck up front (just like the photo on the right) — both were super comfortable and I didn't have to adjust myself at all. As someone whose weight fluctuates, I also appreciate that this piece can handle pounds gained and lost. The fabric is medium weight so I'll be wearing it season to season and there's just enough elasticity in the arms that if you roll up your sleeves, they won't fall back down. All that is to say trust that I will be buying additional colors as it's an absolute travel must-have!"
Get it from Hackwith Design House for $145 (available in women's sizes XS–4X and in five colors).
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.