We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A Hairbrella to protect your hair from unpredictable travel weather that's small enough to fold up and keep in your bag. It's satin-lined, so it won't dry out your hair or cause frizz once you take it off.
Promising review: "Works like a charm! So...of course the day I get my hair done, an unexpected torrential downpour occurs and I have NO umbrella. But...I DID have my Hairbrella in my bag! This was the 1st time I would get to try it out since I purchased it so I was REALLY hoping it would live up to its hype. I loosely pinned my hair up with a few bobby pins, secured that sucka in place and took off! While I looked like I just exited a dunk tank after my valiant sprint to my car, my hair was BONE DRY!!! 🙌🏾 Not a drop of moisture hit my hair. Hairbrella is the TRUTH!!!" —Lina
Hairbrella is a Black-owned small business that specializes in hats that protect hair from all kinds of weather.
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in nine colors).
2. A roll-on blister-preventing balm if your travel plans consist of lots of walking — and *not* limping around because of fresh, painful blisters.
Promising review: "I purchased two of these for our one-week Disney World trip. I knew I’d be walking around A LOT, and my feet aren’t used to the many miles of walking a day in the hot and humid environment, so I didn’t want to be uncomfortable. I'm happy to say I put it on once in the morning, slipped on some socks and comfy shoes, and I didn’t get one blister or issue with my feet! I wish I knew about this a long time ago!" —Michelle
Get it from Amazon for $9 (also available in bundles).
3. And some anti-chafe balm for protecting your inner thighs or other parts of your body from painful rubbing during your long days of adventure.
Promising review: "I was in Arizona during a continuing 100+ heat wave on a vacay tour. I didn’t use it the first day and ended up with rubbed thighs due to rough seams on shorts and excessive heat. I then used this everyday without additional rubbing rash. This stuff is awesome!!!! I will not leave home again on travel without it. It was not wet or tacky, just glides very nicely. It held up in 113-degree heat. Without it, it would have been a very different vacation. Thank you for making this product!!!!" —Jennifer
Get it from Amazon for $11+ (available in three sizes and in packs of two).
4. A waterproof pouch to protect your phone when you're near water, because once you prove to yourself that you need this, it'll already be too late. Plus, you can use your touchscreen with it, so you can take all the underwater pics you want.
It's designed to fit any phone up to 100mm x 170mm (or about 3.9 inches x 6.7 inches). And not only will it keep your phone protected from water, but it will also keep sand and dirt out.
Promising review: "I purchased this case in July for an upcoming canoe trip with a friend, and as luck would have it, we flipped our canoe. Being the rebel that I am, I chose not to wear my phone around my neck, and so my phone, my ID, and my debit card ended up at the bottom of the river and I just assumed it would be discovered a thousand years from now and placed in a museum as an ancient artifact. Fast-forward to this week. I was contacted via FB by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office diver and guess what he found? Yup, my phone case with all of the contents intact and dry as a bone! He had to cut the case open, but there was not one single drop of water in it and he ended up purchasing a case for himself because he was just that impressed!" —Julie McDonald
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (available in 14 colors and patterns).
5. A sturdy, lightweight eight-compartment pill organizer for consolidating your medications and just-in-case medicines, because TBH their bulky bottles take up a *lot* of room — and opting to leave some of them at home is just not a good option.
Promising review: "These travel pill cases are totally worth it! We are always out and about traveling, and this case helps keep the travel pharmacy organized! No more clunky pill bottles. The pill case is very sturdy and has a clasp that stays tightly latched. The compartments on the inside are easy to open with plenty of storage for pills. I was able to fit about 10 larger pills into the smaller compartments. It’s nice to also have the larger compartments too. You can fit wrapped cough drops or other medications in those. Highly recommend!!" —Sydney Harsh
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $7.99.
6. Silicone earplugs designed to regulate pressure in your ears and reduce discomfort while taking off and landing. Plus, they'll help muffle the sound of the crying baby four rows back.
Promising review: "This product has changed my life. I travel fairly frequently and always have issues with ear pressure on the plane. My ears will be clogged up, and it is painful to swallow for a day or two after short-distance flights. But now, I use these and fly incident-free. You are supposed to insert them before the plane takes off and then before landing. I have found that it works best if I leave them in the entire flight from before takeoff until landing, but they work almost as well if you take them out once you reach cruising altitude." —Thomasina
Get a pair from Amazon for $7.50.
7. An AirFly Pro wireless transmitter that connects your wireless earbuds to the headphone jack on the flight so you can watch the free entertainment without having to bring two sets of headphones — or waste money buying the crappy ones they sell on the plane.
You can even pair two sets of headphones at once to the AirFly! They work on gym and gaming equipment, too.
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
Twelve South is a husband-and-wife-owned biz based in Charleston, South Carolina! They've been designing accessories inspired by and made for Apple products since 2009.
Get it from Amazon for $54.99 (also available in two other styles).
8. A digital luggage scale since nothing ruins a flight faster than being charged $75 to check a bag that's 2 pounds overweight. (Crying...screaming...) This gadget will keep that $75 safe and sound in your wallet.
Just hook the scale to your luggage handle, lift up, and the LCD display will show the weight! You can also switch between pound and kilogram measurements.
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly tested this digital luggage scale out when she was packing for a trip to Iceland — check out her demo of how it works on TikTok!
Promising reviews: "Took this on multiple overseas trips in the first two months. I can't believe I used to hold my bags and weigh myself and the bag on scales — and then subtract my weight. It was so time consuming, especially when we were either close to the limit or over. This small device literally saved us hours of frustration and possible unpacking at the airport check-in line. We couldn't live without this item now. We bought another one as a backup. Wouldn't hesitate to buy this exact item again." —AB
"Took this for a 10-day trip overseas with lots of flights. Weighed the luggage as things were added to it/purchased, and when we weighed in at the airport it was perfectly accurate. Very important when the airline will charge $70 more for a suitcase that is too heavy or make you open the whole thing up and take stuff out in order to fly with it. Saved so much hassle." —B. M. O'Connor
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in six colors as well as a two-pack).
9. An external battery that's compact, light, *and* so powerful that it can bring your phone back to life three times before it needs to be charged itself. With all the videos you'll be taking, your phone will thank you for this.
Promising review: "This is an amazing rapid power charger! It charges an iPad faster than plugging it into AC, even while using it! The size is very manageable — about the size of a deck of cards. I travel frequently, and I'm not always near a power source. I just make sure to charge the Anker each evening and then none of my devices will be without power during the day. I was so happy with it, I purchased two more — one for my husband and one for my sister who can't seem to remember to keep her devices charged." —Cathy K
Get it from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in four colors).
10. A luggage drink caddy so you can keep your coffee (aka the magic elixir that keeps this show on the road) upright and securely attached to your wheeled luggage. Its two roomy pockets also fit snacks, water bottles, your phone, and whatever else you need to take off your hands while you navigate the chaos that is the airport.
Reviewers say it's ideal for a suitcase that can roll on four wheels! If you have a suitcase that has to tilt while it rolls, just be careful if the drinks are open at the top.
Promising review: "This cup holder is perfect! It helps me a lot! Last time I took a plane with a suitcase and a cup of coffee, I dropped and spilled my drink everywhere when it was my turn to check my passport and ticket. It was a nightmare! This time, I bought this cup holder to do me a favor! I don't have to worry about where my cup and phone are! I can free my hands to do other things. I love it so much! Hope you love it too." —Philip
Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in 33 colors and other styles).
11. Some lightweight odor eliminators to throw in your luggage so your fave walking shoes will stay fresh and dry no matter how many miles you log in them. They're packed with moso bamboo charcoal, which naturally absorbs odor and moisture.
The charcoal bag has no smell and absorbs excess moisture to prevent mold, mildew, and bacteria from forming on your clothes and in your bag. You can use them for up to two years, but you should put them outside in the sun for an hour once a month so they can ~rejuvenate~.
Promising review: "These are the best travel buddies! I always pack one of these in my luggage and one in my boyfriend's. While traveling, we sometimes don't get to wash all our clothes, but these bags are brilliant at absorbing the smell of sweat on our clothes and shoes!" —J. L.
Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.95.
12. A long-needed zipper puller that'll grab onto your back zipper so you can pull it up yourself, 'cause you shouldn't have to twist into a pretzel to get your zippered clothes on, and you definitely shouldn't limit what clothes you take on your vacay.
Promising reviews: "This thing is great! If you have issues with the puller disconnecting, head to the directions, because you probably aren't hooking it up correctly (I know this from experience). Zipuller saves my life on a weekly basis." —MoniqueRamsey
"I am a flight attendant. Our uniform dresses are so hard to zip up in a hotel room when you are by yourself. This is the best. It works wonderfully and is great quality. I would recommend this to anyone who isn't a contortionist. Excellent product!!!!!" —L. ward
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in three colors/patterns).
13. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount so you can stream Love Is Blind from your phone and leave your heavy laptop at home that you were only bringing along to watch Netflix with anyway. It's designed for use on any airplane and can mount to the tray table, the arm of a chair, or even a suitcase handle.
Promising review: "I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra-long-haul trip and it more than held up the entire duration. I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table. It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers. However, I find myself using it a lot outside of travel, too! Work-wise, I've clamped it onto my office desk shelving to hold my phone at eye level beside my computer. At home, I simply clamped it to a deck of cards and it turns into a versatile stand that I can place on any flat surface. Heck, I've been using it to hold my phone comfortably at eye level while watching videos in bed. It's extremely well-built and I find myself fidgeting with it all the time. Thus far it still feels solid and I don't anticipate breaking it any time soon. Even if it does break, I'll be happy to buy another one or two of it!" —Earendil
Perilogics is a small biz that specializes in tech-oriented travel products and backpacks.
Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in three colors and in a pack of two).
14. A lightweight, water-resistant Neutrogena SPF 50 face and body stick sunscreen that's TSA- and carry-on friendly because it's *solid*!
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly brought this on an international trip and loved it: "I first bought this for a weeklong Croatian vacation last year when I did carry-on, and as long as you are *thoroughly* reapplying, this stuff stays on pretty well. On a beach club afternoon, I did haphazardly reapply and missed a strip on one arm, but I tend to do that with spray-on or lotion sunscreen, too. Since then, I've packed this for any trip I've been on, including a two-day Disneyland trip where I toted this around in my bag and shared with friends. I sometimes carry it with me in my purse on my everyday adventures because I know it's so easy to apply. Also worth mentioning...I am about the palest lady you've ever seen and swear by daily application of sunscreen. But when on a beach trip, I'm constantly swimming in the water and sweating. So yeah, this stuff works. And if you're a bit hesitant about jumping on the solid sunscreen bandwagon, you can pack a stick of this, knowing you have enough sun protection to get you through to finding some spray-on or lotion SPF at your destination."
Get it from Amazon for $9.58.
15. A USB-chargeable mini handheld fan for keeping you looking fresh and refreshed during long, crowded days of travel — and not covered in so much sweat you'll feel like you're swimming.
Promising review: "I purchased this little fan for a trip to Italy and it couldn't have been more useful! Compact, sturdy, and some pretty good power packed in this thing! We had a hotel in Venice with no AC and it was at least 95 degrees outside. I slept with this fan on all night without the battery dying, it was amazing. Excellent purchase, 0 disappointment." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in five colors).
16. A bottle of Drop It that'll remove tannins and sulfates from your wine without messing with its flavor — meaning no killer hangover on the day you're supposed to wake up early to go on a full-day excursion.
It's a lot more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly than wine wands or other competitors — a single bottle of this can be used to treat up to 55 glasses of wine, as opposed to wands that can only do a few glasses each before they get tossed. Drop It recommends 1–2 drops for each glass of white wine, 2–3 for a glass of red, and 7–9 if you're treating the whole bottle at once. Once it's in the glass, swirl lightly for 20 seconds, and you're good to go.
Promising review: "This ish works! I was kinda scared to try it. If you struggle with getting headaches from drinking wine, try this. I use it every time I drink wine. I travel with it, it's easy to store, and it works. I don’t get headaches while drinking wine if I use this." —Capri Enjoli
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (also available in packs of two, four, six, 12, and 22).
17. A portable door lock so you can feel extra secure wherever you're staying. It gives off a *very* loud alarm sound when it's triggered, so you and everyone nearby will hear and wake up.
Promising review: "I have two of these, and they are amazing. The loop goes around the door handle and two thin metal prongs go in the crack of the door. If the door opens even a little, the prongs are separated, and it lets out the loudest, most obnoxious wailing sound in the history of the world. It's great for a single girl traveling on her own!" —Kelly
Get it from Amazon for $11.62 (available in nine colors and in packs of two).
18. A portable white-noise machine so you'll actually be able to sleep while your hotel neighbors are up raging in the literal dead of night.
Promising review: "I was skeptical at first about how well this little noise machine would work in my hotel room (I am a frequent business traveler). However, skepticism gave way to satisfaction. This little sound machine blocked out hotel noises very well and helped me sleep through the night. For a little machine, it provides very good volume and different noise options. I highly recommend this product!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $25.35+ (available in packs of two or three).
19. An all-in-one universal wall adapter to spare yourself the stress of showing up in a new country with no way to charge your phone.
The charger can be used in Europe, the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Russia, Asia, Central America, South America and the Middle East.
Promising review: "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).
20. A Tide stain-removing pen small enough to keep in your bag while you're on the go, because you never know when you might spill coffee or food on your favorite shirt you packed. They may be little, but trust me, they pack a HUGE punch — I swear by these myself.
Promising review: "Liquid unicorn magic for the clumsy. These were a lifesaver. I was walking to the bus and decided it was a great decision to drink coffee while walking. Like a scene from an infomercial, I spilled coffee all over my white shirt. Yes, the classic coffee on the white shirt. Luckily I had one of these in my bag (I put one in each of my most-used purses in anticipation of my clumsiness). I went into a store bathroom and quickly scrubbed the Tide To-Go on my shirt. All of the coffee blobs went away and once the awkward wet splotches dried up, my shirt was perfectly white again. You've got yourself a big fan, Tide." —NAD
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $7.74.
21. An Alleyoop 4-in-1 makeup pen that's an eyeliner, lip liner, brow pencil, *and* highlighter all in one, so you can keep your makeup bag as light as possible and free up some space for an extra lip balm or vacation-worthy lipstick.
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jasmin Sandal has this and loves it: "I didn't realize I'd ever use a makeup product in my 20s that had the ability to transport me back to something I used in sixth grade, but here we are; and here I am using a multitool pen... for my face. I gotta say, I love the concept of the Pen Pal from Alleyoop! After using all of the functions (eyeliner, highlighter, lip liner, eyebrow pencil) and as someone who LOVES makeup but was applying as little as humanly possible during lockdown, I think it’s a great tool for anyone looking to streamline their routine. It's ideal to use for touch-ups come the end of the work day, or a subtle, minimalist way to apply makeup in the a.m. The brow pencil is particularly soft and pigmented, and filled in my eyebrows quickly. I just adore the ease of application of each product, and appreciate the universal, does-it-all-for-you concept. Plus, it saves me so much room in my already overflowing makeup bag!"
Promising review: "The only product you'll ever need. I absolutely LOVE the Pen Pal, especially for travel. It's so nice and convenient to have a tool for brows, highlighter, bronzing, eyeliner, and lip liner all in one. Sometimes you have to 'warm up' the liner a little bit on your skin but it's so smooth and pigmented." —theshirshow
Alleyoop is a woman-owned small biz that makes in easy-to-use, time- and space-saving products with multiple uses to simplify your beauty routine.
Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in three shades).
22. A pair of anti-nausea wristbands clinically proven (!) to help reduce nausea by targeting an acupressure point on your wrists. Basically, these puppies will spare you from the *profound* discomfort that is feeling like you have to vomit when you still have five more hours of a road trip to get through.
To use, put them on *both* wrists. They help with nausea related to motion sickness, morning sickness, migraines, cramps, and more.
Promising review: "I was skeptical about these but I was quickly all about them when I put them on. I get really motion sick when flying but this weekend I did not get motion sick at all during a four hour flight! I was even able to read my book for a while on the plane without sickness! I have never been able to do that before. I love these and they are now a must-have whenever I travel again. 10/10." —Rosse
Get a pair from Amazon for $8.53 (also available in a pack of two and in children's sizes).
23. A pair of elastic anti-chafing bands that'll guard your thighs from painfully rubbing together while you're wearing that gorgeous dress on vacation.
Promising review: "I took a trip to Paris and decided to buy these after being on the fence because I knew we'd be walking around the city a ton. I've struggled with red thighs when I walk long distances, and the various powders/lotions I've tried hadn't been doing it for me. I bought these and WOW do they work! My thighs were comfy and secure, and I walked MILES in these. Ladies, if you experience painful thigh chafing then these are for you!" —Shelby
Get them from Amazon for $20.69 (available in women's sizes S-3X and in 18 colors).
24. A Wallet Ninja with 18 different functions (!) that also happens to be small enough to fit in your pocket. Glasses break and need a screwdriver? Got it. Need to crack open a beer? Can do. Want to hold your phone up so you can watch TV at your gate? Done, done, and done.
The card includes an eyeglass screwdriver, letter opener, nail puller, ruler, bottle opener, can opener, box opener, cellphone stand, hex-head nut and bolts, screwdrivers, and a fruit peeler. Reviewers said it is TSA-approved, but some had to remove it from their bag and put it on the belt by itself just to be safe.
Promising review: "This is definitely helpful to have on hand! The Ninja is small and slim but punches above its weight class in terms of usefulness. The tools are all things you might find yourself searching through a drawer for and are useful in a pinch. You obviously aren't going to be able to construct a deck with anything on this credit-card-size device, but it fits comfortably in your wallet and will help you open a beer or tighten a screw. The coolest feature that I couldn't find on most other similar products was the credit card phone stand. It is great for planes and other travel applications (I haven't had trouble bringing this on a plane anywhere I have traveled, FYI)."—Mary
Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (also available in packs of two, three, and five).
25. An insulated phone case for preventing your phone from overheating or freezing, and then dying on you right when you need it.
Promising review: "This case does what it claims to do! My husband has to leave his phone in his truck at work ~often in below freezing temps~ which kills his battery. But the battery has rarely dropped below 80% with this case! The battery did drop below 25% when he forgot the case...once! He hasn't forgotten it since!" —Mindi
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in two colors/patterns).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.