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1. A luggage drink caddy with two roomy pockets 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. It also has a pocket for your phone, wallet, or 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, when it’s my turn to check my passport and ticket, the coffee cup fell to the ground and coffee sprinkled. It was a nightmare! This time I bought this cup holder, and it did 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 $14.99 (available in 24 colors and other styles).
2. A TSA-friendly toiletries set to make sure TSA doesn't break your heart by throwing away your favorite (and expensive!) moisturizer because it's over 3.4 ounces.
The set includes a zippered bag, four soft silicone bottles with leakproof caps, three compact jars, and two toothbrush caps.
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly owns and loves this set. She writes: "I've used this set on more than five trips and and for trips when I don't require body wash or shampoo (like to visit my parents) I use the extra room in the bag to shove in all my beauty products and daily contacts. Plus! It comes with labels that stay on the containers really well despite my thoroughly washing these containers between trips. I bought this set in spring 2019 and have, admittedly, lost a container or two. But the ones that I've held onto over dozens of trips have all held up well!"
Promising review: "If it wasn’t for me forgetting them in the hotels, I wouldn’t have to buy more. This is my third set and I love these things! I’m a flight attendant and these are easy to fill, use, and pack!" —Raena Hill
Get it from Amazon for $14.79 (available in 16 variations).
3. And an all-in-one universal wall adapter in case you need to juice your laptop during a layover in an airport outside of the US, so you won't be stuck with a dead computer and a bunch of outlets that are incompatible with your charger and thus can do absolutely nothing to help you out.
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).
4. An Apple AirTag tracker tile you can attach to your luggage so if the airport claims they lost your bag, you can just track its location in the encrypted Find My app on your phone. Doesn't get much easier than that.
When an item's misplaced, the app will make the attached AirTag beep until it's found. You can also attach it to your wallet, keys, pets, and more.
Promising review: "These are definitely worth the money. I put one in my flight attendant bag whenever I have to check it. I put one on my dog and the other on my keys. I was very impressed and surprised by how easy they were to set up. I would definitely invest in these if you have a child. There are keychains you can put them in and put them on their backpacks. 10/10 from me for these!" —Micky D
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $88.99.
5. A digital luggage scale because nothing ruins a trip 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.
Elizabeth 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 $9.55+ (available in seven colors as well as a two-pack).
6. A durable rolling carry-on bag small enough to fit under your plane seat and count as a personal item if needed. Now, when one of the airport agents tells you they need to measure your bag to make sure it fits the airline's carry-on requirements (cough, Spirit, cough), you can be rest assured it will — and you won't have to shell out extra $$ to take it on the flight *or* be forced to check it when overhead bin space runs out.
This has a built-in USB port for easy charging! PS: It's also vouched for by musicians as a perfect gig bag.
Promising review: "This is a great little bag! I bought this for my trip and I am not even back yet! Being able to pack all the essentials into a 'personal item only' size bag has always been a pain. I REFUSE to pay for luggage. If all I get is a 'personal item' then I will make it work. Normally I used a backpack but that has been a pain in itself. My backpack would get heavy and, if I am walking around big airports, it would feel heavier and more awkward the more I moved. Having this small bag that fits their ridiculous standards of luggage size on WHEELS is so much easier and less back breaking. Having a charging port is also a pleasant bonus." —SDC
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in three colors).
7. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount so you can stream The Bear from your phone during your hours-long wait at your gate, and leave the heavy laptop at home that you were only bringing along to watch Netflix anyway. It can mount to your suitcase handle, the arm of your chair, or the plane's tray table once you've finally boarded.
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 packs of two).
8. A waterproof Kindle allowing you to bring all the titles you've been dying to read without burdening your carry-on full of heavy books...making your trek through the hellishly busy terminal the workout of a lifetime that you NEVER asked for.
It has an adjustable warm light so it'll be easy on your eyes and won't keep you up when you read before bed. *Plus,* since it's waterproof, you can bring all your reading anywhere, including in the pool (!) or tub.
I recently bought a Kindle and it has, no exaggeration, revolutionized my life. I love mine for so many reasons — it's truly helped me incorporate my love of reading into my often hectic life, and all my titles literally live inside of this half-pound wonder gadget, so I can switch between books super easily. For traveling, this is a literal dream. I don't have to pick between titles and then regret the entire trip that I didn't bring the one I left at home — and, as any book lover knows, traveling with books is heavy as hell, and the Kindle literally completely eliminates that weight. Traveling will never be the same for me. BTW, I am also obsessed with the Libby app, which allows you to check out e-books from your local library on your Kindle!! My inner child is *screaming* with joy.
Promising review: "I LOVE reading and being able to access a book anywhere with this thing. It is easy to navigate, very easy to read and adjust the brightness or how warm the light is. I've read in bright sunlight to dark rooms, and it's always been so clear. You can adjust the font and use the library to search whatever books you want. Makes packing books for traveling very easy. Battery life lasts me two weeks if I'm reading every day for a few hours." —R@L0
Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in 8GB and 16GB sizes, in three colors, and with or without lockscreen ads).
9. A simple luggage strap to hold essentials like your backpack, jacket, purse, and more to make moving through the airport a little easier (and gentler on your body). Even better, it frees up your hands so you can hold onto your little one, or like, another cup of coffee.
Promising review: "Definitely what I needed for my luggage as a flight attendant. Very heavy duty and perfect for me. Works great with my extra luggage and lunch bag to hang on my suitcase. Thank you so much. Will definitely buy again." —Mary
Get it from Amazon for $8.49+ (available in six colors and in packs of two).
10. A Tide stain-removing pen so when you inevitably spill overpriced airport coffee on your shirt while you're waiting for your 4 a.m. flight, you'll be able to get rid of the stain fast. These are a no-brainer for travel and everyday life — I make sure I have one on me at all times!
Promising review: "This product works great and the three-pack is a good deal, whether you want to label each one for a specific use or share with members of the family. It is easy to use and doesn't take long to dry. I keep one in my purse and of course it is a must-have when traveling." —DeeNicole
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $7.88 (also available in packs of one and five).
11. A set of affordable, ridiculously popular wireless Bluetooth earbuds with great sound and a solid battery life so you can zone out to your fave angsty album while you're inching your way through the hellishly long security line.
These are waterproof and come with a wireless charging case that provides up to 45 hours of playtime when you're on the go — it'll fully recharge the earbuds in less than two hours. BTW, reviewers say they're an excellent alternative to shelling out for a pair of AirPods.
Elizabeth vouches for these: "I was able to wear mine comfortably under my bucket hat while I slept on a very rocky bus ride from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland. And while I was out exploring, the charging case easily fit in my coat pocket. I also use these on the reg in my everyday life to listen to Spotify and podcasts, and even talk on the phone. I have to charge them about once a week and always keep them in my coat pocket."
Promising review: "I’ve had these for 6+ months now and they are pretty awesome for $25. I’ve accidentally thrown these into the washer and dryer and they still work the same. I was gifted AirPods and honestly find myself reaching for the Tozo buds more often because they’re so much more comfortable in my ears. Definitely will buy another pair if these die on me." —Liubhard
Get them from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in five colors).
12. A sturdy, lightweight eight-compartment pill organizer to consolidate your medications and just-in-case medicines, so when you inevitably get a splitting headache or forget to take your morning meds amidst all the commotion, you'll be all set.
You can also use them for packing jewelry, hair ties, earbuds, and more.
I swear by these pill cases for keeping my meds secure while on the go. The cases are sturdy and, for pill holders, surprisingly fashionable — their discreet, minimalist design makes me feel confident carrying them around without feeling self conscious. Each compartment holds a *lot* of pills, so I feel prepared for basically anything with this in my bag. One of my best purchases this year.
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 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 $5.99.
13. A comfy, ergonomic Trtl neck pillow that's scientifically proven (!) to prevent stiff necks and sore shoulders, so when your flight keeps getting delayed again and again and again, you can just say screw it all and take a nap at the gate.
It also easily attaches to backpacks and luggage handles (see the photo on the right), weighs less than half a pound, and is machine-washable! You can also use it as a scarf.
Promising review: "This is the best travel pillow ever. As a flight attendant, I travel all the time. This makes getting stuck in a middle seat palatable. I’ve used this in cars, planes, trains, etc; it's great. In fact my sister was so jealous on our last trip to Italy that she kept trying to steal it off me. Ordered her one for Christmas." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in five colors).
14. A resealable travel-size pack of antibacterial wipes to quickly sanitize anything you're forced to come into contact with at the airport, whether that's the seat at your gate, the heavily-frequented table you use to wolf down an overpriced snack, or (*shudder*) faucet handles at the airport bathroom.
15. A pack of soft microfiber makeup removing towels that are a great alternative to the infamous Makeup Eraser, except WAY cheaper. They gently remove makeup and lift away dirt using only water — so you won't have to pack liquid makeup removers just to have them leak in your bag or get thrown out by TSA when you go through airport security, leaving you out $20 and without a way to take off your makeup on your trip.
I only use these now to remove my makeup, including heavy mascara, and they are great for my sensitive skin. I do follow up with a gentle cleanser to cleanse my skin once all my makeup is off. They're big and dry quickly so you can use the same towel multiple times before having to wash it or switch to another one.
Promising review: "These things are so soft! Great for taking off makeup. I was using the Makeup Eraser before, but these are 100x better. You just wet them, wipe off your makeup, rinse and hang out. I guess you could use a new one each day, but they are very big so you can get a few days out of one. Great value for the money!" —Shopforbargains
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $13.95+ (available in 12 color combos and in packs of 30).
16. A pack of KN95 masks for you, your kids, and any traveling partners you might have, because you'll be damned if you're about to enter the cesspool that is the airport without proper protection.
Promising review: "Best masks for the money. These are super comfortable and easy to breathe in. I recommend them for travel on mass transit and in airports and planes." —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $21.99 (available in seven colors and in packs of 40, 60, and 120).
17. Plus some travel-size Purell hand sanitizer so you and your loved ones can stay clean and sanitary even while you spend hours in what is inarguably one of the grossest places you could possibly be. (Am I wrong?! No.)
Promising review: "This hand sanitizer does not dry out my hands. I keep at work, home, and in car. Convenient to carry on the go." —Vernal Richardson
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $13.99.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.