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 waterproof Kindle for lounging at the pool and reading the latest Akwaeke Emezi title. No need to waste space packing a dozen books when you can have hundreds of books at the ready and at your fingertips.
BuzzFeed writer Haley Zovickian only has great things to say about this:
"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. It doesn't auto adjust, but I don't need that feature. 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. You have to have internet and it only shows books. This is not a tablet to surf the internet or use other apps on." —R@L0
Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in 8GB and 16GB sizes and in three colors).
2. A shoe bag if you don't want your dirty hiking boots touching the white pants you packed. This durable and water-resistant bag has three layers that can hold up to size 13 shoes, and two more compartments for holding flip-flops or sandals.
Promising review: "You can totally fit three pairs of shoes in this (size 6.5 female shoe, fit heels, wedges, and sandals)! I bought two and will absolutely be buying more for my husband. 10/10 would recommend! I travel frequently, and I always overpack; this helped cut down space and stress immensely!" —Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in nine colors/patterns).
3. A wireless transmitter because now you can use your wireless headphones anywhere there's a headphone jack. Easily watch movies while you're on the plane!
Promising review: “I fly a lot and bought this due to my dislike of corded headphones, as either the cable line breaks during flight and/or it gets tangled up. I just recently flew and used this for the in-flight entertainment, and did not have one issue. I also use these in the gym while connected to my iPhone for music. And I plan to use them on my PC at work for meetings.” —Marky
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three styles and two colors).
4. A waterproof phone pouch so you can go to the beach or pool without worrying about water damage to your phone. Wanna take a picture or send a text? No worries! You can still use your phone's touchscreen through the pouch.
It's designed to fit any phone up to 100mm x 170mm (or about 3.9 inches x 6.7 inches).
Promising reviews: "A vacation essential. I was skeptical about the case protecting my phone, but while kayaking on vacation, my phone fell in the water and was submerged in 6 feet of water. I was able to recover the phone with no water damage whatsoever." —Will N.
"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 $6.74+ (available in 14 colors and designs).
5. A rechargeable hand warmer to keep your hands nice and cozy if you're worried that they won't survive the lower temperatures you're traveling to. And with three heating levels, it can be customized to your comfort!
Promising reviews: "My husband and I go to Colorado every winter and when I found these, they became a game changer. They are so helpful, especially on the mountain skiing, or when we went snowmobiling. I didn’t have any trouble with the battery lasting and I would just recharge at the end of each day! I’ll never suffer through the cold elements again without it!" —Amazon Customer
“This hand warmer is amazing! My hands are constantly cold and I've tried all sorts of products to help keep them warm but nothing has worked until now. I charge the hand warmer every night with a standard USB charger and the next day, I have hours of warmth.” —RK
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in nine colors/patterns).
6. A portable stack of 50 games you and the family can play on the go. Whether your kids are tired of watching the same episode of Bluey on their iPad or have no interest in watching the clouds from thousands of feet in the sky, these games will help keep them entertained for the whole ride.
Promising reviews: "Traveled with seven kids and these games were fun and entertaining." —Titaniumgal98
"I got this to play with my kids on a long road trip. Even the 6 year old found games she thought were fun. We have played them during baseball games, on camping trips, while we are hiking, etc. Quite a few classics in there, but there are some I had never played as well. Very portable and convenient." —Tiffany
Get it from Amazon for $7.93.
7. An anti-nausea acupressure bracelet that may help prevent any day-ruining queasiness caused by road trips and boat rides.
Read more about acupressure and nausea at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Promising reviews: "I recently came back from a three-day cruise and I feel amazing. No nausea and no seasickness all because of these. I wish I found out about them sooner." —Eve
"I have now bought this for the third time. I wear them 24 hours a day, seven days a week because I suffer from extreme vertigo and when I wear this, I experience no vertigo whatsoever. They say not to wear them all the time, but it works!" —C51
Get the pack of two from Amazon for $8.53.
8. A dual voltage travel flat iron because if you want silky, straight hair when you're on the go, then you should be able to get silky, straight hair when you're on the go.
9. An expandable laundry bag perfect for keeping your dirty clothes separate from your clean when you're traveling. Oh and it's tear- and moisture-resistant!
Promising review: "This is great to throw in my suitcase. I unzip it and throw my dirty clothes in it to keep them separate from my clean packed clothes and take it straight to the washer when I get home. Compact and brilliant!" —Kelly Conrad
Get it from Amazon for $12+ (available in seven patterns).
10. An easy-to-use Alleyoop 4-in-1 makeup pen if you're trying to pack light but your makeup bag is the size of a carry-on. This pen has an eyeliner, lip liner, eyebrow pencil and highlighter, so you have everything you need to pull off a lewk.
Alleyoop is a woman-owned small biz making products to help simplify your beauty routine.
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
Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in three shades).
11. A contoured sleep mask because you deserve to sleep comfortably at the end of a long day of sightseeing. And since it's made of memory foam, this soft mask won't put any pressure on your eyes as you drift off.
Promising review: "I love everything about this product. I have tried others but the comfort and complete light blockage of this brand make them my first choice. They are very well constructed and because of that fact, they don’t touch your eye at all. The elasticized band holds well and can be adjusted so it doesn’t disturb your 'hairdo'! I highly recommend this mask!" —june
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in seven colors).
12. A travel shawl with UPF 50+ protection that'll block 98% of the sun's rays when traveling through hotter climes AND keep you warm as you check out the city's nightlife on a chilly evening. It's also pretty multi-talented since it can be used as a scarf, a poncho, or a blanket!
Promising review: "I love my new everywhere scarf/shawl. I purchased the silver for travel and am now wearing it almost daily. It is sooooo soft and versatile. Looks great with jeans and a sweater as a scarf. Looks really nice as a shawl with a dress or slacks and blouse. You will love how you feel wrapped up in it on an airplane or in the car on a trip. Don’t pass up owning this great accessory, enjoy it!" —George K.
Get it from Amazon for $46+ (available in eight colors).
13. A Sun Bum SPF 30 sunscreen stick so you can easily apply and reapply sunscreen throughout the day. This oil-free and water-resistant formula is packed with vitamin E to help reduce inflammation after UV exposure.
Promising reviews: "It works and is not greasy. I used this in Cancun and had no sunburns." —Mike
"This makes it so easy to apply sunscreen to your face! It’s the perfect size to throw in a purse or handbag when heading to the beach. I wore this (and reapplied) for a week in Aruba and didn’t burn once." —Kayla Turowsky
Get it from Amazon for $10.99.