30 best travel essentials for any trip
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
Whether traveling for business or pleasure (or both), having the right gear makes a difference. Feeling comfortable in any situation, enjoying the comforts of home, keeping the kids occupied, and having the confidence that you’re prepared to face emergencies, can make your trip more enjoyable. Ahead, find travel essentials to consider bringing on your next trip.
All of these products have been hand-selected by Team 6sqft. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these affiliate links. All prices reflect those at the time of publishing.
On-the-go gear and comfort
This slim-fit surplus rib tee dress allows you to be comfortable and stylish. Made of 90 percent cotton and 10 percent spandex, the dress has a 2×2 rib structure to hold its shape and can be dressed up or down. It’s available in two colors: black and marled bay leaf.
Surplus Rib Tee Dress, $118 at Buck Mason
Durable enough for any adventure, this long-sleeved T-shirt is made of a cotton/polyester jersey fabric that resists shrinking and fading. The standard-fit shirt can be worn untucked and has a large pocket. Color choices are navy, brickyard, gray heather, and jet black.
Men’s Long Sleeve Pocket Tee, $20 at Duluth Trading
Leave your regular perfume at home and carry these small and convenient fragrances instead. This six-piece collection lets you choose your favorite scents, which include organic coconut oil essential oils, natural fragrance oils, and organic Vitamin E oils. Some of the choices include joy, calm, mystery, immunity, otherworldly, tune-out, balance, and deep.
Mix N’ Match The Collection 6 Fragrances, $150 at Biology
Remove wrinkles and refresh your clothes with this lightweight iron and steamer, which can be tossed in your suitcase. The 1200-watt device heats up in 45 seconds and has a generous tank that can remove wrinkles for 7 minutes before needing a refill of water. The steamer also has a non-stick iron plate to be used as an iron, a fabric brush for heavy clothing, and a 10-foot cord.
Proctor Silex Compact Travel Iron and Garment Steamer, $24 at Amazon
Take your coffee wherever you go with this 35-ounce coffee mug, which is leakproof and insulated. The double-walled, stainless steel travel mug has a magflip magnetic closure and a built-in silicone sleeve. It comes in over a dozen colors, including guava, dark aura, matte black, and papaya.
BrüMate Müv 35oz Insulated Coffee Travel Mug, $43 at Amazon
Keep your snacks fresh and safe in this storage set, which has a flip accessory that lets you pour out as much, or as little, as desired. The set, which can also be used to store travel supplies – or such essentials as coffee and tea bags – is also stackable. Color choices are grey and light green.
Lékué Flip Storage Set, $39 at Amazon
Depending on where you’re traveling, the purity of your water may be in doubt. However, this 40-cup glass ready-pour dispenser has a filter that removes lead, chromium, PFOA/PFOS, and mercury from the water. One filter replaces 660 single-use bottles, making it an economical, space-saving, and eco-friendly choice.
40 Cup Glass Ready-Pour Dispenser, $75 at Culligan ZeroWater.
Get broad-spectrum protection from UVA and UVB rays with this non-aerosol spray, which is free of chemical propellants. It can spray from any angle and won’t stain your clothes or eyes. The spray has a light vanilla and coconut aroma.
SPR 30 Non-Aerosol Sunscreen, $24 at Bask
Enjoy the great outdoors while keeping mosquitos at bay with this Citronella candle. The scent is a mixture of Citronella essential oils, and notes of blackberry and lemonade. The hand-poured candle is non-toxic and has a 100 percent cotton wick. A 9-ounce candle can burn for 52 hours.
Eau de Skeet Citronella Luxury Candle, $48 at Sunday Forever
Sightseeing all day can cause your feet to get rough and calloused. This hand and foot cream repairs dry cracked feet (and hands), and also hydrates and softens skin with beeswax, shea butter, and essential oils. The cream also includes Vitamins E, A, and D. The Honey Lips Lip Masque, is a restorative treatment that contains 7 percent beeswax and natural oils to hydrate your lips from dry, arid air.
Hand + Foot Cream 2.5 oz, $30 at BeeSpa
After sightseeing (or sitting on a plane or in a car) for several hours, you may ache all over. This mini massage gun can ease muscle pain and stiffness in your back, neck, legs, and other muscles. With five adjustable speeds, the gun provides both heat rejuvenation for muscle pains and cold relief for inflammation. The wireless mini massage gun weighs less than a pound, making it easy to toss into your luggage.
Bob and Brad Q2 Pro Mini Massage Gun, $90 at Amazon
Tech and entertainment
These stylish, wireless earbuds have touch controls and voice control (Siri, Google Voice Assistant) for ease of use, as well as a noise-canceling microphone to block unwanted sounds. They have a 32-hour play time and come in colors midnight black, dusty pink, pure white, and sage green.
Urbanista Copenhagen Earbuds, $69 at Amazon
Slim enough to hold in your hand, this freestanding Bluetooth speaker can easily fit in a tote bag or backpack. It has a 34W speaker and provides 360-degree sound. The lightweight waterproof speaker has a 24-hour playtime, and EQ modes, and can be customized via the app.
Tribit Stormbox 2 Speaker, $70 at Amazon
Keep your devices charged with this high-speed 65W GaN charger, with a cool crystal design. The three ports let you charge laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. Color choices are alfalfa purple, mica gray, cherry blossom, and mountain mist.
High-Speed 65W GaN Crystal Charger, $65/Sale $46 at Acefast
Avoid those blurry photos with this gimbal stabilizer, designed to steady your shots. It uses AI Face tracking for selfies, and also AI object tracking. You can also use the tripod and set the device down, and then use gestures to start, stop, change modes, and operate the shutter control. In addition, there is a detachable remote control and a low-light correction feature.
Hohem iSteady V3 Smartphone AI Gimbal Stabilizer, $129 at Amazon
When you want active noise canceling, these earbuds cancel unwanted sounds, and let you use a single earbud to listen or make phone calls. The earbuds provide 9 hours of playtime, or 29 hours with the charging case. The multipoint and multipairing earbuds are available in white and black.
LG TONE Free T90 Earbuds, $229/Sale $119 at Amazon
Another portable speaker choice, this one has a 20-hour battery life and an IPX6 waterproof rating. It resists rain, humidity, moisture, and dust, and it’s also shockproof. The 30 W speaker provides 360-degree HD surround sound and has a built-in microphone for phone and video calls. Color choices are black, blue, and gray.
Treblab HD77 Portable Speaker, $90/Sale $79 at Amazon
Record front road scenes and monitor your parked vehicle with this mini dash camera, which is the size of a car key. It records scenes in 2K and has a 140-degree wide angle. The camera records in low light conditions and captures sudden impact events, license plates, and road signs. It has voice control and a GPS logger that records speed, time, and route data.
Viofo VS1 Mini Dash Cam, $140 at Amazon
Safety and emergency needs
Small enough to fit on your keychain, this flashlight has a rotatable head, 700 lumens, and 10 modes, including various white light modes, red light, SOS, strobe, and blue body light. It’s waterproof and can survive drops up to one meter. The flashlight also has a magnetic base and a portable charger, so you can use it hands-free. Color choices are black/black, white/black, blue/white, green/black, white/white.
WUBEN X3 EDC Keychain Flashlight, $110/Sale $88 at Amazon
When camping or otherwise off the grid, you can still enjoy plenty of creature comforts with this portable power station, which uses a solar panel instead of gasoline. (It can also be charged via a car outlet or AC wall outlet.) The power station can charge several items, including a coffee maker, mini fridge, electric grill, drone, camera, smartphone, laptop, and more. The power station also has an emergency light and a foldable handle. The digital display provides status updates.
EBL Portable Power Station/Solar Generator 100W with two 100W Portable Solar Panels, $899 at Amazon
Small enough to keep in your glove compartment, suitcase, or duffel bag, this 4-pack of flashlights can be used anywhere you need light. Each lantern, powered by 3 AA batteries, has 30 LED bulbs and provides 140 lumens. The lantern can be opened at 30 percent, 50 percent, or 100 percent, depending on how much light is needed.
Etekcity Camping Lanterns 4-Pack, $28/$26 at Amazon
Ensure your vehicle doesn’t leave you stranded because of a dead battery. This car battery jump starter can start gas and diesel 12V vehicles with a peak current of 6000A. The intelligent jump clamps have eight protection systems, and the jump starter also includes a bright LED light, battery indicator lights, and USB outputs for charging digital devices.
AVAPOW 6000 Car Battery Jump Starter, $220/Sale $170 at Amazon
A more budget-priced jump stater option, this one has a peak current of 2500A, and can power gas and diesel vehicles as well. Spark-proof reverse polarity protection and an intelligent jump cable make it user-friendly. The jump starter also has 4 LED modes and a USB quick charging port for digital devices.
NEXPOW 2500A Battery Jump Starter, $100/Sale $70 at Amazon
Whether staying in a hotel or a rental property, keep an eye on your room when you’re away with this smart indoor WiFi security camera. It provides a 180-degree field of view and can automatically pan and tilt. In addition, the camera can provide motion detection alerts, and detect the sound of a smoke alarm. With the app, you can view your space remotely, and also control the camera.
Ecobee SmartCamera Indoor Security Camera, $100 at Amazon
Don’t drive around for hours looking for somewhere to put air in your car or bike tires. This portable tire inflator has a high-pressure value of up to 150 PSI, and can quickly inflate tires. The pump includes a long air hose and several nozzle adapters. The built-in LED light lets you see in the dark, and the large LCD display provides readings for real-time and preset targets. In addition, there is a USB port that serves as an emergency power bank for phones or other devices.
Syncwire Tire Inflator, $80/ Sale $64 at Amazon
For the kids
Keep your little ones safe and comfortable with this convertible infant car seat. It can be used from 5 to 120 pounds, and can also convert from a rear-facing to a forward-facing booster seat. The adjustable car seat has a five-point safety harness, 15-position harness and headrest, and nine-position recline, along with a steel frame and two removable cup holders. The SafeCell Crumple Zone helps absorb crash energy. Color choices include jade onyx, cool n dry moonstone, eclipse black, glacier graphite, iris onyx, and onyx stone.
Britax One4Life Convertible Car Seat, $349 at Amazon
These volume-limiting headphones are designed for kids. They have a volume limit of 85dB, to ensure those precious ears aren’t damaged. The headphones also have an active noise canceling switch so kids can switch the headphones to mute, or choose to listen to exterior sounds. The wireless headphones can paired with tablets, phones, and other devices. They have a 35-hour battery life (200 hours on standby). Color choices are purple, black, blue, pink, red, and teal.
Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet Plus Headphones, $139 at Amazon
Kids may react better to new environments when they have familiar items. This set of lunch boxes and water bottles is leakproof to avoid soggy messes, and the items are also drop-resistant. The lunch boxes have rubber-coated edges, and the water bottles are made of a shatterproof material. The set includes two lunch boxes and two water bottles in various prints, including dinosaur/dino fossils, rocker/shark, rainbows butterflies/fairies, and unicorn/lavender galaxy.
Bentgo Kids Prints Lunch Boxes & Water Bottles, $89/Sale $71 at Bentgo
Kiddos may go to sleep quicker if they have a familiar bedtime routine when in a new place. This electric toothbrush set is something they’ll instantly recognize. It has gentle bristles, two brush heads, a rinse cup, a two-minute timer, and a storage case for easy transport. It comes in Pepper the Dino, Buddy the Bear, Shadow the Shark, and several other characters.
Brusheez Kid’s Electric Toothbrush Set, $30/Sale $20 at Amazon
You can find an assortment of other travel-ready items for kids, in the Yellow Heart Collection, which includes a lunch box, backpack, drinking heart, single section pencil case, and you can also download backpack and character cooling sheets.
Yellow Heart Assortment, $9 to $129 at Beckmann