15 Best Travel Accessories For 2024

I’m not typically the type of person to say that “stuff” makes or breaks a travel experience, but it can be the case if there’s a product that makes my travel experience better.

In this list of travel accessories I can’t live without, you’ll find everything from tech gadgets for travel, to

Let’s check out the list of the best and newest travel must-haves that make a trip worth taking.

Travel organization: Packing cubes

The primary uses for packing cubes are to compress your clothes and help to keep things separate in your luggage. If you’re trying to save space in your bag or suitcase, packing cubes can pack down your clothes to be as compact and small as possible.

Packing away your things in packing cubes also makes it easy to pack, rearrange and find things in your bag. Instead of digging through a pile of clothes to find one item at the bottom of your bag, you can take out the one or two packing cubes that contain your clothes.

Check out our in-depth guide to find out what the best packing cubes are, as well as my Patagonia Black Hole Duffel review, and other picks in the best travel duffel bags.

Travel organization: Cable and tech organization

Once you’ve gotten into expertly managing your cables and your other tech products, you’ll never ever go back to how you had been doing it previously.

Part of traveling like a pro is in your organization. I’ve learned this over the years. I have my system of how I do things now, and I’m pretty proud of it.

Check out all of our best travel tech bags recommendations!

Travel day comforts and necessities: Fanny pack

We love using a fanny pack when traveling. It’s a throwback to the 80s, but they are really effective and back in style. I’m such a fan of fanny packs (ha!) that I made this list of the best fanny packs for travel, and there are so many!

When traveling, it’s the perfect size for keeping a phone, passport, pens and anything that you would want quick access to. Fanny packs are also close to your body, and in the front, so you’re being safe and less likely to have something stolen by a pickpocket.

You can find multipurpose fanny packs, like some that can fit a camera, or maybe a very lightweight jacket inside. There are also smaller fanny packs that are designed to be more like a travel wallet.

I typically like recommending products that you can use for multiple occasions. In this instance, I think that the big fanny packs are too clunky, and small fanny packs are hard for easily finding your little things floating around inside.

Let’s explore some of the best fanny packs for travel!

Travel day comforts and necessities: Travel pillows

Travel pillows come in all shapes, sizes and forms. You can travel with a blow-up pillow, a pillow that wraps around your entire head, or a travel pillow choice that is more modest, and goes around your neck.

I’ve tried a lot of different options for travel pillows and still haven’t found the perfect one. I have issues with anything that wraps around my neck too tightly. It’s not comfortable for me, and makes me feel a bit claustrophobic.

I struggle to sleep on airplanes, and travel pillows haven’t been a huge help in solving this problem; for Becca, though, she can fall asleep by using the Cabeau.

When I’ve traveled and wanted to pack lightly, I would often use my rolled-up jacket as a travel pillow. It checks the boxes for being soft, multipurpose and easy to pack. It does not check the functionality box, because it doesn’t stay as secure as something that is attached to you.

Browse some of our recommendations for the best travel pillows and see which one works for your needs!

Travel accessories and products for fitness on a trip

If you’re like us, you’ll want to engage in some sort of fitness during your trip in order to not turn into a potato.

We like to stay somewhat active so that we can feel better about some of the choices we make while we’re away! I’ve even run some marathons and half marathons while traveling (that’s on the extreme end of things I like to do in order to stay fit while away from home).

Our activity levels and types of exercise may vary depending on where we are and what the weather is like. Our default activity is to go for a run or maybe something easy like a nice long walk. (Did you know that long walks can burn almost as many calories, per mile, as running?)

We’ve had friends go as far as to travel with certain fitness equipment in order to keep up some of their strength while they are away from home.

If you are interested in fitness (or maintaining your health during your travels) check out our guide for staying healthy while traveling!

Travel accessories for working remotely

You might know that we have worked remotely and traveled through many countries, from East Asia to South America. We really enjoy traveling and working remotely and we’ve come up with lots of tips for finding the best cities for remote work.

Nevertheless, working remotely from places, whether another state or another continent with a whole new timezone, can be daunting.

Trust us, though, if you go through the recommendations below, you will have a great remote work setup that can be packed up, travel-sized and mobile. All it takes is some preparation and some good expectations, and you’ll be ready for success.

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Best travel accessories that easily fit in your luggage

Through our years of travel, we’ve compiled a list of things that we’re glad that we packed during some of our trips. Some of these have created tons of relief, and sure, some of them have gone unused during a trip, but we’re glad we had them on deck for emergencies or conveniences.

Headphone jack splitter

If you’re traveling with someone else, a headphone splitter can help you share media with someone else. You can plug it into the airplane media console, or use what you already have, to split the audio signal.

This is a great way to spend some time with someone during a long trip, before you drift away into your own worlds for a few hours.

During long flights, I will usually watch five or six movies and Becca is fortunate enough to sleep.

Luggage scale

If you’re concerned about the weight of your luggage, or if you plan to pick up a few items at your destination and you want to know if you can still carry on or check a bag, a luggage scale can help out!

They are simple to use. You connect the strap to your luggage, lift up and then you have the weight displayed. We typically are always under the weight limits, but we’ve had some scares when we have weighed our bags and see that we’re at or over the required weight.

Apple AirTags

Apple’s AirTags are a new type of product that will help put your mind at ease when you’re traveling, by helping you track your belongings if you think they’re lost or stolen.

Our friend had her bag stolen in Mexico City and because she had AirTags in her laptop bag, she could track the location of the lost backpack. It was incredible. We just got AirTags for putting on our checked luggage so that on the chance the bag gets lost, we can find out where it is.

AirTags (in this four-pack or this pack of one) are an expert product for travelers to have these days, and soon, we think most savvy travelers will be using them to trace their valuables while on the road.

Travel-sized umbrella

It can be easy to think that the weather is always bright, sunny and warm wherever you are traveling. Well, that’s not always the case. It rains everywhere.

Becca and I have gone out for a long walk to explore a city and got stuck in the rain. We were forced to hop into a store or cafe to try and avoid the rain for a few hours.

When we realized that the rain wasn’t letting up, we ran to our Airbnb. Luckily, we didn’t have anything with us that got ruined.

A small compact travel umbrella is small enough to fit in your bag and is easy for you to take around every day when you’re exploring somewhere new! Having one on hand even if there is a smidge of rain the forecast will help you avoid having to search for one or buy one when there’s a flash thunderstorm during your day of sightseeing.

Canvas totes

We love to shop with canvas totes when we’re at home in Brooklyn. When we shop when we travel, we keep the tradition. It’s a great way to save the environment, avoid fees for plastic or paper bags at stores and also, a way to have sturdy bags for buying groceries, souvenirs or anything else like wrapping up something semi-breakable for the trip home.

We don’t like wasting plastic bags and when we want to pick up groceries or things that we need while we’re traveling, we’ll stash away a few totes for the occasion. They don’t take up a lot of space and we keep them folded at the bottom of our luggage.

Before you leave for your trip, shop around at your favorite store and see if they offer any canvas toes that you like.

If you’re in the market for something plain and simple, check out this basic tote bag on Amazon.

International power converter

If you’re traveling internationally, you would be in trouble without an international power converter!

Sure, you can find an overpriced converter at an airport, but they are usually marked up quite a bit. It’s often hard to find a power converter when you’ve reached your final destination, as well.

We’ve got you covered. A worldwide power adapter will allow you to plug in for any country type into the front and it will convert for any country type into the back!

Powered USB hub

This powered USB hub will allow you to charge multiple USB-powered devices at once.

If you’re traveling internationally, you only need to have one power converter. You can plug this into the converter to power everything that you have.

I actually use this power adapter when I work remotely to easily charge a few things, like my headphones, phone and whatever else is at my desk. It’s incredibly handy and has saved my electronics from going dead.

Portable travel charger

A portable battery charger will be one of the most valuable assets to have with you if you’re out for the day and need your phone to help you get back to your accommodation. Anker has a wide selection of portable batteries that you can check out. Check out Anker.

If you’re nervous about plugging your phone into a sketchy power outlet, you can exclusively use your backup battery to charge your phone, and you can charge the battery with the sketchy outlet istead.

Anker is a company that makes excellent portable chargers. Check out this 10,000 mAh version and this 20,000 mAh version for double the power.

Becca has been using their power chargers for years, since around 2013, first getting into the brand with their power charger that is about the size of a lipstick case. Having something simple like a backup battery (with your own phone cord) in your backpack or purse for the day can save you from being stranded, lost or in danger.

Flip-flops

A cheap pair of flip-flops can help you in a variety of situations. If you’re staying in a shared living situation, like a hostel, or even one of those historic hotels with shared restrooms, flip-flops can be your dedicated shower shoes.

If you’re beachin’ it and don’t want to get your shoes sandy, you can wear some flip-flops. Becca and I both had a situation on a trip when our shoes got soaked. We used our flip-flops during the day when our shoes were drying in the sun.

We’re really glad that we each had a cheap pair of flip-flops! They’re low-risk, so in case you lose them, you won’t be too heartbroken. It’s pretty win-win, and usually they cheaper they are, the more lightweight they’ll be in your travel bag!

• Shop men’s Havianas
• Shop women’ Havianas (on sale!)

Matador pocket blanket

When we’re at home in Brooklyn, we have an old bed sheet that we bring with us to a park when we want to have a picnic.

If you want to upgrade, and have a product specifically made for the modern traveler, Amazon has this packable travel blanket that is light, foldable and perfect! It can work on damp surfaces and folds out to 64”x40.” It’s great for the beach, the park or to have with you when you’re camping.

Travel utensils & eco-friendly travel snack containers

Convenience is key when you want to have a snack during travel. We recommend the EcoLunchbox travel snack containers, which are made of durable silicone leak-proof lids and stainless steel compartments. Try taking these as things to bring on road trips or flights! We can’t recommend them enough.

Depending on your preference for cleanliness, eating with shared utensils might not be for you. Or, if you are looking for something more substantial or reusable than plastic to eat with while you are on the go, check out bamboo utensils.

Bamboo eating utensils are easy to travel with and shouldn’t raise any red flags when you’re going through airport security.

Our favorite brand for bamboo eating utensils is Totally Bamboo. Check out this 3-piece flatware set. We can’t live without it.

AeroPress

If you’re looking to brew coffee while traveling on the road, an AeroPress is a compact way to make a cup of coffee while you’re away from home and traveling.

There may be a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be making perfect cups of coffee from your hotel, hostel, campsite or Airbnb during a trip.

We like AeroPress because the entire brewing kit is plastic, therefore not breakable, and you can stow it away in a packing cube or wrapped in bags within your luggage.

You may also want something like this YETI travel coffee mug to help you brew your AeroPress.

Laundry bag

If you’ll be traveling for more than a few days, keep in mind that laundry happens. In fact, laundry is one of our favorite things to do, when traveling, because laundry always means you’ll have clean clothes afterward!

To do laundry, though, you need something to keep dirty clothes in, and you need something that won’t break (cheap and flimsy plastic bags are not the answer, and we’ve learned this the hard way).

So, try bringing along a multi-purpose laundry bag that can bring your clothes to a laundromat or a dry cleaners, if necessary. We recommend a laundry bag that folds up into a compact size, like the Nomatic Travel Laundry Bag.

Microfiber towel

We haven’t counted the number of accommodations that we’ve stayed in. Hint: it’s a lot. One thing that we’re always glad about was that we had a quick-dry towel to use when an accommodation didn’t provide a towel.

We’ve also taken our quick-dry microfiber travel towels with us to a beach, public pool or used them to dry ourselves if we got caught in the rain!

Quick-dry towels are great because they are just as effective as regular towels, but a fraction of the size and weight. They also dry quickly, hence their name. If you leave them in the sun after use, they dry in a few hours.

I’ve had my towel since 2016 and it is one of the best travel-friendly fitness accessories for working out during travel. Check out our #1 travel towel (they’re so affordable!).

Pens

I always like to have a handy [ballpoint pen] (https://geni.us/vwEn) in my bag, because sometimes you need one when there are no pens to be found.

Here’s an example: When you arrive at an international destination, you typically have to fill in paperwork to present to the passport entry area. Sure, there are usually pens at those tables where you have to manually fill paperwork, but everyone flocks there first. And, those pens are usually half-dead.

If you have your own pen, you can skip the lines and have everything prepared and ready to go. This is one of our favorite travel hacks! Plus, if you receive the paperwork and documents during the flight, the flight attendants never give you pens and you have to have your own. Your in-flight neighbor will probably want to borrow your pen, too.

Ear plugs

Becca is a big fan of Flare Audio ear plugs. She uses them to block out noise on an airplane, or to block out noise if we’re trying to sleep somewhere that has a lot of noise (street noise, dripping water, noisy fans or construction) when we’re on a trip. Ear plugs are something we recommend for how to sleep better during travel.

Becca lists the Flare Audio ear plugs as one of the best products for backpackers because of how they’ve helped her sleep in hostels. See Becca’s full Flare Audio ear plugs review to see how they’ve changed her sleep.

Why trust me?

I’ve traveled around the world quite a few times, and through those experiences, I’ve landed on the accessories for myself and Becca that really do the trick. Whether I’m working remotely, going on a photography-heavy adventure, or just taking a flight out to a friend’s wedding, there are quite a few gadgets and handy items that make the trip easier and better.

I have tested and used all the products you see recommended here, so you don’t need to doubt their value and worth. Take it from me: most of these things are products I wouldn’t leave home without! Sometimes even the smallest thing, like an umbrella or a reusable tote bag, will save you in a pinch or unexpected scenario, just because of their convenience.

I hope this list of the best travel accessories has helped you to rethink what you’ll need in your bag the next time you travel, and I hope you come up with your own ideas, too!