From noise-cancelling earbuds for long flights to comfy compression socks, these are the gifts that frequent travelers will love
Twelve South
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You know ’em, you love ’em — the frequent-flyer friend who practically lives in the Delta lounge, the backpacker embarking on yet another trek of Europe, or just the college student getting on a plane home for their first school break. Most travelers have their own seasoned tips and tricks, but to make it a smooth and successful trip, they need the right gear. That’s where you come in!
The best travel gifts are the ones that either solve a common problem (earbuds that won’t conk out halfway through your flight, U.S. chargers that’ll actually fit in international outlets), or make surviving hiccups like an extended layover that much easier to bear. You’ll also want to look for items that are functional (or stylish) enough to justify the real estate in whatever suitcase or backpack they’re bringing with them. From the god tier of travel pillows for getting some precious shut-eye on flights, to a washing bag for doing laundry on-the-go, these will be the gear they both need and want.
Whether they’re a well-seasoned traveler looking for upgrades, or someone about to take their first big trip across the country, you’ll find all the best gifts for travelers they’ll actually need below. As editors who spend a lot of time in transit ourselves, our picks were chosen based on what we’ve tested in our own travels, as well as top-rated, 4+-star products that buyers have found to be worth the added luggage weight. Happy travels!
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Sony WF-1000XM5 Bluetooth Earbuds
Image Credit: Sony These light-as-a-feather Sony buds are the ones we keep going back to for our long-haul flights, thanks in most part to their world-class active noise cancellation. In our testing, the earbuds blocked almost all airplane engine noise when listening to music at roughly 70% of the maximum volume level. When music was off, the earbuds cancelled enough noise that it was possible to fall asleep (which also speaks to their impressive level of comfort).
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SublimeWare Power Plug Adapter
Image Credit: Amazon Instead of all-new cables, invest in a new universal travel plug for your giftee’s next trip. We love this one from SublimeWave because it can be used in 120 countries thanks to its assortment of power prongs (the metal pieces that plug into an outlet), which can be extended and retracted. It also has four USB-A ports, so they can charge smaller gadgets without plugging in a power adapter.
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Ember Travel Tumbler 2
Image Credit: Amazon If your gift recipient doesn’t want to have to deal with the overpriced cost of airport Starbucks, the Ember Travel Tumbler 2 lets them take their own brew to go. The charge will help them keep their drink hot for up to three hours, but lasts all day when combined with the charging coaster. It has an automatic sleep mode, but trust us, the cup stays warm for up to two hours with the help of some nifty thermal hardware.
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Aesop Rinse-Free Hand Wash
Image Credit: Nordstrom There’s plenty of trendy hand sanitizers, but most of them just amount to fancy packaging — Aesop makes the what we consider the only truly giftable hand sanitizer. Unlike ones with a clinical, alcohol scent, it uses essential oils that cleanse without stripping the skin of moisture, regardless of how often you use it. We love the this Geranium Leaf scent, with a refreshing green, citrus aroma that’ll leave a subtle fragrance behind on their hands.
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Troubadour Aero Backpack
Image Credit: Troubadour Goods Troubadour’s Aero is one of the most impressive travel bags we’ve ever tested, and practically demands to be gifted. It eschews the typical school-style backpack shape for one that’s closer to a duffel bag, with one deep main pocket that provides ample storage for clothes, while the big side pocket easily fit a 13-inch laptop and 12.9-inch iPad Pro simultaneously. The backpack’s tube-like shape also makes it clutch for sliding under low airplane seats.
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Twelve South BookBook CaddySack
Image Credit: Amazon Traveling with a lot of tech means bringing cables, power adapters, and power banks, galore. Twelve South’s BookBook CaddySack is the ultimate storage solution for any business traveler, a tote filled with straps and a small zippered pocket that’s all designed specifically to hold cables and similar accessories. We’ve used the CaddySack on dozens of flights, and it makes grabbing a charger mid-flight a breeze.
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Kindle Paperwhite
Image Credit: Amazon Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is a true travel essential for anyone who wants to stay entertained through long flights and even longer layovers. In roughly the size of a paperback, it’s got enough space to hold thousands of books, and a battery that will get them through an entire international flight (and then some). The backlit e-ink screen also won’t irritate their eyes as much as the LCD display on a phone or tablet.
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SmugMug Annual Subscription
Image Credit: SmugMug Does your giftee have enough photos from their past trips to fill an entire scrapbook? An annual subscription to photo hosting platform SmugMug lets them store, showcase, and sell their stunning snaps. The site offers unlimited photo and video uploads for original high-resolution files, password-protected download pages, syncing with Adobe Lightroom, printing, and the ability to upload from Google Photos, Dropbox, Flickr, and desktop and mobile devices.
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Take OFF Luggage
Image Credit: Amazon Know someone who’s planning a trip on a budget? If they’re sick of airlines charging for carry-on bags, get them this set of Take OFF Luggage. The bags come with four 360 degree spinning wheels which lets them roll through the airport with ease, but when it’s time to board, the wheels easily come off with the push of a button so they can be stashed under their seat as a personal item.
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The Maker Naked Eau de Parfum
Image Credit: The Maker Hotel You’ve heard it here folks — the mile-high club is officially overrated. But you know what’s underrated? This unisex fragrance line by Hudson, New York’s the Maker Hotel which may or may not “smell like hotel sex”. Transport them back to that moment with Naked, which contains notes of passiflora, white musk, and wild orris (meant to capture a love affair in a bottle). There’s even a $35 Discovery Kit that includes TSA-friendly vials of all six fragrances from the collection.
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Conair Power Steam Handheld Travel Garment Steamer
Image Credit: Amazon For anyone who meticulously plans out a week’s worth of their travel wardrobe in advance (*cough* us), Conair’s travel steamer is not only compact, but also works with 120-volt U.S. outlets and international 220-volt outlets. it heats up in about 35 seconds and emits a fine, steady mist of steam that has unwrinkled everything from a tuxedo jacket to linen pants like a snap.
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Ceremonia The Scalp Power Duo
Image Credit: Ceremonia We love this haircare set for long trips when we can’t always keep up with our haircare routine. Ceremonia’s The Scalp Power Duo comes with a scalp massager and scalp remedy oil — use the massager to distribute the shampoo or conditioner evenly and gently exfoliate the scalp and give the hair some extra shine. Trust us, this will save your giftee from relying on travel-sized bottles of dry shampoo so often.
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AirFly Pro
Image Credit: Amazon Jetsetters rejoice! The AirFly Pro is an essential accessory for anyone with a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that just wants to zone out on their next flight. The wireless transmitter allows you to connect headphones to wired sources, like a plane’s in-flight entertainment center. We’ve tested out this accessory on flights, and it was incredibly easy to use and watch videos with on the big screen without interrupting our seat neighbors.
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Monos Kiyo UVC Water Bottle
Image Credit: Monos Time for your gift recipient to break up with plastic watter bottles — Monos’ Kiyo water bottle will give them a simple and sustainable way to access clean, purified drinking water wherever they go. With just a press of a button, the Kiyo’s UVC technology purifies their drinking water, eradicating up to 99.99% of bacteria in the stainless steel bottle.
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Apple AirTag 4-Pack
Image Credit: Apple As someone who’s always paranoid about losing their luggage, Apple AirTags are popular gift for those of us who want peace of mind whenever they check their bags. Using the Find My app on their iPhone with the AirTags will make it incredibly easy to track their luggage, or items that consistently find themselves in the wrong places. The AirTag‘s built-in speaker will also make it convenient to ping the missing item and get an alert on whether they’re getting hotter or colder on their search.
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Cadence Capsules
Image Credit: Amazon Cadence’s aesthetic travel-ready capsules are a game-changer when it comes to not letting all their mini bottles and supplements ride around loose in their luggage. For the frequent-flyer in your life, these containers will help them stay organized with a magnetic design that connects each capsule vertically or horizontally. Not only do they come with interchangable tile labels (so they’ll never mix up their shampoo for face wash), the whole set is TSA-compliant and 100% leakproof.
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Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Image Credit: Amazon When traveling to drier climates like Vegas, the only thing that has saved our lips from total destruction is the Lip Sleeping Mask from K-beauty brand Laneige. This mask will help your giftee’s lips bounce back fast from flakiness and cracking every time — packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and minerals in its hydrating formula, a combination of hyaluronic acid and a humectant makes sure moisture says locked in and sealed with a kiss.
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Airbnb Gift Card
Image Credit: Amazon We’re always trying to scope out the coolest Airbnbs, whether you’re looking for a group getaway with your crew, or are trying to find the IRL Barbie House. For the travelers who are on the hunt to rent a unique spot, Airbnb gift cards can be bought in amounts from $25 up to $500, so you can chip in for (or fully cover) their next stay.
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NodPod Weighted Sleep Mask
Image Credit: Amazon Most sleep masks are flimsy and won’t help block out the harsh industrial airplane lights — but what if your sleep mask could pull double duty and help you get a more relaxing nap on a normally stressful flight? Like a calming hug for your head, the weighted texture of this NodPod sleep mask gives you that same microbead texture you’d get in a really good weighted blanket (it could even double neck wrap, too).
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Scrubba Wash Bag Mini
Image Credit: Amazon Somebody who’s going to be traveling for the long haul, whether they’re backpacking across a few different countries, or starting their “van-life” journey, would benefit from this Scrubba Wash Bag Mini. The portable laundry bag is simple to use: just add water, detergent, and dirty clothes, then give the bag a good ol’ rub so that the mini nodes inside can scrub away all the dirt and grime.
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Comrad Compression Socks
Image Credit: Comrad Sitting cramped in next to strangers in tiny seats can make anyone’s blood pressure rise — and sitting down for so long can cause some uncomfortable post-fight swelling, too. Take it easy on their feet and give them the gift of a hug for their legs in the form of these cozy socks from Comrad. Built for compression support to last your entire flight (and after you land), Comrad’s socks can help relieve swelling and boost circulation.
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Paravel Foldable Travel Duffle Bag
Image Credit: Amazon If their suitcase is constantly overflowing (or they always bring back too many souvenirs), this stylish overnight bag folds and zips down into a compact pouch the size of a small tablet. Boarding will be a breeze, since they can easily fit it into their luggage, or shove it under their airplane seat. There are also interior zip pockets, perfect for keeping all their snacks in one place.
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Oui the People Body Renewal Set
Image Credit: Oui the People For anyone dealing with dull, dry, or tired skin after a long leg of their journey, Oui The People’s formulas bring an unmatched glow. Gift this holy trinity that includes their new Clean Slate body wash, Cheat Sheet body exfoliant, and Featherweight body oil. After a long flight, they can use this trio together to help achieve visibly smoother, brighter, and more hydrated skin.
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Dreamegg White Noise Machine
Image Credit: Amazon There’s nothing worse than laying down on your plush hotel bed, closing your eyes, and then trying to fall asleep in absolute, pin-dropping silence. This sound machine is as small as a wallet, weighing less than five ounces, and it’s great for travelers who find it hard to fall sleep in new environments. Not to mention it’s got a rechargeable USB battery, 21 different sounds, and has a timer setting.
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Anker Powercore Portable Charger
Image Credit: Amazon Make sure your giftee never runs out of charge again with their passport on their phone or using Google Maps for directions with this powerful portable charger from Anker. We’ve tested it ourselves and found it can usually provide five or six full iPhone charges before you need to recharge it, and it weighs as little as a can of soup (12.5 oz).
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Dagne Dover Seoul Dopp Kit
Dagne Dover new collection of eco-friendly items make traveling in style (and sustainably) all the more easier. The Seoul Dopp kit is made from 100% recycled polyester, while the interior has a spill-proof, recycled lining. Best of all, they can keep full sized toiletries secure with the zippered pockets and hang it in a closet from the lightweight hook.
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