It’s the holiday season, and we have some great ideas for gifts for the travelers in your life. Whether you’re looking for luggage, gadgets, accessories, or clothing, we’ve got you covered.
Luggage
Avid travelers can always use high-quality gear to tote their stuff. These are our favorite options for suitcases and backpacks to accompany you on your trips.
Away Suitcases
Away makes our favorite suitcases. They’re pricey, but extremely durable with good organization, neat features, and excellent support. Most travelers will appreciate the Bigger Carry-On, or the even more expensive Bigger Carry-On Flex, which expands into a check-in only size if you need more space. If you frequently European airlines or other airlines that tend to be very strict about carry-on sizes, opt for the slightly smaller Carry-On.A great travel backpack
Aer makes some of our favorite backpacks, and the City Pack Pro 2 is an ideal option as a travel companion. It’s got a well-padded compartment for electronics like a laptop and/or tablet, as well a spacious main compartment. The X-Pac material is lightweight and durable, and it’s got a sleek look and a super comfy harness system. If you need more space or plan to use the backpack as your only bag for short trips, consider the Aer Travel Pack 3 or the Able Carry Max.A pack for the trail or town
If your traveler plans to spend as much time on the trail as in the city, the Osprey Daylite 26+6 is a great option. It uses lightweight materials and adds an excellent harness designed to be comfortable for hiking. It’s expandable from 26 liters to 32, offering added flexibility.Organization
Once you’ve got your luggage, you need to organize all the stuff you’re packing inside it. Here are some of our favorite bags and pouches to keep track of all your essentials.
Toiletry Bag
A great pouch for storing toiletries is key for any traveler—you need something that organizes all your essentials and prevents spills. Peak Design’s Wash Pouch is our favorite, and we lean toward the regular size, though if you pack light you can get away with the smaller version.Tech Bag
Keeping track of all your chargers, cables, and everything else you need to stay connected on the go can be a headache. We love Native Union’s svelte Stow Lite tech pouch. It looks great and offers six stretchy pockets as well a spacious main storage area. It has plenty of room for your key accessories but stays small enough to drop in any backpack. Peak Design’s Tech Pouch is also a great option here; the small size is probably big enough for most travelers. You can step up to the regular size if you carry a lot of electronics, but it takes up a lot of space and doesn’t really compress when it’s not full.Packable backpack
Sometimes having an extra backpack is key, and having one that packs down really small is the way to go. Sea to Summit’s Ultra-Sil packs into a tiny stuff sack but is still comfy to wear and holds 20 liters. REI’s Flash 18 doesn’t come with a stuff sack, but it still packs down really small, has an external zipper pocket, and has a pass-through for a water bladder.Audio
Great audio gear can really enhance a trip, whether it helps you shut out the noise of a plane or train, or share your tunes while sitting around a campfire. But picking the right stuff can be a very personal decision; here are some of our favorites.
Over-Ear Headphones
Sony’s WH-1000XM6
Sony’s WH-1000XM6 offer the best combination of sound quality and noise cancellation, so they’re an excellent pick for the discerning traveler. Alternatively, and somewhat less expensive, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra offer the best noise cancellation on the market. For more budget-friendly options, you can opt for the older Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Anker SoundCore Space One.Earbuds
Bose and Sony also make the best noise-cancelling earbuds. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra earbuds offer unmatched noise cancellation, though they’re a bit bulky. Sony’s WF-1000XM5 combine outstanding sound quality with excellent noise cancellation. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more compact and less expensive than either, and still have great sound and noise cancellation.Bluetooth speaker
A portable speaker can be a great addition to a trip, so you can socialize and share some music when hanging out at your lodgings or sitting around a campfire. We like the JBL Go 4 for its combination of sound, portability, and durability (it’s waterproof and dustproof).Sleep
Sleeping well while traveling makes your trips so much more enjoyable. These items will you help you sleep better wherever you’re going.
Sleep Mask
A sleep mask can combat a bright airplane cabin or a hotel room with curtains that don’t block out the light. This mask from Mavogel is soft, comfy, and washable. It’s inexpensive but still comes with a handy bag to carry it. Makes a great stocking-stuffer.Ear plugs
Travelers often have to get some rest in noisy places, and ear plugs can be lifesavers in those situations. We’ve sworn by moldable silicone putty plugs. They’re comfortable and block a lot of noise, but they get dirty and gross pretty quickly, and you have to throw them out. The Loop 2 silicone ear plugs are reusable, and just as comfortable and effective. But you clean them and reuse them, so you don’t have to worry about waste or taking multiple pairs for long trips.Sleep Earbuds
If you prefer to listen to music, books, or sounds while you sleep, finding earbuds that don’t interfere with your sleeping position can be a challenging. The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 are designed to be small enough to fit inside your ears while you sleep, and they offer active noise-cancelling as well as noise isolation, but they’re pricey at almost $200. Toapex offers a much less expensive alternative ($30) that ditches the active noise-cancelling but still gets great reviews.Electronics
Staying powered and connected on the go is always tricky. These items will ensure that your traveler is able to stay charged no matter where they’re going.
Charging Brick
Anker’s Prime 67W charger is our go-to charging brick. It’s incredibly compact, but still boasts two USB-C ports and a USB-A port. It puts out 67W of power, which is plenty to charge most laptops with enough to spare for a phone or tablet at the same time. If you only need to charge a single phone or tablet, Anker’s Nano USB-C charger is even tinier and lighter.Battery
You never know when you’ll need a little extra juice, so a portable battery pack is essential for every traveler. We like INIU’s Mini Portable Charger. It stores 10,000mAh (enough to charge most phones a couple times), puts out 45W, and has two USB-C ports. It even comes with a USB cable that doubles as a lanyard, so you don’t have to worry about bringing one.Power Adapter
Every international traveler needs a reliable adapter. Anker’s Nano universal adapter is compact, but it still offers 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, and a full-size AC port.Men’s Clothing
Finding the right clothing for traveling can make a trip much more comfortable and so much easier. Here are some of our favorites.
Shirts
Cozy Earth makes some of our favorite shirts, and the stretch-knit long sleeve looks nice enough to wear out, but is comfortable enough to wear while sleeping on a plane and regulates temperature remarkably well. The short-sleeve version is great, too.Jogger
Joggers are great for long travel days or days packed with walking. Vuori’s Ponto Performance Jogger is insanely soft and thin enough for warm days but still cozy enough to provide some warmth.Pants
Pants take up a lot of space, so you don’t want to pack too many pairs. That’s why Duer’s No Sweat pants are ideal. They’re comfortable enough to wear on long travel days but look sharp enough to wear to a nice dinner.Shoes
Kizik shoes are great for travel because they’re designed to be used hands-free, and they’re comfortable enough for lots of walking but look sharp enough to wear out. We like both the Casual and Active lines; some of our favorite models are the Venice, Prague 2, and Lima.Hoodie
A hoodie is a great way to combat cold environments. When traveling, a full-zip is the way to go—you never know when you’ll need to take it on or off while crammed into an airplane seat. We love Helly Hansen’s Lifa Tech Lite hoodie because it’s warm, but lightweight enough to cram into any backpack with room to spare.Blazer
If you’re attending events or even just going to a nice meal on your trip, a blazer is a great way to dress up your outfit. Relwen’s Flyweight Flex blazer doesn’t take up much space and resists wrinkles, so it’s easy to pack. But it still looks sharp enough for a night on the town.Women’s Clothing
And here are our favorite women’s clothing options for comfy travel.
Shirts
Pact, Organic Basics, and Icebreaker make some excellent travel shirts. Look for natural fibers which won’t hold sweat/smells like the plastic/polyester will.Travel Outfit
It’s nice to be able to have a comfy outfit that also looks cuter than workout clothes to travel in. Pact has some great sets.Pants
You’re going to want to only bring 1-2 pairs of pants no matter where you go (seriously – it’s all about the capsule wardrobe!). Faherty has the most comfortable pant we’ve tried in their stretch terry and I also love Marine Layer’s Allison Pants which are nice enough to wear all day or to dress up at night.Dress
If you’re traveling in the summer you likely will want to wear a dress for a dinner out or to take fun pictures in around town. Our favorite most versatile dresses come from Christy Dawn. They’re made out of clean fabric, last forever, and they offer tons of designs.Shoes
If you bring one pair of shoes to walk around any city in, they should be Veja. Comfortable, sustainable, the perfect shoe? Yep..