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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. 29 Travel Essentials If You’re No Longer Pining For A Vacation, But Actively Planning One Because you deserve better than tangled chargers, overstuffed bags, and mid-flight neck cramps. Finally planning that long-awaited trip instead of just daydreaming about it? We rounded up travel essentials that’ll make packing (and the journey itself) way less chaotic — think compression cubes to tame your suitcase, a waterproof hanging toiletry bag for your beauty lineup, and a universal phone mount for those in-flight movie marathons. Whether you’re headed abroad or road-tripping nearby, these genius finds may help you travel lighter, comfier, and smarter. 1. A waterproof hanging cosmetic bag with room for every. last. step. of your hair/skin/beauty routine. Four spacious zip compartments = no product left behind! Promising reviews: "I saw this on TikTok and purchased it for my trip! Got back home and used it in my own bathroom. I love it that much! Best Amazon purchase I’ve ever made!" —Amazon Customer "WILL NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT IT. I am mad that I didn’t purchase this sooner. I was able to fit the toiletries for my entire family into this easily. The hook makes the items easily accessible, especially when switching hotels/houses and traveling frequently. I would purchase this again!" —Elisa D Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes and 10 colors). 3. A luggage-mounted cup caddy, because if you're anything like me, coffee is HIGH on your list of airport priorities, and you could likely use an extra hand to carry it. Promising review: "This cup holder is perfect! It helps me a lot! Last time I took a plane with a suitcase and a cup of coffee, I dropped and spilled my drink everywhere when it was my turn to check my passport and ticket. It was a nightmare! This time, I bought this cup holder to do me a favor! I don't have to worry about where my cup and phone are! I can free my hands to do other things. I love it so much! Hope you love it too." —Philip Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 26 colors/patterns). 7. A nifty universal phone mount so you can pass your high-altitude hours watching season 2 of Nobody Wants This. Seeing as you spent all your time at the gate painstakingly downloading them over airport Wi-Fi, it'd be a total waste if you didn't. 🤷♀️ Promising review: "I recently returned from a trip to Australia and Hawaii, and purchased this gadget specifically for use on the plane. In a word, this gadget is awesome! The holding clamp can be rotated to provide more elevation, so your phone can be near eye-level, which reduces neck stress. The spring that is used for mounting is pretty heavy-duty. But that's actually a good thing because it ensures that it won't shake off in turbulence. The silicone pads also help to prevent slippage. The holding arm also rotates, so you can set it at the perfect angle. And get this: It folds down small enough to fit into a pocket!" —Brendan Get it from Amazon for $13.97. 9. A set of eight compression cubes if — despite your best efforts — you're prone to packing everything but the kitchen sink. Promising review: "I was the most skeptical of all skeptics that these packing cubes would hold two weeks of clothes for my upcoming Italy trip, but they do!!! In the large cube, I fit four rompers (one is thick), four sundresses, and three pairs of pants; 11 outfits! The next size down has four pairs of shorts and approx. eight T-shirts, a sweater. Next size down has four swimsuits, a towel, belts, bras and other accessories… This is extremely impressive! I will never not use these cubes!!!" —sjaranyi Get them from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in 22 colors and in 10-packs). 11. A waterproof travel cable organizer so your various chargers don't get lost in the void that is the bottom of your tote bag and form one massive knot. Promising review: "Excellent for travel! Nice to have a go-to individual pouch, especially for the cords. Husband travels for business and this is a must, so if he's in an airport or hotel, he can locate them easily and they don’t get mixed with others." —Brent Webb Get it from Amazon for $9.85+ (available in three sizes and 23 colors). 12. I Dew Care's dry shampoo powder, which is so easy to use that you'll wonder why you ever dealt with messy spray cans. This features a powder-puff applicator, allowing you to apply it directly to the roots (the source of all your oily troubles), and it also adds extra volume as you brush it through. Reviewers say it instantly absorbs oil and doesn't leave a white residue behind, so you can get to the day's itinerary. Check out a TikTok of the dry shampoo in action. Promising review: "Will be buying again!! This is a fantastic product. I have incredibly thin hair that gets very oily very easily. This is the first product that I’ve tried that actually works! I am so very happy!" —Katie_0_Baker Get it from Amazon for$18 (available in brown, dark brown, blonde, and in multipacks and bundles). 15. A 3-in-1 foldable magnetic wireless charger so you don't have to decide between juicing up your AirPods, Apple Watch, or phone because your hotel room only has one outlet to work with. Promising review: "I finally gave up and bought a charging station for several devices. I travel a lot, and taking turns charging my iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch was annoying, especially if the room had a limited number of outlets and I was not the only one who needed to charge all of them ASAP — plus, hauling all of the cords. Ugh. Hooray, I'm hustle-free now. It comes with one fold-up station, one cord, and one nob for three devices that charge simultaneously. It works with my iPhone 12 Pro Max from 2020, Apple Watch Series 6 from 2020, and AirPods Pro (2nd generation) from 2022 without issues. I am more than satisfied with the purchase." —Sneaky Pete Get it from Amazon for $27.98+ (available in six colors). 17. Some reviewer-loved Nippies if you've vowed to have a bra-free vacay. These silicone pasties come in two sizes and various colors, so chances are you'll find the right fit! Promising review: "I cannot tell you how much I LOVE these things. I had been using a cheaper pair of pasties, and these are a world apart from those. They cover everything really well and are super comfortable. I literally forget that they are on. I have worn them under really thin white shirts, and you can’t see anything! I LOVE THESE SO MUCH. So much that I just bought another pair so that I’ll never be without." —Sara Reiland Get them from Amazon for $28.50 (available in five colors and two sizes). 18. A *stuffable* travel neck pillow so you never have to go through the mega-embarrassing spectacle that is being told your checked bag is overweight and having to unzip it right there at the desk to move things into your carry-on. This genius sleeve can hold the equivalent of 10 T-shirts!! Promising review: "As a single guy who travels with mostly a few shirts, I find that this has been a great addition. It helps me travel with no bag a lot of times; I am able to fit most items right into it! Very economical buy when used properly. High quality." —Abbasbeydoun95 Get it from Amazon for $34.99. 19. A wedge doorstop alarm with an *extremely* loud 120-decibel siren that'll sound should anyone try to force open your door. If you have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar hotel rooms or Airbnbs, this might just help. No wiring is required, either; just pick up a 9V battery. Promising review: "Travel must-have. I use this traveling, and it provides extra peace of mind in motel rooms, considering I'm a cheapskate and stay in dives, and my dog is getting so old he is likely to refer any criminal who breaks and enters to me for further processing. Works well, as a startled maid in a West Virginia motel can attest when she thought I had checked out and unlocked the door to clean. I gave the second one to my sister, who uses it at home." —QuintessentiallyYours Get it from Amazon for $12.49 (also available in packs). 20. An Alleyoop makeup brush that's simultaneously a foundation sponge, blush brush, eyeshadow brush, AND an eyeliner brush, so you can bring your tiny toiletry kit for once!! Alleyoop has many other multifunctional beauty products that cut out clutter and simplify routines, which will help make packing light a breeze. Promising review: "I absolutely love this travel makeup brush and sponge combo! It's so convenient for when I'm on the go and need to touch up my makeup. The bristles are soft and the sponge is great for blending. Plus, it's compact and fits perfectly in my purse. I highly recommend it!" —Mary G. Murphy Get it from Amazon for $20 (available in two styles; refills also available). 22. A transparent TSA-approved toiletry bag so you go through security as a calm, pulled-together person and not someone with their arms flailing about like a wacky inflatable tube man because you KNOW you packed shampoo somewhere but you can't remember where and they *will* find it. Promising review: "This bag held surprisingly more than expected. I put tiny travel jars for my skincare creams and other small toiletries in it with room to spare. I definitely feel like it was easier to pack and was also easy to grab out of my bag for security. It feels sturdy with nice, thick vinyl. The double zipper moved easily, and I was pleased that it opened completely for ease of getting the items I needed out of it." —Mrs M Tate Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 11 colors). 23. A Birdie personal safety alarm with a LOUD 130-decibel siren and flashing strobe light that'll give you a little peace of mind whether you're on a hike with your dog or catching the subway in a foreign country. And if you're wondering how loud 130 decibels is — it's equivalent to a jet take-off and considered the threshold of pain when it comes to what our ears can handle. Promising review: "I moved to the city a few months ago and have since had some uncomfortable encounters with men. I didn't want to carry any type of self-protection that could potentially get me kicked out of somewhere (like if they did a bag search at a museum or something and found my pepper spray), so I now carry my Birdie on my key chain all the time. I feel so much safer and comfortable walking on my own. This thing is LOUD and would definitely draw tons of attention. It doesn't come out super easily (I was worried about it accidentally going off in my purse), but it is easy enough to use. I 100% recommend!!!" —Heidi Wilson Get it from Amazon for $29.94+ (available in 18 colors). 24. A mini white noise machine so you can get a good night's sleep on the road instead of being kept up by unfamiliar noises like creaky Airbnb floors or rowdy hotel neighbors. The small device has 11 non-looping sleep sounds (including fan and ocean sounds) and it can connect to wireless devices via Bluetooth so you can use it as a portable speaker and play your own audio. Promising review: "Bought one of these for my hubby for Christmas and he loved it. Then I bought one for my daughter days later. A few days later, I bought our third — I had to have one also for when I travel. Bought it with us to a hotel on vacation and used it at night to drown out the noise of other guests walking and talking in the halls, and during the day, we rocked our music on Bluetooth!! Additionally, we used it with our new puppy to help him sleep and stay asleep through the night. Only downside is I wish the battery life was longer. It lasts about three nights before you need to recharge." —Romeo's Girl Get it from Amazon for $39.95 (also available in black). 26. A Bluetooth-enabled mask if falling asleep on vacation is not your forte. Slip this baby on, turn on your favorite thunderstorm simulator, and it's like you never left home. Promising review: "This is the best thing I have ordered in a long time! I work nights and recently took a travel position. Staying in hotels is fun until your neighbor is loud or the highway traffic is horrible. The speakers on this are quality! The only thing I heard was the rain and thunder from my app. The rain was so clear-sounding that I could easily visualize each drop hitting the ground. I was about to fall asleep when the thunder kicked in and seriously scared me to pieces! Highly recommend!" —Dana Harris Get it from Amazon for $17.59+ (available in three colors). 27. A compact eight-compartment pill organizer with room for all of your vitamins and prescriptions. This sure beats a ziplock bag full of loose pills! Promising review: "I purchased this to take with me on a five-day cruise. It was perfect. It held all of my vitamins and supplements, our seasickness pills, my husband's allergy pills, my son's lactase pills, and some ibuprofen, just in case. It was easy to load and easy to access the different pills when needed. It looks adorable and fits easily into my backpack. It also comes in three different colors. My guess is that over time, the plastic insert that divides the pills may break, so you will have two more ready to go. I highly recommend, and really enjoyed using." —Amy B Get a three-pack from Amazon for $5.97+ (available in two color combinations). 28. A portable safe you can wrap around an umbrella, picnic table leg, or chair so you can stow away your phone, keys, wallet, and other small valuables without worrying about them being lost or stolen. Reviewers use this guy at water parks, the beach, all-inclusive resorts, and even in Airbnbs. PS: SafeGo is a small biz. Promising review: "Bought it for an overseas trip, and it worked great. We used it both in a hotel room when the room safe was out of order and on the beach. I look forward to using it on outings this summer, and I think it will be a very useful addition to my travel staples. I packed in my luggage full of toiletries and sunscreen, so it didn't feel like it took up a ton of space and I could carry it in my purse/tote without it feeling too bulky. That said, you can fit a lot into it." —laurel Get it from Amazon for $40.45+ (available in four colors). Why Trust BuzzFeed Shopping? BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Chelsea Stuart is a Market Editor on the BuzzFeed Shopping team who covers a little bit of everything, including home decor, travel, fashion, skincare, and pet products. When she's not working on BF content, she's hanging out with her bonded cats, bingeing reality TV, and making her next travel plans. Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.
