While the payoff of traveling is pretty big, packing and planning for those adventures around the world can be tedious and stressful. If you’re buying a gift for someone with an acute case of wanderlust, prioritize items that can make their travels easier and more relaxing. A Bluetooth tracker could offer some comfort if they lose their phone at the airport or leave it in an Uber. A special neck pillow could help facilitate some shuteye during a layover. Whatever the travel ailment you’d like to soothe for them, they’ll appreciate one fewer item on their “to buy” list — mostly so they can get back to spontaneously booking another stay. Below, we’ve rounded up the best gifts for travelers who need smart, tech-savvy, and multi-functional gear that makes it easier to pursue their passions — or simply helps to consolidate to get that damn suitcase zippered. Bon voyage.
A Yeti cooler
Best For Outdoorsy Weekend Trips
This heavy-duty cooler from Yeti is a top pick for the heavy-duty outdoor enthusiast in your life. It works well for keeping food and drink items cold (and ice frozen) on fishing, camping, and boating trips. It even has built-in slots in case you want to tie it down.
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Colorblock Cashmere Scarf
Best For Stylish Travelers
A cozy scarf like this colorblock cashmere number from Jos. A. Bank is the most versatile carry-on a traveler could have. It’s a blanket for long-haul flights, an eye covering when their seatmate won’t close the window blind, and a quick outfit upgrade when a long day exploring turns into an impromptu dinner that was fancier than they realized.
A portable coffee maker
Best For Caffeine Fiends
Hotel coffee famously sucks, so give them the gift of their favorite cup of joe on the go. The AeroPress Go is a compact portable coffee maker that can brew up to three servings of coffee or espresso at a time (without any bitterness or grit). Better yet, it comes with a mug and a lid that double as a carrying case.
A travel jewelry case
Best For Accessory Hoarders
As a society, we’ve accepted that necklaces tie themselves in knots when we’re not looking. It’s even worse when traveling — unless they’re organized with Mejuri’s travel case. The cult favorite brand’s four-inch leather organizer has hooks for necklaces, holes for earrings, and a pocket for rings.
A purifying water bottle
Best For Hydration Sticklers
Staying hydrated is a must while traveling, but lugging backup water bottles isn’t realistic. For adventures to places where you won’t find a sink or water fountain, LifeStraw’s purifying water bottle makes refilling from a natural source safe and easy. The built-in filter turns fresh water drinkable in just a few seconds.
LastObject reusable toiletries
Best For An Overflowing Toiletries Bag
LastObject makes reusable versions of items like cotton swabs or cotton rounds — basic hygiene items that were guaranteed a spot in the toiletries bag. By rinsing and reusing instead of disposing, LastSwab and LastRound save them space while saving the planet from over a thousand of their single-use counterparts.
A reusable straw
Best For Eco-friendly Travelers
Being a greener traveler starts with small steps, like swapping those pesky single-use plastic straws for a reusable one. The FinalStraw is dishwasher-safe and folds up into a cute carrying case that can slip into a bag pocket or attach to a keyring.
A portable luggage scale
Best For Frequent Flyers
Don’t let your giftee be that person who gets called out for over-packing at the check-in counter. A portable luggage scale, like this one from Etekcity, is a smart addition to any frequent flyer’s getup. They can use it to easily weigh their bags *before* they get to the airport to avoid extra fees and stress.
The Shacke Pak
Best For Packing Pros
Amazon customers swear by the Shacke Pack, a set of four packing cubes made from water-resistant nylon. Instead of just throwing stuff into a pile, five squishable Shacke Paks conserve space while keeping items organized. A laundry garment is included to keep stinky garments away from clean ones.)
An instant camera
Best For Capturing Quick Memories
If they’re more of an “instant gratification” photographer, an instant camera prints out immediately tangible memories for quick display. The Fujifilm Instax SQ1 actually opts for square film (1.5 times the size of the traditional rectangle shape) to grab more of the shot. Features include a self timer, one-touch selfie mode, and auto exposure.
A fancy neck pillow
Best For Sleeping On The Plane
Most people have trouble falling asleep on any kind of transportation, let alone planes. Consider getting your travel-loving pal a neck pillow (but like, a really good neck pillow). The Cabeau Evolution S3 is highly rated for its compressible memory foam design, excellent neck support, and convenient side pocket.
Compression socks
Best For Feet That Need A Break
Traveling takes a real toll on the old tootsies, whether your giftee is frequently on foot or enduring hours of sitting on a plane. Compression socks offer targeted foot-to-calf muscle support for improved circulation on long hauls. Bombas offers sizes for men and women, cute colors, and variety of compression intensities.
Portable wine protectors
Best For Bringing Wine Home
A bottle of wine is one of the most fun yet most fragile souvenirs. Wine Hero pouches can help your giftee can feel better about transporting it in non-carry on luggage. This multipack offers a bubble wrap cocoon and air tight seal for up to six bottles of vino (or maybe some really nice hot sauce).
The 2021 iPad mini
Best For On-the-go Entertainment
Traveling with full-sized tech can be cumbersome. Weighing just over 10 ounces, Apple’s iPad mini is compact enough to tag along in most any bag. The latest model marks its first redesign since 2012, with features like an A15 Bionic CPU, a 12-megapixel camera, and Apple Pencil support.
A power bank
Best For An Instant Charge
It’s not always easy to find an outlet for a quick charge when you’re in a busy airport, so every traveler should have a trusty power bank on hand to make sure their devices stay juiced up. Enter the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000, a high-speed portable charger that’s sleek and compact enough to take just about anywhere. It offers two charging modes and includes a built-in safety system with overcharge and short circuit protection.
The North Face Borealis backpack
Best For Carry-on Champs
The 28 L North Face Borealis backpack is a clear choice for a go-to travel backpack. Inside, you’ll find a number of compartments (including a padded laptop sleeve) plus a FlexVent suspension system that will make things easier on your shoulders.
A GPS smartwatch
Best For (Accidentally) Getting Lost
Having a trusty GPS watch on your wrist will absolutely come in handy in an unfamiliar city. The sleek Garmin Venu Sq has an outstanding battery life of up to six days per charge and tracks smartphone notifications to save some phone juice as well. The always-on screen displays health metrics for sleep, heart rate, and more, plus workout tracking.
‘The Travel Book’
Best For Going Somewhere New
Lonely Planet’s epic travel guide features all-new profiles of every single country, detailing when to visit, what to see and do, and how to learn more about each one’s distinct culture via movies, music, and food. It’s a neat resource for experienced and novice globetrotters alike (and if nothing else, a beautiful addition to one’s coffee table).
A universal travel adapter
Best For Trips Abroad
Different countries have different power outlets with different voltages, and your traveler friend will need an adapter to charge their phone — or dry their hair. This passport-sized converter is an all-in-one option that works in over 150 countries. It features spots for two standard U.S. plugs and four USB ports.
The AirPods Pro
Best For Peaceful Downtime
Apple’s iconic AirPods Pro are the ideal companion for nixing ambient noise while traveling, like the crying baby behind you on a flight. There’s also a transparency mode that lets some ambient sounds in, for when the flight attendant comes around with drinks and pretzels.)
A collapsible travel cup
Best For Their Preflight Starbucks
Stojo’s travel cups collapse down into discs, meaning your giftee can stash theirs in their coat pocket once they’re done with their pre-red-eye latte. (See also: They don’t have to worry about hunting down a trash can before the final boarding call.) They come in 20 different colors, all made from food-grade silicone and recyclable materials — plus, they’re safe to toss in the dishwasher and microwave.
A travel-specific notebook
Best For The Dedicated Journaler
Moleskine’s hardcover Voyager Notebook is specially designed for travelers with detachable packing lists, daily planning sections, budget pages, and inner storage folders for stashing ticket stubs and other mementos. They can toss it in their carry-on and jot stuff down whenever, which will be cool to look back on down the road — an arguably better aesthetic than their phone’s Notes app.
A portable bidet
Best For Someone You Know Really Well
Fun fact: You can’t flush toilet paper in certain countries (like Turkey and Greece). While it may be a bit of a… personal gift, it may just save your giftee’s ass on an overseas trip. Brondell’s well-reviewed GoSpa travel bidet simply requires filling up and a squeeze for a cleansing spray. A carrying pouch is included.
An Airbnb gift card
Best Last-minute Gift
Booking a place on Airbnb is a great way to see the world without being confined to a generic hotel room. Grab a gift card from Amazon to let them choose the destination while you help fund the stay. Amazon offers denominations of $25 to $500 for a clutch “low effort, big payoff” present.
A Babbel subscription
Best For Sociable Travelers
Available for iOS, macOS, Android, and PC, Babbel is a top-rated language learning app that promises to get users conversational in a new language in just weeks. (There are 14 to choose from, including French, German, Dutch, Indonesian, Russian, Polish, and more.) Classes are designed by over 100 linguistic experts and feature 15-minute lessons your giftee can fit easily into their schedule.
Vacuum storage bags
Best For Overpackers
Getting a full suitcase to zipper shouldn’t be someone’s biggest challenge of the trip. Available in four different sizes (or a variety pack), Spacesaver’s bestselling sets feature double-zip seals and triple-seal turbo valves that are designed to get every morsel of air out of their contents for foolproof packing. A travel pump is included.
A Bluetooth tracker
Best For Peace Of Mind
Losing your luggage is every traveler’s worst nightmare. Give them a little comfort in knowing that they can keep tabs on their personal items with this reliable tracker. It attaches easily to anything from keychains to backpacks, or they can even hide it in an interior pocket in their suitcase. Then, they can track the Tile’s whereabouts right from their phone.
The GoPro HERO11
Best For Capturing Live Moments
If they can’t show off their epic adventures on social media, does it even count as traveling? This action camera can be strapped to their person to capture exactly what they see as they catch a sick wave or ski down some fresh pow. Even better, it captures epic 5.3K video at 60 frames per second with Emmy award-winning HyperSmooth stabilization.
An adjustable sleep mask
Best For The Red Eye Flyer
If they tend to travel overnight, on long-haul flights or simply struggle to catch quality shut-eye at their destination, this ultra-comfy sleep mask will be a welcome addition to their travel kit. Made from soft and breathable materials, it has fully adjustable, pressure-free eye cups that block out 100% of light so they can tap into deep sleep wherever they go.
A hands-free cup holder
Best For The Well-Hydrated Globetrotter
If they could use a few extra hands while navigating the airport or bus terminal, give them this stylish caddy that wraps securely around their suitcase handle. Each of the two cup holders boasts an elastic mouth for a secure fit around a variety of cups and bottles, and there’s an extra pocket on the flip side to stash their phone or ticket for easy access.
A portable footrest
Best For The Inevitable Middle Seat Trip
Leg room comes at a premium on planes and trains these days, but they can maximize their comfort in the space they’re given with this ergonomic foot hammock. It attaches to the tray table in front of them and cushions their tootsies and calves with high-quality memory foam so they can kick back and relax. Plus, it’s lightweight and folds down compactly when not in use.
