Popular items from this list:
- An airplane footrest that loops over your tray table
- A weighted sleep mask to help block out light
- A wheeled carry-on bag small enough to qualify as a personal item on super stringent airlines
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An airplane footrest that loops over your tray table
A weighted sleep mask
A Samsonite roller bag
Pedialyte powder packets
Promising review:
“I always have it with me. I travel a lot and I’m super busy so I will forget to drink enough water (I live in a VERY hot climate) so these drink packets save the day often.” —ashley vA hands-free (rotating!) phone mount
An Airfly wireless transmitter that’ll let you connect your Airpods
A portable door lock that’ll attach to any regular old door
Promising review: I’m a flight attendant and swear I live in hotel rooms and needed extra security, and these seem to be the talk in the airline world so I order myself two. It took me a YouTube video to figure out how to install them and yes very easy and very secure. Safe sleeping is important and I’m glad I have these.” —Elizabeth C. Breton
A portable safe you can secure to a beach chair
Promising review: “This safe has become a MUST-HAVE on all our vacations. We no longer travel without it. We put two iPhones, cash, and car keys in this little safe, locked it to a beach cabana, threw a towel over it and took off for a hour of snorkeling. Never once worried about our belongings. We now use several of these as room safes AND as ‘hide a key’ lockboxes outside our vacation condo for teens who come and go throughout the day. They are invaluable!” —KeepIT Reel
A bendy travel pillow for helping you sit upright in the most awkward of positions
A digital luggage scale
A set of Sea Bands
A pocket-sized, refillable travel perfume atomizer
Promising review: “I bought these due to traveling a lot for work and needing to cut down on the size of things in my carry-on bag for flying. I can bring four different perfumes now instead of one big one. They’re super easy to fill, haven’t leaked so far but I keep them in a sandwich baggie while traveling just in case. I would 100% buy them again.” —Emily Rintamaki
A collection of compression packing cubes
Promising review: “I’m a flight attendant. Great for my 4–5 days trips when I need to pack extra!” —Amazon Customer
A Trtl travel pillow
Ciera Velarde, an editor here at BuzzFeed, also loves this. She says: “I’ve used this for the past few years and swear by it! Before this, I always found traditional neck pillows uncomfortable and would end up ditching them halfway through the flight and getting frustrated. The Trtl pillow is adjustable — you wrap the pillow around your neck and secure it with Velcro, and if you find it’s too loose, just make it a bit tighter! I’ve truly never slept better on a plane than with this pillow.”
A handmade leather cord organizer
Promising review: “I travel a lot — well, used to. I’m also one of the last people with wired buds. Every time, my ear buds would be a tangled mess. No matter how I tried to keep them wrapped or organized. This gaget is the perfect solution. It’s compact, and takes seconds to get your buds wrapped up.” —Susan Rahn
Satin pillowcases that I own and love
Tide sink packets with the perfect amount of detergent for a sink wash
Promising review: “I have taken these packets on travels throughout the world. They are small and fit in my bag. They are good for a wash in a sink or wash bag. … They don’t leak either.” —Barbara Jefferson
A pack of laundry soap sheets
Promising review: “This came SO in handy during my vacation to Europe! I was making lots of different stops to places with different types of weather. With these laundry soap sheets I was able to wash my clothes in the sink — letting me pack just the right amount of clothes for all the different places I went.” —Katie Fujarski
A TSA-friendly toiletries set
Promising review: “This set is perfect for traveling. Was looking for a set to use for work (flight attendant). I use the bottles for lotion, body wash, hair oil, and shampoo. None of them have leaked yet and I love that it comes with a bag just in case. The only negative is that sometimes you need to unscrew the cap to puff the bottles back out after you squeeze them, but doesn’t really bother me. It’s a quick fix. Easy to fill/refill.” —Kandice222
Or if you’re not in need of containers, a clear TSA-approved toiletry bag
I do not regret this purchase one bit, and have already recommended it to several friends and family members.” —Ainsley H.
And a waterproof pouch
Promising review: “I bought this because I do a lot of water sports when I travel and it was amazing!!! I had no problems with it the actual pouch detaching from the lanyard when I went snorkeling and my phone stayed completely dry. The touch capability is also great.” —TJ
Single serving Cafe Bustelo instant coffee packets
A mini lightweight flat iron
Promising review: “This fits perfectly in my toiletries travel bag that I take with me as a flight attendant. Anything that comes in small size and still works well is perfect for me.” —Kathy S
A wheeled carry-on bag small enough to qualify as a personal item on super stringent airlines
Promising review: “This works out so well for me. I’m a flight attendant, and I’ve had an infinite amount of day trips over the summer. I got tired of carrying around my regular TravelPro spinner, so I finally ordered this. SOOOOO MUCH BETTER FOR ME. It’s light, has enough pockets, and can easily fit under a seat if needed.
The ONLY picky thing I can think of is how loud it sounds going across rough concrete. The wheels aren’t as silent as others, but that won’t stop me from buying another in the future.” —Kayla T
A trifold travel wallet
Promising review: “I got this wallet because I’ve spent a lot of the last year traveling and wanted something a bit more compact with the ability to hold all I need and still kinda stylish. I absolutely love this wallet!! I use it every time I travel, especially in the airport because I can fit both my boarding pass and passport if needed in this wallet, which I can’t do in my everyday wallet. This wallet is super handy and not nearly as bulky as my regular wallet. I would recommend it to anyone who travels often or when they do, travels great distances.” —Jordan Couch
A packing list pad
Get it from Amazon for $6.73 (available in 15 colors)
A simple luggage strap
An electronics organizer
A luggage-mounted cup caddy
A lightweight, compact, and high-speed portable charger
Promising review: “Very handy! I’m a flight attendant and travel a lot. This has come in handy on the airplane and in the airport. Perfect size and lightweight.” —Rae
A memory foam seat cushion
Promising review: “I drive a truck and suffer from sciatica. After a few days, I began to feel relief. I highly recommend this to anyone who suffers from sciatica.” —lou jones
A water bottle that’s collapsible, refillable, and leakproof
Or a water bottle with a Brita filter
A resealable travel-size pack of antibacterial wipes
A mini-steamer to keep you looking super pulled together once you get to where you’re going
Promising review: “This steamer is very compact, easy to use, and well-made. I am a flight attendant so this has helped my life tremendously. I never even pick up an iron anymore. It works extremely well on my uniform and also just to get wrinkles out of my clothes while on layovers. The best part is that it doesn’t take up too much space in my bag. I hate ironing with a passion, so I am so glad that I found this product!” —Amazon Customer