Since the dawn of humanity, we’ve been traveling. We’ve come a long way from traveling on foot loaded with bags made of animal skins. But the goal of good travel gear remains the same: to get you and your needs to the destination with the highest level of comfort.
If you know someone who’s always catching a flight, taking the train to work or adventurously embarking on a cruise, some new technology might help them out. We’ve put together our collective experiences roaming the planet to find things we wish someone would have given us before we booked. Here are the best travel gifts for the jetsetter or casual tourist on your list.
Sony WH-1000XM5
If you know someone who’s always complaining about crying babies and talkative neighbors on flights, they’ll appreciate a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is one of Engadget’s favorites, easily making it onto this year’s list of the best wireless headphones.
Senior Editor Billy Steele says it’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time, has 30 hours of battery life, great sound quality, and top-notch ANC. It also has a combination of touch and physical controls, which means your giftee won’t have to reach for their phone every time they want to change tracks.
Bellroy Toiletry Kit Plus
Bellroy’s travel packs are sleek and organized, just the way I wanted them to be when I was traveling. The Toiletry Kit Plus has multiple pockets — zipper, stretch, mesh, magnetic — and it’s great for keeping your toothbrush, comb, face wash, lip balm, Advil, and deodorant separated and easy to find.
The whole thing opens up and sits upright on a countertop, making it easy to access what you need, and it’s made from recycled woven fabric that’s water resistant. The traveler in your life will see this as a serious upgrade from the ziplock baggie they’ve been using for centuries.
Bason Travel Adapter Plugs – 2 Pack
This two-pack of European power adapters was one I bought at the last minute before my husband and I went on a 10-day Italian vacation earlier this year, and it was easily one of my best purchases. Each one gives you three AC outlets, accessible due to their strategic locations on the adapter itself, as well as two USB-C and one USB-A port.
Of all these options, I was able to use just one adapter for all of my essential tech, including my phone, smartwatch, and earbuds, while my husband used the other.
They also worked well on high-powered devices like my mini hair dryer. And despite their prongs not folding down, both take up very little space in the suitcase. If your next trip isn’t to Europe, don’t worry, the two-pack comes in options for several countries, including Japan, Ireland, and Australia.
Topo Designs Lite Pack Backpack
I’ve been looking for this backpack my whole life. I’ve bought packs from Timbuk2, Bellroy, The North Face, Fjallraven, Patagonia, Osprey, and more, all in search of something I thought didn’t exist: a lightweight daypack that stands up on its own, has a reasonable amount of pockets, and is comfortable to wear all day.
On a recent trip to Chicago, when I was on a cross-city trek without a pack, I popped into REI and bought the Topo Designs Lite Pack. I’ve been continually impressed ever since. Some bags load up on ergonomics and end up weighing two pounds when empty, but this one is very lightweight, yet has just the right amount of padding.
Two expandable bottle slots on either side hold water and travel cups securely, and there are enough pockets inside to keep small items organized. There’s also a laptop pocket for computers up to 15 inches.
The 15-liter capacity is perfect for day trips in the destination city, which might also throw in a few hoodies, snacks, and some impulse purchases from pastry shops. When you put it down it stays upright instead of flopping forward like a sleepy baby, something other bags do that drives me crazy.
The padding provides structure and both the 400D (medium-heavy) nylon and the streamlined design give it a polished look, something I appreciate on day seven of a seven-day trip.