31 Great Gifts for the Traveler

Here’s an idea for the one whose love of adventure takes them on destinations off the grid. This Patagonia backpack was a standout in our evaluations of the best travel backpacks because it combines organization, comfort, versatility, and sturdiness. What set it apart from the rest was its mesh pockets, which allow you to easily see what’s inside, and lots of slots and cubbies for prime organization. Our evaluator also found the backpack to be an especially comfy carry with wide, strong backpack straps and a chest clasp that will adjust to many different torso lengths, making it versatile across different shapes and sizes.

Bonus: It has a slot-through for sliding onto the telescoping handle of your roll-aboard carry-on bag, so you can roll two bags at once through an airport.

This Instagram-famous weekender impressed our editors with its clever design, and you or the person you give it to might just be equally pleased. It features a dedicated shoe compartment at the base and a zippered pass-through, allowing you to slide the bag onto your rolling suitcase handle. The rolled, faux-leather handles are long and can fit over the shoulders if desired, and it has a lightweight, highly adjustable, removable crossbody strap. Its structured frame provides easy accessibility when packing, while thoughtfully placed pockets throughout are perfect for staying organized. 

Dagne Dover’s bag was another favorite in an evaluation of the best weekender bags. It features six large mesh pockets, a smaller zippered pocket, and two removable sleeves. Made from neoprene (a material commonly used to manufacture wetsuits), this water-resistant bag is a choice option for travel during rain or shine.

For more options: Best Duffel Bags

For the one who’s yet to invest in a dependable carry-on, this basic hard-shell carry-on by Away is not to be missed. It performed well in our tests for impact resistance and construction quality. The bag’s special features include a compartment divider, a leather luggage tag, and a laundry bag. It has an unusually generous limited lifetime warranty and a 100-day trial period, so you can see how you like it.

For more options: Best Hard-Shell Carry-On Luggage

With a built-in anti-theft security system, this compact sling bag can be a saving grace for those traveling with valuables. “This bag has a slash-resistant mesh barrier in front, sides, and bottom body panels, plus a slash-resistant strap. And the RFID-blocking organizer on the front locking zippered pocket is perfectly sized for a phone,” says Anne McAlpin, author of "Pack It Up: The Essential Guide to Smart Travel." RFID, or radio frequency identification, prevents skimming theft, which can occur when illegally installed devices capture personal data like PINs for ATMs.

Looking and feeling like your best self after a red-eye flight just got a whole lot easier. Give your eye serum or moisturizer a well-deserved boost with a reusable eye mask that can help amp up absorption. These eye masks have been a mainstay in my skincare routine, especially after long-haul flights or sleepless nights. Lather on your preferred under-eye skin care treatment, put the mask in place, and wear it for up to 20 minutes. After use, simply wash the eye mask and store it.

Give the gift of well-hydrated lips. Our evaluators unanimously agreed that this Summer Fridays lip butter balm went on smoothly, and many liked its hydrating and moisturizing qualities. Its mild vanilla scent was another standout feature of this TikTok-famous balm, which is available in many flavors.

Made from recycled ripstop polyester—a fabric composed of thick, interwoven reinforcement threads that help prevent the material from tearing easily—this Calpak hanging toiletry bag is a must for travelers. Soft to the touch and with a laminate coating and water-resistant interior, its surprising capacity might be due to the fact that it has many internal and external pockets. There are several elastic bands inside where you can slide in your toothbrush or makeup brushes. The bag also comes with a hook that lets you hang it on doorknobs to save counter space.

The Béis Dopp Kit is made of cotton and vegan leather and comes in a variety of colors. It’s a bag that you would enjoy holding because of how comfortable the material feels. It can be opened wide enough so that every item inside is in full view, which makes it easy to access. In our evaluation of the best toiletry bags, we found that this one fit every item on our travel toiletries list. The bag is divided into a top and bottom compartment, and there are two side pockets in the top compartment. Take this gift to the next level by pairing it with favorite beauty essentials.

Sol de Janeiro has amassed a cultlike following, and it’s not just because of its fun, tropical packaging. Its perfume mists and bodycare essentials, available in dynamic scents, can also hold their own. Cue this travel-friendly bundle—featuring a body cream, shower gel, and perfume mist—that’s poised to please. More notably, do it for the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, one of the brand’s iconic products, which is claimed to visibly smooth and tighten skin.

With a travel bag in tow, this Chi handheld garment steamer is a voyager’s best accessory. Roughly the size of a flat iron, it offers 8 minutes of steaming. It has a manual button on the handle and was the fastest steamer to heat up in our lab test, ready to go after a mere 40 seconds. The compact device is compatible with tap water, which takes the stress out of having to track down distilled water when on the go.

When temperatures start to soar, you or a friend on your list will want the Torras Coolify Air, which launches a strong force of air to keep you cool. It cools with a fan that blows air up as well as down. It also has an air conditioning function that uses thermoelectric technology (often found in portable fridges, wine coolers, and small air conditioners) to cool a pad that presses against the back of the neck. This AC function is cooler than cold. It also comes with a heating function, useful in chillier weather.

Give the gift of peace of mind. This chirping alarm, easy to use and available in 10 colors, was our favorite travel product for safety. Remove the top of the device from the main body to trigger a piercing chirping sound and a flashing light. To stop the sound and light, put the top back on. The two replaceable CR2032 batteries last about 40 minutes, according to the company’s FAQ page. 

For the one with a long string of flights ahead of them this summer, a little support comes by way of a comfortable headrest. The Cloudz Microbead Travel Pillow is a good budget pick that’s light, soft, and supportive. The surface is comfortable to the touch. One side is warm, cozy, and plush, while the other is a cooler spandex for the best of both worlds. Of the three travel pillows we evaluated, this one offered the most support for the back of the head but didn’t provide as much side support, so if your head tends to lean to the sides when you sleep, it may not be the right choice for you.

For Alexandra Dorda, founder of Kasama Rum, this luggage tag is the perfect gift because it’s both stylish and useful. “I have the bright orange and pink versions, which help me identify my suitcases on baggage carousels around the world,” she says. These tags can be personalized with initials, which is a great way to make a gift feel a little extra special.

Catching shut-eye on a flight can be a whole lot easier with a sleep mask, and this budget-friendly version is one to consider. In our evaluation of the best sleep masks, CR editors found that this version blocked all light without pressing down uncomfortably against their noses. We tried the single-strap version, which kept the mask in place for most of our evaluators throughout the night. It felt luxurious despite the price.

For more options: Best Sleep Masks

For the traveler who loves the idea of documenting a trip in real time, a great notebook should go without saying. Moleskine’s soft cover version is available in a variety of sizes and bright colors, including a pocket-sized one that’s ready for all sorts of adventures. A matching ribbon bookmark is a sweet touch, while the elastic closure and expandable inner pocket are perfect for storing random knickknacks and small paper mementos.

Treat the traveler on your list with a book that’s sure to inspire future getaways. This one from Taschen explores dreamy destinations and hidden gems along the Mediterranean with vivid photos and wanderlust-inducing text.

Here’s a gift perfect for the outdoor enthusiast. This 1,000-piece puzzle depicts various scenes from iconic national parks across the U.S. Pair it with a plush throw and a mug for the ultimate cozy evening kit.

Vibrantly patterned pouches are one way to stay easily organized while traveling, and this three-piece set from Baggu is equal parts functional and attractive. The pouches are versatile and perfect for storing everything from swimwear and light coverups to tech accessories and beauty products. Oh, and they’re machine-washable, too. Choose from several fun colors and prints.

These Baggallini compression cubes are essential for Anne McAlpin, a travel pro. She considers the long cube option a favorite because of its clever design. It fits comfortably on the bottom of luggage in that awkward space between the handles. “Simply pack items, close the main zipper, and ‘compress’ down with the second zipper along the outside edge,” she says. “Voilà! Extra space!”

Clear panels on top make it a cinch to see what’s packed inside, while the ventilated mesh helps air circulate throughout the pack. The best part? These cubes can serve another purpose. “They are the solution to my sock drawer chaos,” McAlpin says.

While we didn’t evaluate these specific packing cubes, you can find a full list of the options we tried here.

Our evaluators found that these Veken Packing Cubes provide great bang for your buck. This set has the largest capacity among the cubes we tried, and you get eight different ones to stay organized: four small, medium, large, and extra-large, a laundry bag, a shoe bag, a toiletries bag, and an accessories bag. The laundry bag, in particular, is on the larger side, which can be a real asset when you’re on a longer trip.

A travel wallet that has plenty of room for cash and cards is another staple for McAlpin, who recommends this version from Pacsafe. Made from tech material that blocks RFID, this wallet is curved, so it’s more comfortable to wear in your front pocket, and it even has a small zip pocket for coins. (If you’re looking for a slim wallet instead, we have you covered here.)

When it comes to traveling with a wallet, McAlpin recommends keeping it in your front pocket because the back pocket is more easily accessible to pickpockets.

Traveling with a fully loaded wallet is hardly a good look. The Ekster Senate Cardholder is a CR Editor’s Choice for slim wallets. Its overall design and exquisite packaging make it a great gift. It has a very elegant-looking cash strap and single cardholder for bills on the outside, with the company’s logo emblazoned on the front and a slot on the outside for things like a MetroCard. The company includes an extra strap without the cardholder to slim things down even further, inside a very beautiful box.

For more options: Best Slim Wallets

After a long flight, this massager, made famous on TikTok, should come in handy. It falls in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing compared with other models we evaluated. The reviewer found that the nodes pressed into their neck in an uncomfortable way, but two others who tried it loved it, so you might find the massager is just right. When it came to heat, this massager really shines. It reaches temperatures of 109° F. You can use it on various body parts, and it even comes with a car adapter, making it a boon for road trips.

Staying hydrated while traveling is always a good idea. This Yeti water bottle is comfortable and easy to hold and carry, thanks to its textured underside. The bottle only requires one hand to open, and our evaluator was confident enough in its leakproof properties to slip it into a bag alongside her wallet and phone without worrying they would get wet. It was our top-rated bottle in our lab tests, too. We found that it still had ice after a 24-hour period and that it was one of the least damaged bottles when we dropped it down a flight of cement stairs.

For more options: Best Water Bottles

Whether it’s a session at the gym or an at-home class, a great yoga mat is essential to any routine and always appreciated. This versatile version is great for travel and can easily be toted from work to workout. Featuring a fair amount of cushioning, this mat dries quickly and has an excellent grip on the floor. 

For more options: Best Yoga Mats

Ironing out the kinks in your body while traveling just got a whole lot easier. The ultraportable Theragun Mini was one of the quietest massage devices we tested. It has a wedge-shaped handle and is one of the best devices for reducing problematic wrist postures. “I like the fact that it is small to hold, and I love how easy it is to use and charge,” said one user in a study conducted by CR. “It’s compact and easily transportable.” For overall portability and quietness, this could be a top choice.

For more options: 7 Massage Guns Evaluated