With sunshine on your mind, you're probably already preparing for your big summer getaway. But don't let busy airports and crowded planes keep you from enjoying the trip you've been looking forward to all winter long. Instead, put your mind at ease with a packing list full of some much-needed travel essentials.
To help you gear up for your next trip, TODAY contributor Sarah Eggenberger stopped by Studio 1A to share some must-have travel items and hacks. From refillable travel bottles to cozy compression socks, these products will help travel days run a lot more smoothly.
Keep reading to discover the best travel essentials to make your vacation planning easier.
Best travel essentials and hacks as seen on TODAY
This might look like a standard backpack, but when unzipped, the Calpak Terra Backpack opens up into a duffel for more packing space. But to keep your hands free at the airport, you can choose to hold the handles or wear it as a backpack for versatile styling.
“One of my favorite features is all of the compartments,” raves Eggenberger. “You can dedicate different sections to keep things organized, so you’re not digging around trying to find your license, charger or headphones at 35,000 feet.”
If you’re an overpacker, compression bags can come in handy. According to the brand, the pick above can save you up to 75% more storage space, so you have extra room for essentials and souvenirs.
“Most travel bottles leak, crack, or make it difficult to dispense thicker formulas. These feature an airless pump design that helps protect formulas, prevents leaks, and allows you to use every last drop,” explains Eggenberger. “They’re ideal for everything from a quick weekend getaway to an extended vacation, and they allow you to bring the products you already know and love,” she adds, without the concern of being stopped by TSA.
Your pill box deserves an upgrade! Compared to the basic plastic containers, Dorsey’s pill compact offers a stylish yet organized alternative to sort your medications and/or supplements.
“Compression socks are all the rage for frequent flyers, and there is a good reason for it,” says Eggenberger. “They use graduated compression, meaning they apply the most pressure near the ankle and gradually less pressure as they move up the leg, helping to support healthy circulation. For travelers, that can mean less swelling, less heaviness in the legs, and greater comfort during long flights or road trips.”
These Bombas compression socks were a recent Shop TODAY Travel Awards winner for their comfortable compression, available in varying styles, packs, and colors to best fit your needs.
More Bombas socks to shop below:
- Bombas Women’s Everyday Compression Ankle Socks, $20
- Bombas Women’s Everyday Compression Knee High Socks (15-20mmHg), $30
- Bombas Women’s Performance Compression Calf Sleeve (20-30mmHg), $32
Cabin air can make our skin feel tight or dry. Loops offers a variety of sheet masks that you can use en route or post-flight to revive the skin, from depuffing, hydration and more.
More travel essentials to shop
For an easy, no-frills, one-and-done outfit to wear when traveling, the jumpsuit above checks all the boxes. A "wrinkle-free" fabric, according to the brand, will keep you comfortable all day. Due to its tie waist and ability to be dressed up or down, just throw it on and go whenever you’re short on time.
This compact hair tool takes only one minute to heat up and provides one full hour of cord-free usage off a single charge. Get long-lasting curls while on the go without sacrificing too much space in your dopp kit.
Cover one large brush or a set of littles with these silicone protectors that easily slide on and off your brushes without ruining their shape.
Available in a number of colors, this 2-pack is well-loved by reviewers because of how easy it is to clean.
Think vacation will tear your favorite gamer away from their video games? Think again. This controller has versions compatible with both Android and Apple devices and allows them to play with ease while on the go.
Both of these controllers last up to 50 hours off of a single charge, ensuring enough game play for their next long flight or road trip.
If your bag doesn't include a slip-through sleeve allowing you to slide it over the handle of your suitcase, Cincha has got you covered with this travel belt.
It employs a strap to ensure that your bag stays in place, leaving you hands-free. It even tightens like an airplane seatbelt to secure your bag in place. It's available in a number of different colors and designs, including two lengths depending on the size of your personal item.
Are you team window or aisle seat? (Because let’s be honest, no one willingly chooses the middle seat). If you chose aisle, you might want to rethink your decision thanks to this product that gives you more space in the already-cramped seats.
This organizer slides into the airplane’s window fixture, holding two beverages, your phone and a pair of sunglasses with ease. Plus, it doesn’t take up much room in your personal item, as it folds up and fits in its own carrying pouch.
Traveling with kids? The mesh pockets on the seat in front of you are much too small to hold everything they need, so opt for this 4-pocket organizer that slides over the tray table and easily holds their favorite stuffed animal, tablet, water bottle, coloring books and more.
When you’re not using it as a catch-all for the flight, it becomes a drawstring pouch to hold everything together. Plus, it’s easy to clean as well — simply throw it in the wash with the rest of your clothes when unpacking.
If the hum of white noise lulls you to sleep, incorporate your nighttime routine into your takeoff routine with this headphones headband that utilizes Bluetooth technology to play music and sounds via your phone or tablet.
This easy-to-use headband has three buttons to power the headband and control the volume, plus it can last 14 hours on a single charge (making it great for longer flights!).
These unisex sneakers help minimize stress surrounding the security line, and they're also a Shop TODAY 2025 Sneaker Awards winner. If you (along with the rest of TikTok) are never sure on what the rules are at certain airports, save yourself the hassle of tying and untying your shoes with these slip-ons.
While they do have laces, you only have to tie them once to find your perfect fit, then they’re hands-free every time after that. Coming in either mesh or wool materials, they’re also available in 15 different colors.
This one-piece from Summersalt continues to be a go-to for many members of the Shop TODAY team. It’s free of all the features that make swimsuits sometimes a pain, including underwires, thick padding, clasps and additional straps. Available in a number of colors, patterns and a wide range of sizes (2-22), it’s also available in a long torso option that includes an extra inch and a half onto the body of the swimsuit.
What’s an item that you can use both on a treadmill and an airplane? This Bluetooth transmitter. It allows you to ditch the in-flight headphones and use your own wireless earbuds.
Simply connect it to your headphones, plug it in to the headphone port, then stream music, movies and shows per usual. It can also connect to two sets of headphones simultaneously, making it easy to watch a movie with children or a friend mid-flight.
As more people travel this summer, lost baggage is on the rise. Keep track of your luggage with Apple’s AirTags. After syncing the AirTag with your Find My map, place it in your bag so you can keep track of your luggage as it travels from point A to point B.
Whether you're team packing cubes or not, it’s no doubt that compression cubes will help you pack even more items than usual, which is great news if you're a chronic over-packer. Coming in a set of five, these cubes are a great travel hack to help keep your suitcase organized, especially if you're sharing a suitcase.
If you're looking to quickly de-wrinkle your clothing while traveling, this compact iron by Nori is a quick and easy option compared to the hotel iron. According to the brand, it irons, presses and steams clothing all-in-one.
Whether you have a lot of devices to charge or need to convert to a foreign outlet, this universal travel adapter will satisfy your charging needs while fitting in the palm of your hands. In addition to including six output ports, the adapter can charge devices in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and more but just a switch.
You won't get in trouble with the TSA by bringing your own reusable water bottle. You can also save on plastic and money by refilling at any airport water fountain. When full and expanded, this bottle fits up to 17 ounces of water and collapses down to under two inches when emptied, making it easy to throw in your carry-on.
Meet the expert
Our team features a range of qualified experts and contributors in our broadcast segments to reveal the latest trends, remarkable sale events and all things shopping across a variety of categories. Products were independently chosen by members of the Shop TODAY team, along with Sarah Eggenberger.
- Sarah Eggenberger is the Senior Editor-at-Large for NewBeauty and a TODAY contributor.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews and even use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
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