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PEOPLE Editors’ Travel Must-Haves
When putting together our first-ever Travel Awards, PEOPLE editors road (and air, and sea) tested countless products, from smart suitcases to flight socks to laundry spray. We named our winners in every category right here, but we also fell hard for lots of other products that changed the way we pack, fly and vacation for the better.
Here are some of our favorites!
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Roam Globetrotter Suitcase
“I loved this suitcase. It’s very lightweight, rolls like a breeze, and I easily fit a week’s worth of clothes for both myself and my boyfriend (granted, we pack light, but there was space leftover — it holds a lot). It closed easily and had a really convenient and easy-to-use lock built into the zipper.” – Shay Spence, Food Editor
Buy It! $550; roamluggage.com
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Mark & Graham Ripstop Duffel
“For a small duffel, this fits a lot, and it was made for over-stuffing, but the zipper stays extra secure. Because of its 90s feel, I kind of felt like Donna Martin carrying around her gym bag and the waterproof material makes it easy to clean. I spilled foundation on it (of course I did), and it immediately came out with makeup wipes.” –Brittany Talarico, Style Editor
Buy It! $79-$99 with a free monogram; markandgraham.com
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Ostrich Pillow Original
“Yes, I know this pillow looks like it might be embarassing to wear, but trust me, it’s insanely comfortable. I fell asleep within 5 minutes of wearing this thing on my plane. If you can get past the laughs from your fellow passengers, you might just have the most comfortable plane-sleep of your life. And if you are too ashamed to actually put it on your head, it’s just as comfortable leaned up against a window.” –Madison Roberts, Home + Travel Editorial Assistant
Buy It! $99; ostrichpillow.com
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Timbuk2 Stack Packing Cubes
“These look nice, and have a breathable mesh portion so I didn’t feel as gross putting dirty gym clothes back in them. They’re expandable and the zippers are smooth. Plus, the larger one has a handle on top which I ended up using when taking out the cube or putting it in my suitcase. They’re truly the right sizes, and I could jam a ton in the larger one without it taking up too much real estate in my suitcase. The smallest one was nice from an organizational standpoint in that it was the right size to fit two whole outfits or all of my tops for a trip.” –Zoe Ruderman, Editor of PEOPLE.com
Buy It! $49.99; timbuk2.com
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State Everett Toiletry Case
“I’ve always been a two-toiletry-bag traveler — one for essentials (shampoo, face wash) and one for just-in-case stuff (band aids, medicine). But this sizable and sturdy piece fits everything I need and has plenty of zips and pockets to keep it organized inside. It’s even split into two sections so I can maintain my time-tested system.” -Mackenzie Schmidt, Home + Travel editor
Buy It! $65; statebags.com
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Love Home & Planet Re-Wear Dry Wash Spray
“This had a nice, not-too-overpowering scent and definitely felt like a refresher on my clothes. I’m not sure I would bank on it for more than one or two re-wears, but it’s definitely nice. The one downside: it doesn’t come in travel-size, so you can only pack it when you check a bag or for a road trip. –Shay Spence, Food Editor
Buy It! $7; target.com
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The Laundress Travel Pack
“Complete with a crease release spray, fabric fresh spray, delicate wash and a stain remover, this set has everything you need to give your clothes a refresh while away from home. The fragrances aren’t too overpowering, but make your clothes feel clean, and the laundry bag helps separate your dirties. –Madison Roberts, Home + Travel Editorial Assistant
Buy It! $52; thelaundress.com
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Aeither Large Welded Duffle
“Heartier than your typical overnight bag, this is a great option for trips where a rollerboard suitcase doesn’t make sense (think: when jamming stuff into the back of a car or traversing any terrain tougher than an airport terminal). The large size is suitable for a week-long trip, but there’s also a smaller (and more affordable) version for shorter stints.” – Mackenzie Schmidt, Home + Travel Editor
Buy It! $250; aetherapparel.com
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Drybar Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer
“I have the full-sized DryBar blowdryer and this is just as good! It’s super powerful and gets really hot for being so tiny. It dried my hair super quickly, and I have a ton of hair. I love the cute bag it comes in and appreciated that you still get two diffusers and a spare filter despite it being a mini version. I never prioritize packing a blow dryer because I usually just use the hotel’s, but this one converted me.” –Ana Calderone, Associate Food Editor
Buy It! $135; drybar.com
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Calpak Packing Cubes 5-Piece Set
“I have always been skeptical of packing cubes, as I was not convinced they’d make that much of a difference or save space, but I loved these. They kept me so organized and made it easy to look fo rthings even while in the hotel. They were lightweight and accessible. I liked that they were partly mesh so you can see through them, and the top handle was really convenient.” –Sarah Ball, Market Editor
Buy It! $48; calpaktravel.com
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Lululemon Out of Range Duffel
“I used this for a super short, 36-hour trip, and I loved it. It fit my clothes (which included normal clothing and workout gear) easily, has tons of pockets (more than I knew what to do with) and even comes with a dirty laundry bag. Best of all, it’s super lightweight. I had to carry it to work in Lower Manhattan from Queens and the weight never bothered me, which is usually by biggest annoyance with weekenders and duffels. It also has a nice rubber bottom so I wasn’t afraid of putting it on the subway floor.” –Julie Mazziotta, Writer/Reporter
Buy It! $158; lululemon.com
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Brooklinen Mulberry Silk Eye Mask
“I have a large head, so I’m often weary of eye masks with elastic bands. They tend to squeeze around my head and tighten around my eyes. But this mask was great, and never squeezed or pinched. The silky fabric felt soft and smooth on my skin — so much so that I barely noticed it was there. But my favorite thing is that it covers more surface area to block out the light because it’s so large. With other masks I’ve tried, light can peek in through the sides or the bottom, but this generously-sized mask solves that problem completely, blocking out the light from all corners.” –Sonal Dutt, Food & Lifestyle Director
Buy It! $29; brooklinen.com
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TravelPro Platinum Elite 21″ Expandable Carry-On Spinner
“I’m a very strategic packer, so I fit about 12-days worth of clothes in here along with my toiletries. I definitely over-stuffed it, but the zipper and handle held up and I didn’t feel like the bag would rip. I really put the 360-degree spinning wheels to the test dragging it over London cobblestone and they were great. I took it on eight trains, and everything works how it should. I’m a fan!” –Maggie Malach, Staff Editor, Digital Platforms
Buy It! $300; travelpro.com
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Sephora Mini Blast Ionic Blow Dryer
“I have thick, long hair that takes around 20 minutes to dry, and this blow dryer did it in the same amount of time as my regular dryer — if not quicker. It’s pretty small, and fits in bags easily, but I do wish it was foldable or had a retractable cord. However, it’s much nicer than most travel blow dryers I’ve used, and it has a lot of power.” –Lindsay Kimble, News Editor
Buy It! $32; sephora.com
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Zippo Rechargeable Hand Warmer
“This was strangely useful. I had a 7 a.m. flight and it was perfect for warming my zombie hands as I waited for a Lyft, not to mention on the frigid plane ride. In my warm destination, the charger served me well, providing charge after charge for my iPhone.” –Elliot Stokes, designer
Buy It! $46; amazon.com
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Dagne Dover Hunter Toiletry Bag
“This bag is small but mighty. It looks so tiny that you think you won’t fit anything, but it stretches! It’s not all encompassing, but it fit all of my makeup and I like that the little Velcro pockets can come out so you can customize based on how organized you like your toiletries. I thought the material was high-quality, and I loved the look of it. This bag will last me a long time.” –Ana Calderone, Associate Food Editor
Buy It! $35; dagnedover.com
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Flight001 Spacepak Toiletry Case
“This bag fits everything — including bigger products like my electric toothbrush, deodorant and face lotion. It has a variety of zip pockets for keeping things like facial oils and lotions secure, netting and even smaller zips for travel-size toothpastes you worry might explode. It’s a little larger than toiletry bags I’ve used in the past, but it eliminates the need for any other type of dopp kit. I feel like I could pack for up to two weeks (maybe even a month!) in this bag, and although it takes up some real estate in your luggage, it’s easy to pack around.” –Brittany Talarico, Style Editor
Buy It! $45; flight001.com
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Eva NYC Mini Blow Dryer
“I have a lot of feelings about blow dryers, and I’ve always been skeptical of travel-sized ones, because I imagine it’s not possible for them to be able to dry my hair quickly. This hair dryer proved me wrong. It’s tiny, but dried my head of hair in the same amount of time as my massive hair dryer that weighs maybe 5 pounds (no joke). Plus, it comes in a cute metallic case with two different diffusers.” –Madison Roberts, Home + Travel Editorial Assistant
Buy It! $48; anthropologie.com
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Sonoma Lavender Solid Silver Sleep Mask
“I’ve never used an eye mask for traveling, but I would definitely use this again It’s super easy to transport since it’s flat and pliable, and it was really comfy and stayed in place. I was worried the lavender scent was going to be cloying and horrible (and make the guy next to me hate me!) but it was super subtle. As a bonus, I used it to keep my clothes smelling fresh.” –Maggie Malach, Staff Editor, Digital Platforms
Buy It! $21; nordstrom.com
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Flight001 Spacepak Undergarments
“These work super well in a suitcase. I love that they have two sides — one for clean and one for dirty — which solves my biggest problem when I travel. They also fit a lot more than I expected them to.” –Julie Mazziotta, Writer/Reporter
Buy It! $45; flight001.com
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