The Best Travel Products For Your Carry-On Luggage

These work best with hand-washing.

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

These organizers come in a 3-pack.

Promising review:

“These travel pill cases are totally worth it! We are always out and about traveling, and this case helps keep the travel pharmacy organized! No more clunky pill bottles. The pill case is very sturdy and has a clasp that stays tightly latched. The compartments on the inside are easy to open with plenty of storage for pills. I was able to fit about 10 larger pills into the smaller compartments. It’s nice to have the larger compartments too. You can fit wrapped cough drops or other medications in those. Highly recommend!!” — Sydney Harsh

Promising review: “Must-have traveling accessory. Best way to pack a suitcase! I’ll never go back to stuffing everything in on its own. These compartments held way more than I imagined and kept me organized. I will definitely add more to my collection. Makes a great gift for frequent travelers too!” — Lisa

Promising review: “You can totally fit three pairs of shoes in this! (Women’s size 6.5 shoe, fit heels, wedges, and sandals.) I bought two and will absolutely be buying more for my husband. 10/10 would recommend! I travel frequently, and I always overpack; this helped cut down space and stress immensely!” —Taylor

It also easily attaches to backpacks and luggage handles, weighs less than half a pound, and is machine-washable.

Promising review: “I can’t stop recommending this pillow to all of my friends! It has let me comfortably sleep on flights that take place on the most uncomfortable airplane seats. On long flights, I always need to prop up my hand and I rest my head on it. But this method always ends with my arm falling asleep and I end up waking up every 30 minutes. Now this pillow provides that exact same support without needing my arms to prop me up! It’s small enough to fit in your bag and doesn’t take up much space.” — Simona Krifman

Promising review: “Best travel iron available. I travel so much and hotel irons are just unreliable no matter what clothes you use them on. This one is a champ; it has a steamer option and fits in your weekender bag or business luggage. Security inspected my carry-on and they couldn’t get over how small it was. Make this your travel go-to!” —Yesenia

Promising review: “We travel frequently and have two children. As any parent knows, packing for yourself and your children can be overwhelming (especially for a trip longer than a few days). I have found this list to be a lifesaver and I also give it as a gift for other traveling families. It is easy to plan, organize, and list out items that are easily forgotten. You can also list the quantity of each item needed. It has a variety of clothing options and space to add more. Overall, wonderful purchase and has likely saved me many forgotten items!” — I-really-bought-this

Promising review: “I first bought this for a week-long Croatian vacation last year when I did carry-on, and as long as you are thoroughly reapplying, this stuff stays on pretty well. On a beach club afternoon, I did haphazardly reapply and missed a strip on one arm, but I tend to do that with spray-on or lotion sunscreen, too. Since then, I’ve packed this for any trip I’ve been on, including a two-day Disneyland trip where I toted this around in my bag and shared with friends. I sometimes carry it with me in my purse on my everyday adventures because I know it’s so easy to apply. Also worth mentioning…I am about the palest lady you’ve ever seen and swear by daily application of sunscreen. But when on a beach trip, I’m constantly swimming in the water and sweating. So yeah, this stuff works. And if you’re a bit hesitant about jumping on the solid sunscreen bandwagon, you can pack a stick of this, knowing you have enough sun protection to get you through to finding some spray-on or lotion SPF at your destination.” — Elizabeth Lilly, Buzzfeed

Available in six colors.

Promising review: “iPhone users rejoice. This was the only portable charger I could find on the market that did not require a lightening adapter to charge an Apple product! I bought this for my fiancé since he spends long days on movie sets. This has been a life-saver. It charges fast and you get more than one charge out of it. This would be great for travel, long work days, bad service areas (eats up battery faster), or older phones whose battery isn’t that great (this worked on his iPhone 7 and my iPhone XR). It may require you to remove your phone case, but that’s an easy accommodation. Highly recommend!” — Kelly Schuetz

The charger can be used in Europe, the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Russia, Asia, Central America, South America and the Middle East.

Promising review: “If you travel a lot, especially internationally, this is a must-have because you have every kind of adapter on one plug and don’t have to worry about constantly buying a certain adapter every time you travel to a different country. This has it all.” — Abby Santiago

Promising review: “This is a MUST-HAVE!! I love this charging station – it literally is the best! I use it every day at home and bring it with me when I travel. It’s super functional and space friendly. I love how you can feel the magnetic connections to confirm that your device is attached and charging. I appreciate how you can fold it into a triangle to allow your phone to charge while you watch your favorite show too.” — Shawna Heck

This set includes four 3-ounce bottles for decanting your creams and liquids and freeing up space in your carry-on and spare you weight.

Promising review: “Just took a trip to the Dominican Republic and used carry-on luggage only throughout the entire trip, never once was questioned about the size. The bag they are in seems thin but it worked great to put bottles back in as well as some smaller items fit in the bag too, like lip gloss, mascara, and such. The holes are big enough to get your product in to the bottles without any complications. My fiancé and myself had plenty of shampoo, conditioner, sunblock and lotion for seven days. Highly recommend these bottles, they are perfect for carry-ons!!” — Stephanie Miller

Promising review: “Liquid unicorn magic for the clumsy. These were a lifesaver. I was walking to the bus and decided it was a great decision to drink coffee while walking. Like a scene from an infomercial, I spilled coffee all over my white shirt. Yes, the classic coffee on the white shirt. Luckily I had one of these in my bag (I put one in each of my most-used purses in anticipation of my clumsiness). I went into a store bathroom and quickly scrubbed the Tide To-Go on my shirt. All of the coffee blobs went away and once the awkward wet splotches dried up, my shirt was perfectly white again. You’ve got yourself a big fan, Tide.” — NAD

It comes with a case, one handle and one blade refill.

Promising review: “I got this for a vacation and it was great! The little carrying container is awesome, and keeps you from having a weird, loose razor floating around in your suitcase. Plus, the heads are the same as a regular-sized razor, so you can keep using it when that one is worn out!” —Tegan H

You can even pair two sets of headphones at once to the AirFly. They work on gym and gaming equipment, too. Twelve South is a husband-and-wife-owned biz based in Charleston, South Carolina! They’ve been designing accessories inspired by and made for Apple products since 2009.

Promising review: “Worked beautifully on a recent eight-hour flight from New York City to Frankfurt! Really easy to pair with my Bose noise-canceling earbuds and charges quickly. The sound quality was excellent. I’m so excited about this product that I’m going to buy one for each of my family members!” — emily p murray

It’s lead-, latex-, and BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and can be used for hot or cold drinks. Available in eight colors.

Promising review: “Well this is the coolest thing ever! I travel quite a bit, and I usually don’t take a bottle with me because they are big and bulky and I usually lose them! This collapsible water bottle is a perfect traveling accessory. It stays collapsed until after security, and then I fill it up for the trip. It’s a good size and fits in my side compartment in my travel backpack, and the cap screws in securely so I don’t have to worry about it opening accidentally and spilling all over the place. I follow the instructions on how to clean it and it works just fine.” — M. Lyons

Alleyoop is a woman-owned small biz that makes in easy-to-use, time- and space-saving products with multiple uses to simplify your beauty routine. This pen is available in three shades and includes an eyeliner, lip liner, highlighter and a brow pencil.

Promising reviews: “The only product you’ll ever need. I absolutely LOVE the Pen Pal, especially for travel. It’s so nice and convenient to have a tool for brows, highlighter, bronzing, eyeliner, and lip liner all in one. Sometimes you have to ‘warm up’ the liner a little bit on your skin but it’s so smooth and pigmented.” — theshirshow

“I didn’t realize I’d ever use a makeup product in my 20s that had the ability to transport me back to something I used in sixth grade, but here we are; and here I am using a multitool pen… for my face. I gotta say, I love the concept of the Pen Pal from Alleyoop! After using all of the functions (eyeliner, highlighter, lip liner, eyebrow pencil) and as someone who LOVES makeup but was applying as little as humanly possible during lockdown, I think it’s a great tool for anyone looking to streamline their routine. It’s ideal to use for touch-ups come the end of the work day, or a subtle, minimalist way to apply makeup in the a.m. The brow pencil is particularly soft and pigmented, and filled in my eyebrows quickly. I just adore the ease of application of each product, and appreciate the universal, does-it-all-for-you concept. Plus, it saves me so much room in my already overflowing makeup bag!” — Jasmin Sandal, Buzzfeed

Promising reviews: “Love this! Other lint rollers are horrible for traveling; they always stick to stuff or you have to put them in a resealable plastic bag. I loved this so much I even bought one for my daughter-in-law and her mom!” — Barbara

“Great to give, great to have! Giving this to my wife for a stocking stuffer since she really liked the one I had for travel. It’s a beautiful travel-hack item to ensure your black clothes stay lint-free (or animal hair-free). Rolls back up into its own casing and back in the bag. Done! SIMPLE!” — Andrew Marquez

Promising review: “The best thing for traveling ever!! I have to have espresso every morning and most small hotels and gas stations don’t have espresso coffee so this is perfect! Easy to use. The cleaning takes 30 seconds; just rinse with water and let it dry.” — Joanna Verdeja

Promising review: “This is incredible! I can’t believe how well this works! I travel a lot for work and usually take makeup remover wipes because of the liquid restrictions for travel, but they are expensive and heavy. I have been using this cloth all week and LOVE IT! A bit of warm water and everything comes off in a few easy swipes. I am super excited to travel with this. It weighs nothing and rolls up to take very little space. I am ordering another for my mom who also travels. Highly recommend!” — KT

Promising review: “I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra-long-haul trip and it more than held up the entire duration. I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table. It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers. However, I find myself using it a lot outside of travel, too! Work-wise, I’ve clamped it onto my office desk shelving to hold my phone at eye level beside my computer. At home, I simply clamped it to a deck of cards and it turns into a versatile stand that I can place on any flat surface. Heck, I’ve been using it to hold my phone comfortably at eye level while watching videos in bed. It’s extremely well-built and I find myself fidgeting with it all the time. Thus far it still feels solid and I don’t anticipate breaking it any time soon. Even if it does break, I’ll be happy to buy another one or two of it!” — Earendil

Available in 8GB and 16GB sizes and in three colors.

Promising review:

“I LOVE reading and being able to access a book anywhere with this thing. It is easy to navigate, very easy to read and adjust the brightness or how warm the light is. It doesn’t auto adjust, but I don’t need that feature. I’ve read in bright sunlight to dark rooms, and it’s always been so clear. You can adjust the font and use the library to search whatever books you want. Makes packing books for traveling very easy. Battery life lasts me two weeks if I’m reading every day for a few hours. You have to have internet and it only shows books. This is not a tablet to surf the internet or use other apps on.” — R@L0

It’s also microwave-safe! Note that the 12-ounce size does not include a straw, but both the 16-ounce and 24-ounce sizes do. Available in four sizes and in 24 colors. Stojo is a small biz founded by three New York dads who wanted a better way to get their convenient coffee fix without all the waste. Now they make stylish collapsible essentials in a variety of sizes and colors, including bottles and food storage containers.

Promising review: “This is of the first zero-waste swaps I made and I’ve never looked back. If you buy to-go coffee – whether you’re jet-setting or just grabbing a mid-day pick-me-up — this cup is a must-have. So long as you remember to bring it, it’s all the convenience of to-go coffee with none of the waste. It’s leakproof and, when you’re all done, it collapses down teeny tiny and can be tossed back in your bag. Oh! And it comes with a straw, so all you iced coffee lovers can get in on the action, too.” — Danielle Healy, Buzzfeed

Available in 13 colors and three sizes.

Promising reviews: “This bag is amazing. Tons of space. I am an elementary school teacher, and normally have about 3-4 bags I haul around. I originally bought this to be a gym bag, but now it’s my everyday commuter bag. It holds my laptop, snacks, chargers, paperwork, lunchbox, portable speaker, and a bunch of random teacher things. I love the protection of having the zipper against your back so there’s no wondering if someone is opening your bag behind you. Super sturdy, waterproof, oh, and the straps are SO COMFORTABLE! Like, for real, better than any backpacking backpack. 11/10″ — Brianna M.

“My go-to bag for travel. As someone who is vehemently against checking in bags at the airport, this Go-Bag is the perfect item. Easy to transport and small enough to be taken as a carry-on, yet still spacious for all your essentials.” — David C.

Available for pant sizes 20″–50″ and in seven styles.

Promising review:

“Wore this belt on a recent 10-day trip, with several hundred dollars neatly folded in its full-length zippered pocket. The bills (USD) had to be folded lengthwise, in thirds, and for practical reasons, in stacks of 4–5 (or less). My belt had room for four such stacks, so theoretically $2,000 could be comfortably carried in complete concealment. The nylon buckle was perfectly adequate for its purpose, and nothing about the belt would indicate its hidden purpose. Well worth it.” — Tony B.

Available in two sizes and nine colors.

Promising review:

“Best jewelry travel pouch ever. Plenty of room for all my travel jewelry needs. Half the size of previous pouches I have tried and holds more than any of them.” — T Rex Mom

The card includes an eyeglass screwdriver, letter opener, nail puller, ruler, bottle opener, can opener, box opener, cellphone stand, hex-head nut and bolts, screwdrivers, and a fruit peeler. Reviewers said it is TSA-approved, but some had to remove it from their bag and put it on the belt by itself just to be safe.

Promising reviews: “This is definitely helpful to have on hand! The Ninja is small and slim but punches above its weight class in terms of usefulness. The tools are all things you might find yourself searching through a drawer for and are useful in a pinch. It fits comfortably in your wallet and will help you open a beer or tighten a screw. The coolest feature that I couldn’t find on most other similar products was the credit card phone stand. It is great for planes and other travel applications (I haven’t had trouble bringing this on a plane anywhere I have traveled, FYI).”— Mary

“I bought this as a gift for my husband. I can’t tell you how many times this little card has come in handy. We take it with us when we travel and we always end up using it.” — Andy Aguirre

Promising review: “I was skeptical at first about how well this little noise machine would work in my hotel room (I am a frequent business traveler). However, skepticism gave way to satisfaction. This little sound machine blocked out hotel noises very well and helped me sleep through the night. For a little machine, it provides very good volume and different noise options. I highly recommend this product!” — Amazon customer