From shiny new luggage to trendy mini cameras, these gifts will impress any traveler. The best gifts for travelers occupy a particular sweet spot: they’re personal, but also useful enough to take up some precious carry-on space. The frequent flier in your life probably has much of their travel kit on lock, so they can be a tricky person to shop for. Your gift has to work that much harder: A clever piece of gear they never knew they needed, a skincare fix that makes their next long-haul flight a little more civilized, or a small luxury they may not consider buying for themself.
From smart tech to hard-working accessories, I’ve rounded up 50 thoughtful gifts travelers will genuinely want to pack on their next trip. These are the gadgets and gear they’ll appreciate every time, with options to impress every type of journeyer. Whether you decide to upgrade their luggage or help them capture their favorite travel memories with a curiously small camera, these gift ideas have you covered.
When it comes to luggage, Away is a solid choice—you can find this bag in the closets of many a Traveler editor. Treat the graduate, new traveler, or family member in need of a suitcase upgrade to this larger-than-average carry-on. Cuyana’s System Tote is the ultimate everyday bag. It’s great for city commutes or day trips when you need room for a laptop, wallet, and makeup bag.
Plus, the gorgeous leather only gets better
Plus, the gorgeous leather only gets better with age. Even the most seasoned travelers have been known to panic over the whereabouts of their checked luggage, and these affordable, highly portable trackers are an easy way to assuage those fears. The second generation came out this year, featuring more precise tracking and an even longer-lasting battery life. Kodak’s mini keychain camera fits in the palm of your hand, meaning the traveler in your life can bring it everywhere they go.
It also takes video, and offers a variety of different filters to bring a little ’80s whimsy to their shots. Traveler editors count the Oura Ring among one of those must-have accessories that every traveler can benefit from. It tracks sleep, activity, and recovery cycles, and can help wearers better understand the impacts that travel can have on their biological rhythms. For the itinerant coffee snob in your life who is often camping or skiing but refuses to compromise on a good cup of joe, the Aeropress is an ingenious, highly portable, high-quality brewing system.
Just add some hot water, pull its easy-to-use fuselage, and good coffee is seconds away, wherever they are. The coffee table book everyone in my circle has been talking about this year makes for a pitch-perfect gift. It provides a peek behind the curtain of some of the Northeast’s most beloved owner-operated inns, and is a reminder of all the things we love about travel in the first place.
Introducing the travel hair dryer that dreams
Introducing the travel hair dryer that dreams are made of: It’s packable and also packs a punch—designed to fit into the tightest of carry-ons and tame the wildest of manes. The new Tumbler 2 model from Ember features improved battery life and, mercifully, a dishwasher-safe design. It keeps beverages hot for three hours, so the slow-sipping traveler in your life can enjoy a hot drink all morning long.
The right shoes can make or break a travel experience, and these APLs are true workhorses. Not only do they have a sleek, machine washable design that will last for many journeys to come, they are also supportive and comfortable enough for long days spent on foot. Afform’s makeup bag keeps beauty products organized and secure. The standout feature here is the bag’s foldable shape.
After you unzip the bag, each side can be pulled down to lie flat, allowing you to easily see all of your products at once. It’s designed to keep each product in an upright position, again making them easy to spot and reducing the risk of any spills. Even the most frequent travelers struggle with jet lag. Enter: this tiny, highly portable device, which uses patented, NASA-backed science to emit a very specific wavelength of red light therapy (630nm, to be exact) which many travelers allege helps assuage jet lag.
The 28-minute protocol is easy to use,
The 28-minute protocol is easy to use, and purports to help you regulate circadian rhythms and fall asleep faster. (Personally, I’ve been using this one for months, and I love it.)
Say goodbye to chaos reigning inside your luggage, because these packing cubes are the difference between haphazard packers and professional travelers. They’re made from 100% ocean-recycled fabrics, and renowned for their durability.
Since 1883, American Optical has crafted some of the finest sunglasses in America worn by pilots, presidents, and even NASA crews in space. The Saratoga frame was made famous by JFK, and still has an all-American air about them that feels right for today. If a new travel backpack is what they need, go for this lightweight option from Away. A zippered laptop sleeve keeps tech secure, while a perfectly sized passport pocket keeps important documents organized.
This leather passport holder from Mark & Graham can be customized with your giftee’s initials. Its not only a thoughtful gift, but a practical one too. Skincare products can be intensely personal, but this beautiful introductory kit is a foolproof crowdpleaser. Its gentle yet efficacious products are especially good for New England enthusiasts and everyone’s inner coastal grandma—they are crafted by hand from botanicals grown just outside of Newport, Rhode Island.
A comfy robe is always a winner
A comfy robe is always a winner in our book, and Parachute makes some of the best. This classic waffle robe will remind them of days spend luxuriating at the hotel spa. This portable scanner lets you capture special images around any city and hold onto them forever. The wand-like device—which is about the size of a hair straightener—is nice and light, and lets you scan everything from graffiti art to cheeky fliers posted around the city.
If ever there was a status symbol water bottle, it’s this one—Japanese design, flawless materials built to last, and a lightweight construction. Made famous by Lorde, and soon-to-be beloved by the traveler in your life. Harvested from some of the oldest, most special olive trees in the world, Canaan Palestine partners with over 2,000 small family farms in the West Bank. The company also has a philanthropic effort, the Trees for Life Program, which distributes native trees and seeds to young family and women farmers across communities impacted by political challenges–so you can feel extra good about giving this extra virgin olive oil.
We could wax poetic about what our office has dubbed “the foot hammock,” but it all comes down to this: for those roughly 5’7″ and under, it’ll transform your in-flight economy experience. Sling it around your tray table and enjoy stretching out your legs (or curling up to sleep) throughout your next flight. Every organized traveler needs a good tech kit. We like Bellroy’s for its many pockets and loops that will fit any size cord and offer a safe place to stash AirPods, portable chargers, and work-from-anywhere accessories like a mouse or Wi-Fi extender.
A good sleep mask is a travel essential
A good sleep mask is a travel essential for overnight flights. This one is made of memory foam and has raised sections over your eyeballs for added comfort, but lies flat around the nose and eyebrows to thoroughly block out light. Amazon’s best-selling, waterproof Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for bookworm travelers—its battery lasts for weeks, it can hold more than 2,000 e-books, and the adjustable warm lighting emulates actual book pages.
Fragrance can be a tricky gift to pick out, but this sophisticated Maison Margiela eau de toilette is light enough to be a real crowd-pleaser. In fact, it doesn’t smell like a fragrance in the traditional sense at all—it captures the salt-kissed, sun-drenched freedom of a day at the beach. For travelers who just can’t find a neck pillow they like, consider gifting a travel-size pillow instead.
This one comes with the absolute softest pillowcase (it’s made of wood-based Tencel fabric), and is small enough to squish into a tote bag or backpack. It recently accompanied me on two 14+ hour flights, and I was very happy to have it with me. Travelers can always use a new pair of shoes, and Sabah is the quintessential vacation shoe. Crafted by hand in Gazientep, Turkey, they work with a variety of styles and only get better with age.
This weekender bag from Herschel is a nice
This weekender bag from Herschel is a nice option for business travelers. It features a super-soft, fleece-lined compartment that keeps your laptop safe and protected. Inside, there’s enough room for a few outfits and a Dopp kit. If you are new around here, we’re big on traveling with skincare pads, and Dr. Dennis Gross makes some of the best out there. They work like magic to imbue dull airplane skin with a dewy glow–and they even come in varying degrees of strength to suit your skin’s needs.
Never underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned set of pajamas—and Petite Plume does it well. They’re breathable yet cozy, and come in a wide array of colors and styles. When in doubt, go with the brand’s classic twill style. L.L.Bean’s Boat and Tote bag is a classic for a reason. It’s versatile enough for day trips, coffee runs, and shopping around a new city. Start your day off right with the help of the Hatch Restore 3 alarm clock.
It wakes you up to gentle, soothing sounds and mimics natural sunlight in your bedroom. And it looks so chic on your nightstand. We love a good fanny pack here at Traveler, and Patagonia’s is ideal for any frequent hikers (or bikers) on your gift list. Given its size—it stuffs into its own small pocket when not in use—and light weight (3.5 ounces), it’s great to throw into your suitcase to use on city trips, too.
It’s so hard to cut through the noise
It’s so hard to cut through the noise when gifting a candle—there are so, so, so many brands out there—but Hudson, New York’s Poured Candle Bar does it every time. We’re still not over its legendary August candle, which was a subtle nod to Taylor Swift’s song by the same name, scented with salt air and the rust on your door, naturally. As we head into the cooler months, the hand-poured Flames and Flannel captures an irresistible upstate vibe with winter trees, crisp cotton, and firewood.
Who doesn’t love a good Assouline coffee table book? These adorable notebooks are a great, portable alternative. They’re crafted with colorful, spirited destinations in mind and fabricated with high-quality paper designed to be carried around the world. Cult classic brand Nécessaire offers a giftable kit of mini-sized essentials that are perfect to slip through TSA in a carry-on.
The brand’s clean formulation is gentle enough for sensitive skin types, and its fragrances (we recommend Eucalyptus) are subtle enough to never offend your seat mates on the plane. Upgrade your giftee’s makeup kit with this gorgeous leather roll-up case from Cuyana. It has loops to hold four brushes (and a flip cover to keep powders from getting all over the place), a slip pocket, a slim zippered pocket, and a detachable zipper pouch.
This new release in Louis Vuitton’s beloved City
This new release in Louis Vuitton’s beloved City Guide series provides an elegant, insider take on the City of Angels. Expect insider tips for art, dining, and, of course, shopping. Noise-canceling headphones can improve any journey, whether they’re blocking out a snoring plane neighbor or immersing you in movie after movie on a long car ride. This popular option from Sony offers multi-device Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect to two devices at once and switch between them seamlessly.
Gadgets like these are a great way to keep things running smoothly when on the road. This multi-port charging station is a gift for the whole family—or for one very tech-obsessed traveler who need to juice up a phone, AirPods, smart watch, and Kindle all at once. Now that we all walk around with high-quality cameras in our pocket, fewer of our photos actually make it to print.
This pocket-size printer from Polaroid spits out vibrant 2″x3″ photos, so you can instantly hand over that new family portrait to grandma or share physical photos with a travel companion. For the friend who has started researching which cruise ships and hotels have pickleball courts, only the best gear bags will do. This nylon one from Tumi holds two paddles and a few balls, with room for a spare change of clothes or other accessories you want on hand.
Like the brand’s luggage, it’s tricked out
Like the brand’s luggage, it’s tricked out with helpful features—a key leash, an exterior slip pocket with a magnetic closure to hold your phone, and a hideaway hook to attach to a fence among them. Electrolytes are the secret to good hydration, and good hydration is the secret to feeling your best on the road. These individually packaged servings are perfect to take on their next long-haul flight—they have a moderate amount of sodium, a solid electrolytes profile, and come in great flavors that even picky drinkers will appreciate.
When it comes to working outside of your home, we all know how unstable Wi-Fi can be. Instead of struggling through Zoom meetings on an Airbnb’s outdated router or a hotel on a crowded line, invest in your own hotspot. This one has a better bandwidth than the one you find on your phone, lasts longer, and won’t run down your phone battery. This sound machine fits into the palm of a hand and weighs less than five ounces.
It’s perfect for travelers with small children or who find it hard to fall sleep in new environments. It has a rechargeable USB battery, features 10 different sounds, and has an easy-to-use timer setting. This is the ideal stocking stuffer for the traveler who is always squirreling away shampoo and body wash minis from hotels. They’ll be treated to a full swath of toiletries—face cleanser and moisturizer, body wash and lotion, shampoo, and conditioner—all with the delicious scents Malin + Goetz is known for.
Cozy, comfy, and every bit as soft
Cozy, comfy, and every bit as soft and plush as you’d expect, these socks are special enough to feel like a thoughtful gift. They’re perfect to keep toes warm on long-haul flights, or for lounging around the house between trips. This Ralph Lauren set is a travel accessory you’ll use again and again, especially when headed out on long flights for international travel. It comes with a large shawl that can be used as a blanket, a small pillow, and a soft eye mask—all made from cashmere.
A practical, but extremely useful travel accessory: hand sanitizer. Noshinku gets bonus points for its slim profile, aesthetically pleasing colors, and refillable design. File this under gifts that will most definitely be used.
Source: www.cntraveler.com
