To crib a line from William Morris, the 19th-century British designer, you should never give a gift that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful. Thankfully, Afar’s favorite travel gifts not only combine substance and style but also include another important element of gift-giving: good value. From a packable duffel made from recycled water bottles to a cheeky luggage tag, here are 33 travel gift ideas that cost under $100 each.
This bag has a Mary Poppins–like capacity and can fit a day’s worth of essentials, including your wallet, keys, phone, earbuds, and a book.
Courtesy of Uniqlo
1. Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag
Buy now: $20, uniqlo.com
Uniqlo’s viral Round Mini Shoulder Bag appears on travelers everywhere from London to New York to Tokyo. It’s a popular pick for good reason: The bag is made with a dirt-resistant nylon fabric, fits daily essentials without being too big, and can be worn on the shoulder or as a crossbody. Choose from neutral beige and black as well as colorful yellow, purple, and pink.
This travel-size first aid tin can be refilled and reused.
Courtesy of Welly
2. Welly Quick Fix First Aid Kit
Buy now: $8, getwelly.com
For cuts, scrapes, bruises, and other mini-emergencies on the go, Welly’s Quick Fix First Aid Kit is a portable tin filled with fabric bandages in two sizes and three packets each of antibiotic ointment and single-use hand sanitizer. It makes a great stocking stuffer.
The Béis Mini Weekender Bag is a perfect grab-and-go bag for any adventure.
Courtesy of Béis
3. Béis Mini Weekender Bag
Buy now: $98, beistravel.com
The Béis Mini Weekender can be used as a personal item in-flight or as an overnight bag with room for a laptop, toiletry pouch, and a spare outfit. Plus, it has a separate shoe compartment to keep dirty footwear away from clean clothes. The bag is available in nine stylish shades including olive green and maple brown—or you could splurge a bit for limited-edition striped patterns ($114).
This laptop case is built like your favorite outdoor gear—durable and waterproof.
Courtesy of Matador
4. Matador Laptop Base Layer
Buy now: $60, matadorup.com
From reusable toiletry bottles to packable beach blankets, Matador makes some of the most durable travel accessories out there. This padded laptop case is no different. Suitable for 13- to 16-inch laptops, it comes with an inner drybag liner that can be rolled over and secured for waterproof protection. Plus, there’s an external pocket to store a charger and a mouse.
Get this travel journal for the writers in your life.
Courtesy of Papier
5. Papier Travel Journal
Buy now: $38, papier.com
This hardback travel journal is equipped with 192 pages of prompts, games, a packing guide, and room to document up to six journeys—including space for notes on transport, accommodations, budgets, packing lists, and itineraries. (It really comes in handy when you’re trying to give your friends recommendations later.) The journal also has an illustrated map of the world to color in as you go.
6. Aesop Arrival Travel Kit
Buy now: $43, aesop.com
Add some luxury to your loved one’s toiletry bag with Aesop’s Arrival Travel Kit, which includes four travel-size bottles of the Aussie brand’s fan-favorite shampoo and conditioner, geranium leaf body cleanser, and rind concentrate body balm, which has an invigorating citrus scent.
Coziness is key this winter.
Courtesy of Bombas
7. Bombas Gripper Slippers
Buy now: $48, women’s, bombas.com; men’s, bombas.com
Nobody wants to pack a full pair of slippers when they travel, but cold feet can put a damper on a cozy cabin getaway. Regular socks may suffice in a pinch, but this pair of slippers comes with special grippy bottoms to prevent slipping and sliding. Also available in youth, toddler, and baby sizes, starting from $18. For a little bit of personality, adult slippers are also available in more colorful patterns.
Don’t worry about your personal item sliding off your roller bag ever again.
Courtesy of Cincha
8. Cincha Travel Belt
Buy now: $40, cinchatravel.com
These colorful belts allow travelers to secure any type of personal item to a suitcase handle so it doesn’t slide off while maneuvering through the airport. Here’s how it works: Simply slip the elastic loop of the belt over the handle of your carry-on and snap its buckle around the front of your personal item. The belt is made with vegan leather accents and is adjustable to 45 inches to accommodate even the most overstuffed tote bag. Plus, for every belt sold, Cincha donates 100 airline miles to Miles4Migrants to help reconnect migrant families.
This beanie and glove set for kids made Oprah’s Favorite Things list in 2023.
Courtesy of Amazon
9. Roq Innovation Headlightz Kids LED Beanie and Glove Set
Buy now: $36, roq-innovation.com, amazon.com
Great for après-ski s’mores by the fire or a post-sunset family snowshoe hike, these beanie-and-glove sets made Oprah’s 2023 Favorite Things List. The coolest feature is the beanie’s built-in rechargeable LED headlamp, which can be adjusted to three different brightness levels (including an emergency blue and red strobe). You may recognize Roq Innovation founder Raquel Graham from her successful stint on Shark Tank, and you can tell she’s a mom from the gear’s design: Her products are made to not be itchy or bulky, and the Headlightz series comes in five vibrant colors (purple, orange, blue, green, red) that look like candy.
10. CalPak Car Organizer
Buy now: $98, calpak.com
A road trip essential, CalPak’s Car Organizer is equipped with three compartments to keep clothing, snacks, and games organized. The container can go in the backseat or in the trunk and has handles for easy transportation in and out of the car. We love the limited-edition colorways, including a snazzy cheetah print and a cute daisy pattern.
The Rumpl NanoLoft travel blanket packs down to the same size as a water bottle.
Courtesy of Rumpl
11. Rumpl NanoLoft Travel Blanket
Buy now: from $85, rumpl.com
Know someone with a red-eye flight booked? The Rumpl NanoLoft Travel Blanket is the closest you can get to bringing a sleeping bag on an airplane—minus the bulk. When stuffed into its included carry sack—just like a packable jacket—the puffy blanket is the size of a Nalgene water bottle and weighs only 0.7 pounds. Use its “Cape Clip,” a simple loop and clasp on two corners, to secure the blanket loosely around your neck so it doesn’t slip off your shoulders while you’re sleeping. This also means you’re free to use your hands to sip tiny bottles of airplane wine or adjust your seat-back movie screen without sacrificing any coziness.
This luggage tag is useful, yet cheeky.
Courtesy of Genuine Fred
12. “Tripping” Luggage Tag
Buy now: $10, genuinefred.com
This luggage tag is a trifecta of gift perfection: It’s useful, beautiful, and just plain funny, too. The pastoral scene emblazoned with the word “TRIPPING” is the work of multimedia artist Wayne White, who’s known for his Emmy-winning art direction on Pee-wee’s Playhouse in the late ’80s. He’s designed a similarly saucy “FOMO” passport wallet ($15), if you’d like to complete the set.
This dopp kit opens up wide so you don’t have to dig for your toiletries.
Courtesy of Bellroy
13. Bellroy Toiletry Kit Plus
Buy now: from $69, bellroy.com
This toiletry kit has a smart zippered design that allows you to open the bag wide and easily grab items. It can be wiped clean and has ample storage space, including a separate compartment for your toothbrush.
This waterproof duffel from Rains comes in the metallic blue seen here, as well as black, gray, and pink.
Courtesy of Rains
14. Rains Hilo Weekend Bag Small
Buy now: $95, us.rains.com
The highly water-resistant Rains Hilo Weekend Bag Small can fit overnight essentials with 18 liters of storage space. This bag also has a detachable shoulder strap and comfortable webbed carrying handles.
These TSA-approved reusable toiletry bottles come with built-in labels so you never confuse body lotion for conditioner.
Photo by Hannah Rosa Lewis-Lopes
15. Ries Essential Travel Bottles
Buy now: $18, ries-ries.com
Cut back on plastic waste by skipping those tiny, disposable toiletry bottles. Instead start decanting liquids like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and sunscreen into reusable travel-size containers like the 1.7-ounce or 3.4-ounce bottles from Ries, a Black woman–owned brand. Afar’s former newsletter editor Maliah West recommends the brand’s Mini Duo Starter Set ($30), which comes with a pair of 1.7-ounce bottles that have a locking system to ensure a spill-free experience.
The Go Pouch Set comes in a variety of fun colors and patterns.
Courtesy of Baggu
16. Baggu Go Pouch Set
Buy now: $40, baggu.com
Baggu’s Go Pouch Set includes three all-purpose pouches that are essential for keeping your bags organized. The small one is perfect for stashing your keys, Airpods, and lip balm, while the medium doubles as a toiletry bag. The large is big enough to use as a packing cube for clothes. New patterns are released frequently, and the current lineup includes phases of the moon and constellations, Hello Kitty and Friends, gingham, and Snoopy in a puffer coat.
This clever device allows you to watch movies on airplanes with wireless headphones.
Courtesy of Twelve South
17. Twelve South Airfly Pro
Buy now: $35, twelvesouth.com; amazon.com
You can use your wireless headphones to watch movies on in-seat screens on airplanes when you have the Twelve South AirFly Pro wireless transmitter. It plugs into the headphone jack in airplane seats and sends audio signals via Bluetooth to up to two pairs of headphones. (It also works as an AUX IN adapter in a rental car.) It has a 25-hour battery life and is roughly the size of a matchbox.
A little dab goes a long way.
Courtesy of Blue Lagoon Iceland
18. BL+ The Cream
Buy now: from $85, us.skincare.bluelagoon.com
Dry airplane air wreaks havoc on your skin. Prevent that by layering on an ultra-rich face cream like BL+ The Cream from Blue Lagoon Iceland, which is made with microalgae and silica sourced from the same geothermal source as those famous blue pools. The travel-friendly 15 mL pot may be pricey—but a little goes a long way and makes a luxurious gift.
Dogs deserve holiday gifts, too!
Courtesy of Springer Pets
19. Springer Classic Dog Travel Bottle
Buy now: $25, springerpets.com; amazon.com
If your favorite travel companion is your pet, you’ll want to invest in this ingenious water bottle, which was featured on Shark Tank. Made from BPA-free plastic, it’s a drip-free way to keep them hydrated without having to pack a separate bowl for your flight or road trip. The 22-ounce bottle has a built-in bowl on top: Squeeze to fill the vessel with water and let your dog drink, then release to allow the water to drain back into the bottle section below. The bottle also comes in mini (15 ounce), flip (20 ounce), and growler (44 ounce) sizes, all with attached carabiners for easy carrying.
The toiletry cases’ clear sides make it simple to see if you’ve forgotten anything while packing.
Courtesy of Paravel
20. Paravel Cabana See-All Vanity Case
Buy now: $95, tourparavel.com
Crafted from two recycled water bottles per bag with recycled vegan leather details, Paravel’s vanity case is spacious enough to hold all of your travel toiletries and has see-through side panels for keeping its contents easily visible. There’s a smaller version available for $75, and its four available colorways match the brand’s Cabana tote and luggage pieces if you want to assemble a chic cohesive set.
The labels on top of Cadence Capsules are magnetic and can be customized, so you’ll never lose track of what’s inside.
Courtesy of Cadence
21. Cadence Capsules
Buy now: from $14, keepyourcadence.com
Made from recycled ocean-bound plastic, these capsules from AAPI-owned brand Cadence help eliminate the need to buy miniatures of your favorite travel toiletries. Simply dispense up to 2.75 ounces of your favorite face wash, moisturizer, etcetera, into each capsule from the larger bottle you keep at home. They’re seriously leak-proof, too. Sold in sets or individually in three different sizes, each hexagonal capsule magnetically attaches to the others so you can build a honeycomb of sorts, and they come in soothing hues like lavender and eucalyptus.
This portable flashlight for kids is solar powered.
Courtesy of Studio Olafur Eliasson
22. Little Sun Original Solar Lamp
Buy now: $33, amazon.com
Designed by Icelandic Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, this portable, flower-shaped solar lamp can be used as a nightlight or worn around the neck as a flashlight. Little Sun is on a mission to provide clean energy solutions to places without electricity, and it uses proceeds from sales to fund donations. Since its founding in 2012, the company has distributed more than 1.6 million Little Sun products to places like sub-Saharan Africa.
This travel mug is road-trip ready.
Courtesy of Yeti
23. Yeti Rambler Straw Mug
Buy now: from $38, yeti.com
Drinking water out of a regular screw cap bottle while driving is not only frustrating—it’s dangerous. Yeti’s Rambler Straw Mug is designed to fit into all cup holders and comes with a reusable straw lid so you can easily take a swig without taking both hands off the wheel. Available in a 25-ounce, 35-ounce, or extra-large 42-ounce style and more than a dozen seasonal and core colors, this travel mug is also great for iced coffee runs.
Packing is way easier with these compression cubes.
Courtesy of Thule
24. Thule Compression Packing Cubes
Buy now: $45 for two, thule.com; rei.com
Once you try packing cubes, you’ll be hard-pressed to go back. Some of our favorites are Thule’s Compression Packing Cubes, which are made with Bluesign-approved ripstop nylon that is water-repellent, ultra-durable, and manufactured with minimal impact on the environment. A set of double YKK zippers allows you to close the cube and then zip it even tighter to eliminate extra air and reduce bulk.
This quarter-size gift will prevent headaches over lost bags in the future.
Courtesy of Apple
25. Apple AirTag
Buy now: $29, apple.com; $25, amazon.com
Travelers who are staunchly Team Checked Bag need an Apple AirTag tucked into their stockings. This Bluetooth tracking device is the size of a quarter and can be stowed away in luggage and tracked through Apple’s Find My network (just like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods). Lost bags will be a thing of the past.
The Trtl Travel Pillow is also available in a smaller size for kids.
Courtesy of Trtl
26. Trtl Travel Pillow
Buy now: $60, trtltravel.com; $65, amazon.com
Can you put a price on a good night’s sleep on an airplane? Yes, if you pick up a Trtl Travel Pillow. Ergonomically designed to prop your head up using a lightweight padded frame wrapped in fleece, this invention provides neck support without the bulk of a traditional travel pillow. Any qualms about looking silly instantly disappear after your first restful in-flight snooze sans neck stiffness.
Those earbuds can get mighty dirty out on the road.
Courtesy of Kikkerland
27. Kikkerland Earbud Cleaning Kit
Buy now: $10, kikkerland.com
A practical stocking stuffer, this travel-size tin is equipped with everything needed to give earbuds a well-deserved deep clean—including soft bristle brushes, cleaning swabs, a spray bottle, and cleansing wipes. It packs away into a well-designed container that’s about the size of an Altoids tin.
With a collapsible heel, Teva camp shoes are perfect for taking on and off quickly.
Courtesy of Teva
28. Teva ReEmber Camp Shoes
Buy now: $80, teva.com; rei.com
Teva ReEmber slip-ons are ideal travel shoes. Thanks to a collapsible heel, they can be worn either as a snug sneaker or a chill clog everywhere from TSA security lines to cozy campfires. Sustainably crafted with recycled materials, these shoes also come in a more rugged Terrain model with a heavier-duty sole.
Even if you customize the Paravel Fold-Up Bag with an embroidered monogram, this gift still comes in under $100.
Courtesy of Paravel
29. Paravel Fold-Up Bag
Buy now: $75, tourparavel.com
Made from 22 recycled plastic water bottles, Paravel’s ultra-light nylon bag collapses and zips down neatly into a small pouch when not in use. It’s a suitable gift for both notorious overpackers who always need a spare bag to bring home souvenirs, as well as for minimalists searching for a new weekender that takes up virtually zero closet space. That said, it holds so much more than you’d expect.
Each travel-size bottle has 200 mg of caffeine to get you through any early morning flight.
Courtesy of Explorer Cold Brew
30. Explorer Cold Brew Travel-Size Bottles
Buy now: from $50, explorercoldbrew.com
Between bitter beans and suspect water, the coffee served on airplanes is never satisfying. Thankfully, LGBTQ-owned Explorer Cold Brew scaled down its bottles of single-origin cold brew coffee concentrate to a travel-friendly two ounces and sells them in gift packs of 12, 24, 36, 48, 96, and 192 bottles. To enjoy good coffee at 30,000 feet, simply mix a two-ounce bottle of the cold brew concentrate with water (or milk) over ice and enjoy. For every box of cold brew purchased, Explorer Cold Brew funds clean water access for someone in need through Charity: Water for an entire month.
Have your favorite travel quotes made into a cherished piece of jewelry.
Courtesy of Chocolate & Steel
31. Chocolate & Steel Travel Quote Necklaces
Buy now: from $54, chocolateandsteel.com
Los Angeles–based artist Christine Street handcrafts these sleek quote pendants in gold or silver, using recycled metals (her company also donates a portion of its earnings to a rotating roster of environmental and human-rights nonprofits). She’s got a range of phrases to choose from that tap into the myriad inspirational reasons we travelers travel, from “The mountains are calling and I must go” (John Muir) to “I don’t know where I’m going, but I promise it won’t be boring” (David Bowie) to “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” (Helen Keller). She’ll also do custom quotes if you’ve got another saying in mind, and can add tiny charms or ethically sourced gemstones (plus (There are several other collections, including a Pride Collection that donates proceeds to the Trevor Project.) Afar’s executive editor Billie Cohen is a fan and has a necklace stamped with Hunter S. Thompson’s line “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” “It’s something I’ve repeated to myself ever since I was a teenager who suffered panic attacks when I got too far from home,” she says. “Now I wear it every time I travel.”
Itzy Ritzy bags are an eco-friendly way to carry snacks, toiletries, and small other items you need to pack.
Courtesy of Itzy Ritzy
32. Itzy Ritzy Travel Happens Reusable Sealed Wet Bag
Buy now: $18, itzyritzy.com
“I angled for this reusable sealable wet bag at a white elephant gift swap one holiday season, and it’s pretty much become the most-used travel gift that I have ever gotten (or stolen),” says Cohen. It’s cotton on the outside and lined with a thick BPA-free plastic on the inside that makes it not only waterproof but easy to clean. Throw toiletries or wet clothes in it, use it as a snack bag, or stow your wallet and tech inside at the beach or when it rains. The bag comes in a bunch of cute patterns and has a snappable strap so you can hang it on a towel bar or a beach chair. If it gets dirty, just toss it in the wash and air dry.
There is nothing that will give you new life after a long day of travel like a sweet scent-infused scrub.
Courtesy of Soft Services
33. Soft Services Buffing Bar
Buy now: $33, softservices.com
Time to level up your soap game: These buffing bars from Brooklyn company Soft Services slough a day of travel away thanks to superfine sanding crystals. Bonus: The bars smell incredible. “My favorite scent is the Debaser, a crossover with Brooklyn-based perfumery D.S. & Durga that has notes of fig and tonka,” says Afar’s deputy editor Katherine LaGrave.
This story was originally published in 2021 and is updated annually. It was most recently updated on October 30, 2024 ,to include current information. Nicholas DeRenzo contributed reporting to this article.
