This article was created for eBay via Fractl in fall 2014.
If you’re a traveler or buying for one—and aren’t sure what to get beyond great luggage and a neck pillow—sit back and put up your tray table, because there’s a whole world of travel gadgets here to explore.
Electronics
Whether you want to get the best experience from your in-flight entertainment, or to simply get some quiet, noise reduction headphones are your ticket. These come at a variety of price points and in a variety of styles. Many users recommend styles that either fit inside your ear or completely go over your ear, as opposed to varieties that sit on top of your ear, to get the best effects.
Don’t leave your entertainment options purely to chance. Load up your tablet with whatever you really want to read, hear, or watch. Flights are a great opportunity to binge-watch your current favorite series or to re-watch a favorite movie.
If you have any concerns about motion sickness and prefer a drug-free approach, relief bands provide a natural alternative. They aim to work via acupressure, and are generally appropriate in any setting. They can also be used for car or boat travel, etc., as well as for morning sickness.
Beyond Luggage
Ironically, it’s never ideal to stuff a suit into a suitcase. A garment bag allows you to carry clothing items as you normally store them—on a hanger—to prevent wrinkling and rumpling. Garment bags are also the best way to transport many types of dresses, shirts, coats, jackets, etc. Look polished at your destination—not like you just stepped off a plane.
This retro form of luggage is ready for a comeback, for anyone who travels with hats, wigs, or anything else they’d like to keep uncrushed and separate from their other travel stuff. Vintage styles will lend travelers a bit of glamour, especially when paired with over-sized sunglasses.
It becomes an issue on every trip. Some of your clothing items are dirty, some are even dirtier, and some are even dirtier than that. The others, you’d rather keep clean, but they all have to go in the same suitcase.
Get yourself a laundry bag so you can separate your clean and dirty clothing within your suitcase. These come in varieties that are washable, and/or plastic lined, to ensure good containment of moisture and odor. Laundry bags can also serve as shoe bags.
Bonus: Putting your dirty delicates into a laundry bag is likely to gain you some discretion, in case you (or airport security) needs to rummage through your luggage in public.
Make it easy to flip open your ID and to find your cash, credit cards, and whatever other travel documents you need at your grasp. It’s better than juggling multiple items and forgetting which ones you left in which pants or bags.
You do not have to suffer with whatever toiletries are made available at your hotel. Just make sure you have the right size containers on hand to fill with your favorite products so that you stay within the TSA’s limits. Some kits even include a clear quart-size bag, so security personnel can approve your carry-on liquids at a glance.
Why is the thing that you need always lost at the bottom of your bag? Stop digging hopelessly, especially in dark airplanes. Organization is going to make your life much easier, so you can find that tissue, lip balm, or whatever, right when you need it.
Varieties can offer smooth style, or even options that are airtight and watertight to keep the contents in impeccable condition.
Relieve your concern about someone else grabbing your suitcase from the luggage carousel. The Not Your Bag tag will alert owners of lookalike bags to put them back, so you don’t lose your luggage in a mix-up.
Comfort
If you’re going to be in a seat a long time, make it a good seat. Travel cushions can eliminate pressure points to help you avoid pain or discomfort in your bottom, tailbone, or back. They can be found in materials such as gel or foam, or in inflatable varieties that allow you to adjust the firmness to your personal level of comfort. A cushion may be essential for anyone managing chronic pain or recovering from an injury.
This is not your average neck pillow. Or eye-mask. Or ear muffs. It’s all of the above, for people who want the equivalent of burying their head in the sand like an ostrich (and who don’t mind making a fashion statement in the process).
The Ostrich Pillow is a thick, cushiony head covering that reveals only the wearer’s nose and mouth, so they can rest their head and take a nap virtually anywhere. Two holes at the top allow the wearer to insert their hands for warmth or comfort when resting their upper body on a table.
For an alternative that’s a bit more stylish and less—over the top—consider the Ostrich Pillow Light. This streamlined version can be worn around the neck when not in use, and then serve as a neck cushion or sleep-mask.
Don’t count on getting a hold of an airline blanket (or liking it). Bring your own travel-friendly blanket such as this one, which is lightweight, compact, warm, and breathable.
A foot rest raises the legs to help many users improve their circulation and reduce common in-flight swelling or knee pain.
TravelRest Inflatable Travel Pillow
This pillow provides an ergonomic shape unlike any other. It can attach to any seat back to help support the user’s head and neck. In addition, since it crosses the entire front of the body, it can provide some upper body support as well.
Trouble with ear aches? EarPlanes and other specialty ear plugs are available to help wearers relieve air-pressure discomfort and to reduce noise. They offer a drug-free solution to ear issues, are disposable, and can be found in a small size for children.
Need a gag gift, so to speak? Hopefully no one will really need them, but they are always a conversation starter, and could provide some peace of mind for anyone prone to serious air sickness.
When traveling with an animal, make it as easy on them—and yourself—as possible. Soft-sided options provide a little give for when you need to slightly compress the bag to fit under a seat, etc., or when your pet needs to stretch. If carrying a shoulder bag isn’t ideal, look at wheeled versions with collapsible handles.
If flying with an infant or toddler on your lap, consider a carrier or restraint that will allow you to hold them hands-free. The Baby B’Air secures the child to your seatbelt, so that while you’re in flight you can use your hands to care for and entertain your child—or even, if you’re lucky—to nod off along with your baby, knowing you won’t drop him or her.