We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A portable blackout curtain so your kiddo can get a good snooze in despite being in a different location. It's got suction cups and Velcro edges for customization, so you just attach it to the window and *boom*! Totally dark room so your babe can sleep off the fuss they'll put up from being so exhausted.
It also comes with a matching travel bag!
Promising review: "Travel essential. We bought one of these a few years ago for traveling with our then baby and now we can’t live without it. We just ordered a second one so we never have to be without. Because they suction to any window, it’s so much better than any other blackout curtain. It gets the room pitch black, it folds up into a bag, and it's lightweight. Super easy to throw in a suitcase when traveling. You need this." —Brett and Marie Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in five colors and as a two-pack; certain colors are only available as a two-pack).
2. A kids' travel table with a tablet viewing stand, a cup holder, a dry-erase board that doubles as an eating tray, and storage pockets for pens and toys — literally everything your kiddo needs for a long car ride. Now that four-hour trip to grandma's house will be a breeze and you can dread it a *bit* less.
Promising review: "Travel essential for toddlers! Both myself and my toddler love this travel tray. It's literally like a desk on the go. It keeps all her belongings in place while driving, makes it easier for her to reach everything, and prevents her from having to keep everything in her lap. My 2-year-old daughter loves this!" —Tanecia
Get it from Amazon for $28.95+ (available in 13 colors and in a two-pack).
3. Plus, a Travel Tray that'll fit right into your kiddo's car seat or stroller with space for a drink and snacks, cuz if they don't get some juice in the next five seconds, they're gonna have a meltdown and you just might join 'em. Sippy cups and Goldfish are some of the few, magical things that keep your tot calm, so make sure that they always have some close on your seven-hour trip with this bad boy.
Travel Tray is a small biz created to create a way for toddlers to keep a drink and snack nearby while in the car seat or stroller.
Promising reviews: "Love this handy tray. Had a 15-hour drive to Arizona with our 16-month-old and this made the drive so much easier! Was easy to turn around place his snacks on the tray while he watched his movie, PLUS at our food stops. I highly recommend this!!" —David reyes
"Road trip essential! Your car will be a mess with snacks but very helpful for long car rides." —Jenavab
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in seven colors).
4. A set of compression cubes because your teen needs approximately 32 shirts to pick from and you haven't been able to convince them that they don't, because you also have, like, 23 shirts packed for your five-day vacation. These compress the air out as you zip 'em up so that you have room in your suitcase to fit all those souvenirs you wanna bring back.
Promising review: "Travel essential. I had these on my wishlist for almost a year before I bought them, and my only regret is not buying them sooner. I traveled monthly for work before COVID and had a couple of name-brand packing cubes. These ones are the same quality and much cuter. The long one is perfect for bras! I have had the opportunity to use these a few times on multi-stop family trips. One challenge on a multi-stop trip, especially with kids, is keeping everything organized during constant unpacking/repacking. Assigning everyone a couple of packing cubes and putting dirty clothes in the drawstring bag saved time while still allowing us to consolidate into one suitcase. Are they 100% necessary? No, you can chuck everything in together if you choose; your life, your luggage. Do they improve preparedness on work trips and kid self-reliance on family trips, ultimately reducing stress and improving the overall travel experience? Yes, yes they do." —Carley
Get them from Amazon for $18.95+ (available in packs of two, three, or six and in nine colors/designs).
5. A kid-size neck pillow so that they can take a much cozier nap on that road trip or flight. You can easily clip it to their backpack with the convenient ~strap snap~ and it's machine washable in case it gets all icky.
Promising review: "Essential! Best pillow for sleeping kids in the car! We’ve wasted so much money over the years on pillows and supports that don’t work. This one cost more than we wanted to spend, so it was a risk to buy it after all of our fails, but we were desperate and took the leap. It was more than worth it! We are so happy with it we want to buy a second for the other car! Keeps my daughter's head from the inevitable slump when she sleeps, and she even puts it on herself before she falls asleep! Can’t recommend enough!" —KMM
Get it from Amazon for $38.97+ (available in two sizes for kids 3–7 and 8–12 and in 11 colors).
6. BuddyPhones foldable headphones with a volume-limiting feature so they don't try to blast Bluey louder than their little ears can handle. They're compatible with Fire, iPad, iPhone, and Android devices so when all else fails and your kid is antsy and scream-y, you can whip out their tablet and have Paw Patrol literally save the entire plane's day.
They have a microphone, a call/playback button, and an audio splitter, they're foldable, and they come with stickers so kids can decorate 'em!
Promising review: "These headphones are perfect for my 2-year-old daughter! She loves to watch videos and movies on her Kindle and these make it easier for her to hear it when traveling in the car. I like that these are volume-limiting so she cannot turn the volume up too loud and hurt her ears. I also like that they come with personalization stickers!" —Emily
"These headphones work great for my 6-year-old. She has a small head and they fit her perfectly. They were an essential for our 23-hour summer vacation road trip!" —Amazon Customer
Get them from Amazon for $24.99 (available in three colors).
7. A lightweight, compact stroller that can fit in the overhead bin on a plane so you don't have to rent one when you're out. Also a plus — you won't have to go wait for it when grabbing your luggage! Pull this baby out and stroll your kiddo right on over to find your suitcases.
It can hold kids who weigh up to 55 pounds and it only weighs 9.5 pounds.
Promising review: "This is an essential travel companion for anyone traveling with children. As a frequent traveler with my 3-year-old, we lost several strollers that were left at the gate and never showed up at our destination. This stroller is incredibly lightweight and remarkably easy to set up or to fold down — it really is the size of a briefcase when folded. I have had many parents come up to me at the departure gate to ask where I purchased this. When you see it in action, you will be a convert. It is worth every one of the 5 stars I give it." —Mstevens
Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in two other styles and four colors).
8. Three pairs of kids' earplugs to help protect your toddler's litto ears from the sudden shifts in pressure that result in the dreaded ear popping. They're made of soft, hypoallergenic, latex-free silicone and will help keep your little babe from screaming the entire flight. You know, you gotta tread lightly with toddlers...if all else fails, throw them an Oreo.
Psttt! Check out the adult version, too!
Promising review: "You need these for flying with toddlers and babies!! These are no joke! I have three kids three and under and these are ESSENTIAL to us for flying. No ear pain whatsoever. I DO have to check them often as they seem to want to work their way out of two of my kids ears, but it did not seem to prevent them from working. I now recommend these to every parent on every flight as their kids are fussy and mine are playing and happy. Perfect for if your baby won't nurse or take a bottle! And even better for bossy toddlers. I just tell mine, 'these are for no ear ouchies' and they are like — 'A-OK!'" —seven4eleven
Get three pairs from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in two styles).
9. A noisemaker that can be clipped onto their stroller in the car and help soothe your little monster, I mean, toddler, right to sleep. Over 12,000 parents are LOVING this little lifesaving portable machine for traveling and it's so soothing, you may even fall asleep!
You'll need three AAA batteries for this baby!
Promising reviews: "Essential newborn item. I use this ALL THE TIME for my newborn. HIGHLY recommend. Great for car rides and trips to grandma's!" —Amanda
"I’ve taken this thing all over, use it daily at my house, and I’ve still not had to change the batteries yet! It’s survived many drops and just keeps on going. I love it! I have the nonportable version too, so that’s how I stumbled upon this one. It’s helped our baby sleep in a tent, in the car, in a hotel, or even just going from one room to another at our home. There’s a good variety of sounds, the volume is more than loud enough, and again, it’s got a long battery life. Love this thing!!" —imerica.e
Get it from Amazon for $12.11.
10. Plus, a Baby Shusher to help soothe your little one to sleep in a (to them) strange, new place. This bb uses a *real human voice* that'll take them back to the days of being in the womb with a rhythmic "shhh" sound. You ever see those pics of newborns asleep and wonder how the photographer gets them to lie there so sweetly for a whole photoshoot? Yeah, it might be this thingy, not witchcraft.
Promising reviews: "Can't. Live. Without. I came across the Shusher at my newborn photography session. I liked it so much I asked the photographer where she got it and then set out to get my own. I use this every night to help soothe my baby to sleep. It's magical." —LL&T
"First time mama here and this was recommended to me from others to put on my registry. This is perfect for long car rides and when traveling!! Highly recommend and mark it as *essential*" —Kaysea Addington
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
11. A 50-count set of laundry soap sheets so you can hand-wash your little one's bathing suit that air dried after being wet and reeks. If you're staying somewhere without a washer and dryer, use these bad boys to wash any outfit pieces you may wanna have your kid wear again.
Promising review: "Just took these on a camping trip in Hawaii and they really saved the day! I went with my son's Boy Scout troop and these laundry sheets really work well!! They are packaged in a small container and very effective. We didn't have a sink so we filled large slider bags with water and tossed in our clothes and one of these laundry sheets. Honestly, I didn't even rinse, I just wrung out my clothes, and hung them up to dry. As you can imagine, flying to Hawaii to camp, you need to carry a lot of items and don't have much space. These sheets worked well and were so convenient — they definitely have a space in my camping essentials now." —Beckles
Get a set of 50 from Amazon for $11.08 (also available in a hand soap version).
12. A JetKids carry-on suitcase because you know your little independent one won't let you carry them, then wants you to carry them, then wants to get down, and every single time, you are rushing to the gate. This will give you the peace of mind that your kiddo is right next to you and your little one will think it's a preview of the Disney World rides they're about to be on when you all land.
It's recommended for kids ages 3–7 and fits most standard economy seats. It has an adjustable strap so you can carry it over your shoulder, a top handle, and a mattress inside that can be removed and used while in the air. It can be used on your flight as a foot rest for your little one and parents have also used this product while waiting for their flight to keep kids comfy and content.
Promising reviews: "I dragged my feet on this purchase because of the price tag, but I have zero regrets after traveling solo with my 2-year-old and 5-year-old. This thing was so easy to maneuver through the airport and through the plane aisles that my 2-year-old pulled it herself for most of the trip. It was slightly too big for her to ride on, but my 4-year-old loved riding on it. The bed feature was super easy to set up and we used it to and from our destination. I was able to pack clothes for a five-day trip, the bed, a blanket and stuffie. I will definitely be dumping more money into this company for our next trip. Happy customer!" —Casie Wilds
"Essential for travel. The easiest way to help your young child deal with travel." —Kris Menard
Get it from Amazon for $225.56+ (available in six colors).
13. Or a convenient, splurge-worthy little 20-inch carry-on with wheels and a built-in seat that you can strap your little one into to make going through the airport sooo much easier. Now you can look at the Starbucks menu without worrying about them potentially wandering off in the .56 seconds you take your eyes off them.
It's got a bag hook and adults can totally sit on this too!
See it in action on TikTok!
Promising reviews: "I was very nervous traveling alone with my 2-year-old to Asia for the first time and after much consideration, I decided to get this, and it was the best decision ever. It was such a breeze through the airport and he absolutely loved riding in it. The 18” size was perfect for all the essentials on a long haul flight and it was so easy to get my toddler on and off of it throughout the trip. The best part was not having to handle a stroller at the airport and deal with gate check/carry on. I will never go back. I lost count of how many times people stopped me to ask where I got this piece from, and I recommended it to all my friends. This luggage is the reason why I no longer have anxiety over traveling with my toddler. Thank you MiaMily! —Celina C.
"Has become a travel essential for our family. Being a frequent traveler with two toddlers, this carry-on has been a lifesaver. It has made our travel experience less stressful so we can focus on enjoying the moment. I highly recommend this for moms and dads out there, if you can afford one, don’t hesitate." —Anonymous
Get it from MiaMily (available in six colors) or Amazon (available in five colors) for $349.
14. An inflatable travel bed so you don't have to share a bed with your kid who's totally a wild sleeper. You'll get better sleep (isn't that what vacation is for?!) and you won't wake up with their foot on your forehead.
It comes with a hand pump! Recommended for kids ages 3–6.
Promising review: "Whether it's a weekend getaway or a longer trip, this inflatable toddler travel bed has become an essential part of our travel gear. It's versatile, reliable, and adds a touch of familiarity to any new sleeping arrangement. It's been a true lifesaver, allowing us to maintain our bedtime routine and provide our little one with a comfortable sleeping environment wherever we go. In conclusion, if you're a parent who loves to travel or often stays over at friends' or relatives' houses, the Intex Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed is an absolute must have. It's convenient, comfortable, and designed with safety in mind. This product has made a remarkable difference in our family's travel experiences, and I can't thank Intex enough for creating such a fantastic solution for parents on the go!" —Denny
Get it from Amazon for $39.98.
15. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount that can be used on ALLLLLL airlines! Mount it to your table tray so your mini can *easily* watch their fave movie on the flight, or clip it to the arm of a chair or any flat surface!
Promising review: "Essential for traveling with young kids! This thing is clutch. Just traveled with my almost-3-year-old. We used the item for my iPhone so she could watch shows and movies on the flight. Very sturdy, holds its position well. Versatile positions. Highly recommend." —ellierae
Get it from Amazon for $9.97 (available in five colors and in two-packs).
16. A pack of eight chewable Dramamine tablets for kids to help prevent and relieve nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. If you dread traveling long distances with your toddler because they get sick, you'll be soooo thankful to have these handy!
Recommended for children ages 2–12 but you should always consult with your pediatrician about medication for your child!
Promising reviews: "Essential for our Disney trip. Used these with our motion sick kiddo so that she could do rides without worrying about being sick." —MelissaBank
"We tried several natural remedies to reduce our daughter's severe motion sickness. Although they worked to some degree, we needed something that was more reliable and longer lasting. She would usually get sick after being in the car for 20 minutes. We gave our 30-lb toddler half of a tablet, according to her pediatrician's recommendation, before a four-hour drive. She had no side reactions or sickness, was alert, and happily sang the whole way. Perfect. Since then, we have been on plane rides and 10 hour trips without any problems. She did get sick after traveling by car for about 14 hours, but she probably could have used another dose about an hour before. Although we dislike medicating our daughter, it is nice having a happy kid who now looks forward to trips." —MomofCuties
Get a pack of eight chewable tablets from Amazon for $4.28 (available in four quantities).
17. A pack of 24 waterproof disposable toilet covers to use on the road or at the airport so your kid's little tush doesn't touch the gross public toilet — yuck. It also drapes over the sides so if they need to hold onto the sides of the toilet, you don't have to worry.
Promising review: "These things are essential to have when traveling with little ones, especially to public places like theme parks or on road trips. I don’t have to worry about them sitting in some nasty stuff when they have to go to the potty while away from a good clean toilet." —jagormly
Get a them from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes and four quantities).
18. Or a portable potty because you KNOW your 3-year-old is gonna refuse to potty when you stop on your road trip then have to go five minutes later. This can be put on a big toilet orrr you can set it up, put a bag in it, and dispose of the bag after!
It comes three disposable bags with absorbent pads and a travel bag!
Promising review: "Essential road trip gear!!! Amazing tool! Worked great for kids and adults alike on a 13-hour road trip. The bags provided great coverage and were absorbent as well! Nearly 100% accident proof. Great buy, great product." —justAnt
Get it from Amazon for $20.95+ (available in two colors).
19. Orrrrr (!!!) a reusable travel urinal that'll be soooo convenient on your upcoming trip to grandma's. There are versions for boys and girls and it will be soooo handy when you're two hours into your trip with no restrooms nearby and your kiddo has to go.
Promising review: "Super when traveling! We brought this along with us on our Thanksgiving Dominican Republic trip (which is still ongoing at the time of writing this review). Already used it in the car, on the plane, in the hotel room, and on the beach. Super clean to use and super easy to clean. Until our daughter is fully potty trained, we are not leaving home without it!" —Howard Ho
"We love it!! Makes potty training much easier when we are traveling. My son had no problem understanding to go in cup and it seals great. UPDATE: One year later and still happy!! Still use it for travel. It is a bag essential and we highly recommend it." —Candence Simone
Get it from Amazon for $8.87+ (available in seven styles).
20. A padded car seat cover with straps so you can wear your toddler's car seat on your back like a backpack, making it much easier to carry. It'll also keep it protected as you scurry through the airport.
Promising reviews: "We just used this for traveling and waited to purchase until we had a 6-year-old. Huge mistake. Every parent needs to know about this at birth, as this is a MUST-HAVE!!! Great quality, durability, comfort and functionality! Don’t wait, order now and never travel without this again!" —Amazon Customer
"Travel essential. Bought two to take the kids to the beach. These helped us bring our seats instead of renting car seats (this was cheaper). Easy to use, and good fit for the car seats." —James R.
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in seven colors).
21. A three-pack of Melissa & Doug Water Wow! pads so your kiddo can have an art project to do in the car that won't make a total mess on your light interior. Each pad comes with four reusable pages and a refillable water pen so you can bring this with you on every trip.
Promising reviews: "I love these water books! I bought a couple recently for my 2- and 4-year-olds to use on a road trip. I wasn’t that impressed when I got the books and figured they wouldn’t get much use, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. My kids love these books and use them over and over! I love the fact that there’s zero mess. I bought four more to give my kids more options." —Loni
"One of our favorite 'on the road' essentials. I have purchased a few of these books for my child as well as given some as gifts. They are always a big hit ! They are easy to travel with and come in many types. I love that not only do the kids get to color, there is always a fun game of 'where is the...' to play when the coloring is completed." —Megs
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in six bundles).
22. A stroller fan that'll wrap around your stroller, car seat, or really anything and keep your little one cool for the summer like Demi Lovato. Do they have these in adult sizes? Asking for a friend.
Promising review: "This fan was so perfect for our trip to Disney World! Powerful little fan! The heat was pretty much unbearable but this fan kept our littlest one cooled off. The LED light was perfect at night for seeing where we were walking. Make sure you bring a power bank though for extended use. It really saved us."—Kimmy
"Baby essential, must have! Great for the beach, walks in the neighborhood and traveling!" —lauren McManus
Get it from Amazon for $23.98+ (available in three colors).
Your kid after you hang up those blackout curtains:
