Before venturing off on bigger trips (such as London and Italy), it is customary to invest in new travel items. Whether it be a new suitcase, toiletry bags, packing cubes or compression socks, you have to have it! It is necessary after all. Isn’t it?
And which brands should you buy anyway?
We don’t have all the answers, obviously, but we can tell you what we’ve experienced. Stay tuned for honest reviews of some of the best and worst travel accessories we’ve invested in this year.
Packing Cubes
Mallory- I decided to purchase packing cubes for our trip to Italy because I’d heard so many good things about them. They will solve two of my biggest problems, I was told: keeping my suitcase organized and helping me save space. And…it sort of worked.
My biggest issue was my own fault. The packing cubes I bought were the Shacke Pack 4-Set W/ Laundry Bag from Amazon. It came with 4 different sizes, from 17.5″ x 12.75″ x 4″ to 11″ x 6.75″ x 4″ and a laundry bag (which I loved). So I had the ingenious idea to put all of my clothes, aside from undies, in the XL cube. They all fit, so how could that not be a plus?
There was a reason, I discovered, as to why everyone who reviewed packing cubes talked about how great they were to keep your clothes separated. Most of the time when I travel, my clothes end up crazy mixed up in my suitcase and I have to pull everything out to find one pair of shorts. So needless to say, putting all of my clothing into one packing cube did not help with that. When I first packed, I had all of my clothes rolled and placed nicely where I could see everything. What a fool was I to think I could keep it that way for the duration of my trip. So… a tip when using packing cubes: don’t put everything in one. It may save space, but will not keep you organized.
Speaking of saving space, I do feel like the cubes helped save space in my suitcase. Perhaps it was all in my mind, but it seemed like they could compress my clothes and allow me to fit more, which turned out to be a really good thing on the way back.
Overall, I do really like the packing cubes. If used correctly (I’m looking at you, self), they can really help to keep your suitcase more organized and save you, at least a little, space. This one is a favorite for me.
Courtney- As Mallory will attest, I did not believe in these things. How in the heck could these save space? It’s extra stuff in your bag. Either way, I eventually caved to FOMO I suppose, and got some. I got the OEE six piece packing cubes and loved them. It came with small, medium, and large clothes bags, an underwear bag, a toiletry bag, and a shoe bag. I did feel like they saved me some space in my suitcase and they did help me stay organized.
I did separate my clothes and it helped tremendously because I had one pack for shirts, one for pants/shirts, one for dresses, and one for undies (I think). I did roll my clothes as well, so I was able to fit a lot in them, though it did not prevent wrinkling as I had been led to believe it would (though suspected it would not). The cubes took up about half of my suitcase, which left plenty of room for souvenirs, and helped me stay organized as we moved from town to town. I echo Mallory that this is a favorite.
Toiletry Bags
Mallory- I ordered a new toiletry bag, also for Italy (let’s be honest…everything I bought this year was for Italy), because my old bag was just not big enough. I was having to take several different bags just to fit all of my hair supplies, makeup, and general toiletries. So I invested in the B&C Large Versatile Travel Cosmetic Bag.
It did take up almost half of one side of my suitcase, but fit all of my toiletry items (aside from my hairbrush and electric hair tools). And I was able to fit my regular sized bottle of dry shampoo, which was super handy because I didn’t have to buy a travel-sized bottle. One of my must haves when it comes to toiletry bags is a hanger. I like being able to hang my bag up in the bathroom when I’m getting ready. And it helps keep the bathroom counter space free. This bag met that criteria so a definite plus there.
I had space to include my small first aid kit (band-aids, Neosporin, Midol, etc.) in addition to my shampoo and deodorant. I also like that the bottom compartment can be disconnected so you can carry it separately in your purse or backpack if you need to. This is where I kept my first aid and makeup, items you might need to take with you during the day.
All together, this was a great bag for me (I do tend to pack way more toiletry items than I actually need and even all my stuff fit!). This was a favorite that I definitely recommend.
Travel Bottles and Containers
Mallory- I wanted to try out the silicone travel bottles I kept hearing about. Previously, I had used the hard plastic containers for my shampoo, body wash, etc. They worked okay, but it was always a bit frustrating when you got to the bottom of the bottle and had to turn it upside and shake it (or leave it sitting like that for a bit) to get the soap out. So I decided to purchase the Dot & Dot Travel Bottles Silicone Containers Set and I have mixed feelings about it.
First, it does solve the problem of the the soap coming out because the bottles are designed to sit with the opening at the bottom. Not to mention they’re flexible so you can squeeze them. That part is a definite plus.
The downside is one of my bottles leaked. I thought maybe I didn’t have the lid on correctly, and maybe I didn’t, but I could not keep it from leaking. Luckily, they come in a plastic zipped bag so it didn’t leak on anything else I had in my toiletry bag.
Another downside is they do not suction to the shower wall. They come with little suction cups that are supposed to stick to the shower wall, but they do not. I tried them on several different types of shower walls and couldn’t get them to stick to any.
Overall, I like certain aspects of these bottles, but I’m not sure I can 100% recommend them.
Mallory- In some of my research, I came across a great way to transport your medicines/vitamins when you travel. I purchased the XINHOME Pill Organizer Box Weekly Case. This worked great for me. I only have a few vitamins and allergy pills so I was able to fit two weeks worth in the case. They’re labeled for each day of the week and have multiple slots. They also come in a little pouch making them easy to transport. This was another of my favorites.
Travel Adapter
We both purchased the Universal Travel Adapter JMFONE TEC. This was a really good investment. It works in several different countries and has three USB ports. It’s great for charging phones, iPads, cameras and other smaller electronic devices. (It’s not for larger devices like hairdryers, flat irons and curling irons.) Make sure that you confirm that the adapter will work for the country you plan to go to because a few of the ones we looked at would not work in Italy. I even use this at home just to have more USB slots for charging all my stuff. Definitely recommended.
Carry-On “Essentials”
Mallory- One item I purchased early on was a Clear Quart-Sized Liquid Bag. The bag I purchased is TSA approved so I don’t have to worry about running into an issue with airport security. Previously I was using Ziploc bags, and they worked fine, but they would often tear. Or, if my liquids leaked, they were harder to clean so I would inevitably have to switch to a new bag. This bag is easy to clean and has held up thus far. It is definitely a favorite.
Mallory- Another recommendation I decided to invest in was compression socks. Since our flight to Italy was quite long, and previous experience had taught me that long flights do take a toll on my legs, I thought this would be a good time to try them out. I’m a little torn on these. In a way, I feel like they helped keep my blood flowing and made the flight a little easier. But in another, I’m not 100% convinced I didn’t imagine it. The good thing about compression socks is that they are pretty cheap (I think I got mine at Walmart) so they are worth giving a shot. I plan to use mine in the future.
Mallory- The next item I’m going to talk about was not purchased this year. In fact, it was purchased back in 2010. I don’t recall where I got it, or what brand it is, which might be best for them. Because it is the level worst. I have trouble sleeping on planes. Really, I don’t sleep on planes, no matter how hard I try. I’ve flown on several flights that lasted 5+ hours and haven’t fully slept on any of them. Back when I went to London, I purchased several things, including a neck pillow. I can’t specifically recall if I used it much back then, but I definitely used it on my most recent overseas flight. And I now remember why it has been stowed away in the depths of my closet for eight years. It sucks!
I actually looked at several neck pillows online and thought of purchasing a new one. But I’d already bought so many things, I decided I would just use the one I had. Now, I’m not saying this pillow is totally to blame for me getting zero z’s on the plane, but it certainly didn’t help. This particular pillow is inflatable (I had to blow it up myself on the plane), and encased in a sort of soft fabric. At first, I blew it all the way up. Mistake. I couldn’t even rest against my seat at all. In fact, I had to let half of the air out before I could even attempt to lean against my seat. It barely kept my head from falling to the side when I tried for sleep, and eventually I gave up on it because it kept knocking my headphones off (I thought music would help me sleep). Basically, it was uncomfortable and just made my neck hurt.
I can’t speak for all neck pillows, or even all inflatable neck pillows, but I do not plan to invest in a similar one anytime soon. I’m convinced I won’t sleep anyway.
Courtney- I got a Vera Bradley travel pillow for Christmas last year, which I thought would be great for the trip. The good news is, it folds out into a blanket, is super soft, and because the blanket folds out, there is a handy slot to stick your arm in to help with sleeping. That being said, I could not figure out a very good way to use it on the plane to sleep. I tried sliding it over the arm rest, sliding it over my hand and leaning against it, laying it on the tray table.
Admittedly, most of the issue was that any surface I put it against was attached to the plane (obvs) and led to a loud vibration that prevented sleep. I did have an empty seat next to me on the way to Italy (score), so I was able to maneuver a bit. Another slight bummer was that it would get hot. Good for blanketing, not really for pillowing. I would recommend this travel pillow, but don’t know that it is great for traveling specifically.
Backpacks
Mallory- I wanted to purchase a larger backpack to carry on my trip to Italy. I wanted something I could use as my carry-on, but that wasn’t too large or too inconvenient to move from place to place. After much searching, I decided on the Kroser Laptop Backpack . The bag includes a pocket for your portable battery charger and allows you to connect your phone through the outside of your backpack (so you don’t have to pull the charger out on the airplane or bus to charge your phone).
The bag was large enough to fit my tablet, water bottle, and all of my other carry-on items. It is also large enough to fit a 15 inch laptop, which has come in handy since I’ve been back. (I don’t take my laptop when I travel, but I do need to carry it around locally from time to time and this backpack is perfect.)
The bag is water repellent, a huge plus in my book. It might not be great in a downpour, but it worked good for the drizzle we encountered on our trip.
This is a favorite for me and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a travel backpack (not for backpacking, but for use as a carry-on and day to day bag).
Courtney- I purchased the Himawari School Functional Travel Backpack. It has lots of pockets that helped keep my stuff organized for use as a carry-on. It is also water resistant which was something I was looking for. After our trip to Canada, I realized how important the water resistant feature was. I looked at the very popular Kanken backpacks, but decided on this one because it was cheaper and several reviews said it was far superior. I have had a few issues with the zipper, but it is definitely possible that I have tried to shove too much stuff in there. I highly recommend this for a carry-on/travel bag.
Something I also purchased was a Travelon purse. Several of the travel tips we read for Italy said to beware pickpockets. Some of them made it seem like they were everywhere. Some of our cousins had previously gone to Italy and said they had no issues at all. However, better safe than sorry. I bought this bag because it had lots of pockets, had RFID blockers, and was slash resistant. The bag did get a little heavy, but we had heard that sometimes people would slash the bottoms of backpacks, so despite having a great backpack, I didn’t feel comfortable carrying it all the time. This bag held everything I needed on a daily basis including my water bottle and a jacket or cover up, so I would recommend this bag if you are traveling somewhere where pick pocketing could be an issue.
Our McTravels 