I Tested the Best Travel Accessories of 2025. These Are the Essentials You Can't Leave Home Without

Whether you’re flying internationally to one of the  top cities in Japan  or staying domestic with one of the  best vacations in the U.S. , the rigors of travel are tough to shake. Those minor inconveniences that crop up can follow you around even after you deboard the plane. Thing is, you can lessen those grievances by investing in the best travel accessories.

No, you can't avoid flight cancellations or de-icing delays, but you can mitigate the headache from a tweaked neck or screaming baby.

Our list of the best travel accessories comprises travel gadgets and smart investments that pay fast dividends. Each tested item on this list—part of our  Men’s Journal  2025 Travel Awards —ranks among our favorite essentials in addition to  luggage  and  toiletry bag essentials . Be sure to check out other winners across the best travel insurance , airlines , tour operators , and hotels .

Best Sleep Mask: Manta Sleep Mask

I’ve been using this sleep mask on the road for years and singing its praises to anyone who will listen. Now it’s your turn: This durable sleep mask provides total blackout conditions, is plush and pillowy against eyes, and comes with a laundry mesh net for easy machine washing. If you struggle with the fit of most eye masks, you'll appreciate the adjustable Velcro strap and deep eye cups to ensure a pressure-free fit around your head and eye sockets. Manta also offers a Pro and  Weighted  version, which I’ve tested, but I'm still devoted to the OG workhorse.

Best Neck Pillow: Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

The secret to making a travel pillow that actually facilitates sleep: an asymmetric design. Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow has one higher lateral wall to support the neck that perfectly slopes to cradle the chin and mitigate any jerking or bobbing as you fall asleep, supporting a number of positions. Designed with a supportive memory foam core and adjustable Velcro closure, I relish in the coziness this provides while reading or dozing on trains or planes. Bonus: For easy transport, it compresses to 60 percent of its size when packed up in the included travel bag.

Best Toiletry Kit: Aer Travel Kit 2

It’s no easy feat to find a Dopp kit that neatly stores your grooming product—shaving essentials, deodorant, face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen, and the like—without being too bulky or flimsy. Enter Aer Travel Kit 2. The sturdy case is made with water-resistant fabrics, a hook for hanging in the bathroom and an antimicrobial interior liner to keep smells and bacterial growth at bay. It also has just the right amount of pockets to keep you organized (including an exterior toothbrush holder) as well as elastic bands to keep toiletries securely in place.

Best Travel Steamer: Conair Power Steam Worldwide Travel Garment Steamer with Dual Voltage

There’s no better bet for removing wrinkles and freshening clothes on the go than Conair Power Steam Travel Garment Steamer. The unit is compact enough to fit into your carry-on, so you don’t need to worry about checking a bag. Second, in addition to removing long-embedded wrinkles swiftly, this device kills up to 99.9 percent of bacteria so you can feel good about duds that were wedged against shoes or soiled garments. It heats up in under a minute, so you can spend less time getting ready and more time enjoying your travels. The dual voltage is a hero when journeying abroad.

Best Portable Espresso Machine: OutIn Nano Portable Electric Espresso Machine

Just because you love the outdoors doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate savoring a fine cup of espresso. With OutIn Nano Portable Electric Espresso Machine, all you need is water and ground coffee or capsules, and you’re one click away from a fine java jolt. With a nearly three-ounce capacity, coffee is ready in just over three minutes. Take it on your next motorcycle road trip, skiing jaunt, or business conference. It’s leak-proof, insulated, and can be charged through a car’s USB port, to boot.

Best Travel Wallet: ALPAKA Zip Travel Wallet

Fumbling through your personal item to dig out your passport: bad. Retrieving it bent and battered: dicey. Keeping it loose and losing on the way to your gate: insurmountable. ALPAKA Zip Travel Wallet keeps your most important personal items exactly where you need them. Three internal passport pockets, two card slots, and a front slip pocket expertly organizes passports, travel tickets, and credit cards, complete with RFID protection to keep personal data safe. It's compatible with ALPAKA’s Hub collection, an assortment of magnetic modular clips and carabiners to fix internally within a backpack or other bag for hands-free transport.

Best Antibacterial Phone Case: Enro Antibacterial iPhone Case

While it only goes up to iPhone 12, 13, and 14 models, Enro Antibacterial iPhone Case provides peace of mind through by eliminating more than 99.9 percent of bacteria in addition to drop protection up to four feet. My case has barely yellowed since I slapped it on in November 2023 and gives me peace of mind about all the germy surfaces my phone touches when traveling. If you have a new model, like an iPhone 16 Pro, try Decoded Silicone Case , which boasts an antimicrobial coating, a microfiber-lined interior, and a raised metal camera ring to protect against scratches. Galaxy users should seek out Otterbox's Defender Series Pro lineup.

Best Waterproof Phone Pouch: Case-Mate Silver Chrome Waterproof Floating Pouch

On a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, my husband spent 10 minutes of what could have been quality beach time fixating on sand embedded in his phone from stashing in his swimsuit pocket and jerry-rigging various Ziploc bags to safeguard from the elements. Needless to say, he should have invested in Case-Mate Silver Chrome Waterproof Floating Pouch. It provides touchscreen access and even the ability to take underwater pictures, while protecting against water damage. It fits phones with up to a 6.9-inch screen size and comes with an adjustable lanyard.

Best Travel Water Bottle: LARQ Bottle PureVis™ 2 with Essential Bottle Filter

Plastic and forever chemicals have no place in your water bottle. On the UV-C sanitizing water bottle front, it’s hard to outdo LARQ Bottle PureVis 2, an upgraded version of the brand's best-selling, self-cleaning water bottle. Since the water bottle removes up to 99.9 percent of bio contaminants like E. coli and Salmonella, you can feel good about filling up in airports or when venturing to parts of the world where water quality is questionable. Additionally, PureVis 2 boasts a removable filtration system, a removable handle, hydration tracking, and comes in 23- and 34-ounce sizes, plus four sleek colorways.

Best Travel Headphones: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

With Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, you get a 24-hour battery life on only three hours of charge time, ridiculously soft leather ear cushions, a sturdy carrying case, and four handsome colorways. Then there’s the quality assurance that comes with buying from a respected brand like Bose, an innovator in the noise-cancellation space. Whether globetrotting via plane, train, or automobile, you’ll be distanced from the humdrum noises of travel and plopped into a world of immersive sound amplified by echo reduction and adjustable noise-cancelling.

Best Travel Hotspot: NETGEAR Nighthawk® M7 Pro 5G Wi-Fi 7 Mobile Hotspot Router for AT&T

Van lifers know the importance of online security on the road. Worry no more with the first-to-market Wi-Fi 7 portable hotspot that fits in your palm and securely connects devices to a private network. Great for grinding out work in a hotel lobby, streaming the day’s game from a train car, or popping into a virtual therapy session from an airport lounge, this hotspot gives a strong, stable connection with 5G speeds of up to 6Gbps.

Best Travel Organizer: Osprey Daylite™ Packing Cube Set

Osprey Daylite™ Packing Cube Set is everything you want and nothing you don't need. Available in three sizes (2L, 4L, and 9L), the cubes keep gear and clothing organized in a backpack, carry-on, or duffel. Made with see-through recycled mesh panels for easy viewing, each cube has its own webbing grab handle. Choose between Tan Concrete or Black colorways.

Best Travel E-Reader: Amazon Kindle

Even if you love paperbacks, traveling with books is unrealistic. I can wax poetic about the latest Amazon Kindle, but I'll keep it short and sweet: This is the lightest Kindle to date, boasting 16 GB of storage (translation: you can download thousands of books), that stays charged for up to six weeks with daily reading. Bonus: It’s glare-free and has an adjustable front light, so you won't disturb your partner or seatmate mid-flight.

Best Travel Laptop: LG gram Book 15.6"

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If you have a bulky or heavy laptop, you know firsthand what a pain it is to lug around for travel. That's why you should make LG gram Book your dedicated travel laptop. Its profile is absurdly slim at .76 inches thick and 3.7 pounds. You're not sacrificing specs for portability either. The 15.6-inch full HD IPS display provides crisp visuals, while an Intel Core i5 processor helps you multiask on multiple projects simultaneously. It even comes with integrated Dolby Atmos surround sound speakers.

Best Adapter: Epicka TA-105 Universal Travel Adapter

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter is the only adapter you need across 150 countries. It fast charges up to six devices at a time, from laptops to AirPods, through USB-C and USB-A ports. Built-in fuses prevent the dreaded “wrong voltage” smoke show, while the compact design is suitable for toting in slingbags, backpacks, duffels, and more.

Best Travel Camera: Sony alpha 7C III

Yes, Sony alpha 7C II is a splurge, but investing in a finely made, interchangeable lens camera is the kind of thing you’ll use for years to come. This full-frame hybrid camera shoots both photos and 4K videos while managing to be compact. (In fact, this camera bills itself as the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame camera.) Other standout specs include 5-axis in-body image stabilization, incredible shutter speed, and a battery life that lasts for up to 740 images or 220 minutes of video footage. For budding photography enthusiasts and seasoned snappers alike, this is an obvious win.

Best Power Bank: Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2 15W 5K

If you have a Qi2-enabled smartphone, Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank not only charges phones wirelessly, but the integrated kickstand also makes it a breeze to watch video while charging. Compliant with TSA standards, this power bank is brilliant for topping up battery levels on-the-go.

Best Travel Towel: Matador NanoDry Packable Shower Towel

Made with lightweight nanofiber material, Matador NanoDry Packable Shower Towel absorbs 2.3 times its own weight in water, dries quickly, and comes decked out with helpful features like a buckle loop for hanging. It's five inches longer from the brand's first iteration. It's essential for backpacking and camping trips and stores neatly into a silicone carrying case.

Mission Original Cooling Towel

Mission Original Cooling Towel is the perfect hiking, biking, and climbing companion. What started as a necessity for muggy runs and draining triathlon workouts turned into an adventure travel must. Wet it, wring it, and snap it to activate the cooling technology, which instantly cools to 30 degrees below average body temp.

How We Selected the Best Travel Accessories

We considered the most important travel accessories across sleep, tech, health, organization, and recreation. A combination of personal testing and reviews, conversations with industry experts, and feedback from other travel enthusiasts helped round out the list.