Early on in our marriage, my husband and I agreed that we’d make travel a priority. Every chance we get, we try to get out and explore the world. Once we added kids to the mix, our trips certainly changed (more camping, less Australia), but it’s still important to us to introduce our kids to the adventures of traveling.
While traveling with kids is inevitably more gear-intensive than traveling solo (how can such small humans require so much stuff when they leave the house?), there are some gear and gadgets that have really made traveling with my kids easier-ish.
Whether you are exploring by car, boat, foot, or plane, here are some of my favorite travel gear essentials that’ll save your sanity when you’re traveling with kids. Check them out in the slideshow.
31 Genius Travel Gear Essentials Every Parent Needs
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TrackR Tags
Trying to keep track of kids, luggage, or other travel gear? These TrackR tags attach easily to your gear and gadgets, and with the free app they help you track just where you left that iPad/backpack/suitcase on your journey.
Buy It: TrackR for $30
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Lilly Gold 5-in-1 Sit 'n' Stroll
I vividly remember lugging mountains of baby gear on vacays when my three were little. What I should have used? The Lilly Gold 5-in-1 Sit 'n' Stroll that works as a stroller, rear-facing car seat, front-facing car seat, FAA-certified flight seat, AND a dining booster seat. Plus, it weighs just fifteen pounds!
Buy it: Lilly Gold for $339
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Potette Plus 2-in-1 Travel Potty
Who loves potty training? And on the road? Ugh. Luckily with this Potette Travel Potty you'll have a seat reducer when there are toilets nearby. And when there aren't? The seat has pop-out legs and included self-absorbing disposable liners.
Buy it: Toys R Us for $17
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Mifold Booster Seat
I can't wait to get my hands on this innovative new booster seat. Instead of lifting your child up so they fit the seat belt, the Mifold is designed to bring the seat belt down to fit your child. And it folds up small enough to fit in your purse.
Buy it: indiegogo for $39
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Road ID Bracelet
Whether we are traveling by car or plane, just for the weekend or for a whole month, keeping my kids safe is key. With these ID bracelets, I can ensure my kids have important emergency info always at hand.
Buy it: Road ID for $20
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VTech Kidizoom Spin & Smile Camera
We love to catalog our travels, but I don’t love handing over my phone for my kids to take pics. With this kid-friendly camera, the kids can snap to their hearts' delight with fun added features like stop animation and voice-changing effects.
Buy it: Amazon for $45
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Ziploc Bags
No, they aren’t as sexy as some of these other travel gadgets, but experienced travel moms swear by them. We use Ziplocs for everything from divvying out snacks and saving leftover lunches to holding soiled clothes and saving special “treasures” my kids find. Bring the gallon and quart sizes and put the entire box inside one gallon bag.
Buy it: Amazon for $4.50
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Belkin Rockstar
Headphone splitters are great for two, but if you’re rocking a larger brood of kids like me, you need the Belkin Rockstar with a total of five ports to share the song.
Buy it: Belkin for $15
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Duct Tape
Pack a roll of this and you can fix torn clothes, repair a suitcase, hang sheets over a window for nap time, wrap a wound, and do a dozen other MacGyver-like repairs when you're on the road.
Buy it: Target for $3.50
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Tru Logics iPad Case
You weren't going to travel without an iPad, were you? Wrap this travel must-have in another must-have—a kid-proof case. This one from Tru Logic is drop-proof and scratch-proof, and it has a carry handle and converts into a stand. #winwin
Buy it: Amazon for $14
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Stories Podcast App
Tried of battling between NPR and Raffi on the radio? This kid-suitable podcast is free and has G-rated stories the whole family will enjoy.
Buy it: Stories Podcast
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Yelp App
Skip the fast food off the freeway exit. Whether we are on the road to Grandma's house or flying across the U.S., Yelp helps us find healthier, tastier, non-fast-food options to keep our family fed on the road.
Buy it: Yelp app
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Big Book of Just for Boys
Keeping my three boys entertained when we travel is a breeze with this big activity book. From mazes and dot-to-dots to funny fill-ins and crosswords, this one book can keep them busy for hours. Bonus tip? Rip out completed pages so the book gets lighter and thinner as the trip goes on. There's one for girls too.
Buy it: Barnes & Noble for $7
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Flexi Puzzle
This flexible little contraption can be twisted and turned to create different patterns and shapes. It's fun to play with on its own, but also comes with book of eighty challenging formations you have to try to replicate. A great, compact quiet time activity for long car rides or customs queues.
Buy it: Amazon for $8
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Lilly Gold Nap Sac
I used this three-in-one bag the first time I flew with my two-month-old son and became a believer. It's one bag that works as a suitcase for baby, an ick-free changing station, and a bassinet. It is a genius way to make plane flights or overnight trips easier with my little one.
Buy it: Lilly Gold for $125
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Sippy Cup Strap
No more dropped sippies! Whether you are tired of reaching to the back seat of the car for the umpteenth time or grossed out at the thought of your tot’s sippy hitting the plane floor, this leash has a genius suction end that sticks to windows, airplane trays, and certain tables.
Buy it: Etsy for $9
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Melissa & Doug Water Wows
Mess-free art projects in the car or plane? Yes please! With Melissa & Doug's Water Wows, kids can magically "color" in pages with only a water-filled pen.
Buy it: Melissa & Doug for $5
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Boostapak Booster Seat/Backpack
I love teaching my kids to be independent and this Boostapak is the perfect tool to teach this skill when we travel. It's a suitcase and a belt-positioning booster seat combined in a backpack that my son can wear himself.
Buy it: Trunki for $66.53
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Babyzen YoYo+
A stroller that fits in an airplane overhead? The Babyzen YoYo is known for being full featured but lightweight (thirteen pounds) and able to fit in an overhead bin. But this new 2016 model can be used from birth with the infant pack, plus it has a larger basket and car seat adapters. It's a traveling mama's dream!
Buy it: Magic Beans for $720
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BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat
Don't want to lug your full-sized booster seat along? This inflatable booster seat takes less than twenty seconds to inflate and packs down into an included case when you don't need it. It's so perfect for traveling, car pools, or play dates. Plus, my kids just love saying "BubbleBum."
Buy it: BubbleBum for $30
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Instacart App
The last thing I want to do when I arrive at our AirBnB rental is to take my whole family to the nearest grocery store. Luckily, with Instacart I can order exactly what I need and have it delivered to our doorstep.
Buy it: Instacart
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Inglesina Fast Table High Chair
Instead of keeping your fingers crossed that every restaurant you stop at has an available (and clean) high chair, just bring this hook-on high chair from Inglesina. It can hold up to thirty-seven pounds, attaches to tables up to 3.3 inches thick (important for fitting picnic tables), and folds flat for easy storage.
Buy it: Inglesina for $69
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Buddyphones Headphones
Our family doesn't pack for a trip without Buddyphones, which are flexible enough to survive kid packing, have a built-in sound cap to protect little ears, and—best of all—have a splitter built into the cord, making one less thing to lose.
Buy it: Onanoff for $25
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Phil&Teds Nest Bassinet
The original version of the Nest comes with a pop-up bassinet and a double-sided storage bag that holds clothes and diapers on the other side, making trips with baby a breeze. The newer Nest model ditches the clothing storage but weighs just three pounds and folds down small enough to fit in your purse.
Buy it: Target for $102
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iWant App
Whether we need to re-fuel or hit a bathroom, find a dog park for our pooch or a mid-trip ice cream break for the kids, the iWant app shows us what's close by in over two dozen categories.
Buy it: iWant
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Ride-On Carry-On
Did you see this on SharkTank? Skip a stroller on your next airport trip and attach a Ride-On Carry-On that lets your child roll through the airport with ease and get a seat when you're waiting in another line. The head rest doubles as a tray table, and the whole seat folds flat to fit in an overhead bin.
Buy it: Ride-On Carry-On for $50
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Roadtrippers App
Our five hour car ride to visit relatives just got a lot more fun with the Roadtripper app that lets us see what national parks, children's attractions, points of interest, and other offbeat and unusual attractions are on our path.
Buy it: Roadtrippers
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Yondi Neck Pillow
When we travel, my kids end up sleeping in all sorts of strange places—car seats, train cars, airport waiting rooms. With this Yondi neck pillow, though, I can help prevent the dreaded "nap neck" and give my kids a cute comfort item to take along on the journey.
Buy it: Trunki for $19 -
Alex Toys Artist Studio Car Valet
One time I tried to bring a box of crayons on a car trip—and they ended up all over the floor and in the seats. I should have had this Artist Studio Car Valet. It attaches to the seat back and folds down to provide a desk and storage for crayons, toys, snacks, and paper. (Note: Art supplies are NOT included.)
Buy it: Amazon for $22
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Brica Fold-n-Go Bassinet
Need a simple solution for traveling with an infant? This bassinet weighs just 2.4 pounds, folds in half for easy storage, and is the only travel bassinet to meet the ASTM standards for home bassinet use. It's suitable for infants up to three months.
Buy it: Amazon for $32
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Doona Stroller/Car Seat
It's a stroller! It's an infant car seat! It's both! I've seen the Doona in action, and it's a traveling mama's dream come true, converting easily from one to the other in just seconds. Plus, it weighs just fifteen pounds and is airplane certified.
Buy it: Magic Beans for $499
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JetSet Babies
Instead of lugging all those diapers and kid snacks in your suitcase, let someone else deliver them to your final destination. Jet Set Babies lets you choose from a wide variety of diapers, wipes, snacks, formula, gear, and more and will have your supplies waiting for you when you arrive. I love that they have a great selection of organic skin care, snacks, and toiletry products for parents too.
Buy it: JetSet Babies
