Traveling with babies and toddlers doesn’t mean you need to pack your entire house, but there are definitely a few travel items that have made our trips way less chaotic. After 25+ flights and 14+ road trips with two little kids, these are the travel items that actually made our trips easier.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear we have personally used and loved when traveling with our kids.
Quick Picks for Traveling With Little Ones
- Best carry-on travel bag: Tobiq 30L Duffel
- Best diaper bag for travel: Tobiq Baby Bag
- Best airplane toys: Pop-It Fidget Spinners and Make-A-Face Sticker Sheets
- Best packing hack: Packing Cubes
- Best portable battery charger: Portable Charger with Built-in Cables
- Best international adapter: EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter
- Favorite stroller + car seat: Doona Stroller
- Favorite carrier: Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier
- Best portable breast pump: Elvie Wearable Pumps
- Favorite stroller: Mamazing Ultra Air Stroller
- Favorite carrier: LÍLLÉbaby Carryon Airflow Toddler Carrier
- Best travel car seat alternative: RideSafer Travel Vest
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Travel Essentials | Flying With Kids | Travel Toys | Toddler Travel Gear | Baby Travel Gear
Most-Used Travel Essentials
Tobiq 30L (Travel Backpack)
We used this on our month-long trip to Vietnam and our 2-week trip to Japan, and with 2 little kids, we desperately needed a better way to quickly find snacks, toys, wipes, and extra clothes on the go.
The colorful pockets make organizing everything so much easier, and I love that I can wear it backpack-style to keep my hands free (even though it’s sold as a duffel). Honestly, it’s a little pricey, but we travel so much that it’s been totally worth it for my sanity.
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Tobiq Baby Bag (Diaper Bag)
I’ve tried a couple diaper bags over the years, but this one is by far my favorite. With 2 little kids, I needed something that actually kept snacks, wipes, toys, and extra clothes organized instead of turning into one giant black hole.
I can quickly grab what I need, easily see what we’re running low on, and just throw the whole bag in the wash after messy travel days or park trips. Honestly, it just makes life on the go feel way less chaotic.
I do wish it had two water bottle holders instead of one and slightly more padded backpack straps for longer carry days.
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Packing Cubes
I honestly can’t imagine packing for family trips without packing cubes anymore. With multiple people sharing suitcases, they make it so much easier to keep everyone’s clothes organized instead of turning the whole suitcase into chaos halfway through the trip.
I love using different colors for each family member so I can quickly find what we need, and so Bryan can actually find things too without asking me where everything is. We also use one cube just for special activities (like swimsuits).
Toiletry + Makeup Bag
I originally bought this because I was tired of traveling with separate makeup and toiletry bags, and this one fits everything so much better. The double zipper makes it easy to see everything at a glance instead of digging around for things while getting ready.
I also love that the inside keeps bottles standing up, there’s a waterproof section for shampoo and skincare, and a side pocket for longer items like toothbrushes or makeup brushes. It just keeps everything way more organized while traveling.
Portable Charger with Built-In Cables
I’ve had my phone die abroad before, and suddenly I couldn’t call a car, pull up subway directions, use translation apps, or figure out where we were going. Plus, when we travel, I’m constantly taking photos and videos, so my phone battery drains way faster than normal. After a few stressful moments, a portable charger became a non-negotiable travel item for me.
I especially like this one because I don’t have to remember or pack extra charging cables. It already has multiple built-in plugs that work for iPhones, Androids, and iPads, plus the charger itself plugs directly into the wall without needing another cord. I also love that it shows the battery percentage from 0–100, so I always know when it needs charging before a travel day. It’s also compact enough to easily throw into my backpack or diaper bag.
International Travel Adapter
I love not having to think twice about whether I packed the right adapter for a trip. We’ve used this in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and of course the US, and it’s worked great everywhere we’ve gone.
I also really like that it has multiple USB ports plus USB-C ports, so we can charge several devices at once without fighting over outlets. And unlike my old adapter, this one actually fits 3-prong plugs too, which has been super helpful while traveling with all our electronics.
Flying With Kids
Kid-Friendly Headphones
I like these headphones for both my kids, especially because the last pair we had snapped right in the middle. Toddlers, right? These are much more flexible and bendable, so they’ve held up way better for us during travel and everyday use.
I also love that they have a volume limiter so the sound never gets too loud for little ears. They come in different colors too, which made it fun letting each kid pick their own. Another thing I specifically looked for was having both Bluetooth and auxiliary cord options since a lot of airplane entertainment systems still require a headphone cord.
Family Passport Holder
Traveling with kids is chaotic enough, so having all our passports and boarding passes in one place is a must for me now. This holder keeps all 4 passports organized, and I love having the boarding passes easily accessible in the front pocket instead of digging through bags at security.
I also wear it with a lanyard to keep my hands as free as possible while juggling kids, snacks, and carry-ons.
Silicone Travel Bottles
I like having these instead of making last-minute Target runs for travel-sized toiletries before every trip. I just refill them with the shampoo, conditioner, and products I already have at home, which saves both time and money in the long run.
The silicone bottles feel really nice quality, and I love that this set comes with different containers for different needs. I use the pump bottle for face wash and the small container for makeup remover, and I’ve brought this set through TSA plenty of times without any issues.
Travel Toys & Activities
Make-a-face sticker set
I love these Make-a-Face sticker sets because they’re fun, lightweight, and disposable, so my backpack actually gets lighter throughout the trip instead of filling up with more stuff. The different animals and themes keep things feeling new and exciting for my kids every time.
We use these on planes, trains, car rides, and especially at restaurants when we need a quiet activity that doesn’t take up much space. Around the holidays, I’ll grab seasonal versions for Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, or Easter just to keep things fun without adding extra bulk.
Pop-It Fidget Spinner
If you’re looking for a travel toy that actually keeps kids entertained, this pop-it fidget spinner has been one of our best little travel purchases. I keep it in my diaper bag all the time, and somehow both my 1-year-old and 4-year-old still love playing with it.
We use it on planes, trains, buses, restaurants, or basically anywhere with a table or window for it to stick onto. It’s quiet, mess-free, lightweight, and honestly such a lifesaver when you just need something to keep little hands busy for a bit without a meltdown.
Toddler Travel Gear (ages 1-4)
MAMAZING Ultra Air Travel Stroller
I honestly wasn’t sure how much we’d even use a stroller during our Japan trip, but the Mamazing Ultra Air ended up being one of the best things we brought. It’s super lightweight, easy to push one-handed through busy train stations, and way less stressful to carry when we ran into stairs or crowded areas.
I also loved how easy it was to fold while juggling kids and bags, and the recline + canopy made on-the-go naps so much easier during long sightseeing days. It just made getting around with 2 little kids feel way more manageable.
LÍLLÉbaby CarryOn Airflow Toddler Carrier
I started using this when my oldest turned 3 and got way too heavy and wiggly for front carrying, and switching to a back carry made such a huge difference. It feels much more ergonomic, and I love that the wide seat actually supports their whole bum instead of leaving their legs dangling awkwardly.
We actually used this constantly during our month-long Vietnam trip with our 4-year-old and 2-year-old since we didn’t bring a stroller, and it made long sightseeing days so much more manageable. I still use it for airports, hikes, and travel days when little legs get tired fast. If they suddenly decide they want to walk again, I just leave the carrier clipped around my waist instead of fully taking it off and repacking everything.
RideSafer Travel Vest (alternative to car seats)
This honestly felt like a genius invention once I discovered it. I originally heard about it from other traveling parents when I was looking for a lighter alternative to dragging a bulky car seat around on trips.
It’s surprisingly simple to use since the red arrows literally show you exactly what to do, and it makes getting into Ubers, Lyfts, and taxis so much faster compared to installing a full car seat. I also love that it folds up small enough to fit in a backpack, which made sightseeing and getting around way easier for us while traveling.
$11 discount
Tushbaby Hip Carrier
This is one of my favorite baby and toddler items, and I used it constantly for years. If you saw me anytime during the last 3 years, there’s a very good chance I was wearing this thing.
I especially loved it for family parties, restaurants, parks, playgrounds, weddings, and everyday outings where my toddler wanted to walk one minute and be carried the next. It’s great for both babies and toddlers, especially during that “up, down, up, down” stage.
For travel these days, though, I personally prefer ergonomic fabric carriers like the Liliebaby since they pack smaller and are more comfortable for longer sightseeing days where you might be walking for hours.
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Baby Travel Gear (0-1.5 yrs old)
Doona Stroller
Bryan and I were originally very anti-stroller and thought we’d just use carriers everywhere, but once we got the Doona as a hand-me-down from my sister, we completely understood the hype. It made getting around with a baby so much easier, especially during errands, travel days, and quick outings.
I love that it switches from a car seat into a stroller in seconds, which was amazing whenever the baby fell asleep in the car and we didn’t want to wake him up. We could just pop it into stroller mode and keep moving. It also made things so much easier in places where elevators were hard to find since we could quickly collapse it back into a car seat and carry it up/down the stairs.
Ergobaby Baby Carrier
Whenever we traveled with our babies, we almost always preferred bringing a carrier instead of a stroller, especially for flights and long travel days. We did this with both kids, and honestly, there’s not a single trip from those baby years where we didn’t bring a baby carrier or my arms would probably fall off.
I love that this Ergobaby carrier is ergonomic, breathable, and comfortable enough to wear for long periods without getting too hot for me or the baby. We’ve used it on trips to other states and countries, during long sightseeing days, hikes, shopping, and basically anywhere we knew we’d be walking a lot.
Cocoon Nursing Cover
I’ve used this nursing cover everywhere from airports and restaurants to parks, hikes, friends’ houses, and even trips to Thailand and the Philippines. It’s lightweight, breathable, easy to wash, and gives really good coverage without feeling hot or awkward to wear.
I also love that it just looks like a regular shawl instead of an obvious nursing cover. I’ve even used it to cover my shoulders while visiting temples in Thailand.
I’ll be honest though, this particular one is definitely pricey. I got mine as a hand-me-down from my sister, and while I really love it, I’d probably look for a secondhand one on Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp before paying full price.
Elvie Double Electric Wearable Pumps
These wearable pumps honestly made it so much easier for me to keep pumping while still living life. I’ve used them while going on walks, driving to errands, and even at a wedding where the baby wasn’t invited. Being able to pump hands-free without being stuck next to an outlet was huge for me during the baby stage.
I will say there’s definitely a little learning curve at first, especially with placement to get the best output. I also personally don’t bother with the app because I found the milk measurements inaccurate. But once I figured out how to position everything correctly, these became one of my most-used baby items.
Pump Wipes
When I was traveling with breast pump parts regularly, these wipes were really convenient to keep in my diaper bag. I used them mostly for quickly wiping down pump parts on the go, but they also came in handy for airplane tray tables, restaurant tables, and other surfaces while traveling.
I also liked that they were wipes instead of liquid spray, which made them easy to pack in a carry-on without worrying about TSA liquid limits. I will say they can leave a little bit of a film on pump parts though, so once I got back to the hotel or home, I still liked to do a more thorough wash.
