Best Travel Accessories of 2024 You Should Never Leave Home Without

Whether you’re flying internationally to one of the best 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.

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No, you can't avoid flight cancellations or de-icing delays, but you can mitigate the headache of dehydration, a tweaked neck, and screaming babies. The latter is remedied with our top travel essential: Google Pixel Buds Pro, the best noise-canceling earbuds.

Our full list of the best travel accessories comprise affordable gadgets and smart investments that pay fast dividends. Each tested item on this list, part of our 2024 Men’s Journal Travel Awards, ranks among our favorite must-haves to help make your next trip a happier, hassle-free experience, be it a family vacation to America's best mountain towns, a bachelor party in Miami, a winter getaway to the best ski resorts in the U.S., or a summer vacation to the best golf courses in the U.S.

Also check out the best luggage and best carry-on luggage, depending on your trip's duration, if you're in need of additional travel upgrades.

Best Travel Accessory Overall: Google Pixel Buds Pro Noise-Canceling Earbuds

Google engineering is behind these noise-canceling Pixel Buds, which offer up to 11 hours of listening time and premium sound quality. Our favorite feature of all when globetrotting: the buds’ translation services. These little inserts can translate foreign languages directly into your ear with a Pixel or Android 6.0+ phone. Choose from two modes: "Conversation" helps you speak the language to the other party; "transcribe" translates what you hear directly into your ear while creating a transcript on your device.

Best Melatonin: Ritual BioSeries Melatonin

Melatonin has been widely studied as a jet lag treatment, and science says it's effective. This Ritual BioSeries supplement is among the best melatonin products we’ve tried. It uses a unique in-capsule technology that enhances melatonin release throughout the night, helping travelers adjust to a new time zone safely, soundly, and speedily. Like all of Ritual’s products, it's made with traceable ingredients, and is vegan, Non-GMO Project-verified, and third party-tested.

Best Neck Pillow for Travel: Cabeau Evolution S3 Neck Pillow

Meet your new favorite train, plane, and bus companion for supreme memory-foam comfort and peaceful sleep while in transit. Cabeau’s Evolution S3 Neck Pillow is crafted with patented straps so you can attach it to your seat, while a customizable chin strap prevents your noggin from bobbing forward while dozing. Made with ergonomic memory foam, this travel pillow all but demands you get some proper Zs while on the road and in the air.

Best Eye Mask: Saatva Weighted Silk Eye Mask

Yes, we begin our list with a simple eye mask—but a masterful one compared to those wafer-thin cheapies. Saatva’s Weighted Silk version is your first cozy, darkened defense against jet lag on a flight or in a hotel room with crappy curtains. It feels wonderful on your eyes, makes things pitch-black, and its sine qua non—all-natural glass beads—offers gentle, therapeutic pressure. Choose from slate or sand colorways. If you prefer a non-weighted version, check out Saatva’s $60 Silk Eye Mask.

Best Travel Water Bottle: Monos Kiyo UVC Water Bottle

Press a button and this next-level water bottle activates an integrated purification system using ultraviolet-C light to rid your water of up to 99.99 percent of bacteria. What’s more, you won’t have to deal with lukewarm liquid, since the stainless steel vessel’s double-wall vacuum insulation keeps beverages cold for 24 hours. You can also enjoy hot coffee or tea out of the Monos Kiyo UVC Water Bottle for 12 hours. The bottle’s purifier battery lasts up to one month with typical use, and you can recharge it with an included USB-C cable. Choose from a 500 ml ($80) or 750 ml ($90) size.

Best Coffee Thermos: W&P Insulated Bottle

Staying caffeinated during a day of museum-hopping or backcountry hiking is a non-negotiable for many. If you count yourself among that cohort, grab W&P’s 12-, 16-, or 20-ounce insulated bottle, which keeps drinks hot for 12 hours (or cold for up to 24 hours). The exterior is reliably temperature-neutral, so even if you have a 5 a.m. wake-up call to catch the sunrise in the Grand Canyon, you won’t whelp as loud as the hyenas when grabbing that first sip. Choose from seven colorways and the option to monogram for an additional $10.

Best Travel Toiletry Bag: Augustnoa The Dopp Kit

Any perfectly designed Dopp kit made from seven recycled water bottles is bound to make you feel good. Available in navy or olive green, the recently released product helps jet-setters stay organized with two exterior zipper pockets and several more on the inside. We especially dig the Augustnoa Dopp Kit's two expandable mesh side compartments for easy access to your favorite cologne or deodorant.

Best Travel Adapter and Charger: Satechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Charger

This elegant brick allows you to charge up to four devices simultaneously, with smart power distribution based on the devices being charged and ports connected. The Satechi Travel Charger comes with four interchangeable power adapters for Europe, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., and a mesh bag for storage. It supports a total power output of up to 145 watts, so you can safely charge multiple devices at once.

Best Sunscreen Stick: VitaSea Ultra Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Stick

Size matters when you’re buying sunscreen—at least when it's confiscated by airport security for being too big. Pack a few of these TSA-compliant sunscreen sticks made with sea kelp and vitamins E and C and you won’t be throwing out good sun protection ever again.  VitaSea Mineral Sunscreen serves as a reliable physical block between your skin and harsh rays, rubbing in totally sheer. Well-suited for acne-prone or sensitive skin, the SPF 30 product is also moisturizing, water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, and reef-friendly.

More Travel Accessories We Love

How We Selected the Best Travel Accessories

I worked with Men’s Journal editors to identify the various types of travel accessories most important to men on the road, spanning categories like sleep, tech, fitness, health, and organization. From there, I called in as many of the products as possible to road test. We compared our testing experiences of the winning bunch to that of similar products to make sure these were superior in all aspects of performance. To round out the mix, we also polled fellow travelers on what kinds of accessories they can’t travel without to make sure there was something for everyone on this comprehensive list of 20 travel accessories.

Why You Should Trust Me

Perri Ormont Blumberg is a New York City-based travel writer. In the past decade, she's written hundreds of product reviews and roundups, dozens of which have focused on luggage and travel accessories. In addition to first-hand testing and reading a dizzying stream of customer reviews, Perri also liaised with public relations professionals in the travel accessories space to learn about brands’ latest and greatest offerings.