The 32 Best Travel Gifts for the Jet-Setters on Your List This Year

The Cadillac of carry-ons, in cherry red. You’ll find this at the tippy top of my Christmas list.

I love Calpak’s Luka Duffel (as does most of TikTok, I’m told), so I knew that — despite being a pretty big proponent of hard-sided luggage — I’d probably be pretty into the Luka Soft-Sided Carry-On, and I was right. Against all odds, it shows zero signs of wear and retails for a pretty sweet pricepoint.

Lojel is, in this travel writer’s humble opinion, one of the most underrated luggage brands on the market. Available in nine colorways, the Cubo Large features an understated design and expandable body to fit…quite literally everything.

So help me God if someone in my life doesn’t take the hint and get me something Rimowa this year! And while I’m personally holding out for a whole carry-on, the brand’s One Bottle Case would make a sweet little surprise for the aspiring sommelier in your life.

You’d be forgiven if the mention of Yeti didn’t immediately conjure up images of packing cubes. That said, it should come as a surprise to none that the Yeti-branded packing cubes, available in three convenient sizes, are really top-of-the-line.

I am a staunch defender of backpacks (read more about that here) and Paravel’s Alta Via Backpack checks all the boxes for me. It’s handsome, functional and thoughtfully engineered, making it the perfect present for the everyday commuter and the frequent flier alike.

A spin on the cult classic Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffle, the Black Hole Tote is great for hauling gym clothes, camping gear, farmer’s market wares, beach towels, carry-on essentials, etc. You name it, it can go in this tote.

The best way to explore a new city? By going for a run. We’ve logged a lot of miles, in a lot of places, with the Hoka Clifton 9s. Plus, they’re a great option for long travel days.

According to a recent poll commissioned by the Refractive Surgery Council, half of bespectacled Americans miss out on at least one activity from their vacation because they wear glasses or contacts. Keep your bespectacled person’s glasses safe in transit, people!

For the person on your list who can’t bear to travel without their pet: the Arlo Skye Pet Carrier. It’s got 360-degree ventilation, a pocket sleeve to be placed over a carry-on and, most importantly, a memory foam mattress. For pets!

Even for the amateur photographer, keeping camera gear safe is of the utmost importance. Instead of worrying about how your camera is faring on travel days, take the guesswork out of things with July’s Camera Protect Bag.

A lightweight jacket for travel is a nonnegotiable — if for no other reason than, at least 9/10 times, the plane is freezing. United By Blue’s Bison Ultralight Jacket is crafted with salvaged bison wool and weather-resistant recycled polyester for maximum warmth sans the bulk. Best part? It also packs up into travel pillow.

With a roll cuff for added warmth over the ears, the Cuffed Beanie is made from Smartwool’s Merino 250 baselayer fabric, ensuring that this hat insulates and moves moisture.

I’ve tested a fair amount of dopp kits during my tenure as a travel writer. This one from Béis — with a water resistant lining in the bottom compartment and special pocket just for keeping your toothbrush clean — is still the first one I reach for every time I pack.

This goat suede passport wallet from Orvis is one of the handsomer passport wallets out there. It’s got one passport pocket, one cash pocket, two credit card slots and a fine silky nap, which gives it a worn in look that feels nice in your hand.

For the adventure traveler on your list, Matador’s NanoDry Packable Shower towel is a must-have. It’s packable and equally absorbent. So much so, in fact, that the NanoDry Towel is worth exactly 2.3 times its own weight in water. It’s also got a silicone travel case with a carabiner attachment for easy carry.

The Theragun Mini is the perfect companion on long travel days when aisle yoga just isn’t cutting it.

Soften the sounds of noisy airports and rattling trains with these ergonomically designed and eco-friendly earplugs. CURVD earplugs offer up to 30 dB of sound reduction, which is perfectly suited for sleep, noise and sound sensitivity, concerts, productivity or just about any scenario you want some peace and quiet. It even comes in a sleek, travel-friendly aluminum carrying case.

This is the perfect little camera to throw in your bag ahead of a road trip, or long weekend away. Thanks to its no-fuss, compact, screen-free design it feels a bit like using a disposable camera, except that it has the ability to hold up to 2,000 photos — and take 500 photos on one charge alone. Plus, you don’t have to go through the hassle of getting them developed to enjoy them.

Cadence’s magnetic, and leakproof, Capsules are the sleekest reusable travel containers I’ve come across yet. Choose from seven different colorways, and label them however you’d like, for a totally custom set.

For those who have a hard time falling asleep on flights, allow me to introduce you to Ostrichpillow’s Hot & Cold Eye Mask. Not only does it provide thermal therapy and gentle pressure for natural, instant relief from eye strain and muscle tension, it signals to everyone around you that you’d kindly like to be left alone.

The perfect beach blanket doesnt exi—

Designed with the “modern explorer” in mind, Nocs Provisions Standard Issue 8×25 Waterproof Binoculars feature 8x magnification, can be submerged for up to 30 minutes and are fog-proof. I never fancied myself a binoculars person until a recent trip to Tanzania — now I am of the utmost belief that every self-respecting traveler should own a pair.

On long travel days, whether it be by train, plane or automobile, there is no product more clutch than the iWalk Magnetic Power Bank. Compatible with iPhone 15/14/13 and 12, with or without a magnetic phone case, it has a 6000mAh capacity and is relatively thin and lightweight, making it unobtrusive to hold.

Arguably the most practical of gifts for a jet-setter, they’ll have no issue putting an Airbnb gift card to good use.

I love the idea of keeping a travel journal, and wish I’d had the foresight to keep one a decade ago when I started traveling. This one from Letterfolk has 20 entry pages, as well as eight bonus pages, that include things like checklists and bucket lists.

An essential stocking stuffer for the chronic over packer. You should grab one of these bad boys for yourself while you’re at it.

There is not one single item I have traveled with over the course of the last decade or so more than my 32 oz. Nalgene water bottle. It’s been to five continents, and countless countries, but after all this time it’s only slightly the worse for wear and I see no reason to replace it.

This little travel umbrella weighs only 0.66 lbs (so no detriment to their luggage weight limit) and is easily folded and stored away. Another perfect stocking stuffer! We’re cookin’ with gas now.

Atlas Obscura is a frontrunner in the unique and unusual travel realm. It’s no surprise, then, that an Atlas Obscura book would make for a unique and unusual travel gift. Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders is the latest tome to hit shelves, and it is just as beautiful as it’s predecessors. Described as an “unputdownable celebration of the world’s living wonders,” it’s a tried-and-tested conversation starter among the travel attuned.

According to a recent poll commissioned by the Refractive Surgery Council, half of bespectacled Americans miss out on at least one activity from their vacation because they wear glasses or contacts. Keep your bespectacled person’s glasses safe in transit, people!