As you plan spring travel, leave money in your budget to stock up on road trip must-haves, from luggage and travel monitors for your laptop, to the best earbuds and portable batteries. The best part? Buy these amazing finds once and they will last for years.
Even if you are cutting back on travel, you will want these to make over-nighters better.
I frequently (okay, almost always!) work on the road. Whether I’m keeping up with deadlines for clients, tackling a content strategy, or creating content for this website, I usually take a few hours at night to work. At home, I use a three-monitor set-up for efficiency. Dropping down to one screen on the road slows workflow dramatically.
The Arzopa Portable Travel Monitor turned out to be my solution. This ultra-slim monitor offers 15.6” of screen in a streamlined package, with a handy kickstand to prop it up anywhere. It connects easily via USB C or HDMI. You can find many similar monitors, but for under $100, this one is a true bargain!
Taking working vacations means packing lots of wires and cables! From phone chargers to power cords, we need to keep it all organized. The Thule Subterra Powershuttle stores and sorts everything in a handy carrying case. We’re big fans of the Thule brand in my family, and this case goes wherever I go.
Working on the road also means I need a sturdy, reliable, and affordable laptop bag. For under $100, the Conmigo ULTI does the job! I like that it comes with a detachable device sleeve to protect my laptop. It is lightweight with plenty of pockets to stow snacks, my ketones, and a shaker bottle. Plus, I love the bright blue color, although you can also get it in basic black.
As a travel writer, I’ve been evaluating several brands of luggage over the past few years. My go-to is the ROLLINK Flex 360 Carry-on Collapsible Suitcase, which expands to hold everything I need for a three-day trip and shrinks down to a streamlined width for easy storage. The collapsible design gives it plenty of “flex” to squeeze into tight areas, even when it’s fully packed. There were a few times we could not have fit luggage for our family of four in the back of my RAV-4 if I didn’t use the ROLLINK Flex 360.
If you’re looking for a great budget suitcase. I recommend the Samsonite Evolve SE Hardside Expandable Luggage, available for under $100 on Amazon right now. They are sturdy, easy to wheel, and I love the modern look.
My son and daughter both have these suitcases – his in black, hers in an eye-catching deep turquoise. I gave it to her for Christmas a few years ago packed with skirts and tees from Hot Topic. Best. Gift. Ever.
If you are planning a summer vacation, consider gifting suitcases with a bathing suit, towel and some cute clothes! Easter, unfortunately, falls after the break. But what a cute idea for an Easter basket to get them excited for summer! Or even a graduation / stepping up ceremony!
Whatever luggage you carry, compression cubes are the key to easier packing. I use the Monos Compressible Packing Cubes, which feature mesh on one side so you can find your clothes, bathing suits, and pajamas at a glance. No more guessing or trying to remember which cube is which! But Monos cubes can be pricey, at $95 for a set of four.
You can find much, much cheaper packing cubes, but the zippers may not hold up, the cubes may tear, and they never compress down as much as you need.
COR Surf packing cubes, on the other hand, deliver the perfect balance of low price and high quality. The design makes it easy to pack the cubes full and then cram them into your luggage. I also like the convenient carry handles. If we are planning a quick, overnight stop during a long road trip, I pack PJs, underwear, a bathing suit, and my outfit for the next day all in one cube. Then I can leave the rest of my suitcase in the car if I feel comfortable doing so! The COR Surf five-piece kit even includes a laundry bag to separate dirty clothes from clean for the journey home.
I love the Anker 140W USB-C multi-device charger for so many reasons. First of all, it charges four devices at once, with three USB-C and one conventional USB output. It displays the power available on a handy LED display. And it plugs straight into the wall, which means you don’t have to hunt down a cube or an additional charging cord. It’s basically perfect.
Looking for a lighter weight, lower cost alternative? The Anker 621 Magnetic Portable Charger basically never leaves my bag (except to charge, of course). It’s super lightweight and is perfect to charge your phone when you still want to use it, like when you’re walking around Chicago and snapping selfies in front of “the Bean.”
It’s pretty obvious we are Anker fans in our family. When my daughter came into my office one night complaining that her Apple Watch charger wasn’t working, I pulled the Ultra-Compact 3-in-1 Qi2 Charger off my shelf of technology review products. She hasn’t stopped using it since. Compact (cute, even!), lightweight and perfect for at-home or travel use, the charging station charges any 3 Qi-compatible devices simulteanously, including iPhones, wireless earbuds, and the Apple Watch. It is not a power bank and needs to be plugged in to work.
I reviewed the TRTL travel pillow (with some help from the kids!) last fall. This is a unique, yet surprisingly comfy, travel pillow that supports your head and neck at any angle that’s comfortable for you. The lightweight design keeps you cozy without making you too warm. It comes in a handy zipper-up carry case that can clip onto your luggage, too. And at less than 5 oz., you won’t know it’s there.
Don’t let bug bites and minor injuries ruin your vacation. When you travel with kids, you absolutely need a first-aid kit for everything from cuts and scrapes to mosquito bites. Keep>Going First Aid Kits feature 60, 130, or 270 pieces for virtually any road trip mishap. The 130-piece includes latex-free band-aids, Ibuprofen, safety pins, lip balms, stickers for kids, and even a mini-sewing kit. The larger kit includes nosebleed plugs and scissors. Everything is organized in separate sections, making items easy to find when you’re dealing with a mini-emergency.
Road trips and snacks go together like … well, pecans and Stuckey’s? (I have a soft spot for the brand after interviewing CEO Stephanie Stuckey last year!) But packing snacks for the family can be a challenge. Large bags of chips or packages of crackers need chip clips (which we often forget to bring!) and smaller bags get crushed or created lots of extra trash to toss.
When I spotted these top-rated “snackle boxes” from Sort & Snack, I knew they’d offer the solution I need. Especially since everyone in the car likes different treats! I picked these up for Easter for the kids and plan to stock them with all their favorite snacks in lieu of Easter baskets. Then, they can use them for future family road trips. Best of all, it empowers them to pick and pack their own snacks, taking one more task off my plate!
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