Want to buy traveler gifts that are actually useful? Check out my suggestions updated in December of 2024.
This is the time of year when seemingly every magazine and travel blog has some kind of “ultimate travel gift guide” or “100 great gift ideas for the traveler on your list.” Many of the magazine ones are written by desk jockey editors who don’t travel very much though. They seem to be highlighting whatever landed in the mailroom that month and looks cute.
So you see a lot of supposedly smart gadgets that will be obsolete or impractical in a year (remember all the hoopla about “smart luggage?”) Plus lots of goop and lotions and aromatherapy products that almost no frequent traveler is going to waste space on in their carry-on. And soooo many neck pillows, all promising to finally be the one that works.
The blogger round-ups are usually more useful, but the lists are often still stuffed with things that the writers would never carry themselves. The traveler gift items are too bulky, too heavy, or just not practical for an actual traveler. They’re just on the list because the affiliate payout would be nice if you click and buy.
There’s actually not much commission to be had on the inexpensive things frequent travelers use every trip, like luggage locks or quick-dry travel underwear. Nobody makes much if you buy an aspiring round-the-world backpacker the under-$10 Kindle edition of The World’s Cheapest Destinations. (But I’ll be very thankful if you do–and you’ll save them a small fortune!)
Here are useful traveler gifts to consider, things that will actually be received with gratitude and used on the road. Just make sure your recipient doesn’t have what you’re thinking of getting already: most are tried and true staples that you don’t need two of—unless you want a backup.
Sound and Reading Gadget Traveler Gifts
If there’s one thing that probably 99% of frequent travelers are carrying these days, it’s earbuds or earphones. (And I want to punch the other 1% of selfish travelers blasting their videos or games on speaker in the airport.) I have found that I am usually carrying two kinds now, which is annoying but needed. I’ve got Bluetooth headphones or earbuds—depending on space and flight length—then old-school wired ones with a mic. The latter are still needed when the batteries die on the others, if I want decent sound from the airplane movie screen, or I need to make a Skype/Zoom call from the road.
We’re getting to a point where this is less necessary and some new phones don’t have a headphone jack, which annoys me because I always like having a backup option, but my last airplane ride had a Bluetooth option too, so we’re headed to an all-wireless time, with a dozen gadgets to recharge every day, for better or worse.
Because of the trend, you can now get the classic Bose Quiet Comfort noise-canceling wired headphones for half what they used to cost, $140 as I update this, while they last. Or the wireless ones for about $229.
Bose also sells a line of earbuds now that supposedly clip on to your ear so you’re not as likely to lose one. See the details here.
Bluetooth headphones have come down in price a lot though if you’re not looking for a status choice. I got a set of Bluetooth earbuds in a 5 Below store this year for $8 when I needed some in a hurry before I got back on a plane. The sound is nothing to get excited about, but they’re find for podcasts and as a backup.
For trans-ocean flights I used a Chinese knock-off brand pair that my wife ended up “borrowing” from me and never giving back so now I have to give myself a gift because my current earbuds aren’t active noise-canceling and these headphones are. This model is loaded with features but retails for just $60 for the lighter color or the black ones are just $50 at Amazon. These supposedly have a 50-hour play life on battery power, which will cover your recipient on even the longest possible flight. If you don’t like those, there are 100 other suggestions that will pop up.
Sure, you can get your loved one the $200 Apple AirPods Pro 2, now with USB-C charging like everyone else at least, but to me these tiny in-ear disconnected buds seem way overpriced and way too easy to lose. I’d rather spend 1/4 as much for similar sound specs and not have so much at stake.
Every flight or two I see a few lonely single ones lying on airplane seats as I exit the plane. They likely fell out of someone’s ear while the person was sleeping or were dropped when packing up. Something that small is easy to lose. There must be thousands of single buds out there in the world, like the supply of single socks. So if you buy a traveler some earbuds as a gift, sooner or later they’ll need them.
There are a zillion alternative earbuds of both kinds available at Amazon and seemingly one out of every two retail stores when I walk around a city. I’ve used exactly two versions of these best-selling, Bluetooth ones with a cord and earclips for more years than I can count, which means I have only lost one set—probably because they’re attached with a wire between them. Hey, we can all use a spare set—or two—of this item and those only cost $20.
Plenty of Bluetooth speakers are small enough to pack in a carry-on, though for your recipients who travel with a checked bag, they can get something larger and a little heavier so the sound will be five times better, especially for the bass. For years I’ve been really happy with my rechargeable, waterproof JBL Go3 one that’s listed for $50 but is now selling for $30 and has a 20-hour battery life. It has more than 20,000 44,000 mostly positive Amazon reviews, so it’s a safe bet.
If your traveler gift recipient is a fanatic light packer, however, get them a tinnier and tinier speaker instead, like the little ones on this page. That way they’ll actually pack it.
Most travelers over the age of 30 aren’t real fond of reading a book on a smartphone, so a Kindle Paperwhite (around $100) or Kobo e-reader (for Canadians) is an appreciated gift for someone who doesn’t have one already. If that person on your gift list doesn’t already have a tablet or e-reader, that can be a good gift before they head abroad. Paper books are bulky and don’t work so well when you finish one in the middle of nowhere. With a WiFi connection and an e-reader, almost any book in the world is a few clicks away.
I’m a big fan of the Kindle Paperwhite for straight reading and long battery life, or the Kindle Fire if they would want to use it to surf the web, play games, or watch movies too. This loss leader for Amazon is one of the world’s greatest gadget bargains, sometimes on sale as low as $49 for the 8-inch version or $79 to $139 for a 10- or 11-inch version of various storage levels.
This is for a device that works as an e-reader, web surfer, music player, game device, and video screen. If someone asked me what my best value purchase under $100 was in the past few years, a Kindle Fire would be the clear winner.
I finally had to buy a replacement last year after ditching one that had been going strong for eight years, despite countless international trips with it. I only replaced it because it was getting to be incompatible with some of the apps and games I use, not because it died.
Power Up for Your Travels!
We’re slaves to our gadgets now on the road and each year it seems there are more things to be recharged. For some that even extends to their watch or fitness tracker. Where is someone going to plug all those things in every day to keep them charged? That’s a good place to start when looking for practical traveler gifts.
One gift that might be appreciated is a travel power strip. With one of these you can turn one outlet into many, whether that’s in a crowded airport or in a hotel room built for times when the only thing you plugged in was a laptop. The travel ones pack up small but can be a lifesaver with 2-3 regular outlets and 2-3 USB ones, for less than $20. I’m currently on a tw0-month trip in Europe, so I bought one with a European plug for $18 that has a retractable cord and has worked great in six countries.
Also take a look at what your gift recipient is using to recharge on the go. If it’s one of those small rectangular chargers you see companies giving out at trade shows, it’s probably only good for one charge. Higher capacity Power banks have gotten steadily cheaper and lighter over the years, so now you can get one rated 10,000 mAh for under $20 and one rated 20,000 for under $30. They are heavier, but these will charge multiple gadgets multiple times before running out.
This $24 one below is a real steal because it recharges off the grid if needed and comes with a flashlight and compass built in. I am putting this on MY wishlist for a trip to Patagonia next year!
If the person you’re buying for is taking their first international trip beyond North America, you might want to look into some kind of multi-outlet power adapter with different plugs.
Travel Gear Gift Splurges That Will Last
Most frequent travelers tend to spend more on experiences than things, so they have a hard time splurging on themselves even when it’s for something useful. They’ll balk at buying the $100 sun hat that’s guaranteed for life and will go for a $30 one instead, even though the former is made better and will last a lot longer. They’ll avoid the more expensive luggage items or daypacks with extra security features, even though it could potentially keep their valuables safer.
Here are a few traveler gift items that are priced like splurges, but will last a decade or more in the end.
Tilley sun hats – I first got one of these 15 years ago and that original one was looking pretty ragged, getting frayed around the brim. I sent it back with money for shipping and they replaced it with no charge. Who does that anymore? I’m a big fan of Tilley Hats and everyone I know that wears them is a converted fan. They even have a little pouch inside for storing valuables as an extra stash. You can find multiple “guaranteed for life” styles for under $100 at their website or on Amazon.
Speaking of valuables, two brands are solely dedicated to protecting yours: Clothing Arts and Pac-safe. I raved about the former in a dedicated blog post, so go there to check out their pickpocket proof clothing.
Pac-safe makes luggage, day bags, and travel purses that are the best around for thwarting potential thieves. They’re slash-proof, have special security locks, and zippers that can’t be popped open with a pen like most of them out there. Anyone on your list making a trip to a pickpocket capital needs to have something from one or both of these companies packed. In the range of $50 to $120.
SteriPen or Lifestraw water purifiers are something every traveler going to developing countries should have. Too often though, travelers prioritize the short-term cheapness and convenience of bottled water over the long-term savings and litter reduction resulting from regular use of a water purifier. Help them and help the planet by giving one of these as a gift.
Figure on $60 to $100. It’ll actually pay that back several times over just the first year. Or spend about the same and get a bottle with a built-in cap purifier. I used one for years called a Crazy Cap but that company appears to be kaput. Here’s an alternative from one called LARQ.
This is what I used to pack most often because the cap could go on any Swell-style bottle after the first bottle gets too banged up. I’m not sure if this one does but the old Crazy Cap version is still out there on eBay and the like.
Quality sunglasses are something very few budget travelers seem to want to splurge on, but they’ll get really excited if you get them some good ones from a brand like Costa, Smiths, Oakley, Tifosi, Julbo, or Serengeti. I used to get showered with sunglasses when I ran the Practical Travel Gear blog and those brands were always reliable.
You can find all of them on sale at any given point if you shop online though, so check Backcountry or Moosejaw to see what’s discounted. There are deep sales going on in the winter time. I just saw these polarized Oakley ones pictured below for $79 at Backcountry, half the retail price, and some Tifosi ones I’ve got my eye on for under $60.
Airport Lounges Access – If your recipient doesn’t already have Priority Pass to get into airport lounges via a premium credit card (like Amex Platinum), get them this and they’ll thank you over and over. It’s not cheap, but it’ll make them feel special for a year.
Boring Traveler Gifts We Probably Need
Frequent travelers, especially long-term backpackers, are always short on packing space and are trying to keep the weight down. Some go around the world with just a carry-on. So you don’t want to buy them something bulky that is probably going to end up being left at home. Like a big neck pillow like they sell in all the airport shops.
Memory cards are always a good gift for someone carrying a camera or GoPro because they’re small but we go through a lot of them between downloads/back-ups. They often seem to crap out after a while too, needing to be replaced when they get finicky. These days you can get 128 GB ones for as little as $14 at Amazon. (That’s more memory than my first laptop had and it was more than $2,000!) Sometimes 20 bucks will get you one with 512 GB—half what your current Macbook probably holds.
Hiking socks aren’t very exciting, but most travelers walk ten times more than people on a working schedule. Lightweight but rugged hiking socks are good all-around useful items for the road and the wool blend ones can go days between washings without getting too smelly. Again, check the online retailers like Backcountry.com and you’ll nearly always find name brands at closeout prices for $5 to $15 a pair.
REI Membership or Gift Card – If they’re American, get them lifetime membership at REI for $20 and they’ll get special sale deals and a yearly rebate. Or get them a REI gift card and you can be sure they’ll find something they need for the next trip.
Cash. It’s boring to give and even less personal than a gift card, but frame it as “a nice restaurant meal” or “a night in a real hotel room” or just “one more week of travel in India.” $50 to $100 goes a long way in a cheap destination.
How about you? What’s on your wish list this year?
I have personally used most of the items on this list, or very similar ones, and recommend the brands mentioned. This article contains links to merchants I frequently shop at, which pay me a small commission if you click on them and buy something. You will never pay more, however, than if you just went directly to the website yourself, as a first-time customer or a regular.
Want to get deals and discounts at the best times each year? I put all the sales links in one place in the Insider Gear Deals Newsletter that goes out around 6 times per year.
