12 Travel Items You Never Need to Spend a Fortune on—and the Budget-friendly Hacks That Do the Trick Instead

Travel + Leisure

20 hours ago

From travel locks to passport wallets, it feels like there are a million things to remember before heading out the door and to the airport. But you don't need a million different travel accessories to fly comfortably and have a good trip. As a travel writer, I've flown enough to know what's worth taking with you—and what you can leave behind. So, I put together a list of 12 best budget travel hacks that will solve a ton of trip woes, from a phone with a dead battery to a noisy flight.
From the best eye mask for travel to the best neck pillow, every item on this list is under $40. This mix of accessories can be used in-flight, on a train or bus, and even long after you've arrived at your destination. So, make sure you put all of these Amazon budget travel hacks into your carry-on travel backpack the next time you head out.
If you want to avoid a stiff neck during long flights, train rides, or road trips, a neck pillow is a must. One of the best travel neck pillows is this Napfun option, which is unique because it's designed with a flat back that helps keep your head in a more neutral position while you're sleeping. Round necks tend to push your head forward and can lead to neck strain for some. Its memory foam fill also feels cloud-like for ultimate comfort.
It may feel more convenient to buy travel-sized versions of your go-to toiletries every time you're going on a trip, but it's worth it to spend a few minutes putting the products you already have into these travel bottles instead. Not only will you save a few dollars, but you don't have to worry about whether what you bought is TSA-compliant. Plus, these bottles are color-coded to make it easy to find what you need quickly. The set comes with four bottles, four jars, two spray bottles, scoopers, a funnel, a brush, labels, and a bag.
Dubbed our best weighted sleep mask, we love that the Barmy mask applies light pressure to specific points on your face to help you relax. That's in addition to blocking a fair amount of light. The mask is cozy-soft against the skin, and cooling, too, so your eye area won't feel too hot as you sleep or decompress.
Sure, you could use the plane's outlet, but why do all that bending and maneuvering around when it's probably easier to use this sleek and slim power bank? It's designed with four different cables, making it a workhorse for charging all your electronics, no matter what kind of cable they require to juice up. It's probably a good idea to keep the portable charger in your purse during your travels, so that you're not stuck trying to find the nearest outlet while out sightseeing.
After I got stuck watching a movie with subtitles because I refused to buy the airplane-offered headphones I'd likely only use once, I never travel without a Bluetooth audio transmitter. The Twelve South AirFly Bluetooth Audio Transmitter plugs into the plane's headphone jack to allow you to wirelessly connect to your AirPods, Beats Studio Buds, or other compatible headphones. It can handle 20 hours of audio on a single charge, and it's also smaller than your palm, making it easy to travel with.
It can be easy to experience restless legs on a flight, especially if you're sitting in economy. This foot hammock is a fun and relaxing way to kick up your feet when a quick walk to the bathroom to get your legs going just won't cut it. You can hang the hammock from the tray table in front of you and adjust it to one of three lengths to make it the perfect height for your legs, so even children can use it.
Whether you don't want to hear the conversation your neighbors are having or need complete quiet to fall into a deep sleep on your next red-eye, Loop's Quiet 2 Ear Plugs can block out noise without making your ears feel uncomfortable, which is why we named them our favorite earplugs of 30 pairs we tested. They're made with flexible silicone that molds to your ear shape, so you never feel like you have to force them in. It also helps that they're much more stylish than your average earbuds, which makes them fun to use.
There's no better way to remember to keep hydrated than by keeping a water bottle on hand, but they can be a little annoying to carry around. Vapur's collapsible bottle (the most durable on our best collapsible water bottles list!) is incredibly light and easy to carry. When not in use, it can also fold down to barely take up any space in your luggage. Another hack: This is perfect for feeding water to your furry travel companions, too.
If you want to give your overstuffed suitcase some help staying shut, a luggage strap can help it keep closed and secure. This Samsonite one even comes with a TSA-approved travel lock to prevent anyone from tampering with your belongings. You can also use a luggage strap to attach multiple items, like a duffel to your rolling suitcase if it doesn't have a trolley sleeve.
This phone mount can attach to almost anything—an airplane tray table, your luggage handle, a desk, and more. It's the perfect accessory for watching something on your phone on the go since it can fold down to be just about palm-sized. When open, it uses a clamp to keep secure to whatever it's attached to, too. The mount rotates 360 degrees, so you can always achieve the perfect viewing angle.
It may be nearly impossible to survive those early-morning flights without coffee, but you can make sure you don't accidentally spill it all over your luggage again. This cup caddy attaches to the handle of your rolling suitcase to hold up to two drinks. It also has an extra pocket where you can store your phone or other small essentials to keep your hands free for those other important tasks, like holding a child's hand.
If you're traveling abroad for the first time, you'll soon discover that many places don't use the outlets we're used to here in the U.S. Packing a universal travel adapter will ensure that you can keep all your gear charged no matter what outlet you encounter. We named it our best travel adapter converter because it can charge six devices at the same time, and it's ready to use in more than 150 countries.
Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.