22-05-2025
If You're Only Bringing A Carry-On On Vacation, You Should Pack These 22 Target Items
An expandable hard-shell carry-on suitcase with four spinner wheels and a built-in lock to bring your luggage firmly into adulthood with you. RIP, soccer camp duffel bag. You will not be forgotten.
Promising review: "We have had two of these bags for the last 10 years. It's a great bag. Perfect as a carry-on and fits at least two weeks' worth of clothing in it. We are an airline family; therefore, we fly standby, so checking in bags gets tricky. My older son's bag is now showing some signs of wear. I have been looking at new bags, but I can't find anything that will accommodate as much as this one." —MPrice: $89.99 (available in five colors)
*OR* a duffel-adjacent weekender bag with a trolly sleeve to make it easy to carry along with a roller bag. Best of all it's small enough to count as a "personal item" on most planes, ensuring you have the perfect carry-on-only setup with as much room as possible.
Promising review: "Perfect carry-on bag. Hooks to roller luggage as well. Super roomy, and I love all of the pockets. Holds a ton!" —JbPrice: $79.99 (available in two colors)
Some classic Apple EarPods that are minuscule to store when you're not using them, don't require charging, and don't break the bank. I'm a believer that these classics are underrated, especially when it comes to traveling light.
Promising review: "After going through too many wireless earbuds to name, costing me so much money, I decided to follow the trend of the tried and true wired buds. The sound quality is great and the price even better." —ajPrice: $19.99
A small bottle of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream so you can leave the enormous tub it usually comes in at home while still enjoying it's cult-status effectiveness. That's gonna be especially key after a long, drying flight!
Promising review: "I have very dry ski,n and this cream is my holy grail. I put it on at night, and it's not sticky or greasy. It doesn't make my clothes feel like they're sticking to me, and it also hydrates my skin the whole next day. I haven't found any other cream that measures up to Cerave." —Target ShopperPrice: $7.69+
A ruled hardcover Moleskine notebook to use as a travel journal. I love writing small daily entries whenever I'm on a trip but hate lugging around enormous journals. This one is slim, easy to carry, high-quality and is always in my carry-on.
Promising review: "I've been looking for something to put all my writing in, and this book is awesome! The quality of the paper and the lines aren't that close, and it allows you so much room per page. Will buy again!" —KimbePrice: $24.99 (available in six colors and three-page styles)
A reliable external battery so you're never stuck without directions somewhere new. The amount of times an external battery has saved my tuchas is astonishing.
Promising review: "It stalled me all day at an amusement park, and I could charge my phone and my mini fan to keep me cool. At the end of the day, it was at 60%, and I used it constantly for about 12 hours. Didn't overheat at all, which surprised me since the weather was around 90 degrees when I used it the most. It does only come with two ports, one to charge the battery itself and one USB port to charge other devices." —anaPrice: $31.99
Or in case you *do* want to sacrifice a little room for the sake of neatening clothes, a travel steamer so you can look your sharpest if you're headed out of town for a work trip, wedding, or other special event. Now when you pull your dress out of your suitcase and see how wrinkled it is, there's no stress.
The corded steamer comes with a detachable bristled and lint removal brush. Promising review: "This little steamer looked flimsy when I received it, but it packed easily and performed like a champ steaming wrinkles out of shirts and dresses on a month-long trip to Europe. It could handle at least two garments before running out of water. All we needed to add was a plug adapter. Never missed our old travel iron. I'm buying another as a gift." —LCPrice: $41.99
A seven-piece set of packing cubes to keep your items as compact and organized as possible. I used to be skeptical of packing cubes at first but can conform they help even the most disorganized of travelers (me) maintain some semblance of order.
Promising review: "The color and quality of these cubes are two of my favorite parts about them. They're so pretty and sturdy. I found it easy to pack them, and they weren't flimsy, so I didn't worry about them losing shape. I've even machine-washed two of the cubes I used this past weekend, and they look the exact same. These are a great find, run don't walk to buy them." —niccibandanaPrice: $49.99 (available in two colors)
A luggage scale so you can confidently show up to the airport knowing you won't incur a fee for being over the airline's weight limit. Because yes, sometimes there are weight limits for carry-ons, too. How do I know? Because I was once charged a ridiculous amount for having an overweight one on an AirFrance flight and it still haunts me.
Price: $18.99 for a set of two (originally $27.99)
A couple of tiny bottles of SheaMoisture shampoo and conditioner, because your curls have been subjected to subpar hotel products way too many times. Let's fix that while still keeping your toiletry bag a manageable size.
The products are paraben-free, phthalate-free, and cruelty-free. Promising review: "Great product. I don't use shampoo daily, so this small size is perfect and lasts a while. Cleans my hair good and keeps it curled and shined." —DdanielPrice: $4.39 for the shampoo and $4.39 for the conditioner
An itty-bitty Venus razor with a carrying case so if you're planning on shaving on your trip you don't need to bring your big ol' razor and try to find a way to store it safely.
Promising review: "Love this compact razor for traveling. Very convenient size and the razor itself works very well. Smooth shave result. Would purchase again." —ChanningPrice: $12.59
A mini bottle of Vacation Super Spritz SPF 50 face mist so you can keep your skin protected on the go. While checking a bag to lug your usual tub of SPF around could be worth it to some, this handy-dandy spray makes it easy to fly and reapply.
Promising review: "I love it! It's easy to apply. I used it as a first application, but I like it for reapplying even over other sunscreens. It's not sticky, tight, or oily, and I've had no breakouts. So convenient because reapplying a cream sunscreen can cause gross buildup and feel heavy. Plus, it smells great when applied! I could see this potentially irritating someone with really sensitive skin, so maybe test it before putting it on your face." —tk104Price: $9.49
A TSA-friendly travel makeup bag kit with a transparent design and matching to-go bag, so you don't have to think, "Did I pack my fave cleanser, moisturizer, and night cream?" as you rush to the airport.
This set includes three refillable travel bottles, a refillable jar, a funnel, and a spray review: "These worked great for my recent trip to New Orleans. I needed something to hold all of my makeup removers, lotions, etc." —TaylorPrice: $9
Or an eight-piece toiletry bottle set so it's easy as can be to decant literally all of your favorite toiletries into small, manageable, TSA-approved bottles — yes, even sprays!
The set includes two bottles with sprayers, two silicone bottles, two rolling bottles, two jars, and a zip-top pouch. Promising review: "I packed these with my daily toiletries, too, for going overseas, and they are so fun and cute. I will buy these again!!" —TashalaPrice: $12.99
A laptop backpack with a trolly sleeve if you're in search of the most versatile personal item out there. It'll come in handy both as a piece of luggage and as a bag you can use in your everyday life, and is obviously extra fitting for anyone who's working while on the go.
Promising review: "I got this bag as my new travel backpack/carry-on. It's good quality, very cute, and has good pockets for organizing my things and securing my laptop/tablet. Would definitely recommend it!" —Jill CPrice: $49.99 (available in three colors)
A Takeya water bottle with a fold-down straw whose small 18-ounce size is perfect for tossing in a carry-on. It's not gonna take up too much space or be too heavy, but you will have a nice serving of water to dip into whenever you need it. Balance, people!
Promising review: "My husband and I received these as a gift for our wedding. I was hesitant at first because I'm picky about water bottles. BUT...I now use mine almost every day. I took my daughter to pick out a new water bottle for school, and she picked the Takeya with a straw. She was nervous it would be hard to suck through, but it's not! We all love ours from the handle to the grip bottom!" —TarynPrice: $28.99 (available in two colors)
A simple and useful zippered pouch that is meant for makeup but can be used for almost any travel paraphernalia. Makeup, other toiletries, small electronics, cords, jewelry, travel name it, and it can tuck away nicely and neatly here!
Price: $23.45 (available in 11 colors)
A folding travel toothbrush ensures you don't have to size up your toiletry bag just to fit your regular toothbrush.
Promising review: "This is the PERFECT toothbrush for a trip because it does not require an extra cover or a toothbrush case. It just folds up. I'm obsessed with it." —Cohdey21Price: $1.19
A five-piece compression bag set that don't require a vacuum to squish down nice and small and maximize space. All you need to do is roll the air out, throw them in your bag, and be on your merry way with a whole wardrobe in tow.
This includes one small, two medium, and two large airtight waterproof review: "The BEST and only storage bags you should buy. I could pack two weeks of wardrobe into one suitcase for the plane. You do not need a vacuum to seal! Love these bags, and will only buy these from now on." —BrookePrice: $19.99
A compact pill organizer so you can bring the correct amount of medication and supplements that you need for your travels without lugging around full bottles.
Promising review: "Like having the separate morning and evening sections so that I take my pills at the correct time. Also, it will be so handy to be able to just take the days which are needed out of the holder when traveling." —Shelley RetterPrice: $14.49 (originally $27.99; available in black only)
A slim fanny pack so you can adventure through the airport hands-free and tuck it into your carry-on to board if your airline has a bag limit. If all you need is somewhere to stash your phone, ID, and credit card, it's the perfect bag choice.
Promising review: "I love this. It is the perfect size for my wallet, phone, keys, and ChapStick. I can wear it as a fanny pack or across my body, and I love that I don't have to empty my wallet; I can just toss it in." —alliePrice: $19.99 (available in seven colors)
A small pack of disinfecting wipes to give you peace of mind when using high-touch surfaces away from home. Nothing worse than discovering your airplane tray is mysteriously sticky.
Promising review: "These are perfect for travel! I buy a few before traveling and use them on the plane and in the hotel. Perfect size for a backpack/purse, so I don't have to bring a giant Clorox container!" —R19Price: $0.99 for a nine-pack
