time travel equipment

February 1, 2006

How to Build a Time Machine

It wouldn't be easy, but it might be possible

By Paul Davies

Time travel has been a popular science-fiction theme since H. G. Wells wrote his celebrated novel The Time Machine in 1895. But can it really be done? Is it possible to build a machine that would transport a human being into the past or future?

For decades, time travel lay beyond the fringe of respectable science. In recent years, however, the topic has become something of a cottage industry among theoretical physicists. The motivation has been partly recreational--time travel is fun to think about. But this research has a serious side, too. Understanding the relation between cause and effect is a key part of attempts to construct a unified theory of physics. If unrestricted time travel were possible, even in principle, the nature of such a unified theory could be drastically affected.

Our best understanding of time comes from Einstein's theories of relativity. Prior to these theories, time was widely regarded as absolute and universal, the same for everyone no matter what their physical circumstances were. In his special theory of relativity, Einstein proposed that the measured interval between two events depends on how the observer is moving. Crucially, two observers who move differently will experience different durations between the same two events.

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The effect is often described using the twin paradox. Suppose that Sally and Sam are twins. Sally boards a rocket ship and travels at high speed to a nearby star, turns around and flies back to Earth, while Sam stays at home. For Sally the duration of the journey might be, say, one year, but when she returns and steps out of the spaceship, she finds that 10 years have elapsed on Earth. Her brother is now nine years older than she is. Sally and Sam are no longer the same age, despite the fact that they were born on the same day. This example illustrates a limited type of time travel. In effect, Sally has leaped nine years into Earth's future.

THE EFFECT, KNOWN AS time dilation, occurs whenever two observers move relative to each other. In daily life we don't notice weird time warps, because the effect becomes dramatic only when the motion occurs at close to the speed of light. Even at aircraft speeds, the time dilation in a typical journey amounts to just a few nanoseconds--hardly an adventure of Wellsian proportions. Nevertheless, atomic clocks are accurate enough to record the shift and confirm that time really is stretched by motion. So travel into the future is a proved fact, even if it has so far been in rather unexciting amounts.

To observe really dramatic time warps, one has to look beyond the realm of ordinary experience. Subatomic particles can be propelled at nearly the speed of light in large accelerator machines. Some of these particles, such as muons, have a built-in clock because they decay with a definite half-life; in accordance with Einstein's theory, fast-moving muons inside accelerators are observed to decay in slow motion. Some cosmic rays also experience spectacular time warps. These particles move so close to the speed of light that, from their point of view, they cross the galaxy in minutes, even though in Viewed from such a star, events here would resemble a fast-forwarded video. A black hole represents the ultimate time warp; at the surface of the hole, time stands still relative to Earth. This means that if you fell into a black hole from nearby, in the brief interval it took you to reach the surface, all of eternity would pass by in the wider universe. The region within the black hole is therefore beyond the end of time, as far as the outside universe is concerned. If an astronaut could zoom very close to a black hole and return unscathed--admittedly a fanciful, not to mention foolhardy, prospect--he could leap far into the future.

My Head Is Spinning

SO FAR I HAVE DISCUSSED travel forward in time. What about going backward? This is much more problematic. In 1948 Kurt Gdel of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., produced a solution of Einstein's gravitational field equations that described a rotating universe. In this universe, an astronaut could travel through space so as to reach his own past. This comes about because of the way gravity affects light. The rotation of the universe would drag light (and thus the causal relations between objects) around with it, enabling a material object to travel in a closed loop in space that is also a closed loop in time, without at any stage exceeding the speed of light in the immediate neighborhood of the particle. Gdel's solution was shrugged aside as a mathematical curiosity--after all, observations show no sign that the universe as a whole is spinning. His result served nonetheless to demonstrate that going back in time was not forbidden by the theory of relativity. Indeed, Einstein confessed that he was troubled by the thought that his theory might permit travel into the past under some circumstances.

Other scenarios have been found to permit travel into the past. For example, in 1974 Frank J. Tipler of Tulane University calculated that a massive, infinitely long cylinder spinning on its axis at near the speed of light could let astronauts visit their own past, again by dragging light around the cylinder into a loop. In 1991 J. Richard Gott of Princeton University predicted that cosmic strings--structures that cosmologists think were created in the early stages of the big bang--could produce similar results. But in the mid-1980s the most realistic scenario for a time machine emerged, based on the concept of a wormhole.

In science fiction, wormholes are sometimes called stargates; they offer a shortcut between two widely separated points in space. Jump through a hypothetical wormhole, and you might come out moments later on the other side of the galaxy. Wormholes naturally fit into the general theory of relativity, whereby gravity warps not only time but also space. The theory allows the analogue of alternative road and tunnel routes connecting two points in space. Mathematicians refer to such a space as multiply connected. Just as a tunnel passing under a hill can be shorter than the surface street, a wormhole may be shorter than the usual route through ordinary space.

The wormhole was used as a fictional device by Carl Sagan in his 1985 novel Contact . Prompted by Sagan, Kip S. Thorne and his co-workers at the California Institute of Technology set out to find whether wormholes were consistent with known physics. Their starting point was that a wormhole would resemble a black hole in being an object with fearsome gravity. But unlike a black hole, which offers a oneway journey to nowhere, a wormhole would have an exit as well as an entrance.

In the Loop

FOR THE WORMHOLE to be traversable, it must contain what Thorne termed exotic matter. In effect, this is something that will generate antigravity to combat the natural tendency of a massive system to implode into a black hole under its intense weight. Antigravity, or gravitational repulsion, can be generated by negative energy or pressure. Negative- energy states are known to exist in certain quantum systems, which suggests that Thorne's exotic matter is not ruled out by the laws of physics, although it is unclear whether enough antigravitating stuff can be assembled to stabilize a wormhole [see Negative Energy, Wormholes and Warp Drive, by Law rence H. Ford and Thomas A. Roman; SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, January 2000].

Soon Thorne and his colleagues realized that if a stable worm hole could be created, then it could readily be turned into a time machine. An astronaut who passed through one might come out not only somewhere else in the universe but somewhen else, too--in either the future or the past.

To adapt the wormhole for time travel, one of its mouths could be towed to a neutron star and placed close to its surface. The gravity of the star would slow time near that wormhole mouth, so that a time difference between the ends of the wormhole would gradually accumulate. If both mouths were then parked at a convenient place in space, this time difference would remain frozen in.

Suppose the difference were 10 years. An astronaut passing through the wormhole in one direction would jump 10 years into the future, whereas an astronaut passing in the other direction would jump 10 years into the past. By returning to his starting point at high speed across ordinary space, the second astronaut might get back home before he left. In other words, a closed loop in space could become a loop in time as well. The one restriction is that the astronaut could not return to a time before the wormhole was first built.

A formidable problem that stands in the way of making a wormhole time machine is the creation of the wormhole in the first place. Possibly space is threaded with such structures naturally--relics of the big bang. If so, a supercivilization might commandeer one. Alternatively, wormholes might naturally come into existence on tiny scales, the so-called Planck length, about 20 factors of 10 as small as an atomic nucleus. In principle, such a minute wormhole could be stabilized by a pulse of energy and then somehow inflated to usable dimensions.

ASSUMING THAT the engineering problems could be overcome, the production of a time machine could open up a Pandora's box of causal paradoxes. Consider, for example, the time traveler who visits the past and murders his mother when she was a young girl. How do we make sense of this? If the girl dies, she cannot become the time traveler's mother. But if the time traveler was never born, he could not go back and murder his mother.

Paradoxes of this kind arise when the time traveler tries to change the past, which is obviously impossible. But that does not prevent someone from being a part of the past. Suppose the time traveler goes back and rescues a young girl from murder, and this girl grows up to become his mother. The causal loop is now self-consistent and no longer paradoxical. Causal consistency might impose restrictions on what a time traveler is able to do, but it does not rule out time travel per se.

The bizarre consequences of time travel have led some scientists to reject the notion outright. Stephen W. Hawking of the University of Cambridge has proposed a chronology protection conjecture, which would outlaw causal loops. Because the theory of relativity is known to permit causal loops, chronology protection would require some other factor to intercede to prevent travel into the past. What might this factor be? One suggestion is that quantum processes will come to the rescue. The existence of a time machine would allow particles to loop into their own past. Calculations hint that the ensuing disturbance would become self-reinforcing, creating a runaway surge of energy that would wreck the wormhole.

Chronology protection is still just a conjecture, so time travel remains a possibility. A final resolution of the matter may have to await the successful union of quantum mechanics and gravitation, perhaps through a theory such as string theory or its extension, so-called M-theory. It is even conceivable that the next generation of particle accelerators will be able to create subatomic wormholes that survive long enough for nearby particles to execute fleeting causal loops. This would be a far cry from Wells's vision of a time machine, but it would forever change our picture of physical reality.

PAUL DAVIES is a theoretical physicist and professor of natural philosophy at Macquarie University's Australian Center for Astrobiology in Sydney. He is one of the most prolific writers of popular-level books in physics. His scientific research interests include black holes, quantum field theory, the origin of the universe, the nature of consciousness and the origin of life.

The Best Sci-Fi Time Machines Ever

Whether you prefer phone booths, cars or wearable devices, surely there is a time machine out there for you. We've gathered some of the top time machines from science fiction, in all their wibbily wobbly timey wimey glory.

TARDIS ("Doctor Who")

Perhaps the most famous of time machines , the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), which is disguised as a police phone booth, allows Doctor Who and his companions to jump across eras on planet Earth.

In the new series, they've met many historical figures using this machine, such as the artist Vincent Van Gogh and writers Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens. Doctor Who often uses the TARDIS to try to change events in time, with varying success. [ How Time Travel Works in Sc-Fi (Infographic) ]

DeLorean ("Back to the Future") 

In the " Back to the Future " trilogy, the DeLorean can travel to a time you punch into the car's dashboard as long as the vehicle reaches 88 miles per hour and has sufficient power.

This leads to several complications for the characters, however, when they run out of the plutonium that is usually used to power the vehicle. Much of the first movie revolves around finding an alternative source of power.

Klingon Bird of Prey ("Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home")

While the characters in " Star Trek: The Original Series " are no stranger to time travel, it is in the film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" that they do one of their most famous maneuvers with a captured Klingon Bird of Prey — a slingshot around the sun to nab humpback whales from the 20th century. The Enterprise crew pioneered the manuever with the U.S.S. Enterprise (which we also think is an awesome time machine) in the classic first season episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday."

The crew's escapades in 1980s San Francisco include Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) mastering the use of "colorful metaphor" swearing, and explaining the behavior of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) by saying Spock used too much "LDS" a few years ago.

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Complicated contraption ("The Time Machine")

Based on the 1895 H.G. Wells novel, this 2002 movie shows Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce) sitting in a complicated device of wheels, levers and light to travel 800,000 years into the future. He planned to test this device to save somebody he loved, but his first flight plunges him into a war he is not prepared to fight.

Phone booth ("Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure") 

In perhaps the best method ever to get a school assignment done, slackers Bill Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) use a phone booth to travel back in time and get some first-hand knowledge of historical figures. But things take an unexpected turn when an explosion knocks Napoleon Bonaparte into their wake, dragging the French leader from Austria in 1805 to Southern California in 1988. [ 10 Space Movies to Watch in 2015 ]

Time Displacement Equipment ("The Terminator" movie series) 

Demonstrating how a war can be fought in four dimensions — yes, including time — the Time Displacement Equipment is a central part of "The Terminator" film series. At various moments, different factions in the war between humans and machines use the equipment to send their agents backward or forward in time. The device looks like a big gyroscope, and travelers must be specially coated before entering for it to work properly.

Rocket sled ("Timecop") 

While time travel movies introduce all sorts of paradoxes, the rocket sled in "Timecop" (1994) has an unusual one: The device appears to vanish every time users climb into it and careen toward a wall. But when riders goes back to where they came from, they magically appear in the sled again. This phenomenon has spawned much speculation on the Internet .

Time Turner ("Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban") 

This innocent-looking pendant is used by Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) to gain more time for her studies. After special approval from a professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she uses the device to regularly jump back a few hours in time to take extra classes. Hermione keeps the device secret from her friends Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) until it comes in handy for a rescue mission.

The Island ("Lost")

"Lost" is one of those television shows in which nobody really knows what's going on. But a few seasons in, it becomes clear that the island on which the travelers are stranded has time-travel properties, which are sometimes activated via a frozen wheel. But their attempts to change the past usually succeed only in bringing about the same events via other means.

Time Jump Device ("Men In Black III")

While time travel is illegal in the "Men in Black" universe — there are concerns that criminals could use the technology to their advantage — it ends up playing a key role in the plot of "Men in Black III (2012), which includes extensive references to the Apollo 11 launch of July 16, 1969. The hand-held device can be activated by falling with it to the ground from a height.

WABAC machine ("The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show")

This time machine was actually invented by a dog — the super-genius Mr. Peabody — for his pet human boy, Sherman. The duo travel in the time machine together to see important events in history, such as the famous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War in 1854. The Wayback Machine website on the Internet is an homage to WABAC , which, in turn, was inspired by the popular UNIVAC computers of the 1960s.

Unnamed device ("Primer") 

The time machine in the 2004 movie "Primer" was originally used by the characters to try to make money in the stock market. However, another person discovers the time machine and gets ill from the effects of it, casting doubt on its utility.

Cosmic treadmill ("The Flash") 

In perhaps the ultimate inspiration to exercise, this treadmill will take you back in time — but only if you go at superhuman speed. In one famous comic book , Barry Allen uses the device to go to the 25th century to encounter Professor Zoom, a noted villain in the DC Universe.

Follow Elizabeth Howell  @howellspace , or Space.com  @Spacedotcom . We're also on  Facebook  and  Google+ .   Originally published on  Space.com .

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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, " Why Am I Taller ?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace

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We Already Know How to Build a Time Machine, Scientists Say

It’s just a matter of time before we build one that can take us into the far future.

“When Mr. Padalka came back from his adventures, he found the Earth to be 1/44th of a second to the future of where he expected it to be,” explains J. Richard Gott, Princeton physicist and author of the 2001 book Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe . “He literally traveled ... into the future.”

While being a fraction of a second younger than if he had stayed on Earth isn’t mind-bending stuff, it nonetheless gave Padalka the distinction of the “current time traveler record,” according to Gott.

Although not exactly a plutonium-charged DeLorean , time travel is anything but fiction. Real astrophysicists like Gott are pretty sure they know how to build a time machine, and intense speed—much, much faster than Padalka’s orbital jaunt—is the key ingredient.

A Brief Crash Course on Time Travel

Until the 20th century, time was believed to be completely immutable, and time travel a scientific impossibility. In the 1680s, Sir Isaac Newton’s thought time progressed at a consistent pace throughout the universe, regardless of outside forces or location. And for two centuries, the scientific world subscribed to Newton’s theory.

That is, until 26-year-old Albert Einstein came along.

In 1905, Einstein revealed his ideas on special relativity , using this framework for his theory of general relativity a decade later. Einstein’s universe-defining calculations introduced, well , lots of things, but also some concepts related to time. The most important being that time is elastic and dependent on speed, slowing down or speeding up depending on how fast an object—or person—is moving.

.css-2l0eat{font-family:UnitedSans,UnitedSans-roboto,UnitedSans-local,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;padding:0.9rem 1rem 1rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:1.75rem;line-height:1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:1.875rem;line-height:1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:2.25rem;line-height:1;}}.css-2l0eat b,.css-2l0eat strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-2l0eat em,.css-2l0eat i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;} “Without Einstein’s general theory of relatively, our GPS system wouldn’t be working.”

In 1971, four cesium-beam atomic clocks flew around the world and were then compared to ground-based clocks. The resulting minuscule time difference proved that Einstein was onto something. There’s also another technology, tucked inside your smartphone, that also validates Einstein’s theory.

“Without Einstein’s general theory of relatively, our GPS system wouldn’t be working,” says Ron Mallet, an astrophysicist and author of the book Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality. “That’s also proof that Einstein’s [theories are] correct.”

But apart from this mutable version of time, Einstein also calculated the speed of light . At 300,000,000 meters (or 186,282 miles) per second, Einstein describes the figure as the “ultimate speed limit” and a universal constant no matter if one is sitting on a bench or traveling in a rocket ship.

The last bit of Einstein’s time-bending ideas suggest that gravity also slows time, meaning time runs faster where gravity is weaker, like the vast emptiness among massive celestial bodies like the sun, Jupiter, and Earth .

Fast forward a century later, and all of these theories—highly summarized, of course—now form the building blocks of astrophysics , and buried among all this expert-level math, Einstein also proved that time travel was possible.

The Subatomic Time Machine

In fact, not only is time travel possible, it’s already happened—it just doesn’t look like your typical sci-fi film .

Returning to our time-traveling cosmonaut Padalka, his 1/44th-second jump into the future is so minuscule because he was only traveling at 17,000 miles per hour. That isn’t very fast, at least in comparison to the speed of light. But what would happen if we created something that could go much faster than geostationary orbit? We’re not talking a commercial jetliner (550 to 600 miles an hour) or a 21st-century rocket to the ISS (25,000 miles per hour), but something that could approach 186,282 miles per second.

“On a subatomic level, it’s been done,” says Mallett. “An example is ... the Large Hadron Collider . It routinely sends subatomic particles into the future.”

The particle accelerator has the ability to propel protons at 99.999999 percent the speed of light, a speed at which their relative time is moving about 6,900 times slower compared to their stationary human observers.

“The Large Hadron Collider ... routinely sends subatomic particles into the future.”

So, yes, we’ve been sending atoms into the future and we’ve been doing it for the last decade, but humans are another matter.

Gott says given that we propel particles nearly the speed of light on a regular basis, conceptually, it’s rather simple for humans to time travel into the future. “If you want to visit Earth in the year 3000,” Gott says, “all you have to do is to get on a spaceship and go 99.995 percent the speed of light.”

Let’s say a human is put on such a ship and sent to a planet that’s a little less than 500 light years away (for example, Kepler 186f ), meaning if they traveled at 99.995 percent of the speed of light, it would take them about 500 years to get there, since they are going at nearly the speed of light.

After a quick snack and a bathroom break, they would then turn around and head back to Earth, which would take another 500 years. So in total, it would take about 1,000 years for them to arrive safely back home. And, on Earth, it would be the year 3022.

However, since they were moving so fast, the resulting time dilation wouldn’t seem like 1,000 years for them, since their internal clock has slowed. “[Their] clock will be ticking at 1/100th of the rate of the clocks on Earth. [They] are only going to age about 10 years,” says Gott. While a millennium would pass for us, for them it would be a decade.

“If we [on Earth] were watching through the window, they would be eating breakfast veeeerrry slooooowly,” says Gott, “But to [them], everything would be normal.”

But there is a massive gulf between what is theoretical and what is real. So how do we overcome the immense technological challenges of how to build a time machine?

The Not-So-Distant Future of Human Time Travel

Building a time-traveling spaceship may be the best place to start, but the engineering obstacles, at least for now, are enormous. For one, we are not even close to having a spaceship that can travel at the speed of light. The fastest spacecraft ever created is the Parker Solar Probe , which launched in 2018 with the mission to study the sun’s outer corona. It travels only .00067 percent the speed of light .

There’s also the enormous amount of energy that would be needed to propel a ship to go that fast. Gott suggests that highly efficient antimatter fuel could be the key; other world agencies and scientists also think such a fuel could be a potentially invaluable piece to interstellar travel .

But ensuring the safety of human cargo on such a futuristic mission would also be tricky. First of all, the ship would need to carry enough supplies—like food, water, and medicine— and be self-sufficient for the entire journey.

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Then there’s the whole acceleration thing. To make sure our hypothetical traveler wouldn’t be obliterated by overwhelming g forces, the ship would need to gradually and steadily accelerate. While steady 1g acceleration (like what we feel on Earth) for a long period of time would eventually get the ship to approach near speed of light, it would add to the length of the trip and minimize how far in the future one could go.

Using our 500-light-year planet example, Gott predicts that the steady acceleration of 1g up to near light speed would increase the aging of the time traveler to 24 years, “but you would still get to visit Earth in the year 3000,” says Gott.

To create a vehicle with these specifications would require a lot of time, resources, and money. But the same can be said for other massively ambitious experiments, like detecting gravitational waves and building the Large Hadron Collider. A time machine could be the world’s next scientific megaproject .

The Trouble of Going in Reverse

But there is one big caveat to this theoretical portrait of real-world time travel— this machine doesn’t go in reverse . While Bill and Ted travel to the past to pick up Socrates with relative ease, in reality, scientists and researchers need to find a way to circumvent the rules of physics in order to travel back in time.

Wormholes , black holes, cosmic strings , and circulating light beams have all been suggested as potential solutions for time-traveling to the past. The main challenge that astrophysicists are grappling with is figuring out is how to beat a light beam to a point in spacetime and back.

“The technology isn’t far off ... we could do it in the next twenty years.”

Since the speed of light is the absolute maximum, physicists are concentrating on finding phenomena like wormholes, which could provide tunnel-like shortcuts that jump across curved spacetime and, in theory, beat a light beam to a particular point in spacetime.

While wormholes do work within the confines of Einstein’s theories of relativity, they have yet to be observed in space, and scientists have no concrete evidence that these galactic shortcuts would even work .

So while time traveling to the past may be the more exciting concept, scientists are much more likely to fling someone into the unknown future rather than the well-trodden past. But despite overwhelming odds—fiscal and scientific—Mallet believes the future of a time-traveling society is possible.

“What happened with going to the moon ... we wanted to go there, Kennedy asked for it, and there was proper funding so we got there within a decade,” Mallet says. “The technology isn’t far off. If the government and taxpayers wanted to pay for it, we could do it in the next 20 years.”

For now, wannabe time travelers will still have to look to science fiction for a time travel fix, with some movies being much more accurate than others.

“A good movie ... was the original Planet of the Apes ,” says Mallett. “The astronauts thought they had landed on another planet that was ruled by apes, but what they found out ... was that they had traveled so fast, that they had arrived into Earth’s future . That movie accurately depicts Einstein’s special theory of relativity.”

Oh ... spoilers.

Matt is a history, science, and travel writer who is always searching for the mysterious and hidden. He's written for Smithsonian Magazine, Washingtonian, Atlas Obscura, and Arlington Magazine. He calls Washington D.C. home and probably tells way too many cat jokes. 

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Scientists rank the 8 best movie time machines of all time

We quizzed physicists and engineers about the best movie and TV time machines.

We all know there’s no such thing as a time machine, but that’s never stopped Hollywood from building them.

These time-defying contraptions fill us with wonder because, while we’re innately curious with a desire to explore, we also love fawning over shiny screens and elaborate gadgetry. Humans are hardwired to push any button we see. No matter the ramifications.

H.G. Wells invented one of fiction’s first time machines in his 1895 novel — later visualized in two movies. Since then, we’ve seen time-traveling cars, boxes, phone booths, and more. Each has a unique build and hand-wavy explanation of how it “works.”

To understand the fictional mechanics of time-travel tech, Inverse spoke to astrophysicists, engineers, and philosophers about movie time machines. We discovered which films they love and loathe, from those cloaked as the mundane to the realistic and even the fantastic.

THE RULES OF TIME TRAVEL is an Inverse special issue exploring the evolution of science fiction's most imaginative sub-genre. From Marty McFly to Avengers: Endgame .

8. Bill & Ted’s Phone Booth

What it does: It takes you to another realm that enables you to move through time (the circuits of time).

The phone booth was featured in the Bill & Ted franchise from 1989 to 2020.

Yes, it might seem silly, but the phone booth in the Bill & Ted movies is a much-loved time machine.

Stuart Davie , a computational physicist and the vice president of data science at AI startup Peak, thinks the design makes this contraption so appealing.

“It really sits at the intersection of technical authenticity and the human-machine experience, grounding the whole movie series,” Davie tells Inverse . “It reminds the viewer that this is humanity's story of self-salvation, not that of a benevolent alien overlord.”

Roberto Casula, the lead technologist at a software developer, is interested in how the phone booth is steered to its destination by The Circuits of Time Directory , in which numbers punched into the keypad are 14 digits long and must specify time and space — otherwise the booth would never leave San Dimas.

“We assume time travel is restricted to only a few tens of thousands of years into the past rather than billions,” Casula says. “Even then only to a few key locations in space.”

“Perhaps the time machine is anchored in a 24-hour endless cycle, allowing travel backward and forward but only in increments of one day,” he adds. “But it’s probably best not to analyze too hard.”

7. Tenet’s Turnstile

What it does: It reverses your direction of travel.

The “Protagonist” (John David Washington) and Neil (Robert Pattinson) inside of the turnstile in 2020’s Tenet .

Tenet’s time machine is a huge turnstile — which turns one way or another, inverting and reverting the way you (or objects and even cars) travel through time.

“As a time-travel paradigm, the concept itself is a favorite of mine,” says Harun Šiljak , an assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Engineering and a part-time sci-fi writer.

But what about the science?

According to Dr. Nikk Effingham , a philosopher at the University of Birmingham specializing in metaphysics and the philosophy of time travel, Tenet’s time machine is based on the idea thermodynamics is reversible

“This is great for film but a terrible interpretation of physics,” Effingham says. “It makes it sound like which way you’re traveling through time is some fundamental physical property we can dick around with in the same way that we can dick around with whether you’re magnetically charged or not, but that’s not what thermodynamics says.”

The time-travel mechanics in Tenet are grounded in the idea that the arrow of time (the direction we’re going in) isn’t a fundamental property. That’s why we see objects moving “forward” in Tenet and others – bullets, guns, and the time-reversed people – moving “backward.”

“That there might be bits of space-time where entropy is increasing for some objects and decreasing for others is possible given thermodynamics, but super unlikely,” Effingham says.

6. Doctor Who’s TARDIS

What it does: It takes you to another realm that enables you to move through time (the time vortex).

Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord exits the TARDIS in Doctor Who . The series first premiered back in 1963 and is still airing new episodes in 2022.

Everyone we spoke to mentioned this iconic machine, which looks like an old, blue, British police box.

“What other time machine gets a decorating job every few years, keeps updating its canon, and has an Olympic-sized swimming pool? Or even a personality?” Šiljak says. “The way the TARDIS operates and interacts with the Doctor is also a great suspension of disbelief catalyst that allows me to enjoy a plot that has holes.”

Its properties are bizarre, but its time-travel abilities are appealing to real scientists.

“The core of the TARDIS is a tesseract, which is a four-dimensional cube,” says Dr. Erin Macdonald , an astrophysicist, writer, producer, and Star Trek science advisor. “The reason this is great scientifically is our universe is four-dimensional, but we can only control three of those dimensions (space, not time). It logically makes sense that if we had an object that had four dimensions, that extra dimension could be time and could have more control than just space.”

Jan J. Eldridge , a theoretical astrophysicist and associate professor in the physics department at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, adds that the TARDIS’ ability to travel freely through both space and time also helps explain another of its key features: the interior doesn’t match the exterior.

“Any technology that allows you to bend space-time to travel through time would also leave you with the ability to stretch and square space-time itself,” she says.

5. Back to the Future’s DeLorean

What it does: The car “teleports” you back to the past with a “flux capacitor.”

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd alongside the DeLorean in the Back to the Future franchise, which released movies from 1985 to 1990.

There are no prizes for guessing which time machine our expert panel of time-traversing enthusiasts like most.

“I adore the DeLorean,” Dr. Sanjana Curtis , an astrophysicist and researcher at the University of Chicago, tells Inverse . “Not because of the flux capacitor ‘tech’ but because it’s so camp.”

Curtis also loves that the DeLorean’s iconic design is just as weird as everything else in Back to the Future .

“It makes as much sense as time travel!”

As iconic as the DeLorean is, though, many others agreed: the science here is shaky. Specifically, experts argue that the vehicle would likely transport its driver through both space and time in equal measure — not just time.

“There’s no good reason why Marty goes from the parking lot to the pine tree farm rather than to the orbit of Jupiter,” Effingham says.

“It’s a classic .”

What about the mechanics of Doc’s invention?

Casula says that the idea of a “flux capacitor” technically makes sense since a capacitor is just an electronic device that stores energy while flux refers to anything that flows. Combined, the two words suggest a machine that can store and then release the flow of time. “But really, it’s just techno-babble… and we don’t care!”

That’s because regardless of the techno-babble, Back to the Future ’s time travel is cohesive.

“It’s a classic because it establishes clear rules for how the time-travel mechanism works,” Star Trek advisor Macdonald says . “You have to be going at a specific speed, at a specific moment, with a specific amount of energy. It also establishes the impact of changing anything in the past, and what ripple effect it has in the future.”

4. H.G. Wells’ Time Machine

The time machine in George Pal’s 1960 adaptation of H.G. Wells' famous story. The 2002 movie remake also features another version of the elaborate invention.

Although Wells didn’t describe his time machine in much detail in the book, the version imagined in the 1960 movie looks perfect for the era.

“H.G. Wells’ time machine from the 1960 movie is stylistically my favorite,” Laurence Maroney , lead artificial intelligence advocate at Google, tells Inverse . “Its cyberpunk awesomeness is mindblowing. I love the spinny wheel at the back with a compass rose. They just don’t make them like that anymore!”

“Its cyberpunk awesomeness is mindblowing.”

The way it works and moves through time is also different from most present-day depictions of time travel. The most memorable scenes in the movie take place when it remains static and the world flashes by — buildings and cities rise and fall in seconds from the perspective of the time traveler (a visual trick borrowed decades later in Futurama ).

“Back in the day, time machines always went through time backwards in the same way they went through it forwards,” Effingham says. “Occupying regions of space-time in between rather than simply ‘teleporting’ there. It becomes less popular later on.”

3. Primer’s Box

Primer , a 2004 indie sci-fi film, features a box that allowed its characters to travel 6 hours into the past.

Everyone expert we interviewed mentioned Primer (some even showed us diagrams of its labyrinthine time loops).

“It’s the most deliciously confusing time-travel film,” says Dr. Darian Raad, a research and development data scientist at AI company Peak . “It features a single looping, overlapping timeline that allows the characters to interact with continually multiplying copies of themselves.”

Primer, for those who haven’t seen it, features two, person-sized time machine boxes. Main characters Aaron and Abe use them to travel six hours into the past. But as tensions rise, timelines get messy, and they eventually rely on additional “failsafe” boxes to travel further through time to try to resolve the issues the shorter trips create.

“The beauty of a film like Primer is it makes perfect sense to you while you’re watching it,” Macdonald says.

“...reminds me of a small-scale Manhattan project.”

Effingham says Primer is actually a plausible example of time travel.

“By ‘plausible,’ I don’t mean ‘this could happen,” he clarifies. “It just runs less roughshod over the laws of physics than many other ideas.”

This hint of plausibility seems to make Primer’s time machines a firm favorite.

“The concept in Primer has a structure I like in hard science fiction: some legit maths wrapping around a speck of made-up science,” Šiljak says. “The particular flavor of ‘a garage project’ that’s reminiscent of early personal computer development and a fundamental natural concept, which reminds me of a small-scale Manhattan project, was appealing.”

2. Planet of the Apes’ Icarus

What it does: The spacecraft goes really, really fast.

The Icarus/Liberty 1 spacecraft crashed into the Planet of the Apes in the 1968 film.

The Icarus/Liberty 1 spacecraft isn’t technically a time machine but it inadvertently becomes one. Several experts tell us it’s one of the most realistic depictions of time travel in film.

Dr. Ronald L. Mallett, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Connecticut and author of Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality , says the original Planet of the Apes movie features his favorite time machine because it’s the only one that seems possible.

To understand how the spacecraft in Planet of the Apes can travel through time, we need to look to Einstein’s special theory of relativity and a complicated idea called time dilation — basically, that time passes differently for someone who is moving extremely fast compared to someone who is staying still.

”If you were on a rocket traveling close to the speed of light when you returned to Earth, only a few years might have passed for you, but decades could have passed on Earth,” Mallett says. “Since time is running at a normal rate for everyone else.”

That’s what happens in Planet of the Apes , causing the ship's crew to arrive on Earth in an unrecognizable distant future.

1. Terminator’s Time Displacement Equipment

What it does: The time machine “teleports” you back to the past.

The time displacement equipment in 2015’s Terminator Genisys. The Terminator’s first movie premiered in 1984, and its latest installment, Dark Fate, hit theaters in 2019.

The Terminator movies are all about time travel, but we don’t get a good look at the Time Displacement Equipment that sends both cybernetic assassins and human soldiers to the past until Terminator Genisys in 2015. Until then, we only know there is a time machine because naked dudes keep dropping in from the future.

But when we do see it, boy does it bring the futuristic drama. Huge rotating rings! Lightning!

It’s also responsible for one of the most confusing and memorable time-travel loops in cinema history. In the original movie, John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to save Sarah Connor so Reese can… become John Connor’s father.

Effingham describes this as self-consistent: “The actions of the time travelers bring about the effects that cause the time traveler to go back in time.”

However, he sees the way the machine is used is bafflingly in consistent.

“Skynet doesn’t seem to realize you can’t change the past and that whatever you do brings about the future that you’re in,” Effingham says . “Some rudimentary testing would be a dead giveaway that you couldn’t go back in time and change the past, no matter how hard you tried.”

It’s this conundrum that underpins the whole series. Without Reese and the first Terminator, there would be no John Connor and no Skynet, and the future never exactly gets rosier, though the people in the new futures don’t seemingly realize what has changed.

Of course, this is all scrapped in Terminator: Dark Fate . This movie rejects that time travel can only happen in a closed loop and instead introduces the idea that new, different timelines are created with each decision. For this to make sense you have to forget everything that happened after Terminator 2: Judgment Day — but that’s probably a good idea anyway.

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16 Excellent Movie & TV Time-Travel Devices

For that, Hollywood has turned to a quirky variety of devices and charmed objects to facilitate time travel on television and in the movies — from straightforward DIY time machines to phone booths, DeLoreans, and even a hot tub. Here are some of the coolest, weirdest, most inventive, and sometimes highly unreliable devices used to wander through time.

Don’t see your favorite time-travel gadget below? Tell us in the comments.

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How Time Travel Works

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From millennium-skipping Victorians to phone booth-hopping time traveler teenagers, the term time travel often summons our most fantastic visions of what it means to move through the fourth dimension. But of course you don't need a time machine or a fancy wormhole to jaunt through the years.

As you've probably noticed, we're all constantly engaged in the act of time travel. At its most basic level, time is the rate of change in the universe -- and like it or not, we are constantly undergoing change. We age, the planets move around the sun, and things fall apart.

We measure the passage of time in seconds, minutes, hours and years, but this doesn't mean time flows at a constant rate. In fact Einstein's theory of relativity determines that time is not universal. Just as the water in a river rushes or slows depending on the size of the channel, time flows at different rates in different places. In other words, time is relative.

But what causes this fluctuation along our one-way trek from the cradle to the grave? It all comes down to the relationship between time and space. Human beings frolic about in the three spatial dimensions of length, width and depth. Time joins the party as that most crucial fourth dimension . Time can't exist without space, and space can't exist without time. The two exist as one: the space time continuum . Any event that occurs in the universe has to involve both space and time.

In this article, we'll look at the real-life, everyday methods of time travel in our universe, as well as some of the more far-fetched methods of dancing through the fourth dimension.

Did you know your GPS devices rely on time-travel calculations to help you navigate around town? It's true! GPS satellite clocks are about 3 8 seconds longer per day than a clock closer to earth due to the gravitational frequency shift. They make up for this discrepancy by using time travel calculations or they could be way off from your current location and time.

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Is Time Travel Possible?

We all travel in time! We travel one year in time between birthdays, for example. And we are all traveling in time at approximately the same speed: 1 second per second.

We typically experience time at one second per second. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's space telescopes also give us a way to look back in time. Telescopes help us see stars and galaxies that are very far away . It takes a long time for the light from faraway galaxies to reach us. So, when we look into the sky with a telescope, we are seeing what those stars and galaxies looked like a very long time ago.

However, when we think of the phrase "time travel," we are usually thinking of traveling faster than 1 second per second. That kind of time travel sounds like something you'd only see in movies or science fiction books. Could it be real? Science says yes!

This image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows galaxies that are very far away as they existed a very long time ago. Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Thompson (Univ. Arizona)

How do we know that time travel is possible?

More than 100 years ago, a famous scientist named Albert Einstein came up with an idea about how time works. He called it relativity. This theory says that time and space are linked together. Einstein also said our universe has a speed limit: nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (186,000 miles per second).

Einstein's theory of relativity says that space and time are linked together. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What does this mean for time travel? Well, according to this theory, the faster you travel, the slower you experience time. Scientists have done some experiments to show that this is true.

For example, there was an experiment that used two clocks set to the exact same time. One clock stayed on Earth, while the other flew in an airplane (going in the same direction Earth rotates).

After the airplane flew around the world, scientists compared the two clocks. The clock on the fast-moving airplane was slightly behind the clock on the ground. So, the clock on the airplane was traveling slightly slower in time than 1 second per second.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Can we use time travel in everyday life?

We can't use a time machine to travel hundreds of years into the past or future. That kind of time travel only happens in books and movies. But the math of time travel does affect the things we use every day.

For example, we use GPS satellites to help us figure out how to get to new places. (Check out our video about how GPS satellites work .) NASA scientists also use a high-accuracy version of GPS to keep track of where satellites are in space. But did you know that GPS relies on time-travel calculations to help you get around town?

GPS satellites orbit around Earth very quickly at about 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) per hour. This slows down GPS satellite clocks by a small fraction of a second (similar to the airplane example above).

GPS satellites orbit around Earth at about 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) per hour. Credit: GPS.gov

However, the satellites are also orbiting Earth about 12,550 miles (20,200 km) above the surface. This actually speeds up GPS satellite clocks by a slighter larger fraction of a second.

Here's how: Einstein's theory also says that gravity curves space and time, causing the passage of time to slow down. High up where the satellites orbit, Earth's gravity is much weaker. This causes the clocks on GPS satellites to run faster than clocks on the ground.

The combined result is that the clocks on GPS satellites experience time at a rate slightly faster than 1 second per second. Luckily, scientists can use math to correct these differences in time.

If scientists didn't correct the GPS clocks, there would be big problems. GPS satellites wouldn't be able to correctly calculate their position or yours. The errors would add up to a few miles each day, which is a big deal. GPS maps might think your home is nowhere near where it actually is!

In Summary:

Yes, time travel is indeed a real thing. But it's not quite what you've probably seen in the movies. Under certain conditions, it is possible to experience time passing at a different rate than 1 second per second. And there are important reasons why we need to understand this real-world form of time travel.

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Rhett Allain

What's the Best Item to Carry With You During Time Travel?

I can't help myself. I keep thinking of this io9 post with an interesting question . Let me refine it just a little bit.

You are going back in time to the year 1234 AD to a location somewhere in Europe. For some crazy reason, you can bring one "thing" with you. What do you bring? (yes, I have a loose definition of "thing")

What Do You Need?

If you look around on the interwebs, you can find all sorts of pyramid type diagrams showing the needs of humans. Let me just make my own.

Since I assume the first priority when going back in time is to survive, you would like to think about stuff that will help you with the bottom of the pyramid being the most important. Clearly you could only survive for a couple of minutes without air - but that doesn't mean you should bring a space suit back in time (but that might not be a terrible idea).

I suspect that the at least the first 3 things (air, water, food) could be obtained in the past. Oh, what about the year 1234? This would probably be regarded as sometime in the Middle Ages in Europe. According to this Wikipedia page , the technology of the time included things like windmills and early mechanical clocks. There were cathedrals and castles for buildings and the military used bows and crossbows as well as heavy body armor. Gunpowder didn't appear in Europe until after 1300 (so lets say it's not there).

What Should You Bring?

Let me just go through a few of the items I thought of.

Written Knowledge. Bringing something with knowledge would be extremely useful. A book about medicine, agriculture or basic chemistry could be extremely useful. Maybe this book - The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch would be useful. But that's just one book. Maybe this other survival book might also be useful, but damn - that would be two books.

Electronic Book. A Kindle ebook reader would be another option. You could download a whole bunch of useful stuff. It would be your own personal library of knowledge. Too bad the Middle Ages are a lot like airports in the year 2005 - not an electrical outlet anywhere. The Kindle product page lists the device as having a battery life of weeks. I suspect that's not good enough but it's better than the battery life of an iPad.

An electronic device would be super useful, but you have to charge it. How could you charge a Kindle? I can think of two ways - one of which might be considered cheating. The first way is to build a battery after you go back in time. It wouldn't be too hard. You just need an acid and two different types of metals ( here is an example battery made from pennies ). It might be hard to find these materials, but I would suggest the first book on your Kindle be a book called "how to build a battery from scratch".

Lauren Goode

Karen Williams

William Turton

What about another method to charge your kindle? What about a solar panel on your Kindle? They actually make such a thing - it's a Kindle case with a solar panel . Pretty awesome. You could load hundreds of useful books and just keep using the thing. Yes, you might consider this to be "two things", but once you put the cover on the Kindle it might just count as "one thing".

A Weapon. Yes. You could bring a shotgun into the past. You might even be able do provide food and protection as well as clearly building a competitive advantage. I suspect that many locals might consider you to be too powerful to challenge. However, those that live by the shotgun might die by the arrow. It only takes one arrow and that's it - you're dead. Plus, how much ammo could you bring? Even if it still counts as one thing, I think 20 shots would be about it.

A Vehicle. Wouldn't it be nice to travel around? What better way to do this than with some type of vehicle. Does a motorcycle count as "one thing"? I think so. Here are some options for vehicles.

• Solar powered electric motorcycle. Something that can go off road would be nice.
• Armored Personnel Carrier - you know, like a tank but on wheels and with more room inside. Yes, there is a problem with fuel - but do you think if I had enough fuel for a few days I could eventually make more? Even if the thing ran out of gas, I could still live inside of it and it would offer great protection from the elements and other baddies.
• An awesome sailboat. Seriously. Wouldn't this work? It could almost certainly outrun any other boat of the time and you could live on it and travel. Maybe you could offer your services as a transportation person. You could travel to India and buy spices and bring them back.
• Why stop at a sailboat? Why not a nuclear powered submarine? Those things can run for quite a long time. Oh, but I might not be able to operate the thing.

Wind Up Watch. That sounds silly, doesn't it? But just think how powerful you would be with a watch. They aren't battery powered, so you don't need to worry about that. But what can you do with a watch other than to know what time your favorite TV show comes on (there's no TV). You can navigate. One of the biggest advancements in navigation was the invention of the watch. With an accurate time piece you can determine your longitude (latitude is much easier to determine). You would be the king of navigation with a portable watch.

Drugs - the Useful Kind. Before the invention of antibiotics, you could get an infected scratch on your arm that could kill you. Really. A whole bunch of antibiotics would be very useful - but is that "one thing"? Maybe a medicine bag would count as one thing. Also, you could keep some anti-itch cream in there. You know there must be many things that cause a rash.

Some Other Ideas. Just for fun, here are some other things you could consider.

• A time machine. This way you could go Back to the Future and get some other stuff.
• A computer (solar powered laptop). Sure, there wouldn't be any internet but you would have a bunch of knowledge and you could write some programs to calculate stuff.
• Smart phone. Again, solar powered. Even with a signal or gps, the thing would still have a camera and Angry Birds.
• Scuba diving gear - or maybe a rebreather. Just think of all the useful work you could accomplish with this. Sunk boat? I'll get that for you.

What would you bring? How would your answers change if you went to the same time but a different location?

David Kushner

Reece Rogers

Frankie Adkins

Emily Mullin

How The Terminator’s Time Travel Works

Hello again, dear readers of the past, present, and future! It’s that time again, the time that it’s always been, to break down another exploration into time travel. And this week’s is a pretty landmark film in the canon of changing history for the better, though it also serves another purpose. Not only are we about to discuss James Cameron ’s The Terminator, and the two sequels that pertain to his original storyline, I’m not allowed to wreck another time machine this week.

Yep, after trashing not only a DeLorean when we discussed Back to the Future, as well as a Klingon Bird of Prey after last week’s rundown on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , our insurance required that I take a trip that doesn’t need a mobile time vehicle. No problem for us this week, as The Terminator is based around a stationary temporal portal; but that’s something we’ll discuss in the near future.

For now, let’s start with how time travel works in The Terminator series; and for the purposes of simplification, we’ll mostly be discussing the Cameron Timeline of events in The Terminator , Terminator 2: Judgment Day , and Terminator: Dark Fate . So for you Terminator: Genisys fans out there, we’ll be mentioning moments here and there, but not going on a full deep dive.

The Time Travel in The Terminator

The Terminator saga is built with the phenomenon of time travel woven into the very fabric of the series. While we don’t see the actual traveling happen too often, the trips made factor into the narrative heavily.

Who's Time Traveling

We see multiple T-800s ( Arnold Schwarzenegger ), as well as Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), and the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) travel back in time during the first two films. The extension of the James Cameron canon in Terminator: Dark Fate introduces two more time travelers we know of, Grace Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and the Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna,) as well as a whole bunch of Terminators hunted down by Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).

From When To When

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The Terminator’s basic Cameron Timeline follows multiple trips from 2029, in the battle against Skynet. The Terminator’s events take place in 1984, while Terminator 2: Judgment Day supposedly happens in 1995. The fight against Legion in Terminator: Dark Fate sees various participants coming back from 2042, leading to the assassination of John Connor in 1998 and the battle between Grace and the Rev-9 landing in 2020.

The Purpose Of Their Trip

Skynet wants John Connor dead. Humanity wants John Connor alive, but also wants to stop Skynet from being created. Once John Connor is dead in Terminator: Dark Fate , Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) becomes Humanity’s best hope, with Legion wanting to protect itself with her death.

How Time Travel Happens In The Terminator

There’s no portable time machines in sight throughout the main events of The Terminator franchise. Just people vibing, living in the moment that they’re not supposed to be in, helping course correct the flow of historical events. And it’s all thanks to what’s known as Time Displacement Equipment ; which has been hinted at throughout the series’ canon, both in James Cameron’s original films, and in the various tangents the world would undertake.

Through a gigantic amount of energy you definitely won’t find at a corner drugstore, and the usage of an entire complex built to house and power The Terminator series’ time machine, a person or machine can be sent back to any place or time. However, there’s two big stipulations that come with this gift: it’s a one-way trip, unless you have another machine of your own, and in the words of the late great Kyle Reese himself, “nothing dead will go.”

This basically means that anything synthetic will disintegrate in the middle of a trip using Time Displacement Equipment. If you’re a human, you’re going through naked, as those clothes will burn off anyway. However, if you’re a cyborg, or any of the other metallic based nasties Skynet/Legion have cooked up, you need either an organic tissue covering, or a Polymimetic alloy that can somehow stand up to the rigors of the process. So if you’re self-conscious, don’t skip the gym before traveling back.

One last thing to note is that we never really see the time machine presented in the Cameron Timeline of The Terminator films. So we have to borrow from 2015’s Terminator Genisys for the explanation of what Time Displacement Equipment looks like, as well as how it operates. When Skynet/Legion operates the machine, no console is needed as the big bad beep boop itself is at the digital wheel.

But when John Connor and his revolutionaries hijack the machine, they need to wire their own consoles into the system. When humans use Time Displacement Equipment, they need to calculate the coordinates for where and when their travelers will be going to. We’ve never seen it go wrong in the movies, but in various adventures in other Terminator media depictions, people and machines have wound up in the wrong place and time.

Can History Be Changed As A Result Of Time Travel In The Terminator?

Much like Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , we only see the adventures of The Terminator movies in one continuous timeline. In the Cameron Timeline, each trip is meant to rewrite history, with both humanity and the machines trying to save themselves. It’s all one big chess game, and we’re watching it unfold in real time, without any sort of convenient signals as to what’s being altered.

If we were talking about Terminator: Genisys , we’d be able to mention how Sarah Connor ( Emilia Clarke ) rewrites Kyle Reese’s fate ( Jai Courtney ) by giving him a message in that film’s new timeline, just as its being created at the beginning of the film. Which 100% shows that events could be changed in that interpretation of the series. But that doesn’t apply to the Cameron Timeline; which in and of itself shows that you can mostly change history, though it might repeat itself anyway. At least, that's what happened when James Cameron's alternate ending of a peaceful future was deleted from the theatrical version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day .

While we see Skynet eventually thwarted at the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Legion ultimately pops up in its place and the events of Terminator: Dark Fate take shape. With that storyline, John Connor is killed in 1998, with Dani Ramos becoming the new champion for humanity. So history changed, but the same sort of scenario cropped up through a new set of circumstances; indicating that a war between humanity and AI is either always going to happen, or the hinge point in history that prevents this conflict hasn’t been properly identified/manipulated.

Last, but not least, there’s that Ontological/Bootstrap Paradox we promised from last week, and this one is the mother of all of them… literally. Kyle Reese is sent back from the future to protect Sarah Connor, because she’s the mother of his friend and savior, John. However, since he always had a crush on her, and she reciprocates, they sleep together, which reveals that Kyle is, and always will be, John’s father. What’s more, John Connor knows this, and has to ensure that this happens in the future; which could be a hint at just why John’s death in Terminator: Dark Fate would have meant in the overall scheme of the planned trilogy. No Skynet means no Kyle Reese coming back in time; which means no John Connor.

What Are The Consequences Of Time Travel In The Terminator?

The world of The Terminator actually shows that while there’s no fate but what we make for ourselves, sometimes your franchise just finds a way of repeating history anyway. As such, we see a hero and villain fall once he change is made, only for each half of the equation to find new champions to fight for their cause.

Skynet/John Connor’s Arc

In his time in the Terminator saga, John Connor was the savior of humanity. He was born from a time paradox that looped future and past together, but ultimately the prevention of Skynet in T2 may have sealed his fate. With several T-800s sent out into the world at the beginning of Terminator: Dark Fate , John Connor eventually dies in 1998, meaning he never lives to see 2029 in any shape or form. Which leads to Sarah Connor grieving like mad for another 22 years, killing rogue cyborgs with the help of Carl the T-800, “For John.”

Legion/Dani Ramos’ Arc

Skynet being vanquished and John Connor’s death fundamentally alters the course of the Terminator series in Dark Fate . With Legion conquering humanity in a new and horrifying way, Grace Harper is our new time traveling messenger, and Dani Ramos is the new savior of humanity. If Skynet hadn’t been destroyed, and John never killed, Dani may have had a normal life. But that didn’t happen, and as it stands right now, Terminator: Dark Fate is the beginning of her adventure, and a new chapter in human-cyborg relations. Just don’t expect to see the results on a movie screen any time soon, if ever.

The Future’s Not Set… Or Is It?

We hope that your brain doesn’t hurt too much after that journey through the twisted timeline of The Terminator series. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s not too terrible once you boil things down to the basis. The good news is that next week’s journey is going mobile yet again, and what’s better it’s a nice and simple step backwards in time. Wands up folks, we’re breaking into Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban next time! Though it certainly wouldn’t hurt for you, the readers, to leave some comments with your picks on what time travel stories we should reserve for upcoming endeavors. All of time and space sits at our fingertips, and we’d love to pluck some of your favorites from the past for a future romp. And trust us… we’ll be back .

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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Time travel

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The Time Displacement set to 2007 in the pilot episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles .

Chrono Displacement [1] or Time jump , [2] commonly known as time travel , and its potential for effecting changes on reality is a fundamental cornerstone of the Terminator Universe and the ongoing battle between Skynet and the human-led Resistance . By undertaking missions back and eventually even forwards in time, both sides have caused an unending series of alternate timelines (divergent timelines ), alternate futures , predestination paradox events , or stable time loops .

By making use of time displacement equipment , agents from both sides are deployed on missions designed to either ensure, alter, or eradicate the status quo as perceived by the participants at the time.

• 1 Time travel rules
• 2.2.1 Skynet
• 2.2.2 Resistance
• 2.5 Video games
• 2.6 Crossovers
• 3 Appearances of Temporal Events
• 5 References

Time travel rules [ ]

Regarding on time travel via Time Displacement Equipment , there are several "rules" due to the limitation of the device (though with some exceptions):

• Traveler must be covered in organic material. This means that any clothes or weapons the traveler is carrying will be left behind upon leaving [3] or destroyed [4]
• The destination date must be a whole number of years before or after the current time. [5]

Time Traveling Missions [ ]

With the development of time displacement equipment , Skynet initiated an ongoing battle across time by attempting to subvert Resistance 's pending victory.

On the other hand, as the Resistance captured the TDE, they also sent soldiers and agents to the past to counter Skynet's agenda.

• Skynet sent a T-800 to 1984 to terminate Sarah Connor . To counter this, Tech-Com Sergeant Kyle Reese volunteered travelling to 1984 to save Sarah Connor. The Terminator
• Additionally, Skynet sent a T-1000 to 1995 ( 1994 ) [6] [7] to terminate John Connor as a child. In order to protect his younger self, John Connor had a T-800 reprogrammed and sent it through the time. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Skynet sent the T-X to 2004 ( 2003 ) [8] to terminate key lieutenants of the Resistance. General Kate Connor sent a T-850 to protect her younger self and John Connor . Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Housed in a T-5000 and disguising itself as Alex , Skynet travelled to 2029 to sabotage John Connor 's effort, converted him into a T-3000 , and sent him to 2017 to ensure Skynet's rise. Terminator Genisys
• Alex sent a T-1000 to 1973 , and a T-800 to 1984, both to terminate Sarah Connor . Meanwhile, a T-800, later known as Pops , was sent by an unknown party to 1973, and Kyle Reese to 1984 by the Resistance to protect Sarah. Terminator Genisys
• In the Dark Fate timeline , Legion sent a Rev-9 to terminate Dani Ramos in 2020 . Grace Harper volunteered to travel to 2020 to protect the young Dani. Terminator: Dark Fate

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [ ]

• Skynet sent back Cromartie to target John Connor in 1999 . "Pilot"
• An unknown T-888 Terminator was sent back to 2002 on an unknown mission that resulted in its destruction in a plane crash. " Automatic for the People "
• The T-888 Vick Chamberlain was deployed to protect Barbara Chamberlain , a key Skynet infrastructure contributor. " Vick's Chip "
• The T-888 Carter was sent back hide stockpiles of the critical endoskeleton component coltan . " Heavy Metal "
• Skynet sent back a T-888 Terminator to replace Carl Greenway and sabotage the Serrano Point nuclear power plant in 2007 . " Automatic for the People "
• Skynet deployed a T-888 Terminator to terminate Cadet Captain Martin Bedell , a key resistance fighter responsible for the escape of John Connor from a prisoner transport convoy en route to the Century Work Camp . " Goodbye to All That "
• Skynet possibly deployed Rosie to gain access to the offices of notable psychologist, Dr. Boyd Sherman . The true purpose of this mission is unrevealed. " The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short "
• Skynet deployed a Terminator to terminate and replace James Ellison . " Brothers of Nablus "
• Charles Fischer was sent back to the year 2007 to install permanent Skynet back doors with "unbreakable" Skynet future-tech machine code into numerous defense grid computer systems by using his younger self's access. " Complications "
• Skynet deployed Myron Stark to terminate Governor Mark Wyman during a New Year's Eve Keynote Speech in 2010 . However, the unit ended up in a 1920 's speakeasy instead. " Self Made Man "
• Skynet sent " Water Delivery Guy " to terminate Savannah Weaver and Catherine Weaver . " Adam Raised a Cain "

Resistance [ ]

• Derek Reese , Sayles , Timms , and Sumner were sent to 2007 to prevent Skynet's creation. " Dungeons & Dragons " Because of the revelations of Billy Wisher , he co-opted the mission in order to assassinate Andy Goode . After arriving in 2007 , the team set up a safe house where they stashed stolen money and diamonds and began surveying possible Skynet progenitors.
• A Resistance member known as " The Engineer " was sent back and found the Security Trust of Los Angeles to hide the components of an Isotope weapon and a time-displacement transporter built within its vault for the future use of Resistance fighters. "Pilot"
• A T-900 Terminatrix, later known as Cameron Phillips , was sent to protect John Connor and Sarah Connor in year 1999 . Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
• Wells , a mortally wounded Resistance fighter, was sent back to warn the Connors about Greenway and the Serrano Point Nuclear Power Plant . Sometime before he burst into the new safe house on a surprised Sarah, he also entered the basement, leaving a bloody trail to a wall where a large number of names, locations, and dates were scrawled in his own blood, giving the Connor cell a roster of targets requiring protection or elimination. " Automatic for the People "
• Jesse Flores , a Resistance fighter and romantic acquaintance of Derek Reese , travelled to 2007 with Riley Dawson by the same "Bubble-tech", Cullie's brother, who sent back Derek's cell. She claimed her use of the TDE was unsanctioned and may in fact be AWOL. However, she was conducting some form of covert surveillance on young John Connor and Cameron. " The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short "
• Skynet sent Serena Burns , an I-950 Infiltrator , to ensure the creation of Skynet and to target John Connor and Sarah Connor . T2: Infiltrator
• Skynet of the original timeline sent Eve to 1997 to ensure the activation of its counterpart in Skynet's World . Dark Futures
• John Connor of the Skynet's World sent another Eve to 1984 . An Evil Hour
• A Specialist Commando consisted of Danny Dyson , Jade , Anton , Selena , and Robert Baxter , travelled to 2001 ( John's World ) from 2036 ( Jade's World ) to stop Skynet come into existence. Dark Futures
• Skynet of Jade's World sent a T-XA to 2001 to stop a Specialist commando and ensure its existence. Dark Futures .
• John Connor , Sarah Connor , Jade, Anton, and Eve travelled to 2029 of Skynet's World to help General Connor to clean up reminiscent of Skynet force. An Evil Hour Afterwards, John Connor , Sarah Connor , and Jade brought two T-1000 Prototypes and several T-799 and T-800 Terminators to 2036 of Jade's World to aid the battle against Skynet there. After Skynet of Jade's World was destroyed, the Connors returned to 2004 of John's World . Times of Trouble
• Ellis Ruggles was sent back to 1955 to watch over Sarah Connor in case another Terminator arrived. He smuggled components for a limited use anti-Terminator weapon known as a fazer in his own body. The Terminator: One Shot
• Corporal Graves was sent to 1965 as reinforcement for Ellis Ruggles. However, he arrived from the future on a freeway in Los Angeles and was killed five seconds as he was hit by a car. The Terminator: One Shot
• A T-800 Terminatrix was sent to 1984 simultaneously with the first T-800 and ended up targeting Sarah Lang , "the other wrong Sarah Connor", in San Francisco . The Terminator: One Shot
• A T-800 was sent to 1984 to terminate Lucy Castro in New York . The Terminator: Sector War
• A T-800 was sent to 1985 to terminate Dr. Elise Fong . The Terminator: Enemy of my Enemy
• Colonel Mary Randall and her team assaulted a TDE facility to return to 1984 . She and the surviving four members of her team sought to eliminate Skynet by killing key individuals in the Cyberdyne Systems hierarchy and provide additional protection for Sarah Connor. The Terminator: Tempest
• C890.L , C850.D , HC875.S , and I825.M travel to 1991 to counter the temporal incursion by Colonel Mary Randall and her team in order to protect the genesis of Skynet by safeguarding key individuals in the Cyberdyne Systems hierarchy and be prepared to terminate Sarah Connor as a secondary objective. The Terminator: Tempest Z000.M was sent as a reinforcement to C890.L 's counteroffensive. The Terminator: Secondary Objectives
• Captain Emmer and his overwatch squad followed Colonel Randall into the TDE facility when they were unable to observe the destruction of the site. Assuming her mission was compromised, he assumed her mission and was successful in ensuring the TDE was destroyed as they departed. Upon arrival in present days, they also targeted key individuals in the Cyberdyne Systems hierarchy for elimination in a bid to prevent the creation of Skynet. The Terminator: The Enemy Within
• After the timeline was slightly altered, the " Machine " was deployed to terminate Sarah Connor . The Terminator: Endgame
• Skynet deployed D810.X and D800.L to Death Valley to hunt John Connor in 1998 The Terminator: Death Valley and later another Terminator to 1999 to target John Connor and Sarah Connor in New York . The Terminator: The Dark Years
• Ben Oliver traveled back in time to 1984 to save his friend Kyle Reese from being captured by Raven Technologies and to create a timeline where his beloved Paige hadn't been killed. The Terminator: 2029 The Terminator: 1984
• In 2033 , Skynet sent the T-Infinity to terminate Uncle Bob in 2009 Terminator 2: Infinity and later Tara Connor in 2015 . Terminator: Revolution After the T-Infinity went missing, Skynet dispatched the Dire Wolf to destroy T-Infinity in case it has been captured by the Resistance. Terminator: Revolution
• John Connor and Skynet sent Simon to Texas in 2003 with a mission to terminate Thomas Parnell in the past. However, Parnell reprogrammed three New Terminators with his agenda as additional mission to protect his past self and had them sent to 2003 as well. Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle issue 8

Video games [ ]

• Skynet sent Meta-Node , a computer core containing its core programming, into the past shortly before its ultimate defeat at the hands of John Connor's Resistance force. Meta-Node arrived at Cyberdyne Systems headquarters, proceeded to take over the building, and began manufacturing an army of Terminators. Terminator: Rampage
• Skynet sent a T-850 to the year 2028 to assassinate Resistance Private Jacob Rivers in order to prevent the Resistance from learning the location of Skynet's Central Core . Additionally, the T-850 warned the past Skynet, making it relocate its core. Terminator: Resistance
• After the destruction of Skynet Central Core , the Resistance sent Sergeant Jacob Rivers to 2028 in order to ensure his survival. In another possible alternate timeline , an unidentified Resistance soldier volunteers to carry out the mission if Rivers decides not to travel back in time. Terminator: Resistance

Crossovers [ ]

• Flo Langer travelled to the present day Detroit and tried to kill RoboCop . RoboCop vs. The Terminator issue 1 Skynet sent a Terminator , a Terminatrix , and a Terminator boy in an attempt to kill her. RoboCop vs. The Terminator issue 2 Later, in order to stop RoboCop from suicide as well as ensuring the creation of Skynet , a " Stag Beetle HK " and another Terminator boy travel to the present day. They succeeded in the mission. RoboCop vs. The Terminator issue 3
• Before Skynet 's total destruction and the new Time Matrix was formed, a Terminator Probe went into to the Time Displacement Equipment . RoboCop vs. The Terminator issue 4
• In 2029 , Skynet sent a T-800 Terminatrix to target Sarah Connor, but damage to the TDE by the Resistance caused an arrival in New York in 2004 . Painkiller Jane vs. Terminator
• The Resistance sent a T-800 to 1984 in order to terminate Cybertronians . Transformers vs. The Terminator

Appearances of Temporal Events [ ]

• The Terminator (Time displacement sphere only)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Time displacement sphere only)
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Time displacement sphere only)
• " Dungeons & Dragons "
• " Automatic for the People "
• " The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short "
• " Born to Run "
• The Terminator: Dawn of Fate
• The Terminator: Tempest
• The Terminator: Secondary Objectives
• The Terminator: Endgame
• T2: Infiltrator
• T2: The Future War
• T2 3-D: Battle Across Time
• Terminator 3: The Redemption
• Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle
• Terminator: Genisys
• Terminator: Resistance

Kyle Reese : "The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make."

Sarah Connor : "There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

References [ ]

• ↑ Terminator: Dark Fate
• ↑ The Final Battle issue 1
• ↑ The Terminator: Dawn of Fate
• ↑ Pilot episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
• ↑ " Self Made Man "
• ↑ " Dead Men Walking "
• ↑ Dark Futures
• ↑ Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (novel)
• 1 Terminator

The Best Travel Gear and Accessories for Your Next Adventure, According to Experts

Travel must-haves you should definitely pack.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

We carefully reviewed this article in April 2023 and stand by our picks.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute , our analysts and engineers have been testing travel products for more than two decades across our Labs. Below we feature the travel gear that’s outperformed in our tests and has been rated highly among consumer testers , ranging from reliable suitcases to comfortable walking shoes, beauty must-haves, gadgets to keep you entertained for hours and handy travel accessories . According to our pros, this is the best travel gear to bring along on your next adventure in 2023 and beyond.

Our top picks:

Best Carry-On Luggage

Away the carry-on.

Best Checked Luggage

Open story hardside luggage large checked spinner suitcase.

Best Underseat Luggage

Samsonite solyte dlx softside luggage.

Best Kid's Luggage

American tourister disney hardside upright luggage.

Best Duffel Bag

Patagonia black hole duffel bag 55l.

Best Weekender Bag

Lo & sons the catalina deluxe.

Best Travel Backpack

The north face borealis backpack.

Best Packing Cubes

Eagle creek pack-it specter compression cube set.

Best Travel Dress

Outdoor voices exercise dress.

Best Walking Shoes

Allbirds tree runners.

After our top picks in each category, read further to learn travel hacks from our experts. If your next trip is right around the corner, check out our guide to the best luggage on Amazon for two-day Prime shipping!

The Best Travel Gear for Packing

No one likes arriving at their vacation destination only to find the wheels of their suitcase broken. To enjoy hassle-free air travel, the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab recommend investing in a high-quality, durable suitcase. Whether you’re looking for a lightweight carry-on, spacious hard-shell or compact smart suitcase for a quick business trip, these luggage brands and packing essentials will help make preparing for your next adventure a breeze.

Away's trendy, colorful line of carry-on suitcases is a popular pick among consumers and our Textile Lab's best overall luggage brand . Our pros love that it features a spacious interior while remaining super lightweight thanks to a polycarbonate shell. We also like that you can opt for a suitcase with or without a built-in USB charger so you can charge your phone on the go. If you need to remove the battery before boarding, you can do so easily with the push of a button.

READ MORE: The Best Carry-On Luggage to Buy in 2023

When you’re looking for size, quality and value, look no further than this sleek suitcase. Our Textiles Lab analysts were impressed with the performance of Open Story luggage in recent Lab testing, noting that this durable suitcase handled drop after drop without any dents or damage. Consumers pointed out that the suitcase was easy to maneuver on various surfaces and that they found its modern design appealing.

Fighting for space in a crowded overhead compartment or unexpectedly checking your bag at the gate can be frustrating. If you don’t want to take any risks, consider this Samsonite suitcase that should fit under most airplane seats. According to our Textiles Lab experts, it comes with a comfortable handle and compartments for your laptop and toiletries. Best of all, the suitcase’s abrasion-resistant polyester exterior showed no signs of wear in tests.

READ MORE: The 12 Best Underseat Luggage to Buy

Whether or not you’re planning a trip to Disney World, your kids are bound to love this Disney-themed hard-shell suitcase that comes in popular character prints. Our Textiles pros like that it’s super compact and lightweight to make it easy for your kids to roll around without your help, and that it features oversized zippers and a wide, curved handle made for smaller hands. Though it only comes equipped with two wheels, our users still found it easy enough to maneuver.

READ MORE: Best Kids Luggage

Those planning a road trip or an adventure might want to consider leaving their suitcase at home and grabbing this lightweight duffle bag instead. Our Textiles Lab likes this top-performing bag from Patagonia, which can convert into a backpack should you get tired of carrying it on your shoulder or via the top straps. Not only is it offered in several shades, but it can be compressed into a small bag when not in use, so you don’t have a bulky suitcase taking up your entire hotel room.

READ MORE: Best Duffel Bags for Your Next Vacation

Lo & Sons The Catalina Deluxe

Sometimes you don’t need a big suitcase for a quick weekend getaway. Our pros love this Lo & Sons bag, which is not only stylish but super spacious so you can fit in all your essentials. The Textiles Lab likes that there’s a separate shoe compartment , so you don’t have to worry about your clean clothes getting mixed up with your dirty sneakers. The bag also features a trolley strap so you can easily secure it on top of your suitcase should you end up needing one.

Everything you need on your next adventure comes with this comfortable, spacious travel backpack, including a bungee system on the exterior to hold your jacket , a laptop compartment and an organized zippered compartment for all your smaller travel essentials. In Lab tests, our textiles experts were impressed with the backpack's water resistance, durability and thoughtful design.

READ MORE: Best Travel Backpacks of 2023

Keeping your suitcase organized is no easy task, but that's when these thin packing cubes save the day. Not only are packing cubes useful for keeping track of what clothing is where, but they can help maximize the space in your suitcase — a win-win. The pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab love these cubes' durable, lightweight design as well as each built-in handle for easy access whether you're using a backpack, carry-on or duffle bag.

READ MORE: Best Packing Cubes for Maximizing Carry-On Space

The Best Clothing for Traveling

It can be difficult to narrow down the clothing to bring with you on your trip, but it’s important to pack some comfortable, staple items in addition to all your cute outfits. You’ll be happy you brought a pair of comfortable walking shoes after a long day of exploring a new city, as well as that breezy lightweight travel dress on a hot, summer day. In addition to clothing, our pros also recommend packing a few travel accessories like laundry detergent or a travel steamer to keep your clothing in pristine condition no matter where you are.

Exercise dresses are so popular for a reason — they’re extremely comfortable and an easy item to throw on when on the go. Our Textiles experts like this dress from Outdoor Voices not only because our testers rave about it, but because it's moisture-wicking and versatile. It’s the perfect choice for a day you’ll spend hiking, golfing, biking or taking a walking tour. Best of all, it features a built-in bra and shorts for full coverage.

READ MORE: Best Travel Dresses You Need For Your Next Vacation

On days you’re going to be walking for hours, make sure to pack these comfy Allbirds sneakers in your bag. Ninety-one percent of our survey respondents from our tester panel gave this pair a perfect rating for comfort. Our Textiles pros like how you can wear them with or without socks, and once you’re back from vacation all you have to do is toss them into the washing machine.

READ MORE: Best Walking Shoes for Women

Vim&Vigr Cotton Graduated Compression Socks in 15-20 mmHg

Compression socks can work wonders when you’re seeking relief from swollen feet during a long plane ride or after hours of walking. By applying graduated pressure to your calves and feet they can help alleviate swelling and improve blood flow. Our Textiles analysts recommend this pair from Vim&Vigr, which earned top scores in both performance and durability tests and was a favorite among consumers.

READ MORE: Best Compression Socks for Women

Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion

Need a quality pair of comfortable socks for your next adventure? Whether or not you plan on hiking, our Textiles experts recommend Darn Tough socks for any everyday activity. This Merino wool pair is moisture-wicking as well as great for colder temperatures. It also helps prevent blisters by staying put securely on your foot with a seamless design. Our pros like that each pair comes with a lifetime guarantee should you experience significant wear and tear.

READ MORE: Best Hiking Socks to Protect Your Feet

Vionic Amber Adjustable Sandal

Nothing makes walking down Italian cobblestone streets more enjoyable than comfortable walking sandals. If you plan on getting your steps in while you’re on vacation, our Textiles experts recommend packing these Vionic sandals . Available in both medium and wide widths as well as various shades , they’re a great fit for a lot of feet. Our pros like that they’re orthotic shoes but thanks to their modern design, no one will be able to tell.

READ MORE: Best Walking Sandals That Are Super Comfy and Cute

Oliso M2 Mini Project Steam Iron

There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at your hotel or Airbnb only to find a suitcase full of wrinkled clothes, with no iron or steamer in sight. Fortunately, this compact steam iron that’s recommended by our Cleaning Lab is easy to squeeze into a suitcase. Our pros like that it’s lightweight and easy to maneuver. In tests, we were impressed by how successfully it pressed out wrinkles.

READ MORE: Best Steam Irons of 2022

Norwex Laundry Detergent Strips

If you’re going away for a few weeks or are trying to pack light, consider bringing along some of these laundry detergent strips so you can clean your clothes and re-wear them. Our Cleaning Lab pros recommend this pick from Norwex, which earned some of the best performance scores in Lab tests and helped remove stains like ketchup, wine and mud. We also like how the strips come in a lightweight paper envelope so they’re easy to pack.

READ MORE: 5 Best Laundry Detergent Sheets

The Best Beauty and Hygiene Travel Must-Haves

There are certain beauty must-haves that you just can’t leave behind (and shouldn't have to!). Whether you’re looking for a reliable eye mask for your next red-eye, or need a bag that's big enough to store all your makeup and toiletries, our pros narrowed down their favorite beauty and hygiene picks that fortunately come in travel-friendly sizes.

Drybar Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer

Fight bad hair days anywhere in the world by bringing along your own hair dryer. Our Beauty Lab experts like this travel-sized pick from Drybar, which folds up nicely so you can stash it in your suitcase. Not only does it feature two voltages so you can use it abroad, but it got a perfect score for its easy-to-use controls in Lab tests and impressed our pros with its quick and efficient drying time.

READ MORE: Best Travel Hair Dryers that are Trusty Space Savers

Calpak Clear Cosmetics Case

Our pros love this clear toiletry bag for any sort of travel thanks to its spacious, organized interior that features two zippered compartments as well as mesh pockets for smaller items like lipstick or concealer. It comes in both a mini and standard size, but what we love most are the collapsible carrying handles that make it easy to pull out of your bag when going through security, and flat when going back in your suitcase.

READ MORE: Best Toiletry Bags

Truffle Clarity Jetset Case

This TSA-approved clear makeup case makes going through security a breeze thanks to its transparent paneling. Our beauty pros love that it’s offered in three sizes, making it a great choice for any makeup routine. Though we wish it featured organizational pockets, we like its classy, modern design (offered in leather or nylon) as well as its sturdy structure.

READ MORE: Best Makeup Bags to Stash All Cosmetics

Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Soothing Gel

The Purell Hand Sanitizer Gel is a favorite among our Lab experts, who find that the aloe and vitamin E formula doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue like other hand sanitizers. We like that it’s not overly drying, even with a 70% alcohol concentration, and that it’s available in a compact travel size , making it easy to fit in your purse or bag wherever you go.

READ MORE: Best Hand Sanitizers

Maskc KN95 Face Masks

Though some airlines no longer require wearing a mask while in-flight, you may want to consider packing one to protect yourself and your loved ones. According to the CDC , “Masking is a critical public health tool for preventing spread of COVID-19, and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask.” If you're looking for a pack of 10 KN95 masks that are offered in a variety of tones and prints, one GH analyst found this site easy to order from and loves that it offers great discounts. In addition to soft ear loops that make it easy to wear this mask for an extended time , we also like the adjustable nose bridge so you can get a secure fit.

READ MORE: Coronavirus and Face Masks: Everything You Need to Know Right Now

The Best Travel Gear for Sleeping

Though traveling is exhilarating, it can also be exhausting if you don’t get the proper rest that you need. To ensure your journey is a peaceful one from start to finish, our pros recommend a few essentials to help you get a better night’s sleep. Whether you’re taking an overnight flight or you’ve ended up in a noisy hotel room, these picks should help you get some rest.

Cabeau Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow

Anyone who has ever tried sleeping on a long flight knows how hard it can be to get comfortable. This travel pillow is recommended by the Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab, Lexie Sachs . The soft, memory foam pillow features straps that attach to an airplane's seat to prevent your head from falling sideways so you can actually get some rest. Our pros also like that once you've reached your destination, it can be compressed back into its compact travel case.

READ MORE: Best Travel Pillows

Bucky 40 Blinks No Pressure Solid Eye Mask

Most of us have trouble sleeping in a bright room, so it’s a good idea to always have a sleep mask with you. By covering your eyes, these masks are useful when you really need to get some rest. Our Textiles experts like this mask from Bucky, a top performer in Lab evaluations for its contoured design, ease-of-use and durability. It comes in a range of colors and, according to our pros, excelled at blocking out light in tests.

READ MORE: Best Sleep Masks for the Most Restful Sleep

Mack's Ultra-Soft Foam Earplugs

Whether it turns out that there’s a nightclub next to your hotel or you can’t sleep because of early morning construction, earplugs can be a lifesaver. Just pop them into your ears to block out pesky sounds that previously kept you up. Shoppers on Amazon love this pick from Mack’s, which has more than 42,000 raving reviews . Though they’re disposable, many users found that they were able to use them for two to three nights.

READ MORE: Best Earplugs for Sleeping

The Best Travel Electronics

While we agree that you should try to disconnect during your vacation, that doesn’t mean you have to leave your favorite electronics back at home. Whether you want to bring along some reading material, entertainment or tools to keep your gadgets up and running, our tech experts recommend bringing these top-tested travel electronics on your next trip.

Bose QuietComfort 45

Our Media & Tech pros swear by this pair of wireless Bose noise-canceling headphones when flying. Not only is it comfortable to wear for hours , but it does an excellent job at blocking out white noise, like the annoying drone of a plane. The QuietComfort 45 aced Lab tests for performance and impressed our pros with its excellent sound quality, making this a travel gadget to definitely not leave behind.

READ MORE: 12 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

Apple AirTag

There’s nothing quite so disappointing as arriving at your final destination only to discover that your luggage has been lost. To keep better track of your belongings, our pros suggest getting a tracker like an Apple AirTag. Our pros like its compact, lightweight design and that it offers real-time tracking so you know your suitcase is coming before it actually arrives at the baggage carousel. Just keep in mind that if you’re not in the Apple ecosystem, you’ll have to opt for another luggage tracker like the Tile Pro , which unlike an AirTag is compatible with Android devices.

READ MORE: Best Luggage Trackers for Keeping an Eye on Your Checked Bags

Apple iPad 10.2” 2021

Leave your laptop at home and bring along a tablet to keep yourself or your kids entertained on your next trip. This pick from Apple will suit most consumers’ needs, according to our tech pros, with an A14 Bionic chip that can handle a variety of tasks like streaming, gaming or FaceTiming. We like that it’s compatible with the Apple Pencil (1 st gen) and Magic Keyboard Folio should you ever need to take a business call while away.

READ MORE: A Complete List of the Best Tablets to Buy

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Though many of us love highlighting and jotting down notes in a travel guide or flipping through the pages of a book, lugging around too many hard copies can get heavy very quickly. Our tech pros suggest investing in an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite, which is not only super compact, lightweight and waterproo f (it’s IPX8-rated, meaning it can handle continuous water submersion), but it also gives you access to anything you want to read, anywhere in the world. We like that, thanks to its slim design, it’s extremely easy to fit in a purse or backpack for the day.

READ MORE: The 5 Best E-Readers to Buy

Anker 325 Power Bank (PowerCore 20K)

To ensure your gadgets’ batteries never fail you in a time of need (like when you’re trying to find your way home or access your hotel reservation), our tech experts recommend this portable power bank from Anker. Its compact, slim design makes it easy to throw in a backpack without weighing you down, and our pros like that it can charge up to two devices at once via USB-A ports.

Joomfeen Travel Adapter

Don’t forget to pack this universal charger if you’re going to visit another country while you’re on vacation. Since different countries use different plugs and outlets, this adapter enables you to keep using your existing phone, laptop and device chargers. All you have to do is plug the adapter into the wall and then connect everything like you normally would back home, just through the adapter. That's right, no need to rush out to buy a local iPhone charger!

Bubm Electronic Organizer

Much like a great toiletries bag, an electronics organizer can keep your tech accessories in order. Our tech pros like this pick, which features a zippered compartment for smaller essentials like SD or SIM cards as well as various elastic bands and mesh pockets for your cables and chargers. Best of all, this organizer folds up into a flat shape so you shouldn’t have any issue squeezing it into your luggage.

Unique Travel Accessories

While not all travel accessories are essential if you're tight on space, you might be grateful later on that you made that extra room in your suitcase. Packing a few key accessories can spare you the hassle of having to go shopping while on vacation, and it usually prevents you from paying tourist prices. From towels to organizers, these are our experts' favorite travel accessories to bring along with you.

Rainleaf Microfiber Towel

When you're heading on a well-deserved beach vacation, make sure to grab this microfiber towel that comes in several bright colors. According to the Textiles Lab, it’s a great choice for travel thanks to its quick-drying material s and lightweight construction. Our pros also like that it comes with a handy carrying case so it's easy to transport from the beach and back to your hotel.

READ MORE: The Best Beach Towels for Summer 2023

CamelBak Eddy+ Water Bottle with Tritan Renew

It’s important to stay hydrated while traveling, which is why our pros advise bringing a water bottle with you. Our Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab pros like this best value pick from Camelback, which is made from durable, BPA-free plastic. It includes a two-finger loop handle that makes it easy to carry around while you explore and, according to the brand, the design is leak-proof when closed.

READ MORE: 12 Best Water Bottles of 2023

Nikon Monarch M7 8x42 Binocular

Whether you’re going hiking or spending a few days on a cruise, it can be nice to observe a beautiful landscape in sharp detail. With a great pair of binoculars, you can easily spot whales far out at sea or watch birds that would have otherwise looked like flies. The Media & Tech Lab recommends this pair from Nikon for traveling, thanks to its lightweight design, impressive magnification and small close focus that makes it ideal for birding or similar activities.

READ MORE: 10 Best Binoculars for Seeing Every Detail

Dagne Dover Ace Fanny Pack

If you’ve ever been worried about your bag being snatched off your hand, a fanny pack is an easy way to keep all essential documents close to you and easy to access. Our Textiles Lab experts like this Dagne Dover pick for traveling thanks to its roomy interior compartment and organizational pockets. Our testers also rave about how durable it is should you accidentally spill something during vacation.

READ MORE: Best Fanny Packs

Etekcity Luggage Scale

For those who like to overpack or would feel better knowing how much your suitcase weighs before arriving at the airport, this gadget is for you. A luggage scale not only indicates whether you’re under or over the weight limit , but this pick is compact and lightweight so it’s easy to pack along with your other accessories. Lexi has used it herself over the years to help divide up her belongings between bags and avoid baggage fees.

Travel Hack: Why Our Experts Recommend Using Packing Cubes

Packing your suitcase and fitting everything in the right place isn’t always as easy as it sounds. While most bags these days include a compartment or two for undergarments, clothing and other essentials, items can shift around while in transit or get lost underneath a stack of shirts. To keep your bag in order, Senior Textiles Product Analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab, Emma Seymour , recommends investing in a few packing cubes, like this set from Eagle Creek . “Packing cubes are small bags designed to keep your clothes organized and less wrinkled in your luggage,” Emma says. They not only help keep your belongings organized during your trip, but also when you arrive at your destination. When using packing cubes, Emma suggests packing your clothes into the cubes first, then fitting the pieces into your bag like a puzzle. “You can even get packing cubes with built-in compression, so squeezing in that extra outfit (or two!) is no big deal. Whether you’re backpacking or traveling with a hard-shell carry-on, “most packing cubes are available in sets that include various sizes, ideal for organizing intimates and larger pieces.” And once you’ve arrived at your destination and are unpacking your suitcase, GH pros recommend placing the packing cubes directly into the drawers to keep your clothes protected from unknown surfaces.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been providing expert reviews and advice on the best travel gear and accessories you can buy. Media and Tech reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski , who covers everything from consumer electronics to travel, home, fitness and more, worked with several of the product experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute to feature the best travel gear we’ve tested in our Labs as well as products that have impressed our consumer testers. Not only does she have years of product review experience under her belt, but she’s a travel enthusiast with plans to visit all seven continents (with only two more to go)!

Olivia (she/her) is a media and tech product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute , covering tech, home, auto, health and more. She has more than five years of experience writing about tech trends and innovation and, prior to joining GH in 2021, was a writer for Android Central, Lifewire and other media outlets. Olivia is a graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism, political science and French, and she holds a master’s degree in communications from Sciences Po Paris.

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The Best Gear for Travel

By Wirecutter Staff

Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends.

But what does it mean to travel well? We’d say that along with traveling safely (of course), traveling well involves avoiding hassle, carrying a single bag (if possible), and bringing only the necessities.

“Traveling well is a fine balance between finding inspiration in the unknown while being grounded in something,” said Wirecutter founder Brian Lam. “Sometimes that is a memory of home, a family, a significant other, friends, etc. Sometimes it’s just the familiar, reliable stuff in your bag.”

Over the past nine years, we’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing dozens of products to find the most dependable items that will help you travel well. On top of that, we sought the advice and wisdom of Doug Dyment, author and creator of OneBag. As a traveling businessman and public speaker, he has logged millions of miles over the past few decades. We also ran our picks by travel-gear reviewer Eytan Levy, the Snarky Nomad .

And we relied heavily on the experiences of Wirecutter staff, an especially mobile group of individuals. Our staffers have worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica—the five most frequent flyers among us travel about half a million miles in any given (normal) year.

The research

Flying/riding, just in case, travel tips.

A well-packed bag is one that contains less than you think you need but everything you actually need. If possible, fitting everything into one carry-on and personal item will give you more freedom compared to checking a bag or two. You’ll be glad you did if (and when) things don’t go according to plan. Consider this example from OneBag’s Doug Dyment: “I’ve been in situations where I’ve landed in Chicago on my way to New York and everything was snowed in, no flights were flying anywhere, but I was able to rent a car or take a train whereas everyone whose bags were being held hostage by the airlines were simply stuck.” While carry-on-only isn’t feasible (or advisable) for every trip—especially extended business trips or weddings where you need multiple outfits to maintain appearances—if in doubt, it’s better to cut.

Carry-on backpack (non-roller)

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A versatile small pack for a week or a weekend.

The Allpa’s clamshell design makes organizing your things simple. The strap design lets you easily wear this durable bag on your back or carry it in your hand while you’re on the move.

Buying Options

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

An easily customizable large bag for long trips and expensive gear.

This bag was built with photographers in mind, but most travelers will appreciate its easy accessibility and clever tuck-away straps, and the elegant way the bag expands and contracts depending on how much you’ve packed. The accessory cubes cost extra, though.

We spent six months testing 22 bags, and in the end we chose two as our top picks for travelers determined to never check luggage again: the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for most trips) and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L features an easy-to-pack clamshell design and highly adjustable straps that make it a great all-around bag for any traveler who’s dedicated to packing light, or for a smaller person who wants less to carry. Handles on all four sides of this bag make it easy to grab no matter where you’ve stowed it, and the Allpa’s straps are contoured to comfortably fit people who have large or small chests. It’s not a specifically gendered design, but our female tester noticed the improvement right away.

The bag is protected by a full lifetime warranty and has the build quality to back that up. Its front panel is made of a waterproof, TPU-coated 1,000-denier polyester (a strong fabric covered in a flexible plastic coating), which means you can lay it on its back in a wet field or in gravel without worrying about moisture soaking through or jagged edges ripping the fabric. The rest of the paneling is made with 1,680-denier ballistic nylon, which feels similar to a strong canvas but with a more prominent weave. After four years of testing, this single backpack (plus a personal item to store under the seat) has replaced nearly every travel bag or piece of luggage that Kit Dillon, Wirecutter’s senior staff writer who covers luggage, uses.

One caveat: The Allpa has a minimal amount of administrative organization—places to keep pens and papers, spaces to hold tickets, and so forth—which is where the personal item comes in handy. As the name suggests, “personal items” are very, well, personal, and no one bag will work for all travelers; we offer a range of recommendations in our full guide to them .

The larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the Swiss Army knife of backpacks: adjustable, customizable, and (if you spring for the extra cubes and organizers) an almost perfect system for a photographer or gearhead on the move. Most bags’ expanding mechanisms aren’t worth the extra zipper they’re built on, and they look about as attractive as a boiled ham splitting out of its plastic packaging. Not so with the Peak Design: It looks just as good fully packed at 45 liters as it does compressed to a 30-liter daypack. You can access the bag through a back panel, which doubles as a computer and tablet pouch, as well as through a front one, if you unzip the pass-through divider. You can also get into the main compartment via two wing-like trapezoidal flaps that run along each side of the pack. In its natural shape, the Travel Backpack holds 35 liters, but an expansion zipper lets the bag swell to 45 liters.

If you want to use the bag as a daypack, you fold in the top corners and snap them down, reducing the bag’s volume to a slim 30 liters. It still feels larger than a normal daypack, but we think that’s a small compromise for the ability to use one backpack as both your travel bag and your daily explorer. The bag itself consists of 400D nylon and polyester fabrics—it feels tough, but not as tough as the Cotopaxi Allpa. As for flaws, it is expensive, especially if you commit to the entire system of packing cubes and camera cubes . The adjustable design and multiple zippers do add complexity, and complexity adds potential weaknesses, though Peak Design covers all of its bags with a lifetime warranty.

Finding the right bag is a personal choice, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. That’s why we have picks in our full review of carry-on travel bags that can double as traveling offices , bags that are easy to carry while you’re walking long distances , and budget options for travelers who want to give the one-bag strategy a try.

Carry-on bag (rolling)

Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Carry-On Spinner

Great features, great value.

This spinner carry-on offers the best balance of size, value, reliability, and durability, with high-end details. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

Since 2015, we’ve researched several dozen suitcases and gone hands-on with the 47 most promising candidates in a variety of tests—including having active flight attendants test bags for us in a fake plane fuselage in their training facility. We determined that for most people the  Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Expandable Spinner  offers the best balance of features, durability, and price for most flyers who log less than 25,000 miles annually.

It features smooth-rolling, user-replaceable wheels; solid and comfortable, telescoping handles; and a hard-wearing nylon exterior propped up by a solid internal chassis. The Elite only improves on past iterations in the Platinum line by reducing the size of the stowed handle (which used to jut out about an inch) and adding a second zippered, exterior pocket for easy access on the go and a USB pass-through extension that lets you insert your own battery pack for charging your phone. And at 7.8 pounds when empty, this carry-on bag is about half a pound lighter than its predecessor. Compared with other bags in this price range, you also get surprisingly high-end components and a warranty that covers anything, even airline damage, for the life of the bag (as long as you register the suitcase within 120 days of purchase, which is easy to do on any smartphone).

Upgrade pick

Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22″ Carry-On Expandable Spinner

For frequent flyers.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles a year, invest in a bag with unique features, superior details, and plenty of expandable room. This manufacturer guarantees your satisfaction.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles annually and you’re willing to invest in a higher-quality product, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22-Inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner. It can fit more clothing than any bag we tested, thanks to a cavernous interior and clever expansion and compression system that can adjust to variable levels beyond open and shut. Wirecutter’s founder, Brian Lam, has put more than 150,000 miles on his so far, and it’s held up great. His only complaint is that longer pants will need an extra fold, or to be rolled. In taller bags, pants will only need to be folded over once.

Checked luggage

If you need to pack more stuff than a carry-on and a personal item can hold, our first piece of advice would be to reconsider whether you need that extra outfit “just in case.” But you’ll have times when you need to travel with several pairs of shoes, formalwear, a winter coat, special equipment (like diving or camping gear), or all of the above. In these cases, there’s no way to avoid checking a bag.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Men’s)

The best travel backpack for people with longer torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with longer torsos.

May be out of stock

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Women’s)

The best travel backpack for people with shorter torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with shorter torsos.

If you’re going someplace where you’ll need to walk a lot (or if there’s dirt or cobblestone roads), we recommend a travel backpack. Specifically, the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Men’s) for men (and tall women) and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Women’s) for those with shorter torsos. The Ruckpack’s thickly padded, stowable straps are fully height-adjustable. The bag is made from rugged, recycled ripstop nylon and is guaranteed for up to a year. And it holds about 60 liters, which gives you noticeably more space than our other picks while still keeping the overall dimensions manageable. You can read all about why we like the Ruckpack in our review of the best travel backpacks .

Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner

The best checked bag for most travelers.

The bag provides a luxury feel at a reasonable price, with a capacity, warranty, and reliability that should suit most travelers. The 25-inch model should offer plenty of room for most people without going over airline weight limits.

If you don’t plan on walking around while carrying all your stuff, the  25-inch Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner Suiter is our favorite piece of checked luggage for all of the same reasons we loved the carry-on size: It has excellent organizational features, it’s especially durable, and it has a better warranty than anything in its price range.

Luggage tags

Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag

Strong and easy to see.

Rugged silicone and a metal cable mean this tag (which comes two to a pack) may well outlive your luggage. The brightly colored case displays its owner’s name but keeps other personal information out of sight.

A good luggage tag should be durable, simple to use, and discreet. Ultimately, a tag should allow someone to get your luggage back to you quickly and easily, and it should withstand the wear and tear of being thrown onto conveyor belts time and again. After researching the top-rated and best-selling models, reading existing luggage-tag reviews, and comparing fourteen tags , we recommend the Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag for most travelers because it’s the only one we’d trust to survive being smashed by other bags, jammed into walls, and generally abused by baggage handlers. It’s the most durable tag we tested, and it comes in a wide selection of colors to help any bag stand out from the rest.

The Ovener tag’s silicone body seems nearly indestructible and is available in four bright colors (you get two tags per pack). Whereas other tags also feature metal cables, this tag has a metal grommet to keep the cable from eventually wearing through the silicone case.

Should you lose your bag, the Ovener makes it easy for a Good Samaritan to find your contact information. To fully access the info card, you have to unscrew and remove the metal strap; this lets the card slide out of the case. Most luggage tags we tested secure their info card in this way. It isn’t a difficult or time-consuming process, but it is an extra step compared with using a tag that displays all of your information openly. Still, for anyone who wants to keep their contact information out of view, the extra step is worth it.

Another approach to increasing privacy is to hide information in a QR code, as the Dynotag Smart Deluxe Steel Luggage Tag  does, or to provide a user ID number, as the Okoban UID Luggage Tags  do. But these seem like overly complex solutions to a problem that doesn’t really exist. The Dynotag requires a scanner app that many phone owners don’t want to bother with, and the Okoban requires going online and entering a code, which might deter otherwise-willing Good Samaritans.

Compression sacks

Originally designed for reducing the bulk of lofty sleeping bags, compression sacks are stuff sacks modified with additional nylon end caps that can be pulled together by strings or straps to remove air and create a smaller, denser package that’s easier to pack. Most travelers use compression sacks to condense socks, underwear, and other stuff you don’t mind getting wrinkled into a package with half as much overall volume. For example, an 8- to 12-liter sack can compress a fleece jacket and a long-weekend’s worth of socks and underwear into something that fits in one hand. They also make a decent pillow in a pinch.

Osprey StraightJacket (8L)

Easier access, less compression.

It has a full-length zipper on its side that allows access to the bag’s entire contents. However, it doesn’t compress as tightly as traditional designs.

Most compression sacks require you to empty out the stuff at the top to get to the stuff below it, but the side-zipper design on the Osprey StraightJacket allows access to the entire contents of the bag at once. The compression straps attach sideways, and are less likely to get tangled and twisted like on most compression sacks with lengthwise straps. It can also sit up on its own, and the handle design lets you break it out as a last minute carry-on to avoid an overweight-baggage fee. However, it doesn’t compress down as compactly as the traditional designs we tested so it’s not the best option if compression is your top priority.

GobiGear’s SegSac takes a different approach to solving the same access issue: It has four inner dividers that run the length of the sack in order to keep your socks separate from your underwear, winter accessories, towel, what have you. This means you don’t have to take out your T-shirts to get to your socks. Unlike the Osprey, it compresses just as much as a normal compression sack, but it loses points for versatility because the segmentation prevents it from handling large items like a down jacket or sleeping bag.

Packing cubes

Packing cubes could change your life. (Okay, maybe just your traveling life.) Packing cubes are basically bags to hold your clothes that you organize within your luggage. Though seemingly superfluous, they’re brilliant in action. If you imagine your suitcase as a dresser, you can think of these cubes as individual drawers: Put all your underwear and socks in one container, all your shirts in another, and your workout clothes in yet another. Then pull out only the cube you want. They make packing and repacking wonderfully simple.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Well built with easy access.

Simple and solidly constructed, these packing cubes keep your bag organized while you’re traveling.

The three-piece Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set keeps a week’s worth of clothes organized and moves easily from suitcase to hotel dresser. We’ve been recommending the previous version of these cubes for years, and after testing this newly updated set, we now recommend this version.

The full-size cube is great for shirts, shorts, and insulating layers. The half-cube and quarter-cube are perfect for underwear, socks, and other thin fabrics such as stockings or sleepwear. These cubes are made of 300-denier polyester (a strong fabric) and stay upright when empty, so they’re easy to pack. The Pack-It cubes’ windows are made of the tightest mesh link we tested—better for resisting snags—and the smooth zippers close easily around all corners, even when a cube is overstuffed.

The Eagle Creek cubes have the ability to unzip fully to allow full access to their contents while sitting in a dresser drawer. That means your clean clothes stay protected against some potentially dicey motel dressers. In 2022, Eagle Creek updated the design of these cubes, and now the company no longer uses YKK zippers, which are widely accepted as the best around . That said, we couldn’t tell any difference between Eagle Creek’s zippers and other brands’ YKK zippers, even with a magnifying glass, and their performance was indistinguishable. (For what it’s worth, an Eagle Creek product manager assured us that the proportion of zipper-related warranty claims hasn’t changed since the company made the switch from YKK.)

Most travelers are likely to be well served by the Reveal set. But if you value lightness above all, the more expensive Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Cube Set is about 50% lighter than similar-size competitors (just over 1 ounce for a medium cube, whereas the Eagle Creek classic style weighs about 4 ounces). Unlike the Reveal set, this set is water resistant. However, the Isolate design’s thin sides—which don’t allow the cubes to stand up on their own—make those cubes a bit more challenging to pack than the Reveal cubes.

Buying the right gear can help organize your existing travel kit, but it’s a red herring if your goal is better portability. “It’s mostly the clothing that allows you to reduce what you need to carry,” explains veteran traveller Eytan Levy, better known as the Snarky Nomad . That’s because clothing, which is very voluminous, makes up the bulk of what’s in your bag. He recommends traveling with basic-looking clothes because you can always buy or rent something nice in a pinch, whereas lugging around formalwear just in case will always be a pain. It also helps if you can avoid cotton and stick to merino and synthetic fabrics, which dry faster. This allows you to do laundry by hand in the sink as needed to reduce the amount of clothes you need to carry.

Travel underwear

Good travel underwear keeps you feeling fresh and clean, even when your destination is gritty.  To find the best , we researched an array of underwear designed for men and women to find 34 pairs meeting our criteria: moisture-wicking and breathable, quick-drying, odor-resistant, stretchy, stylish, and cut to fit a variety of body types.

We then conducted rigorous pretesting (wearing the underwear for two days at a time, machine-washing them repeatedly, and tracking their drying speed when hung on a clothesline) before taking them out into the real world. Our testers went backpacking 215 miles throughout Portland, Oregon; hiking in the Canadian Rockies, including walking from the lowest point in the Continental US to the highest; and road-tripping to the national parks of the West. Testers who flew to their destinations wore the underwear on the plane, too.

Afterward, we checked for signs of wear, such as seam breakage and pilling on the fabric. As we continued to test the finalists, we repeatedly checked for durability problems. In addition to comfort and fit, we noted whether each pair seemed lightweight and packable.

ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief

Best for most men.

Durable, quick-drying, and relatively inexpensive, this soft-fabric version of ExOfficio’s time-tested Give-N-Go undies will get the job done for years.

The ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief is the best men’s underwear for travel because it balances fit, comfort, odor-proofing, and value better than anything else we’ve tested. The Sport Mesh fabric excels at breathing and wicking and has better odor-resistance than other fabrics. It feels soft on the inside and smooth on the outside so it slides against your pants instead of creating friction, reducing potential for chafing. It also features a sculpted crotch area that gives wearers some much-appreciated support, without feeling stifling. These boxer briefs dry quickly, pack compactly, and weigh less than almost all the other boxer briefs we tried—basically they’re everything you’d want from a pair of excellent travel underwear.

Patagonia Women's Active Hipster

Best for most women.

These light, stylish, quick-drying hipsters stay in place whether you’re walking, flying, or hanging upside down.

The Patagonia Active Hipster doesn’t appear special upon first glance. Only after trying everything else and living through their failures to stay put did we remember what “special” really means in a pair of underwear: Feeling as if you’re wearing nothing at all. The Patagonias have the best fit, comfort, and style out of all the panties we tested. The nylon material is fast-wicking and better than most synthetics for odor-proofing, making it well suited for athletic activities. The Active Hipster is lightweight and packable, and is the fastest-drying underwear we tested—making them perfect for minimalist travelers who go weeks at a time with just one or two pairs. But these same characteristics make them great for any traveler looking for comfortable, packable panties, regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Budget pick

Uniqlo Men Airism Boxer Brief

Comfortable, compact, and fast-drying, these are a great value but don’t fit quite as nicely and aren’t as supportive in the crotch.

Uniqlo Women Airism Ultra Seamless HipHugger

Similar fabric to the Men’s Airism, with a no-ride cut for women, these underwear are the least expensive of any we tested and among the best performing.

If you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing performance, the Uniqlo Airism line has long been a great choice for men and women who can wear sizes small and medium. In recent years, both lines have expanded their size range somewhat (men to 3XL, and women to XL). If these fit, you can replace an entire underwear drawer on a tight budget, as long as you can deal with the slightly odd cut and less-effective odor-control treatment.

If you’ve never traveled with merino wool socks, you’re missing out. These aren’t the scratchy wool socks your grandpa wore in the army; they are soft and stretchy ones that have natural sweat-wicking and odor-resisting properties that keep your toes comfortable under all conditions—even when wet. This combination of odor, moisture, and temperature regulations makes them ideal for traveling. "Because of its natural anti-bacterial properties, washing merino wool on a daily basis isn’t absolutely necessary,” explains Snarky Nomad , "after letting it air dry overnight while you sleep, it’ll seem brand new.” The only major downside is that merino tends to be a bit pricier than synthetic counterparts. But it’s a worthy trade-off, since you can go for longer with fewer pairs.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (women’s)

The best quality for women.

The best mix of comfort, durability, and cushioning in a versatile height.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (men’s)

For the best quality.

The same great versatile sock as the women’s model, but in different color options and more sizes.

Darn Tough’s Light Hiker Micro Crew socks (both the men’s and women’s versions) have been our favorite hiking socks for years. Darn Tough made its name through its quality guarantee : “Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable, and best fitting socks you can buy. In a nutshell, if you wear a hole in them, we will replace them free of charge, for life.” Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (hardcore backpackers who walk from Mexico to Canada in one continuous trip) praise them for their durability, comfort, and blister resistance. When you hold a pair of Darn Toughs next to a pair of Smartwools (which only have a two-year guarantee ), the difference is clear. The Darn Toughs are more tightly knit, the yarns are finer and feel sturdier, and the stitching is tighter.

Wirecutter’s Michael Zhao once wrote of his Darn Tough socks: “While I haven’t yet owned mine for life, my oldest pair is coming on three years old and I have trouble telling them apart from the newest pair I bought last month. During those same three years, I’ve worn through the heels of two pairs of Smartwool hikers and runners, had three pairs of Icebreaker ankle socks start to unravel, and developed holes in the heels and toes of six pairs of Stoic trail socks. Meanwhile, the Darn Toughs look as good as new. And unlike cheaper socks you can get from Costco or military surplus stores, they’re not so thick that you can’t wear them in warmer climates.”

WrightSocks

Light and fast-drying.

Not as durable but much lighter and faster-drying. A dual-layer design prevents blisters better than any other synthetic sock.

If you prefer a vegan product, have a wool sensitivity, or if you’d like something a bit cooler and are willing to sacrifice some durability, WrightSocks (both men’s and women’s sizes at that link) made from synthetic Coolmesh are a great choice (we like them better than Darn Tough’s synthetic option, which felt stifling). Like most synthetic socks, they’re lighter weight and dry quickly, but what sets WrightSocks apart is their dual-layered design, which prevents blisters by diverting friction between your shoe-lining and the sock onto the inner layer of the sock as opposed to your skin. This combination of blister prevention and light weight makes them particularly popular amongst runners in addition to travelers. Popular women’s travel gear review site HerPackingList calls them “the perfect sock for active travelers who will be on their feet for hours or days at a time.” Wirecutter writer Geoff Morrison switched his whole sock drawer out for these since he started traveling seven years ago and hasn’t looked back. “I've never gotten a blister, even after walking over 30 miles in a day during the 2014 Le Mans,” wrote Morrison in an email interview.

But with the WrightSocks, what you lose in weight, you also lose in durability. After just three trips through a washing machine, both the women’s and men’s versions we tested had substantial pilling in several locations. Morrison notes that his tend to start looking worn after about six months and that he replaces them about once a year. Also, avoid the dryer if you can because multiple user reviewers state that they’ll shrink in the dryer over time. (They dry quickly enough without the dryer that this isn’t really a huge issue.) And because they’re not merino, they really start to stink after a full day of walking around; bring extra.

Havaianas Top Flip Flop (Men's)

The best flip-flops for men.

Durable, grippy, and squeak-free when wet.

Havaianas Top Flip Flop (women’s)

The best flip-flops for women.

Same shoe in women's sizes.

A good pair of travel flip-flops should be lightweight, cheap, and flat. That way they’re easy to take wherever and it won’t matter if you lose them. After testing the super popular Havaianas, Ipanemas, Crocs, and Old Navy flip-flops, our pick is the Havaiana Top (for men and women ). These high-density PVC Brazilian classics are world-renowned for their durability, affordability, and reliable traction, even when wet. They weigh just 150 g, compared to the 220 g Ipanemas. They pack down to almost nothing, unlike the big and boaty Crocs. And while other cheap flip flops can get squeaky when wet, the Havaianas stay mostly silent, which is why they’re so popular in beach towns all over the world. Ultimately, this is what earned them the pick over our previous pick from Old Navy.

Clothesline

While doing laundry at home can be a large weekly event, OneBag author Doug Dyment recommends approaching travel laundry as a part of your daily routine, especially if you’re trying to pack as little as possible: “The laundry should be more like cleaning your teeth—something you do everyday. It only takes about five minutes to do it. Every night, do your socks and underwear and you’ll have clean socks and underwear everyday.”

A secure, hassle-free option

The Flexo-Line attaches easily to a door handle or faucet and grips garments securely between its loops.

Check out OneBag’s laundry packing list if you want specific tips on how to do it and what you’ll need, but it’s a pretty simple setup: All you need is a toiletry bottle of powdered detergent, a towel to help expedite drying, and a travel clothesline to finish the drying process while you sleep at night.

Specifically, you want a braided—not twisted—surgical latex clothesline with looped ends, which means you want a Flexo-Line . The Flexo-Line can stretch up to 7 feet long, which is enough to span most hotel bathtubs, and it has loops that you can attach easily to a door handle, bath spigot, or faucet. The braided construction is superior to twisted designs made from other materials because the latex does a better job of gripping garments securely between the loops, which means you don’t need any additional clothespins.

Dyment has tried them all, but the Flexo-Line is the one he comes back to. As he explained to me in an interview, “There are others that are fine, but there are far more that are not fine.” More specifically, Dyment says to avoid anything that’s not made of latex , because clothes will inevitably slip out of them. He also says to never, ever trust a suction cup: “They don’t work, period.” If the Flexo-Line is unavailable, Dyment says that the Rick Steves collection from Kiva Designs also makes a nice braided line that is a bit more expensive. If you have a latex allergy, Dyment recommends going with a length of cord ( paracord is nice because it’s durable and you can use it for other things as well) and stainless steel safety pins meant for cloth diapers , because they take up far less space than a clothespin and won’t rust. In fact, it’s worthwhile to get these items even if you can use a latex line because they’re great for making luggage repairs and performing other MacGyver-ish tasks in a pinch. To hang up the clothesline, we recommend using a bowline knot on one end and a taut line hitch on the other. These knots work well together because the bowline creates a simple, slip-proof loop to anchor one end while the taut line hitch allows you to adjust for tension and locks tightly in place. If you could commit any two knots to memory forever, these are the ones to learn.

Laundry detergent

Minisoak Travel Packs

A travel size version of the best delicates detergent.

Perfect for traveling because you don’t even need to rinse it out.

When you’re washing your underwear in a hotel sink, you want a fast and easy experience. For this, we recommend the no-rinse detergent Soak . That’s right, we said no rinse . You just add a drop to the sink, fill with water, and leave your garments to soak. Then press out the water and hang. Done.

In our tests of delicates detergents , Soak cleaned almost as well as our top laundry detergent, Tide; plus, it comes in individual packets of powder  that are great for traveling, as well as in  travel-size bottles of the liquid version . In addition to unscented, it's available in a variety of scents, although Lacey and Celebration are not the most descriptive of scent names. They all smell nice, not overpowering. Soak also comes in an assorted travel pack with two single-use packets of each scent, if you want to test-drive one or two before you buy. In that mini size, you get eight packets for $11 currently, but you really need only a squeeze, not the the whole packet, to wash a couple of pairs of socks and underwear.

One downside to Soak is that you won’t find it in a grocery store or big-box store. But it is available online at Soak’s site . And if you really want to walk into a store and put your mitts on a bottle, you can find it at most local yarn stores.

Don’t feel like buying Soak or bringing along a bit of your own detergent? Shampoo also works pretty well for cleaning garments in a pinch, so make use of that free bottle from the hotel. But a caveat: Neither Soak nor shampoo contains enzymes , which are biological molecules in laundry detergent that break down certain stains. If you have especially stinky or stained clothes, you might need to break out the Tide .

When we first published this guide, this section addressed only toiletry kits and bottles, razors, and packable towels. The times, and traveling, became more complicated. One thing we've learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick and don’t want to share your misery: with a cold, the flu, Covid-19, whatever. Fortunately, compared with early 2020, medical-style N95s and KN95s (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. 

Toiletry kit

We’ve researched dozens of travel toiletry bags and dopp kits over the past several years, and we tested 23 of the top-rated contenders in our most recent round of tests. After packing and unpacking a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries, conducting spill tests, and living out of the top performers on the road, we have a few different picks that stand out thanks to their style, packability, and quality of construction.

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small)

A space-saving hanging bag.

This lightweight, well-organized bag fits a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries into a compact package. It’s meant to be hung, which makes it good for tight spaces, but it doesn’t have much in the way of internal structure.

The Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small) is compact and durable. It’s small enough to stash in a backpack or laptop bag, but it holds enough travel-size toiletries to keep us supplied for a week. You can open it and hang it from a shower curtain or towel rod to easily see and grab your items. It comes with a shatterproof mirror, two micro-mesh zip pockets and an open pocket for toothbrushes, lip balm, and tweezers, and a large compartment for bulky lotions and hair-care items.

L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag

For more stuff and longer trips.

With a 6.4-liter capacity and over a dozen compartments, this toiletry bag has a place for everything—and everything will stay put during transit, too. It can also accommodate non-travel-size bottles.

The L.L.Bean Personal Organizer (medium) is a great option for longer trips and people who travel with full-size bottles. Its 6.4 liters of storage spread across a dozen compartments means there’s a dedicated place for pretty much everything you could want to bring on a trip—it even has a removable mesh shower caddy for shampoo and body wash. This level of organization is crucial for larger toiletry bags because, as we discovered after years of traveling with our picks, contents that aren’t securely fastened can shift around in transit, which increases the chance of spilling. The downside of all this organization is that the L.L.Bean weighs 14 ounces when empty, so it’s not ideal for carry-on travel.

If neither of these bags seems right for you, read our full review of the best toiletry bags and dopp kits to learn more about our picks and everything we tested.

Toiletry bottles

Sea to Summit TPU Clear Zip Pouch with Bottles

These six TSA-friendly bottles are sturdy and smartly designed, dispensing liquids more precisely than any of the other bottles we tested.

For traveling with liquids in your carry-on, the Sea to Summit set is your best bet. All six bottles conform to TSA size limitations; three of them can hold 3 ounces of liquid each, and three can hold 1.5 ounces each, for a total of 13.5 ounces. Despite the set’s name, the bottles themselves are made not of thermoplastic polyurethane—“TPU" refers to the zip pouch—but a high-density polyethylene material, much like what you’d see used in most plastic milk jugs. It has an almost-smooth, semi-transparent surface just textured enough that it’s not slippery when wet. The plastic is also flexible enough that you don’t have to squeeze very hard to get your shampoo or liquid soap or whatever going. An insert at the mouth of each bottle helps regulate the flow, and the screw tops prevent liquids from leaking in transit.

Razor (faces)

Gillette Mach3

The best manual razor for most faces.

This classic razor’s three widely spaced blades provide the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. Its handle is comfortable and well designed, and replacement blades can be had for a fair price.

We researched and tested 100 manual razors for our full razor guide , concluding that the Gillette Mach3 is our top pick for manual razors. Although the three blades require a little extra time for a closer shave, it performs comparably to the latest and greatest offerings for as little as half the price.

The Gillette Mach3 provides the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. The Mach3’s simple, round handle is easy to grip and maneuver, and its three blades offer a close shave without over-irritating the skin or getting clogged with hair. And the price of Mach3 blades—$2 per cartridge or less, whether you buy them online or in a store—came close to, or even beat, the pricing of shave-club rivals, and the Mach3 shaved better than those competitors.

Five of our eight testers named the Mach3 among their top three razors, and two named it a favorite.

Razor (legs/body)

Gillette Venus Smooth

The best body razor.

This classic Venus is one of the easiest razors to grip and maneuver and its three-blade design keeps the blades remarkably free of hair.

Disposable razors (both the completely disposable and replaceable-cartridge variety) are fine to take through airport security , and among them we like the Gillette Venus Original best. After testing 22 top-rated body razors and panel testing the five best of them , we prefer its capable, three-blade head and easy-to-maneuver handle to the competition’s. Plus, as with any Venus, the Original’s body is compatible with any other Venus head and many heads from Gillette’s facial razors, making it exceptionally versatile.

The Original’s head has three blades separated by considerable slats of space, making it far easier to clean the head between strokes. And it includes simple aloe strips above and below the blades, allowing the lubricant to ease the shave without transforming your razor into a swamp. The Original is intuitive to hold and secure to maneuver, thanks to a contoured handle with corrugated chevrons of rubber. Though our testers have a wide range of hand sizes, no one found the Original difficult to grasp. Despite the significant ribbing, it doesn’t feel too bulky. Gillette claims its razors have lasted for five weeks; we think one razor for a weeklong trip should be fine.

(Know that, confusingly, the Venus appears for sale on some retail sites under the name Venus Close and Clean or Venus Smooth. It’s the same razor. If you’re unsure which Venus model you’re looking at, check for the Original’s three blades and trademark sea-foam blue color.)

Towel (packable)

PackTowl Personal

The best all-around packable towel.

The PackTowl Personal Towel is lightweight, soft, absorbent, quick to dry, and odor-resistant.

With store pickup or REI membership (limited patterns)

(limited patterns)

We put 20 top-rated towels through a battery of tests including regular shower use, a trip to the beach, camping, and a 48-hour stay in a ziplock bag under the hot Hawaiian sun. After all was said and done, the Packtowl Personal Towel is still the best all-around travel towel for most people. In addition to being the softest lightweight towel we tested, it was more absorbent than competitors made of similar materials. It had the best odor-resisting abilities and comes with a convenient mesh carrying pouch. We also have alternate picks for ultralight and all-natural towels below.

The Personal Towel’s suede-like material was the softest of the thinner towels. The Personal Towel also had superior absorption when compared with other similarly constructed towels such as the Sea to Summit DryLite  and the Shandali UltraSport —in our tests, it absorbed 2.8 times its weight in water, while the others absorbed between 2.3 times and 2.7 times.

One of just two we tested that featured an added antimicrobial treatment, the Personal Towel was only a little musty smelling after 24 hours in a sealed ziplock bag, and remained unchanged at 48 hours.

If you’re looking for a budget option, consider the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel , which is a tad smaller than our other picks and is made from a seemingly lighter-feeling fabric. Unlike most budget options, it has an antibacterial coating and still managed to carry a pleasant smell after being testing in different environments.

Regardless of how you get to your final destination, it’s likely you’ll be stuck in a seat that’s less than ideal. Travel gadgets that claim to reduce this misery, such as compression socks, are popular. But when they take up precious luggage space for the duration of your trip—not just the flight or train ride–they need to be worth every cubic inch of space. The less you can make do with, the better off you’ll be.

Neck pillow

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

More support for most necks.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows we tested because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case. Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, though supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks.

Noise-cancelling headphones

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones.

The Bose 700 headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear set has the most versatile active noise cancellation we’ve ever tested. With 10 levels of noise reduction to choose from, everyone should be able to find a setting that meets their needs. We also enjoyed the lightweight and comfortable design and the easy-to-use controls. What distinguishes the Bose 700’s ANC is the amount of adjustability it gives you: Most noise-cancelling headphones offer controls for only on/off or maybe high/low/off, but with the Bose 700 pair you can set the ANC level from 0 to 10, so you have more flexibility to dial in the ideal setting for your comfort. The 20-hour battery life, while not the best we’ve seen, is more than sufficient to get you to most destinations. We have additional options—including earbuds and surprisingly good budget options for  over-ear headphones and earbuds —in our full guide to noise-cancelling headphones .

Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs

For blocking out the most noise.

These blocked the most noise in our controlled testing and got the most votes from our subjective sleep panel.

When you’re traveling, it can be difficult to fall asleep to unfamiliar noises. That’s why we spent several hours researching new contenders and tested four top-rated models while sleeping in a house that was next to an airport in order to determine that Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs are the best earplugs for most travelers .

The Mack’s 37.1 dB noise reduction rating was the highest among the models we tested. According to Cooper Safety , that’s enough to reduce the volume of a gas lawnmower to that of a normal conversation. What made the Mack’s earplugs so effective is the fact that we could insert them and rest assured that they would stay in the whole night. Meanwhile, the Howard Leight MAX1 might be a favorite from crowdsourced sleep-aid review site Sleep Like the Dead , but the earplugs would inevitably fall out in the middle of the night. Thus, they failed to block out the noise of planes landing and taking off throughout the night, despite the MAX1’s 33 dB noise reduction rating. The Howard Leights also made our ears ache on occasion, whereas the Mack’s has a tapered shape that was consistently comfortable night after night.

The Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs cost about 20¢-35¢ per pair when purchased in a 50-pair pack. They come in a plastic case is about the size of a large coffee mug, which is small enough to toss in a large bag or suitcase. Many other ear plugs like our runner-up, the 3M’s E-A-Rsoft OCS1135 , can only be ordered in industrial-size lots that, while perhaps appealing to those who travel constantly (or run a hostel), are annoying to store and often lack a reusable container of any sort.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

For air travelers and back-sleepers.

The lightweight and contoured Nidra mask is a light-blocking win for most face shapes, with deep eye cups that allow the wearer to blink freely and arrive feeling refreshed.

When bright lights hamper peaceful shut-eye, we recommend the light-blocking, contoured Nidra Deep Rest sleep mask. Of the 20 masks we tried over two rounds of testing , the Nidra blocked the most light on the most faces. It’s contoured to rest on your face like a pair of soft goggles, with fabric lenses that sit around your eyes (instead of directly over them). This design provides more space for your eyes to flutter during REM sleep, ensuring that you come through red-eye flights with less redness in your eyes. Makeup wearers will also appreciate that, with the Nidra’s elevated eye cups, there’s a smaller chance of smudging.

Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask

A flat, silk mask.

A silken exterior material, a flat design, and an adjustable strap make this mask a fit for almost any face, but it puts pressure on the eyes.

If the Nidra Deep Rest doesn’t fit your face quite right, we also recommend the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask . It lacks contoured eyecups and thus applies some pressure to the eyes overnight like any regular eye mask does. But its flat design easily conforms to fit your face, and its silk exterior feels smooth and soft against skin (the padding is made of cotton). Its relative lack of structure makes it more difficult to knock off when you’re tossing and turning. Testers also liked that the Alaska Bear’s unobtrusive buckled strap didn’t snag on long hair the way a Velcro strap could. We think the Alaska Bear is a terrific eye mask for sleeping while traveling or in bed—regardless of your preferred sleep position—but we find the Nidra mask’s roomier eyecups more comfortable.

Sleeping bag liner

Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner

For a silky feel and extra warmth.

The Sea to Summit silk liner wicks moisture, doesn’t retain smells, packs down to the size of an apple, and even weighs less than one. It makes scratchy motel and hostel linens a lot more bearable.

A silk sleeping bag liner is a great way to insulate yourself from scratchy, cheap, poorly maintained linens you might find at a hostel or motel. On top of the obvious bling appeal of sleeping in silk, it’s the best performing material, too: absorbent yet quick-drying.  This makes silk superior to cotton, which becomes uncomfortable as soon as it gets moist, and synthetics, which retain smells more readily. Silk is also super strong, and its light weight means manufacturers can give you full body coverage in a compact package.

Our favorite is the  Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner , which is available in a variety of sizes, including regular, long, and even double for sharing. Whichever you pick, it will pack down to about the size and weight of a medium-sized apple. You won’t need it everywhere you sleep, but you’ll be glad you have it the next time you run into a set of scratchy sandpaper sheets at a cut-rate boarding house. (We have also used this for sleeping on long plane flights with great success.) Cocoon and Rab are the only other options when it comes to 100 percent silk liners available online and backed by a real company with a warranty, but those come in only one size. (Western Mountaineering makes silk liners as well, but they’re mainly available through independent retailers.)

Few things are better than landing at an airport, turning on your phone, and having it just work. No hassles, no stress, no worries about brutal roaming fees. You can check in with loved ones, scope out the route to your lodgings, and maybe post an Instagram story or two—because your phone works just like it does at home. This is especially freeing, and it makes travel so much easier. (Of course, phones aren’t the only useful tech to bring: Check out our accessories reviews for guides to the best cables ( USB-C , Lightning , and Micro-USB ), Wi-Fi hotspots , Bluetooth speakers , and more.)

Unlocked mobile phone

One of the most useful gadgets for international travel is an unlocked smartphone that’s compatible with cheap, prepaid phone plans you can sign up for at your destination. Unless your carrier offers plans including high-speed data that you can access internationally (i.e., you’re with T-Mobile or Google Fi), traveling with a phone under contract with a major carrier means paying an arm and a leg for data. Being able to access data-guzzling apps like Google Maps or Google Translate on the fly is worth the hassle to unlock a phone. Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp are free, easy ways to communicate with people you meet on your trip and people from home. Plus there’s checking email, TripAdvisor, banking, social media, and so on.

An “unlocked” phone means you can buy prepaid SIM cards in the country you’re visiting, letting you access their local network for significantly less money than the roaming fees incurred by your home carrier. With a prepaid SIM, your phone effectively becomes a new phone with a new (now local) phone number. Instead of seeing “Verizon,” “AT&T,” or “Sprint” at the top of your phone, you might see “Vodafone,” “Yes Optus,” “M1,” or whatever provider you choose in the country you’re visiting. The first thing to check is if your phone will work where you’re going. If you’re unsure if your phone will work where you’re going, check the Wikipedia page for your phone or contact your provider.

Your phone will also require a removable SIM (which most newer phones have). Most countries require a passport or other ID to buy a prepaid SIM without a contract, but switching the SIMs is easy. Most stores will do it for you while you’re there. Depending on the country/provider, this could take as long as 10 minutes but is often faster. The next question is easily the most complicated: Can you unlock your phone? Each carrier has different rules and criteria. Generally, if you have a brand new, expensive phone, they may not let you unlock it (there’s usually a waiting period after the purchase date). But if it’s a little older, or if you’ve paid it off, they probably will. The thing to remember is that a provider can deny an unlock request without giving a reason. You might be lucky, though; certain phones on certain providers are unlocked by default. Here are Verizon and AT&T’s pages on unlocking. Alternately, you can buy a pre-unlocked phone just for travel. Amazon and Best Buy, for example, sell unlocked phones. This is also a good option if you think you might lose your expensive phone and a cheaper one will suffice while you travel.

Plug adapter

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter

Best universal travel adapter.

With four plugs that will work in most countries, plus faster-charging USB ports (and more of them) than its competitors, this adapter is the best all-around choice.

You save $4 (17%)

In a sea of almost-identical travel adapters, the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter stands out, combining the best of the features we look for. It contains the three most common international plugs and a US-style plug, which should cover you in the majority of countries around the world. It has the most USB ports—four of the standard USB-A and one USB-C—of any universal adapter we tested, and it charged more of our devices faster. A replaceable fuse and an included spare should take the brunt of any accidental, unfortunate, or shockingly bad connections. The Epicka is fairly compact and well built, and it even comes with an extra USB cable and a nylon case.

However, no universal travel adapter is truly universal, and they’re all a lot bulkier and more expensive than simple plug adapters. If you want the smallest adapter possible, or if you’re going someplace where a universal adapter won’t work (more on that in a minute), a plug adapter could be what you need.

Ceptics International Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter 5 Piece Set

The best plug adapter.

Individually, these tiny plug adapters are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than any universal travel adapter. To juice up multiple devices, though, you’d need a separate multiport charger too.

The tiny plug adapters from Ceptics are barely larger than the prongs they convert. Small, simple, and cheap, they’re perfect for someone who wants to carry only the adapter they’ll need and who already has a multiport USB wall charger they like. Like our universal adapter picks, this set contains the three most common international plugs and the US plug. However, it also includes a somewhat rarer plug used in some European countries that has two thick, cylindrical prongs. This means that the Ceptics set will likely cover you in even more places—as long as you pack the appropriate plug adapter. These charts should help you find the shape you need before you order.

However, getting your gear to work in different countries isn’t quite as simple as it should be, and there’s no single solution that’s guaranteed to work for everyone. Our picks should work for you, but you may have some random piece of equipment, or be traveling to some country, for which our “good for most” picks just won’t work. (Case in point: One Wirecutter editor visited Iceland a few years back. The house she stayed in had outlets unlike anything on those charts, and the plug adapters she had used elsewhere in Reykjavik didn’t fit at all. It turns out the mystery sockets belonged to an obscure Italian system from the 1960s that was popular in Iceland for a time. Luckily, the hosts had power strips in the house that her adapters fit into.) The world is a big place, and when it comes to electricity and wall outlets, there’s a lot of variation. That’s important to keep in mind.

Whether two-prong or three-prong, an adapter just changes the shape of your plug, not anything about the electricity coming through the wires. However, this usually isn’t a problem because almost every power brick that comes with modern electronic gear is capable of accepting both the 110-volt standard used in the US and the 240-volt commonly used abroad. If your device has a power block on the cord, it likely says something like  “100-240 V ~ 50/60 Hz”—that’s the all-clear to use it without a voltage converter so long as the range covers the voltage of the country you’re visiting . This includes the vast majority of modern laptop and USB chargers. Products without some sort of power block at the end or with a non-detachable cord—in particular, things with heating elements like hair dryers and curling irons—are more likely to need a voltage converter. Putting 220 V through a US 110 V device would be like attaching a firehose to a drinking fountain—you’re likely to blow your face off. But voltage converters are tricky devices, and most of the inexpensive ones have awful (or dishonest) reviews. Since hotels and hostels will often have hair dryers and most newer gear can do the full range of voltages, we strongly recommend that, whenever possible, you only bring items that work with a much simpler (and more reliable) adapter.

Wire/gadget organization system

Now that every device has a battery, every battery has a charger, and every charger has a cable—never mind power-plug adapters if you’re traveling abroad—the sheer quantity of accessories needed just to keep your gadgets running can take up more space than the devices themselves. And unless you organize them, you can bet on having to blindly fish them out of the least convenient spot at the bottom of your bag. Unfortunately, our pick for carrying tech necessities, the Incase Nylon Accessory Organizer, has been out of stock for a few years. It will, however, be coming back in 2024, according to Incase.

The Incase cable organizer is a poly-nylon blend, so it’s durable. It is a soft-shell bag, however, so its contents can distort the bag’s shape when it’s full. But the bag’s edges remain rigid—so the seams don’t pucker—its contents don’t fall out, and zipping and unzipping the bag is still easy. We have other picks in our full guide to bag and cable organizers , including a customizable mesh-pouch setup and a stylish duo of cosmetics travel pouches ; we’ll also start testing other options to replace this one.

USB battery packs

A USB battery pack (also called a power bank) can keep your small electronics—from phones and cameras to tablets and more—going while you’re on the road. Although the length of your trip will determine exactly how much extra juice you’ll need to have on hand, whatever your requirements, we have a great USB battery recommendation for you. The Zendure SuperMini 20W is about as small and lightweight as a power bank can possibly be while still offering enough capacity to juice up most smartphones up to three times. Its USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port can charge most handheld devices (and recharge the power bank itself) at top speed with the included USB-C cable and a compatible wall charger (the one that came with your phone will work). The USB-A port can handle any older, non-USB-C devices you might have kicking around, too. The SuperMini’s rounded edges make it easy to hold and slip into a pocket.

If you’re traveling for leisure, try not to get too wrapped up in technology because you might miss what you’re actually there to do: experience a new place. OneBag’s Doug Dyment said in an interview, “Wearing headphones and staring at a screen is like putting a digital wall around yourself when you’re traveling. It makes you seem unapproachable and uninterested in what’s around you.” That may be a good thing if you do truly want to be left alone, but Dyment went on to say that some of his most memorable traveling experiences were the result of just looking lost and getting help from the locals. “One minute, you’re a lost foreigner in an unfamiliar village, then someone asks if you need directions. Before you know it, you’re eating dinner with his family.”

Travel binoculars

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The overall best binoculars.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars have performance comparable with that of many models that cost thousands more.

Our top pick for binoculars is durable and great for near-home hikes. In hot or dusty environments that may call for a clearer optical boost, the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8×42 binoculars deliver top quality. Its focus dial offers a wide range of depths that makes it easier to see whatever it is you desire—birds, grass or darkened areas of the forest. Our recommendation comes with the assistance of a professional ornithologist who spent over 100 hours putting 17 pairs of binoculars to the test in the mountains of Southern California and the rain forests of southern Mexico.

Although the Celestron TrailSeeker ED binoculars don’t offer a clear edge-to-edge view to the same degree of the Athlon Optics Midas EDs , they’re a comparable runner-up model that’ll be lighter on your wallet if having binoculars while traveling is a must. The TrailSeekers are equipped with great light-gathering qualities, close focus, and impressive optical resolution.

Ebook reader

Amazon Kindle (2022)

The best e-reader for most people.

Amazon’s most affordable Kindle is also its most portable, and it’s finally been upgraded with sharper text on its 6-inch screen and support for USB-C charging. Those features bring it in line with much-pricier e-readers.

The entry-level Amazon Kindle finally got an upgrade, with the same crisp display and USB-C charging as the pricier Kindle Paperwhite has (and with double the storage space of the previous entry-level model). If you have $20 more to spend, the Amazon Kindle Kids is worth it even if you’re not a parent; it comes with a case, one year of Amazon Kids+, a two-year warranty (compared with the standard version’s one year of coverage), and no ads. Getting rid of ads on the base model costs $20 alone. Amazon’s well-stocked ebooks store remains its biggest selling point, along with the ease of checking out library books via Libby and sending them directly to a Kindle.

Even if you don’t have time for pleasure reading on your trip, it’s worth investing in a Kindle because many major travel guides are available in fully searchable ebook formats now. Furthermore, e-texts will also work on your phone, tablet, and computer, thanks to the Kindle ecosystem.

Travel water bottle

CamelBak Podium 21oz Bike Bottle

A lightweight squeezie.

This squeeze bottle is leakproof, light enough to throw into a carry-on for a flight, and cheap enough that if the TSA forces you to ditch it, the loss won’t break your heart.

If you’re tired of paying for a liter of water every time you take a plane trip, try a lightweight water bottle that you can stuff into your bag and then refill once you get past airport security. For years, we looked for a reliable collapsible travel bottle, but we were disappointed so many times: The HydraPak flopped, the Hydaway tasted plasticky, the Vapur and the Platypus collapsed (in a bad way), and the Nomader didn’t pack down very small. And in our experience, the implied way to carry a full one correctly—clipped to a backpack or belt loop—left them swinging around haphazardly. We’ve recommended all of these bottles in the past, but we’ve always been left wishing there was a better way.

Basic, light, and cheap, a squeeze bottle made for cycling is now our sincere recommendation for airport travel, and we like the CamelBak Podium in particular. It has a twist lock that provides extra assurance that it’s closed tight when you toss it in a bag—plus, it’s dishwasher safe. In addition to its being light and relatively compact, if the TSA takes it, you’ve lost only a few dollars instead of your investment in an expensive insulated bottle. The lid on this bottle is not covered, though, so if you dislike the idea of this bottle swimming around in a bag with the drinking surface exposed, you may prefer another of our water bottle picks, the Thermos Hydration Bottle , although some of our testers didn’t like having to fuss with the lid or flip lock on the Thermos.

Packable daypack

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that fits in your palm.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your luggage or coat pocket, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, we think you’ll prefer one of our more-structured picks.

Packing a stowable daypack, one that stuffs down to fit in your luggage when not in use, is a relatively small investment of space in exchange for a high return of function and flexibility. After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack we recommend. Packed up, it is very discreet: nearly the size of a keychain accessory. The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, which means it’s very light and water-resistant. It has reinforced stitching at stress points, allowing the Ultra-Sil to carry more weight than you would expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially when compared with our more structured picks.

If comfort or waterproofing is important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Field Notes 3-Pack Original Kraft Memo Books

For ultimate portability.

Field Notes are cheap but contain high-quality paper that earns praise from pen and stationery geeks across the web.

For writing your adventures as you travel, you can’t beat the portability, practicality, and romanticism of a pocket notebook. There’s nothing better in that category than Field Notes (three-packs available in a variety of styles and types ). These pocket-sized notebooks are widely praised for their excellent paper quality, and the Pen Addict’s Brad Dowdy tells me “Field Notes is pretty much the runaway pocket notebook champ.” Dowdy has praised it for the lack of feathering or bleedthrough with almost any pen, as well as for the light brown ruled lines, which are easier to write over than solid black. Austin Smith of Art Supply Critic told us in an email that his recommendation is “Field Notes has it, no question.” The Well-Appointed Desk has reviewed a slew of different Field Notes variants for those looking for something a bit more interesting.

Field Notes Expedition

A weather-resistant option.

Weather-resistant Expedition Field Notes are great if you’re writing in wet conditions, but don’t get them if you don’t need them. The synthetic paper feels weird and can cause some inks to smear.

If you think you’re going to be writing in foul weather, Field Notes also has the waterproof Expedition version with pages made from a synthetic water-and-tear resistant paper. You should only get these if you really need them, because otherwise, they just feel unnaturally slick and are more prone to smearing ink. At least one user has said that the paper shows less soaking through when wet than the similar Rite in the Rain books . The one caveat is that the synthetic paper will only work with pencils and certain inks ; thankfully, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT , our pick for best pen , definitely makes the grade.

Things can go wrong while you’re traveling, both where you are and where you’re not. Though you can’t prepare for every worst-case scenario, the peace of mind that a little bit of preparation grants will allow you to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of having to worry about what could go wrong. But preparation doesn’t simply mean buying more stuff just in case; it also means making efficient use of what you already have.

Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit

For the best combination of sewing tools.

The Merchant & Mills Rapid Repair Kit is the only travel kit we found that had objectively high-quality thread and scissors.

There’s nothing quite like a wardrobe malfunction to put a damper on vacation, especially when traveling with limited clothing. A good travel-size sewing kit allows you to mend a popped button or ripped seam on the fly—or even tackle more pressing issues like fixing a tent, sleeping bag, or backpack. After 15 hours of research, interviews with sewing teachers and avid home sewers, and tests of six travel and full-size kits, we found the Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit had by far the best tools and was the easiest to keep organized. Standard travel sewing kits usually contain mediocre thread and plastic-handled scissors that break easily. They can also be hard to keep organized (a truth we confirmed when testing six top-rated travel and full-sized kits). The Merchant & Mills set was the only one that had high-quality thread, all-metal mini scissors (don’t worry, the TSA shouldn’t stop you ), and a durable tin case (about the size of a deck of cards) to keep everything well organized.

Because the sewing pins are neatly stuck into paper inside a slim envelope and the three needles are housed in a mini glass vial, this kit also limits the risk of losing a sharp object in your bags. We found the Merchant & Mills needles easier to thread than others (no need for a fussy needle threader!) and we also like the vintage-looking safety pins that come clipped together along with two small white buttons. Although this kit only comes with black and white thread, the thread is strong and there’s more of it than you’d get in a flimsier set with shorter strands of multiple colors. We do think it would be nice if the kit included a more durable measuring tape than the paper one included, but overall everything about this kit is leagues ahead of anything else we considered. We didn’t find editorial reviews for any of the kits we tested, but the Merchant & Mills rapid repair kit was recommended by several sewing bloggers and is sold in many reputable indie fabric shops.

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella

The best umbrella for most people.

This is a solidly built, easy-to-find umbrella that holds up in high winds. It also comes in a variety of colors.

price may vary by color or style

An umbrella you take traveling should be small, light, sturdy, and affordable. After putting in 66 hours of research and evaluating a total of 48 umbrellas across five rounds of testing (including one thunder-snowstorm), we found that the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella is the best umbrella for most people. Its durable, nine-rib construction held up admirably against gale-force winds, and it’s as sturdy as umbrellas that sell for more than twice as much.

The Repel folds up to an 11½-inch long, 14-ounce package that fits easily into most bags and glove boxes. And it forcefully expands at a touch of a button to reveal an ample 37-inch-diameter canopy that protects your head and torso from precipitation in all but the windiest of conditions. Its lengthy, textured handle is easy to grip for hands of all sizes. We also appreciate that the Repel comes in a wide variety of colors, so it’s easier to pick yours out of a crowded umbrella bucket. Finally, despite its affordable price, it’s backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee, but only if you purchase directly from Repel and register the item under the company’s warranty.

Packing method for clothes

While packing cubes and other organization tools are helpful for maximizing your bag’s usable space, efficient packing is also achievable without the aid of tools and compartments. One Bag’s Doug Dyment tried all manners of folding aids and compression products but was unsatisfied with their claims of compression and wrinkle prevention. Frustrated, he developed his own method of packing clothes compactly called the Bundle Method, which he’s used and perfected over several decades of traveling.

The Bundle Method involves layering your shirts and pants at opposing angles on a flat surface, then wrapping them around a small “core” parcel (e.g. a packing cube full of underwear and socks). We won’t get into details, but Dyment does on his website ; you can watch this easy-to-follow video from NBC . The resulting bundle is compact and has no sharp creases that will require ironing out later on. Additionally, Dyment explains that “the slight tension created in the fabric by the wrapping process, along with the anchoring of the resulting bundle, greatly reduces the chances of wrinkling.” You then put it in your bag and use the tie-down straps to provide just enough pressure to keep it together.

While simple to perform, this packing method isn’t something you can master in one go. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike. The downside is that you can’t just leave your clothing packed and expect to be able to access your underwear without fully unpacking your clothes first. But unpacking is a good habit to get into anyway, as it allows your clothes to breathe and avoid wrinkles or mildew. Wirecutter founder and frequent traveler Brian Lam says that unpacking the moment he enters a room has a grounding effect that allows him to feel a bit more at home in a new environment.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle for you, you can do what we did before we found out about bundling: roll up your socks and underwear tightly and place them in packing cubes, then put your wrinkle-prone items (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets) in a garment folder—we used the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Garment Folder . This is also travel guru Rob King’s preferred method of packing. Though the garment folder is not quite as space-efficient as the bundle method due to the added bulk of the folder and folding board, the plastic backboard does go a long way towards preventing wrinkles. Just be aware that if you leave your clothes in there for longer than a day, they’ll begin to develop unsightly creases that require an iron to get rid of.

A big thank-you to the Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, Oregon, for lending us a suite to use for the photos in this guide.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guide

Wirecutter Staff

Mentioned above

• There’s more to a great in-flight personal item than being small enough to stuff under a plane seat. Here’s how to choose the right one for your travel needs. The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags  
• The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is our backpack pick for most travelers. We also have picks for other travelers, including those who want to carry a bit more. The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks  
• After 10 years of airport dashes and overhead-compartment stashes, the Travelpro Platinum Elite is still the suitcase we want to carry. The Best Carry-On Luggage  
• For trips ranging from a week to multiple months, the Osprey Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 carried everything we needed comfortably. The Best Travel Backpack  
• After researching 30 models, we found that Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who check bags. The Best Suitcases for Checking  
• We chose five luggage tags that will help you identify your belongings in a sea of similar suitcases. The Best Luggage Tags  

Further reading

How to Sleep Well (or at Least Better) While Traveling

by Christine Ryan

Our sleep and travel editors recommend gear for coping with travel-induced insomnia, vetted through hours of testing and years of personal experience.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Haley Perry

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

The Best Travel Pillow

by Sabrina Imbler

After testing eight travel pillows on four red-eye flights in window, aisle, and middle seats, we think the Travelrest Ultimate is the best for most travelers.

57 Brilliant Travel Accessories Every Traveller Must Have [2024 Edition]

Travel smarter and safer in 2024 with 57 of the best brilliant travel accessories and travel gadgets. From the best adapters, earplugs, space-savers, travel safety to portable chargers.

1. this ergonomic travel pillow.

The smart design of this washable pillow prevents your head from falling forwards as you sleep. Suitable for adults and children and perfect to use on airplanes, buses, trains, cars, camping, while backpacking, wheelchairs, airport terminals, or even while watching TV.

Buy it here

2. Pack more with these awesome space bags ! I have 20 of them!

Saving space in your suitcase is no longer a challenge with these amazing space bags that push out the air when rolled up. You effectively gain up to 50% more space in your baggage. I use the larger ones at home and the smaller ones for travel. They make for great organisers too!

Buy them here

3. Keep your dirty clothes separate with this handing laundry bag

Keep your dirty clothes organized and separate. This handy GOMATIC hanging laundry bag has a strap to attach it to a doorknob. Once your laundry bag is full, you can easily pack it and have it ready to empty straight into your washing machine when you get home. Buy it here.

4. Get this cute secret pocket infinity scarf

5. This Travel-sized Wireless Router with USB Media Storage

Convert any wired network to a wireless network and stay connected! Not only that you can also stream your videos, photos, and music to your connected media devices. If that wasn’t enough, back up and free up space on your mobile devices by using an attached USB flash drive or hard disk.

6. This Travel Door Alarm

Travelling alone or just wanted added peace of mind in your accommodation? Attach this pocket-sized alarm to your door or window and be alerted the second there is an intruder. There’s also a built-in LED flashlight so there’s no fumbling in the dark.

7. This Multi-Bag Stacker

No more bag juggling or pushing multiple trolleys/carts, just attached this nifty strap that connects suitcases and bags together through their handles.

8. These Amazing Space-Saving Laundry Soap Sheets

Add water and the sheet will dissolve instantly. They also come in shaving, body wash and hand soap versions.

9. Protect your phone from water, drops and scratches with this Lifeproof Case

10. this digital luggage scale.

You’ll never be surprised with having to pay for excess weight at the airport again. This compact and lightweight luggage scale can weigh up to 110 lb / 50 kg luggage. No batteries required.

11. No more breaks and leak with this inflatable bottle bag

This versatile roll-up travel bag suspends items in an inflatable air cushion to protect your bottles such as wine and olive oil. No more nasty surprises and messy spills when you open your suitcase.

12. Boost Circulation with these highly-rated compressions socks

13. Keep your Laptop and Other Items safe with a Portable Safe

14. This Vintage Laptop and Travel Backpack that Charges your Gadgets

15. The Only Travel Adapter You’ll Ever Need PLUS Dual USB Ports (Covers 150 Countries)

16. This inspirational luggage tag with card slot

17. Always Be Ready with a Pocket, Picnic and Beach Blanket

18. For Those Who Love a Mini Electric Toothbrush

19. Keep Your Drinks Hot on Long Haul Flights with this Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug (Different Colours Available)

20. Get This Gorgeous Multi-Use Travel, Hiking, Camping Bag Rucksack

21. This Smartest Carry-on suitcase Built-in USB Charger

22. Keep your toiletries organized with this waterproof organizer

23. Stay clean with these laundry sachets 

24. This personalised passport holder and protector  

25. Charge multiple accessories super fast with this portable compact charger

26. Get some shuteye with this contoured sleep mask

27. Avoid the knots and get this nifty cable organizer

28. Sleep anywhere with the ultimate ergonomic neck supporter

29. Pack like a boss with these space-saving packing cubes with shoe bag

Keep your gear organised with these travel cubes in assorted sizes. Buy it here

30. Keep your stuff safe with this TSA approved luggage lock

31. Keep your jewellery organized with this compact jewellery box

32. Never buy cabin luggage again with this durable and lightweight case

33. Stay hydrated with this collapsible water bottle

34. Breathe easy with this USB or battery operated mini humidifier

35. Take your music with you with this wireless and waterproof Bluetooth speaker

36. Get safe drinking water wherever you go with the LifeStraw water filter

37. Get 18 in 1 multi-purpose credit card size pocket tool

38. These cabin-approved leak-proof travel bottles for makeup and cosmetics

39. Stay charged on the go with this mini power bank

40. Take your phone underwater with a universal waterproof case

41. Protect your camera with this anti-theft shoulder strap by PacSafe

This camera strap is essential for supporting heavy cameras like DSLRs and even popular travel cameras such as Mirrorless ones.

Buy it here $26.87

42. Take this lightweight tripod anywhere and wirelessly take pictures and video

43. Protect your gear with this anti-theft shockproof backpack that’s ScanSmart TSA friendly and water resistant

44. Charge your phone and tablet with this USB solar charger

45. Keep your phone clean with this sanitizer and universal phone charger

46. Put your feel up with this compact foot hammock

47. hang up your washing with this travel clothes line.

No more hanging your delicates over hotel room chairs. This pegless washing line stretches up to 2.5metre and can be to affixed to either a  wall or furniture with its metal hooks or suction cups.

48. Get this beautiful waterproof travel and passport wallet

49. This Convenient Water Bottle with Built-in Pill Organizer

Great way to take your medication while on the go! This water bottle can store your medication for each day of the week. The medication holder can also be detached. Holding 23 oz. or 600ml, the bottle cap also doubles as a cup. Ingenious!

50. Keep all your documents in once place with this travel wallet

51. Alert others when in trouble with this safety whistle

52. Stay entertained with movies, TV shows, songs, Kindle e-books, apps and games on Kindle Fire

Buy on Amazon for $79.99

53. Wash your clothes wherever you are with this machine quality wash bag

Buy on Amazon for $42.44

54. This Clever Tank Top  with Secret Pockets

Keep your  passport, cash and credit cards safe with this versatile tank top. Perfect for both warm and cool climates. It can even fit your cell phones and keys.

Buy on Amazon

55. This Anti-Crease Shirt Transporter

Save time on ironing! This Tupperware for shirts and blouses is called the Shirt Shuttler, perfect for those trips when you know you’ll be spending a night out on the town or in a boardroom, or both!

Buy on Amazon for $24.99

56. This Optical Camera Lens for Smartphones and Tablets

57. The only worldwide travel charger and power adapter you’ll ever need  (UK/US/AU/EU/JP) + Dual USB Ports

Buy on Amazon for $25.99

Want more? Check out these 43 Amazing Money-Saving Tips for Smart Travellers

Stay tuned! I’m constantly updating this page as I discover the latest and greatest travel accessories. If you’re going backpacking or long-term travelling, check out my ultimate travel packing list . Got a favourite travel accessory? Share it below! 🙂

Want more travel tips? Don’t miss these

• How to Travel Cheap: Ultimate Guide to 108 Travel Resources
• 43 Amazing Money-Saving Travel Tips and Hacks
• Travel Insurance for Italy (What You NEED to Know Before You Go)
• 10 Simple Long Haul Flight Tips for Arriving Rested and Relaxed
• 23 Top Travel Essentials: Ultimate Travel Packing List for Backpackers
• What Pack for Winter in Norway: 17 Must-Have Packing Items
• 10 Travel Hacks That’ll Make Your First Solo Trip A Total Breeze
• 20 Clever Ways to Staying Fit While Travelling You Should Try

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Over to you!

What other travel accessories do you recommend? Have you used any of these? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

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Howdy Michele, I love to travel. I’ve read so many posts about travel gadgets, but you are the best one. Your article was beneficial in finding the necessary devices. I personally like an anti-theft shockproof backpack, which is ScanSmart TSA friendly and water-resistant. It is useful for everyone.

Thank you so much, Kim 🙂

Hello, I have gone through your guide and seems to be interesting though I have one more concern on the WiFi devices. Can you recommend me on the best Pocket Device that will work well on anywhere I travel. I have using AllDayWifi but its very slow on their international data plan. I have been considering RentnConnect though I know very little about it

Hi Collins, have you considered this Skyroam device ? It one of the leaders in the market and very compact.

What about this Trackimo 3G Travel Tracker device this has Light Exposure Sensor – detect/alerts when package or luggage is opened. I am currently using this tracker and i found this very useful to me every time i go travel around the world 🙂

Excellent addition Helen, thank you 🙂

A tracking device would be a great addition to this list.

Amazing! This makes traveling easier.

Definitely brilliant ideas worth sharing

This IS such a cool list! I thought I had everything, but then I found out the door travel alarm (never would’ve thought of it)!. And I wonder how good the neck support (#33) is because there were PLENTY of times I could have used something like that on my trips.

Hey Trang, the door alarm is such a great idea especially for those times when you just don’t feel safe 🙂 Is there anything you’d add to the list?

I just carry a small rubber door stop wedge.

WOW! This is one extensive list of all things travel and certainly one that I will be using to give hints to my friends and family round the holiday season. The new ScanSmart backpack along with the waterproof phone case and solar charger are on top of my list. However my top two purchases are going to be the smart suitcase and the backpack which are absolutely brilliant. Thanks for such a cool list.

Hi Michele, There are all great ideas. I have one more suggestion for you. Smart Blanket! I used it when flying to Zurich to see my son and his family. The plane was freezing, and there were no blankets to be had. I was the only one that was warm and cozy for the whole 8 hours. I love mine. Got it on Amazon http://amzn.to/2hTYlOP I paid $49.00 for mine. Think they are having a sale on them now. Hope you like my suggestion.

The door alarm and aeroplane pillow are a great idea to stay comfy and safe! I always take an extension lead when I travel; so that I have more plug sockets in a hotel room, and it also means you don’t need as many adapters when you travel. You also can’t go wrong with baby wipes and small-ish plastic bags in case a seat is wet, a bottle is leaking or you’ve got a mark on your clothes! ✈️?

All brilliant ideas Emily 🙂 Thanks for sharing. I love the baby wipes idea!

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Home » Gear » The BEST Travel Workout Equipment – Travel Fitness Gear (2024)

The BEST Travel Workout Equipment – Travel Fitness Gear (2024)

Traveling the world helps you develop in a lot of different ways. It gives you a greater perspective, opens you up to new experiences, and might even expose you to a new way to enjoy fried chicken. One thing it’s not so good at, though, is building up your fitness.

There are endless challenges in the way of staying fit on the road. You might have a dedicated exercise space, gym membership, or weekend pick-up basketball routine at home, but there is no way to find that if you’re hitting up a new town every week. You’re lucky enough if you find a hostel with a yoga space.

Plus, half the point of traveling is all the new flavors you come across. You’ve got to eat and drink your way through every new place to get a taste of it. And any half-decent street food tastes better when washed down with a few local beers.

It can add up to a disaster. Traveling for six months can wreck years of progress in the gym, and the threat of your workout regimen being taken away can hold some people back from hitting the road.

So, we’re here today to quell those fears and get you on your way with the tools you need to stay in shape while still enjoying your trip. But first, a DISCLAIMER.

Until someone finally invents a gym membership subscription that works Airbnb style or figures out a way to make 20 lb dumbbells weigh nothing at one moment and turn on the next, the truth is that you’re travel workout routine will never look like your at-home system.

And that’s okay. The whole point of flying to Namibia is that everything is different than the inside of your apartment, anyway. That shouldn’t stop you from traveling, nor should it stop you from caring about your fitness.

Because there are ways to get great workouts on the road, and there are plenty of nearly weightless travel workout equipment that will help you reach your FITNESS GOALS. So, get warmed up and meet me on the mat!

Fit Simplify Loop Resistance Bands

• Price ($) > 12
• Packed dimensions (in.) > 6 x 3
• Packed weight (lbs) > .1

Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Mat

Running Shoes

• Price ($) > Variable
• Packed dimensions (in.) > Variable
• Packed weight (lbs) > Variable

Trideer Stretching Strap

• Price ($) > 11
• Packed dimensions (in.) > 75 x 1
• Packed weight (lbs) > .37

TRX Fitness App

• Price ($) > 5.99 per month
• Packed dimensions (in.) > NA
• Packed weight (lbs) > NA

TRX Weighted Jump Rope

• Price ($) > 19.99

Bala Bangles One Pound Weights

• Packed weight (lbs) > 2

TRX Go Suspension Trainer

• Price ($) > 199
• Packed dimensions (in.) > 53 x 2

Lululemon Workout Sliders

• Price ($) > 28
• Packed diameter (in.) > 7

Redify Adjustable Jump Rope

• Price ($) > 13

Gaaim Travel Folding Yoga Mat

• Price ($) > 21
• Packed dimensions (in.) > 68 x 24
• Packed weight (lbs) > 1.8

Travel Workout Equipment is Only The Start

Best travel fitness gear tried and tested, final thoughts on the best travel workout equipment.

While having travel fitness gear is essential, it’s only the first step. I’ve logged many trips with a jump rope in my bag; it doesn’t mean I’ve ever used it. It’s equally important to cultivate a mindset and make time for fitness. The details of that mindset are different for everyone. But generally, you should plug into the same motivation you have at home. 

If you like to rise and grind and hit the gym for a few hours before work at home, make it a part of your routine. Get your sweat on before hitting up the continental breakfast. If you’ve never gotten up early to work at home, don’t expect that you’ll magically get into it while you’re on vacation. Stick to what already works for you and do it in a different country. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t try anything new when working out while traveling . I’ve found a great way to keep up with my fitness away from my gym membership is to build my trips around exercise . When I’m in Sicily for a month, the only fitness I’m into is fitting this whole pizza into my mouth. So I try to make sure my trips include time near the beach, ski mountains, or bike routes where I know I’ll be super keen to get moving. 

Another great way to get into the travel workout mindset is to find a way to get moving and meet new people .

If you’re staying in a hostel full of stoked surfers, you’ll be more interested in getting into the water and giving it a shot than if you’re staying in an Airbnb by yourself. This brings me to the last and most important part of getting into the travel workout mindset: accommodation . 

Your accommodation will make or break your travel fitness goals. For example, if yoga is part of your daily routine at home and you go book a cramped dorm room in the tiniest, cheapest hostel in town, you’re going to have a bad time. 

It is absolutely worth it to splurge and book a place that provides the space and privacy you need to work out. Whether that means bike rental, a yoga shala, a fitness center, or a rock climbing wall, it’s the easiest way to set yourself up for success.  

When we discovered fitness resorts and wellness programs, it completely changed the game. We have curated this list of the best fitness retreats in the WORLD , to help you embrace a healthier travel experience.

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Now that we better understand the mindset, let’s get to the good stuff: travel gear .

Life as a broke backpack doesn’t include many Instagram-worthy sunsets and fancy hotels with pools and exercise rooms with power plates. And still, with a bit of grit and the right equipment, you can have your beer with no fear.  

The fitness gear we’ll look at below all weighs less than 5 pounds and all provide a better workout than relying on pushups and sit-ups to get through your vacation.

This equipment has accompanied our team across the globe, and we’ve made room for these essential pieces of gym equipment in some absolutely tiny backpacking packing lists . 

1. Fit Simplify Loop Resistance Bands

• Price ($) – 12
• Packed dimensions (in.) – 6 x 3
• Packed weight (lbs) – .1

Resistance bands are a versatile fitness equipment, especially when you’re packing light . They’re proof that no matter how minimalist you pack, there’s always space to bring your workout with you.

These light bands weigh less than a pair of underwear and bring a world of potential to anywhere on Earth where you can lay down a mat.

Resistance bands can help you stretch deeper and use your body weight against you, turning a simple Pilates routine into a sweat-inducing, challenging workout. While these won’t rip up your muscles like a set of dumbbells, the functional equipment has done wonders for my mobility, and resistance bands flys still leave me sore in the morning. 

There are thousands of hours of free workout content available on YouTube to show you how to make the most out of resistance bands.

If you’re heading outside the reach of the internet, spend a few weeks before your trip studying the basics and mapping out your routine, and you can keep your workouts going without missing a beat. You can always stay connected and on top of your workouts with these great travel Wi-Fi routers .

2. Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Mat

A 6 X 8 space and a yoga mat are all you need to improve your body. The only trouble is, yoga mats can be pretty unwieldy. They don’t fit easily in a suitcase, and many travel mats sacrifice your knees to save a few ounces. This Manduka option is the exception to the rule, offering excellent comfort and still weighing less than two pounds . 

While it is a super-lite mat, there is just no way to make yoga mats smaller. I usually just throw my Manduka mat into the water bottle pocket of my backpack and carry it onto the plane, and no flight attendant has ever batted an eye.

It doesn’t even count as a personal item, and the value of traveling with a yoga mat is well worth a few side eyes while I cram it into an overhead bin. 

Sure, you can always hope that your accommodation is the only hostel in all of South America that stocks fresh, clean yoga mats that don’t smell like other traveler’s sweat. Or you can bring your fortune with you and squeeze in a stretch in the bus terminal while you’re at it. It’ll feel weird, but no one cares.

3. Running Shoes

• Price ($) – Variable
• Packed dimensions (in.) – Variable
• Packed weight (lbs) – Variable

If you want to workout while traveling, a comfortable pair of travel shoes is not up for debate. Unfortunately, it’s common knowledge that the easiest way to pack light is to leave a few pairs of shoes behind. Unless you’re just rolling a suitcase from the airport to a taxi to your hotel and back again, you likely won’t have room for dedicated workout shoes.

Talk to many broke backpackers about travel shoes, and they’ll likely give you some version of this same advice! T he maximum pair of shoes you bring is 3 . Flip flops, shoes you can walk around a city and eat a nice dinner in, and one weather-resistant pair for intense hiking.   

Many hardened travelers will widdle that number down to two, either by skipping the snow hikes altogether, or deciding they don’t give a fuck, and they’re wearing hiking boots to dinner. I like to sneak my running shoes in as my everyday city pair by opting for a fashionable, rugged shoe.

My favorite recommendation for that is the Nike ACG line . This subset of shoes is usually water resistant , comfortable enough to hike in all day, and stylish enough for a night out in Budapest. I wouldn’t run a marathon in these heavier shoes, but they’ll help me sneak in a 5K on the beach. They’re stable enough for HIIT workouts. 

4. Trideer Stretching Strap

• Price ($) – 11
• Packed dimensions (in.) – 75 x 1
• Packed weight (lbs) – .37

Stretching is a vital part of travel workouts. After a few long layovers and some bumpy bus rides, you might be able to get straight back onto the squat rack in your early twenties, but not forever. Sneaking in a stretch while traveling supports quicker adjustment to new time zones and builds strength.

These polyester stretching straps are more durable than the resistance bands we looked at earlier, but at the cost of some stretchability. They won’t work the same for strength-building exercises, but they will offer a more formidable hold . It’s perfect for taking your stretches deeper. 

Loop these straps around your arch and work towards greater hamstring, glute, and quad flexibility from anywhere. These bands won’t make her dance, but they will help you connect to your body in new ways, bridging the gap between your shoulder joints and helping to straighten things out.

5. TRX Fitness App

• Price ($) – 5.99 per month
• Packed dimensions (in.) – NA
• Packed weight (lbs) – NA

You can’t travel with a personal trainer, but you can travel with a personal training plan .

The TRX Fitness App is one of the best fitness apps for travelers . It provides access to the TRX training club, hundreds of hours of videos, and support to get the most out of your TRX. YouTube has some workouts, but they won’t take you nearly as far as these science-backed programs . 

The app features full-length classes from professional trainers and programs that help you build strength over weeks, months, and years. Unfortunately, the app is subscription-based because you can’t own anything these days, but that comes with its own perks. You can sign up when you hit the road and cancel when you’re back within range of LA Fitness.

Each suspension trainer purchase comes with a code for six free months of the app. If you time it right, you can use the app across your entire semester abroad without breaking out your credit card. Remember to download videos before take-off, so you can have on-demand workouts ready no matter where you are.

REI is one of America’s biggest and most-loved outdoor gear retailers.

Now, for just $30, get a lifetime membership that entitles you to 10% OFF on most items, access to their trade-in scheme and discount rentals .

6. TRX Weighted Jump Rope

• Price ($) – 19.99

Don’t let the term ‘weighted’ scare you off from this jump rope as a travel partner. Each handle of the rope only adds 9 ounces of weight. It’s one of the best travel workout equipment that feels like nothing in your pack but starts to add up after a few minutes of jumping. 

Weighted jump ropes, in addition to the obvious benefit of increased resistance, help your jump activate different muscles. With just half a pound in each handle, your arms might surrender to the jump before your legs. Each handle’s extra weight is removable to get your reps in with or without the extra oomph. 

The 10-foot cable can be adjusted to fit from armpit to armpit of any jumper. Partners can travel with one rope and find the perfect size adjustments for two workouts.

And it’s much more than a simple travel workout. I never leave the country without a solid jump rope, which also doubles as my makeshift laundry line or a keen strap for taxi roof racks. 

Renting workout equipment on-site can be a smarter choice sometimes, especially for larger and heavier gear. Let’s help you learn exactly what not to pack in your carry on !

7. Bala Bangles One Pound Weights

• Packed weight (lbs) – 2

Unfortunately, there is no way to pack dumbbells without adding serious weight to your luggage. A pound is a pound, no matter how round.

If you still want to add some extra oomph to your workouts, consider these Bala Bangles. It’s one-pound ankle and wrist weights that help you beef up body workouts without undue strain on luggage limits. 

You can even hook these bangles up to your ankles to put some extra work in on travel days. However, we can’t promise you the TSA isn’t going to have a few questions. The weight bands are pretty straightforward, coming in 1 and 2 lbs weights that hook up around your extremities.

It’s not something you can build a workout plan around, but rather use as support. One pound doesn’t sound like much, and it won’t put a significant strain on your packed weight. But strap these suckers on for a few sets of burpees and forward lunges, and you’ll really start to feel the heat. 

8. TRX Go Suspension Trainer

• Price ($) – 199
• Packed dimensions (in.) – 53 x 2

TRX has revolutionized travel workouts. As long as you can find a sturdy place to set them up, this system helps elevate bodyweight training and allows you to work your entire body anywhere on Earth. From minute back muscles to hip and pelvic stabilizers, there’s a TRX method to reach every muscle group. 

The driving force behind TRX is suspension training , which is the idea that the human body needs to move all over the place.

Many traditional training methods only focus on large muscle groups and heavy weights. They don’t really consider the stabilizing muscles, core strength, and joint strength necessary for truly functional movement. The TRX is here to address all that.

By performing normal, bodyweight exercises like pushups, rows, and shoulder presses lifted off the ground, your body will shimmy and shake before eventually locking into place. It’s a great way to work out, whether you’re traveling or not. But lucky for us, the whole system weighs less than a pound. 

9. Lululemon Workout Sliders

• Price ($) – 28
• Packed diameter (in.) – 7

Who knew that two discs the size and weight of a pair of breast implants could change everything. These sliders help encourage functional movement by getting your core involved in everyday movements. It’s exactly the kind of thing you should take with you on your travels, with maximum effort at minimal packed weight. 

Deploy your sliders on carpet, wood, and linoleum, and move up and down the room without lifting your feet. There are all sorts of easy applications that help you change up a bodyweight workout. Slide instead of stepping back into the lunge position. Amp up your mountain climbers, and add movement to planks to help wake up your shoulders. 

The whole idea of the sliders is to get your body working better together. Instead of throwing your weight around, starting in your legs and arms, sliders force your core to activate each movement and build strength in your strike zone. The tools can look slightly gimmicky until you get on the floor and feel your glutes start to burn. 

10. Redify Adjustable Jump Rope

• Price ($) – 13

Jump ropes rank just under exercise bands in terms of travel-ready workout equipment. At a minimal cost and minimal additional weight, you can get your cardio in, pump up your calves, and improve your balance in 20 minutes or less.

Jump ropes are also incredibly simple workout tools, with plenty of great options well within any broke backpacker’s price range.

This Redify two-pack means you can order one for home and one for the road. You’ll be hopping and bouncing your way to a lower weight at the end of your trip no matter how many extra desserts you treat yourself to. Some exercise gurus say that 10 minutes of jump rope is equivalent to 30 minutes on a treadmill . So if you bounce around for half an hour, it’s like running a marathon!

Jump roping might seem like only a lower-body workout. That’s certainly the primary muscle group worked, bringing great strength and endurance to your ankles, calves, knees, and leg muscles. But you can’t overlook how in-tune every part of your body has to be to hit each jump in stride. This is a great exercise to improve your coordination and get your body in tune .  

11. Gaiam Travel Folding Yoga Mat

• Price ($) – 21
• Packed dimensions (in.) – 68 x 24
• Packed weight (lbs) – 1.8

Yoga mats are such an essential piece of travel equipment that we had to look at two options. A lot of hotels, hostels, and camping sites have extra space to work out, but not a lot of them are easy on your knees. Bringing a yoga mat helps you out with much more than a downward-facing dog. 

While a yoga mat isn’t a workout on its own, it’s quite literally the basis for every complete workout possible.

This Gaiam mat makes it happen by folding up and compacting better than most mats out there. You can easily squeeze this one on top of your carry-on backpack and it unfurls like a map to guide you toward better fitness. 

This mat is so thin that it can slide into the hydration bladder holder in most backpacking backpacks. It’s not like you had big plans for that storage space, anyway. Pack up this folding Gaiam traveler, and you’ll never be too far from a moment of recentering and rebuilding. 

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When you’re scraping together a few coins for a papi pollo, it might feel like you’re a world away from a proper exercise routine. You might not have access to a fancy gym or a spacious hotel room, but you’ve got something better! CREATIVITY and Lululemon workout sliders. 

Whether you’re on a Thai beach, wandering through the alleyways of Marrakech, or chilling in a dodgy hostel, there’s always a way to stay fit. Bodyweight exercises are your best friend – squats, pushups, and burpees don’t cost a dime, and you can do them anywhere.

The best travel workout equipment we’ve looked at is all geared towards enhancing those body workouts. And not because adding on two one-pound weights will magically turn a squat into a superset. We’re not fake gurus trying to sell you a dream.

The real benefit of traveling with workout equipment is to help break the monotony of normal bodyweight exercises . Light, portable, and inexpensive fitness gear is your ticket to maintaining your gains without breaking the bank.

Staying active while traveling on a shoestring budget might not sound glamorous. However, it’s the kind of adventure that leaves you feeling like a warrior. It’s all about embracing the grind, and there’s a certain satisfaction in not giving in to the travel slump. Sure, it’s not always comfortable or convenient, but neither is sleeping on an overnight bus. 

And the best part? Keeping up with your workout routine abroad is like a stealthy act of rebellion. You’re showing that you can live large on a tight budget while still prioritizing your well-being. It’s a big middle finger to the idea that staying fit is all about fancy gyms and pricey protein shakes. It turns a six-month sabbatical into another way of life. 

In the end, travel fitness is about flexing your imagination, not your wallet. So, grab your budget-friendly gear, adapt to your surroundings, and make space for your workout, no matter where you are. 

Now, if you’re gearing up for an awesome trip, check out the Broke Backpacker’s ultimate travel resources . They’ll help you squeeze every drop of fun out of your adventure! Cheers :))

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Aiden Freeborn

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Best Luggage for International Travel to Make Your Trip Abroad Easy and Enjoyable

Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners’ links. This content is created independently from TIME’s editorial staff. Learn more about it.

More Americans are traveling abroad with over “one-in-five Americans planning on vacationing in a foreign country in the near future,” according to Reuters . I myself head to Sweden for a few weeks every summer to visit my in-laws, and packing our suitcases with clothes—both sweaters and bathing suits because Swedish weather can be unpredictable—along with gifts for relatives is a days-long undertaking.

When traveling internationally, most people focus on important stuff like updating passports, understanding customs requirements, making hotel reservations, and planning exciting itineraries, but choosing the right luggage for your long-haul trip ranks up there in ensuring you and yours have a fun and hassle-free trip.

“Choosing the right luggage helps to keep your trip smooth and uncomplicated,” says Ivette Manner s, a travel and bridal writer who goes around the globe for her job several times a year. “I travel often for work and leisure and like to keep things simple. You don’t want to rush through airports, customs, taxis, and public transport being bogged down with a lot of baggage—and you don’t want to make the mistake of leaving anything crucial behind.” she says.

What to consider when choosing luggage for international travel

Situation equals size.

Whether you’re jetting off for a weekend wedding or embarking on a multi-city trip will help you decide which type of suitcase you need: carry-on, mid size, oversized, weekender, and more. Also, how many are in your party? Traveling solo or with family, friends, or loved ones?

Visiting Europe with my family for two or three weeks means we need larger, checked luggage paired with smaller carry-on backpacks and totes for the flights. When traveling for work, Manners takes “one roomy, zip-top tote bag and a medium-size suitcase.” The length of stay, and purpose of travel will help determine the size and type of luggage you need.

Airline compliance

It is zero fun to have to check your carry-on last-minute or pay extra exorbitant fees because you overstuffed your luggage and exceeded weight and size limits. “As soon as you book your flight, check the airline’s baggage allowance and restrictions policy,” cautions Manners, so you can stay within the baggage dimensions. “It’s a good idea to invest in a bag within the baggage dimensions allowed by the airline(s) you frequently travel on, so you’re not surprised at the airport with extra baggage charges,” she adds.

According to TravelPro , while most domestic airlines allow you up to 35 pounds for carry-on baggage for domestic flights and 50 pounds max for checked luggage (though you can pay extra for up to 70 pounds), international travel often caps carry-ons at 18 pounds. The exception being British Airways which allows a whopping 51 pounds for carry-on bags! Kayak says that a carry-on bag should be no longer than 21.5 inches long, though this does vary airline by airline and I have friends who swear they fly everywhere with their 22-inch long carry-on. To be safe, and avoid trouble, always check ahead to know your baggage allowance before your trip!

To stay in compliance—and if you’re someone who tends to overpack (insert raised hand emoji)—Manners recommends getting a luggage scale to keep yourself in check. “Some people also swear by packing cubes,” adds Manners, which some say allows you to pack even more while keeping clothing sorted and wrinkle-free. If you’re new to, but interested in packing cubes, Manners recommends purchasing inexpensive options on Amazon to see if they would work for you before your next big trip.

Luggage should last years and is a worthy investment, but with many high-quality and low-cost options on the market you don’t have to break the bank. Legacy names like Samsonite keep innovation and quality high while still being fairly priced. “Look at a brand’s warranty,” advises Manners, which safeguards against wear, tear, and damages that happen frequently with luggage. For instance, the premium brand, Briggs and Riley , comes with a higher price tag but a lifetime guarantee. I chose bags for this list from around $100 to several hundred dollars to meet all your price points and needs.

Materials and mobility

“People love those fancy aluminum suitcases ,” says Manners. “But while they look super chic, they’re not always practical, not to mention super expensive.” They get banged up and scratched and you have to take them to the brand to get repaired. “But polycarbonate hard shell suitcases can take more wear,” she says. Other things to consider in a suitcase are the materials: are you looking for soft or hardshell? Also, pay attention and test out zippers, locks, roomy interior compartments that can expand, and the durability and quality of wheels.

Our picks for the best luggage for international travel

Best carry-on luggage for international travel: away the carry-on.

The Carry-On in Sorbet Orange

With its signature design, bright colors, and compact design that fits most overhead bins, this popular carry-on luggage from Away checks all the boxes. The hardside carry-on is made from a 100% polycarbonate shell that is durable and lightweight, weighing in at 7.5 pounds. Fans love the interior organization that features zipped mesh compartments, a hanging pocket, and a waterproof laundry bag great for keeping wet—or dirty—clothes separate. The 360 gliding wheels can traverse most terrains, and the sturdy handle has two adjustable heights for ideal comfort. At under $300, it’s a great deal.

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inches
• Weight: 7.5 pounds
• Material: 100% polycarbonate shell
• Capacity: 39.8 liters
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Price on publish: $275

What we like:

• Meets carry-on requirements for most airlines
• Comes with a TSA-approved lock
• Comes with compression straps to fit more in

What we don't Like:

• It’s on the smaller side for carry-ons

The bottom line:

An accessible-priced and well-designed carry-on that fits on most airlines.

Get it here: Away The Carry-On

Best lightweight luggage for international travel: Samsonite Proxis Spinner

Samsonite Proxis Spinner

I own this large Proxis Spinner from Samsonite, and it’s a piece my whole family loves. We can pack so much stuff in and it’s still incredibly lightweight luggage . My husband loves the technical aspects like the resilient outer shell made from a Samsonite-patented material called Roxkin™ (a multi-layered propylene combined to make one single sheet) that is incredibly durable and will bounce back into shape when dented. The easy-to-handle ergonomic aluminum telescoping handle and the dual 360 spinner wheels help us breeze through planes, trains, and automobiles. I like the interior fabric dividers, compression cross straps, and zipper pockets that help to keep all our clothes organized and in place. And my kids like the mod and metallic colors (like honey gold). The light Proxis line includes a carry-on, medium, large, and extra-large.

• Dimensions: 30.7 x 21.5 x 11.4 inches
• Material: Roxkin™ outer shell
• Capacity: 98 liters
• Warranty: Limited 10-year Global Warranty
• Price on publish: $600
• Incredibly lightweight but durable
• Dual rubber wheels for fluid and quiet travel
• On the pricier side for Samsonite

A surprisingly lightweight and durable suitcase with dual wheels that can zip through the airport and beyond.

Get it here: Samsonite Proxis Spinner

Best large luggage for international travel: Briggs & Riley Baseline Extra Large Expandable Spinner

Briggs & Riley Baseline Extra Large Expandable Spinner

My Australian friend turned me on to the premium brand, Briggs & Riley, and this expandable suitcase might have one of the largest capacities of any suitcase on the market. The softside suitcase features a patented CX® expansion release hinge that allows you to expand the bag for up to 34% more packing capability and then compress it back down to its original size when needed.

Everything about this suitcase is quality from its self-repairing zippers, 360 spinning wheels, and genius interior design that features a built-in garment folder to keep clothes wrinkle-free. Plus, all Briggs & Riley bags are backed by their unconditional lifetime guarantee , which doesn’t ask for a proof of purchase or a lengthy explanation.

• Dimensions: 31 x 22 x 13.8-16.8 inches
• Weight: 15.6 pounds
• Material: Ballistic nylon
• Capacity: 141-167 liters
• Warranty: Unconditional lifetime guarantee
• Price on publish: $949
• One suitcase can accommodate multiple travelers
• No-questions-asked lifetime of repairs
• Optional monogram
• You might go over weight limits if you fill it to capacity

A high-quality suitcase that can hold tons with a lifetime guarantee.

Get it here: Briggs & Riley Baseline Extra Large Expandable Spinner

Best medium size luggage for international travel: Away Medium Flex

The Medium Flex in Coast Blue

For those that need more room than a carry-on, but still need something maneuverable, the Away Medium Flex is for you. The newer flex model can expand for an extra 1.75” of space, which can make all the difference when traveling for weeks and allows for the fun souvenirs and duty-free goodies you’ll bring home. The Flex comes with all the details. Away is known for great interior organization that includes zippered compartments, snap-in-place straps, a laundry bag, and quiet 360 wheels that smoothly glide over tough terrains like cobblestones.

• Dimensions: 26 x 18.5 x 11 inches
• Weight: 10.8 pounds
• Material: Polycarbonate shell
• Capacity: 68.8-75.7 liters
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
• Price on publish: $395
• Nine fun colors
• Expandability
• TSA-approved combination lock
• Reviewers say the lighter colors scuff easily

A pretty and expandable suitcase ideal for longer travel.

Get it here: Away Medium Flex

Best affordable luggage for international travel: Amazon Basics 24-Inch Hardside Spinner

Amazon Basics 24-Inch Hardside Spinner, Orange

With over 34,000 five-star Amazon ratings, this 24-inch spinner features many of the qualities of other suitcases on this list, but is priced at under $100. Available in carry-on, medium, large, and a luggage set, the budget spinner has an extra-tough thermoplastic exterior that can handle the bumps that come with travel. It has double wheels for easy gliding, a telescoping handle, and can expand up to 15% to hold more clothing—or souvenirs.

• Dimensions: 24.7 x 11.4 x 18.3 inches
• Weight: 9.63 pounds
• Material: ABS Thermoplastic
• Capacity: 69 liters
• Warranty: One-year limited, but you can add a three to four-year protection plan at an extra cost
• Price on publish: $78.35
• Limited warranty

A durable and highly-rated suitcase that won’t break the bank.

Get it here: Amazon Basics 24-Inch Hardside Spinner

Best soft luggage for international travel: Travelpro Platinum Elite Medium Check-In Spinner

Travelpro Platinum Elite Medium Check-In Spinner

“In my opinion, TravelPro makes great softside suitcases and they last for years.” says Manners. “I like to use these best for international travel because I don’t have to worry about them getting banged up or scratched. They’re economical and lightweight.”

Travelpro is used by many flight crews around the globe, so they know the qualities that you want in a bag. This medium size spinner is the ideal size with 97 liters of capacity and a two-inch expansion capability to last you for days (and weeks) of travel. The Travelpro comes in nine pretty colors, is lightweight at under 10 pounds, and easily glides with magnetically-locking wheels that can rotate a full 360 degrees for smooth transport through airports and city streets.

• Dimensions: 28 x 18.5 x 11.75 inches
• Weight: 9.8 pounds
• Material: High-density nylon fabric with DuraGuard coating
• Capacity: 97 liters
• Warranty: Limited lifetime coverage, but must register it first
• Price on publish: $365.49
• Bin tested to be compliant with most airlines
• Built-in suiter to reduce wrinkles
• 100-day money-back guarantee
• Haven’t found it yet

Affordable, high-quality suitcase favored by frequent fliers that comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Get it here: Travelpro Platinum Elite Medium Check-In Spinner

Best hardside luggage for international travel: Samsonite Freeform Medium Spinner

Samsonite Freeform Medium Spinner

Garnering thousands of reviews, this Samsonite Freeform spinner line is a perennial hardside luggage favorite because it can handle major wear and tear. The hard shell is made from polypropylene (a thermoplastic) known to handle high stress. The double wheels add extra durability, even when other luggage is placed on top and 360 mobility, so there’s less strain on your body when traversing through airports and destinations. It has an expanding capability of 1.5 inches for packing on longer trips and the interior features lots of dividers and zippers to store accessories and keep everything neat and organized. Coming in at under $200 with a 10-year warranty, this is a solid suitcase for your travels and it’s available in carry-on and large versions.

• Dimensions: 27.9 x 19.6 x 13.4 inches
• Weight: 8.5 pounds
• Material: Polypropylene
• Capacity: N/A
• Price on publish: $179.99
• Lots of color choices
• TSA-approved lock
• Would like a more expansive warranty
• Height on the Medium Spinner makes it too big for carry-on

Affordable and resilient luggage with high packing capacity from a name brand you can trust.

Get it here: Samsonite Freeform Medium Spinner

Best luggage set for international travel: Béis Create Your Perfect Luggage Set

Béis Create Your Perfect Luggage Set

Béis, the luggage line founded by actor Shay Mitchell, allows you to mix and match two or three of your favorite rollers, creating your own personalized luggage set —and you get a discount. You can choose from any of their cases: from their best-selling 21-inch Front-Pocket Carry-On to their Medium, Large, and kid-friendly Mini Roller. I love that the Front-Pocket Carry-On and Mini Roller meet most international airline requirements, and all the hard cases are made from sturdy polycarbonate with vegan-leather details. Choose two suitcases and save 10% and pick three pieces for 15% off.

• Dimensions: Front-Pocket Carry-On: 21.5 x 3.5" x 9 inches, Carry-On: 22.8 x 15.7 x 9.8 inches, Medium Check-In Roller: 28.3 x 17.7 x 11 inches, Large Check-In Roller: 31.3 x 19.6 x 12.6 inches, and the Mini Roller: 17 x 9 x 16.5 inches
• Weight: Front-Pocket Carry-On: 8.6 pounds, Carry-On: 8.36 pound, Medium Check-In Roller: 10.2 pounds, Large Check-In Roller: 11.84 pounds, Mini Roller: 7 pounds
• Material: Polycarbonate, vegan leather trim
• Capacity: Front-Pocket Carry-On: 47 liters, Carry-On: 49-61 liters, Medium Check-In Roller: 78-94 liters, Large Check-In Roller: 112 liters
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty when purchased from Béis or authorized Béis retailer
• Price on publish: Two rollers 10% discount, three rollers 15% discount
• Female-founded
• Calming color options
• Cute kid rollers
• Limited warranty (though it is lifetime)

A fun and flexible mix-and-match luggage set that allows you to choose the cases that best suit your travel needs.

Get it here: Béis Create Your Perfect Luggage Set

Best trunk for international travel: July Checked Trunk

July Checked Trunk

“I love using a trunk suitcase when I am traveling for an extended time or when I’m going to a cold-weather place and need to pack lots of bulky coats and sweaters,” says Manners. Traveling with a trunk suitcase has a fun, sophisticated feeling, and the old-world trunks of the past have now made way for lightweight and playful options like this one from July. Available in 11 pleasing colors and with personalization options, this chic trunk with 360 spin wheels, comfy rubber handles, and roomy 80/20 split compartments might be your new favorite travel go-to.

• Dimensions: 28.35 x 16.34 x 14.5 inches
• Weight: 13.2 pounds
• Material: Glazed polycarbonate shell
• Capacity: 95 liters
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty on manufacturing faults
• Price on publish: $595
• Lightweight
• Can be personalized
• Reviewers suggest going with matte finish, as scratches on shiny colors are more noticeable

This sturdy and sleek trunk is extra roomy for bulky items.

Get it here: July Checked Trunk

Best backpack for international travel: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack in Wine

I own this colorful and lightweight backpack from Cotopaxi that can fit the packing needs of an overhead-compliant carry-on with the ease of a backpack. It zips open to reveal a suitcase-like interior with mesh, zippered pockets and compartments to keep everything organized. It comes with a waist belt, in addition to adjustable straps for better weight distribution, and it comes with four grab handles so you can carry it from every angle. I especially like the laptop space and compartment at the top for quick access to essentials like money, your passport, and sunglasses. For additional backpack options, read our guide on travel backpacks .

• Dimensions: 22 x 12 x 10 inches
• Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Material: TPU-coated 1000D polyester, 840D ballistic nylon paneling
• Capacity: 35 liters
• Warranty: Guaranteed for Good limited lifetime warranty
• Price on publish: $200
• Carry-on compliant with most airlines 
• Comes in so many fun colors
• Certified B-Corp company 
• Made from 94% recycled materials
• Included rain cover
• Straps can be loose on smaller shoulder frames

On the pricier side of backpacks, but it has a lot of wonderful features and organization.

Get it here: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack

Best duffel bag for international travel: CALPAK Luka Duffel

CALPAK Luka Duffel in Cobalt

This best-selling Luka duffel from CALPAK can pack everything you need for a weekend—and still counts as a personal item, fitting comfortably under your seat. It has a trolley sleeve that slides through suitcase handles so it can rest comfortably on your luggage as you zip through the airport. It has nine pockets, including one for your shoes, and it’s made of water resistant polyester, so like most duffel bags it looks good and lasts for years to come.

• Dimensions: 12 x 16 x 8 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds
• Material: Polyester
• Capacity: 25 liters
• Warranty: One-year limited
• Price on publish: $128
• Comes in 19 eye-catching colors
• Has both handle and strap options
• Can fit under airline seat
• Some colors are final sale, so check the fine print

Lightweight and roomy personal bag that can still fit under your seat.

Get it here: CALPAK Luka Duffel

Best weekender bag for international travel: shortyLOVE Friday Weekender Travel Bag

shortyLOVE Friday Weekender Travel Bag

“I highly recommend the shortyLOVE Friday Weekender bag” says Manners.“ It’s super roomy and streamlined, not bulky at all, and the straps are super comfortable, you hardly feel it’s on your shoulder.” Though it has a sleek design, it can fit all of your important documents, jewelry, and clothes for any quick trip. The water-resistant nylon bag comes in five colorways and is easy to clean.

• Dimensions: 15 x 27.5 x 9 inches
• Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Material: Water-resistant nylon twill
• Warranty: None
• Price on publish: $298
• Roomy yet streamlined
• No warranty

Roomy and stylish weekender that is sturdy and comfy.

Get it here: shortyLOVE Friday Weekender Travel Bag

Best size luggage for international travel

“I like medium-size check-in suitcases,” says Manners.” It helps keep you from overpacking, but allows you to take what you need for a week of travel. And you’ll be able to move around easier in transit.” If traveling alone or sharing a suitcase, we find medium size suitcases (usually around 26-28 inches in length) to be ideal. Look for suitcases that can expand and compress for extra packing needs. Weighing around 10 pounds empty, you can pack a lot, but make sure you don’t go over the airline weight limits.

Tips for buying a suitcase for international travel

Online retailers and outlet stores are both great places to buy luggage , especially during major shopping days. But you should first check the baggage requirements of the airline you intend to fly, including restrictions, and extra charges, so you’re not met with any surprises.

Once you’ve determined your right size, Manners suggest “finding one with well-made spinning wheels and a comfortable, sturdy retractable handle.” Another thing to consider is the material, like soft side, hard side, waterproof, etc. And don’t forget important details, like durable zippers, solid locks, and lots of room and interior compartments to pack everything you need. Many brands offer 60-100-day free trials and money-back guarantees, so utilize these policies to try out the luggage before you invest.

How we selected the best luggage for international travel

As a former travel writer and editor myself, I have zig-zagged continents for work and leisure. I also tapped jet-setting friends, colleagues, and experts who weighed in on their favorite luggage. I tested different brands, read through customer reviews and looked at certain criteria.

Luggage size and type

Whether you’re jetting off for a swanky girls weekend or a longer trip abroad, the type of trip you’re taking will help determine which luggage to choose, so I rated them all (weekender, duffel, backpack, carry-on, larger checked suitcases, and trunks), examining their storage capacity, expandability, organizational features, weight, and construction.

Features and materials

Luggage these days offer so many high-tech features, like charging ports and nearly-indestructible thermoplastic exteriors, as well as fun extras including laundry bags, TSA-approved locks, multiple storage capabilities, along with lifetime guarantees that will help your luggage last a lifetime.

International airline compliance

I found international baggage allowance to differ slightly from American domestic, so be sure and check your airline baggage requirements first before travel. That said, for carry-ons, the general rule of thumb is for an international carry-on to be no bigger than 21.5-21.7 inches long and weigh 18 pounds. Again, while rules (and adherence) vary from airline to airline, to be safe, I chose carry-ons that meet these requirements.

I chose luggage at every price point and chose the best in class across the board from budget to luxe in all types of luggage.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Which luggage brand is best for international travel.

Well-known luggage brands like Samsonite and Travelpro have earned reputations for both quality and affordability, so they made my list. “I really recommend Away and TravelPro suitcases,” adds Manners. I also included more expensive options like Briggs & Riley, because their no-questions-asked lifetime guarantee on all of their luggage is unmatched industry wide.

Is hard luggage better than soft for international travel?

“Some people love hard case bags, but I find that you can pack more things in a softside suitcase.” says Manners. Hardside versus softside is really a preference. Softside seems to scuff less because of the treated materials, while hardside suitcases can also handle wear and tear and seem to be more trendy these days.

What is the best material for checked luggage?

“That depends on preference, but a nylon with coating to prevent scuffs and scratches for softside luggage, and polycarbonate-shell or thermoplastic are incredibly durable If you like hard case suitcases,” says Manners.

How many suitcases can you take on an international flight?

This often depends on the type of airplane ticket you purchase. Some tickets include your first checked bag for free, then you have to pay a fee for additional bags. Other tickets don’t include baggage, so you’ll have to pay a certain fee for the first checked-in bag, plus fees for additional bags. Look into bag allowances before you buy your tickets, warns Manners, so you can factor the cost of your checked bags into your flight—and avoid surprises at the airport.

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