You’ve done it. You’ve gone and booked your travel dates, filed your annual leave and now you’re shopping online for a new suitcase. But before you let yourself daydream about sailing around Greece or shredding up the slopes in Japan, we thought you ought to add a few essential travel accessories to your checklist.
From luggage trackers to packing cubes, we’ve rounded up nine essential (and cheap) travel accessories that will keep you cosy and safe.
The best travel accessories you can’t forget to bring on your next trip
Travel pillow
Recently, we found out that we’ve all been wearing those U-shaped travel pillows wrong our whole lives. Embarrassing, right? But now that we’ve figured it out, we can all finally take a restful nap on an uncomfortable flight or rocky road trip.
Here are some of our favourite options below.
Where to buy: Amazon ($23.99) | Catch ($19.96) | eBay ($18.99)
Data blocker
If there’s one tech gadget you’re going to take overseas, let it be this. A data blocker is for your own good, especially when your phone inevitably runs out of charge and you decide to recharge it at the nearest café.
Rather than compromise your phone or allow third parties to steal your personal information (also known as juice-jacking), a data blocker will ensure hackers can’t access all of the valuable stuff you keep saved on your phone. This nifty device will allow power to flow through the USB connection, but halt any data transferring.
One costs around $10 and will save you from all sort of trouble.
Where to buy: Amazon ($10.95) | Mwave ($9.42)
Bluetooth transmitter
It’s no secret that airline headphones are crappy quality. They sound bad, don’t sit on your head properly and tend to get in the way of everything. Why would you want to wear those silly headphones when you’re better off using your own pair that cost you your left kidney?
Not all flights offer a Bluetooth option if you want to connect your own headset. But a Bluetooth transmitter will plug into the headphone jack of the display in front of you on your flight and allow you to wirelessly connect your headphones so you can listen in prime comfort. Plus, a transmitter is so small it should easily slide into the sides of your carry-on or pockets.
Check out some of our top picks below.
Where to buy: Amazon ($14.99) | eBay ($16.95)
A Kindle
Okay, eReaders aren’t exactly “cheap” travel accessories, but hear us out – they will save you money in the long run if you download all of your eBooks in advance. Plus, this will also stop you from incurring any weight-related luggage fees when boarding your flight home.
As diehard bookworms, some of the Lifehacker Australia team has been burned in the past for getting a little too greedy on an overseas trip and exceeding the weight limit thanks to all the random books picked up while abroad. Just do yourself a favour and pack light with an eReader like the all-new Kindle (2022).
Where to buy: Amazon ($179)
Packing cubes
Packing one’s suitcase can be a stressful dilemma. Aside from trying to make everything fit in, it’s also just a pain when your shoes brush up against your clean clothes or your toothpaste happens to explode.
With packing cubes, you can neatly organise everything in your suitcase into its own, easy-to-find section.
Where to buy: Amazon ($25.99) | Catch ($33.90) | eBay ($19.98)
International wall adapter
This is one of the most essential travel accessories that you need. Do not wait until you get to the airport before buying an international wall adapter because it’ll probably be more expensive and if you’re unlucky, you might be running late for your flight too.
International travel adapters can usually support a wide range of plugs, USBs and even charge multiple devices at the same time.
Here’s some of our cheap travel adapter picks.
Where to buy: Amazon ($33.99) | eBay ($33.99) | Kogan ($13.99)
Portable door stopper
If you’re planning a solo trip, an extra safety precaution is to pick up this portable door lock to prevent anyone from breaking into your room while you sleep.
While it might not look like much, it’s super easy to install on any door and perfect if you’re feeling unsafe in a foreign country or your accommodation of choice.
Where to buy: Amazon ($9.99) | eBay ($7.99) | Kogan ($6.85)
Power bank
Another way to avoid juice jacking is to bring a power bank with you at all times. It’s a great precautionary method, especially if you need to rely on Google Maps to find your way around. After all, there’s nothing worse than running out of battery when you’re stuck in a new city.
Where to buy: Amazon ($37.99) | eBay ($43.59)
Luggage tracker
Perhaps the most stressful part of any journey is arriving at your destination and waiting for your suitcase to come around the baggage claim. Did it make it? We can only hope.
With one of these essential travel accessories, you can banish any anxious thoughts by tracking your suitcase in real time. While you could opt for the slightly more expensive Apple AirTag or another Bluetooth tracker, you may find that it doesn’t provide as accurate tracking since it relies on the Apple network to keep tabs on your bag. A GPS tracker, on the other hand, uses satellites around the world to keep you updated in-app.
The Tracki is one of the cheapest luggage tracker accessories you can grab on the market right now so make sure you grab one from any of the retailers below.
Where to buy: Amazon ($28.99) | eBay ($36.99)
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