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Trail & Terminal

04 — Carry-On / Roundup

Best travel accessories

Travel accessory lists are long because length is the format. These eight each remove a specific friction from a travel day.

By Brijon M.Last updated How we pick
Travel accessories arranged beside an open carry-on bag

The short answer

The accessories that genuinely earn their space are a multi-port USB-C charger, packing cubes, a collapsible bottle, a proper toiletry bag, an eye mask and earplugs, a luggage tracker and detergent sheets.

Trail & Terminal earns a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we pick -- see our affiliate disclosure and selection method.

Our picks at a glance

Best travel accessories -- ranked picks
#ProductBest forKey specPrice
1Anker Prime 67W Charger with Interchangeable PlugsOne charger for a laptop and phones, with regional plug heads. Removes an adapter and two chargers.the accessory that replaces three others67W USB-C, swap plugs
2Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube SetMesh tops you can see through, sizes that tessellate. Organization rather than space saving.living out of a bagMesh-top, 3-piece set
3Platypus SoftBottle 1LRolls flat, so a liter of capacity costs no carry-on space until you fill it.water after securityCollapsible 1L
4Peak Design Wash PouchHangs from a real hook, holds its shape open, and wipes clean after a leak.hotel bathrooms with no counterHanging, wipe-clean
5Manta Sleep MaskContoured eye cups so nothing presses on your eyes. Does more for flight sleep than a pillow.the cheapest sleep improvementContoured, adjustable cups
6Loop Quiet EarplugsReusable silicone plugs that reduce sustained cabin noise. Cheap, small, effective.cabin noiseReusable silicone
7Apple AirTagTells you whether your bag is at the airport you are at. Useful specifically when it is not.knowing where a checked bag isBluetooth luggage tracker
8Sea to Summit Trek & Travel Pocket Laundry WashDry detergent sheets -- not a liquid, so they bypass the carry-on liquids rule entirely.making trip length stop matteringDetergent sheets

Ranked by the criteria in how we pick. We hold no live prices, so every button goes straight to the current Amazon listing.

Every pick, in full

The picks

1

Best for the accessory that replaces three others

Anker Prime 67W Charger with Interchangeable Plugs

One charger for a laptop and phones, with regional plug heads. Removes an adapter and two chargers.

The single highest-value travel accessory, because it consolidates rather than adds. Check which regions you travel to for plug heads, and bring a cable rated for the output -- a cheap cable bottlenecks a good charger. See <a href="/carry-on/best-travel-adapters">travel adapters</a>.

Specs

  • High-wattage USB-C Power Delivery output
  • Multiple ports with intelligent power sharing
  • Interchangeable plug heads for different regions
  • Accepts 100-240V input

Good for

  • Replaces an adapter plus a phone charger plus a laptop charger
  • Charges a laptop at full speed, which low-wattage chargers cannot
  • Genuinely dual-voltage, so it works worldwide with the right head

Bad at

  • No socket, so anything with its own plug still needs an adapter
  • Plug heads may be bundled or sold separately by region
  • Needs a properly rated cable to deliver full output
2

Best for living out of a bag

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Mesh tops you can see through, sizes that tessellate. Organization rather than space saving.

Cubes do not save space; they make a bag navigable, which on a multi-stop trip means not repacking every morning. Buy the bag first, then cubes that fit it. See <a href="/carry-on/best-packing-cubes">packing cubes</a>.

Specs

  • Recycled ripstop with mesh top panels
  • Three sizes designed to tessellate
  • Self-healing zippers
  • Lifetime warranty

Good for

  • Find one thing without unpacking the whole bag
  • Mesh tops mean you identify contents without opening anything
  • Sizes designed to fill a carry-on without wasted gaps

Bad at

  • No space saving at all -- these organize
  • Mesh snags on zippers
  • More expensive than generic sets
3

Best for water after security

Platypus SoftBottle 1L

Rolls flat, so a liter of capacity costs no carry-on space until you fill it.

The cheapest genuinely useful accessory on this page. Empty it before the checkpoint, fill it after. See <a href="/trail/best-water-bottles-for-hiking">water bottles</a>.

Specs

  • Flexible laminate body that rolls flat
  • Standard closure cap
  • Very low empty weight
  • Taste-free laminate

Good for

  • Costs no space until it is filled, unlike a rigid bottle
  • Cheap, and the lightest way to carry a liter
  • Cabin air is dry and service is intermittent, so your own water matters

Bad at

  • Will not stand up when partly full
  • Punctures and seam failures end its life
  • Awkward to drink from reclined
4

Best for hotel bathrooms with no counter

Peak Design Wash Pouch

Hangs from a real hook, holds its shape open, and wipes clean after a leak.

Most people travel with a toiletry bag that came free with something, which does not hang and cannot be cleaned. This is the upgrade. Keep liquids in a separate clear bag for the checkpoint. See <a href="/carry-on/best-toiletry-bags">toiletry bags</a>.

Specs

  • Weatherproof recycled nylon
  • Hook on an extending strap
  • Interior that holds itself open
  • Removable clear inner pouch on some versions

Good for

  • The extending hook reaches real hooks and towel rails, which short loops do not
  • Holds its shape open so you can see everything
  • Wipes clean after a leak

Bad at

  • Expensive for a toiletry bag
  • Holds less than an unstructured bag of the same size
  • Does not replace the clear liquids bag security requires
5

Best for the cheapest sleep improvement

Manta Sleep Mask

Contoured eye cups so nothing presses on your eyes. Does more for flight sleep than a pillow.

Light is the biggest obstacle to sleeping on a plane, and cabin lights come up for service at inconvenient times. A contoured mask is a bigger improvement for most people than upgrading a pillow, for less money. See <a href="/carry-on/long-flight-essentials">long flight essentials</a>.

Specs

  • Modular eye cups that adjust position
  • Blackout construction
  • Adjustable head strap
  • Washable cover

Good for

  • Blocks light completely, which is the biggest barrier to sleeping on a plane
  • Contoured cups mean no pressure on the eyes, so you can open them inside the mask
  • Costs far less than a travel pillow and often helps more

Bad at

  • Bulkier than a flat fabric mask
  • The strap can be uncomfortable against a headrest
  • Expensive relative to a basic mask
6

Best for cabin noise

Loop Quiet Earplugs

Reusable silicone plugs that reduce sustained cabin noise. Cheap, small, effective.

Noise and light are the two things that actually prevent sleep on a plane, and both have cheap solutions that outperform expensive comfort gear. Try the tip sizes at home rather than discovering a poor seal mid-flight.

Specs

  • Reusable silicone earplugs with multiple tip sizes
  • Manufacturer-stated noise reduction rating
  • Carry case included
  • Washable

Good for

  • Sustained cabin noise is tiring even when you stop noticing it
  • Reusable rather than disposable foam you run out of
  • Tiny, so they live in a bag permanently

Bad at

  • Fit varies by ear, and the wrong tip size seals poorly
  • Less reduction than over-ear noise-canceling headphones
  • Easy to lose without the case
7

Best for knowing where a checked bag is

Apple AirTag

Tells you whether your bag is at the airport you are at. Useful specifically when it is not.

Worth having specifically for the bad day. When an airline cannot tell you where your bag is, being able to say which airport it is at changes the conversation. Be realistic: it locates, it does not retrieve, and Android users should choose a tracker for their own ecosystem.

Specs

  • Bluetooth tracker using a crowd-sourced finding network
  • Replaceable coin cell with a stated year-long life
  • Works with the Find My network on Apple devices
  • Water-resistant

Good for

  • Knowing a bag is in another city is genuinely useful when reporting it
  • Long battery life on a replaceable cell
  • Small enough to forget about

Bad at

  • Requires an iPhone ecosystem; Android users need a different tracker
  • Depends on the finding network, so coverage is patchy in remote areas
  • Does not get your bag back -- it tells you where it is
8

Best for making trip length stop mattering

Sea to Summit Trek & Travel Pocket Laundry Wash

Dry detergent sheets -- not a liquid, so they bypass the carry-on liquids rule entirely.

The enabling accessory for packing light: once you can wash things, the number of days stops determining how much you pack. Pair with a universal sink plug and a length of cord. See <a href="/carry-on/how-to-pack-light">how to pack light</a>.

Specs

  • Dry soap sheets in a small case
  • Biodegradable formulation
  • Not a liquid for security purposes
  • Very small and light

Good for

  • Enables the sink-laundry strategy, which is what makes a week pack like a weekend
  • Not a liquid, so it does not count against the allowance
  • Biodegradable, which matters at a campsite too

Bad at

  • Sheets clump if they get damp
  • Tiny, so it feels like nothing
  • Pointless if you never wash anything on a trip

01 — The principle

The test for a travel accessory

Travel accessory lists are long because length is the format rather than because there are forty useful products. The test worth applying is simple.

Can you name the specific friction it removes? A weak charger that cannot keep up with navigation. A bathroom with no counter space. No water after security. Cabin light at 3am. A bag you cannot find one item in. Each pick above answers one of those.

Does it consolidate rather than add? The best accessories replace several items: a multi-port charger instead of an adapter plus two chargers, a bottle that is also nothing when empty. The worst add a single-purpose object to a bag that is already full.

Would you use it on more than one trip type? The accessories worth owning work on a flight, a road trip and a campsite. That is the cross-trip principle this whole site is built on.

03 — Matching

Accessories by trip type

AccessoryFlightRoad tripCampsite
Multi-port USB-C chargerYesYes, with a car charger tooOnly with power
Packing cubesYesYesYes, for a duffel
Collapsible bottleYesYesYes
Toiletry bag that hangsYesYesYes, at a campground with facilities
Eye mask and earplugsYesFor sleeping in a carYes
Luggage trackerYesOf limited useNo
Detergent sheetsYesYesYes, biodegradable matters here

04 — Criteria

How we ranked these

Whether the item removes a nameable friction, then whether it consolidates rather than adds, then whether it works across more than one trip type, then size and weight. Several popular products failed the first test and are in the skip list. Full method on how we pick.

We have not used these items on a trip. Specifications come from each manufacturer's published information. Security and battery rules are described in general terms because they change -- check current official guidance before flying.

Questions

Frequently asked

What travel accessories are actually worth buying?
A high-wattage multi-port USB-C charger, packing cubes, a collapsible bottle, a toiletry bag that hangs properly, an eye mask and earplugs, and detergent sheets. Each removes a specific friction, and several replace more than one item rather than adding one.
What is the most useful travel accessory?
A high-wattage USB-C charger with interchangeable regional plug heads, because it replaces an adapter, a phone charger and a laptop charger with one object -- and it charges a laptop at full speed, which low-wattage chargers cannot.
Are luggage trackers worth it?
For the bad day, yes. When an airline cannot tell you where your bag is, knowing which airport it is at changes the conversation. Be realistic that it locates rather than retrieves, and pick a tracker that matches your phone ecosystem.
What travel accessories should I skip?
Luggage scales, travel irons, full miniature toiletry kits, neck wallets, inflatable footrests, travel clothing with hidden pockets and jet lag supplements. All are popular, and each either duplicates something free or does not solve the problem it claims to.
Do I need a travel pillow?
Only if you sleep upright on flights, and then pick one that supports the side of your head or under your chin rather than a U-shape behind your neck. For many people an eye mask and earplugs do more for sleep, and cost considerably less.

References

Back up a level

This page sits in Carry-On -- flight kit that fits the bin and the personal-item slot.

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