The best travel gifts for 2024

If you know someone who always complains about crying babies and chatty neighbors on flights, they’ll likely appreciate a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is one of Engadget’s favorites, easily making the best wireless headphones list this year. Senior Editor Billy Steele says it’s comfortable to wear for long periods, has an impressive 30-hour battery life, excellent sound quality and stellar ANC. It also has a combination of touch and physical controls, which means your giftee won’t have to reach for their phone every time they want to switch tracks. — Nicole Lee, Former Commerce Writer

Read more: The best wireless headphones

Bellroy’s travel packs are sleek and organized, just like I wish I was during travel. The Toiletry Kit Plus goes overboard with pockets — zippered, stretch, mesh, magnetic — and that’s great for keeping one’s toothbrush, comb, face wash, lip balm, Advil and deodorant separate and easily findable. The whole thing opens wide and sits upright on a countertop, making it easy to get at what’s needed and it’s made from a recycled woven fabric that’s water-resistant. The traveler in your life will see this as a serious upgrade from the ziploc baggie they’ve been using for ages. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter

This two-pack of European power adapters was a last-minute purchase of mine before my husband and I went on a 10-day Italian vacation earlier this year, and it was easily one of my best impulse buys. Each give you three AC outlets, all accessible thanks to their strategic locations on the adapter itself, plus two USB-C and one USB-A port. Between all of those options, I was able to use just one of the adapters for all of my necessary tech, including my phone, smartwatch and earbuds, while my husband used the other. They even worked well on high-powered tools like my mini hair dryer. And despite their prongs not folding down, both take up very little space in a suitcase. If your next trip isn’t to Europe, don’t fret, the two-pack comes in a variety of country options including Japan, Ireland and Australia. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

I have been looking for this backpack my entire life. I’ve bought packs from Timbuk2, Bellroy, The North Face, Fjallraven, Patagonia, Osprey and more, all in search of something I thought didn’t exist: A lightweight daypack that stands on its own, has a reasonable amount of pockets and is comfortable to wear all day. On a recent trip to Chicago, when I found myself on a cross-city trek without a pack, I dipped into REI and settled on the Topo Designs Light Pack. I’ve been continually impressed since.

Some bags load up on ergonomics and end up weighing two pounds empty, but this one is super light yet has just the right amount of padding. The two expandable bottle slots on either side hold water and travel cups securely and there are just enough pockets inside to keep smaller bits organized. There’s even a laptop pocket for computers up to 15 inches. The 15-liter capacity is perfect for day trips in the destination city, fitting a couple of hoodies, snacks and even some impulse buys from pastry shops. It stands upright when you set it down instead of tipping forward like a sleepy toddler, something that other bags do that drives me mad. The padding lends structure and both the 400D (medium-heavy) nylon and the uncluttered design make it look polished, something I appreciate on day seven of a seven-day trip. — A.S.

The next time your loved one stays at a hotel, a compact media player like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K will make it easier for them to stream all their favorite shows and movies on the TV. That means no more squinting at a laptop or settling for the hotel’s shoddy channel selection. It may require some setup, but Roku’s streaming dongle can draw power straight from a TV’s USB port and works with most of the major streaming services and cable apps. Roku’s OS remains dead simple to navigate, while those with Apple devices can beam content straight to the stick over AirPlay. And, when others are sleeping, a “private listening” feature makes it possible to listen to what’s on TV through their smartphone. All of this has made the Streaming Stick 4K the top pick in our streaming device buying guide. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter

Read more: The best streaming devices

I don’t condone blasting one’s personal soundtrack to the world at large, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying some low-key tunes on a picnic or a stroll through the park. We’re fans of JBL and recommend their speakers in our guides because they’re durable and pump out decent volume. The Clip 4 Eco is small enough to go in a suitcase and comes with a handy clip for attaching to packs, chairs, or the towel rack in a hotel room. The waterproof build will keep it safe during water-based adventures and the eco-friendly construction with recycled plastic and fabric are a nice touch. — A.S.

We previously recommended the Kobo Libra 2 in this gift guide, but this year, the Libra Colour is the ereader to get. It’s one of the most versatile ereaders we’ve tested as of late: it’s got a lovely color E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, an upgraded processor, stylus support, page-turn buttons and handy Overdrive integration. Color adds live and vibrancy to those travel guides you may have in your ebook library, and stylus support means you can underline, circle and otherwise mark up pages of your digital books as you please if you spring for Kobo’s stylus to go along with it. Not only can you buy ebooks directly from Kobo’s store to fill the Libra Colour, but you can also search for and borrow library books directly on the device thanks to its Overdrive integration. All of that’s to say that regardless of what you like to read and how you like to read it, the Libra Colour has you covered. — V.P.

Read more: The best ereaders

We called the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse” earlier this year due to its compact frame, quiet clicks, and 70 days of rated battery life. It’s lightweight (95g), its scroll wheel is smooth and, though it may be a little too small for those with larger hands, its ambidextrous, mostly flat shape should be comfy for most. It tracks accurately, plus it can pair with three devices at once over Bluetooth. The catch is that it doesn’t come with a USB receiver in the box, but that shouldn’t be a big deal unless your loved one wants something for gaming. (In which case you should check out our gaming mouse buying guide.) Not having to worry about losing a dongle on the road may be a blessing anyway. — J.D.

Travel has become far easier since the advent of the smartphone, but we’ve also made ourselves pretty reliant on the tech. Having a reliable way to revive a dying phone can feel like a lifesaver when one is out and about. I’ve tested nearly 50 batteries for our power bank guide and the Nimble Champ Pro is the one I take with me when I travel. It’s compact but packs a high, 20,000mah capacity that can refill a large smartphone nearly three times — and quickly. It’ll even juice up an iPad just under two times. There’s a USB-C port at each end which can be used to either charge the battery or a phone. I also like the attached lanyard that makes it easy to fish the battery out of a pack. The fact that the company is a certified B Corp somehow makes it an even classier gift. — A.S.

Read more: The best power banks

A pocket USB cable has to be a lot of things. It has to work with the things you want to charge, which now means USB-C in 90 percent of cases; it needs to support high-wattages for speedy recharging and it needs to survive the bottom of your bag or being tethered to your keys and bounced around with your life. Inspired by the pocket knife, Native Union’s Pocket Cable hits the sweet spot. It’s pricey but has so far survived the lives of our most chaotic editors – something we can’t say about most small cables. The company is known for its understated, smart designs and keeps each cable protected when not in use, folded away inside. The cables themselves are hardy too, with reinforced braiding. The Pocket Cable keyring is available in five different colors, too. — Mat Smith, UK Bureau Chief

It’s always a good idea to bring a reusable bag with you while traveling. It gives you flexibility and will prevent you from attempting to stuff a bunch of essentials into your main carry-all at the last minute. There are thousands of options out there, but we like Peak Design’s Packable tote because it doesn’t have the typical reusable bag design and it remains affordable at only $20. It’s made of 100-percent recycled ripstop nylon, which is resilient and as well as water resistant, and it has a zip closure, which is something most other reusable bags don’t have. It’ll keep your items more secure thanks to that, and it’s easier to carry in different ways thanks to its single shoulder/hand strap that sports microfiber padding for extra comfort. We also like that it has an interior pocket that can hold a phone, wallet or keys, and it takes up a surprisingly little space when it’s packed into itself. — V.P.

We have concerns with virtual private network (VPN) services when it comes to cybersecurity, but for folks who just want to log into their streaming accounts outside of the country, they can be useful. ExpressVPN is our top pick for frequent travelers. It passed all of the geoblock, streaming and gaming tests in our VPN buying guide, and more generally, it provides access to a wide range of server locations with relatively quick connection speeds. It also works on devices, like game consoles, in addition to phones and laptops. It’s not our top overall pick, nor is it free, but it should be useful the next time your recipient wants to keep up with an US-only Netflix show while staying in Europe. — J.D.

Read more: The best VPNs

After I lost my long-time sunnies to the shallow depths of the Rio Grande, I bought a pair of Warby Parkers — then set them aside because I thought they were too nice and delicate. I subsequently scratched up and broke two other pairs of cheaper shades before pulling these out again. While I don’t abuse them, I don’t coddle them either (I’ve come to grips with the inevitable decommissioning of all eyewear) and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by their robustness. And at under $100, they’re not terribly expensive. The Fletcher design is a classic silhouette that should look good on most face shapes and complement a range of personal styles. In short, these are a reliable pair of glasses that will keep your giftee looking good (with protected eyes) on their next trip. — A.S.

Boox has been in the ereader game for over 15 years, but the Palma is arguably the most intriguing device yet. The smartphone-sized 6.3-inch E Ink device is an ereader with an Android skeleton. That means you can read your Libby books, your Amazon Kindle library and myriad others on this tiny thing, with none of the aggressive light of your smartphone screen.

Unlike most ereaders, the Palma’s physical buttons can be customized to your reading needs, for page turning or screen refreshing. This being 2024, we’re probably reading a lot on our smartphones, meaning there’s also a certain degree of comfort to the Palma, even if it’s not book-sized. Its portability makes the Palma a great addition to our traveler gift guide, but it’s easy to recommend to any bookworm in your life — or anyone unwilling to pack their Kindle. — M.S.