When it’s time for a family vacation, I go all out to make sure everyone can enjoy the time away from our normal days. I want the kids to forget about schoolwork and my wife and I to forget about work. But in order to do that, we have to make sure we pack more than just clothes in our luggage.
The list may vary a little depending on what type of vacation we’re taking. Sometimes we do the traditional flight to a hotel in a new city for a week and need a reading light. Other times we may want to be closer to the locals and go with a home rental where this bug zapper is a must. Or we may just want to get away from civilization altogether and go for a camping trip where this electric lighter can save the trip. Before you head out on your next vacation, check out these 37 travel-friendly tech items and thank me later.
Look Your Best with This Trimmer
When I’m out on vacation in a new city, I want to look my best. This 3-in-1 trimmer gets rid of unsightly nose and ear hair. Best of all, it’s compact enough to fit in my travel bag.
Get Headphones For Your Kids and For Your Sanity
I learned early on that to keep my kids calm on a plane or long car ride, they need to have their movies and music on an endless loop. These headphones are perfect for them to lose themselves in the music without the need for me to listen to the same song over and over again.
Prevent Eye Strain on the Plane with These Glasses
We spend so much time in front of our screens that we don’t even realize it. I use these glasses to ease eye strain so I can still sleep a bit on the plane and in the hotel.
Document Your Trip with This Selfie Stick
I’m no professional influencer, but these days, it’s selfies or it didn’t happen. This stick is actually three things in one. I can use it as a selfie stick, a desktop stand, and a floor stand. Best of all, it comes with its own remote clicker!
Read on the Plane with This Reading Light
I enjoy reading on the plane but that overhead light is far from private. I don’t want to irritate other passengers. This reading light sits comfortably on my neck, lights my page, and does not disturb others.
Take Your Music Everywhere with This Speaker
I don’t want to ever be without music. Hotels don’t have speakers so I bring my own. I can have this one by my bed, in the shower, and in the pool. I have my tunes anywhere I go no matter how far away I am while on vacation.
Get Better Hotel Sleep with This White Noise Machine
Getting sleep in a hotel room can be difficult. This white noise machine gives me peaceful sounds and removes some of the sterility of the average hotel room. Now I can get some rest and be ready for the fun times ahead.
Soothe Tired Muscles with This Massager
Those plane seats are not comfortable. That’s why I pack this massager on every family vacation. The deep tissue massage helps me forget the plane ride so I can start relaxing.
Charge All Your Devices in the Hotel with This Station
Taking my family on vacation means three phones, two watches, two tablets, and two laptops. It’s impossible to get away from electronics but hotels only have a few outlets for use. I bought this charging station and now we can charge all devices in one place from one wall plug.
Ease Jet Lag with This Lamp
We spend a lot of time indoors and miss out on the benefits of natural lighting. Now you don’t have to! This therapy lamp can be adjusted to match what you need from the day. It improves focus and helps regulate your sleep. It’s great after a long plane ride across multiple time zones.
Keep the Beard Neat on Vacation Nights with This Straightener
Beards are in but just because we’re on vacation does not mean my wife wants me to take her out on the town looking like there could be a bird nesting in there. This beard straightener keeps my facial hair looking sharp during any trip.
Stop Pests from Ruining Your Vacation with This Trap
We love staying in home rentals to get a better feel for a new city. We open the doors to the backyard to get a natural breeze while we hang out. This indoor insect trap grabs any flies and mosquitoes that may try to sneak in and ruin our afternoon.
Clean Your Makeup Brushes Before Vacation Date Night
My wife is serious about her makeup routine – right down to cleaning her brushes after use. This brush cleaner travels with her on all our trips so she doesn’t need to alter her routine to get away for a while.
Sanitize Your Valuables While You Fly
I’ve always traveled with a small bottle of hand sanitizer, but what good are clean hands if my devices are covered in bacteria? That’s why I picked up this sanitizer box. It folds away in my carry-on and sanitizes my phone and wallet while I fly.
Inspect Your Hotel Bed with This Flashlight
Just because the hotel tells you the room is ready, doesn’t mean it’s clean. Before letting my kids lie on a filthy bed, I like to check things out with this blacklight flashlight. The last thing we need is a night on a dirty bed to start a vacation.
Keep Your Screen Private on the Plane with This Filter
Even when on vacation, I am on the laptop. It’s great for watching movies, journaling the family vacation, or researching some of the places we’re going to visit. Thanks to this privacy screen filter, I can do all this without worrying about prying eyes.
Keep Your Teeth Clean with This Sonic Toothbrush
Going on vacation used to mean I had to resort to that annoying little travel toothbrush. My sonic toothbrush needed a large base and had to remain at home. Thanks to this battery-powered toothbrush, I no longer need to sacrifice clean teeth for a week away from work.
Treat Yourself to Red Light Therapy on Vacation
There’s nothing better than getting back to work after vacation and having your coworkers comment on how great I look. Some of it is certainly because of getting away from everyday stressors, but spending a little time under this infrared light is my little secret.
Experience Nightlife with These Goggles
A camping vacation during the summer gets us away from the heat of the city and under the shade of beautiful trees. Then at night, we can use these night-vision goggles to see the nocturnal animals moving around. We can even save screenshots when we spot cool animals.
Charge Your Phone and Wearables with This Charger
Even when I go on vacation, I walk around with a phone, a watch, and earbuds. Thankfully, I can charge them all in the hotel room using this one charger. The last thing I need is to have to whip out three different cables in a hotel room already short on wall outlets.
Floss in Any Hotel Room with This Flosser
Vacation does not mean risking plaque buildup for my family. We travel with this water flosser so that we can go to bed each night with clean teeth even when sleeping in a hotel room.
Use This Mirror in the Hotel to Look Your Best
Hotel bathrooms usually have one big mirror. This may be okay to check out what we’re wearing and even take a couple’s selfie before going out for the night, but it’s not ideal for personal grooming. My wife bought this mirror to take on vacation, but I end up using it just as much as she does.
This Waffle Maker for the Vacation Win
Waking up early and heading down to the hotel lobby for breakfast defeats the purpose of vacation. We stay in home rentals and travel with this waffle maker. The kids get waffles at any time of day and we get to be superhero parents.
Ease Sore Muscles on Vacation with This Roller
I run, exercise, and hike no matter where I go. As a result, I’m sore even while on vacation. This electronic muscle roller works beautifully to loosen any tight spots whether it’s my legs, my arms, or my back.
Let Your Kids Go Off-Road with This Car
My kids love camping vacations because it means they get to play with their own toys. We take this remote control 4×4 everywhere and put it to the test. Best of all, if this car flips while off-roading, we still have a ride home.
Find New Species in New Places with This Scope
To my family, going on vacation means exploring. I like plants, my wife likes birds, and the kids love finding lizards. We can take turns with this scope wherever we vacation and find new species.
Know Where Your Kids Are with This Smartwatch
These days, you can’t be too careful. I need to know where my kids are but I’m stopping short of putting a leash on them. That’s why I got this smartwatch instead. It’s a tracking device for me and lets them use it for selfies and photo sharing.
Stream Movies at Eye Level with This Stand
I work hard, and there’s little time for TV during normal weeks. That’s why use my vacations to catch up on movies and TV shows right from my laptop. This stand puts my laptop at the right height so I don’t hurt my neck while binging my favorite shows.
Take the Best Vacation Selfies with This Ring Light
If you don’t have a selfie from your vacation, did you even go anywhere? I don’t like to settle for just any selfie. That’s why I picked up this ring light. Now, our family selfies look like we travel with a professional smartphone photographer.
Swat Bugs with This Bug Zapper
I love a backyard vacation with s’mores and a fire pit. Unfortunately, those are the nights that bring out the bugs. These upgraded fly swatters take care of any pesky mosquitoes so the family can enjoy a relaxing night.
Take This Boat on the Lake
On our last family vacation, we stayed in a hotel right next to a lake. That meant every day we walked down and raced our remote control boats. Now the kids can’t wait to try again next year.
Light Anything on Your Camping Trip
I’m no camping noobie. I learned a long time ago to always be prepared to start a campfire. That’s why I picked up this rechargeable electric lighter. We can start a fire quickly and move on to enjoying our vacation.
Ease Your Tired Feet After Exploring with This Massager
The one certainty during family vacations is that we’re going to explore, which means I will be doing a lot of walking. That’s why I take this massager with me and leave it in the hotel room. That way I can give my feet a rubdown and be ready to do it all over again the next day.
Explore at Night with This Headlamp
Exploring at night is one of the most exhilarating parts of a vacation. I strap on this headlamp and head out to see what I can spot. It also doesn’t hurt to pack it on a hike just in case it goes longer than originally expected. After all, my vacation is not complete without a little bit of danger.
Improve Your Hotel Sleep with This Heating Pad
Hotel beds are not always the best and you can’t really test them out beforehand. That’s why we travel with this electric heating pad. It works wonders on aching muscles and if you wake up in the morning tight, the heat relaxes muscles so the vacation doesn’t stall because of pain.
Make Tea and Coffee in the Hotel Room with This Kettle
There’s nothing like ending a fun night out on vacation with some tea on your hotel bed. The trouble is, we don’t want to go down to the lobby for tea, we just want it in the room. This electric kettle lets us make evening tea and morning coffee because sometimes just staying in the hotel room is the best vacation.
Keep the Kids Entertained with This Keyboard
I learned a long time ago that if you don’t bring something to entertain the kids, your vacation won’t be a vacation. That’s why I take this roll-up floor keyboard with us. The kids can be barefoot and try to make masterpieces while I relax in bed and binge-watch a new show.