After dozens of flights, cross-country road trips, and hotel stays with our three young kids, this is our list of toddler and baby travel essentials!
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There are so many toddler and baby products out there, and it can be super overwhelming to even start thinking about what you might need. These tiny people seem to require a LOT of stuff!
This is our list of tried and true toddler and baby travel essentials that have made traveling much smoother and less stressful for us.
We consider some of these products to be absolute essentials for our travels, and others are just nice to have, but we might leave them behind if we want to travel lighter.
Do NOT feel like you need to go buy a million things for your upcoming travels. Sometimes less is more.
I find many of my toddler and baby travel essentials second-hand. Often they have hardly been used and are in like-new condition. This is an option if you are willing to search around and want to save money.
Look at this list and decide if these products would make you feel more prepared or at ease during your travels.
Toddler & Baby Travel Essentials
This is our list of things we ALWAYS bring when we travel and would feel lost without.
1. Portable Sound Machine
This was a game-changer for us when it came to getting our kids to sleep (both at home and on the go). When we turn the sound machine on, our kids know it is time to sleep. And it helps drown out any background noise which is great, especially when traveling.
We have this portable sound machine. We take this on the go and use it as our regular sound machine at home too. I like that it is small, easy to move around, neutral-colored, and has great battery life.
2. Travel Stroller
We have tried many different strollers over the years. My favorite single strollers to take on the go (airplanes, in the car, at stores, etc.) are the GB Pockit Stroller and the Baby Jogger City Mini.
The GB Pockit Stroller folds up extremely small and even fits into the overhead bin of an airplane. The City Mini has an easy one-hand fold and is small and light, considering how cushioned it is and the storage it has.
The Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller is our favorite travel stroller for two kids.
3. Baby Carrier
A good baby carrier is useful when running errands, getting things done around the house, hiking, traveling through the airport, walking in a crowded place, comforting a fussy baby, etc.
I have tried many baby carriers, and the most comfortable I have found is the original Ergobaby carrier.
We also have the Ergobaby Omni360, which is breathable and allows the baby to face outwards, but I don’t think it is as supportive for me and sometimes rubs/irritates my kids’ legs and arms.
Both Ergobaby carriers work for babies 7-45 pounds.
I always look for secondhand strollers and carriers on Facebook Marketplace or eBay – you can often find great deals for gently used items!
4. Feeding Essentials
Snack Cups or Snackle Box
We love these snack cups for on-the-go.
Silicone Bibs
I always try to bring one silicone bib when we are out and about. They are super easy to clean and the little pouch is clutch for “recycling” all of the food baby/toddler drops.
Face & Hand Wipes
Face & hand wipes always seem to come in handy. 😉 We usually use Water Wipes or the Burt’s Bees Face & Hand wipes.
Sterilizer Bags
These are awesome. All you need is this bag, a little bit of water, and a microwave. You can use one of these bags 20+ times, so you likely only need to bring one if you are going on a trip. I use these to sterilize bottle and pump parts, as well as pacifiers or toys that are dropped on the germy floor while traveling.
Pump Bag
This pump bag has worked well for me. It easily holds my Spectra pump, bottle brush set, extra pump parts, a couple of bottles, charger, hand sanitizer, bottle soap, and sterilizer bag.
*Tip: A pump bag is considered a medical device, so it doesn’t count as a personal item and can be brought along for free when flying. You can bring a diaper bag for baby/toddler for free as well.
*PLUS you can bring breast milk, cow’s milk, formula, and sealed water bottles through airport security if you let personnel know they are for your baby/toddler.
Bottle Brush Set & Soap
This travel bottle brush set is compact and so convenient for washing and drying on the go. We use Babyganics travel bottle soap on the go – it works well and comes in convenient travel-size bottles.
Don’t forget bottles, pump parts, sippy cups, etc. I usually only bring 2-3 bottles and 1-2 sets of pump parts when traveling because I can wash them, sterilize them, and set them out to dry each night.
5. Pacifiers + Pacifier Clip
This is one of our most important baby travel essentials! If your child takes a pacifier, bring a few on your trip so that you always have a backup handy.
Pacifier clips keep the paci handy in the car and off the dirty floor on an airplane or in a public place. Bonus – pacifier clips can double as a chew toy. 🙂
6. Muslin Blanket(s)
I always bring muslin blankets on our trips because they are so versatile.
I have used them as a nursing cover, a light blanket for baby when it is just a little bit chilly, a place for baby to play or be changed, as a burp cloth, a stroller cover, etc.
7. Diaper Changing Pad
We use this portable diaper changing pad all.the.time.
I love that it has a place to keep diapers, wipes, and creams. We have everything we need right in this one little compact bag. I don’t have to dig through the diaper bag for everything and have it all conveniently ready to go.
Bonus: We always try to bring Ziplock bags or a reusable wet bag for clothes that get wet or messy – you know it is bound to happen at the most inconvenient time!
I also like these diaper smell sacks when we are on the go, don’t have a good place to throw out the diaper, and don’t want it stinking up the car or hotel room.
8. Travel Crib or Portable Bassinet
We used the Chicco Lullago Portable Bassinet as the primary sleeping space for our babies for the first 5-6 months of their lives. It’s easy to move around the house and take with us when we travel or visit family.
We have the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib for the older baby/early toddler stage. It is recommended for use from newborn to 3 years. We use this breathable blackout cover over the travel crib.
It is lightweight, easy to fold and unfold, and fits inside a suitcase for air travel. I found ours on Facebook Marketplace for a great price and basically like new!
For our older toddlers, we love this inflatable toddler travel bed. It has worked well for us when we don’t have a bed available for them to sleep in. Plus they think it’s fun to have a “sleepover” on their personal air mattress!
![hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed with Safety Bumpers [4-Sided] |](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P6KZN6pjL._SL500_.jpg)
9. Toddler Potties
We have two on-the-go potty options that we use frequently when we are away from home.
This fold-and-go potty seat is great for use in public restrooms or when visiting people who don’t have toddler-sized toilet seats.
I keep this fold-out travel potty in our car. We use it along the side of the road, at parks, on walks, and other places when my toddler has to go NOW and there isn’t a restroom nearby.
10. Entertainment
Snacks, teethers (for babies), books, magnetic blocks/magnet tins, activity books, shows/movies, the Toniebox and our kids’ current favorite toys (ours go in phases with these – sometimes it’s trucks, superheroes, football guys, etc. – we let them pack a few of their favorites) are some of our best on-the-go entertainment ideas for our babies/toddlers.
11. Sun/Warm Weather Essentials
Sun Hat
We like this sun hat that has a strap for our babies.
I am obsessed with custom name ball caps for my toddlers – they are so stinkin’ cute.
Sunscreen
- We use Sun Bum Mineral or Hello Bello Mineral sunscreen for the whole family.
Beach Bucket Set
Not necessarily a toddler or baby travel essential, but we love this durable and cute sand bucket set!
12. Cold Weather Essentials
“Nice to Have” Travel Products
These are products that have been very useful for us on many of our adventures, but we don’t always bring them with us.
13. Portable Fan
We love this portable fan that easily wraps around the car seat or stroller bars.
14. Travel Booster Chair
We use this all the time. This travel chair is a nice place for your baby/toddler to sit and play, and it doubles as a highchair/booster seat.
We take this with us when we stay with family or stay in a hotel or Airbnb. We also use it if we are grilling out or want to eat outside at home.
The tray can be easily wiped down or put in the dishwasher. The only thing I don’t like about this chair is that the fabric does not come off the chair, so it is hard to get the fabric part clean.
I would love to find a version that has detachable fabric so I could just throw it in the washing machine.
15. Diaper Backpack
We have this diaper backpack, but there are many different versions out there to choose from.
The backpack style keeps you hands-free, which makes juggling baby, luggage, and whatever else you might be holding onto much easier to manage.
16. Pop Up Sun Tent
We have used our pop-up sun tent at the beach, in our yard, at ball games, at National Parks, all over the place.
I had to watch a YouTube video to figure out how to fold it up, but once you get the hang of it, it is super easy and convenient.
The tent is very compact when folded, and when you pop it out, it provides a great place for baby or toddler to play and stay out of the direct sun.
17. Lightweight Carseat
This is the car seat we always take with us if we are flying. It weighs about 12 pounds, so it is easy to carry around.
This car seat is very affordable, works for children from 5-65 pounds, and can be rear or forward-facing.
It is also slim, so most cars can fit 3 of these car seats across and they leave more room for any passengers who are riding next to the child.
18. Car Seat and Stoller Carrying Bags
These carrying bags keep your stroller and car seat safe if you check them for a flight. I especially love the car seat bag because you can carry it on your back quite comfortably.
This stroller bag can be used if you are checking your stroller under the plane or for gate check. Most airlines let you check your car seat and stroller for free.
19. Stroller Sun/Bug Cover
I have used this stroller cover on our infant carrier car seat/stroller combo, our GB Pockit stroller, and our jogging stroller. I
t is very versatile and protects baby/toddler from the sun while still allowing you to see them and allow them to see out.
20. Baby Monitor + Owlet
We used the Owlet foot monitor until our babies are close to one, and it is such a relief for us. We sleep so much better and feel reassured when using the Owlet.
A video monitor is great so you can have “eyes” and “ears” on baby or toddler, but can still be doing what you want to do after they go to bed or while they nap. We use our video monitor on trips and every day/night at home.
We registered for the Infant Optics DRX-8 video monitor and didn’t love it because it would lose signal from our room to our son’s room (probably only 20-30 feet range) and beeped obnoxiously all night every time it lost connection.
Now we have this cheaper dual video monitor that has worked great for us for years. It has good range and has a split-screen and shared sound so you can see and hear two kids in different rooms at once.
⇒ Travel Tip: If you forget your monitor and you are in a pinch, you can always Facetime someone who is with you from your phone and leave your phone near the baby, and watch/listen for the baby from their phone. Make sure the other person mutes their phone so your baby can sleep in peace!
21. Inflatable Duck Tub
This cute little duck tub is not essential, but it is useful if you are staying somewhere that doesn’t have a tub or if your baby is too small to be placed directly in a big bathtub.
Plus it is super cute, and it could also be fun for an older baby or toddler to splash around in if you are going to the beach or pool!
22. Pain Reliever + First Aid Kit
I try to always bring children’s Tylenol or Motrin along just in case – fever, teething, ear troubles on an airplane, etc. We rarely need to use it, but better to be safe than sorry.
I also like to bring a portable first aid kit, especially if we are going to be hiking or doing physical activity.
23. Portable Infant Lounger
Not a necessity, but this portable lounger provides a nice, safe place to set your baby down when out and about and it is easy to transport.
24. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes keep everyone’s clothes organized and separated. These are especially helpful if you are taking a road trip and not staying in one set place the whole time.
25. Disinfecting Wipes or Wet Wipes
On an airplane or other public transportation, at restaurants, really anywhere in public where baby or toddler will be touching and mouthing a million germy things. Enough said.
26. Travel Laundry Bag
This travel laundry bag zips up nice and small but unzips into a pretty large capacity bag. This is great for keeping dirty clothes separate from clean in your bag. Plus it is better for the environment than using the plastic ones the hotels offer (plus those ones always seem to rip and break).
I usually throw this right into the wash with our dirty clothes when we get home from traveling and then zip it back up so it is ready for our next trip.
27. Beach/Picnic Blanket
Our final item on the list of toddler and baby essentials is this tarp-like blanket. It is super affordable and provides a great place for your baby or toddler to play, as well as a place for you to sit while at the beach or park.
If you want something a little thicker, we love this fold-out mat for parks and picnics.
