Best Gifts for Travelers

A pocket-sized 10,000mAh battery pack — roughly two phone charges — with Anker's 18-month warranty.

The problem this solves is the worst thing that happens on a trip: a dead phone when the phone is the map, the ticket, the translator and the way home. Ten thousand milliamp-hours is roughly two phone charges, and it is small enough to live in a bag permanently rather than being packed deliberately. Anker's support and warranty are the reason to pay above the cheapest option. It must travel in hand luggage rather than checked.

A set of zippered, mesh-topped fabric cubes that divide a suitcase into sections.

Unglamorous and the most-used gift on this page. Cubes divide a case into sections, so unpacking at a hotel is a two-minute job and clean clothes stay separate from laundry. The mesh tops mean contents are visible without opening anything. One set covers years of trips. Zippers are the first thing to fail on budget sets, so buy a reputable one.

One adapter covering most of the world's socket types, with several USB ports and a USB-C output.

One item that replaces the drawer of country-specific plugs every traveler accumulates, with several USB ports so the whole family charges from one socket. It works out of the box with no research into plug types. One thing to be clear about: it is an adapter, not a voltage converter, so high-draw appliances still need care. It is also bulky in a socket behind a hotel bed.

A coin-sized tracker that reports its location through the Find My network of nearby Apple devices.

The gift frequent flyers mention to other people, because the first time an airline loses a bag and they can see exactly which airport it is sitting in, they remember who gave it to them. A year-long replaceable battery and no subscription. It needs an iPhone or iPad to set up and use, which is a hard condition, and a holder or keyring has to be bought separately.

A scarf-shaped travel pillow with an internal support that holds the head to one side instead of cradling the neck.

Standard U-shaped travel pillows do not hold a head up once someone is actually asleep, which is the whole problem. This is a scarf-shaped support that holds the head to one side instead of cradling the neck, and it packs far flatter than an inflatable or a foam ring. The cover is machine washable. It looks unusual, which genuinely puts some people off.

Reusable silicone earplugs with interchangeable tips, in a small carry case.

Cheap, small and mentioned for years by the people who receive them. Reusable silicone earplugs with interchangeable tips and a case that keeps them findable rather than lost in a bag, which is where foam plugs go. Useful on flights, in thin-walled hotels and against a snoring travel companion. Tip sizing takes some trial and error.

A structured wash bag with internal pockets and a hook, so it hangs on a bathroom door or rail.

The hook is the feature. Hotel bathrooms are short on counter space, and a bag that hangs on the door or a rail keeps everything visible and off a wet surface. The wipe-clean lining contains a leak rather than letting it ruin a bag. It is bulkier than a flat pouch, so it is the wrong gift for someone who travels with a toothbrush and nothing else.

A small, well-organized daypack that also clips onto larger Osprey packs, covered by Osprey's lifetime guarantee.

Not luggage — a day bag, which is the bag people actually lack. Osprey repairs or replaces it for life, it carries comfortably when loaded unlike a tote, and it is small enough to count as a personal item on a flight. It also clips onto larger Osprey packs. Not big enough as a sole travel bag, which is the point rather than a flaw.

A leather folio holding a passport, boarding passes, cards, currency and a micro pen.

Solves the real cause of airport stress, which is documents distributed across four pockets. Passport, boarding passes, cards, currency and a micro pen in one leather folio, and it holds more than one passport so it works for a couple or a family. The leather looks better after a few trips. Only useful to someone who flies genuinely regularly.