22 Lightweight Travel Products That Also Won't Take Up A Lot Of Room In Your Carry

May 26, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Bring every book on your list and your whole skincare routine, and have it all fit neatly into your carry-on.

BuzzFeed Staff

I recently bought a Kindle and it has, no exaggeration, revolutionized my life. I love mine for so many reasons — it's truly helped me incorporate my love of reading into my often hectic life, and all my titles literally live inside of this half-pound wonder gadget, so I can switch between books super easily. For traveling, this is a literal dream. I don't have to pick between titles and then regret the entire trip that I didn't bring the one I left at home — and, as any book lover knows, traveling with books is heavy as hell, and the Kindle literally completely eliminates that weight. Traveling will never be the same for me. BTW, I am also obsessed with the Libby app, which allows you to check out e-books from your local library on your Kindle!! My inner child is *screaming* with joy.

Promising review: "I LOVE reading and being able to access a book anywhere with this thing. It is easy to navigate, very easy to read and adjust the brightness or how warm the light is. It doesn't auto adjust, but I don't need that feature. I've read in bright sunlight to dark rooms, and it's always been so clear. You can adjust the font and use the library to search whatever books you want. Makes packing books for traveling very easy. Battery life lasts me two weeks if I'm reading every day for a few hours. You have to have internet and it only shows books. This is not a tablet to surf the internet or use other apps on." —R@L0

Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in 8GB and 16GB sizes and three colors).

Promising review: "Must-have traveling accessory. Best way to pack a suitcase! I’ll never go back to stuffing everything in on its own. These compartments held way more than I imagined and kept me organized. I will definitely add more to my collection. Makes a great gift for frequent travelers too!" —Lisa

Get them from Amazon for $18.95+ (available in ten styles and in packs of two, three, or six).

Promising review: "You can totally fit three pairs of shoes in this! (Size 6.5 female shoe, fit heels, wedges, and sandals.) I bought two and will absolutely be buying more for my husband. 10/10 would recommend! I travel frequently, and I always overpack; this helped cut down space and stress immensely!" —Taylor

Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in nine colors and patterns).

These work best with hand-washing!

Promising review: "This came SO in handy during my vacation to Europe! I was making lots of different stops to places with different types of weather. With these laundry soap sheets I was able to wash my clothes in the sink — letting me pack just the right amount of clothes for all the different places I went." —Katie Fujarski

Get a pack of 50 from Amazon for $12.50.

Promising review: "Best jewelry travel pouch ever. Plenty of room for all my travel jewelry needs. Half the size of previous pouches I have tried and holds more than any of them." —T Rex Mom

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in two sizes and nine colors).

Promising review: "My husband and I travel a lot and take a number of prescription drugs. It was always a hassle accessing our medication when needed, so I purchased this organizer to make things easier. I used a label maker and labeled each little compartment and it has performed wonderfully. I highly recommend this organizer to anyone who travels and needs medications throughout the day." —Jacqueline

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $7.97.

Check out a TikTok of the portable charger in action.

Promising review: "iPhone users rejoice. This was the only portable charger I could find on the market that did not require a lightening adapter to charge an Apple product! I bought this for my fiancé since he spends long days on movie sets. This has been a life saver. It charges fast and you get more than one charge out of it. This would be great for travel, long work days, bad service areas (eats up battery faster), or older phones whose battery isn’t that great (this worked on his iPhone 7 and my iPhone XR). It may require you to remove your phone case, but that’s an easy accommodation. Highly recommend!" —Kelly Schuetz

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three colors).

Promising review: "I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra long haul trip and it more than held up the entire duration. I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table. It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers. However, I find myself using it a lot outside of travel too! Work-wise, I've clamped it onto my office desk shelving to hold my phone at eye level beside my computer. At home, I simply clamped it to a deck of cards and it turns into a versatile stand that I can place on any flat surface. Heck, I've been using it to hold my phone comfortably at eye level while watching videos in bed. It's extremely well-built and I find myself fidgeting with it all the time. Thus far it still feels solid and I don't anticipate breaking it any time soon. Even if it does break, I'll be happy to buy another one or two of it!" —Earendil

Perilogics is a small biz that specializes in tech-oriented travel products and backpacks.

Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in three colors).

*Plus,* decanting your creams and liquids into these babies will free up space in your carry-on and spare you weight.

PS: It also comes with pre-printed labels and a handy, clear zipper pouch!

Promising review: "Just took a trip to the Dominican Republic and used carry-on luggage only throughout the entire trip, never once was questioned about the size. The bag they are in seems thin but it worked great to put bottles back in as well as some smaller items fit in the bag too, like lip gloss, mascara, and such. The holes are big enough to get your product in to the bottles without any complications. My fiancé and myself had plenty of shampoo, conditioner, sunblock and lotion for seven days. Highly recommend these bottles, they are perfect for carry-ons!!" —Stephanie Miller

Get a set of four 3-ounce bottles from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in a variety of sizes and colors).

Promising review: "We travel frequently and have two children. As any parent knows, packing for yourself and your children can be overwhelming (especially for a trip longer than a few days). I have found this list to be a lifesaver and I also give it as a gift for other traveling families. It is easy to plan, organize, and list out items that are easily forgotten. You can also list the quantity of each item needed. It has a variety of clothing options and space to add more. Overall, wonderful purchase and has likely saved me many forgotten items!" —I-really-bought-this

Get it from Amazon for $7+ (available in three styles).

It also easily attaches to backpacks and luggage handles (see the photo on the right), weighs less than half a pound, and is machine washable!

Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in four colors).

It comes with one handle and five blade refills!

Promising review: "I got this for a vacation and it was great! The little carrying container is awesome, and keeps you from having a weird, loose razor floating around in your suitcase. Plus the heads are the same as a regular-sized razor, so you can keep using it when that one is worn out!" —Tegan H

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jasmin Sandal has this and loves it: "I didn't realize I'd ever use a makeup product in my 20s that had the ability to transport me back to something I used in sixth grade, but here we are; and here I am using a multitool pen... for my face. I gotta say, I love the concept of the Pen Pal from Alleyoop! After using all of the functions (eyeliner, highlighter, lip liner, eyebrow pencil) and as someone who LOVES makeup but was applying as little as humanly possible during lockdown, I think it’s a great tool for anyone looking to streamline their routine. It's ideal to use for touch-ups come the end of the work day, or a subtle, minimalist way to apply makeup in the a.m. The brow pencil is particularly soft and pigmented, and filled in my eyebrows quickly. I just adore the ease of application of each product, and appreciate the universal, does-it-all-for-you concept. Plus, it saves me so much room in my already overflowing makeup bag!"

Promising review: "The only product you'll ever need. I absolutely LOVE the Pen Pal, especially for travel. It's so nice and convenient to have a tool for brows, highlighter, bronzing, eyeliner, and lip liner all in one. Sometimes you have to "warm up" the liner a little bit on your skin but it's so smooth and pigmented." —theshirshow

Alleyoop is a woman-owned small biz that makes in easy-to-use, time- and space-saving products with multiple uses to simplify your beauty routine.

Get it from Amazon or Alleyoop for $25 (available in three shades).

Promising review: "The best thing for traveling ever!! I have to have espresso every morning and most small hotels and gas stations don't have espresso coffee so this is perfect! Easy to use. The cleaning takes 30 seconds; just rinse with water and let it dry." —Joanna Verdeja

Get it from Amazon for $54.90 (and here are some Nespresso pods to go with it).

Psst: It also has a sleeve that allows it to slide onto the handle of your wheeled luggage!

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Emma McAnaw owns this very bag and raves about it: "I use this every time I travel — and I never, I mean NEVER, check bags. I even took this with me to Amsterdam and easily packed about four sweaters, DOC MARTENS, and all my undies and toiletries. To be fair, I wore the same pants for four days (I am cheap, guys), but I never felt like I needed more space. And yes — even Spirit lets me take this."

Promising review: "LOVE this bag!! It's the perfect size for me. Fits perfectly under an airplane seat and has ample room for all my carry-on stuff/ simple weekend getaway. I also love how it slides onto my roller bag. Did I mention that I get LOTS of compliments on it, too??" —ChicagoJM

Get it from Nordstrom for $215 (available in two colors).

It's also microwave-safe! Note that the 12-ounce size does not include a straw, but both the 16-ounce and 24-ounce sizes do.

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Danielle Healy has this and loves it. She writes: "This is of the first zero-waste swaps I made and I've never looked back. If you buy to-go coffee – whether you're jet-setting or just grabbing a mid-day pick-me-up — this cup is a must-have. So long as you remember to bring it, it's all the convenience of to-go coffee with none of the waste. It's leakproof and, when you're all done, it collapses down teeny tiny and can be tossed back in your bag. Oh! And it comes with a straw, so all you iced coffee lovers can get in on the action, too."

Stojo is a small biz founded by three New York dads who wanted a better way to get their convenient coffee fix without all the waste. Now they make stylish collapsible essentials in a variety of sizes and colors, including bottles and food storage containers.

Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in four sizes and in 24 colors).

Promising review: "Works like a charm! So...of course the day I get my hair done, an unexpected torrential downpour occurs and I have NO umbrella. But...I DID have my Hairbrella in my bag! This was the 1st time I would get to try it out since I purchased it so I was REALLY hoping it would live up to its hype. I loosely pinned my hair up with a few bobby pins, secured that sucka in place and took off! While I looked like I just exited a dunk tank after my valiant sprint to my car, my hair was BONE DRY!!! 🙌🏾 Not a drop of moisture hit my hair. Hairbrella is the TRUTH!!!" —Lina

Hairbrella is a Black-owned small business that specializes in hats that protect hair from all kinds of weather.

Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (available in five colors).

Promising review: "This is incredible! I can't believe how well this works! I travel a lot for work and usually take makeup remover wipes because of the liquid restrictions for travel, but they are expensive and heavy. I have been using this cloth all week and LOVE IT! A bit of warm water and everything comes off in a few easy swipes. I am super excited to travel with this. It weighs nothing and rolls up to take very little space. I am ordering another for my mom who also travels. Highly recommend!" —KT

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in seven colors and in packs of two).

Promising review: "This product works great and the three-pack is a good deal, whether you want to label each one for a specific use or share with members of the family. It is easy to use and doesn't take long to dry. I keep one in my purse and of course it is a must-have when traveling." —DeeNicole

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $7.88.

Promising review: "I’m being honest when I tell you this is the most 'worth-it' top around. I read a review from some frequent flyer who claims this is her go-to for flying. She said aside from the top’s flexibility – which allows much less packing as the top itself looks and behaves like four shirts and a jacket – it’s a savior on planes because it allows you to get into a usually overheated plane, and to weather the transition to iceberg that happens about twenty minutes into most flights, and it holds its shape and looks great. I was skeptical, as I do not have the money to blow on someone else’s opinion, but my husband told me to try it as I have the same issues with temps. Long story short, I got it. It’s a gorgeous fabric despite my usually hating the ribbed thing. It’s nice. REALLY nice. Yes, it’s extraordinarily flexible, and yes, it’s like a jacket,. There is a travel shirt Santa Claus. Ordering in the off-white now. Glad I read the article, and glad I bought the shirt. You should too." —Mary B.

Hackwith Design House is a woman-owned small business that creates made-to-order apparel. This shirt can be worn as a V-neck, off-the-shoulder, boatneck, V-back, and even open as a jacket.

Get it from Hackwith Design House for $145 (available in women's sizes XS–4X and in five colors).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly brought this on an international trip and loved it: "I first bought this for a weeklong Croatian vacation last year when I did carry-on, and as long as you are *thoroughly* reapplying, this stuff stays on pretty well. On a beach club afternoon, I did haphazardly reapply and missed a strip on one arm, but I tend to do that with spray-on or lotion sunscreen, too. Since then, I've packed this for any trip I've been on, including a two-day Disneyland trip where I toted this around in my bag and shared with friends. I sometimes carry it with me in my purse on my everyday adventures because I know it's so easy to apply. Also worth mentioning...I am about the palest lady you've ever seen and swear by daily application of sunscreen. But when on a beach trip, I'm constantly swimming in the water and sweating. So yeah, this stuff works. And if you're a bit hesitant about jumping on the solid sunscreen bandwagon, you can pack a stick of this, knowing you have enough sun protection to get you through to finding some spray-on or lotion SPF at your destination."

Get it from Amazon for $10.97.

Promising review: "Wore this belt on a recent 10-day trip, with several hundred dollars neatly folded in its full-length zippered pocket. The bills (USD) had to be folded lengthwise, in thirds, and for practical reasons, in stacks of 4–5 (or less). My belt had room for four such stacks, so theoretically $2,000 could be comfortably carried in complete concealment. The nylon buckle was perfectly adequate for its purpose, and nothing about the belt would indicate its hidden purpose. Well worth it." —Tony B.

Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available for pant sizes 20"–50" and in seven styles).