11 Essential Baby Travel Gear
Traveling with a baby? It’s not so stressful if you have the right items. Check out our essential and portable baby travel gear that you need.
Oh, the good ole days of sharing one carry-on suitcase between the two of us. Those travel days are loonnnggg gone!
Our luggage triples whenever the kids are added to the itinerary. We previously discussed our tips for traveling with a baby and the travel documents needed for flying with a baby.
Trust us. We never regret taking them along! It really isn’t so painful if you also have the right travel gear.
Be warned. You will need a lot, BUT thankfully, most of these items can be checked in for free!
You can go down a rabbit hole researching all the baby travel gear out there so we put together a list of the game-changing gear you’ll need (and most importantly, what you should leave at home)…
Essential Baby Travel Gear
1 — Sleep Sack
Planes are always freezing cold, and babies can lose heat as much as four times more quickly than adults!
The Halo SleepSack keeps your baby snuggled and zipped up so that you don’t have to worry about a blanket falling off or being kicked off.
Choose from different fabrics (like cotton, organic cotton, muslin, or micro-fleece) depending on your travel climate.
2 — Disposable Diaper Sacks
We mentioned the Sassy Baby Disposable Sacks before as an essential airplane carry-on. They’re also pretty much a necessity throughout the entirety of our vacations.
In an ideal parent world, all hotel rooms would be equipped with a Diaper Genie (or at least covered trash bins). We’re hypersensitive to stinky poopy diapers.
Thankfully, the Sassy Sacks control any odor issues with its powder scent. The disposable sacks also seal in the wetness and bacteria from soiled diapers.
We always keep a few in the car just in case we have to resort to backseat diaper changes too!
3 — Baby Carrier
New faces! New noises! It can be overwhelming and overstimulating for babies when they’re in a new place (especially at the airport). Sometimes they don’t want to be in the stroller.
No matter how old they are, they will want you close by and that’s okay because they’re just scared. In those situations, a baby carrier is a lifesaver because it allows your hands to remain free.
Two carriers tie for our top pick: the Sakura Bloom Onbuhimo (which we packed for our London trip when Baby Gwen) and ERGObaby Omni 360 Carrier
The Sakura Bloom, a local line crafted in San Diego is seriously the softest, made of hand-dyed linen and Italian leather.
The carrier supports babies 15-35 lbs and can be worn in the front and back. We wanted something pretty yet functional since we knew there would be a lot of walking in London.
If you have a very mobile baby, and plan on hiking or being outdoors most of the time, we recommend the more “sportier” ERGObaby Omni Carrier.
You can carry your little one in four different ways with the ERGO: front-inward, front-outward, on your hip, or back.
There’s even a UPF 50+ sun shield hood for naps or privacy while nursing on the go. Bonus: it’s sturdy enough for newborns to age three (up to 45-lbs) with its built-in lumbar support.
4 — Insulated Bag
Just like adults, babies get hangry and the last thing you want is a meltdown. The PackIt Freezable Bag can transition into a bottle bag, snack bag, and then lunch bag as your baby ages.
Bonus: Its built-in freezer gel walls eliminate the need for an ice pack. It also collapses for easy freezer storage. Plus, we’re digging the unicorn print.
5 — Car Seat Cover
Car seats need to be checked in so you’ll need a cover to keep it clean. The JL Childress Car Seat Travel Bag is bulkier than others, BUT that’s because it’s fully padded for full protection.
For safety concerns, you wouldn’t want cracks or damage to the seat. They’re expensive to replace! This water-repellent cover also has backpack straps.
If you still wanna take the risk for a smaller and slimmer option, check out the JL Childress Car Seat Gate Check Bag
6 — Travel High Chair
Warning: If you are traveling internationally, high chairs are not the norm in restaurants. You can sit and feed your baby in your lap, but is that really enjoyable for either of you?
We like the My Little Seat Travel High Chair because you can literally throw it in your purse. It’s machine washable with a 5-point harness.
Even if you’re not traveling, it’s handy having the high chair stored in your car, especially if you’re having dinner at a baby-free home.
7 — Umbrella Stroller
Yes, you can check in a stroller for free. However, we’ve seen enough rough manhandling of airline baggage to trust that our stroller will not be damaged by the time we reach our destination.
We just purchased the Babyzen YOYO Stroller for Gwen. It was a big investment, but we travel a lot with her and needed something very lightweight (16-lbs) and compact.
It fits in the overhead compartment too so you never have to check it in!
Another selling factor for us was that the YOYO reclines so Gwen can take her afternoon nap while we still get to sightsee.
The under-seat storage basket is bigger than most umbrella strollers, and there’s a storage travel bag for the stroller when it’s not being used.
Our budget-friendly alternate pick: The gb Pockit Stroller holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s smallest compact stroller and only weighs 9.5-lbs! Like the YOYO, the Pockit also fits into the overhead compartment.
Watch the demo here to see how it folds down to the size of a handbag! Keep in mind that it’s not as sturdy as the YOYO, and the canopy and storage space are much smaller.
8 — Travel Crib
Most hotels offer a complimentary crib by request. If you do need one, we love the Guava Lotus Travel Crib . It’s lightweight (13-lbs) and converts into a comfortable backpack.
Tip: All US domestic airlines allow a free crib check-in at the ticket counter. Check with international carriers about their policy prior to traveling.
Our budget-friendly alternate pick: the Dream On Me Travel Light Playard
9 — Changing Pad
Dread public restrooms? We’re germaphobes so we carry a changing pad everywhere. Our travels (and even everyday outings) opened our eyes to the lack of changing tables available.
We’ve used a bench, the trunk of our rental car, and even changed a poopy diaper on the floor! It sounds totally gross but not if you have a pad. And even if there is a changing table, we still lay out the pad for safe measures.
The Storq Diaper Kit makes the unpleasant task look pleasant. No one will ever notice that you are carrying around a changing pad! Even when Gwen transitions out of diapers (which would make us soo happy), we plan on using the kit as a clutch.
The bag includes a padded changing mat, wipe pouch, pockets for your rash cream, and an extra change of clothes.
Second contender: If you have a squirmy baby that rolls around and touches everything, the SnoofyBee Portable Clean Hands Changing Pad has a barrier with rings for toy attachments.
10 — Travel Bottler Brush & Drying Rack
Baby bottles, sippy cups, breast pump pieces. Cleaning up baby feeding accessories is our dreaded chore. There are nooks and crannies that can’t be reached with a simple rinse and dry.
We love our Boon Trip Travel Rack because it’s a sanitary solution for drying and cleaning on the go. It’s small enough to fit in our diaper bag and features a dual-ended brush with a nipple cleaner for those hard-to-reach areas.
It’s small enough to fit in our diaper bag and features a dual-ended brush with a nipple cleaner for those hard-to-reach areas. It’s also compact enough to fit in your diaper bag.
Don’t forget your bottle and dish soap too!
11 — Wet/Dry Bag
Wanna know what’s worst than a diaper blowout? Dealing with one in public and then realizing you don’t have anything to hold your baby’s soiled clothes.
It’s a crappy situation to be in (pun intended). We wish we could say that this is a horror story passed along to us, but in actuality, we’ve experienced this first-hand (without a bag).
Wet bags hold and separate your dirty and clean clothes. They’re also waterproof, leak-proof, and eco-friendly. When your baby transitions out of diapers, wet bags come in handy for beach trips or even for the gym.
If you haven’t noticed already, we are all about buying baby gear with a long lifespan use! Our top pick goes to the BAGGU 3d Zip Bag Set. They’re multi-use bags so we have a couple to also organize our suitcase.
Honorable mention: The Alvababy Wet/Dry Bag features two compartments specifically made to separate dirty diapers and clothes.
What to Leave Behind
Bulky stroller
Do you really want to lug around your everyday 40-lb stroller?
Baby travel utensils
Don’t worry. Your baby will survive being fed with adult utensils.
Noise machine
We hope whoever invented the noise machine is living large in the Bahamas with their pina coladas because that is the best parent survival invention ever. That being said, there are now apps and even YouTube videos to stream hours of white noise.
Toys
Besides a few airplane toys, leave the big toys behind because everything will be new and therefore, entertaining to the baby.
And now you’re set! Good luck with your travels. If you have any baby travel gear that has worked (or not worked) for you, please feel free to share! It always seems like we learn something new every day when it comes to this parenting gig.
Our Family Travels
And now that you’ve purchased all your portable baby travel gear, you are all set for your family adventures.
We know traveling with kids can seem overwhelming, but it’s so doable and the memories made are priceless.
Check out some of our family travels below —
- A Family Friendly Resort at Turks and Caicos
- British Isles Cruise with Family
- Family Friends Trip to Scottsdale
- Magnolia Market Travel Guide
Other Parenting Reads
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