The Best Accessories For Plane Travel

We have long awaited the return to air travel and the holidays are a nice time to help friends and family refresh their travel game with the best accessories for life at 30,000 feet. The options are many—chargers that fit in your wallet, thermo-regulating eye masks, and carry-on bags that glide over any surface—hese are the gifts that will keep your traveling loved ones warm, comfortable and prepared for anything.

The Best Rolling Bag

Briggs & Riley Sympatico Carry On: The Briggs & Riley bags are sleek, good-looking suticases—which for some travelers is enough, but I love their lightweight durability and the ease with which they move over any surface. That mobility comes from a proprietary ball bearing double spinner wheel which is what makes this bag glide like butter over just about any surface. It’s also a lightweight bag, perfect for the hard-core never-check-a-bag traveler who needs to lift it into an overhead bin time after time. The hardside case also expands and has a built-in TSA-friendly combination lock combined with and a power source on the back of the bag allows for a pass-through USB cord for on-the-go charging. $599.00

The Best Personal Item (backpack)

Gregory Backpack Resin 25L: This Gregory pack is made from recycled materials and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Durable, smart-looking and designed for routine travel with a padded 15 inch laptop pocket—and it’s weatherproof. It’s very lightweight, easy to use and holds a substantial amount of things (you can easily stuff a wallet, book, coat and other travel supplies into the main cavity).  The only caveat with this pack, and with almost all of the ones tested, is that the interior color is often too dark, making smaller items disappear and harder to find. $109.95

Healthy Socks

Compression Stockings: Somewhere in the USA there is a humanely raised sheep who donated his/her wooly coat to the cause of better health on the airplane. Indeed, the compression sock is the one single item that can have a dramatic effect on how you feel at the end of a long trip. They are tight fitting socks that apply gentle pressure to your foot and up your calf in order to maintain stable blood flow (preventing clots, tired legs and swollen feet), and they do make you feel a bit perkier and less sluggish. Thanks to brands like Sockwell (and a few naked sheep), we don’t have to look like we walked out of the medical supply store when we wear them.

Tech Support

The Charge Card: This Portable charger is just a bit thicker than a credit card, slim enough to squish into the credit card sleeve of your wallet. Capable of charging both iPhones and Androids, and it can even charge iPads, Kindles, speakers, and headphones with its micro-USB cable. Notes, these cables do not fit in your wallet—so there is a bit of light packing that needs to happen for those additional items. A portable charger is a critical item in long-haul travel these days, as your phone is often needed for showing proof of vaccination, covid test results and passenger locater forms: best not to be surprised with a dead battery while in the immigration line.

Sleep and Comfort Support:

Sugarbear Sleep Vitamins: Sleep assistance on a long flight is essential and this tasty gummie blend of Melatonin Lemon Balm Leaf, Passion Flower, Valerian Root, and 5-HTP (hydroxytrytophan extract—which increases serotonin levels), will nudge you off to sleep within about 30 minutes. They don’t leave you feeling sedated when it’s time to wake up so you can be on your game for customs and immigration. $29.99

Away Travel Neck Pillow:

Part of any solid sleep routine on an airplane is a serious neck pillow. This is one item you want to splurge on a bit—and this one from Away has a main string that goes all the way through the interior, and elastic strings on both sides for ideal height adjustment—you really need the pillow to wrap around your neck or you’ll be waking up throughout the flight adjusting it. It also boasts a thermos-regulating fabric to keep you hot or cool, and it unfolds into a flat shape for easy storage. $55

Athleta Pranyaama Wrap: Stylish and sensible, this wrap has deep side pockets and a perfet mid-weight texture for keeping warm on the long haul flights. I tucked my eyeglasses into a pocket and pulled the wrap across my torso. , the wide banded neck line and collar easily roll up to cover your neck as well. Made from sustainable Tencel Modal and Spandex; easy machine wash and dry. $89

Coolibar Sanibel Everyday Beach Shawl: Travel pro’s often pack a towel or wrap to work as a blanket on a chilly airplane or as a floor mat when it looks like you’ll be delayed for hours. This one has the nice added touch of fabric sunscreen so, if after arrival, you find yourself out and about waiting on a taxi, bus or train, it will be nice to have some sun protection. $34