Travel Accessories for a Safe, Comfortable Journey

Smart Accessory Choices Make Travel Easy

Flying need not be an ordeal. There are now plenty of extras to make you more comfortable, safer and to avoid breaking any of the long list of rules imposed on us travellers. This page is a kicking off point for a wide range of travel accessories. I have organized these into categories, and explained the key choices within each.

Many of the travel accessory types have enough choices to justify their own comparison pages. Those are linked from the listing below. If you would like to see something else covered, then feel free to get in touch (link in the footer!) and let me know.

Types of Travel Accessory

You will find many different products to make travel easier. These accessories are broadly grouped into the following categories.

• Neck Pillows
• Money Belts
• Peace and Quiet (headphones / eye masks)
• Travel Scales
• Bathroom bags / Clear Bags
• Travel Entertainment Options

More Detail on the Most Popular Travel Accessories

#1 Neck Pillows

Trying to sleep on a plane can be a challenge. You just about nod-off, your head rolls to the side and *boom* you are awake again. Neck pillows are a tried and tested solution. You have no doubt seen fellow travellers with these tied to their hand luggage.

There are a lot of choices these days. Solid, memory-foam, inflatable – and even pillows with hoods or elastic to attach to the headrest can be found. There are branded travel neck pillows, cheaper no-brand models and even pillows with unique designs.

If you have not tried one, then borrow one or get a cheap version to try the idea out. For most people, once is enough and that neck pillow will be your travel companion from that point on!

Here are the best-selling models for different budgets:

The Trtl Neck Support Pillow: This is not only a best-seller, it is an amazing pillow. The secret is that it is small, folding away into an almost flat package – and weighing in at only 148 grams. You wear it like a turtle-neck sweater (which explains the name). Inside is a flexible and firm neck support, which allows your head to be supported to the side.

You can see how it works in the picture gallery over at amazon.co.uk. I also recommend scanning the comments from previous buyers, there are a lot of people who are very positive on this pillow.

Click Here to Check the TRTL Scientifically Proven Travel Pillow

The BCozzy Chin Support Travel Pillow: Neck support is one thing, though for that extra comfortable in-flight snooze, you should seriously consider supporting your chin as well. The BCozzy Chin Supporting Travel Pillow is a best-seller, and for good reasons. It has a clever design. You can wrap it under your chin, meaning no more risk of your head tipping forward – interrupting that pleasant slumber.

There are adult and child sizes, and a lot of different colours to choose from. You can even get them in pairs to cover the whole family. I recommend checking the gallery, which shows the different positions you can use this pillow in.

BCozzy Chin Supporting Travel Pillow Amazon.co.uk Page

Regular Travel Pillows: If you prefer to avoid the innovations, and go with a tried and trusted ‘U’ shaped pillow, then you have a lot of choices! I recommend you check for washability, a clip to attach your pillow to your hand luggage, and a pillow with a reputation for durability.

#2 Accessories for Travel Security

Travel security is not only important while in transit. You also need to take care of your money, documents and credit cards while at the beach or in foreign cities. Since most thefts are spur of the moment, it does not take too much effort to keep your valuables safe.

Under clothes money belts, which strap around your waist, are the most popular solution. You can find versions which are built to be comfortable, and even have multiple pockets to keep things organized. Examples include the popular Mountflow Money Belt.

You can also consider neck pouches. If you are at the beach, then a waterproof tube type can be used to keep your cash safe and dry when you go for a swim.

It is possible to add a security level to your main luggage. There are covers for your case while in transit. You can also buy luggage straps with their own combination locks. These go a long way to avoiding opportunistic thefts.

#3 Peace and Quiet While Travelling

If you fly often enough, that ‘family from hell’ are bound to sit near you at some point. Preparation is key, and there are plenty of solutions out there for those who can’t quite stretch to the latest noise-cancelling technology.

In addition, headphones, eye masks are on the ‘must pack’ list for many experienced travellers. You won’t need to invest much to have a quality mask… and it can be a real boon those times that kid in the seat next to you insists on having the window blind up to look at the clouds.

Check out these cool and comfortable eye masks from Bedtime Bliss.

#4 Travel Scales

There is a work around for weighing your luggage. This involves weighing yourself on bathroom scale, and then weighing yourself while holding your luggage. Some simple subtraction will show you the difference (and the weight of your case).

Of course, for a small amount of money you can get a travel scale set, which is a lot less trouble. These work in the same way that fishing scales do. There is a hook, and you simply lift your luggage with this and the weight (usually in kilograms) is displayed. This can also save a lot of effort at the airport with having to unpack items due to being over the 20kg or 23kg limit.

The best-selling travel scales are this compact (and great value) model from Freetoo, a problem solved at a very small price!

#5 Bathroom Bags (and Clear Customs Bags)

Two things to cover here. Bathroom bags that you check in, and those clear ones for your hand luggage that UK customs insist on.

If you thought that bathroom bags were all the same, then you are a long way behind the times! These have evolved to be a lot more organized than at any time in the past. Many of them are also able to hang up – great for the limited space in hotel bathrooms.

One thing I look for is that a bag is leak proof. The changes in air pressure while flying can lead to leaks. It is bad enough having your toiletries covered, without the potential nightmare of having your clothes covered too.

Clear zip-lock bags can be bought 10 at a time. Having a store like this will last for a good few years, and will save you a lot of hassle the night before you fly looking for a clear bag to get your must-haves through the security check.

#6 – Travel Entertainment Options

This topic is broad enough to be covered in several articles (for kids, adults and one focused specifically on gadgets).