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Do you know someone who always seems to be going… somewhere? You’ll be watching Instagram Stories and here they come, sitting in an airport lounge or posing at a restaurant that is most certainly not in the city where they live. Whether this person is constantly being shuttled around as a result of their job or is just a true believer in the concept of vacation, you can use the holidays as an opportunity to get them something that will make their life easier and better, no matter where they are in the world.
The best gifts for frequent flyers
Your frequent flyer probably already has luggage they love that suits their lifestyle and needs, so don’t try that as a gift unless you’re sure it’s wanted. You know what they probably don’t have, though? A scale to make sure that luggage is within airline weight requirements. A portable luggage scale is just $10.99 to you, but invaluable to them. Well, maybe you can put a price on its value, since it’s about to save them so much in overweight fees.
Next, let’s talk tech—specifically, charging and storage for tech. Look around an airport sometime. Everyone is 1. on their phone and 2. charging it simultaneously. Save your recipient the hassle of making the impossible choice about whether they should charge their headphones, smart watch, or phone with their one precious outlet and pick up this folding three-in-one charger ($20.34) instead. Or, if they’re an international explorer, try a phone-charging passport holder, like this one from Lovie Style ($43.99). They already need to keep their passport on them, so you can help make it dual-function this way. Plus, it’s pretty unlikely they have one like this already, so it’s a holiday win.
For on the plane itself, I have two suggestions: A PROFezzion magnetic phone mount ($14.99) and the Lavales Bluetooth adapter ($29.99). With these, you guarantee your traveler can be entertained on their flight, no matter what. The phone mount holds a phone up in front of someone, attaching to the seat in front of them, while the adapter enables them to use their own wireless headphones to hear in-flight entertainment.
Finally, consider a Dapper Wrapper ($26.16), a portable tech organizer that rolls up and keeps cords and small devices separate and safe inside a bag—no matter how fast they’re running to make it to their gate.
The best gifts for traveling
Whether on the plane or in a hotel room in a strange new place, your giftee may find sleeping a little troublesome. May I suggest the Muciozy sleep headphones ($22.79)? They are Bluetooth headphones with an attached eye mask, resulting in a very customized sleeping environment.
A few months ago, I got the Tan Fan sleep sack ($46). It’s a silky kind-of sleeping bag that is meant to stop your self tanner from getting all over your sheets at night, and while I use it for that, I also discovered a great dual purpose for it: I took it on a trip with me, where I shamelessly used it not only on the plane, but to separate myself from the sheets at my hotel. I’m not usually a big germ freak, but it was comforting to know that even if the housekeeping staff was feeling lazy that week, I was safe in a personal cocoon I had washed myself. It’s so small and foldable that it was a breeze to pack away. As it turns out, there are all kinds of sleeping bag liners out there if you don’t want to get the one branded for self-tanning. If your recipient stays at hostels or Airbnbs, this could be a real winner.
A travel towel is also a smart buy, especially if your traveler is outdoorsy or stays in accommodations other than hotels. The PackTowel Luxe ($27.69) is small, light, and easy to carry and stow, but still absorbent, so they never have to be wet when they’re on the go.