Some people travel for a living, jet-setting to different cities for business; others just have an insatiable hunger to explore, taking any spare weekend and vacation day to see someplace new. In either case, the best holiday gifts for travelers need to meet a certain criteria. They need to be durable, sleek, and versatile for quick jaunts and long-haul trips.
We gathered up a long list of the best holiday gifts for travelers to splurge on this season. From dopp kits and duffel bags to earbuds and comfy pants, this holiday roundup is ready for takeoff.
Best Holiday Gifts for Compulsive Travelers
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1. Troubadour Buddy Case
Cords, plugs, pens, batteries, more cords…it doesn’t matter if you’re going to the Caribbean or a conference, traveling requires a lot of accessories. Fortunately, Troubadour’s Buddy Case can wrangle all the extraneous essentials you can’t leave at home. A full clam shell opening gives easy access to the cord and plug sleeves, a dedicated pen pocket, and dual expandable elastic pockets for larger items so you’ll have no trouble finding what you need. An exterior pocket can fit a phone, slim wallet, and also has a magnetic closure.
[$80; troubadourgoods.com]
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2. Peak Design Small Wash Pouch
Dopp kits are easy to find, but Peak Design’s Small Wash Pouch (little brother to the popular Wash Pouch) takes bathroom organization to the next level. The compact package has four mesh dividers inside (silicone-coated for easy clean up) that make four storage spots; there’s also a toothbrush pocket that closes magnetically, and an interior zip pocket for other small items. It’ll stand up by itself on the counter and has a hidden aluminum hook for hanging. It has a small footprint compared to most dopp kits, and boasts an outer shell made from recycled nylon that’s waterproof and carbon-neutral.
[$50; peakdesign.com]
3. Matador Freerain22 Backpack
Spontaneous adventures are why you travel, right? Stash this stealthy, waterproof backpack in your luggage and you’ll be ready for an all-day romp around the city or a sunrise summit hike. The 22 liters of space is perfect for a day hike and it earns bonus points for packing into a stash pouch.
[$100; matadorup.com]
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4. Filson Oil Finish Excursion Bag
Carrying the Excursion Bag is as much about style as it is substance. The tan waxed canvas looks great out of the gate, but only looks better the more miles it sees; same for the bag’s leather handles and accents. But the duffel is more than just a pretty face. It’s water resistant and has an expandable nylon pocket to keep dirty clothes separate from clean ones. The 44-liter capacity is plenty big for a weekend trip, while still fitting within most overhead bins.
[$395; filson.com]
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5. Boundary Supply Arris Travel Backpack
There’s no shortage of travel-centric backpacks on the market, but Boundary Supply sets the Arris apart with thoughtful detailing. The 35-liter pack is big enough to hold all your gear for a weekend trip, and is made from durable, water-resistant 400 denier nylon. It features a fully customizable harness system that can adjust to your torso size and length. A 360-lashpoint system lets you tailor how you attach gear to the outside of the bag, while also accepting Boundary Supply’s modular accessory packs so you can expand what you carry. Two exterior zippers have capacity for things like books, sunglasses, and a power bank, while an exterior water bottle pocket can accomodate a chunky Nalgene bottle. Unzip the clamshell opening and you’ll have full access to the interior of the bag, which has plenty of room for clothes and shoes, but also a stretchy mesh divider with interior pockets for organization. The bag also comes with a 10-liter dry bag to keep your dirty clothes separate. Grab handles on all sides and a luggage handle pass-through round out the travel-centric features of the Arris, which is also overhead bin compatible.
[$399; boundarysupply.com]
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6. Samsara Grand Carry-On
The secret sauce of Samsara Grand? It’s not just one ingredient, but a medley: A tough polycarbonate shell and aluminum frame protects what’s inside; striking, modern design differentiates the carry-on from a sea of carbon copies; 360-degree spinner wheels makes it easy navigate; and its flat top doubles as a traveling workstation. But the coolest detail is the fact it comes with an Apple AirTag and a special slot to slip it in so you can use the Find My iPhone feature to locate your luggage if it gets lost or stolen. If you or your giftee is a fan of magenta—which happens to be the 2023 Pantone color of the year—and you need wireless charging, check out the brand’s special T-Mobile collab called the Un-carrier On.
[$395; samsaraluggage.com]
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7. Thule Aion Spinner
If hardcase spinner luggage is a little too rigid and bulky for your travel tastes, take a look at the new Thule Aion. It combines the flexible durability of a duffel bag with the ease of transport of a four-wheeled carry-on. Neat features include a removable compression packing cube (which doubles as a day bag) with a TPU lining to keep dirty stuff separate, big rear wheels to traverse tricky terrain, and a roomy front pocket perfect for stashing a jacket or hoodie. The Aion is also Bluesign certified as its outer shell fabric, lining, and mesh are made from 100-percent recycled polyester; and the polycarbonate back panel is made from 50-percent recycled material.
[$350; thule.com]
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8. Eagle Creek Migrate Wheeled Duffel Bag 130L
When traveling with a ton of outdoor gear (e.g. ski kit, climbing paraphernalia, backpacking bits), it pays to have a rugged and water-resistant big hauler like the new, 100-percent recycled Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel. Opt for the 130-liter size (which can expand to a gear-swallowing 142 liters). The wide-opening bag has tons of features like a front zippered pocket for small essentials; a recycled bathtub-style bottom, which is made of windshield plastics from landfills; burly treaded wheels in heavy-duty wheel housings; a lockable main zipper with big zipper pulls for use with gloves; and hidden backpack straps to easily carry the duffel across rough terrain. The Migrate is also backed by Eagle Creek’s No Matter What warranty.
[$189; eaglecreek.com]
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9. Black Tomato x Globe-Trotter James Bond-Inspired Attaché Case
No better way to celebrate James Bond’s 60th anniversary than with a killer collab between luxury travel company Black Tomato and venerated British luggage brand Globe-Trotter. Together, the two have unveiled 60 bespoke attaché cases inspired by 1962’s Dr. No. Bond flick. Each limited-edition case will have one of Black Tomato’s 007-inspired travel experiences coined “The Assignment: Europe” available for presale. Each custom attaché case will be adorned with a subtle metal plaque indicating the case number that corresponds to the trip you’ve secured.
While the 007-inspired itineraries aren’t available just yet, highlights for the first multi-country tour include VIP access to the Casino de Monte Carlo, water skiing in Lake Como, and a horseback adventure through the Chantilly Forest in France.
You can secure a case for yourself or a loved one for $10K (or any multiple of $10K). A trip voucher for that amount will be tucked away in the case, redeemable against the trip. When the full itineraries are announced March 2023, you can head on your getaway, get a full refund if it doesn’t scratch your travel itch, or redeem it against another Black Tomato trip. You only live twice, right?
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10. Olympus Tough TG-6 Camera
The best camera? The one you have with you. The Tough TG-6 weighs just 253 grams and is small enough to fit in your pocket, which means you’re more likely to bring it with you. Maybe more important, the Tough TG-6 is at home in any situation you find yourself in as it’s waterproof up to 50 feet, freezeproof, dustproof, crushproof and can handle a drop from 7 feet high. It also takes 4K video and 12 megapixel stills so the shots you get will actually be worth sharing.
[$500; getolympus.com]
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11. Freewrite Traveler Typewriter
Your computer is great for emails, Instagram, Twitter, more emails, streaming movies…but writing? It’s hard to string three sentences together with all those distractions at your fingertips. The Traveler is a modern typewriter built strictly for writing, allowing you to get in the flow by typing without distractions. But unlike a typewriter, what you write will be seamlessly uploaded to the cloud and exported to the software of your choice. The keyboard has a four-week battery life, an E-Ink screen designed to reduce eye fatigue, and comes in at half the footprint of a laptop, so it will actually fit on the tray table in front of you.
[$499; getfreewrite.com]
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12. Anker 313 Power Bank
Never run out of juice with the Anker 313, a portable charger that packs 10,000mAh of power in a slim package that weighs just 7.5 oz. The bank works with a variety of devices, providing up to three charges for an iPhone and features both high-speed and trickle charging modes.
[$22; anker.com]
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13. ReMarkable 2 Tablet
You love the feel and nostalgia of paper, but need the convenience of digital. Enter ReMarkable 2, a slim paper tablet built for sketching, taking notes, and reviewing documents on a canvas display that looks and feels like paper, but is connected to the cloud for maximum convenience. It’s less than a quarter-inch thick, making it the thinnest tablet on the market, and it even makes the sound of paper when you use the stylist. Bonus: It does double duty as an e-reader with a two-week battery life.
[$299; remarkable.com]
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14. Eddie Bauer Ultimate Voyager Travel Blazer
Remember when men dressed up to travel? Bring style back to the road without sacrificing comfort with the Voyager, a two-button sports blazer built from wrinkle-free poly with built in stretch and a DWR finish. Dedicated interior pockets for your phone, cash, glasses, and passport will keep you organized on the go.
[$149; eddiebauer.com]
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15. Roark Layover Pants
Your pants can make or break a trip, especially if you’re moving in and out of airports. Roark’s Layover Pants take air travel into consideration with a full waist drawstring that eliminates the need for a belt, a long zipper pocket with an internal stash sleeve for your passport and travel documents, and a dedicated stash pocket for quick cell phone storage. A mesh panel across the back helps enhance breathability, too.
[$89; roark.com]
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16. Bose Sleepbuds II
Sleeping on the road is a crapshot, but Bose’s new Sleepbuds II take some of the gamble out of the situation. Designed specifically to help you sleep better, the Sleepbuds offer a secure fit that’s comfortable to wear throughout the night, even if you toss and turn, offering passive noise blocking through the seal of the ear tips. Instead of connecting to Spotify, the Sleepbuds connect to Bose’s sleep app, which is loaded with a library of mellow sounds, from symphonic loops to the dripping of a rain forest.
[$249; bose.com]
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