This post may contain affiliate links, which help us generate revenue so that we can keep producing awesome content for you. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for using our links and giving us the opportunity to share a sliver of this great big world with you.
The holidays are right around the corner, and we are back with our second annual holiday gift guide, 2017 edition. This year we are bringing you 25 of the best travel gifts on the market, and we’ve organized our guide by budget, making it even easier for you to find the perfect gift for the traveler in your life. While this year’s holiday gift guide is focused on the minimalist and adventure traveler, we made sure to include travel items that every traveler would love. Here is our 2017 holiday gift guide with 25 of the best travel gifts for every budget.
Gifts under $49
1. NeatPack Foldable Daypack
The NeatPack foldable daypack has been one of our travel essentials in 2017. This water resistant, durable bag folds into a small pouch that you can easily clip onto the outside of your backpack, thus freeing up more space inside your backpack for your travel essentials. We’ve brought this daypack with us to over 25 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and there are no signs of wear or tear on the bag. Best of all, this daypack costs less than $20, and you can get an additional 10% off with our code ‘MVM10OFF.’ Read more about the NeatPack foldable daypack here or get yours here.
2. The Airhook
If you’ve ever struggled with keeping your drinks and electronics on your tiny airplane seat tray at the same time, you’re not alone. That’s why the Airhook was invented. The Airhook is an all-in-one cups and electronics holder that gives you more legroom and keeps your drinks and electronics more organized during your flight. As if that’s not enough reason to buy an Airhook for yourself, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes toward cancer research.Β You can get yours here.
3. Smartwool Trekking Socks
Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a minimalist traveler, you need at least a few pairs of merino wool socks in your backpack. Merino wool manages moisture much better than cotton, which means your feet are left feeling refreshed and odorless after a long day outside. We love Smartwool because of the quality of its products and its dedication to ethical production. All Smartwool products are made in the U.S. with the best merino wool sourced from all over the world. We particularly like this pair of extra-cushioned cozy socks, but you can find lighter styles on Amazon as well.
4. Hoodie Mask Travel Pillow
This all-in-one travel pillow is a godsend on long overnight flights. With a soft hoodie, mask, and cell phone holder built into the pillow, this is the ultimate travel pillow that any traveler is sure to love. The pillow itself is made from an ergonomic memory foam material with an antimicrobial liner to keep the germs at bay. Get yours here.
5. Security Door Stop Alarm
A security door stop alarm is the perfect companion for solo female travelers. Occasionally, while staying in hostels or other affordable accommodation in third world countries, we’ve found ourselves in rooms with adequate locks on the doors. This can pose a serious security concern. With the security door stop alarm, solo female travelers can rest easy knowing that should anyone attempt to enter the room, a security alarm will sound. You can get yours here.
Gifts from $50 to $99
6. Water Purifier Pen
It’s not always easy to find clean water while traveling around the world. That’s why having a water purifier on you can be so important. The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti UV Water Purifier is a small, handheld water purifier that destroys 99.9% of bacteria in water and is reusable up to 8,000 liters. It’s the perfect gift for the outdoor adventurer or anyone who spends time traveling through third world countries.Β You can get yours here.
7. Travel Hammock
Whether you’re going for a hike or traveling to the city, you never know when you’re going to wish you had a hammock to rest in. All you need are two trees, and you can hang up just about any hammock. We especially like this ENO travel hammock because it fits two people, is extremely light, and packs into a small pouch.
8. Quip Electric Toothbrush
Quip is the perfect travel toothbrush because it comes with its own carrying case that doubles as a toothbrush holder that sticks to mirror and other clean, flat surfaces. This electric toothbrush vibrates every 30 seconds during a two-minute period, so you know exactly how much time to spend brushing each section of your teeth. Its super sleek design comes in six different colors, with four metal and two plastic options. You can purchase a toothbrush with three quarterly brush head refills for $55 so that the traveler in your life has all their dental needs covered on their travels.
9. Portable Power Bank
It’s easy to drain your batteries while traveling, so we never leave the house without our portable power banks. Now, we never worry about our phones dying during the day and losing our navigation tools while in the middle of a foreign country. We found a super sleek one that can charge an iPhone several times on a full charge, and it doesn’t take up much space.Β Get yours here.
10. Wide iPhone Lens
A wide phone lens is much more affordable and easier to use than a wide angle lens on a DSLR. Our favorite is the Moment wide iPhone lens, which has superior lens clarity and is backed by a one-year warranty. It is compatible with the iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy phones. You can get yours here.
Gifts from $100 to $149
11. Kindle Paperwhite
The glare from most screens makes it almost impossible to read outside in direct sunlight, but the Kindle Paperwhite solves that problem with its glare-free screens that resemble paper more than an electronic screen. A single charge lasts weeks, allowing you to take short trips with your Kindle without even bringing your charger. You can get yours here.
12. Birchbox
Birchbox is a monthly subscription box with travel size beauty essentials. Rather than going to the store and buying travel size items, we have a drawer full of Birchbox products that we bring with us on our travels. These products are much nicer than what we would typically buy at the store, and it’s always fun trying out new products. You can purchase a one year Birchbox subscription for yourself or for a friend for $110 here.
13. Hiking Poles
Hiking poles are a must when hiking longer distances. We learned this the hard way when we hiked Trolltunga in Norway and looked enviously upon all the hikers with hiking poles as our knees were burning in pain. Now, we won’t go on long hikes without bring our Leki hiking poles with us. The collapsable hiking poles by Leki are perfect for traveling as they hardly take up any space and are lightweight as well. You can get yours here.
14. Snapchat Glasses
In case you missed the craze over Snapchat glasses that happened earlier this year, now’s your time to get on the bandwagon. These sunglasses take snapchat videos of anything in your view, making them the perfect tool to capture all your adventures. All it takes is a push of a button to start recording, and you can record 100 ten-second snaps with one charge. You can get yours here.
15. Travel Tripod
If you are serious about photography, you’ll want a tripod to balance your camera while shooting photos. However, tripods are typically bulky and difficult to travel with. That’s where the Vanguard Alta Pro comes in. This travel tripod weights only five pounds and can be maneuvered in just about any position you can think of. It’s also a great tool to have on hand while traveling alone since it’s not always easy to find someone nearby to take a photo for you.Β You can get yours here.
Gifts from $150 to $199
16. Push Pin Wooden Travel Map
This wooden travel map with airplane push pins puts all other travel maps to shame. This travel map is handmade from metal and birch plywood and comes in five different colors (you can also request a custom color). You can get yours here.
17. Patagonia Down Shirt
The Patagonia down shirt is the perfect travel gift because it is extremely lightweight and easy to pack. For the amount of warmth it provides, it hardly takes up any space in your backpack at all. We travel with ours all the time, and the down fill keeps us warm even in the cold Chicago and Toronto winters. You can get yours (and other travel gear) from Kaehler, our favorite travel gear company.
18. LeTrans Portable Translator
LeTrans is a brand new portable translation device that allows you to travel worldwide without having to worry about a language barrier. It provides translations in voice, text, and illustration and currently supports over 20 languages. You can purchase yours here.
19. Fitbit Blaze Smart Watch
It can be difficult to stay healthy and fit while traveling, but with the Fitbit Blaze, monitoring your health while traveling is a breeze. The Fitbit Blaze smart fitness watch not only tracks your fitness activities, it also tracks your sleep, heart rate, and daily activities so that you have an overall view of your health. This gift is perfect for the health fanatic but useful for any traveler. You can get yours here.
20. Fujifilm Instant Wide-Angle Camera
With wide-angle frame, you can easily take a big group photo during the holidays or on your travels and have everyone see the photo immediately. It’s the best way to leave lasting memories with old friends and new. It’s especially handy in countries where cameras aren’t as popular and locals appreciate a hardcopy of the photos you took together a lot more than a Facebook tag after the fact. You can get yours here.
Gifts over $200
21. Kosan Travel Pack System
We have not been as excited about a travel backpack in years as we are about the Kosan Travel Pack System. This 5-in-1 system includes a larger 35L backpack as well as a smaller 15L day pack that clip onto each other, allowing for hands-free travel while comfortably carrying all your belongings. Kosan is so confident in the quality of its products that it offers a lifetime warranty on the travel packs. You can read more about the Kosan Travel Pack System here.
22. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones
These wireless, noise cancelling headphones are an essential while traveling. We love wearing ours on long flights as they cancel out all the background noise from the plane and any crying babies that may be around. They are extremely comfortable, and the wireless function allows you to navigate through busy streets without worrying about tangled cords. You can get yours here.
23. GoPro HERO6
The GoPro HERO6 is the newest and most improved GoPro. With 2x the performance of the GoPro HERO5 and the clearest image quality, this is a gift that any traveler would be thrilled to receive. It is waterproof without housing up to 33 feet and offers voice commands, increased stability, and nighttime modes. You can get yours here.
24. Home Security System
With the Arlo home security system, you can travel for as long as you’d like without worrying about whether your home is safe. This security system is wire free, which allows you to monitor your home from all angles without worrying about chords. You can also link the cameras to your mobile device and view inside your home while on the go. The cameras are made for both indoor and outdoor use, so you’re able to monitor all sides of your home. You can get yours here.
25. Drone
Have you seen those overhead shots of cliffs and other treacherous parts of nature that seem like impossible places to capture a good photo or video? Well, with a drone, nothing is impossible. We love this drone by Contixo because it is compatible with the GoPro, which is what most people use to shoot adventure photos with nowadays, and has a 50% longer battery life than most drones. It also comes with a carrying case, which makes it easy to travel with expensive equipment without worrying about breaking it. You can get yours here.
We hope our 2017 holiday gift guide provides some inspiration for you as you go about your holiday shopping. As avid travelers, we are sure that the traveler in your life will love the items on our list of 25 best travel gifts for every budget. Happy holidays, and happy gifting!
Like it? Love it? Pin it!
I love that you organized your list by price. That’s pretty smart. I haven’t heard of the airhook before, but it seems like a genius idea! I would love to have one of them!
I only just heard about it a few months ago too and am so glad I did! The best part is that they are so affordable too! You can enter to win one for free from now until Dec 15 by clicking here.
wau, if someone gave me a drone I would totally freak out! First world gift wishes π I would love to have that pillow for flight travels, I need it! π
I would love a drone but if it is too expensive, I will make do with either the Snapchat glasses of the Vanguard Alta Pro. Someone please show this to my husband!
Well, that’s my list done.
Dear Santa, I’ve been a very good girl this year so would like you to deliver the hoodie- eyeshade-travel pillow, the water purifying pen and the iPhone wide-angle lens, please! π
I want to receive the electric toothbrush its my first time hearing about it and it looks unique!
I just got mine about a week ago and have already brought it with me on a trip and it’s a gem! No more trying to figure out where to put my toothbrush in a dirty hostel bathroom – now I can just stick the holder to the bathroom mirror and place my toothbrush in the holder so it doesn’t have to touch anything else in the bathroom!
Looooove this! I need that wooden map in my life, and the hoodie mask looks a bit like a bank robber, but I’d totally wear it π
Haha I know what you mean. Luckily I’ve worn it on quite a few international flights already and haven’t gotten any weird looks, so I think you’re good! ?
What a great list for any travelover! There are some I would love to have for my travels like the Gopro, the water purifier pen, the travel hammock. However, not on my list are the snapchat glasses or a tripod. But above all these things I wish to have a flight ticket to somewhere in the world!??
A plane ticket is always the ultimate gift for us travelers!
I love the hoodie pillow eye mask! That looks awesome for long flights…and hostels.
I’m still not convinced by drones, they’re just so noisy, what do you think? Do you have one?
I wear my hoodie pillow eye mask on all my long flights and it makes long flights 10x more comfortable.
I actually don’t have a drone and have never had one, so I can’t say. Just judging by the videos I’ve seen shot with drones, I would say the noise is probably worth it to me. Most of the shots I’d want to take with drones would be outdoor shots anyway, so the noise wouldn’t be a huge issue.
Couldn’t agree more on the noise cancelling headphones and the paperwhite- they are prefect for any flight but especially long haul, I couldn’t be without mine. I really like the push pin wooden map- I’m going to send that to my husband with a heavy hint about how fab that would look in our kitchen!
I just got a scratch map and wish I would’ve waited to get the wooden push pin map instead! Guess I could just get both… nothing wrong with having two maps in the same room, right? ?
Wow that wooden gift map is amazing! Never seen that one before! #Feetdotravel
There are so many things on this list that I want for myself! I love the wide lens for the phone, I never even knew it existed! Also, the water purifier is so clever, and will surely come in handy. My last choice is the electric toothbrush, I never leave home without mine so this would be great for me!
So many good gifts, I found some great ideas for myself. π
Wow, that read was certainly inspirational! I find the airhook and the phone lens especially interesting and will definitely consider getting them for my fiancΓ©! Thank you for sharing this. Love from Hamburg, Karo
Hey Karo, I just opened up a giveaway for the Airhook – you can enter for free here if you’d like π
Aw man that push pin map with the little paper airplanes, that’s so cool!
All these gifts look wonderful. I don’t know what I would choose first! I love these gift guides though they have made my christmas list very long! I particularly love the pin map.
Wow some of these ideas I have never seen before! I especially like the neck pillow that has the eye mask and hoody attached -so snug! I also like the Birch Box π thank you! #FeetDoTravel
I really like the water purifier pen – so handy and it could be a life saver! this one is going on my list!
Those are some really good picks. I like the day pack. Itβs good to carry during small trips and is so pocket friendly. I am also interested in a hammock. I would love to use it on my treks. It would be cool to just lie down in a hammock in the midst of nature.
There are some really unique gift ideas here on this list. The LeTrans portable translator sounds like it would be extremely useful for traveling. And I know I have Bose noise can headphones on.my Christmas list too.
H
Absolutely love that travel pillow with the hoodie! I’m looking it up right now! A great list!
I love these gift ideas mainly because I use many of these myself and they’re perfect for travelers. The daypack, power bank, burchbox subscription, water purifier are fantastic. I didn’t know the security door alarm existed though, I’m going to look into it
The air hook is such a great idea! I love my wide angle lens for my phone and Birchbox subscription, so I highly recommend those!
I loved the list. Sometimes, it becomes so difficult to think of gifts but you really brought attention to some of the most usable things on Earth and I am sure travelers will love them too.
If someone is thinking of gifting me, I would definitely share my favorites like Gopro Hero6, PUSH PIN WOODEN TRAVEL MAP, I phone lens, portable translator..
Great ideas! I want one of everything!
Some super cool items on this list – one of the best ones I’ve seen! Love the collapsible hiking poles and I think I should invest in one of those. Same goes for the tripod and the fitness watch – love gadgets like that! I actually just bought an awesome travel pack system, similar to one you guys have! Looks awesome too. Thanks for sharing