Our Favorite Gear for Traveling with Kids
Flights, long drives and airport waits with kids are a lot calmer when everyone has something that works. The one we'd buy again first is the Apple AirPods Pro 2: the noise cancelling takes the edge off a loud cabin, the case fits in a pocket, and they pair easily with a phone or tablet. Here's the one we'd buy again first, plus the rest of the list.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)
These are the travel buy we'd pack first for the grown-ups. Good noise cancelling makes a loud flight or a long drive feel calmer, and they're small enough to keep in a pocket the whole trip.
Check price on AmazonTravel gear earns a spot on this list when it’s packable, tough enough to survive being dropped, shoved in a bag and handled by kids, and useful on more than one kind of trip, whether that’s a flight, a road trip or a week in a rental. Bonus points for anything that keeps kids happy without another screen.
For the little ones, the Toniebox bundle plays stories and songs with no screen, Water Wow pads give them mess-free coloring on the plane, and the Owala FreeSip kids bottle handles the car seat and the backpack. For the big kids, the Kindle Paperwhite holds a whole trip of books, JLab volume-limited headphones fold flat into a backpack, and Tapple is a quick game for airport gates and restaurant waits. For us, there’s the YETI Hopper M30 for beach days.
The AirPods Pro 2 at the top are the one we’d buy again first. Below them is the rest of the list.
What else we considered
Also considered
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (newest model)
Our oldest says: The Paperwhite holds a whole trip of books and the battery just doesn't quit.
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Also considered
Toniebox 2 Audio Player Disney Bundle
The kids love: The Toniebox keeps them listening — no screen, no Wi-Fi needed.
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Also considered
Melissa & Doug Water Wow! 3-Pack
Fill the pen with water and the pictures appear, then dry and fade so you can do them again. No markers on the airplane seat.
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Also considered
YETI Hopper M30 Soft Cooler (Cherry Blossom)
Dad loves: The M30 keeps drinks cold all day at the beach or the campsite.
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Also considered
JLab JBuddies Kids Headphones
Volume-limited kids headphones that fold flat into a backpack. They cost little enough that losing one pair on a trip isn't a crisis.
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Also considered
Owala Kids FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle, 16 oz
Mom loves: The Owala FreeSip survives every car-seat drop and doesn't leak in the bag.
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Also considered
USAOPOLY The Original TAPPLE Family Board Game
The kids love: Tapple is the fast little game that fills any airport wait.
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