Family Packing List: 12 Travel Essentials
At The Tot we’re all about finding the best of the best when it comes to safe, ethical, stylish and genius products. In an effort to help make your next trip easier, our team is sharing our top 12 essentials you won’t want to leave home without!
Getting from Point A to Point B with a baby or a toddler (or both) can feel like a Herculean task.
Hunger, exhaustion, impatience, growing pains, (not to mention Number 3s…) are unfortunately just some of the many perks of parenting and inevitably seem to exacerbate the already arduous act of traveling.
But don’t worry, there are some pretty genius products out there that have helped us as parents at The Tot make traveling with children easier if not even downright enjoyable.
In this article, we’ll go over:
- The optimal family packing list
- The best non-toxic travel products for babies and kids
- Materials & ingredients to avoid in kids products
Scroll down to learn more!
The optimal family packing list
If you’re gearing up for a long haul flight, road trip or train trek with babies or small children, you’re going to want the following things:
- Lightweight travel stroller
- Travel car seat
- Baby carrier
- Hands-free diaper bag + travel change pad
- On-the-go snack containers, sippy cup & wipes
- Hand sanitizer & face mask
- Adult water bottle & snack bags
- Non-toxic adult & child lotion (airplane & car air is DRY!)
- Travel toys & playmat
- Swaddle(s)
- Pack N Play
- Blue blocker glasses
Scroll down to see our picks for each!
The best non-toxic travel products for babies and kids
All Tot Safety Tested and approved, the below products are free of harmful chemicals such as BPA, BPS, Phthalates, PVC, Lead, Flame Retardants and Formaldehyde.
(We’ll chat more about the ingredients we avoid and why later on!)
#1 Lightweight Travel Stroller
The sleek and cleverly designed GB can go anywhere!
By anywhere – we even mean the overhead compartment on an airplane. You no longer have to fret about gate checking your stroller as it can come right on board with you.
Age recommendation: 6 months up to 37 lbs (approx. 4 years)
GB Pockit Air All-Terrain Stroller
$159.95
Available in more colors
#2 Travel Car Seat
One of the worst parts of traveling with kids in tow is needing to schlep a car seat in and out of rental cars or taxi cabs.
Thanks to WAYB and their innovative foldable Pico Travel Carseat, your load just got a little bit lighter!
Recommended from 2 years +, you also have the option of getting the travel bag that can be worn as a backpack or slipped over the handles of rolling luggage.
WAYB Pico Car Seat
$320
Available in more colors
WAYB Pico Car Seat Travel Bag
$50
#3 Baby Carrier
Whether you’re juggling a baby and a boarding pass or a toddler and museum tickets – you’re going to wish you had two hands free.
This super comfortable carrier from Ergobaby can be worn on your front or back and makes toting a tired toddler or sleeping baby a total breeze.
Ergobaby 360 All Positions Baby Carrier
$140
#4 Diaper bag + travel change pad
Jem & Bea is famous for their Jamie Diaper Bag Backpack and now we have it in an eco option!
It includes a travel changing pad, wristlet, bottle holder and tons of other storage compartments to keep you organized!
We also love the Ready To Roam tote by WAYB.
Jem & Bea Jamie Eco Backpack
$245
Available in more colors
Ready to Roam Tote
$140
Available in more colors
#5 On-the-go snack containers, drink bottles & wipes
This life-saver of a set is exactly what you need if you’re traveling with a baby or toddler.
Consisting of a stainless steel sippy cup, bamboo fiber bento-style lunchbox, recycled milk jug snack containers, a silicone tray, bamboo fiber cutlery, a silicone bib and non-toxic wet wipes, you’ll be quietly saying, ‘not all heroes wear capes’ to yourself while feeding your happy baby up in the air!
The Tot Feeding Sets: On-The-Go (1 year +)
$119
EXCLUSIVE
#6 Hand Sanitizer & Face Masks
While we’ve always liked traveling with hand sanitizer, it’s also that weird time in a global pandemic where you need to remember to pack face masks for the whole family.
Sahara Rose Hand Sanitizer – Set of 3
$18
Poeme & Poesie Face Mask – Flower Garden
Ranging from $20 to $22
Adult, Toddler & Big Kid Sizes
Available in more prints
#7 Water bottle & snack bags
It’s easy to focus on your kids when you’re traveling, but please don’t forget about yourself!
Stay hydrated, snack often and take a moment to breathe! We love this stainless steel water bottle from PlanetBox as well as these silicone food storage bags from Zip Top. Easy to seal, you’ll love munching on carrots, fruit or granola while on your next adventure!
PlanetBox Stainless Steel Water. Bottle (18.8 oz)
$24.95
Available in more colors
Zip Top Silicone Bags (Set of 3)
$47.99
#8 Non-toxic Lotion
Have you ever noticed how dry your skin can get while traveling? It’s so difficult to go from humid to dry or hot to cold which is why we always make sure we have lotion for both ourselves and our kiddos in our bags.
Both of the options below are ultra-hydrating and of course: non-toxic.
Dr Rogers Restore Face Lotion
$72
Erbaviva Organic Baby Travel Set
$24
Lotion / Wash / Balm
erbaviva Hand Cream
$17
#9 Travel Toys & A Playmat
When you’re not busy making sure everyone is well fed, hydrated, not in need of a bathroom or in a comfortable enough position to sleep, then you’re going to be focusing on entertainment.
Never go anywhere without some sort of toy or activity! For babies, we like toys like the HART + LAND Double Silicone Teether because it does double time soothing sore gums as well a play & lear set!
For bigger kids, we love the dustless chalk sets from Jaq Jaq Bird and the entertaining magnetic game boards from Floss & Rock. Oh and you totally need a playmat like the bonded leather one from GATHRE. Super easy to wipe clean and lightweight, kids can eat, play, and nap on it!
HART + LAND Double Silicone Teether
$25
EXCLUSIVE
The Tot Play & Learn Set 6 – 12 Months
$120
EXCLUSIVE
Jaq Jaq Bird Bored Boards – Selfie Boards
$29.99
Floss & Rock Mermaid Magnetic Fun & Games
$17
GATHRE Mini Mat – Rainbow
$62
#10 Swaddles
Arguably the most versatile thing in a baby/toddler’s life, the Hart + Land organic cotton swaddle can be used for swaddling, shading, nursing, tummy time, a play space, snuggling and even as a scarf!
HART + LAND Organic Cotton Swaddle – Stripe
$28
EXCLUSIVE
Available in more colors
HART + LAND Bamboo Swaddle Blanket
$20
EXCLUSIVE
Available in more colors
#11 Pack N Play
Also playfully known as ‘baby jail’, having a safe, secure and cozy place for your baby to sleep or play is crucial wherever you may go. The Nuna Sena Aire Travel Cot is completely non-toxic, lightweight, breathable and can turn any room into a nursery.
Nuna Sena Aire Travel Crib
$349.95
Available in more colors
#12 Blue Blocker Glasses
One of the hardest things to keep on track when traveling is your sleep cycle!
If you and your kids are spending the time in the car or plane on a phone or tablet (or under artificial lighting), then you’re exposing yourself to blue light wavelengths that can disrupt your body’s natural sleep hormone production.
RA Optics and The Tot have teamed up to make glasses for your whole family that will block these lights! Click here to learn more about blue blockers.
RA OPTICS X THE TOT ADULT BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES
$129
EXCLUSIVE
Available in day & night lenses
RA OPTICS X THE TOT KID BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES
$99
EXCLUSIVE
Available in day & night lenses
Ages 2 – 7
RA OPTICS X THE TOT BABY BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES
$99
EXCLUSIVE
Available in more colors and day & night lenses
Ages 1 – 7
Materials & ingredients to avoid in kids products
When you don’t know what your child’s toy, stroller or sippy cup is made of, you can run the risk of exposing them to potentially harmful ingredients such as BPA, BPS, Phthalates, PVC, Formaldehyde, Lead and other Heavy Metals. This is particularly worrying for babies and toddlers who inevitably put these items in their mouths.
At The Tot, we make sure that every single product we use and recommend passes The Tot Safety Test. This means that we’ve reviewed its third-party testing and certifications.
Continue exploring
- What We’re Reading: The Importance of Ride-On Toys & Balance Bikes
- Looking for non-toxic products for both you and your children? Visit The Tot Family Clean Bath + Beauty Shop.
