BABY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Traveling with a baby is a whole new world for first time parents. Even for frequent travelers like B and I, our first trip with Meyer was such an eye opener and I have so much more respect for parents that travel with their kids. Once you factor in the stroller, the car seat and a pack ‘n play, babies need to pack so much more than adults do. Traveling the first time with your little babe can feel a bit overwhelming, but there are a few items that have made our travels easier with Meyer. Take a look at my favorite baby travel essentials.
SLUMBERPOD
If your baby is anything like mine, they need complete and utter darkness when sleeping and that’s why we absolutely fell in love with the slumber pod. We just pop it over his pack ‘n play and he’s all set to pass out for a nap or bedtime. The slumber pod also comes with a fan so you don’t have to worry about baby overheating.
TRAVEL STROLLER
I love our everyday stroller, but it’s just too bulky and heavy for traveling, which is why we invested in a travel stroller. As with most baby items, the choices are countless and I researched this topic endlessly. We considered all different strollers like the Babyzen Yoyo2, Uppababy Minu, Doona, and Bugaboo Butterfly.
Ultimately, we chose the Uppababy Minu V2. Since we already own the Uppababy Vista stroller and Uppababy Mesa car seat, it made sense to stick with the same brand for compatibility. And, we could easily use our car seat with it while traveling. If we had started traveling after our baby was older, around 5 or 6 months, and didn’t already use Uppababy products, I may have chosen the Babyzen Yoyo2.
TRAVEL BAG
And, when traveling with strollers and car seats, don’t forget travel bags! If you fly with the Uppababy travel bags, they will send you a new stroller or car seat if either are damaged in transit.
TRAVEL CRIB
Another baby item with so many choices to choose from. We have the 4moms travel crib and love it. It’s a bit on the heavier side than other travel cribs, but we loved the bassinet and changing pad option for him when he was smaller. The Guava travel crib is also a great light-weight option.
SOUND MACHINE
Another must-have for Meyer is a sound machine. He loves to have some sort of background noise to fall asleep to and these are both great options. I love the yogasleep for nighttime sleep. We are able to pop it right in the slumberpod for him to fall asleep to and the hatch is a great option to use on the go for stroller naps or in the car.
BABY MONITOR
A baby monitor was so useful when we stayed in a house. We were able to be in another room of the house or use the pool during nap time and still be able to watch/hear him without feeling confined to one room. However, you may not find it useful if you’re staying in a hotel with baby being so close.
FEEDING SUPPLIES
While breastfeeding doesn’t need as many supplies as formula-feeding, there are still so many items I found useful for pumping on the go and traveling with breastmilk. The Ceres Chill is great for keeping breastmilk cold and it would also work for keeping prepared formula cold. I also love the Elvie for discreet pumping and the travel size drying rack is a must.
WET BAGS
I didn’t think I would end up loving these waterproof wet and dry bags as much as I do, but they are great for throwing in dirty clothes. I don’t know what it is about traveling, but Meyer always finds a way to need a change of clothes every time we leave the house. These bags are also great if there is no trash in sight and need to throw that dirty diaper somewhere until you can trash it. The best thing about these bags is the ability to throw them in the wash after for reuse.
BABY CARRIER
Another must-have for us is a baby carrier. We love the BabyBjorn for contact naps and getting around the airport hands-free. It’s also great if you’re traveling somewhere you’ll be outdoors or hiking a lot.
INFLATABLE BATH TUB
I know, it’s so extra but trust me, it’s also life changing. We tried the sink and even showering with him. Nothing works better than being able to bathe him in a tub and this one works so well especially when you’re traveling to a hotel that only has a shower.
TABLE CHAIR
This fast table chair works great at restaurants and makes it so easy when traveling. You can pop it on nearly any table so you’ll never have to worry whether a restaurant has a high chair or not.
OVER THE DOOR ORGANIZER
This is a new hack that I learned on TikTok so I can’t take full credit, but now I can’t imagine traveling without it. Put your baby’s clothes and a diaper in a pocket for each day you’re traveling and you’ll save so much room when packing. Plus, you’ll never feel so organized. It’s pretty genius.
You can find the full list of my baby travel essentials and more here. And, if you have any other travel items you can’t live without that I’ve missed, let me know! I love hearing how others have made traveling with babies easier. If you ever have questions or need travel advice, reach out on Instagram!
HAPPY TRAVELS, LIZ STANFORD
Disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means when you purchase something using these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. However, I only link these companies because I have used them or truly recommend them based on their quality and the experience I had.
