19 Baby Travel Essentials You Need For Your Next Family Trip!
Remember those days when you could just toss a few belongings in your suitcase and take off for an adventure? Once you’ve added a baby to the equation, travel looks a little bit different… and the prospect of packing up all your baby travel essentials and caring for your little far from home can suck the joy of anticipation out of a trip.
How do you stick to a nap and feeding schedule? How do you cart all the stuff your baby needs? And how do you keep your baby safe and comfortable when you’re far from home?
We’re here to tell you that trips to grandma’s house, weekend getaways, and yes, even a much-needed vacation, are entirely doable with a baby in tow. With a little advance planning, you can easily pull together all the necessary travel essentials for baby—and our baby travel checklist makes it a little easier.
Wondering What to Pack When Traveling with Baby? A Baby Travel Packing List
What are the absolute must-have baby travel essentials? The short answer is that it depends on where you’re going and how you’re getting there. Different types of travel require different gear and necessities. Many hotels and Airbnbs, for example, will provide a portable crib on request so it’s one less thing you have to haul with you, but if you’re staying with relatives, your baby will need a safe place to nap and play.
Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or car, or spending a night with friends, family, or at a hotel, we’ve broken down all the travel essentials for a baby that you need to make adventures with an infant a little bit easier and a lot less stressful.
The Ultimate Baby Packing List
Sleep and Comfort
- Bassinet: A safe and comfortable sleeping space for your baby is an essential on any baby travel checklist. Our Breeze® Plus Playard does more, offering a bassinet, changing table, and sleep/play space to make it a versatile all-in-one care station. Plus, it sets up with one push, one pull and has a convenient travel bag for easy set up!
- Portable baby monitor: Keep an eye on your baby in new environments with a portable baby monitor.
- Travel blackout curtains: It can be challenging to keep your baby on their sleep schedule when you’re away from home—but portable travel blackout curtains are baby travel essentials that help to create a dark, sleep-friendly space in any room.
- White noise machine: If you’re staying in an unfamiliar home or a noisy hotel, a portable white noise machine can be a travel essential for baby to help drown out sounds and lull them to sleep.
- Cozy sleep sacks: Bundle your baby into a sleep sack to keep them warm and snug for longer, more restful sleep times.
On-the-Move Gear
- Lightweight travel stroller: Leave the big, bulky stroller at home. A lightweight stroller is a baby travel essential that makes it easier to navigate through crowded airports and train stations and folds compactly for easy storage when not in use.
- Stroller organizer: Keep travel necessities for baby like pacifiers, hand sanitizer, and sippy cups at hand with a convenient organizer that clips right onto your stroller.
- Baby carrier: A wearable baby carrier frees up your hands to carry bags and luggage while keeping your baby safe and comfortable.
- Car seat: Whether you’re traveling in a car, train, or plane, your baby should be strapped into a car seat to keep them safe on the journey.
Feeding Travel Essentials for Baby
- Collapsible silicone bowl and spoon: Easy to pack and easy to clean, a compact silicone bowl and spoon makes feeding time more convenient wherever you are.
- Insulated bottle bag: Keep milk and formula at the right temperature with an insulated bottle bag.
- Disposable bibs: Who wants to carry a dirty bib on their travels? Disposable bibs are a convenient, mess-free solution to add to any baby packing list.
- Portable high chair: Make meal times more comfortable with a portable high chair that folds up small so you can bring it wherever you go.
Bathing and Hygiene
- Travel-size baby wash and shampoo: Put travel-sized bottles of baby wash and shampoo onto your list of newborn travel essentials so you can keep up with your baby’s familiar bathtime routine when you’re away.
- Compact hooded towels: A hooded towel keeps baby warm and snuggly after their bath. Choose a compact, quick-drying towel to save space in your bags.
- Wet and dry bags: With a wet and dry bag, you’ll always have a way to keep soiled clothing and other baby messes separate from clean items in your travel bags.
Entertainment and Comfort
- Clip-on stroller toys: Keep baby entertained and engaged during travel delays with toys that clip on to your stroller. These baby travel essentials make sure you never have to worry about toys falling on a gross and dirty floor.
- Portable playmat: Create an instant play area for your baby anywhere you go with a playmat that packs easily and unfolds to give your baby a soft and safe spot for tummy time and games.
- Teething toys: You never know when teething pain will hit, so add teething toys to your baby travel checklist for you little one to gnaw on to relieve gum pain.
Happy travels!
A little bit of advance planning goes a long way when you’re traveling with a baby, and having the right baby travel essentials on hand make being away from home more comfortable for you and your baby. Knowing what to pack when traveling with baby can help you confidently take off on family adventures and start creating memories you’ll always cherish.
