Please Adhere To Local Regulations When Traveling Currently In 2021. In Fact, We Urge You To Do Your Part By Staying Home Whenever Possible. Avoid Recreational Travel, Unless You Get Vaccinated, To Keep Our Global Community (and our kids) Safe!
If you’ve been a longtime Pure Wander fan, you might remember we began our journey as a family travel magazine! That was eons ago, before I (Eileen) knew the extent of what traveling with little ones really meant. Fast forward SEVEN years and I now have a little baby girl of my own, who tackled her first ever plane ride this year at six months old! It sure was a crash course in navigating a new adventure with a baby. I think my days of just carry-on luggage are behind me (wink).
Our traveling parents out there know how difficult it is to pack for a trip with baby. Inevitably, you’ll feel you need almost double the gear to make sure all of your bases are covered while you’re on the go. It can be overwhelming to travel with baby, especially for new mothers and fathers – so we’re here to help!
Alongside my own new experiences with my infant, we crowdsourced our parent friends and traveling pals who have great kiddos in their lives who have loads of experience packing for trips with youngsters. From air travel to long road trips, they’ve done it all. We want to filter out the junk, streamline the process for you and give you the confidence you need – you can do this parents! Even the new ones!
These items are particularly useful for any summer travel or warm weather traveling with baby you have lined up. Trust us, each of these items will make life on the go with baby so much easier!
DOONA Car Seat & Stroller
Hands down, this is the best thing we ever bought for our little girl. Basically, it’s both a stroller AND a car seat. When traveling with baby, multifunctional gear is absolutely key. It completely takes the guesswork out of packing the two items separately. We actually fit the base in our largest luggage bag so we’d have it for the rental and not have to mess with the seatbelt install – that was totally worth it.Plus, it can be conveniently checked as a carry on for air travel. It only works for kids up to 30 pounds, so we bring it everywhere while we can. You can purchase accessories such as bags, bug guards, and handle cushions to really trick it out.
Buy it for $500 at Amazon.com
Hiccapop Omniboost Portable High Chair
With supervision of course, this little sturdy chair fits on top of adults chairs, coffee tables and the floor to give the baby space for play and eating upright. it packs up like any foldable camping-style chair (but much smaller!)If you’re planning a day at the beach, a weekend camping, or even an evening out to dinner, this foldable high chair provides the perfect space for baby. There’s also a convenient tray if your baby is eating solid foods. We love how lightweight it is, making it super easy to pack. You can even remove the cover and throw it in the washing machine!
Buy it for $35 on Amazon.com
Cotton Swaddle
When heading to warmer destinations, we recommend bringing a cotton swaddle along. This 100% cotton design is designed to be breathable, making baby ultra comfortable. The swaddle fasteners are generously sized so that you can adjust it to find the perfect fit for your baby.
Buy it for $22 on Amazon.com
Burt’s Bees Baby Sleep Sack
When you’re in the middle of your flight with baby, you’ll be so relieved to have this cozy sleep sack handy! It keeps baby comfortable and regulates their body temperature. Plus, this specific sleep sack is 100% natural, organic, and incredibly soft.
Buy it for $22 on Amazon.com
Hooded Wetsuit
How cute is this Mickey Mouse wetsuit? Not only is it an adorable look, but wetsuits are great for protecting babies from the sun. Since babies under 6 months aren’t supposed to use sunscreen, this is the perfect sun protecting solution!
Buy it for $25 from ShopDisney.com
Rash Guard Swimsuits
Seriously, stock up on these. The one-piece styles I found best because they don’t ride up and they stay on snug. It cut down on sunscreen big time, especially when paired with a hat. It’s great for the pooland for swim classes.
Starting at $19.99 on Amazon
Baby Ear Muffs
These may be a little less obvious, but it’s a great idea to pack some ear protection for baby! You never know if you might be stuck on a loud flight with noisy neighbors, on a train with music blaring, you name it. Definitely practice with them beforehand, because our little one wasn’t super keen on having her ears blocked.
Buy them for $30 at Amazon.com
Yogasleep Portable White Noise Machine
Nobody wants noises upsetting baby on your trip. So, in addition to baby ear muffs, you may want to invest in a portable white noise machine. This specific model targets sleep therapy for both adults and babies. It’s USB rechargeable and gives you the choice of three different calming sounds – bright white noise, deep white noise, or gentle surf. You can use this at home too, to keep the routine going and give an air of familiarity when you’re traveling for the baby too.
Buy it for $30 on Amazon.com
BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Air
Calling all guardians on the go! We’re sure you already know the importance of having a sturdy baby carrier. The freedom to use your hands while walking around with your baby is essential! My husband liked the Baby Bjorn because it’s fairly breathable and portable. You’ll want a high quality carrier for getting around the airport, train station, you name it, all while rolling your luggage along with you. Again: practice before you go so you kid knows what’s coming and likes to be carried!
Buy it for $150 on Amazon.com
The Baby’s Brew Bottle Warmer
Baby’s Brew’s Portable Bottle Warmer is a game changer! It fits most bottles, is battery powered, has a BPA Free silicone cover, and boasts four different temperature settings. Warming up milk while traveling has honestly never been easier, and you want to have a fool-proof plan if you’re a breastfeeding mama on the go. DISCLAIMER: I love this bottle warmer, but it actually stopped working a few days into the trip. The warranty is a little dicey, so be extra careful when charging and packing. They have offered to help replace it, but consider a simple insulator bag too as a backup.
PS – you can bring breastmilk and formula on planes according to TSA. I brought a fair amount, but they said I needed a full pat down on the way back from Florida for the sealed bottles.
Travel Guard Insurance
Traveling is still very much up in the air these days. This may not be a “product” per se, but don’t forget to invest in travel insurance for any of your trips so you’re covered for medical emergencies, cancelled flights, and even lost luggage. If you invested in that fancy Doona above, you’ll definitely want it covered if it got lost or damaged! We are always advocates for expecting the unexpected, and Travel Guard insurance covers you should an emergency arise on your vacation. Especially for parents, you’ll want to breathe easy knowing that once you jet off to your exciting destination, you can set all worries aside and relax.
To our folks with kids out there: what is the baby travel gear item you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks to Sara Frazier for her additional research and writing on this one! This post contains affiliate links: that means we get a little commission per item bought to keep this site running. It’s no extra cost to you and we ONLY mention products we love – and have tested personally!
