The best travel gear for graduates

One of the things I remember most about being a new mom was staring at the willow tree outside my front window. For hours every day, I was pinned to a rocking chair, feeding a human or not moving because that human had finally fallen asleep. Scrolling through my phone was disorientingly unpleasant and I never had two hands free to turn the pages of a book.

E-readers existed at the time, I just didn’t have one. I wish someone had thought to give me the Kobo Clara Colour. It’s compact enough to turn pages with one hand and the adjustable screen is sharp and clear. Plus the addition of color makes book covers and graphic novels look extra appealing. I named it the top pick in our e-reader guide because it’s simply a delight to use (and ebooks cost the same on a Kobo as they do on a Kindle). Don’t get me wrong, that willow tree was beautiful, but I’d have welcomed a trip to the moon. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

If your dad loves flying but hates having to put up with the basic headsets airlines provide for their inflight entertainment systems, help is at hand. Thanks to wireless adapters like the Twelve South AirFly SE, he can use his own headphones in places that only have a headphone jack, like in the air and in gyms. Twelve South offers a range of AirFly adapters that cater to specific circumstances: The affordable SE is featured enough for most flyers, but others like the newer AirFly Pro 2 offer multi-device pairing, an AUX port, slightly longer battery life and better audio quality specs for $60. — M.B.

Bluetooth headphones are less cumbersome and more versatile than wired sets — and in the world of unwired personal audio, it doesn’t get much sleeker than Sony’s WH-1000XM5. These are some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market and they’re fantastic for everyday use as well as long gaming sessions. The WH-1000XM5 headphones are incredibly lightweight, with cushy over-the-ear pads and up to 40 hours of battery life. They have a built-in microphone that functions well for phone calls, but streamers should still use an external mic for the best possible sound.

Nobody wants to be left with a dead smartphone, moms included. Having a good portable power bank handy can help avert that catastrophe, and the Anker MagGo Power Bank is our favorite among those at the moment. It’s a Qi2-compatible pack that can attach to an iPhone magnetically and supply a relatively quick 15W charge, no wires needed. In real-world terms, we found it can take an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-full in about 45 minutes. With a USB-C cable, it can deliver a faster 27W charge.

There’s a nifty display that tells you how much juice is left beyond that, plus a kickstand that makes it easier to prop the phone up on a desk. All of this comes in a half-pound package that’s a little over four inches tall and 0.8 inches thick. Just be aware that this isn’t the best choice for Android devices — if your mom uses one of those, check out our power bank guide for more options. — J.D.

You don’t need us to tell you that packing cubes are an essential for any trip, so gifting a set to your new graduate will help them in the long run on all of their business trips, vacations and weekend getaways. Bagsmart makes some of our favorite travel accessories and their set of six compression packing cubes is a great value. While standard packing cubes are great for organization, compression cubes go the extra mile by letting you make those bags as small as possible, giving you a bit more space to work with in your suitcase.

They’ll get one large, two medium and two small cubes, along with a dedicated shoe bag as well. After they stuff their clothes and belongings inside, a dedicated zipper on the exterior of each cube will let them squish all of their things down as much as possible before packing it all away in their bags. If they’re really Type-A, they’ll also appreciate the label slot on each bag, which will let them designate which cube has their shirts, jeans, pajamas and more. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

If there’s one thing that everyone needs when they travel internationally, it’s a plug adapter. Your grad can forget recharging their phone, laptop or anything else unless they have one of these on hand. Beshon’s two-pack is a good value not only for its affordable price, but also because each plug includes three outlets, two USB-C ports and one USB-A connector. That means they’ll have extra space to plug in regular items plus three USB options for tech like their smartwatch, game console and more. Although the prongs don’t flip down, each adapter is pretty compact and Beshon offers them in various country options — Europe, China, South America and Australia are all covered. — V.P.

If your grad has a relatively recent phone like the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy S25, they don’t need a dedicated camera to take great-looking video during their trip. But what can elevate their footage is a smartphone gimbal like the Osmo Mobile 7 from DJI. The company makes some of the best drones you can buy, so it knows a thing or two about camera stabilization. The Osmo Mobile 7 will help your grad film smooth and cinematic videos while they’re on their trip. Plus, it only weighs 300 grams, so it’ll be a lightweight addition to almost any travel kit. — I.B.

Regardless of if they’re traveling for work or pleasure, your grad should get into the habit of using a VPN to keep their browsing private and secure. ExpressVPN is our top pick for frequent travelers because it has thousands of servers in 105 countries, solid upload and download speeds according to our testing and allows for up to eight simultaneous device connections. Plus, it works across all major platforms including iOS, Windows, Android, Linux and more, so each and every device they use should be covered. A subscription also includes access to the company’s password manager, which will help them login to their accounts more quickly whilst on the road. — V.P.

If your kid has an interest in photography, you can help them capture photos they’ll cherish for the rest of their life with the Fujifilm X-S20. While it’s a few years old now, the X-S20 is one of the company’s best hybrid cameras, with built-in image stabilization and support for 6.2K open gate video capture. That second feature means the X-S20 is great for recording clips your grad can use for both social media posts and footage they want to include in an edited video. — I.B

Between long-haul flights and the eventual jet lag that sets in after hopping countries and continents, getting a full night’s rest can be a challenge. That’s where a sleep mask can help and the best one I’ve found is made by a company called Manta, which also makes neck pillows, ear plugs, and other travel items. At this point, it makes a lot of different eye mask models, so take a look at their website to find the one that will best suit your kid.

That said, the original Sleep model is a good all-purpose option for frequent travelers. What makes it stand out is that the memory foam eyecups aren’t sewn into the mask. Instead, they’re attached using velcro, allowing you to reposition them to make the mask as comfortable as possible. The company says they’re also 100 percent effective at blocking out any light, a claim I’ve found to be accurate. — I.B.