9 Travel Products That Help Reduce Vacation Stress

Editor Shannon McMahon is always planning her next trip and often writing in her travel journal. Follow her on Twitter @shanmcmahon_ and on Instagram @shanmcmahon.

Shannon joined SmarterTravel in 2015. A former news reporter, she's lived in the south of Spain, spotted elephants in Sri Lanka, gone spelunking in the Caribbean, hiked Jordan's Petra Basin, interviewed Sao Paulo's Michelin-Star chefs, and explored China via bullet train. Travel trends, news oddities, and her visits to up-and-coming destinations are some of her favorite things to write about.

Her stories have also appeared online on USA Today, The Sun, Huffington Post, Business Insider, blog.TripAdvisor.com, Boston.com, and more. Her educational background is in journalism, art history, gender studies, Spanish, and film. She's been quoted as an expert travel source by CNBC, People.com, MarketWatch, The Washington Post, USA Today, and more.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Plenty of extra thick hair elastics. They tame my frizzy curls and come in handy in a surprising number of packing and hotel dilemmas."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Climbing (yes, climbing, it's steep!) the Great Wall of China before it's gone."

Travel Motto: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window, of course."

Email Shannon at smcmahon@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Shannon McMahon

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Whether you’re traveling or staying home, there are many utilitarian items that can help you keep track of your stuff, monitor your home, and stay in-the-know when you’re focused on other things. Put stress at bay with these anxiety-reducing travel products that can help you relax both on a trip and at home, secure in the knowledge that everything’s just fine.

A Fitbit

It’s easy to fall behind on healthy habits like exercising, but it’s just as easy to squeeze some walking or other healthy activities when you’re told to. If you’re looking to stay on top of your activity time or even track your sleep stats on a daily basis, a Fitbit and its accompanying app will help you do just that.

Nest Home Monitoring

Forget assigning a friend to check on the house for you while you’re away, or ignoring an unexpected doorbell ring when you’re home. Whether you want to see who’s at the door on-demand or get notified only if something goes wrong while you’re gone, Nest home-monitoring accessories can be tailored to your needs. Install security cameras inside or out, opt for a smart thermostat, or upgrade your smoke alarms—all of which you can access on your phone through the Nest app.

Natural Anxiety Relief

If you’re unable to sleep from stress, whether on the plane or at home, consider a natural stress relief supplement like herbal remedies: Valerian root is my personal go-to for a natural release. But be sure to talk to your doctor about taking any supplements to ensure they won’t interact with other medicines you’re taking.

Luggage Locks

You never know when a small luggage lock might come in handy—whether you’re leaving your bags at hotel reception or renting a locker in another public place. Depending on your needs, keep a durable combination lock at home in your luggage just in case (you don’t want to be worrying about losing a key). This small heart-shaped version is TSA-approved for flights and can double for a locker in a pinch, or go for a classic combination padlock if you depend on gym or storage lockers.

Item Trackers

Don’t fret about where your phone is or whether or not you lost your keys ever again. Trackers like keychain-sized Tile have become an affordable accessory that allow you to see via your phone where your tracked items are at all times. Tile comes in both keychain and card-sized trackers that fit on your wallet and kets,

Travel Insurance

You probably forego travel insurance most of the time, but during uncertain times like a pandemic it’s worth purchasing it any time you book a trip in an effort to avoid missing out on a refund or rebooking. If you have to cancel your plans and the airline isn’t canceling flights, cancel for any reason insurance is your best bet. Shop through a provider that will help you find the right policy, like Allianz Global Assistance.

Beach Safes

Some beaches might have you worried about leaving your valuables on the sand unsupervised. Consider SAFEGO’s portable beach safe, or for something lighter and more discrete, this purse-sized alternative from Master Lock.

A Back-up Phone Charger

Stash a spare charging bank in your purse so you can plug in on the go if you need to. MyCharge PowerCord even fits on your keychain, so you’ll never have to worry about packing extra battery power.

A Dual-Use Charger/Scale

Winging it as to whether or not the airline will let your carry-on past the check-in scale without a hefty fee is now a thing of the past thanks to tiny luggage scales that can also be a back-up power bank day-to-day. Oaxis’ Air Scale doubles as a phone charger and weighs only 5.5 oz. When it’s not charging your device, use it to lift your bag and get an instant digital reading of the suitcase’s weight.

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SmarterTravel’s Shannon McMahon writes about all things travel. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Prices are subject to change.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.