Everyone looks forward to dumping out their Christmas stocking, whether it’s on Christmas morning or Christmas Eve. It’s a seemingly universal, longtime favorite tradition.
It just so happens that travel-themed items tend to be on the smaller side, making them a perfect match for holiday stockings.
No matter who you’re shopping for this season, from adventurous national parks lovers or budding astronomers to frequent business travelers and techies, here are the best stocking stuffers for travel enthusiasts.
15 Best Stocking Stuffers for Travel
1. The Wander Club Wanderchain
Anyone who loves to travel and adventure probably also loves to commemorate all the places they’ve been and memories they’ve made.
Traditional souvenirs, though, often simply don’t cut it. They’re bulky, impractical, fragile, or get shoved into a drawer or cabinet and all but forgotten about.
That’s exactly why a Wanderchain from The Wander Club makes one of the best stocking stuffers for travel enthusiasts.
The one-of-a-kind, high-quality Wanderchains come in a variety of colors and finishes, and can even be customized. It’s a unique and beautiful way to very literally put your travel memories on display. Plus, they’re portable and clip onto your pack or fit nicely into a backpack.
2. The Wander Club Travel Tokens
If the entire point of a Wanderchain is to show off your travels (and it is!), then you’ve gotta have Travel Tokens to add to it!
The Wander Club offers an extensive selection of travel tokens ranging from U.S. National Parks to different cities and countries to ultra-specific places like landmarks and bodies of water.
No matter where you’ve been — or where you’re headed next — there’s a travel token to remember it by! To make them even more personal, you can even have the tokens personalized with a date!
3. Portable Power Bank
Between taking a ton of photos and playing on our devices on long flights or road trips, we tend to drain our batteries quickly on the go.
That’s exactly why a portable power bank makes one of the best stocking stuffers for travel.
This one from Anker features dual wireless and wired technology, so you can simultaneously charge a plugged-in device while you have one charging wirelessly.
4. Wool Socks
Even if you’re not actually hiking, wool hiking socks are the perfect gift for travelers. They help regulate sweat and odors, plus they keep you comfy and cozy all day.
Smartwool makes some of the best out there, and these Hiking Crew socks are insanely soft and comfortable to boot.
Bonus: Smartwool’s Go Far. Feel Good. Guarantee allows you to return or exchange your socks (or any other item, for that matter) within a whopping two years of purchase if you’re unhappy for any reason.
5. Luggage Tag
Whether you take one trip a year or you’re jet-setting every other week, a luggage tag is one of the best stocking stuffers for travel.
Not only does it serve the practical purpose of helping you identify or find your luggage if it gets lost, but it also adds a personal touch to an otherwise standard item.
The Wander Club’s luggage tags come in black and brown 100% full-grain leather, and include a protective sleeve and flap to keep your personal information more secure.
6. Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones
A great pair of headphones has become unexpectedly all-important. Not only are they helpful during travel, but so many people work or attend school remotely now that they have a multitude of uses.
In order for headphones to be worthy of travel, they must have great sound quality and also be lightweight, comfortable, and durable.
This Anker Soundcore pair checks all the boxes, offering excellent noise cancellation, memory foam comfort, and impressive 40-hour play time.
7. Inflatable Travel Pillow
Whether the person you’re buying for frequently flies, is a road warrior, or loves to camp, an inflatable travel pillow makes one of the best stocking stuffers for travel.
Travel pillows in general are useful, but many of them are bulky. Inflatable models solve that problem, storing neatly away until you’re ready to use it.
We love this ergonomic pillow with soft memory foam. It’s adjustable, so you can inflate it to the perfect height for you, and it comes with a removable washable cover.
8. Headlamp
Ahh, the humble headlamp. This little gadget has a seemingly infinite number of practical uses, plus it’s affordable and portable.
We’re partial to Petzl headlamps like the Tactikka because they pack a tremendous punch in a very small package (and we mean literally, because this thing weighs less than three ounces!).
What really makes this headlamp one of the best stocking stuffers for travel are its multiple brightness settings and hybrid battery capabilities — use either AAAs or a Petzl rechargeable battery pack.
9. Multi-purpose Travel Scarf
If you’re the type who’s never once worn a scarf, you may be giving this particular travel stocking stuffer the side-eye. Bear with us.
The Waypoint Goods infinity scarf is ingenious. It’s stylish, yes, and it also serves as a personal-sized blanket for chilly planes or car rides.
But what really makes this scarf a must-have travel accessory is the hidden pocket. Store valuables like your wallet, passport, or keys in the zippered pocket and never have to worry about pickpockets or misplacing the important stuff again!
10. Waterproof Phone Pouch
If you’ve ever had an incident involving your cell phone and water, you know exactly why this is a must-have travel stocking stuffer. If you haven’t, well, you’re one of the lucky ones!
A universal waterproof pouch for cell phones comes in handy in so many different situations. If you’re spending any time on a lake, at the beach, in a pool, or paddling on a river, you’ll want one of these little cases.
Even in more everyday situations, though, a pouch like this is useful. One of the best travel tips we’ve ever heard is to keep your phone stored in one on hikes and long trips, where you tend to toss your phone into a bag and forget it.
11. Dry Bag
Piggybacking on the waterproof phone pouch, traveling with a general dry bag is also a great idea.
Of course, dry bags like this Earth Pak one keep your stuff dry — that’s a given. But they also work as packing cubes or to separate clean and dirty (or wet or stained) clothes.
Dry bags stuffed with soft clothing also double as comfy travel pillows, without taking up any additional space.
12. Travel Jewelry
A lot of the best stocking stuffers for travel enthusiasts are strictly practical. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but we’re all for more fun gifts, too.
Enter the Mantra Cuff Bracelet from The Wander Club. The cuffs are made from lightweight but sturdy hypoallergenic stainless steel and available in three colors (Gold, Silver, and Rose Gold).
The one-size-fits-most design is comfortable and lets you show off your love of travel, while also reminding you that it’s true, not all who wander are lost.
13. Scratch-off Travel Map
Let’s be honest, scratch-off anything is fun, right? We’re huge fans of scratch maps, in particular, which allow the recipient to show off places they’ve been.
This U.S. map version is a great place to start, but there are plenty of other variations including national parks, baseball stadiums, breweries, state capitals, and more.
You can have the scratch map framed or you can simply roll it up and subtly stick it into a stocking for a totally unexpected surprise!
14. Portable Bluetooth Speaker
This may just be one of the most universal and well-rounded gifts on this list of stocking stuffers for travel enthusiasts. After all, everyone loves music!
The JBL Clip portable waterproof bluetooth speaker is super small and durable, so it travels very well, but it also delivers impressive sound quality and volume.
The rechargeable battery delivers about 10 hours of play time, and it’s so rugged that it can even hold up to being completely submerged in water (though we wouldn’t recommend doing that on purpose!).
15. Travel-friendly Toiletries
Toiletries can be problematic during travel. The bottles can leak everywhere, it’s hard to know if TSA may give you a hard time about having the right size, and you’re always worried about forgetting something.
Thankfully, the modern world has given us some very practical solutions — and they just happen to be excellent stocking stuffers for travel, too.
Ethique makes innovative bar versions of shampoo, soap, conditioner, face wash, and more. No spills, no mess, and no worrying about getting through airport security! And bonus, Ethique’s products are vegan and 100% zero-waste. Even the packaging is compostable!
