6 Travel Essentials My Well-Traveled Mom Swears By

April 12, 2025
Travel

With daughters living in North America and Europe, my 56-year-old mom is no stranger to making frequent trips abroad for birthdays, celebrations, and quick visits.

Over the past three years, she’s boarded dozens of flights across the Atlantic and learned invaluable travel experience. So, I’m all ears when she recommends a product that makes long-haul flights or packing a carry-on easier. We rounded up her list of tried-and-true travel essentials, including an ophthalmologist-recommended eye mask, compression packing cubes, and a Spanx lookalike sweatsuit, starting at $16 on Amazon.

Mom-Approved Travel Essentials at Amazon

Azang Cordless Heated Eye Mask

Amazon

I swear by an eye mask for getting shut-eye on a train, plane, or bus, and my mom never spends a night away from home without hers either. Not only does this pick block out unwanted light, but it’s also what my mom’s ophthalmologist recommended to alleviate her dry eye symptoms. The mask is crafted from pure silk and has a rechargeable battery, making it wireless. It has three heat settings, which provide fast and even heating, and it’s washable for convenient maintenance.

Anrabess 2-Piece Matching Set

Amazon

Countless celebrities, including Meghan Markle, Martha Stewart, and Oprah, are fans of matching sets, and it’s easy to see why they reach for the polished yet comfy outfit formula. While these sets are great for running errands or lounging around the house, they’re also ideal for travel, which is why this set is my mom’s go-to travel uniform.

This sweatsuit, in particular, is anti-wrinkle, stretchy, and comfortable enough to wear on an overnight flight. It’s available in 21 colors, ranging from neutrals to vibrant jewel tones, and it’s on sale now, so now is the ideal time to stock up.

OlarHike Set of 10 Compression Packing Cubes

Amazon

My mom was the first to introduce me to the magic of packing cubes, and now they’re an essential part of my packing routine. She’s used regular and compression packing cubes, and this specific set is the one she reached for on her most recent trip. All thanks to the extra space the cubes created, she easily compressed a week’s worth of outfits into a carry-on suitcase. Plus, they help keep outfits organized.

Snap up these game-changing travel finds. Then keep scrolling to shop more of my mom’s tried-and-true travel essentials at Amazon.