8 Must-Haves When Traveling with Babies
Traveling with Babies & Toddlers —Don’t Get Caught Without These Travel Essentials Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib — We talk about this one a lot but it is at the top of our list for a reason. We LOVE our Lotus Crib from Guava Family. If we had known about it sooner we would have had one the day our oldest daughter was born. Not only is it sleek looking, but it is small, sits on the ground so weight is not an issue, and folds into a small case that can be worn as a back pack. We would set it up in the airport for cross country or international trips. Read more about our Guave family use here 5 Baby Must Haves – The Second Time Around
Good Umbrella Stroller — We use the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller for travel. It is lightweight and comes with a strap that makes traveling with it easy. There are a few other options like the Zoe Stroller that fold down. We have not tried them and they are on the expensive side, but having a small but sturdy umbrella stroller is a must for traveling with babies and toddlers.
Collapsible Boppy Seat — We use this a lot when traveling. You can toss it in your car seat check bag so it doesn’t take up suitcase space. It is good for feeding a baby on the road, in a hotel room, or at a family member's house. You won’t always have access to a high chair when traveling, especially if you are staying in an Air B&B or visiting family, so having this will provide a secure and relatively mess-free alternative to feeding baby on the road. Read more about feeding baby on the road on my blog here:
Sturdy Car Seat Check Bag — We use the BRICA Cover Guard Car Seat Travel Bag because it is sturdy and a good size for most convertible car seats. Your bag will get tossed around like your luggage, so make sure to get a sturdy one. However, it likely will still need some duct tape after the first few uses, but that’s okay. One perk of this larger sturdy bag is room for things like diapers or Boppy seats.
Gate Checked stroller bag — This does not need to be sturdy. We have the standard bright red one. This is a MUST because if you don’t use one, your stroller will get filthy dirty being gate checked.
Travel Cot — As your "littles" grow, they can move from the Pack-and-Play to the Travel Cot. It is compact and even fits in my suitcase without taking up a lot of room. They are just like camping cots and kids love them. We use ours in hotels and when visiting family. Our oldest daughter loves it so much she requests to use it every now and then in our room when we are home. The best part about them is the price. The one we got was only $25 on Amazon and is great quality. Extra tip: buy one for visiting grandparents and leave it there so you don’t have to bring it back and forth.
Baby Carrier — So there is not one specific one I would recommend. Depending on age and type of trip you are taking there might be one better than the other. If you are not planning on going far you can use a cloth wrap. This will make it easy to wear your baby or toddler onto the airplane, but not take up too much room in your carry-on luggage. If you plan on visiting a place with lots of exploring and walking around I would suggest an Ergobaby or Tula carrier. They work for babies and toddlers alike and have more support than a cloth wrap. If you plan on hiking, I recommend an Osprey Baby or Child Carrier. We have used ours on very intense hikes and it is AMAZING. The Osprey packs are equipped with so many wonderful features to keep babies or toddlers comfortable and safe during light or more intense hikes. It is also easy to wear and helps with the weight the same way a camping pack does.
Packing Cubes — They might be at the end of this list but don't let that fool you... packing cubes are a MUST have when traveling with kids. These simple zipper cube shaped bags help keep me organized in my suitcase and when I arrived at my final destination. I pack all my daughter’s clothes in a medium size cube, and her socks and undies in a small one. When we arrive, I can pull her cubes out and organize them in the hotel drawers as I please. Read more about how I use my packing cubes here: Packing Cubes- The Best Invention for Traveling with Kids.
There are a ton of great products to help make traveling with babies and small children easy, but these are my MUST haves for domestic and international travel.
More travel tips:
Do your family photos when you travel
9 Tips For Traveling With a Baby
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