Taking the Stress Out of Travel with Toddlers: Gadgets & Gear to Not Leave Home Without

The toddler years can be the most difficult for parents attempting to plan family trips. Between potty training and learning to talk, travel with toddlers can be frustrating. But luckily there are lots of products out there that takes some of the stress out of the trip. Whether you’re heading across an ocean in a jet plane or road-tripping across the country, these gadgets travel well and are designed to lend a hand to harried parents.

Classic 22L, Space Backpack by Beckmann ($115.90)

Your toddler will feel like a big kid with the ultra cool Space Backpack by Beckmann  that is perfect for travel. The Classic 22 is made from high-quality, durable materials and is easy for parents to use. The top tightening shoulder straps make it quick to adjust while the chest strap helps keep it attached to your child. There are also multiple reflective patches that are handy for dark nights. We also love the design that has a pocket for a water bottle and another for a snack box. It’s also created with your little one’s posture in mind and the interior compression of the pack pulls the weight in close to the back, while the pack also features anatomically-shaped back support and a load-bearing system that transfers 50% of the weight to the hips. For rainy weather travel, a rain cover is located in the top flap.

Ciao! Baby Highchair ($67.99)

The Ciao! Baby Highchair was invented by two moms and is perfect for families on the go with small children. This user-friendly, no-fuss, freestanding chair with its proprietary flexible seat and tray requires no assembly but is super easy to transport. With a cup holder built-in and a clear vinyl tray cover, it easily wipes clean and folds up in seconds for travel. It can be used for toddlers up to 3 years old.

BooginHead: Assorted Products  

Located in Issaquah, Washington, this company provides unique and solution based products designed to make parents’ lives easier while traveling. The company was launched on the SippiGrip strap ($7.50), which is made from a unique grippy material designed to attach to high chairs, strollers, car seats on one end and a sippy cup for bottle on the other. Today, BooginHead has a range of functional products for traveling families including PaciGrips ($5.50) that match the SippiGrip for color coordination and some cool teething bibs ($7.99).

JaniebeeMini Mats (starting at $60.00)

Children’s nap mat line, Janiebee!, makes incredibly soft mini mats for little ones that are perfect for tummy time, napping or just relaxing with mommy or daddy – at home or away. The adorable Mini Mats are available in six trendy prints. Made with beautiful details, including a fabric tie closure and an extra think minky pillowcase, Janiebee Mini Nap Mats are a smaller version of their original nap mats. Janiebee Nap Mats are made in the USA with quality fabric, stitching and care. Personalization and custom nap mats are available, and designs change seasonally. They are machine washable and also dryer safe.

Lil Gadgets: Untangled Pro ($49)

The Untangled Pro by Lil Gadgets is a high-quality, Bluetooth wireless children’s headphone that lets your little ones listen to their favorite music or movie without parents having to hear the soundtrack for the thousand time. Each pair comes with a high quality microfiber travel pouch, a four foot premium nylon braided 3.5 millimeter audio cable with an inline microphone and a micro-USB charging cable. It also features an integrated SharePort to make sharing a little easier between kiddos. The UntangledPro is durably constructed out of a high quality polycarbonate, stainless steel and covered with comfortable SoftTouch Fabric. When fully charged, the Untangled Pro has a 12 hour battery life with 180 hours on standby.

Bubble Bum Junkie ($39.99)

Ensuring the kids are well-occupied and entertained in the car is essential for a happy, stress-free road trip. The Junkie all-in-one in-car organizer transforms your backseat into an entertainment centre for the kids. No more “Are we there yet” comments from the backseat! This portable activity station for kids can turn backseat boredom into a thing of the past. Junkie features a tech mount that allows kids to share a device for watching videos, listening to music, or playing games. It also has cup holders and retractable trays to make on-the-go eating a breeze. We also like Junkie’s reusable tote bag to store all your kids travel gear without junking up the vehicle.

Bumble Bum Booster Seat ($29.99)

Keeping kids buckled up and safe throughout each car ride is important for all parents, but dragging around a cumbersome, bulky booster seat is a serious bummer. Which is where BubbleBum, a portable and lightweight inflatable car booster seat for kids ages 4-11, saves the day. We love it for road trips and use in rental cars, taxis, or grandma’s car. It only takes about 20 second to blow up and it deflates quickly and can be easily stored in a purse or backpack. BubbleBum’s newly added belt clip makes it even more comfortable for youngsters to be protected by a safety belt.

Brusheez ($29.99)

If you’re tired of convincing your kids to brush their teeth e
very night, make the process more fun with Brusheez. The electronic toothbrush has a very cute visual aesthetic and features a different animal on each version, making building healthy brushing habits fun yet educational. Each animal themed toothbrush set comes with all the essential dental tools young brushers need to maintain a bright smile while on the road, including a battery driven electronic toothbrush, extra brush head, rinse cup, protective brush cover and sand timer.

Bentgo Lunch Box ($27.99)

When it comes to eating on the road (or at school) kids will have fun with the Bentgo. The sleek, health-inspired lunchbox line are compartmentalized lunchboxes that allow food to be transported without touching one another, based on the very popular Japanese bento boxes.  Each compartment is also a single-serving, to encourage a balanced meal of various dishes.  Plus they’re very easy to transport, and beautifully designed. Bento also partners with Feed The Children, donating 5% of sales up to $50,000, to the nonprofit organization, so you can feel good about your purchase.

Bumble Bum Sneck ($14.99)

There’s no doubt that traveling long distances can be tough on your child’s sleep schedule. Some parents choose to travel overnight so kids can sleep most of the way, however, sleeping in the car or on a plane can be uncomfortable. But with  the specially designed Sneck travel pillow, kiddos can sleep more comfortably thanks to its head and neck support. We like how it attaches to the car headrest with velcro so it will easily stay in play while your child slumbers. The pillow also comes with a pocket to store small items, like an mp3 player or your child’s favorite toy.

MyDrinky ($9.95)

Featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, MyDrinky by InchBug is an innovative solution to help stop kids from over-squeezing juice boxes when traveling, be it in a plane or a car.  The two-piece adjustable locking mechanism, an exclusive MyDrinky feature, keeps your child’s juice box secure in the holder so it can’t be squeezed, but the juice box won’t fall out if MyDrinky is turned upside down. The MyDrinky is also adjustable, and features a clickable top (so parents know its secured) meaning it works to fit everything from drink pouches to milk boxes.  MyDrinky is BPA and Phthalate-free, dishwasher-safe, and made in the USA.

Crayola Color Wonder

For kids of coloring age, Crayola Color Wonder is a must-have for travel because they cut down on accidental coloring on say hotel walls or airline tray tables. That’s because Color Wonder products use a special ink that only works on compatible paper, ensuring clothes, furniture or restaurant walls stay clean. Check out the Color Wonder Disney Frozen Glitter ($5.49) featuring beloved characters from Disney’s Frozen or the Stow & Go Studio ($11.49), which comes with a travel tote and a portable writing surface.

Little Me Clothing

We admit it, us moms like to go shopping for new outfits before a vacation, and not just for ourselves. We also like our kids to look cute. Little Me, a high end children’s clothing line with sizes from newborn to 4T, has a lot of great looks for traveling toddlers. And not only are their outfits adorable, but thanks to a partnership with Dreft, they also are great wash and wear quality, meaning even after multiple washes they continue looking new and not faded.