Flight Attendants Swear By These 20 Travel Products (So You Know They're Worth The Money)

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They know what they're talking about, because they fly *so* often.

BuzzFeed Staff

It's easy to drink from because it has a wide spout that's protected from random dirt and germs by a little plastic cap, but it's also simple to refill because the entire lid unscrews, so you have a wide mouth that can even fit ice cubes with no problem. Both caps seal, so the entire bottle is leakproof, and it has a strap for attaching to your bag (although it's BYO carabiner). It can handle hot drinks like your morning coffee but is also completely freezable. Reviewers love it for cruises, flights, and, of course, everyday use.

"Hydrate so much! I love to drink lots of water — bring your own bottle!" —melialexander

Get it from Amazon for $34.95 (available in eight colors).

"Can’t trust that hotel water." —cecelial4d8a192cd

"Always have a refillable water bottle with you. You may need water before takeoff, but we are always struggling so much to have everyone put their bags away and close the door in time that it’s not a priority for us, so PLEASE bring and fill water before getting on the plane." —michellee48b2133e7

This is a good option for travel because if it accidentally gets dropped, the plastic won't break, although you do have to squeeze it a little bit to get the water to come through (you can't just, like, tip it in your mouth and expect it to come out). Several reviewers specifically mentioned loving these for Disney World because you can fill them with ice and water at the restaurants and have great-tasting water all day. They do require replacement filters every two months; you can find a pack of five of those for $16.28.

Get it from Amazon for $22.89+ (available in three sizes and four colors, and in insulated stainless steel for $41.74+).

—melissam4dba49ab0

—cecelial4d8a192cd

Promising review: "As a flight attendant I always need wipes. These small packs are great for putting in your purse and having on the go. The bundle pack is a great value. " —SJ1326

Get 20 packs of 10 wipes each from Amazon for $19.70+ (also available in unscented and a tropical splash scent).

—melissam4dba49ab0

While many people use it on especially dry places like their elbows, hands, and knees, others (especially reviewers with dry skin) also love it for an intensive overnight cream. Reviewers say it's incredibly thick — kind of like cream cheese — but incredibly effective on dry patches. (Also, the company will recycle your empties for free.)

Promising review: "I am a flight attendant and this is my go to hand cream! It is a little greasy when you first start rubbing it in, but it absorbs quickly and that along with the smell (a bit medicinal) dissipates before you know it. It doesn't take much of this at all. I rub a little on my tired feet at the end of the day as well, and trust me I have tired feet after being on them for 14-plus hours. This stuff works great for this as well. Win-win, Weleda!" —Lauren

Get it from Amazon for $15.10+ (available in two sizes and packs of three and 10).

For more on why this particular one's great, read a BuzzFeed editor's mini steamer review. TL;DR, this steamer's incredibly useful: it heats up in about 90 seconds, steams about five garments before needing refilled, and is all around perfect for anyone who doesn't want to wait too long or work too hard to get the wrinkles out.

Promising review: "This steamer is very compact, easy to use, and well-made. I am a flight attendant so this has helped my life tremendously. I never even pick up an iron anymore. It works extremely well on my uniform and also just to get wrinkles out of my clothes while on layovers. The best part is that it doesn't take up too much space in my bag. I hate ironing with a passion, so I am so glad that I found this product!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $24.97.

"For saving some $$$ on coffee while on the road, I’ve bought a collapsible travel kettle from Amazon and a travel French press mug and made fresh coffee in my room. Just fill a sandwich bag up with the grinds you desire; I use a foldable flask by Vapur to hold the creamer I like. The kettle comes in multiple uses to make tea, oatmeal, and ramen as a backup food option." —michellee48b2133e7

Get them both from Amazon — the kettle for $33.98 and the travel mug for $22.99+ (available in four colors).

"A sweater that goes with everything!" —kaylab4c9863587

Reviewers who traveled with this sweater said it looks good through multiple washes in a hotel room sink, is cozy enough to sleep in if a hotel room happens to be way too cold (which would work on a flight, too), and holds up without snagging or pilling even if it ends up wadded up in the bottom of a bag for a bit.

Get it from Amazon for $30.99+ (available in sizes XS–3XL and 35 colors/patterns).

"For security in a hotel room, Add-a-Lock. It’s a fantastic door stopper just in case. Trust me, once you’ve had someone walk in while you're undressing, it’s pretty hard to shake." —michellee48b2133e7

Get it from Amazon for $17.95.

"Compression socks!" —rosem443e8bba5

Compression socks may also help prevent deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot that starts in the legs and can be serious); to know if you're really at risk of that, however, you'll have to talk to your doctor.

Reviewers say they're tight but still comfortable! This default pack comes with one solid black pair, one solid gray pair, one solid white pair, and one pair each in black with white accents — either stripes, polka dots, or hearts.

Get a pack of six pairs of varying patterns from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in sizes S/M and L/XL, and 32 color/pattern combos).

The review below is from 2017; hopefully if a flight attendant felt sick these days, they wouldn't have to fly!

Promising review: "As a flight attendant, I recommend that anybody who is a frequent traveler keep a pair of these in their bag. I have problems with my ears because I flew while congested, and use these all the time. If you have to fly while having a cold, you should use these just to avoid the pain and problems you could possibly have during descent." —Vane

Get a pack of three pairs from Amazon for $17.49 (also available in packs of five and 10 pairs).

Promising reviews: "I am a flight attendant and it's perfect for my international flights going through security. I love the handle, easy to pull out of my suitcase." —Kristi

"I travel very frequently and had never heard of a liquid travel bag like this before. I was a little worried because the back is not see through, so I brought a 1-quart plastic baggie as back up just in case. But everything I needed fit perfectly and I had no issues in TSA/China security. So far I have been through MSP, IAD, NKG, and PEK airports using this pack already and it's a life changer! I will never again have to worry about having to scramble to buy baggies just for liquids, and it is much more durable." —Courtney Swanson

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 11 colors).

—kaylab4c9863587

"A power bank! Bringing along too many cords and an international adapter is such a hassle that you sometimes leave it in the hotel room, so a power bank is my go-to power source. It’s light, compact, and can charge a lot of items on the go! I always carry mine during layovers." —fritziebeatricen

This highly-rated slim option holds about 2.25 charges for iPhone 12, 1.6 charges for Galaxy S20, and 1.2 charges for iPad Mini 5 and comes with a Micro USB cable (to charge the charger) and a travel pouch.

Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "As a flight attendant for a major airline I have heard from passengers how much they like this pillow. So I ordered it...I LOVE IT. I lost my U-shaped memory foam pillow recently so I thought I would give this a try. It's smaller than a U-shape pillow and easy to pack up. Lots of fun colors to match your outfits. But most of all it works. It's cheap enough to give it a try...so just do it." —Franny

Ciera Velarde, an editor here at BuzzFeed, also loves this! She says: "I've used this for the past few years and swear by it! Before this, I always found traditional neck pillows uncomfortable and would end up ditching them halfway through the flight and getting frustrated. The Trtl pillow is adjustable — you wrap the pillow around your neck and secure it with Velcro, and if you find it's too loose, just make it a bit tighter! I've truly never slept better on a plane than with this pillow."

Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in four colors).

"Melatonin for long red-eye flights! Take one before takeoff so you feel great getting off the plane." —rosem443e8bba5

BTW, some Amazon reviewers report their gummies arriving melted, so if you live somewhere hot, consider finding these at a local store instead. But others whose gummies arrived intact say these help them sleep the whole night through with no hangover feeling.

Get a jar of 50 gummies from Amazon for $8.49 (available in two flavors; also available in three larger sizes).

Learn more about the link between melatonin and sleep at the National Sleep Foundation.

The instructions say to take one at take off, every two hours during the flight, and then again after you arrive. One box is good for 50 hours of flying.

Promising review: "I swear by this stuff — it works if you take the doses exactly as indicated. I set my timer on long flights to make sure I wake up on time for my next dose. And drink plenty of water, which sucks on long flights having to use bathroom all the time, but it's worth not getting jet leg. I was a flight attendant for six years and always used this when I worked long flights!" —Jvelez

Get it from Amazon for $14.40 (also available in a two-pack).

"To keep up with my TV bingeing, I love that I bought an Amazon Fire Stick. Just plug it into the TV and connect to the hotel Wi-Fi and you’re set to go. Almost all hotels have flat screens with HDMI ports now." —michellee48b2133e7

If you have Amazon Prime, it gives you access to literally thousands of TV shows and movies. This version lets you stream in ~4k~, which means you get a true HD picture.

Get it from Amazon for $49.99.

"E-readers are awesome to have a book with you on the go without taking up too much space." —michellee48b2133e7

Yes, that means it's waterproof! Its black-and-white screen reads like paper, even in direct sunlight. If you're a Prime member, you get free access to over 1,000 books and magazines.

Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available with 8 GB or 32 GB of memory, and with or without lockscreen ads).

"Clarks shoes have been the best, hands down, for all-day footwear and comfortable heels!" —michellee48b2133e7

Get these 2-inch Clarks from Amazon for $63.84+ (available in sizes 5–12, including half sizes and wide options, and 16 colors, although not all sizes are available in all colors).

"For skin hydration, I’m a fan of spritzing throughout flights (just bring your fave...I’m loving ones by Mario Badescu)." —melialexander

The Mario Badescu sprays each have slightly different scents and ingredients, although they all have aloe for hydration — the pink has rose water, the green has cucumber and green tea, the purple has lavender and chamomile, and the orange has orange blossom and sage.

Get a travel-friendly pack of three Mario Badescu sprays from Amazon for $20 (available in an additional pack of three and a pack of four).

Promising review: "I’m a flight attendant and travel A LOT! This is a game changer! Folds up super small in the cute bag they provide and really makes a difference when on those long flights. The people in front of me had no idea I was using it. Thanks for the great product!!!" —sarah rubin

Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in three colors).

Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Not all products were recommended by Community users.