If you’ve been a reader of mine for a long time, you’ll know that I have a lot of experience traveling, but as a first-time mom, traveling with a baby almost feels like a first-time experience.
To be honest, it’s a different packing style. I’ve been used to last-minute packing on my last trips, but that’s not an option with a little. The last thing I want is to need things for my Mila only to find out I didn’t bring it. The horror!
Related: What Baby Brands & Products We Chose For Our Little One
Because I’m meticulous, I collected packing lists from 6 of my friends- consolidated them, edited them, and made a final version that I swear by for all of my trips.
Here is my list of baby items that I use every time we travel. I bought all of them on Amazon, so it should be easy for you to find items.
I hope this helps you plan your travel.
Baby Travel Essentials You Might Be Forgetting
Baby Carrier
It’s a baby carrier – yes, this is expensive but it’s an investment. We bought it before our Paris trip when Mila was 7 months old and we’ve used it every week since then as she gets older.
You can use it as a front or back carrier. It also allows your kid to face inward or outward. When they’re younger, you wanna keep them inside. But as they grow older, they can face outward so they can see the world and be entertained.
Now that Mila is older, I only use it as a back carry, but I love that it has that option.
It is also adjustable, my husband is 6 foot and I’m 5, but it’s comfortable for the both of us and quick to shift.
Related: 13 Things You Have To Do When You Visit Paris
Breast Pump
This is my favorite travel pump, and trust me I tried a lot. I originally got the Elvie wireless pumps and it was really cool, but the output just wasn’t worth it for me. I would have to pump for twice the amount of time for half of the output, and it just got tedious.
Then I found this pump and I recommend it to all of my friends. It has a hospital grade section but it’s compact size and great to travel with.
Travel Crib Light
I did a lot of research for travel cribs and this is the best option I found. Everytime my sister comes to our town, she prefers to use mine over hers. This allows more height of the child so they can use it for an even longer time, as they get older. So easy, so comfortable and you can check it with your luggage.
Toy Safety Straps
This is the most helpful gadget I used in any of my travels. If you buy one thing, let it be this.
These are silicone straps you can attach on your car seats or baby stroller. Here’s how it works: it has two strings on both ends so the other one can be for your baby teether, pacifier, toys, bottles, hair clips, accessories, etc.
This makes sure your baby things don’t hit the ground and protects it from any bacteria — game changer!
Water Bottle with Straw
I also did research on this and it’s the best water bottle I found. Mila loves the design, we keep buying them. It’s available in 4 different colors, so if your kid’s favorite color is available, you can choose that.
Pro tip: buy one color so your little doesn’t build a preference to the pink bottle vs the purple – lesson learned.
Alcohol-Free Sanitizing Wipes
This is disinfecting wipes suitable for your baby. We always have this in our travel bag. It’s alcohol-free so it is gentle and non-allergic to your baby skin. You can use this to clean their hands and things they touch, which let’s be real, is every 2 minutes.
Baby Travel Kit
I love this brand and I keep buying their baby travel kit which has 4 products – lotion, shampoo, oil, and balm. It’s best for short-time use plus it’s a cruelty-free.
Disposable Placemats
This makes our dining-out experience with Mila a lot easier. It’s a simple disposable placemat that has an interactive design to keep your baby entertained. Plus, it’s sticky so it won’t move. You protect your baby from the germs on the surface while also avoiding having a messy table. Win-Win!
Portable Sound Machine & Nightlight
This is a portable sound machine and nightlight we’ve been bringing to our trips. It is lightweight and has long battery life. We have had this since Mila was born and it helps her sleep any time and anywhere with the sound. Highly recommend this one!
Fast Table Chair
If you’re traveling internationally, most of the time they don’t have high chairs so we used to travel with this. It’s small and you can literally secure it to anything.
We also used this in our home. We just put Mila at our kitchen island with this so she can interact with us while we’re cooking.
Travel Baby Bottle Drying Rack
This water bottle cleaner kit is best for traveling. It’s compact size, has cleaning brushes, and a drying station. It’s perfect for cleaning your bottle parts while letting them dry in a safe place.
I use it with the Babyganics Foaming Dish & Bottle Soap. It’s also very small and perfect for travel.
Stroller Bag
I panic ordered this 36 hours before I had to leave for the airport on my first trip with Mila– and I’m so glad I did.
This may not look sexy or aesthetic for your travel outfit but this is super essential. It’s a bag for your baby stroller and it protects it from getting wet when it rains or dirty everytime you put it in the compartment.
Baby Stroller Hooks
This is something you don’t think you need, but you absolutely do. I read about this on another mom’s travel list and I totally get it. These are super large clips. Most of the time, travel strollers don’t have big space for storage so these clips allow you to hang anything in your stroller. This is the most neglected gadget in baby travel, but trust me it’s worth it!
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Baby Toys That Keep Your Little Entertained
Entertaining your little is probably one of the hardest parts of travel. These are Mila’s favorite busy toys we always brought when she was 6-18 months old. They work for planes, cars, trains, and even restaurants or quiet spaces.
Mosquito Repellent Stickers
When traveling, you want to make sure your kid is safe. This mosquito repellent sticker has many cute designs. I let Mila choose what she wants before I stick it to her clothes.
Reusable Sticker Books
These are reusable sticker books. It has many options of designs and activities you can do. The stickers are small, but your kid can stick it anywhere plus it’s reusable. You’ll probably loose half of the stickers by the time your trip is over – but it’s fine.
‘Never Touch’ Board book
This is a book that IS great for car rides and public travels. You can choose what series you want and it has a touch-and-feel feature perfect for your baby tiny hands.
Busy Montessori Board
This is a busy board that is an ideal travel toy. It’s a perfect activity for kids when they’re in car or airplane rides. It’s designed for easy-hand carry and the items are stitched to the bag itself so you can make sure it won’t be messy to play with.
You’ll appreciate how it grows well on them. From the beginning, they can’t do all of the functions, but as they grow older you’ll watch them make more progress with it.
Sophie la Girafe
This was a gift for Mila and thank god it was because I would have never bought it on my own. This stupid giraffe is expensive for a silicone toy, but there’s something about this giraffe that makes this her favorite. Every child is obsessed with this damn giraffe.
It’s chewable, easy to hold through its neck, and it was Mila’s favorite toy from 6-12 months. I’ve bought another two of these before we left in Paris, just in case.
Related: 5 Items We Used Everyday With Mila (3-6 Months)
Spinner Toys
These are cute suckable cups that can be transformed into spinner toys. They come from 12 colorful designs and it’s super entertaining. I let Mila build the cups into a spinner and we can stick it in our car windows. So fun!
Wooden Threading Toys
This is a wooden lacing toy. It’s a simple and quiet activity. You just let your kid put the caterpillar stick in different holes and you can detangle it after. But as Mila grows older, she also learns how to detangle it on her own which keeps her interest.
Clings Stickers for Kids
I posted about these on Instagram and 400 of you immediately bought it. I’ve been getting messages from moms every day about how they are obsessed with these stickers because they keep their little quiet and entertained.
Why are these different? These are big stickers! They stick to any surface like windows and mirrors. I love how easy it is to remove and reuse. Awesome for flights or even in cars!
Musical Rhymes Book
This is a musical book perfect for road trips. It makes music so it may not be the best for public places, but your kid will enjoy this in car rides.
Mila had a hard time in the car when she was little, but this toy came recommended from another mom and it’s been crucial for us.
Final Thoughts on Baby Travel Essentials
Traveling with a baby may be challenging but it is a beautiful moment. I hope this blog helps you pack your essential baby items for the journey ahead. Remember to stay flexible and savor the precious moments along the way. Enjoy!
