The glorious sounds of traveling season are upon us: jet engines whooshing into landing patterns overhead and the ding, ding, ding of gasoline pumps ringing as they wring the dollars from our pockets. After two years of pandemic-induced seclusion and a false start last year, many of us are finally getting the chance to go to all those places we’ve been daydreaming of.
Check out these deals on some of the best travel gear this week to get you up, out of the house, on the open road, and in the skies. Also, be sure to check out our guide to face masks we actually like to wear for when you’re in crowded spaces.
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Luggage Deals
This deal excludes luggage sets and clearance items, but that leaves nearly all of their stock as included in this sale. Spend $150 and receive 10 percent off, or spend $250 and receive 15 percent off. Given Travelpro’s reputation in the market as a premium brand, that shouldn’t be a hard threshold to meet. The Crew VersaPack ($250 before discount) was my pick for the best soft-side carry-on.
Keep your belongings organized inside your luggage by separating them into packing cubes. They’ll keep your clothes from getting creased by sharp objects, and you won’t have to dig around to find matching socks any longer.
Chances are that if you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you’ve handled a Samsonite bag. Now you’ve got your pick of 15 percent off everything sitewide, from wheeled carry-ons to travel backpacks. If you order two or more items at a time, your discount gets bumped up to 20 percent. Don’t forget to enter the code MAYSALE before you complete the checkout. The same offer is available at Ebags.com, a budget bag brand now owned by Samsonite, if you use the coupon SUNSHINE.
Airlines have weight limits for luggage. And if you plan to fly internationally on a non-US airline, you might be surprised by how strict they are with their low limits. You don’t need a fancy digital scale that’ll run out of batteries. Just keep this manual scale around, and when you’re done packing a heavy bag, affix the scale’s strap around the luggage and lift it. It’ll show you the weight all the way up to 80 pounds.
Fold down one or both expandable mesh sides to give your little buddy some room to stretch out on long trips. To keep things secure on this metal-framed, soft-sided travel crate, buckles secure it closed when you’re moving, and the accordion-style sides lock open when expanded to prevent mishaps.
Nap and Slumber Deals
Photograph: Moosejaw
A common travel tip—especially in hostels and grimier motels—is to bring a sleeping bag liner to sleep in when you bed down for the night. This polyester fleece liner will keep you warm in those over-air-conditioned hotel rooms and give you peace of mind if you’re squeamish about strange sheets. There’s also a polyester-cotton-blend version for $25 ($5 off) if you tend to sleep hot and don’t need the warmth of a fleece liner.
We’ve all fallen asleep crammed up against the window of a plane or car. Or worse, we’ve let our head droop while we nod off and wake up to a neck stiffer than a Giant Sequoia. A contoured neck pillow is the best way to catch some z’s on a flight or train journey without wrenching your neck for the rest of your trip, and the memory foam will help alleviate pressure points.
If neck pillows aren’t your thing, or if you’d prefer a pillow that can be used on a bed, check out this puffy 18- by 12-inch rectangular pillow. Because it’s filled with synthetic insulation instead of bulky memory foam, you can pack it down into a 5- by 11-inch space in your luggage.
Electronics Deals
Photograph: Jabra
Don’t blare your music straight out of your phone speakers on the bus, train, or plane. We live in a society. Do the civilized thing and pick up some earbuds, so you can rock out without creating any new archenemies. They have active noise cancellation, too, because you don’t want to hear everybody else’s noise, either.
Who knows how reliable the electrical system is in that old hotel. Keep your laptop, your phone, and your tablet safe from power surges by bringing along this compact, two-outlet surge protector that also features two USB ports. The included type C, G, B, I, E/F, and A plug adapters mean you can bring it with you to most of the top-visited countries around the world.
You can’t always count on the hotel to have an iron. Plus, I’ve always found steamers to be quicker and easier to use. The discount isn’t huge, but this is a stellar steamer that gear reviewer Medea Giordano and I have both used for years and been very pleased with. Just remember that, as a North American-market product, it may not work with other countries’ electrical outlets.