Travel Gear for the First Year
The Feeding, Sleep & Luggage items I wouldn't travel without.
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[09.07.23] In today’s edition - the Feeding, Sleep & Luggage gear I found most useful in the first year of traveling with my daughter.
For the sake of brevity, a future edition will contain part 2 of this list with my four favorite baby travel items overall (which don’t fall into these categories) as well as the one popular item I chose *not* to travel with.
I’ve previously shared my exact packing list which has links to everything I’ve traveled with in the first year. Today, I’ll get into the Pros & Cons of my top curated must-haves.
A few themes from this list are:
It is ideal to find items that can be used in daily life at home and while traveling.
Cost is a con for several of these items. As with all baby things, it’s imperative to optimize for the factors that matter most to you (cost, portability, size, ability to grow with your child, etc).
No affiliate links at this time, just the products I’ve used for every trip and would genuinely recommend based on my experience.
Feeding:
Portable Bottle Cleaning Set (link)
Pros
Packs up into a small box (the pegs fold down) and it includes a bottle brush.
You can configure the pegs in different ways depending on whether you are washing larger bottles or smaller pump parts.
Cons
Small surface area. It comfortably holds 2-3 bottles at a time, which can be less than a day’s worth.
Baby’s Brew Portable Bottle Warmer (link)
Pros
Small and easy to use. It was our at-home and travel bottle warmer.
Relatively quick to warm bottles (though, when you’re waiting for a bottle to be warmed and the baby is crying, it’s never quite quick enough!)
Cons
Requires additional attachment for certain bottles (like our Dr. Browns)
Not the best battery life. 3-5 bottles warmed from every charge.
PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag (link)
Pros
An item we still use daily, for my daughter’s daycare lunch, and that we also bring on trips. You put the entire bag in the freezer and there are ice packs in the insulated walls which keep it cold.
Fits several bottles or items of solid food.
Cons
If you want something to stay frozen, versus simply cold, it may require additional ice packs.
Trader Joe’s Insulated Shopping Bag
Pros
An inexpensive option (buy one at your local TJ’s) that we’ve used on every trip to hold bottles, the Baby’s Brew, food, water, formula, bibs, utensils, you name it.
Cons
Annoying to organize as there are no dividers or pockets.
Sleep:
Guava Lotus Travel Crib w/ Bassinet (link)
Pros
I needed a travel crib that could accommodate a newborn and grow with her. The Guava Lotus can be purchased with a bassinet kit for $350 and my runner up, the BabyBjorn travel crib, was $300 without a bassinet.
Extremely packable. The entire thing gets folded into a rectangular bag and it also has backpack straps.
The wide flap opening makes it possible to put a baby into the travel crib from the floor and some parents like to lay on the floor next to their child with the flap open.
It took a couple of trial runs to feel confident putting this together upon arrival to our destination, but now I find it simple and quick.
Cons
Heavy! But, most pack & plays are. Don’t get me started on the beautiful-but-enormous Nuna Sena Aire.
It’s a tight fit getting the crib into the travel bag.
Infant Optics Non-WiFi Baby Monitor (link)
Pros
Yet another item that we use at home and also take with us when we travel.
Non-wifi is important as many parents encounter problems trying to use hotel wifi to set up monitors like the Nanit. Plus, hotel WiFi networks are shared and the stories of WiFi baby monitors being hacked freak me out.
Cons
Range is more limited than a WiFi monitor. Some parents will set up one person’s phone to FaceTime the monitor and bring the other person’s phone (with the monitor on FaceTime) somewhere nearby, for example to the hotel lobby.
Yogasleep Portable Sound Machine (link)
Pros
Strong battery life.
Multiple sound settings.
Has a convenient little hook you can tie to a carrier or stroller while baby is napping.
Cons
Needs to be plugged in to stay in use overnight.
SlumberPod (link)
Pros
Creates 100% blackout sleep environment wherever you are. If you’re sharing a hotel room with a baby, this is critical as you can have all of the lights on and they won’t be disturbed.
Fits over many different travel cribs.
Easy to set up once you know how (lay it over the crib, insert the poles through the slits, stand the poles into the bottom hooks, click the side snap hooks last!)
Has a pocket on the top to hold a monitor.
Cons
Does not block sound. This seems obvious, but important to remember that just because you can turn all of the lights on in the hotel room without disturbing the baby doesn’t mean you can make noise as well.
May be difficult to get your child comfortable with the SlumberPod if they do not use it early on in life. Some toddlers, understandably, are scared of the darkness in the tent if they are not accustomed to it.
Pricey at $180.
Luggage:
Caraa Diaper Bag in Large (link)
Pros
Lightweight! I’ve also traveled with the Dagne Dover tote which is heavier.
Well-designed. There is an insulated pouch in the front and many usable compartments & pockets throughout the bag.
I am not a backpack girl in the least, but I have to say that having a backpack diaper bag has been a game changer. Going hands-free makes travel much easier. The bag also has a messenger strap if you prefer.
Cons
Pricey at $330. I actually have the Medium size because I was trying to save a few dollars and be a packing minimalist, but it is actually a bit too small for the distance of travel that we do. If you are making the investment, go for the Large.
Away Luggage, the Bigger Carry On / the Large Checked (link / link)
Pros
Durable. We’ve had our Bigger Carry Ons since 2017 and they’ve held up well. When an inner piece once broke, Away quickly replaced it.
Many colors to choose from.
Cons
There are cheaper options out there. We bought the checked bag during a sale.
Baggu Go Pouch Set (link)
Pros
Variety of sizes. I use the Small for pacifiers/teethers, the Medium for medical items and the Large to hold the portable bottle cleaning set.
Cons
Currently unavailable 🫠
Car Seat Travel Bag (link)
Pros
Has backpack straps.
Extremely spacious. We’ve gotten away with filling this bag with a car seat, packs of diapers and wipes, the entire Guava Lotus travel crib and our play mat (and checking it all for free).
You can check a car seat without it being in a bag, but I like to at least have the car seat protected from touching other luggage directly.
Cons
Flimsy construction. While it hasn’t broken, it is not padded and does not protect the car seat from much. I usually wrap the play mat or a blanket around the car seat for some padding.
That’s all for today. Part 2 to come!
Have any gear to recommend? Questions on what to travel with? Leave a comment.
Thank you for reading!
p.s. you can always see all posts on the website