The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide For Travelers, From Under $50 to Over $2,000
The Matador Network team isn’t always shackled to a desk. This year, we’ve explored around the world on memorable trips to places like the volcanic archipelago of the Galapagos, the Northwest Coast of Norway, and stayed in hotels breaking ground on sustainability measures. While doing so, we’ve tested truck loads of gear, from the latest apparel and luggage from leading outdoor and travel brands, to gadgets and packing aids that make our journeys more comfortable, to on-the-road essentials to keep our kids entertained. This year’s gift guide compiles our favorite products — items in our travel tool kits that have become indispensable. Whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, an affordable present for a white elephant gift exchange, or something special for a loved one who enjoys traveling as much as we do, our tried-and-tested suggestions will make your holiday shopping a walk in the park.
These are the best travel gifts for 2024.
Contributors: Alex Bresler, Keven Gungor, Morgane Croissant, Nickolaus Hines, Rulo Luna Ramos, Suzie Dundas, and Tim Wenger
We hope you love the travel gifts we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
- Gifts under $50
- Gifts between $51 and $100
- Gifts between $101 and $200
- Gifts between $201 and $400
- Gifts over $400
Gifts under $50
Skip to: beach book for traveling kids, footrest for more comfortable flights, travel time entertainment, stylish earplugs, handy wipe for outdoorsy women, humorous book on traveler reviews, book on the world’s flora and fauna, phone tripod, travel-ready briefs, travel coffeemaker
Splish Splash Squawk Book
Photo: White Garment Publishing Group
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a leader in family-friendly travel that is compatible with the needs of families with children on the autism spectrum. As part of the push to make travel to the beach accessible and fun for all, the city’s tourism board worked with author and illustrator Lynda Farrington Wilson for Splish, Splash, Squawk! Finding Joy in a Sensory-Friendly Vacation. The book is designed to inspire families and help them navigate unfamiliar environments with the story of Maris, who helps Myrtle Beach vacationers with sensory sensitivities top of mind. — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Airplane Foot Hammock
Photo: Basic Concepts
A foot hammock is the perfect joke gift for something like a holiday gift swap or white elephant because it’s funny, but actually useful. I tell everyone I know to buy one of these super packable and lightweight pieces of airplane gear. It’s a foot-sized hammock that clips onto airplane tray tables, creating a footrest for seats that otherwise wouldn’t have any (basically every economy seat on every airline). Having a footrest allows travelers to sit in multiple positions, shift their weight, avoid butt pain and numbness, and raise their legs higher, which can help with issues like foot swelling on long flights. It’s a fantastically goofy — but fantastically useful — holiday gift. — Suzie Dundas, Editor
Buddha Board
Photo: Buddha Board
Parents who go completely screen-free with their toddlers and young children are a force of nature. I tried and failed, instead resorting to no screens in case of meltdown emergencies or extreme exhaustion. The Buddha Board has been one of the things that has helped make this manageable. It’s a simple concept. The board can be painted on with water, and it eventually dries and disappears, ready to use again for a new piece of art in about 10 minutes. It was originally developed as a mindfulness and meditation tool. The small version’s easy packability makes it just as (more?) useful for toddler entertainment while on flights, in hotel lobbies, and when sitting through long dinners. — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Curvd Everyday Earplugs
Photo: Curvd
The case for earplugs when traveling is obvious: you never know what barrage of sounds you’ll be subject to on a journey, from the metal tube in the sky to the trendy downtown hotel room above a busy street and a nightclub. The case against them is just as obvious: sometimes ear plugs can block out too much sound, and they almost always look ridiculous. Curved’s Everyday Earplugs look like classy in-ear headphones and have a reasonable 15- to 30-decibel sound reduction with the proper fit. That’s enough to dampen the sound of a jet engine (and a fussy baby two rows up) but not so noise-canceling that you won’t notice when the flight attendant asks for your meal preference. I wasn’t an earplug user for travel before getting these. They’ve since become a go-to that’s always clipped onto my bag in the handy and small carrying case for any time I want to turn down the noise from the outside world for a bit. — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Kula Cloth
Photo: Kula Cloth
At under $25, a Kula Cloth is a goofy but practical gift for the outdoorsy women in your life. It’s basically an antibacterial cloth with a pattern on one side and absorbent fabric on the other, with multiple snaps to keep the dirty side covered and clip it to your pack when not in use. Essentially, it’s for when you need to pop a squat in the woods but aren’t carrying TP. Leaving toilet paper in the woods isn’t very eco-friendly, but neither is trying to find a big enough leaf nearby. I carry my Kula Cloth with me all the time — hiking, biking, backcountry skiing, camping — and just throw it in the laundry whenever I get home. It’s also the right price for casual gifting (having two can come in handy). — Suzie Dundas, Editor
Subpar Planet: The World’s Most Celebrated Landmarks and Their Most Disappointed Visitors
Photo: Amber Share
I’m the type of person who finds travel and exploring new-to-me places wondrous, even experiences that at first glance seem mundane. That’s clearly not the case for everyone judging by the reviews of world-renowned landmarks left on Yelp, Google Reviews, and Tripadvisor. Author and illustrator Amber Share followed up her book of the most amusing negative reviews of national parks designed as classic travel posters, Subpar Parks, with Subpar Planet. It includes reviews of favorites like the Great Barrier Reef, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and Big Ben (“Just a really big clock”). It’s a coffee table travel book that’s equal parts aesthetic and funny. — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Atlas Obscura Wild Life book
Photo: Atlas Obscura
Back in Canada after a magical seven-day wildlife-watching trip to the Galápagos Islands, I needed a moral boost. Thankfully, during my absence, I received the beautiful Atlas Obscura Wild Life in the mail, making the transition back to a routine without sea turtles and blue-footed boobies a little easier. This coffee table book is filled with fascinating facts about weird and unique animals and plants, interviews with fauna and flora experts, and vibrant photographs and illustrations that will inspire you to explore the world and see and protect as many of its wonders as possible. One hour of handling this volume and I was already looking into wildlife tours in Madagascar to see a nano chameleon with my own eyes. — Morgane Croissant, Deputy Editor
Geometrical Pocket Tripod
Photo: Geometrical
I’m not typically someone who takes many selfies (or even one) when I travel, and I don’t personally do a whole lot of serious video-watching on my phone. Yet I’ve found myself reaching for this little phone tripod on every trip this year. It keeps things steady for long exposures, doesn’t take up much more space than a credit card in my wallet, and it’s a convenient phone holder to pull up Ms. Rachel when my toddler gets tired and everything else fails to calm her. The whole design is minimalist and simple: nothing extra, just what’s needed to get the job done (whether that job is capturing photos of my trips without having to physically hold my phone, or facilitating pure, mind-numbing distraction). Paired with a foldable and portable keyboard, it holds my phone in whatever angle I need to use it for writing even in the tightest middle seat on a budget airline. — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Minus 33 Briefs
Photo: Minus 33
I spotted Minus33’s briefs at Outdoor Media Summit’s annual “New Gear Speed Date” event a few weeks back in Missoula, Montana, where outdoor apparel brands have 10 minutes to show off their gear before attendees switch to the next booth. How could you go wrong with 100-percent merino wool for your most delicate area? You may think merino wool is only helpful for cold winters, but these briefs are purposefully lightweight for year-round use. Aside from the comfort level, I love the practicality. They’ll keep you cozy yet dry during all kinds of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, or running. On top of that, they’re anti-microbial, so you’re neither feeling nor smelling funky on a sweaty adventure out. Best of all, merino wool has a low environmental footprint. You can sport the briefs proudly, knowing no sheep were harmed during the process. — Keven Gungor, Matador Creators Manager
Aeropress Go
Photo: AeroPress
Finding good coffee just about anywhere is a lot easier today than it was in the past. But even the most ubiquitous fourth-wave coffee shop can’t be everywhere. With good grinds and hot water, good coffee itself can be everywhere an Aeropress Go is, though. It’s the most travel-friendly option from the already travel-friendly Aeropress brand. The whole setup fits into the included 16-ounce travel mug with a silicone top. Espresso-style coffee made quick and easy — something even the casual coffee drinker can enjoy (especially anyone who has sipped a lackluster hotel brew or whatever is made by the friend who swears they can brew “the best cowboy coffee” over the campfire). — Nickolaus Hines, Managing Editor
Gifts between $51 — $100
Skip to: travel hat, travel-ready shell jacket, AirFly Pro, passport holder, durable phone case, packable table, travel pants, the perfect hip pack, the perfect neck pillow, camping headlamp, light travel jacket, portable binoculars, hiking pack
Boston Scally Co. Hat
Photo: Boston Scally Co
I’m balding and generally feel far more comfortable with a hat on. I’ve found Boston Scally Co. hats to be appropriate for everything from business travel to date nights. In fact, the only place I’ve been where I didn’t feel these hats were up to par was Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. I also like that, despite matching well with business casual, scally caps retain a bit of the punk rock vibe that I’ve always channeled in my dress. I bought a few styles and designs to match different colored shirts and pants. — Tim Wenger, Transactional Content Editor
Jack Wolfskin Pack & Go Shell
Photo: Jack Wolfskin
Since I got my Jack Wolfskin Pack & Go Shell, I take it with me just about everywhere I go, no matter the season: France for some early winter hiking, Germany in the summer, the Mediterranean in the spring, the Galápagos Islands in the fall, and even around the little mountain town where I live when I know the weather might turn. Unlike other rain jackets that
Source: View source
