What A Travel Professional Thinks You Should Buy Before Prime Day Ends Tonight

Noise cancellation is non-negotiable for me. My Sony WH-1000XM6s are the first thing I pack, whether I'm trying to sleep, watch a movie or just tune out the cabin. Being able to make your own little bubble of quiet on a plane is a luxury I'm not willing to give up.

Over-ear headphones aren't always practical, so I bring AirPods for everything else: solo Ubers, subway rides, wandering around a new city. They take up basically no space, which matters when I'm trying (and usually failing) to pack light.

I've tested a lot of luggage brands, and Away is the one I keep coming back to. Its durability and customer service have both impressed me, which matters when your suitcase gets dragged through as many airports as mine does. I'd rather buy one suitcase I trust than replace cheap ones every couple of years.

If you'd rather not inflate anything next to a stranger, a classic neck pillow is the way to go. I've had my Cabeau for more than a decade, and it's still going. It's washable, clips onto my bag and squishes easily into my luggage when I'm not using it. I can't say that about many travel products.

I'm picky about eye masks. I want one with a little room around the eyes, because the flat ones make me feel like my eyeballs are being pushed into my skull. This one blocks out everything, including the person across the aisle who inevitably throws open their window shade.

This seemed like a gimmick until I tried it. The AirFly plugs into the plane's entertainment system so you can use your Bluetooth headphones or AirPods instead of the airline's flimsy wired earbuds. It's tiny, and I don't fly long-haul without it.

I'm a paper-book person at heart, but books eat up carry-on space fast. With my Kindle, I can bring enough reading for an entire trip and switch between the airport, the plane, the pool and bed without hauling a stack of books around.

I've had my iPad Mini for more than six years, and it's my favorite way to watch shows on-the-go. The screen is bigger than my phone's, but it doesn't take over my tray table the way a laptop or full-size tablet does.

My rule for travel days is comfort first, but I still want to look like I made an effort. A matching set covers both. It's comfortable enough for a long flight and works for lounging around the hotel once I land.

If you're organized, you'll like these clear zippered cases. If you're not, you need them. I use them for travel documents, toiletries, snacks and all the little stuff that would otherwise end up loose at the bottom of my bag.

Boring, I know. But I'm a bit of a germaphobe, and I always wipe down my tray table and seat. These wet wipes are also handy for spills and for feeling semi-human after a long travel day. I also enjoy using them to clean the surface of my iPhone after a long day of sightseeing! You'd be surprised how many germs your phone collects. A pack weighs nothing, so there's no reason not to bring them.

I have a serious overpacking problem and a love-hate relationship with packing cubes, but this set from Away won me over. Each cube is a slightly different size and the mesh top makes it easy to see what’s inside. My favorite part is unpacking: I move each cube straight into a hotel drawer instead of pulling out clothes piece by piece. On trips with multiple stops, that saves me a lot of rummaging.

My preferred set isn’t on sale, but you can get this kid-friendly “Toy Story”-branded assortment on sale today.

Any time I check a bag, I toss an AirTag inside. It lets me track my suitcase right from my phone, so I know whether it actually made my connection before I'm standing at the baggage carousel wondering. This was a lifesaver on my last trip to Europe when I was bopping around several cities in one trip.