Baby and Toddler Travel Gear We Still Use After 21 Countries

If there’s one thing 21 countries with a baby and toddler has taught me, it’s that you do not need everything.

You need the right things.

We’ve stayed in overwater villas in Thailand, tiny European apartments with no elevators, safari lodges, all-inclusives in Mexico, and city hotels where the crib barely fit between the bed and the wall. Through all of it, a handful of items have come with us again and again. Not because they’re trendy. Not because they photograph well. Because they work.

Here’s what has earned permanent status in our travel rotation.

Hiccapop Omniboost Travel High Chair

The Hiccapop Omniboost has saved us more times than I can count.

Resorts don’t always have high chairs. Airbnbs almost never do. I, for one, am not a fan of trying to eat with a baby on my lap, so a travel high chair was a must for us until my son could sit in a normal chair. This one straps securely to nearly any chair, has a wide stable base, wipes clean easily, and folds flat into its own carry case.

We’ve used it in hotel rooms, on beaches, in airport lounges, and at friends’ houses abroad. It turns any space into a safe feeding setup in under a minute. That reliability is everything when you’re already juggling jet lag and a hungry toddler.

Guava Lotus Travel Crib

The Guava Lotus is one of those products I resisted at first because I thought hotel cribs would be fine.

Sometimes they are. Sometimes they’re ancient metal cages with mystery mattresses.

The Lotus folds into a backpack, weighs under 15 pounds, and sets up in minutes. The side zipper is clutch for nursing or laying a sleeping baby down without doing that awkward crib drop. It’s been in safari tents, five-star suites, and small apartments across Europe. When sleep matters, familiarity matters more. We even used it for nap time at home thanks to the easy zip opening. Read my full Guava Lotus review.

Guava Roam Stroller

Also from Guava, the Roam is our adventure stroller.

We’ve pushed it through cobblestones, jungle paths, snow-dusted sidewalks, and sandy boardwalks. It’s lightweight for what it is, folds reasonably compact, and actually handles terrain instead of pretending to.

If you’re the kind of family that doesn’t want to stay on paved sidewalks, the Guava Roam one earns its space.

Overhead Bin Travel Strollers

For city trips and quick flights, we switch to a stroller that can fit in the overhead bin of an airplane. Being able to wheel a stroller down the aisle and not having to wait for it during tight connections or worry it’s been broken in the hold is useful especially when traveling solo with your little one. We love the Joolz Aer and the Ergobaby Metro. Both fit in most overhead bins, which means no gate-check roulette.

They’re light enough to carry one-handed while wrangling a toddler and surprisingly comfortable for naps on the go. When you’re sprinting through CDG or navigating tight European train platforms, small and nimble wins.

Portable Sleep Setup: Blow Up Toddler Bed and Blackout Tent

Once our son outgrew the crib phase, we added an inflatable toddler bed and the SlumberPod blackout tent.

The SlumberPod (full review) is the famous one you’ve probably seen. It creates a fully dark sleep space even if you’re sharing a room. That means you don’t have to sit in the bathroom from 7 pm.

Paired with a simple blow-up toddler bed, it gives your child their own little sleep cave. We’ve used this combo in everything from studio apartments to luxury resorts where the living room doubles as a nursery.

Car Seats That Actually Travel Well

Car seats are where many parents overcomplicate things.

The Cosco Scenera Next is lightweight, affordable, and perfect as a dedicated travel seat. It’s easy to install and doesn’t make you cry in a rental car lot.

The Wayb Pico is what we opted for after he outgrew the Cosco. It folds into a backpack and is ideal once your child meets the size requirements. For urban trips with taxis and transfers, that portability is handy.

Babywearing That Doesn’t Kill Your Back

We rotate between a few carriers depending on the stage.

The Artipoppe carrier (email me for $57 off) is supportive and beautifully made. It distributes weight well and looks elevated enough that I don’t feel like I’m wearing camping gear at a five-star hotel.

The Tushbaby has a built-in seat that takes pressure off your shoulders.

And the Tushbaby hip seat is my secret weapon for toddlers who want up and down every three minutes. In airports, at museums, walking through old towns, it saves your arms.

MiaMily Ride-Along Suitcase

The MiaMily ride-along suitcase is one of those items that feels slightly extra until you use it in a long airport.

Then you get it.

It’s a carry-on sized suitcase with a built-in seat, so your toddler can perch comfortably while you wheel them through security lines, immigration halls, and those endless airport corridors that somehow always appear right before nap time. Ours has doubled as a seat at the gate, a distraction while waiting for boarding, and a meltdown preventer more times than I can count.

It fits in the overhead bin like a normal carry-on, which is key. And when they’re not riding on it, it functions like a standard suitcase. Read my full Miamily review and comparison with other ride on suitcases.

Hiking Backpack Carrier

There are trips where a stroller just isn’t it.

For national parks, coastal trails, uneven European old towns with a million stairs, or destinations where we know we’ll be outdoors most of the time, we bring a hiking carrier. We rotate between the Deuter Kid Comfort and the Osprey Poco LT.

The Deuter Kid Comfort is incredibly supportive for longer hikes. It has structure, padding, and storage that make it feel stable even on real trails. When we know we’ll be out for hours, that’s the one we reach for.

The Osprey Poco LT is the more streamlined option. It’s lighter, folds down more compactly, and can actually fit inside a large suitcase if we need it to. Both can be gate checked easily, which makes flying with them far less intimidating than it sounds.

A good hiking carrier opens up destinations that would otherwise feel off limits with a toddler. Instead of asking whether a place is stroller-friendly, you just go. And that freedom changes the kind of trips you feel confident taking.

White Noise and an Analog Monitor

Sleep on the road is different. New sounds. New light. New everything.

A small portable white noise machine smooths that transition. We like Hatch. We skip WiFi monitors when we travel and use an analog monitor instead. It’s more reliable internationally and doesn’t require fighting with hotel internet.

Simple wins here.

When I look back at the photos from overwater bungalows, mountain lodges, desert camps, and beach resorts, I see the same few items in the background again and again.

Traveling with babies and toddlers is not about recreating home. It’s about creating enough familiarity that everyone sleeps, eats, and resets well enough to enjoy where you are.

You don’t need the entire baby store. You need gear that packs small, sets up fast, and works anywhere.

Twenty-one countries in, this is what has actually earned its place in our suitcases.

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