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Baby Travel Essentials

Baby Travel Essentials

Entering the world of family travel, particularly travel with a baby can be daunting but our list of baby travel essentials will make it easier. In this guide we will tell you everything we think you need from the best travel strollers, carriers and more as well as the things that you can leave behind. 

Important Note: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you! 

Baby Travel Essentials

Before our baby’s second birthday she had visited over 20 countries and completed a round the world trip. Therefore we think we are pretty well qualified to tell you what we found to be baby travel essentials alongside the things that we wished we left behind. 

When you are traveling with a baby it is easier to think you need everything, including the kitchen sink. However this really isn’t the case but there are definitely some must haves. 

So here you go, our must have items for traveling with baby. We have split our essentials into sections to help you with you baby packing list. 

The categories we have split these up into are:

  • Baby Travel Essentials for Traveling Around
  • Baby Travel Must Haves for Sleeping and 
  • Baby Travel Must haves for eating and feeding. 

Baby Travel Essentials for Getting Around

When you think about traveling with a baby, the first set of circumstances you need to think about is how you will travel around your destination with the baby, as well as dealing with the journey. 

Things that you should consider as essentials include:

  • strollers
  • car seats
  • carriers and more. 

We will talk about each of these in depth to help you decide if it is an essential for you and which one is right for you.

Baby Carrier

I find in the great baby debate of carrier vs stroller, you will find people have very strong opinions. However in my opinion both are valid and worthwhile especially when traveling with a baby. 

However a baby carrier is an absolutely must have item for traveling with baby.  Carriers are more versatile for traveling with compared to strollers as they cope well whatever the terrain, they are really easy when traveling through airport security with a baby and can go into some tourist attractions where strollers can’t. 

Now when we started our search for the perfect baby carrier it was pretty daunting with the sheer variety of carriers on sale. However we find the best carrier for travel is the best carrier for home too. 

We have found the most versatile carrier to be the Ergo Baby Carrier. 

This can be used with newborn babies with an included insert on the front, and then can be used for back wearing toddlers.  

This means that this is a great value carrier as the ergo baby really grows with your family and means you don’t have to buy a different one for ever different stage of your babies development.

This carrier is also recommended by the Hip Dysplasia Society and is good for babies posture which is another reason we love this carrier. 

The 360 version of the Ergo Baby also allows for front facing carrying. My little girl was much happier in carriers when she could be front facing!

It is also worth pointing out that if you are traveling to lots of hot weather destinations you should consider selecting a hot weather baby carrier. These usually have mesh and are more breathable. 

Travel Stroller

Strollers are an absolute essential for those traveling with a baby. But what is the right travel stroller for a baby?

If you plan on doing lots of travel with a baby then you will want to invest in a light weight stroller that is airplane overhead bin compatible. 

However there are also some other things you want to consider such as the size of the sun canopy. If you are traveling to hot weather destinations such as the Maldives or Dubai with a baby you will want plenty of shade for your little one. 

Another feature that you may want to consider is the recline on your travel stroller. If you are traveling a long distance, for instance traveling to Japan with a baby then chances are your little one will suffer from jet lag and therefore will want to use the stroller for plenty of naps. Therefore a good recline is really important.  

We go into the best travel strollers for babies here but some of our favorite brands are:

  • Baby Jogger City
  • GP Pocket and the
  • Uppababy 

And if you plan to travel with a stroller and are flying then you need to make sure you have adequate protection for your stroller whether it is going in the overhead bin or in the hold. We recommend this stroller protection bag for whenever you are flying with a stroller. 

Car Seat

If you plan on renting a car or traveling in a lot of taxis then we always advise you to take a car seat with you when traveling, even though they are bulky. 

We never trust car rental company car seats after having being burnt by bad experiences. Also depending on where you are traveling, it can be hard to find cars that can provide car seats. 

For this reason we always travel with a car seat. 

One thing you could consider traveling with especially when traveling with very young babies or newborns is a maxi cost travel system. 

A maxi cosi system limits the need for a separate car seat and stroller. as you can use the car seat on the stroller frame. 

It is also great for when your child falls asleep while our in the stroller and not have 

However if you prefer to use separate car sears and strollers we recommend looking for a good travel car seat.

We personally would pick a lightweight seat such as the Cosco Scenera Next. For more information on the best car seat for travel check out this post. 

 And if you are flying and not planning on using your car seat on the plane for your infant to have their own seat, then you will need to make sure that you have things to protect your car seat. We recommend buying a good quality car seat protection bag to help keep your car seat safe when flying.

Back Pack 

Though the Ergo Baby is the most versatile carrier on the market, I would recommend looking to invest in a toddler back pack if you are traveling with a child who is fast approaching being a toddler.

One of our favorite vacations with toddlers is a national park. National Parks with toddlers are fantastic places to visit and we love going for long hikes. Both my little ones were early walkers and love a hike, however we still find a toddler backpack for going out on longer trailheads such as when we visited Yellowstone with our toddler. 

The toddler backpack we usually use is the one below:

Baby Travel Must Haves for Sleeping

Sleeping Bag

Whether we are traveling with our baby or are at home, we always put them to bed in a sleeping bag, or as some people call them as sleep sack.

These sleeping bags ensure your little one doesn’t lose their covers over night. Also we think it is really important to try and replicate your home sleep routine as much as possible when traveling to reduce the amount of disruption. 

Therefore we never travel without a sleeping bag. 

Note: think about the temperature of the place you are traveling to or whether your accommodation will have air conditioning and pick the right weight sleeping bag for your destination. 

Click here to shop sleeping bags.

Travel Cot

Nice for baby to have one bed and means you don’t have to worry if you are staying with family or accommodation that doesn’t have a cot provided!

We recommend this one!

We would also travel with out own travel cot sheets whether using ours or a hotels crib! This way you can be sure the sheets have been cleaned in soap that is good for your baby skin!

This is a very compact one however for use with very little babies we recommend using this one!

Feeding Essentials

For formula feeding you will need to make sure you have all your standard bottles and feeding paraphenalia as well as stuff for cleaning bottles on the go!

We also loved this chili peep system – basically a universal teat system as it meant very easy use of ready feeds and was the most versatile product on the market!

For a full guide on flying while formula feeding then check out this post! 

If traveling while breastfeeding these covers come in handy especially if you are traveling to more conservative countries!

Sleep Sack

Is great for regulating body temperature whether you traveling to somewhere hot or somewhere cold! Our favorite is this beautiful Woolino Sleep Sack!

Packing Cubes

Not for baby but packing cubes are a great way to organize everything especially all of those new things you are packing with a little one in tow! These are are most important travel equipment since becoming a traveling family!

These are the ones we recommend!

Travel Changing Mat

When on the go you definitely need a portable travel changing mat like this one! 

Diaper Bag


Backpack ones like this tend to be best of families on the move!

Silicon Bibs

Check prices out online HERE

First Aid Kit

No one wants kids to get ill on holiday but let’s be honest – kids get sick even on holidays! If they do you want to be prepared!


You need a first aid kit including snot sucker, temperature reader, scissors etc, aswell as carrying all the necessary medicines such as carpool and teething gel! This one is particularly comprehensive in its contents!

Nice things to have for Baby Travel

Koo-di Sun and Sleep Pod

We loved the Koo-do products for our beach vacations with a little! It is a great way to ensure your little has enough sun while playing n the beach!

Splashabout Swimwear

Splash About - Nappy Costume

If baby’s first holiday is a hot detestation then Uv swimwear essential when traveling to hot countries and using pools and beaches!

Inflatable Bath

Whether on a cruise or in a hotel that doesn’t have a bath in your room we found this inflatable bath an essential as our bambino would not go into a shower! It can also double up as a paddling pool!

We recommend this one

What are your baby travel essentials? We’d love to know what product you couldn’t live without on your travels!

 

Haley

Monday 15th of April 2019

OMG, she's so adorable.

Nicky@ Go Live Young

Friday 22nd of February 2019

A great list of all those baby travel essentials #fearlessfamtrav

Sally from Little Hiccups

Thursday 21st of February 2019

Great list! I always tried to pack pretty minimally when travelling with babies so I really only took the same things I'd have on me for a day out at home: carrier and/or stroller, diaper bag, wipes, diapers etc. My kids always slept in the bed with us so I never worried about a travel cot. A baby carrier is definitely my number 1 must have for travel and at home. I loved my Boba wrap for carrying my youngest. I never tried a wrap with my older two opting instead for a Baby Bjorn (I also tried the Ergo but I'm too small for it) but as soon as I tried the stretchy, flexible wrap I wish I'd used one for all three of my kids. #fearlessfamtrav

Wandermust Mummy

Thursday 21st of February 2019

I haven't tried a sling but it is something I would consider

Angharad Paull

Wednesday 20th of February 2019

Brilliant ideas! I also couldnt have managed without an Ergobaby sling. Also one of those dummy clips that stop their dummy falling in all the dirt and fluff. #fearlessfamtrav

Keri | Ladies What Travel

Wednesday 20th of February 2019

What a great looking guide - I'm kinda thankful I've never had to travel with one as little as this (I have step kids) amazing to think something so small needs a case the same size as me lol! #fearlessfamtrav