These 9 products will make your family road trip so much easier
Don’t hit the road without planning ahead
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Spring Break is just around the corner, which means many families will be hitting the road in search of fun and adventure. While traveling with kids is always ambitious, driving comes with its own challenges, and being prepared can mean the difference between creating wonderful family memories or enduring a miserably long ride. Here are nine products that are absolute must-haves for any family planning a road trip this vacation season.
1. A lap desk that turns your car into a kitchen table
This lap desk gives kids the space to eat and play.
One of the biggest struggles of being in the car is fighting boredom, which is why the Kenley Kids Travel Tray is such a game changer. A lap desk designed with a flat surface and 4-inch sidewalls, it gives kids the space to play, eat a meal on-the-go, or work on an art project to pass the time.
Securing itself into place with an easy-to-use strap and creatively finished off with a tablet pouch, two cup holders, and multiple zippered pockets and storage pouches, it has plenty of space to contain any snacks, drinks, and toys that mom and dad don’t want to be climbing over the seats to pick up off the floor. Crash-tested for safety and with a lifetime warranty, the Kenley Kids Travel Tray is available in three different colors.
Get The Kenley Kids Travel Tray on Amazon for $33.97
2. A pillow for more comfortable car naps
This neck pillow is available in two sizes and seven colors.
Having a child nap during a long car ride is a lifesaver in helping the miles fly by; that is until you look in the back seat and see your precious kiddo’s head flopped all the way forward, potentially endangering their airflow. Enter, the BCOZZY kid’s chin supporting travel pillow, one of the only travel pillows on the market ergonomically designed to prevent the chin-flop nap. An original patented design, the BCOZZY sports a flat back which, unlike other travel pillows, prevents little heads from being pushed forward.
Fully washable and available in two sizes and seven different colors, the BCOZZY pillow features a snap strap to secure it to luggage or a diaper bag so you have one less thing to keep track of.
Get The BCOZZY Kids Neck Pillow on Amazon for $29.97
3. A travel potty that lets you skip those dirty rest stop bathrooms
This travel potty is perfectly sized for children up to 50lbs.
We can likely all agree that the absolute worst part of traveling with kids is the three minute “I need to go potty NOW” warning that sends you scrambling to find the nearest gas station bathroom; a bathroom that may leave you wondering if you should have just stayed home.
The Potette travel potty is a convenient and sanitary addition to your travel plans. Folding compactly so it doesn’t take up much space, it opens quickly and is perfectly sized for tiny people up to 50 pounds. Simply attach a disposable bag with included absorbent padding, and the potty can be used almost anywhere. Alternatively, it offers non-slip feet so that it can be placed on top of an existing toilet seat (without the disposable bag) as a barrier to germy surfaces.
Get the Potette travel potty on Amazon for $16.55
4. A game that creates lasting memories
A screen-free game to keep kids entertained.
Although the travel itself isn’t always the most fun part of any travel trip, it also doesn’t have to be boring. A game of travel Bingo encourages kids to look up from their tablets and find the items listed on their Bingo card within the scenery around them, before their opponent beats them to it. The Assorted Auto and Interstate Travel Bingo Set comes with four different Bingo cards with shutter slide openings, for plenty of on-the-road fun.
Get the Assorted Auto and Interstate Travel Bingo Set on Amazon for $9.99
5. Bracelets that battle motion sickness
This bracelet battles nausea.
There’s nothing worse than packing up a car in anticipation of a fun family trip only to have someone get sick. Thankfully nausea in the car is often caused by nothing more than motion sickness, but it’s still no fun. That’s where Seabands come in, offering a decades-old solution that can provide relief in as little as two minutes.
Seabands work by applying gentle acupressure to the inside of your wrist by design of a simple elastic bracelet containing a plastic stud. A natural option with no contraindications, Seabands are reusable and washable.
Get Seabands on Amazon for $11.98
6. A product that keeps your picnic cold (or warm)
If you’re hoping to avoid the drive-thru, but you also want to save money by not eating too many meals in restaurants, why not invest in your very own portable cooler? The Koolatran Voyager Travel Cooler and Warmer keeps food both cold or warm, requiring nothing more than to be plugged into your car’s 12-volt charger.
Cooling down to 40°F or warming up to 135°F, the Koolatran Voyager has 29 quarts of space; which for reference, means it can hold up to 48 cans! Complete with an interior shelf, the Koolatran can be used in a vertical or horizontal position and is also available in a smaller compact size.
Get the Koolatran Voyager Travel Cooler and Warmer on Amazon for $131.12
7. A portable way to warm milk or formula
Heat up milk or formula anywhere with a portable bottle warmer.
Babies don’t care if you’re on the road and nowhere near your kitchen, when they are hungry, they need to eat! And that’s what makes the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer so convenient. Simply fill the thermal flask with boiling water before you hit the road, and then easily warm a bottle of breastmilk or formula anywhere by pouring the water into the lid and submerging the bottle. No more having to stress about how to warm a bottle when you're halfway to your destination.
Get the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Bottle Warmer on Amazon for $20.99
8. A picnic blanket that allows you to stop almost anywhere
You'll be tempted to pull over and eat anywhere with this picnic blanket.
Every road tripper needs to get out and stretch their legs from time-to-time and often the best time to do that is when it’s time for a meal. The Picnic Time Vista Outdoor Picnic Tote is the perfect picnic blanket that can be laid down just about anywhere to turn a roadside stop into a place to relax.
Providing a generous 59x51 inches of padded coverage, the blanket folds up and zips into itself, has an attached adjustable carrying strap and storage pouch, making it super easy to travel with. Plus, when you return home, the polyester construction means you can throw it in the washing machine and dryer without worrying.
Get the Picnic Time Vista Outdoor Blanket Tote for $32.99 on Amazon
9. Window shades that keep the sun out of sleepy eyes
Let there be shade.
The sun might be what you’re chasing this spring break, but having it shine directly onto your little one’s face is probably not what you had in mind. Thankfully the Munchkin Brica Magnetic Stretch-To-Fit Sun Shade keeps the sun outside while still letting the view through; so your kiddo won’t miss a thing, but can still catch a nap.
Attaching to your car’s window frame by magnets, it takes only takes a few seconds to install and the windows can still be rolled up or down for fresh air. Starting at 14x28 inches, it has a hook-to-hoop feature allowing it to be used on smaller windows, and alternatively can stretch up to 18x34 inches to fit almost any car window size and shape. It’s the last minute addition to any travel list that assures your child can enjoy your sunny trip in only the best ways possible.
Get the Munchkin Brica Stretch-To-Fit Sun Shade for $16.99 on Amazon
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