Top Travel Essentials For Women (with Active Lifestyles)
Looking for the best travel essentials for women with active lifestyles? Here are my go-to products I don’t leave home without.
As a travel blogger and photographer, I travel often, really often and the least fun part of every trip is packing. Luckily over the years, I’ve perfected it down to a T and the one game-changer is knowing what to pack for each trip.
Having these essentials or travel must-haves in your arsenal means you’ll pack your bags in no time and hit that beach faster than ever, stress-free.
Over the years I’ve learned which travel items are useful and which are a waste of money and luggage space. I’ve also tried to make my list of women travel essentials as sustainable as possible and free from plastic, wherever possible.
These travel essentials for women are perfect for any female traveller, but, especially active women who like to get moving on their travels.
As someone who prefers high-quality, well-made products that are also visually appealing, this list will include those rather than cheap items that break after one use. After so many years of trial and error, keep reading to find my list of travel essentials for women you need to pack today.
*This ‘women travel essentials’ post contains affiliate links meaning I might make a small profit if you choose to book at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing you with top-quality content for free.
The Travel Essentials List for Women
I’ve separated all my top women travel essentials into different categories to make navigating this post a little easier. From activewear to long-flight essentials, grab my favourites below.
Activewear & Apparel
Yoga Pants/Leggings
Long, tight, comfortable and flattering yoga pants are one of the top items on a women’s travel essentials list, let’s be honest.
They are so versatile and you can use a good pair of leggings for yoga classes, hikes, bike rides and even on travel days.
My favourite brands for yoga pants and shorts are Lululemon and Aloyoga. Both brands make really high-quality, flexible pants you can easily live in.
Unsure of some bodyweight workouts to do while travelling. Check out my workouts here.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are perfect for working out when travelling. They are easy to use and they create a lot more resistance than doing just bodyweight exercises.
When used well and with the correct resistance they can really be effective. Each set of resistance bands includes many different weight equivalents, perfect for you to adapt any workout on the go.
They pack down so small that you can just slip it down the side of your bag.
I use these by Gym Bandit and I couldn’t be happier. They literally go everywhere with me. Get yours from Amazon here.
Shorts
For hotter climates one of the most important travel essentials for women are shorts. You’ll definitely want some shorts instead of leggings, just in case especially for working out.
I find that shorts give you complete freedom of movement and can be less restrictive and lighter.
Check out my favourites from Lululemon here.
Sports bra/Crop top
A fantastic fitting and comfortable sports bra lies at the core of most active women travel essentials. Just like with leggings, a great sports bra is both a necessity and incredibly versatile.
Wear it not just for working out but pretty much anywhere you wish. Wear it alone as a crop top or underneath a t-shirt or sweater.
I love the versatility and comfort of Lululemon’s sports bras, this one is my favourite.
Compact Training Shoes
Your favourite pair of training shoes is definitely worth packing, not just for working out. Running shoes are often bulky and can take up a lot of space in your luggage.
For this reason, I use training-specific shoes such as the Nike Free or Nike Training models or if you’re a runner make sure you travel in your running shoes to have more space in your luggage.
Nike Free feels like you’re training barefoot and their soles are really bendable and flexible meaning you can easily squeeze them into your luggage. They are ridiculously comfortable and supportive too. There are many models and styles to choose from.
I’m currently rotating the Nike Free FlyKnit which you can find on Amazon here and the Adidas Cloudfoam Qt Flex which is the perfect, affordable, lightweight training shoe. Find it here.
Travel Yoga Mat
Rolling out a yoga mat gives you the space to turn up and exercise, whether that’s a full-on workout or a morning flow.
You might not need a yoga mat if you’re heading on a yoga retreat or planning on going to studio classes as you travel but for those planning their own practice, it’s essential.
Yoga mats can be heavy and bulky so make sure to choose the right one for travelling. There are a few on the market designed specifically for travel. My personal favouirte is this one from Jade Yoga as it’s travel friendly as well as non-toxic and sustainable. Get the Jade Yoga Voyager Travel Mat here.
Read more: The Best Non Toxic Yoga Mat Guide for Health-Conscious Yogis
Hiking Boots
There are some trip where hiking boots are a real must, especially when you’re traveling to more outdoorsy destinations. Sturdy, supportive footwear options offer comfort and protection while exploring diverse terrains.
Invest in a pair that’s lightweight, waterproof, and offers excellent traction to keep you safe and comfortable during hikes and outdoor adventures on your journey. These are mine
Technology
Airpods/Headphones
There’s nothing quite like music to set the tone of your workout or a great podcast mid-flight. Filter out background noise and zone in on your workout with the right headphones or AirPods.
Get the newest Airpods Pro from Apple via Amazon here.
Portable Charger
No one wants to run out of battery on their phone especially when arriving in a new country when you need access to documents, camera, apps and messages.
With only some airlines offering an in-seat USB charger, you’re going to want to bring a power bank if you plan to watch anything on your phone in flight.
No doubt you’ll also be using it when out exploring all day because we all know how much taking photos and videos of amazing destinations eats at battery life. Get the Anker Power Core Charger via Amazon here.
iPad
On those shorter trips where I don’t need my laptop, my iPad is a must. While many can get away with travelling with just their phone, which is great, if you find that you need something more, something with a bigger screen, an iPad is perfect.
You can use it to watch Netflix in the evening, do a little work, book onward travel and anything else that needs your attention while you’re away.
Get the latest iPad Pro on Amazon here.
Apple AirTag
I recently bought a set of Airtags when I had to check in luggage on a trip to Thailand and they really are a game changer. If you are flying long-haul, with layovers, especially in the busy travel season these are a must.
Just throw it in your luggage and you’ll be able to track it from your phone. If that airline does misplace your bag and they can’t find it you’ll be able to help out. Get Airtags here.
Tripod
Whether you’re a photography enthusiast or simply want to take stunning selfies, a tripod ensures your shots are steady and well-framed.
A tripod is a godsend for solo travellers wanting to capture memories with themselves in the shots or for people who want to take better and steadier photos.
A tripod lets you experiment with different angles, long exposures for night photography, and even group shots without needing assistance.
There are so many different tripods available. I personally recommend a Joby GorillaPod 3K tripod for a small table-top tripod or the Manfrotto Element Traveller for a full-sized tripod.
Phone Gimbal
What a tripod is to photos, a gimbal is to videos. Nobody likes a shaky video so if you want to upgrade your travel videos getting a phone gimbal might be a great idea.
Even though the iPhone’s stabilisation is amazing, there’s still room for improvement. For all my client work shot on iPhone, I also use the DJI Osmo 6 which just takes your travel videos to a whole new level.
Beauty/Toiletries
Sunscreen
We know that wearing SPF daily is important so make sure not to travel anywhere without it. What’s also important is which sunscreen you go for. Avoid chemical sunscreen and go for mineral.
Sunscreens today are loaded with ingredients, both chemical and mineral but it’s often hard to know which are good for us and which aren’t just by looking at the bottle. Labels and bottles can be misleading. Luckily we wrote The Best Non Toxic Sunscreen Options to help you decide.
My personal favourite sunscreens include the Mineral Matte Screen from Goop for the face and Babo Botanicals Sheer Zinc Sunscreen Spray for the body.
CBD Gummies
Traveling can be a source of stress and anxiety for many, me included. Yes, even with the amount I travel, I do get travel anxiety more than I’d like to admit. One product that really helps, however, is CBD.
I swear by traveling with CBD gummies which are a must for me when I need to calm those nerves.
My personal favourites are Morning Person Strawberry Gummies with CBD and added caffeine from Onyx + Rose for an extra boost.
Lip Balm
Wind, sun and cold can wreak havoc on sensitive lips and no one like to have dried, chapped lips. I make sure to never travel without at least one lip balm. This one from EltaMD is my top pick.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have so many uses for travel. You can refresh a not-so-fresh hotel room, use them to relax or even treat migraines like me.
I know many people who travel with travel-size bottles of their favorite essenti