12 Genius Travel Hacks Under $15 at Amazon

Have you ever purchased a travel gadget hoping it will offer greater convenience, quality, and ease to your trip, only to discover (cue sad trombone) it doesn’t? Hey, we’ve been there, too. A travel hack is only good if it works, takes up minimal luggage space, and makes your life easier on the road — plus, we firmly believe it doesn’t need to be heavy on your wallet. 

While this may seem like a lofty goal, we can confirm that such items exist — and they’re all on Amazon. From packing cubes that help organize and maximize space to tech organizers that keep cords and chargers tidy, we rounded up 12 genius trip essentials that are $15 or less. These versatile items prove you don’t need to break the bank to travel smart. Here’s a guide to budget-friendly travel hacks that actually work.

Basic Concepts Airplane Foot Hammock

As someone who is vertically challenged, I’ve hardly ever been able to comfortably rest my feet on the ground with my knees bent at a perfect 90-degree angle. This includes on flights, where, after about an hour, my back starts to ache causing me to uncomfortably shift around in my seat. Enter the airplane foot hammock. This nifty hack loops around the tray table in front of you and is adjustable so you can rest your feet (or legs) at whatever height best serves you. It’s an absolute game-changer, especially for long-haul economy flights, and has saved my back on more than one occasion — including on a 16-hour flight to Singapore. It rolls up into a small stuff sack, weighs practically nothing, and can be yours for just $15.

Westonetek Add-a-bag Luggage Strap

From your suitcase to your personal item bag to your jacket to the stuffed animal your child insisted on bringing but now refuses to carry, traveling is a true juggling act. When you need an extra hand (or two), it’s time to deploy this luggage strap. Not only can you hook your belongings to another bag or suitcase, but the adjustable strap’s carabiner clip makes removal a cinch. It can also secure thick jackets, neck pillows, water bottles, and, yes, even little Johnny’s teddy to your roller bag, backpack, or purse — a great way to stay hands-free when exploring a new city.

Tru Earth Laundry Detergent Sheets

After about a week of traveling, your suitcase starts to become, well, a little ripe. If your hotel doesn’t offer laundry services or you don’t want to send your intimates out for dry cleaning, set up a little laundromat in your accommodation’s bathroom with these detergent sheets. They’re an easy way to refresh your travel wardrobe and can be torn into smaller pieces if you don’t need to hand-wash a particularly large load. Perhaps best of all, there’s no risk of spilling this kind of detergent in your luggage, the sheets are lightweight, and they don’t take up precious space in your quart-sized liquids bag. Just fill up the sink, bathtub, or even a stasher bag (more on that later) and start your spin cycle. 

Bagail 8-set Packing Cubes

Travel + Leisure editors are big advocates of packing cubes, and have written several articles of expert picks attesting to this travel hack’s invaluable and versatile use cases. So it’s only natural that they would make it onto this list, too. Packing cubes are a great way to keep things organized, separating your socks from your sweaters, your luggage tidy (nothing is more satisfying than opening up a perfectly laid out suitcase), and clean clothes clean — relegating dirty clothes into their own cube has never been easier. Oh, and they can help you save packing space. Right now, you can get this T+L-loved packing hack at a double discount on Amazon.

Stasher Reusable Storage Bag

A reusable storage bag might not be the first thing on your packing list, but this is one inexpensive hack you won’t regret. Stasher bags are great for food storage at home, but they are helpful while on the road, too. Pack your airplane or road-trip snacks in this reusable storage bag, or stow your makeup, important travel docs and receipts, your keys, or other small items that tend to get lost in your bag. Beyond making life easier on travel days, these zip-top bags are helpful once you’re at your destination. My sister has used her Stasher bags as a hot water bottle in bed when the heat went out in her Airbnb, as well as an ice pack to keep cool in the blazing Roman heat. She’s even used them as a mini washing machine when she didn’t have access to a tub, sink, or shower in her room. And after your trip, simply pop them into the dishwasher to clean them.

Meacolia 3-pack Travel Pill Organizer

I never understood the need for a pill organizer, that is, until I used one. After being subtly shamed for reusing a beat-up plastic bag for my antacid chewables, mixed up with a few multivitamins that always had a peppermint taste to them, I invested a whole $9 on these pill organizers. I gotta say, it’s changed how I travel. For starters, and perhaps most obviously, it separates my antacids from my multivitamins and omega-3 pills so I can select my daily supplements with ease and sans flavor. It’s also a great way to pack other over-the-counter meds (think ibuprofen and antihistamines) that are not always available without a prescription in other countries. I’ve even used my pill organizer as a mini jewelry case, keeping my earrings and rings separate from my necklaces. 

Fyy Travel Cable Organizer Pouch

We’ve all experienced the frustration of searching for your computer charger at the bottom of your bag only to find it wadded up in a dreaded tangle of cords and other tech gear (I swear, there are mini creatures tying knots in my cords as soon as I neatly stow them back in my tote). With a travel cable organizer, however, jumbled messes and knotted cords are a thing of the past. This Amazon top-seller offers eight tidy pockets to keep your tech organized and tangle-free, and its compact size ensures you can slip it into a personal item or suitcase with ease.

Yamiu Travel Shoe Bags Set of 4

Traversing a new city on foot is awesome! Putting your dirty shoes that have touched some seriously unclean places back into your suitcase? Not so awesome. For a mere $10, these handy shoe bags keep your clean clothes pristine. This pack of four comes in two different sizes (two standard and two extra-large) so you can bring your sandals, sneakers, slippers, and heels — if you so desire. If you’re packing light and only bringing a pair or two, use your spare bags as pseudo-dirty-clothes bags. You can also pack away wet clothes or bathing suits without fear thanks to the waterproof material.

Travel Inspira Luggage Scale

It’s a real bummer when the check-in desk agent tells you that your bag is overweight and can’t be checked in until you remove some items from your bag. Rather than furiously shoving as many of your belongings into your personal item bag or, worse, throwing things away, deploy a digital handheld luggage scale. This 3.5-ounce mini scale is a convenient way to ensure your checked bag (and, in some instances, your carry-on) makes weight on both legs of your trip. With a weight capacity of up to 110 pounds, the battery-operated device takes up barely any space in your luggage and offers a ton of peace of mind — for just $10.

Samsonite Luggage Strap With Combination Lock

Added security is never a bad thing when your luggage disappears from your sight. This Samsonite luggage strap is made of durable polypropylene material and can be wrapped around bags up to 72 inches. While many luggage straps offer an extra-secure squeeze to your belongings, this one includes a TSA-approved combination lock to really deter any nefarious doings. Plus, the bright colors can help you spot your bag on the carousel easier. Both the orange and purple hues are currently on sale for $15.

Beyond Cell Hands-free Phone Holder

This travel hack may seem like an unnecessary extra, but after you clip this bad boy to the seat tray in front of you, you’ll wonder how you survived your flights without one before. The hands-free phone holder can save your arm and neck while you binge-watch your favorite show on the plane, and it can also be clipped onto your suitcase handle, table edges, and more. One clever traveler even used it as a tripod for taking time-lapsed vacation photos. Plus, it’s very portable, folding up to roughly the size of a flip phone circa the early 2000s.

Hotor Medium Hanging Travel Toiletry Bag

Most travelers have some sort of toiletry or Dopp bag, but not every traveler has a bag with a hook on it. I can hear what you’re thinking: Why would I need a hook on my bathroom bag? Well, for starters, hanging up your bathroom bag on a hook, towel bar, or curtain rod keeps your hotel sink uncluttered and mess-free for the duration of your trip, and there’s no risk of accidentally flooding the countertop and subsequently soaking your toiletry bag and the things inside. Additionally, the design of this hanging bag makes it so you can see everything inside it, unfurling neatly to display your things. It zips up into a compact (and cute) handled bag and is made of a quilted water-resistant material — just in case.

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