Best Travel Gifts for Men (That He Will Love!): 2020 Gift Guide

Give your man the gift of flight (virtually) with the DJI Mavic Mini Drone! DJI is the leader in aerial photography and filmmaking equipment but larger models can be PRICEY. This compact mini drone weighs only 1/2 lb so it is perfect for traveling, yet it packs a powerful battery that enables up to 30 minutes of flight time. It is the perfect starter gift for a budding photog to get their feet wet with drone photography/videography.

An action camera is a MUST for active travelers who want to capture their adventures on the road. GoPro is my go-to (pun intended) action camera that I take with me on the ski slopes, scuba diving, zip-lining, and for everyday sight-seeing. The GoPro HERO8 has built-in stabilization, live-streaming, and time-warp capabilities all in a streamlined design, making it easy for him to throw in his pocket to take with him anywhere.

These Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless, Bluetooth, noise-canceling headphones are a life-saver. I throw them on during airplane rides to drown out any crying babies or oblivious seatmates who watch movies on their phones without headphones (who else has been there 🙋). As a digital nomad, these headphones are clutch in noisy co-working spaces or bustling cafes. Seriously, they are so worth the investment, and I don’t know what I did before I made the splurge.

I don’t personally own this NOMATIC backpack but I know many digital nomads who do. This 30L carry-on sized backpack/duffle bag has built-in pockets for everything from a laptop and tablet, shoes, tech, and water bottle. It has an RFID-blocking pocket and a sleeve to easily slip it on your roller bag handle for easy transport. The team at NOMATIC have seriously thought of everything with the long-term traveler in mind.

The YETI Roadie Cooler is perfect for road trips and weekend getaways that don’t involve stepping on a plane. It is designed to fit behind the driver’s or passenger’s seat in a car, is tall enough to fit standard bottles of wine, and fits 18 cans when filled with ice. So fill up the Roadie Cooler with some adult beverages (to drink upon arrival, obviously) and get ready to hit the road!

While I love my Bose noise-canceling headphones, sometimes I want something a bit smaller and less bulky so I also travel with Apple AirPods. These are so tiny and compact and barely add any weight to your bag. They are great for any type of activity like running, walking, or skiing (anyone else dance down the mountain? No, just me?) but are also perfect for falling asleep listening to podcasts, music, or a meditation app.

For a man who tries to pack minimally for a trip, he can’t go wrong with classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. They go with everything, will never go out of style, and the shape of the frame looks great on pretty much everyone.

The MVMT Minimalist Watch is perfect for men who love to travel. The sleek design comes in a variety of colors but I personally really like the black with the hint of rose gold (yes, real men wear pink). The best part? This watch has dual time zone sub-dials so he can keep track of time in his current location and the time zone at home while traveling.

Where my bookworms at? I must admit, I am a sucker for physical hard-cover/paperback books but it just isn’t conducive to long-term travel to bring a stack of books along for the journey. Cue the Kindle Paperwhite. It is lightweight, waterproof, glare-free, and has an internal light — so you can read in the bright sun, a dark bedroom, or in the bath without worrying. It comes with either 8 GB or 32 GB of storage and is Bluetooth compatible so you can pair it with Audible.

This is a fun gift for guys who love playing around with photography. The retro-style Instax Mini 90 instant camera has all the fun and instant gratification of a childhood toy camera, but with advanced features like auto-detection for flash and shutter speed, double exposure, and macro mode for short distances. Don’t forget to grab some instant film to go along with the camera!

Your man might not even need a carry-on suitcase if you gift him with a SCOTTeVEST Hoodie! This comfortable and stylish cotton sweatshirt has 21 (!) pockets designed to store everything on his person from a passport and wallet to a phone and tablet, all in organized compartments. This sweatshirt is an especially great gift for anyone traveling to a region known for pick-pocketing.

This travel shaving kit from the experts at The Art of Shaving is a great gift for men who take their 5 o’clock shadow grooming very seriously. The kit includes pre-shave oil, shaving cream, after-shave balm, a shaving brush, and a quality 5-blade razor, which come packaged in a nice black wash bag. And you can choose between unscented, sandalwood, bergamot, or lavender scents!

These “nauti” nautical lobster swim trunks are perfect for a beach getaway (or anywhere with a body of water or pool, really). I always say you should pack a swimsuit no matter where you are going and these trunks from Kenny Flowers are perfect to roll up in a carry-on to be ready for any water activities that arise upon arrival.

The Ridge Slim Minimalist Metal Wallet is perfect for the man who is all about function over fashion. This wallet is slim, as the name suggests, but can fit up to 12 credit cards without stretching and also has an external money clip for bills. It is made from military-grade metal that has RFID-blocking capability to ensure that sensitive information does not get into the wrong hands and also comes with a lifetime guarantee!

Rainbow sandals are great for both men and women! They last forever and, actually, the longer you have them, the more comfortable they get as the soft leather literally molds to the shape of your foot. These are the perfect sandal for both strolling down the beach and for walking around a city for hours — they are THAT comfortable!

Portable Bluetooth speakers are great for taking tunes with you everywhere you go! The JBL CLIP3SQUAD Clip 3 speaker is a great gift for him because it is compact, waterproof, and lasts up to 10 hours when fully charged. It also has a built-in carabiner so he can hang the speaker off a boat or hook it up to a D-ring on a kayak or SUP. And I really love this camo version in particular!

This oversized canvas and leather travel tote from S-ZONE is perfect for overnight trips or weekend getaways. It’s durable enough to withstand a rugged camping trip yet the classic design is also fashionable enough for work-related trips as well. And the price point can’t be beaten either!

With the Amazon Fire TV Stick, he can recreate the feeling of home while traveling (or save money at home by getting rid of his cable bill!). Instead of cramming in front of a laptop computer to watch his favorite show, he can watch shows from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV by streaming them to a TV. And the Alexa Voice capability of the remote makes choosing his favorite show from the hundreds of options easier than ever!

The Carry-on Cocktail Kit makes a great stocking stuffer or White Elephant gift! Each kit in this triple cocktail bundle includes a recipe card, a travel-sized spoon, and all the ingredients (minus the hard stuff) needed to make 2 drinks for a total of 6 drinks. Why settle for the lame beer and wine selection on flights when he can take a mini-bar of classic cocktails with him on his flight with these TSA-approved cocktail kits! Choose between ingredients for an Old Fashioned, Moscow Mule, or Gin and Tonic and just add the alcohol!

This one is for all the coffee snobs out there! If you have a man in your life who is particular about how he gets his caffeine kick, then this travel coffee french press from ESPRO is for him. The stainless-steel container is insulated with a double wall to keep coffee hot for hours, is equipped with a double micro-filter to ensure that the brew is free of pesky loose grinds, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee. He’ll never have to rely on the hotel’s complimentary instant coffee packets again!

Laptop, iPad, iPhone, camera, GoPro, external hard drive, power bank, SD cards, headphones, cable cords, adapters…the list goes on and on when it comes to all the tech gear that a modern traveler packs these days. The Sterkmann Tech Pouch has 16 inner pockets, an external zip pocket with cable pass-through, and a lifetime guarantee, making it the perfect solution to keep all his cords and other gadgets organized while on the go!

Traveling with a reusable water bottle is a must these days with eco-conscious travelers (and good human beings in general) to try to cut down on single-use plastic. The S’well stainless steel water bottle is a great choice because it keeps cold drinks cold for an astounding 36 hours and hot drinks hot for 18 hours with no annoying condensation due to its triple-layered insulation.

I love the concept behind the handmade hidden secret message leather bracelets from BeGenuine. Each bracelet is personalized with a meaningful phrase, a significant date, or the coordinates of a special place inscribed on the inside of the bracelet. I’m not much for public declarations of affection so I love that you can get a little mushy without your significant other needing to wear his heart on his sleeve (or wrist in this case!).

The Everywhere Travel Planner is perfect for the traveler in your life who derives joy from making a list and checking it twice! It has a map and corresponding checklist to keep track of which countries and states have been visited. It is designed to help keep track of hotel reservations, flight information, and expenses. And the “must-see” and “must-eat” pages and customizable calendar help with itinerary planning!

While the Sterkmann Tech Pouch is great for techies travelers to keep track of their gear, the Pinch Provisions Tech Kit is great for more casual travelers who might not even realize they need some tech gadget to work a device until they are on the road. The 8-piece kit comes in an adorable (yet manly! haha) cognac vegan leather pouch and contains the essentials: earbuds, charging cable, USB wall charger, microfiber screen cloth, cord organizers, phone/tablet stand, and a password hint list.

These sleep headphones are a genius idea! He can tune out light and sound in one go with this comfortable contoured sleeping mask with BUILT-IN Bluetooth headphones. Ideal for side sleepers who get annoyed trying to fall asleep with earbuds in!

Another great product from S’well, this stainless steel chiller fits most 12 oz cans and is the perfect companion for those adult beverages packed in his YETI Roadie Cooler. The triple-layer insulation is a game-changer to ensure drinks stay icy cold while keeping his hand from freezing. Perfect for a beach party on a hot day or huddled around a campfire!

Gray Malin is best known for his aerial beach photos but his book, A World of Opposites, will make a great addition to any coffee table book collection. The book contains a series of contrasts from day/night to dry/wet to short/tall, portrayed through stunning photographs from all over the world.

If your man isn’t a fan of the pomp and ceremony that the travel kit from The Art of Shaving requires, then he may be happy to receive this portable electric razor from Braun in his stocking instead for his on-the-go shaving needs.

Speaking of shaving on-the-go, the fog-free travel mirror from the Shave Well Company is a great item to go along with the other shaving gifts on this list. It is small enough to be hand-held but also has a suction cup attachment to hang it right in the shower. Plus, it is made by Sunshine Industries in the USA, which supports the financial, mental, and physical well-being of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities! Feeling good while looking good is a win-win.

This travel kit chock full of toiletries is perfect for the non-discerning, no-nonsense man who cares more about function and convenience than specific brand names. It has everything from travel shampoo and deodorant to tissues and “dude wipes.” 😂 It’s perfect to throw in a carry-on or gym bag!