18 Best Car Travel Accessories for Toddlers and Babies

Have a toddler on board and planning a long drive with them? Well, then you need a lot of comforts, fine car travel accessories for toddlers, a little bit of luck and a bucket full of patience, to get you through your drive.

Let’s be real, kids are cute and adorable but also they are fragile and tender along the way. Isn’t it?

Despite their several tantrums and mischief we still adore them. If you have a kid with you, we know that your life starts and ends with the child, providing them the security and care is your first priority.

A happy child can make everyone happy, but if your child is going through some kind of discomfort then it will naturally affect you and the rest of your family.

And if you ask for my opinion on road tripping with a toddler or baby, then I would say, planning a road trip with kids needs more than just planning.

You need to have the ultimate comfort for your children. The first thing you need, a large comfortable car, next comes the food and all the baby essentials, after that good music, the right mood and plenty of activities and you are all good to go.

But wait; aren’t you missing out on something? Car travel accessories for toddlers, right, remember? Well yes, of course, you need car accessories for toddlers and babies, these are your new best friend for the road trip.

Are you in a hurry? If yes, these are some of the must-have car travel accessories for toddlers:

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Only having the right size of a car won’t do justice for your kids. Remember the extra security we told you about, yes, cars don’t come with kid-friendly accessories, you have to customize and install them for your little ones. But for the first time parents, it is a very difficult job.

Undoubtedly, you know your kid better than anyone and what he/she likes or dislikes or what triggers him/her and what is his/her safe zone. But when it comes to selecting travel accessories for toddlers, it comes down to a very daunting task.

Must see: 18 Most Essential Dog Car Travel Accessories You Must Have

18 Must-Have Things to Carry While Travelling with Baby in Car

You need more than just a baby car seat and a lot more than that is on the way. But what exactly, do you need? We are here to help you, we know exactly what you need, what could be your necessities or your child’s.

Let’s start by prioritizing your needs. You could have a baby or a toddler or both then you are in need of all kinds of kid-friendly car accessories. You may be surprised to know that travel accessories for toddlers can flood a showroom. And in the ocean of different products, getting the useful one is your ultimate need.

But don’t worry, today in this guide, we are going to mention some of the best car accessories for toddlers and all the necessary things to carry while traveling with a baby in a car.

So now without any further ado, let’s check out the list of most essential car travel accessories for toddlers and babies. Here we go:

Best Travel Car Seat

When it comes to traveling with your kids, be it on-road or be it by air, travel car seats are the basic means of your safety. They provide the very security you need for your child. But in the waves of products and showcases, choosing the right one matters the most as it is one of the must-have items for traveling with a toddler.

If you are a first-time parent and looking for a good and safe travel car seat, then there are certain things you need to look out for. For example, convertibility, size, weight, and features, if you are considering traveling by air then you need to make sure of your seat’s size, as car and airplane seats have slight differences in measurement.

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Also, your travel seat needs to have FAA approval, which means that this car seat is allowed for flight. Convertibility is another main feature that your travel car seat must-have. So whenever you are shopping for travel car seats for babies and toddlers, lookout for weight. The less weight makes everything better.

Getting the best travel car seat for your kids should be your first priority which is why we have mentioned it at the beginning of the list. A very portable and cozy travel car seat is the most valuable thing for your kids because sometimes they will have to sit for long hours while traveling in a car.

• Our Top Pick: Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat
• Premium Pick: Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 Car Seat
• Best Budget: Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible Car Seat

Lightweight and Compact Travel Stroller

Traveling light is an excellent choice, but bringing a baby with you burdens you with already so much necessity items. And to add on to that, if you have a gigantic stroller, then you are in for a very difficult ride. It is okay if you love having a good sturdy enormous stroller but keeping a lightweight in hand is going to be very useful.

If you are traveling with kids, then having all the helpful car accessories for kids is important. And what could be more useful than a lightweight compact travel stroller? You may choose from the simplest ones to the high tech ones. But all you need to look out for is the weight.

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We would suggest you stick to the basics and simplest ones because they do not add the extra weight. But you can always choose the high tech divine ones, but they tend to be a little heavier. Remember if you go after the features, every newly added feature will add on to the weight as well.

So once you complete reading about these best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies, you should go and check out some best travel strollers and lightweight strollers online right now.

• Best Choice: Summer 3Dlite Convenience Stroller
• Best Value: Kolcraft Cloud Plus Compact Travel Stroller
• Premium Pick: Besrey Baby Stroller Compact Travel Stroller

Portable Travel Crib

A portable travel crib is one of the best car travel accessories for baby. Traveling crib is essential and that is all there is to say. But you need to get a lightweight and portable travel crib for toddler or baby according to your travel needs.

There are loads to choose from, and most of it will leave you confusing. But if you look out for the weight, size, features, and accessibility then your work is down to half.

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Checking the weight of your car accessories is a must. We understand that cribs can be heavy and non-portable, but there are few brands that make the cribs light and very travel-friendly.

So if you move about a lot, you should look for a more accessible crib which is foldable and can be easily re-assembled. But if you move once in a while, then having a crib with a bit more complex set up can be equally good for you.

• Our Top Pick: 2 in 1 Travel Crib & Bassinet – Lightweight, Pack Play
• Best Value: Comfortable Playard,Sturdy Play Yard with Mattress
• Premium Pick: Lotus Travel Crib – Backpack Portable, Lightweight

Baby Carrier

As much as we love the babies, carrying them around can be painful. And for the working mothers, having a baby along can be a little bothersome, but to save you the effort of carrying your baby around, you can always take baby carrier wrap or ergonomic baby carrier as a sturdy new partner. And if you are traveling, then it is the best car accessories for baby.

Baby carriers reduce the pain of taking your baby on your lap, the seat like the model, and the weight-reducing straps work extremely fine giving your baby a secure posture. The leg gap below allows your baby to relax their limbs, and back straps provide extra security.

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As we all know, babies have an extra sensitive and fragile neck. They cannot pop up their head on their own, so make sure you buy your baby crib wisely. The ones which have a neck rest is your go-to option in this case.

They come in various sizes and features. Buy the foldable and convertible ones to last you longer. Get the ones which have convertible sizes, which can last you till your baby grows into a toddler.

• Best Choice: LÍLLÉbaby 360° Ergonomic Baby and Child Carrier
• Best Overall: YOU+ME 4-in-1 Ergonomic Baby Carrier, 8-32 lbs
• Premium Pick: Ergobaby Carrier, 360 All Carry Positions Baby Carrier

Best Baby Monitor

Going away for the weekend after a long time calls in for some alone time with each other, but having a baby with you can ruin your plan to the ground if you don’t have all the right accessories. But being the decent parent you are, you certainly would not want to leave your baby alone. But you also need that alone time together with your other half desperately.

So there must be an away to do both, right. Well to answer that, yes you can have the best of both worlds. You can leave your baby alone for a couple of hours and enjoy the free time that you deserve.

Well, now the question is how that is possible? The answer is pretty simple, baby monitors. Yes, it’s true! A video baby monitor or audio baby monitor system is one of the essential car accessories and most crucial things to bring on a long car ride if you want a peaceful and enjoyable road trip with your baby.

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They are efficient and lets you check up on your baby while you are away. And if you are traveling, you certainly would want to bring a set of baby monitors with you. Baby monitors should be in your list of things to carry while travelling with baby in car.

There are various types of baby monitors to choose from, audio ones to videos and many more. We recommend the video ones as it will allow you to visibly check up on your child and if something goes wrong it can trigger an alarm and alert you at the very moment.

• The Smartest Pick: HD Baby Monitor with Camera and Audio
• Premium Pick: Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor
• Best Budget: Video Baby Monitor with Digital Camera

Best Cheap Toys

Toys are a must-have item for your kids. They are the perfect distraction for your child, and they can relieve you from your constant attention giving. And traveling with toddlers or babies requires you have some sort of games or toys to get your travel easier.

We all can agree that toys are among the best baby travel products. They are hot sale among the traveler parents. There are varieties of toys (buckle toys, kids travel tray, or hanging toys) to choose from and choosing the right one is crucial, as the type and quality of the toy will decide how pleasant your travel is going to be among other things.

If you have a very active kid, then you would want a puzzle or something to keep him occupied or games or toys which promote activity. If you have a quiet kid, then art and crafts even do-it-yourself kits can be of real help.

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Slime gel, stress balls or something to touch and play is your preferred choice as these are the best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies. Also, choose between small and travel-friendly toys to keep your journey safe.

Here we are recommending some best cheap toys because toys can be easily broken or dropped anywhere by your kids while traveling around. So if the toys aren’t too expensive and if they get lost or broken, you won’t feel much sorry then.

• Best Choice for Toddler Car Seat: Buckle Toys – Buster Square
• The Smartest Pick: Kenley Kids Travel Tray, Toddler Car Seat Lap Tray
• Best Value: Lamaze Mortimer The Moose, Clip On Toy

Wireless Headphones and Tablets

If you have a toddler, then you know how curious they can be. They are constantly touching and experimenting with things and having them around while driving can be a little troublesome. So keeping them occupied is the first priority you can tell them stories, or make them hear one while riding.

Get a playlist ready ahead of time and you can play it once you are inside the car. And for that, you would require good audio equipment. Wireless headphones and tablets are one of the best road trip accessories for kids. Kids love audiovisuals, and keeping them engage lets you drive safely.

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But make sure you have the wireless ones. Kids are immature and can tangle up in the wires from headphones, which will cause you a lot of trouble. They can even get themselves in a dangerous situation with wires. So, having wireless headphones are highly recommended.

After seeing the recommendation “wireless headphones and tablets” in the list of best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies, you might feel a little skeptical about it. But trust me, it helps a lot while traveling in a car with kids.

• Our Top Pick: Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet, 7″ Display, 16 GB
• Best Overall: All-new Fire HD 8 tablet, 8″ HD display, 32 GB
• Best Budget: Dragon Touch Y88X Pro 7 inch Kids Tablets

Breastfeeding and Bottle-Feeding Accessories

Traveling with a baby requires a lot of necessary items. And if your baby is still breastfeeding then you would require travel-friendly breastfeeding and bottle feeding accessories. Breastfeeding your baby while traveling is dangerous, as you may not have the total control over yourself and also your baby.

Well, with seat belts on, it is just not possible for anyone to breastfeed a child. For that, you can always use breast pumps to pump out the breast milk and store it inside a feeding bottle for later use. And if your baby requires to be fed, then you can always use the stored milk from the bottle.

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So for the traveling mother having a breast pump, and the right size feeding bottle is essential. Feeding bottles don’t have to be a must-have, but it can certainly be considered among things you should always have in your car with kids.

• Most Compact Design: Medela, Harmony Breast Pump, Manual Breast Pump
• Best Choice: Nanobebe Breastfeeding Baby Bottles Starter Set
• Best Value: Bellababy Double Electric Breast Feeding Pumps Pain Free

Portable Soft Silicone Travel Bottle Set

Carrying everything you need, even for a day is a necessity. And if you have a kid, then you know how much you need to pack. We know those baby essentials take up eighty percent of your travel bag and the little space that you are left with is for your own needs.

So to ease your worry, having portable soft silicone travel bottle sets at hand can be useful. You can store your necessary requirements like lotions, baby oil, shampoos in these and squeeze it inside your bag. They take up very little space and can help you accommodate your other belongings.

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These bottles are a keeper and they are undoubtedly one of the must-have travel accessories for toddlers.

Not only lotions and oils, but you can also store food items in them, for example, maple syrups, mayonnaise, sauces, and ketchup for that extra kick to your travel snack. They come in various sizes and colors and the fun part is that they are foldable and stored for different uses while traveling.

• Our Top Pick: 4 Pack Travel Bottles, TSA Approved Containers
• Best Overall: Portable Travel Bottles Set, Leak Proof Squeezable Silicon Tubes
• Honorable Mention: 4 Leak Proof Travel Bottles – 3 oz Travel Containers

Water Purifier Bottle

Water is the most essential while traveling with kids. You can forget about foods and snacks, but having water is extremely important for both the parents and kids. But we understand that keeping water along with you is not always an option or you can run out of it while going on the road.

In these cases, you can always buy sealed water bottles from a roadside convenience store. This can be harmless for the adults, but may not be so for the babies or the toddlers. However you can always let your child have that sealed water bottle but why take the risk, when you can have a water purifier bottle or water bottle with filter for travel along with you.

Trust me, if you like traveling by car, then keeping a water purifier bottle on board can prove to be very necessary for your journey.

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As we all know, water in most places nowadays are contaminated and not 100% safe for drinking (specifically for kids). That’s is why we should always bring a water purifier on our road trips or long car rides to get clean and safe drinking water.

You can always run out of the water which you have brought from the safety of your kitchen and may have to buy water bottles from local stores. But having a water purifier bottle will let you purify the store-bought water before you hand it out to your kids. This item can easily be accountable as one of the best car accessories for road trips.

• Our Top Pick: Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle, 26 Ounce
• The Smartest Pick: GRAYL Ultralight Water Purifier [+ Filter] Bottle
• Best Overall: LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottles

Travel Baby Bottle Warmer

As the doctors’ advice, feeding cold milk to your child is not very healthy. A little warm milk will have a better and harmless effect on the baby. But how can anyone possibly provide warm milk to a child while on the road?

No matter how much you keep your feeding bottles inside a thermostat box which promises to keep your items warm for a longer period of time, but they fail eventually.

Well, no worries, travel baby bottle warmer is here save you from your trouble. This is a must-have item for road trips with babies. They are rechargeable technologically driven electronic pots that allow your feeding bottle to warm up when you need it.

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They come in various sizes, but having a travel-friendly size is recommendable as you can use the product both inside and outside of your home. This has proven to be one of the best essentials among the new mothers and parents.

• Our Top Pick: Philips Avent, Baby Bottle Warmer
• Best Budget: The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve Bottle Warmer
• Best Overall: Tommee Tippee Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer

Lunchbox

Lunchboxes are the most essential travel equipment and one of the best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies or we can say almost for everyone. Having a kid or not, lunchboxes are a requirement. There are various shapes and sizes to meet your needs. But if you are traveling with your kid then having the most organized lunch box is your deal.

There are the silicone ones that fold down into a flat plate and can be popped up when needed. Also, there are the Bento lunch boxes that help you keep your foods organized and they are stackable which means it can save you a lot of space.

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Traveling with babies requires a lot of gooey and gravy foods to carry. As babies cannot chew and would always prefer soft and mushy foods. So make sure you get a spill-free lunchbox for your travel.

As traveling will make a lot of jerking and there are chances that the lids may come off and make a huge mess. So, getting a spill-free tight lid lunch boxes are highly recommended. These lunch boxes can be considered as the best baby travel products.

• Our Top Pick: EasyLunchboxes Lunch Box Food Containers
• Best Budget: Bentgo Kids Childrens Lunch Box
• The Smartest Pick: TRAVELISIMO Electric Lunch Box 2 in 1

Soft and Organic Cotton, Muslin Swaddle Blankets

Babies need to stay warm, and for that, you need blankets and baby warmers. You may think any blanket would do the job, but no, baby blankets are special and so are your little ones. Muslin swaddle blankets are lightweight and made from organic cotton.

These muslin baby blankets are woven in a certain way to allow maximum air-breathing. This will ensure that your baby stays warm yet there is some sort of ventilation to let your child breathe.

You can always put it among the things to keep in the car for baby. Muslin blankets do not take up much space and also relieve you from packing extras.

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There are tons and lots to choose from. From comical patterns to the galaxy ones, you name it, baby blankets can be considered as a piece of art.

These baby swaddle blankets are effective and lightweight and they are soft. Cotton and muslin blankets make sure your babies stay warm at just the right temperature and avoid the risk of overheating.

• Best Choice: aden + anais Swaddle Blanket, Boutique Muslin Blankets
• Best Value: upsimples Baby Swaddle Blanket Unisex Swaddle Wrap
• Best Budget: Baby Swaddle Blanket Unisex Swaddle Wrap Soft Silky

Travel Potty Seat

Kids have lesser control when it comes down to their own business. But it’s okay, they are kids and all are forgiven. But while travelling you do not want to deal with goopy messes. So, having a travel potty seat is a safe option.

The travel potty seats are portable and are of mini kids sized. You may think of a diaper as your other option, but changing a diaper on the road can be tricky. You may need to stop and change and then be on your way again. The same is with the travel potty, but you can use them for the toddlers and not for babies.

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You may be safe with diapers with the baby, but toddlers require a bit more than just diapers. And if you have the sort of toddlers who sternly refuses to keep their diapers on, then travel potty seats are your only options. So having a travel potty seat can prove to be the best travel accessories for toddlers.

• Our Top Pick: Portable Potty and Training Seat with Free Travel Bag
• Best Value: ONEDONE Small Portable Potty for Toddler Travel
• Best Overall: Travel Potty, Tinabless Portable Folding Reusable

A Best Travel Diaper Bag Backpack

Diapers are one of the savers among the list of baby essentials. Kids need diapers from the moment they are born. And they stick around with them till the time they become toddlers. They are essential and larger companies have endorsed them, and made it successful.

Let’s be honest, being a parent is already a hard job, and if you are working then you know what you are in for. Having a diaper on would relief you from all that washing. And list it as a necessity if you are traveling.

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If you are traveling for a longer period of time, then you need to carry all the diapers you have in stock and for that, you would be requiring a large diaper bag backpack for travel.

These diaper bag backpacks are a little special, with an enormous space inside and some of the bags come with a small disposable compartment. You can toss the dirty diapers in the compartment and throw it out, at the end of your ride.

These can easily be considered as the best travel products for baby when it comes to travelling with a toddler or baby.

• Best Choice: Diaper Bag Backpack, RUVALINO Multifunction Travel Back Pack
• Best Value: Diaper Bag Backpack, Large Travel Multifunction Waterproof
• Cutest Design: HaloVa Diaper Bag Multi-Function Waterproof Travel Backpack

Baby Wipes and Hand Sanitizer

Baby wipes and hand sanitizer is a must-have. If you were searching for the best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies then these are the most significant car accessories for them.

If you have a baby on board then you know how important is to maintain sanitation. With babies you cannot take risks of bare unwashed hands. So along with the baby wipes and diaper rash spray, alcohol free hand sanitizer is also mandatory and we know that cars are not the safest place to leave your kids without proper sanitation.

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Also having the bib and a diaper on won’t excuse you to not use baby wipes. Baby wipes are anti-bacterial and they come in super handy. If you have forgotten to pack your sanitizer, baby wipes can work the double duty as a sanitizer wipes.

• The Smartest Pick: Pampers Baby Wipes Sensitive Perfume Free
• Best Choice: Babyganics Baby Wipes, Unscented, 400 Count
• Best Value: Babyganics Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer

Travel Packing Cubes

These are extremely organized and well maintained. Travel packing cubes save up tons of space for all the other necessary items you want to keep on board. These packing cubes are the best travel gear for toddlers.

You can carry from the smallest of the item to the largest products according to the size of your packing cube.

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Packing cubes are fundamental car travel accessories for toddlers and babies. They come in different sizes and lets you carry in an organized manner.

These packing cubes can always be used by the adults for their own organized traveling. Having different sizes are recommended, as traveling for a day or more would need you to carry all the necessities.

• Our Top Pick: TravelWise Packing Cube System – Durable 5 Piece
• Best Value: Shacke Pak – 5 Set Packing Cubes – Travel Organizers
• Premium Pick: Gonex 6 Set Travel Packing Cubes, Luggage Packing

Medical First Aid Kit

Medical first aid kit is what you need to travel with an infant. Even if you are traveling with a kid or not, having a medical first aid kit can prove to be extremely useful and here we are suggesting it as the best car travel accessories for toddlers.

Kids are playful and may often fall down and cut a knee or an elbow or can even get their fingers stuck in the car door or window. So, having all kind necessary first aid kit along with you is vital.

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First aid kits are fundamental and crucial baby products for travel. You can keep band-aids to anti-septic creams, from a thermometer to a pain-relieving spray; basically anything you feel is necessary.

• Best Choice: M2 BASICS 300 Piece (40 Unique Items) First Aid Kit
• The Smartest Pick: 90 Pieces First Aid Kit – All-Purpose
• Best Overall: First Aid Only 299 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit

Do You Have These Car Travel Accessories for Toddlers and Babies?

That’s it, parents! These were our top picks for the kid’s travel accessories, and I hope you can find all the right information from here. We understand that packing for a vacation that too with a kid is never-ending. And to put an end to the month-long agony of packing, we put up these crucial points to take into account.

The above-listed topics will not only make it easier with packing but also can prove to be very informative. If you are still wondering and scratching your head about what to take with you and what to skip, we suggest you start from scratch and make footnotes on what you really need.

We found that one of the best ways to get to the bottom of this is “Ask yourself”. Self-talking and understanding your child’s need is one of the best options when it comes down to packing. So now get your note pads ready, stir up a big cup of coffee and get down to listing.

Once you have decided about all the important things to carry while traveling with a baby in the car, we recommend comparing the prices of the products from different websites to chalk out your expenses better. Now let’s go and be parents!

If you found this comprehensive list of best car travel accessories for toddlers and babies useful for you then feel free to share your view with us via the comments. And also, let us know if we missed mentioning any worthy car accessories for toddlers or must-have items for road trips with baby.

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