# TravelCriteria

> Travel gear reviews and buying guides: luggage, backpacks, packing gear and travel tech, plus tours and experiences, with reader codes from brands we trust.

TravelCriteria publishes travel reviews, buying guides and reader discount codes. Every review states who the product suits, the current price from the brand's own store, and any active reader code.

## Key pages
- [Reviews](https://travelcriteria.com/reviews): every product we recommend
- [Buying guides](https://travelcriteria.com/guides): how to choose
- [Glossary](https://travelcriteria.com/glossary): travel terms defined
- [How we test](https://travelcriteria.com/testing-methodology)

## Topics
- [Luggage](https://travelcriteria.com/category/luggage): Carry-on and checked suitcases, hardside and softside luggage.
- [Bags & packing](https://travelcriteria.com/category/bags-packing): Travel backpacks, duffels, packing cubes and organizers.
- [Travel tech](https://travelcriteria.com/category/travel-tech): Plug adapters, power banks, trackers and travel gadgets.
- [Tours & experiences](https://travelcriteria.com/category/experiences): Tours, activities, hotels and experiences worth booking.

## Buying guides
- [Carry-On Packing List: How to Pack a Week in One Bag](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/carry-on-packing-list): To pack a week in a carry-on, plan outfits around one color palette, bring about 3 bottoms, 5 tops, 1 layer, 2 pairs of shoes (wear the bulkiest), and enough underwear and socks, then do one quick laundry if needed. Use packing cubes, keep liquids in a quart-size bag, wear your heaviest items on the plane, and keep essentials such as medication, documents and chargers in your personal item.
- [How to Choose a Guided Tour: 10 Things to Check Before Booking](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-guided-tour): Before booking, compare group size, inclusions, cancellation terms, pace, accessibility and recent operator reviews. Choose a smaller group or a flexible cancellation policy when those terms matter for your itinerary, and read the exact deadline and refund conditions. Confirm required guide credentials, the meeting point and who is responsible for each part of the booking.
- [How to Choose Carry-On Luggage: Size, Weight and Wheels](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/how-to-choose-carry-on-luggage): For US domestic flights, a carry-on of 22 x 14 x 9 inches including wheels and handles fits most major airlines. International and budget airlines are often stricter, commonly around 55 x 40 x 20 cm, and many set a weight limit of 7 to 10 kg. Choose the lightest bag that fits, pick hardside for protection or softside for flexibility and outer pockets, and check your airline's exact limits before you fly.
- [Single-Trip vs Annual Travel Insurance: Compare Coverage](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/single-trip-vs-annual-travel-insurance): A single-trip policy is written for one planned journey, while an annual multi-trip plan can cover multiple qualifying trips during its term. Compare the total cost, maximum trip length, cancellation and interruption limits, medical and evacuation benefits, exclusions and traveler eligibility. Annual plans differ: Allianz, for example, lists annual options both with and without trip-cancellation benefits.
- [Small-Group vs Private Tours: Compare Booking Terms](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/small-group-vs-private-tours): A small-group tour shares the departure with other travelers, while a private tour is booked for your party. The schedule, group-size cap and customization rules vary by operator; Firebird, for example, lists set dates for its small groups and date and pace flexibility for its private tours. Compare the exact itinerary, inclusions, cancellation terms and price per traveler before booking.
- [Travel Backpack Fit and Sizing: Measure Your Torso](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-backpack-fit-sizing-guide): Start with torso length and the exact backpack's fit chart. Osprey measures from the C7 vertebra to the iliac crest, and Tortuga recommends trying a travel pack with a representative load. Harnesses and hipbelts differ, so use the maker's instructions for the model you plan to carry. Airline size checks are separate from body fit, so also measure the packed exterior dimensions.
- [Travel Backpack vs Suitcase: Which Should You Take?](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-backpack-vs-suitcase): Choose a travel backpack for multi-stop trips, stairs, cobblestones, public transport and budget airlines with strict size limits. Choose a rolling suitcase for business travel, smooth airports and hotels, heavier loads and keeping clothes neat. Many travelers use a carry-on suitcase for most trips and a 35 to 45 liter travel backpack for active or multi-city trips.
- [Travel Duffel Buying Guide: Size, Straps and Pockets](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-duffel-buying-guide): Choose a duffel by how you will carry it: by its handles, with a shoulder strap, as a backpack or on wheels. Compare capacity, packed dimensions and any shoe, wet or laptop compartment on the exact model. Soft sides can flex, but that does not guarantee a bag will meet an airline's limit.
- [Travel Insurance Basics: What to Compare](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-insurance-basics): Travel insurance is a bundle of coverage choices, not a single promise that every problem will be paid. Compare medical care, evacuation, cancellation or interruption, baggage limits, exclusions and claim rules against your itinerary and existing coverage. The U.S. State Department advises travelers to check what their health plan covers abroad and consider medical and evacuation protection when needed.
- [Travel Neck Pillow Buying Guide: Fit, Straps and Care](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-neck-pillow-buying-guide): Choose an inflatable pillow if compact packing matters, a wrap design if you want a scarf-style fit, or a U-shaped foam style if you prefer padding around the sides. Designs differ in seat attachment, adjustment, cover care and packed size. Cabeau's Evolution S3 has a seat strap, while Trtl wraps around the neck with a removable internal support. Compare the exact model and try its fit before travel.
- [Travel Sleep Mask Buying Guide: Fit and Features](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-sleep-mask-buying-guide): Choose a travel sleep mask by how it fits around your eyes and nose, then check strap adjustment, packed bulk and care instructions. Contoured cups can leave space above the eyelids; Manta's standard mask uses adjustable O-shaped cups, while its SOUND model integrates Bluetooth headphones into the strap. Manufacturer features vary by model, so check the exact mask and try its fit before a trip.
- [When to Book Guided Tours and Experiences](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/when-to-book-guided-tours): There is no universal best day to book a guided tour. Check the operator’s reservation window, group capacity, cancellation deadline and the date your itinerary becomes fixed; reserve early when a small-capacity or timed experience is central to the trip. National Park Service guidance recommends checking reservation needs in advance, while individual tours set their own schedules and release rules.
- [Airline Personal Item Sizes: Check the Under-Seat Limit](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/airline-personal-item-size-guide): There is no single personal-item size that works for every airline, so check the operating carrier's rule for each flight before buying a bag. As one current example, American Airlines lists a maximum of 18 by 14 by 8 inches, while Delta describes a personal item as something that fits securely under the seat; if your trip uses multiple carriers, plan around the strictest limit.
- [Checked Luggage Size and Weight Limits: What to Know](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/checked-luggage-size-and-weight): Most US airlines limit standard checked bags in economy to 62 linear inches (158 cm), the total of length, width and height, and 50 lb (23 kg). Premium cabins often allow 70 lb (32 kg). Many international airlines also use 23 kg for economy, though some use different weight or piece allowances. Bags over the limit cost extra, and very heavy bags may not be accepted, so weigh your bag before you leave.
- [eSIM vs Local SIM vs Roaming: Staying Connected Abroad](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/esim-vs-local-sim): A travel eSIM is usually the easiest way to get mobile data abroad: you buy a data plan online, install it with a QR code or app before you leave, and it activates when you land. A local SIM often gives the best value for longer stays and includes a local phone number. Carrier roaming is the simplest but often the most expensive. Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-compatible to use a travel eSIM.
- [Hardside vs Softside Checked Luggage: Which Fits Your Trip?](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/hard-vs-softside-checked-luggage): Choose hardside checked luggage if you want a rigid shell around fragile items and an easy-to-wipe surface; choose softside if you value exterior pockets, flexible packing and a smaller front-panel opening. Hardside does not flex to absorb overpacking, while fabric luggage is less protective of fragile contents and can be harder to clean, so match the shell to what you pack and how you access it.
- [How to Pack a Suit for Travel](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/how-to-pack-a-suit): A suit travels best when it is clean, dry and folded with its shoulders protected from pressure. Use a garment bag when you can keep it flat or hang it, or fold the jacket carefully in a carry-on and place trousers along a long edge. Check your airline’s current baggage rules before relying on a hanging option, then unpack and hang the suit as soon as you arrive.
- [Luggage Scale Buying Guide: Choose One That Fits Your Bag](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/luggage-scale-buying-guide): Choose a luggage scale with enough capacity for your heaviest packed bag, a display you can read while the bag is lifted, units you use and an attachment that fits the suitcase handle. A compact digital model can make the reading easy to see; some manufacturer models also add a measuring tape. Airline baggage limits vary by route and booking, so check the allowance for your exact trip and weigh the bag after packing.
- [Luggage Trackers Explained: AirTag, SmartTag and Tile](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/luggage-trackers-explained): A luggage tracker is a small Bluetooth tag that reports its location through nearby phones on a finding network. Choose an Apple AirTag if you use an iPhone, a Samsung SmartTag for Samsung Galaxy phones, and a tracker on Google's Find My Device network or Tile for other Android phones. Trackers with small coin-cell batteries are allowed in checked luggage under FAA guidance. They don't stop bags from being lost, but they show you where a bag is, which helps the airline find it.
- [Packing Cubes: Are They Worth It and How to Use Them](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/packing-cubes-guide): Packing cubes don't create space on their own; they keep a bag organized, so you can find things fast and keep clothes neat. Compression cubes do save space by zipping down to squeeze out air. A starter set of one large, one medium and one small cube covers a week in a carry-on. Pack one category per cube, roll or fold to the cube's size, and put heavy cubes at the wheel end.
- [Can You Bring a Power Bank on a Plane? Rules and Wh Limits](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/power-banks-on-planes): Power banks must go in your carry-on, never in checked bags. Under US FAA rules, power banks up to 100 watt-hours are allowed without approval, those between 100 and 160 Wh need airline approval (usually a maximum of two), and anything over 160 Wh is not allowed. A typical 20,000 mAh power bank is about 74 Wh, well under the limit. Some airlines now also restrict using or charging power banks during the flight, so check your airline's rules.
- [Travel Adapter vs Converter for Hair Tools: Check the Label First](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-adapter-vs-converter-for-hair-tools): A plug adapter changes how a plug fits a socket; it does not make a hair tool compatible with a different electrical supply. Read the appliance rating plate and manual, compare its voltage and frequency with the destination, and use a converter only when the appliance maker confirms that setup is supported.
- [Travel Plug Adapter Guide: Plug Types and Voltage by Country](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/travel-plug-adapter-guide): A plug adapter changes the shape of your plug so it fits the wall; it doesn't change the voltage. North America and Japan use 100 to 120 volts, while most of the world uses 220 to 240 volts. Most phone, laptop and camera chargers are dual voltage (look for 100-240V on the label), so they only need an adapter. Hair dryers and other heating appliances are often single voltage and need a converter or a dual-voltage model.
- [TSA Liquids Rule (3-1-1): What You Can Bring in Your Carry-On](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/tsa-liquids-rule): In the US, TSA's 3-1-1 rule lets you carry liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all fitting in one clear quart-size bag, one bag per passenger. Medications, baby formula and breast milk are allowed in larger amounts but must be declared at screening. Larger containers go in checked luggage. At airports with newer CT scanners you may not need to take the bag out, but the size limits still apply.
- [TSA-Recognized Luggage Locks: What to Check Before You Buy](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/tsa-recognized-luggage-lock-guide): For a checked bag you plan to lock, choose a genuine TSA-recognized model and check that the mark appears on the lock itself. TSA advises travelers to look for recognized baggage locks, and Travel Sentry identifies its Red Diamond symbol as a sign that security officers can use a dedicated tool to open and relock the lock for inspection. Match the lock style to your suitcase's zipper pulls, and remember that a travel lock cannot guarantee protection from determined theft.
- [USB-C Travel Charger Buying Guide: Match Power to Your Devices](https://travelcriteria.com/guides/usb-c-travel-charger-buying-guide): Choose a USB-C charger by matching its listed output and charging protocol to the devices you plan to charge, then check how much power is available when using several ports together. USB-C describes the connector; USB Power Delivery is a separate power specification. Confirm the cable is rated for the charger and device, and bring a plug adapter separately when your destination uses a different socket.

Contact: info@travelcriteria.com