Who doesn't love IKEA? Apart from a couple of hair-pulling episodes for some of their larger intricate assemblies (glaring at my 4 piece sectional 8-foot high corner bookcase), I've always been a fan of their minimalist concepts. In truth, until I recently went wandering around their store, for once without a specific item in mind, I had never noticed the abundance of simple travel items that they carry as well. Here is a list of some of those items I felt would be really quite useful in various travel situations. Some of which I already own, others I will take the highly favorable reviews at face value for. With the typical low fanfare and practicality that we've come to expect from IKEA most of these items come in under $20.
All images are courtesy of the IKEA website and they link to the respective product page.
FÖRNUFTIG Air Purifier:
If air quality in hotel rooms or other accommodations is a concern for you consider packing one of these along with you. It measures 12 x 18 x 4 inches and works to remove 99.5% of smaller airborne particles such as PM2.5 particles, dust, smoke, and pollen with the included filter. It can also be equipped with a gas filter, sold separately, that will help to remove chemical content from the air such as those noxious compounds found in many cleaning products or cigarette smoke. The fan speed can be adjusted so that at night time you can put it on the lower setting to reduce the noise level, unless you like having it as white noise in the background.
$74.99 for the air filter unit
$18.00 for the gas filter add-on
RENSARE Clothes bag, set of 3:
Keep your clothes organized in your luggage with these handy cubes. The set of three includes one larger bag measuring 13.5 x 9.75 x 3.25 inches and two smaller bags 9.75 x 6.75 x 3.25 inches. They are suitable for machine wash cold and tumble dry low. They may not be as rugged as some of the other luggage cubes out there, and the zipper is only on two sides for some reason, but with a price tag of only $5.99 you really can't go wrong.
RENSARE Waterproof bag
Also in the RENSARE line up is this very useful waterproof bag. Perfect for carrying around your wet swimsuit or workout clothes from the hotel gym back to the room. Use it as a small beach bag to keep sunglasses, sunscreen or phone and charger.
It has a buckle at the top that works as a handle or it could be attached to the top strap of a backpack. Maybe strap it to the back of your kayak to keep things secure and dry. The uses are many and it is just $3.99.
RENSARE 2 Gallon Bag
Rounding out the RENSARE collection is this simple drawstring 2 gallon bag. Ideal for storing dirty laundry during a trip, or for keeping your luggage interior clean by storing your shoes in the bag.
As with the RENSARE luggage cubes this bag is also machine wash cold, tumble dry low, normal cycle. Combine with the waterproof bag and you have a complete set ready for the beach! Pick one up (heck, grab a couple) for only $2.99 each.
VÄRLDENS Weekend bag
Keeping in the theme of bags this 15 x 17 x 7 inch bag is perfect for a quick weekend getaway. On the front side you have three compartments with zippers – store your cell phone, wallet or anything else you want close at hand.
On the back there are two additional compartments and the side pockets have room for water bottles, umbrella, or curling/straightening iron. Pick one up quick as it is marked as a last chance buy for $56.99 while they last.
VÄRLDENS Accessory bag
One last entry in the bags list is this little gem. You can use it for pencils, pens, markers, and anything else an artist, writer or child might want to bring along.
It also works very well as a mini toiletry kit for a weekend stay housing your toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizers and makeup handily.
It measures 8 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches and has a zipper close to keep everything inside. These are only $4.99 and are worth every cent to keep smaller items organized.
VAGN Bottle, Set of 4
Perfect for your toiletry kits these bottles are also good for a carry-on. Store your moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner etc. in these right sized bottles. Ideal for a short trip they hold 3 ounces each, just enough for that long weekend escape. The have a removable screw cap and a flip top to access a small spout. Pick up the set of 4 for only $3.99.
HÄSTHAGE Luggage tags, 1 red, 1 black
These fun and cute luggage tags help your bag stand out from the others with the help of the iconic IKEA Swedish Dala horse. They are made of a sturdy synthetic rubber and a plastic sheet insert to protect your information. You get both the red and the black tags each measuring about 3.5 x 3.5 inches for just $2.99. Grab a couple for your next trip and giddy-up.
KNALLA umbrella
A compact umbrella that will easily tuck away into a tote bag is always a useful item to have on hand when traveling. In its compact state it is only 9.5" long and extends to 22.5 inches with a 37 inch diameter. Perfect for a lightweight individual umbrella.
Available in black, red or yellow, this $6.99 purchase will keep you dry when that sudden rain squall catches you off guard while shopping in Paris.
FINSKUREN Travel flatware with case
Closing this list is another very useful item to have on hand when traveling. I've written about this type of item in my traveler gift idea blog which featured a high-end offering from Hydroflask, but IKEA makes one that is simple, efficient and very reasonably priced.
$5.99 will net you a set of stainless steel cutlery and a small polyester pouch to tote them around in. The pouch has a slot on one side to slip the cutlery in and then you'll fold the flap over and secure with the elastic straps. Perfect for someone who prefers to dine in their hotel room on take out but loathe using those flimsy plastic utensils one gets with the food.
Summary
In keeping with the simplistic stylings of IKEA I'll just say that brings us to the end of another post. Hope that you saw a couple things that made you think "Oh, I could totally use that!"
I know I've added a couple of these to my shopping list since researching them.
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