Counting down until your next getaway? It's peak holiday season, and to help you get in the mood and get a head start on packing, we asked you for the essentials that always make it into your suitcase. From tried-and-tested luggage and day-to-night sandals to long-journey entertainment for kids, our reader recommendations and Filter favourites provide plenty of inspiration for your next trip.
The Holiday Heroes That Go the Distance
Morwenna Ferrier opts for a linen throw over a towel for the beach. Towels are "too bulky and slow to dry", she says in our guide to summer style and beauty tips. "I also carry an extra baby muslin for drying myself." Toast's stripe linen throw is priced at £135.
Ali Payne recommends packing rash vests: "Always pack these as they can be expensive to buy at the beach. Decathlon's are great." Decathlon's kids' anti-UV sun top is available from £6.99.
A waterproof speaker is a favourite for poolside music. "We love to put music on around the pool (if we're in a private villa) or in the room. We've had one for years, and it still works perfectly," says AP. The UE Wonderboom 4 waterproof portable speaker starts from £57.16 at John Lewis.
Mark recommends simple open-heel fins for bodysurfing or fun in the water. Decathlon's bodyboard fins are £24.99.
Sylvia found Nescafé instant cappuccino sachets invaluable on holiday in Greece. "I cannot do without a coffee when I wake up, so sachets were handy." A pack of 12 sachets costs £2.50 at Asda.
Anna recommends a pop-up laundry basket: "A pop-up laundry basket flattens down and keeps the hotel room tidy from piles of washing. Essential when you have small children going through three-plus outfit changes a day." Available from Argos for £4.
Monica Horridge found waterproof playing cards a great investment for a hot Cyprus holiday. "They kept happily us entertained for hours." Bicycle waterproof playing cards are £12.99 at John Lewis.
For children too big for a travel cot but too small for a single bed with no rails, Rose Stokes recommends the Stokke CloudSleeper inflatable travel bed. "It packs up small and inflates in less than a minute with its built-in pump, plus it comes in prints that kids are bound to love," she says in her roundup of everything you need for travelling with kids. Priced at £89.
Journey Essentials
Any long journey is greatly improved by a hot or cold beverage. Pete Wise rated the KeepCup Commuter the best overall in his test of the best travel mugs, thanks to its "impressive temperature control", easy-to-use design and spill-proofing. The 340ml version costs £32.
For shut-eye on the journey, Pete Wise found the Infinity travel pillow the best in his review of travel pillows after comprehensive tests on buses, trains and arcade machines. Priced at £42.
KH recommends an empty microfibre pillowcase: "You can stuff it with extra clothes for a pillow on the plane or a spare pillow on holiday." Available from Dunelm for £2.
Sleep masks are handy for the journey and at the destination. Jane Hoskyn gave top marks to MyHalos blackout sleep mask in her trial of the best sleep aids, helping her achieve nine hours of blissful shut-eye. Priced at £9.99.
AP suggests prepacking snacks for kids on the plane: "Clear bags give the kids ownership of their snacks, so they don't disturb you as much! Speaking of which: noise-cancelling headphones!" The Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones start from £209 at John Lewis.
Don't risk a dead phone battery. Pete Wise rated the Anker Nano power bank best for portability in his test of the best power banks, making it ideal for on the go. Priced at £19.99.
For book lovers, the Kindle Paperwhite has a 7in screen, water resistance and is a "beautiful canvas for novels", landing it top in Andrew Williams's review of the best ebook readers. Priced at £159.99.
Heading on a long journey with kids? The Melissa & Doug reusable sticker pad is a portable activity to keep them occupied. Rebecca Goodman's guide to surviving long family car journeys is filled with tips for avoiding meltdowns. Priced at £3.99.
Rachel Stirling recommends always having an emergency picnic: "Always have an emergency picnic with you – this could be a baguette, or crackers and some picky bits you can eat without too much mess. This is handy on long journeys, and it's also a lot cheaper than the train cafe or service station." The Quechua 20l cooler backpack is £24.99 at Decathlon.
"A travel Lego suitcase is a brilliant addition to your parenting arsenal when you're far from home," says Rose Stokes in her guide to everything you need for travelling with kids. The Lego Classic creative suitcase is £14.99 at John Lewis.
Luggage
When Pete Wise put cabin bags through their paces, the Tripp Holiday 8 cabin suitcase was his favourite budget option. "The Holiday 8 is my top pick for solo travellers who need to pick up a decent cabin bag for a good price," he says. Priced at £42.
For something bigger, Tripp's Holiday 8 Large suitcase survived Pete Wise's brutal drop test and earned a top spot in his guide to the best suitcases. "The Large is a lovely suitcase to use in every respect, from adjusting its glossy compression straps to wheeling it around on its nimble casters," he says. Priced at £75 at Next.
Jess Cartner-Morley says the Antler overnight travel bag has strangers stopping her in the street. "The clever thing about this bag is the integral back strap, which allows it to slide over the pop-up handle of your wheeled suitcase. This keeps it sitting securely on top of your luggage without everything falling over in chaos when you try to buy a coffee or get on to a train," she says. Priced at £125.
"It's time to swap your cross-body for a shoulder bag," says Peter Bevan in his 51 men's spring wardrobe updates. The Stubble & Co travel bag has "enough space for your laptop, your gym gear and a couple of essential toiletries (such as an aftershave and a lip balm)" or travel essentials for long journeys. From £77.
When Les Shu put packing cubes to the test for the Filter US, this "near perfect" set from Eagle Creek was his favourite. Priced at £35.
AP loves their Eastpak bag for travelling: "The two compartments inside make it easy to fit packing cubes." The Eastpak Tranverz suitcase is £99.
"This ride-on Trunki suitcase is a favourite among all the small kids I know (and their parents) for good reason," says Rose Stokes. Priced at £49.99 at Argos.
Toiletries
Anita Bhagwandas recommends the Jo Malone London discovery set for travel: it has "something for every destination". Priced at £20. For men, Peter Bevan recommended the Le Père discovery set in his 50 men's summer fashion updates.
Anita Bhagwandas also recommends using a spatula to transfer full-size products into travel pots, saving on inflated prices and packaging waste. "It's also useful for getting the last smears of product out of a jar," she says. The Every Drop spatula is £13.36.
KH suggests using a basic foundation brush for applying sun cream to children. Available from Amazon for £2.97.
Rose Stokes recommends the Solar Buddies refillable sun cream applicator: "Not only does this help get an even spread, but my son actually enjoys it so much, he asks to do it himself." Priced at £7.98 at Boots.
Daily SPF is essential. Sarah Matthews rated the Beauty of Joseon relief sun rice + probiotics SPF50 as best overall in her test of the best face SPFs: it "sinks in quickly, leaving a soft, natural finish that's neither too oily nor too matt. Skin looks healthy and is perfectly primed for makeup." Priced at £12.40.
The Naked Sundays hydrating glow face mist is "perfect for SPF top-ups, while the skincare actives will keep you glowing all day", says Sarah Matthews. The spray bottle makes it easy to apply on the go, and the mist is so fine it can be used over makeup. Priced at £24.
For low-fuss protection, Charlie Allenby recommends Horace face and body sunscreen SPF50+: it "protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays but isn't chalky like the factor 50s of old – it feels more like a moisturiser". Priced at £19.
Don't settle for a lousy hotel hairdryer. Lise Smith says the Dyson Supersonic Travel is "a smaller, lighter, travel-friendly dryer offering the same powerful airflow and heat-control technology as its full-size sibling". Priced at £249.99.
Suri's electric toothbrush comes with a travel case that charges the toothbrush and cleans it with UV light. Alan Martin says: "If you care about sustainability in any way, it's the best choice" of toothbrush. The Suri 2.0 toothbrush and charging travel case is £105.
Women's Holiday Accessories
"If you're planning to find yourself on a windy island this summer, swap your baseball cap for a canvas sun hat, like this one from Oas," says Chloe Mac Donnell. The Oas camel brim canvas hat is £80.
"No mere mortal can make 1990s minimalism look as good as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy," says Jess Cartner-Morley. For effortless chic, she recommends Le Specs oval sunglasses at £38.50.
"Holiday sandals need to be comfy enough for a hot walk but nice enough to wear with your going-out-for-dinner dress," says Jess Cartner-Morley. The Clarks Ravina sandals at £38 fit the bill.
In our roundup of the best bikinis, swimsuits and men's trunks, the John Lewis twist front swimsuit was highlighted as a great option for bigger busts, with an eye-catching blue and tasteful twist detail. Priced at £45.
"Archies – as the name suggests – makes flip-flops with proper arch support, something you'd normally only get from a chunkier shoe," says Charlotte Gornall. Archies arch support flip-flops are £35.
Morwenna Ferrier suggests toe posts to make existing flip-flops comfier: "Try a pair of toe posts, which fit around the toes to protect the more tender skin there." Pro11 flip-flop toe posts are £4.99 for one pair.
Men's Holiday Accessories
Charlie Allenby recommends bold square sunglasses from Uniqlo: "Bold designs are still in vogue this summer, and the tinted lenses of this Uniqlo pair will evoke the 90s." Priced at £19.90.
Peter Bevan says a baseball cap is the only hat you'll ever really need: "It protects your face from UV rays and stops you from squinting. Plus, it looks cool – even when your hair's not playing ball." The Carhartt WIP canvas hat is £27.50 at Asos.
Highlighted in our roundup of the best swimwear, Marks & Spencer quick-dry patterned swim trunks are quick-drying with a fun tropical pattern. Priced at £20.
For a dressier take on flip-flops, Peter Bevan recommends leather: "They'll look great with a pair of tailored trousers come holiday season." Autograph leather flip-flops from M&S are £32.
