Traveling can seem like a young person’s game. While it can be difficult to travel as you deal with limited mobility, that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the fruits of your labor.
With the right travel gifts, you should be able to help your favorite seniors enjoy themselves like never before. The key is finding gifts that can enhance their travel experience.
Below, you will find some of the top gifts to consider getting your favorite senior travelers.
Best Gifts For Senior Travelers
Zeba – Revolutionary New Hands-Free Sneakers
Zeba’s fashionable sneakers are a great choice for seniors because of their patented no-tie system. Instead of dealing with fasteners, they slip right on even from a standing position. This reduces the chance of you losing your balance because you won’t need to bend over to tie your shoes!
Vive Health Mach V Fitness Tracker Watch
This fitness watch from Vive Health is a comprehensive activity and sleep tracker. It even tracks heart rate and blood pressure throughout the day to promote good cardiovascular health.
It has an easy to use interface with a screen that is bright, clear and easy for most older adults to read. It last 7 days between charges and recharges in fully in less than 2 hours using a simple magnetic charger.
Finally, it is water-resistant and can be worn in the shower or while washing hands so you don’t have to worry about it getting misplaced. 2 color options and a 60 day satisfaction guarantee.
Raz Mobility Easy-to-use Memory Cell Phone for Seniors
This easy to use cell phone for seniors features photo dialing, an emergency button, and displays the time, remaining batter, and signal strength. And, that’s it! Plus caregivers can manage and control the phone settings through a simple portal.
Briggs & Riley Baseline-Large Travel Satchel | Amazon
Whether you need a bag to grab to head to the gym or one for an overnight stay, the Suiter Duffle bag fills both needs. Converts from a duffle to a hanging garment bag in a flash. Multiple color choices. Weighs 3.2 lbs.
Stylish & High Quality Reading Glasses from LOOK OPTIC
Look Optic’s reading glasses aren’t your typical drug store readers. They are lightweight, stylish, with crystal-clear prescription quality lenses. I personally have a pair of their “Bond” frames that I use instead of my progressive bifocals when working because I can see better with them. And without the awkward head tilting too.
I personally like their “Cosmo” line best for women and the “Bond” line best for men. But, they have so many styles and color choices you are sure to find a pair that you or your senior gift recipient will love. Their 90 day risk-free trial guarantees it!
Leather Journal in Gift Box with Pen | Amazon.com
This stylish journal is packaged in a gift box and has a unique style and look. It’s been said that journaling helps improve memory and mental processing – and it’s a great way to record memories or private thoughts. Would make a good travel or garden diary too.
TIMMKOO Easy to Use MP3 Player | Amazon.com
A great gift for an older adult who is a lover of great music, or even a tech-savvy relative, will truly appreciate a senior friendly MP3 player. Music can bring back positive memories, increase stimulation, and provide a chance to interact with those around them. Load it up with their favorite music before giving it to them. This easy to use model has simple instructions and a large easy to read screen.
Amazon Basics RFID Travel Passport Wallet Organizer
If your recipient travels a lot, or enjoys taking cruises regularly, get this travel wallet. Throw in some luggage tags while you are at it. This arthritis friendly wallet is perfect for keeping valuables safe while on vacation, big enough to hold a passport, money, cards, phone, and a few other necessities.
Montem Ultra Strong Hiking/Walking/Trekking Poles | Amazon.com
These walking poles are actually quite useful for those with mobility issues or those who simply want to take some of the strain off their legs. Using the sticks to simply walk incorporates more of the upper body in the walking movement much the same way as an elliptical. So, for those who have knee problems, these might help them move around easier for longer walks and hikes.
WoolFit® Taiga Ankle High Felt Slippers
Looking for a nice pair of supportive slippers that look good too? Take a look at these Taiga wool felt slipper boots from German Slippers.
They sent me a pair to try for myself and I am very happy with them! They have many of the features I recommend in my post about safe slippers for seniors: stretch opening for swollen feet, support for the heel, and non-skid rubber soles.
Plus your feet literally sink into the wool insoles while also giving you good arch support. If you like to keep things “green” they are also sustainably sourced with a zero waste policy. Would you believe they even smell good?!?
Aria Me Personalized Hearing Enhanced Headphones
The best thing about these headphones is that they customize themselves to give you the best hearing experience possible – even for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Plus, they are comfortable and lightweight which makes them easy to wear for hours and hours. Easily adapted for use with TV, Bluetooth devices, computers, and more.
Vive Neck and Back Shiatsu Massager with Heat
Perfect for heating, massaging, and relaxing sore back and neck muscles, this is a great gift that can provide much needed relief to muscle soreness, muscle tightness, or even pain resulting from these issues. All without having to book an appointment, go across town, and deal with the uncomfortable aspects of getting a massage from a professional.
QuietComfort 45 II Noise Cancelling Smart Headphones by Bose
These high quality noise-cancelling headphones are world renowned for shutting out the world around you. Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant too. Wireless and easily synced to a phone, tablet, or PC.
Briggs and Riley Deluxe Wearable Blanket
Always feel cold when traveling? This travel blanket is here to help. Tucks away a fraction of it’s original size yet is cozy, soft, fleecy and lightweight. Wear it like a poncho for all-over warmth. Includes travel case.
Travel the World Wall Calendar
This wall calendar features reproductions of travel posters from the “Golden Age of Travel” – the 1920s to the 1940s.High quality full color images suitable for framing for two gifts in one. 13.5 inches by 38.5 inches when open. 12 Months.
DEEBOT U2 – ECOVACS
This helpful little home gadget can vacuum AND mop an entire home on one charge. Works well with pet hair and features a hard floor mode. Automatic mode to always keep a home spotless.
Peek-a-Paw Convertible Tote Backpack | GreaterGood
This convertible backpack can be carried over the shoulder like a simple tote, or the strap can be pulled out to become a backpack. Plus shorter straps are included for carrying by hand. Made with washable cotton, this fair trade carryall boasts a brilliant blue paw stitched onto the front.
Condé Nast Traveler Subscription | Magazine.Store
This magazine for travelers of all ages will help seniors discover new destinations plus get insider tips of what to see, what to eat, and what to do when traveling. Get the best trip possible! 8 issues per year.
Scrapbook Album with Gift Box | Amazon.com
A scrapbook is a great way to recall happy memories together. Include the crafts, stickers, and pictures to go with it, and it becomes a family activity that everyone can enjoy during visits. These scrapbooks can be filled with different themes, like pictures and keepsakes from a lifetime of birthdays, anniversaries, or travels. Larger sized books are ideal for seniors with vision problems too.
Acorn Women’s Spa Wrap Slipper
The Spa Wrap Slipper from Acorn pampers your feet while providing support and a flexible fit. The soft terry cloth fabric feels like velvet on the feet. But, these slippers also have a contoured footbed with an enhanced arch and heel for support and comfort. For swollen feet, the adjustable strap offers a custom fit and makes them easy to take on/off. Machine washable.
100 All Occasion Greeting Cards 4 x 6 with 100 Envelopes | Amazon.com
This set of greeting cards prepares your loved ones or friend for any and all upcoming events. They can write out cards for holidays, send letters of appreciation, condolences, or congratulations. Throw in a set of lifetime stamps while you are at it so that they can mail their cards when it’s time. For forgetful seniors or those with dementia, fill them out in advance and hold onto them until it’s time to mail them.
Simplicity Unisex Plush Spa Hotel Kimono Bath Robe Bathrobe | Amazon.com
Everyone gets cold but seniors especially do. If you know a senior living in a cold environment, consider a plush robe. These are always well-received. Try to make their lives a little more comfortable with a bathrobe. Many people suggest that a bathrobe be given with slippers. But, you have to take into consideration safety issues with slippers and the flooring the recipient has.
Sport-Brella All Position Umbrella with Universal Clamp | Amazon.com
Being out in the sun all day can lead to a sunburn and skin damage, but thankfully, this umbrella provides excellent protection. The umbrella, which can be securely fastened to a wheelchair, can block out 99.5% of UVA rays. The umbrella is fully adjustable and easy to transport, which means the person you’re shopping for will be able to use it whenever they spend time outside.
PRUNUS Portable Radio | Amazon.com
This basically simple radio for seniors has a very easy and intuitive interface. Large, easy to press buttons are perfect for seniors with arthritis in their hands. Scan for local stations with one touch.
Audio Range Wireless TV Speaker & FM Radio (SPK-1000FM)
This TV Speaker/FM Radio combination is completely wireless, portable and rechargeable. Simple charging by sitting the radio on the included charging dock. Familiar knob-style station dialing with easy to use controls. Also works to boost sound from the TV wirelessly!
The 1Password You Need to Remember
This probably seems like an odd choice, but stick with me for a minute. Seniors are using more tech than ever which means tons of passwords to remember! With this service, they only have to remember one. If set-up is a problem, just have one of the grandkids come over.
World of Puzzles & Games Subscription | Magazine Agent
Many seniors love working puzzles so why not provide them puzzles to work all year long. Puzzles help keep the mind active and sharp which can improve memory and keep away boredom. 9 Issues per year.
Smart Jewelry with Panic Button | invisaWear
This well made jewelry features a hidden panic button that you can press when you need any kind of assistance from friends, family, or even the authorities. Once received, the jewelry syncs up to an app on your cell phone. Then, once the panic button is pressed, your cell phone will notify the people that your designate.
Montem Ultra Strong Hiking/Walking/Trekking Poles | Amazon.com
These walking poles are actually quite useful for those with mobility issues or those who simply want to take some of the strain off their legs. Using the sticks to simply walk incorporates more of the upper body in the walking movement much the same way as an elliptical. So, for those who have knee problems, these might help them move around easier for longer walks and hikes.
Audiobooks.com Monthly Audiobook Club
Many seniors can benefit from an Audiobooks.com subscriptions: from active seniors who like to exercise to elderly people who are homebound or even bedridden. Audiobooks provide hours of entertainment, education and enlightenment. Plus, they keep seniors minds busy as they pass the time.
On The Go Snack Cups
This useful snack cup is a great gift for seniors who are on the go or like to snack throughout the day. The best part? It keeps the wet and dry ingredients separate until you are ready. No soggy cereal or granola! BPA-free and dishwasher safe. Multiple color choices.
YakTrax 8611 Pro Traction Cleats | Amazon
YakTrax are nifty little gadgets that slip over your existing boots and shoes to improve traction on snow and ice or when hiking on rougher surfaces.
Stackable Weekly Pill Organizer – Great for Travel! (Amazon)
It seems that taking medication becomes a routine part of life as we age. Sometimes, it can be difficult to keep track of it all too! This stackable pill organizer holds a weeks worth of medication in convenient daily drawers. Simply pull the current day out of the bottom of the dispenser and the other days slide down a notch to replace it. Each drawer has 4 different slots for the time of the day the pill should be taken. It also comes with stickers so you can label the drawers in 22 different languages. The small, compact size is great for travelers too!
ASUTRA Weighted Silk Eye Pillow for Sleep | Amazon.com
For comfort and pampering, this therapeutic eye pillow is infused with lavender (one of the most relaxing essential oils),and adds a level of calm and relaxation to your loved one’s life. Having a weighted pillow rest on your eyes can provide a lot of relief, especially in this age of screens. This is an especially thoughtful gift for seniors with sleeping problems.
Burt’s Bees Hand Repair Gift Set | Amazon.com
Everyone loves Burt’s Bees hand care products – from young to the old. It’s a great gift for senior men and women who suffer from dry, cracked, and painful hands including gardeners and travelers. This gift set includes 2 hand creams, a cuticle cream and a set of cotton gloves.
Dynotag SuperAlert Medical ID Tags | Dynotag
With these medical tags, it’s easy for first responders to get essential information about a patient. The tags are laminated and completely weatherproof, which means they’ll be in great shape for years. The set includes both a keychain tag and a wallet card. It’s a wonderful way to protect the people you love most.
Fire HD 8 Tablet and E-Reader | Amazon.com
Amazon Kindle is a reliable electronic reader that is available in many sizes and weights plus the fonts can be enlarged for easier reading. Set it up to have some of their favorite books ahead of time. Take it one step further and load an app like Skype onto a newer Kindle version so that they can sign in and chat with family when you are apart.
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Noise Cancelling Headphones | Amazon.com
Wireless headphones will let your loved one enjoy their TV viewing, audiobook listening experience, or just shut the world out for a little while. These headphones fit right over the ear and cancel out the noise around them in an otherwise noisy common area. This model has a 30 hour battery life and can be synced to a wide range of devices via Bluetooth. Check out my guide to buying headphones for seniors and the elderly in this article.
Garmin vívofit® 4 | Fitness Activity Tracker
The vivofit 4 fitness tracker is a great choice for active seniors who work hard on their health. Track steps, distance, and calories burned. The always-on color display features large, easy to read numbers. It is easy to operate too!
Lively Mobile Plus Medical Alert Systems
Seniors can get help anytime and anywhere they need it with the small, easy to carry Lively Mobile Plus. Includes a helpful fall detection feature too.
Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light | Amazon.com
This book reading light charges in a USB port so it can be plugged right into a tablet or kindle device while elderly owners are reading or working. There are multiple color modes and brightness levels including a night light setting. The best part is that it slips easily around the neck – no difficult to use clamps to cause pain for arthritic hands.
Eagle Creek 2-in-1 Travel Pillow | Amazon.com
If the older person in your life travels a lot, a 2-in-1 travel pillow will keep them comfortable during long flights with luxurious fleece and soft cover. It also quickly converts to a more rectangular shape for lumbar support!
General Travel Gift Advice for Seniors and the Elderly
1. Making Packing Easier
There are so many different types of gifts that can be used to make packing easier. If you asked any experienced traveler what’s the hardest part about traveling, packing is likely to be the top three in their list. Because of this, you want to try to identify packing gifts that can make the process much easier for a senior.
There are several gift ideas that you can come up with that could make the process of packing much easier. For one, you could use packing cubes. Packing cubes can be a great way to make the entire process from start to finish easier.
Another good option would be mini travel bottles. Taking your favorite skincare products with you while traveling can be very difficult if you don’t have the requisite sized bottles.
Seniors will also likely need to travel with special shoes to ensure they can get adequate support. If so, shoe covers or shoe bags could prove to be a very useful addition to their must-have travel accessories which makes it an excellent gift idea.
2. Lighter Luggage
The weight of the suitcase and everything inside of it can be too much to bear for a lot of seniors. After all, you begin to lose muscle mass and strength as you get older. You shouldn’t be carrying too heavy luggage when you get to a certain age.
Luckily, they do make a lot of suitcases and lightweight carry-ons for seniors with lightweight materials that could help lighten the load. Being able to use lighter luggage should enable them to be able to travel and move around without being restricted with extremely heavy suitcases and luggage.
3. Safe Travels
There are a lot of people out there in this world who prey on seniors. After all, seniors are a much more vulnerable age group because of various reasons. As a result, you want to try to provide seniors with the gear they need to travel safely without risking theft or having them be taken advantage of.
You can find a lot of good accessories that you could offer as gifts which would be perfect for the travel enthusiast. You could find belt wallets to stash important documents like passports or even a license. They can also use it to store currency.
There are other safe travel accessories you can get as gifts that include lightweight backpacks for seniors with knife protection, passport wallets with RFID protection, and more.
4. Comfortable Accessories
You can find all kinds of comfortable travel accessories including travel pillows that will make resting in the airplane much easier and more comfortable. Likewise, you can get noise cancellation headphones that can help eliminate the noise of the motor and the sounds of babies crying. These things can help make traveling much more comfortable for any senior.
Wrapping Up!
Traveling is something that can be a joyous experience no matter your age. Both young and old should be able to travel and experience the joys that come along with it.
However, seniors who travel are exposed to a lot of strenuous circumstances and a lot of the stress and anxiety of travel can be reduced with the right travel products.
By getting the right travel products and accessories, you should be able to help make traveling fun again for your loved ones who are seniors.
