I spent $635 on 9 TikTok-approved travel products and I'd recommend almost all of them to a frequent traveler

Gabbi ShawMay 7, 2023, 20:05 IST

My chargers folded up.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

While using TikTok, I often end up on videos showing people packing for trips.
Before a recent trip to Dublin and Copenhagen, I invested in some TikTok favorites.

TikTok has 150 million active users in the US alone, has become more popular than Google in some age groups, and is one of the top three social-media apps opened every day — and I'm one of those active users.

I check it every day and even use it as a search engine, so before a recent trip, I decided to do some searching on a corner of TikTok I've taken to calling "PackTok" — a subset of ASMR-like videos dedicated to packing suitcases, luggage, or any other bag — to see what I needed to bring with me to Europe.

I made purchases from TikTok-favorite brands like Béis, Touchland, CalPak, and Amazon to see if I could make my trip as stress-free as possible — and for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised by my purchases.

Keep scrolling to learn more about my TikTok-inspired travel haul.

My first TikTok-approved travel product came a few years ago, when I purchased a weekender bag from actress Shay Mitchell's brand, Béis.

My Béis bag.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The Weekender Bag, which retails for $108 online, has proven to be a solid investment over the last two years.

The detachable bottom of my Béis bag.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

So while planning an overseas trip recently, I once again turned to TikTok to find some cute, hopefully affordable, and — most of all — useful gadgets and travel accessories.

Packing.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

So while planning an overseas trip recently, I once again turned to TikTok to find some cute, hopefully affordable, and — most of all — useful gadgets and travel accessories.

Since I was in the market for a new checked suitcase, I returned to Béis.

My Béis suitcase.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I purchased the 26-inch Check-In Roller in beige for $308. Right away, I was blown away by the care and thought put into making this suitcase chic and practical.

Inside the Béis suitcase.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The suitcase came with a built-in scale so I'd know if my bag was overweight. It also came with a strap to hang a bag from.

All my bags.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The generous size of the case led me to my second purchase: a pair of packing cubes I bought on Amazon for $24.99.

The packing cubes.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The packing cubes were definitely aesthetically pleasing. However, almost immediately, one of the straps meant to compress my clothes snapped.

My snapped strap.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

But did they help me pack more, or did they just match my suitcase?

My packing cubes inside my suitcase.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

And my suitcase, which was crisp and clean at first, did get quite beat up and scuffed across four flights.

The scuffs on my suitacse.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

While I maybe wouldn't have gotten the light-beige color in retrospect, I can fully endorse my suitcase.

My Béis bags.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

My other big splurge was a toiletry case from the TikTok-favorite brand CalPak. I purchased the Small Clear Cosmetics Case in lavender for $75.

My CalPak cosmetics case.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I loved the two-sided, two-pocket design, and the clear panels made it easy to see everything.

The full cosmetics case.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

But I do know that not everyone wants to spend $75 on a cosmetics case. I found plenty of similar "dupes" via TikTok on Amazon, but they might not last as long.

The CalPak case.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Another product, an $11.89 brush holder from Amazon, helped keep my makeup brushes clean and organized.

Brush holder.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I also purchased a $29 Apple AirTag to put in my luggage so I could track it, but I found it filled me with equal parts dread and relief.

An AirTag.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

A product you're definitely familiar with if you're on "PackTok" is the $10 Touchland hand-sanitizing mist.

Touchland hand mist.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

But the two most useful items I found on TikTok were related to my technology.

My portable charging station.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

When I saw so many packers using this portable, foldable charging station for $33.99, it was an immediate buy. This will be coming with me everywhere.

My chargers folded up.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The other product that was a lifesaver? A $34.99 Anker portable charger that attached to the back of my phone via a magnet.

My portable charger.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I spent $635 on the recommendations from TikTok, and overall, I was impressed. I'll definitely be using the app for similar things in the future.

My CalPak.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I spent 3 months solo-traveling across Europe. Here's how I saved hundreds of dollars.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

I spent $635 on 9 TikTok-approved travel products and I'd recommend almost all of them to a frequent traveler

My first TikTok-approved travel product came a few years ago, when I purchased a weekender bag from actress Shay Mitchell's brand, Béis.

The Weekender Bag, which retails for $108 online, has proven to be a solid investment over the last two years.

So while planning an overseas trip recently, I once again turned to TikTok to find some cute, hopefully affordable, and — most of all — useful gadgets and travel accessories.

Since I was in the market for a new checked suitcase, I returned to Béis.

I purchased the 26-inch Check-In Roller in beige for $308. Right away, I was blown away by the care and thought put into making this suitcase chic and practical.

The suitcase came with a built-in scale so I'd know if my bag was overweight. It also came with a strap to hang a bag from.

The generous size of the case led me to my second purchase: a pair of packing cubes I bought on Amazon for $24.99.

The packing cubes were definitely aesthetically pleasing. However, almost immediately, one of the straps meant to compress my clothes snapped.

But did they help me pack more, or did they just match my suitcase?

And my suitcase, which was crisp and clean at first, did get quite beat up and scuffed across four flights.

While I maybe wouldn't have gotten the light-beige color in retrospect, I can fully endorse my suitcase.

My other big splurge was a toiletry case from the TikTok-favorite brand CalPak. I purchased the Small Clear Cosmetics Case in lavender for $75.

I loved the two-sided, two-pocket design, and the clear panels made it easy to see everything.

But I do know that not everyone wants to spend $75 on a cosmetics case. I found plenty of similar "dupes" via TikTok on Amazon, but they might not last as long.

Another product, an $11.89 brush holder from Amazon, helped keep my makeup brushes clean and organized.

I also purchased a $29 Apple AirTag to put in my luggage so I could track it, but I found it filled me with equal parts dread and relief.

A product you're definitely familiar with if you're on "PackTok" is the $10 Touchland hand-sanitizing mist.

But the two most useful items I found on TikTok were related to my technology.

When I saw so many packers using this portable, foldable charging station for $33.99, it was an immediate buy. This will be coming with me everywhere.

The other product that was a lifesaver? A $34.99 Anker portable charger that attached to the back of my phone via a magnet.

I spent $635 on the recommendations from TikTok, and overall, I was impressed. I'll definitely be using the app for similar things in the future.