The Best Travel Containers (for Storing Pills, Toiletries, and Earplugs)

There’s nothing worse than finding a bunch of crushed [insert prescribed drug of choice] in the bottom of your carry-on because your Ziploc-baggy-turned-toiletry-bag busted open right before going through security. Questions like “will I miss my flight?” and “how long will my name stay on the ‘No Fly’ list?” race through your head.  We’ve been there, which is why the search for reliable travel containers is near and dear to our cold, black hearts. We’ve rounded up the most reliable, ingenious, and aesthetically pleasing pill containers and travel sets so this doesn’t happen to you. 

As hard as it is to accept that aging requires the need for dozens of products just to keep us functional, moisturized, and feeling like ourselves, having a veritable bathroom cabinet of medicine on deck to keep you standing can feel laborious—especially when you’re on the go. Those days of waking up at 22, severely dehydrated, lacking essential nutrients, and turning your entire day around with a 64-ounce Gatorade and a baconeggandcheese are over. Now we need our happy pills, our sleepy pills, our hair pills, our boner pills, our vitamins, and our arsenal of expensive moisturizers for various face and body parts… the list goes on. We’re not judging anyone for toting around a mobile pharmacy when they hit the road, but we know that a great trip can get off on the wrong foot when you unzip your suitcase to find all your clothes are covered in thickening conditioner, micellar water, and crushed up vitamin B complex dust. Now that we’ve sent you into fight or flight, pop one of those “calm pills,” take a deep breath, and cop some quality travel gear that will keep all your toiletries, scrips, and supplements safe (and ensure you don’t find any unpleasant surprises upon arrival). 

For your bedside (or coffee table)

Are you always forgetting to take your meds before you head off to dreamland? There’s nothing like a giant brass iteration of your drug of choice to remind you to take your pill and actually look forward to it—very Valley of The Dolls.

There’s an overwhelming amount of pill organizers out there, but if you’re anything like us, a giant month-long box makes us feel like we're geriatric, and all those options with removable parts are just an accident waiting to happen. Port and Polish’s sleek pill box is compact and comes with a mirror so you can check your teeth… or do other things that require a shiny surface.

We’re also big fans of this giant pill-shaped organizer from Amazon that is not only aesthetically appealing, but waterproof, and has separate compartments that swivel open for easy access.

The yeehaw one

Even cowboys need the occasional antacid and Advil—this weekly organizer comes wrapped in Western regalia, with a zipper enclosure to ensure that even if it gets knocked around, everything stays put.

The sophisticated one

Dosey’s Wellness Wallet is uber discreet—it looks just like a standard wallet—and great for any type of travel. With its separate silicone pill pouches, you can pack a few days’ supply (or a couple of weeks’ worth) of all your meds. 

Going white water rafting? The last thing you need is soggy supplements, and Matador makes excellent waterproof travel accessories. This pill canister is super durable and can handle getting thrown around by rapids (or airline bag handlers). 

The traveling pharmacy 

As much as we don’t like to admit we’re turning into our parents, we’ve never been mad about having some extra Benadryl or Tylenol on hand after a disastrous trip to the botanical gardens. These are the perfect containers for always keeping stocked and ready to go in the bottom of your suitcase or backpack. 

The smart one

If you’re constantly forgetting to take your meds (curse you, ADHD) there’s a smart pill box called Ellie that not only alerts you via alarm but will also send you a notification on your phone via the corresponding app. Hallelujah! 

These single-use containers are great for stashing in your purse, car, work bag, or significant other’s bathroom—any time and anywhere an emergency could strike and you might need to pop a pill on the move. 

The cute ones

Why not make the daily monotony of taking your vitamins a little bit more fun with a funky case that smiles back at you or resembles your favorite citrus?  

The snazzy one

Is your friend having a big birthday or just got promoted? What better way to say congrats than with a rhinestone-encrusted pill box, so they always have that “hot sauce in my bag swag”? 

For contraband, jewels, and secrets

If you haven’t seen Cadence grace one of your social media feeds, congrats on having enviably low screen time. Seriously, these #aesthetic, leakproof, refillable, magnetic containers are great for keeping all of your loose goodies together—from jewelry and pills to cash and Aesop body wash. The brand just recently came out with a new-and-improved Flex system with taller, wider capsules for all your needs. 

For your sexy accessories

We’ve written about condom cases before (which are always a good idea), but if a stash bag for your sex toys never occurred to you, they can help avoid a ton of embarrassing TSA-related instances. Lovehoney even makes a storage pouch that will automatically clean your toys with UV light. 

No one has time to buy travel-size products at the drugstore every single time you’re leaving town—plus they can be expensive and wasteful. Just decant your favorite fancy liquids into one of these dependable eco-friendly containers and you’ll never have to worry about getting a rash from hotel shampoo again.

Our mind was blown when we discovered these (dare we say chic?) refillable toothpaste tubes because there’s nothing sexier than good dental hygiene, player.

Now when a stranger asks “Does anybody have an aspirin?”, you’ll be ready. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.