Avoid spills and score style points with these liquid containers
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There’s nothing worse than arriving excitedly at your destination to find that your toiletries have spilled all over your suitcase. Or to be the person who holds up the line at security while the TSA agents discard your oversized liquids. Both of these scenarios are easily avoided by investing in a set of appropriately sized, 100 percent leakproof travel toiletry bottles. There are lots of options out there in terms of bottle quantity, size, and design, with the right one for you depending on factors such as how long you’ll be traveling and the complexity of your beauty routine.
To help you narrow down the choices, our team of travel experts put 14 toiletry bottle sets to the test. Each one was scored for ease of use, quality, design, performance, and value, with average scores used to determine the winners of categories ranging from “best budget” to “most durable.”
Very secure, with no leaks during testing
The LiquiSnugs Premium Silicone Travel Bottles offer flawless performance at a price so reasonable our tester was shocked by it. The set includes two 2-ounce bottles and two 3-ounce bottles, both of which adhere to TSA carry-on regulations. We liked the flexibility afforded by the two different sizes since there are always products we need more and less of on vacation. We were able to easily fit all four in a quart-sized Ziploc bag simultaneously without placing pressure on any of them. All bottles are made of flexible, food-grade, BPA-free silicone, making them easy to pack and dispense.
With a dripless valve and bottleneck design, the bottles are advertised as 100 percent leakproof—a claim we can support, with no spillages even after being dropped and thrown around repeatedly during testing. We liked that the bottles’ wide mouths made them simple to fill, empty, and clean as needed. Other highlights include the suction pad on the back of each bottle (great for attaching them to the bathroom wall) and the changeable labels. Options for the latter include shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, soap, and lotion, enabling you to switch up the uses on each trip.
Number of Bottles: 4 | Sizes: (2) 2-ounce, (2) 3-ounce | Materials: Silicone
Comes with several functional extras
Retailing for half the price of our already affordable overall winner, the Vitog Travel Bottles Kit is a no-brainer for budget-conscious buyers. It includes six 1.4-ounce bottles and two 0.4-ounce bottles. The larger ones consist of two pump bottles with a removable clip to prevent accidental deployment, two spray bottles, and two flip-cap bottles. The smaller ones are miniature cream jars. All eight are made from clear PET plastic, which we found durable yet lightweight enough for travel. We also liked that we could easily see how much product was left.
We appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of a pipette, a funnel, and a spatula to help with decanting products from their original containers. They made the bottles relatively easy to fill, although we did experience some spillage when decanting thick body lotion. Nevertheless, there was no leaking or visible wear and tear after our intensive testing process. The set also includes a sheet of labels and a clear plastic toiletry bag. The only real drawback? None of the bottles are particularly big, making this option suitable for short trips only.
Number of Bottles: 8 | Sizes: (2) 0.4-ounce, (6) 1.4-ounce | Materials: PET plastic
More of an investment than others
The Originals from Cadence are small, hexagonal capsules with screw-top lids that connect magnetically together in any shape or configuration you like. Aesthetics are at the forefront of this brand, as you can choose different colors for each capsule as well as printed, switchable, magnetic labels. In fact, they look so cute that you could even buy toiletries in bulk and decant them into these capsules for use at home. Sustainable practices like these are reinforced by the fact that the capsules are made from 20 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic.
We love that the capsules’ wide mouths and rounded interiors make them effortless to fill, use, and clean. They’re also 100 percent leakproof, waterproof, and airtight, as proven by our testing process. We found them incredibly durable and can’t imagine a scenario that would result in them being punctured or crushed. They are small (each one carries just 0.56 ounces), which could be a drawback. However, a capacity calculator on the brand website suggests you can carry approximately a week’s worth of products, depending on how regularly you use each one.
Number of Bottles: 6 | Sizes: (6) 0.6-ounce | Materials: Hard plastic
Soft yet rugged silicone construction
No diversity in size or design
If your primary concern when packing liquids in your hand luggage is leaking, you’ll love the Mrsdry Travel Bottles Set. It consists of four 3-ounce bottles, each made of thick silicone that feels ultra-durable, and they stood up perfectly to our squeeze and drop tests. We were particularly impressed with the bottles’ no-drip valves, which successfully prevented leaks. All four bottles use the same shape and dispensing method—a pro for those who want lots of capacity for fewer products, and a drawback for those with a more complex personal care routine.
Having said that, we did feel that this set is so reasonably priced, there’s nothing to stop you from buying multiple sets if you have more products to pack. Instead of labels, the bottles come in four separate shades to distinguish between them. We also liked that their wide opening makes them easy to fill, even with thicker liquids and gels. And when it comes to cleaning them, the bendable silicone easily accommodates a bottle brush. All colorways include a transparent carry case.
Number of Bottles: 4 | Sizes: (4) 3-ounce | Materials: Silicone
Burly silicone handles rough treatment
Jar lids are weaker than expected
Multicolored style may not suit everyone
The Morfone Travel Bottles Set caters to travelers with an extensive beauty routine. With 10 containers in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and dispensing methods, you can take a broad range of products in just the right quantities for your time away. Options are as follows: two 1-ounce spray bottles, two 3-ounce squeeze bottles, two 2-ounce squeeze bottles, two 1-ounce jars, and two 0.3-ounce jars. We were impressed by the capacity of the largest bottles, which we felt could easily hold at least four washes’ worth of shampoo and conditioner.
The bottles are made of durable yet flexible food-grade silicone, with wide mouths for easy filling and cleaning. We appreciated the inclusion of two scoopers, a funnel, and a cleaning brush to help with these tasks, as well as a sheet of labels. Most of the containers held up well to our durability tests with no leaks or spills. The only exception was one of the jars, which suffered a broken lid. The set comes in a transparent carry bag and could fit into a quart-sized Ziploc (a TSA requirement) with some skillful maneuvering, although it was tight.
Number of Bottles: 10 | Sizes: (2) 0.3-ounce, (4) 1-ounce, (2) 2-ounce, (2) 3-ounce | Materials: Silicone
Choice of cute color palettes
Can be finicky with certain products
The INSFIT set is ideal for those who like to keep things simple with only a handful of essential products but also tend to travel for longer and need as much capacity as TSA will allow. It features four identical 3-ounce silicone bottles large enough to hold at least one to two weeks’ worth of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and sunscreen (or similar). The bottles are squeezable, which makes dispensing simple, although we found that thicker lotions and gels were easier to squeeze if the bottle was at least half full.
Other highlights include fully removable caps and wide mouths for mess-free filling and easy cleaning, and three-layered lids that are essentially leakproof. Even during our pressure test, caps remained securely in place, and afterward, the bottles still looked brand new. In fact, we were shocked to find out how affordable this set is given its evident quality. We also liked the stylish, see-through carry bag and the fact that there’s a special place on the caps to stick the included labels so that they adhere properly.
Number of Bottles: 4 | Sizes: (4) 3-ounce | Materials: Silicone
Ideal for reducing heft and bulk
Proved durable during our testing
Difficult to fill with thicker consistencies
Made of waterproof 30D Cordura ripstop nylon with proprietary welded construction, the Matador FlatPak Toiletry Bottles are by far the most technical option on this list. With their flat-pack design and sturdy quality, they’re designed especially for adventures and expeditions where saving on space and weight is a priority. With a capacity of 3 ounces each, they’re five times lighter and 3.5 times more compact than standard silicone bottles, and pliable enough to fit into tight spaces: the ultimate backpacking companion.
We found them easy to fill with any liquid that was the consistency of shampoo or thinner. Thicker gels and lotions were tricky since the mouth wasn’t as wide as that of standard travel bottles. Still, any mess is easy to clean off the waterproof exterior. They fit easily into a quart-sized Ziploc, and we love the snap hook for attaching to the outside of your backpack for on-the-go use. The loop also features a spot for writing a description of the contents with a permanent marker. As expected, the packs survived all our tests with zero leaks or signs of damage.
Number of Bottles: 3 | Sizes: (3) 3-ounce | Materials: 30D Cordura ripstop nylon
Our overall favorite was the LiquiSnugs Premium Travel Bottles set. These bottles stood out for their durable, leakproof silicone construction and thoughtful extras including adjustable labels and individual suction pads. For the most budget-friendly option, choose the small yet sturdily versatile Vitog Travel Bottles Kit.
Upon receiving the bottles, our first step was to examine their overall quality and design and note any unique features. Then, we filled at least three of the bottles in the set: one with lotion, one with micellar water, and one with shampoo. For each one, we noted how easy it was to fill without spilling, how easy it was to clean if spillage did occur, and how appropriate each bottle would be for holding different types of liquid. We also tested how easy it was to open the bottle and dispense the product inside.
Next, we compressed the bottles in our palms to mimic pressure. We shook them, rolled them, squeezed them, and threw them to stimulate rough handling in transit, noting how well they withstood this treatment. Our final test was to put all of the bottles from the set into a quart-sized Ziploc bag, and then inside a toiletry bag. Then, we dropped them from waist height three times, always from different angles, to see whether any breakages or leaks occurred and whether the bottles showed any signs of wear and tear.
Each set was scored on a scale of one to five for ease of use, quality, design, performance, and value. Average scores were used to determine our category winners.
GLOBEGEAR Travel Bottles: This nine-piece set features a solid range of containers and tools made of hard plastic that doesn't feel flimsy. We deducted points for the skimpy capacity of the bottles, which would only last a few days or applications (and made filling the bottles difficult), though the affordable price makes this a good option for the infrequent traveler.
Kitsch Travel Containers: Fans of variety will appreciate the range of products included in this compact kit. It won't set you back much and, accordingly, we feel it also won't last long. We like the idea of the flat containers but found them somewhat difficult to fill.
Cosywell Travel Containers: The Cosywell Containers are all the same shape in 10- and 20-milliliter capacities. We found the plastic and silicone jars easy to fill and well-designed, but they're more suited to thick liquids such as gels and creams.
Durability is key when choosing travel toiletry bottles since containers that are easily punctured or cracked will result in a mess that’s at best inconvenient and at worst potentially expensive or upsetting depending on how much product is wasted and whether any other items in your carry-on are affected. Look for options made out of sturdy hard plastic or thick, flexible silicone, then check user reviews to get an idea of how the construction holds up under real-life travel conditions. If you’re planning an extreme adventure, technical options like the waterproof flat-pack bottles from Matador may be worth the extra expense.
A bottle doesn’t have to break for leaks to occur—all it takes is a poorly constructed seal or lid. Look for bottles with a triple-layered leakproof cap and jars with a secure screw top. Pump bottles should come with a removable clip that prevents them from being deployed accidentally. Again, user reviews help check how efficient these measures are (it’s easy for a brand to advertise their product as leakproof, even if it’s not). Some brands, like Cadence, actually guarantee the efficacy of their leakproof design. Just in case, we always recommend storing toiletry bottles in a waterproof bag or Ziploc as a second line of defense.
If you plan on packing your toiletry bottles in your carry-on bag, you must make sure that none of them exceed the TSA-approved limit of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters). Some sets are made up of identical large bottles of around 3 ounces, giving you the maximum allowable capacity for each of your products. However, because all bottles must fit in a single quart-sized Ziploc bag, this limits the number of bottles to around four.
If you have more products to pack, you may prefer a set that divides this capacity between a greater number of smaller bottles and containers—especially if you only require some of your liquids in very small quantities. The length of your trip will also dictate how big you need your bottles to be unless you only plan on using your carry-on liquids as a backup in case the full-size versions in your checked luggage get delayed.
Toiletries can be stored in opaque, translucent, or transparent bottles of any color as long as each individual bottle does not exceed the maximum capacity limit. For carry-on bags, most authorities including TSA set that limit at 3.4 ounces. Liquids can be in their original container or decanted into any container of your choosing (even one that’s labeled incorrectly), as long as these size restrictions are adhered to.
Most airport authorities—including TSA—rule that bottles containing liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes cannot exceed 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) if you wish to pack them in your carry-on luggage. In addition, all of these bottles must fit inside a quart-sized Ziploc bag and be screened separately from the rest of your luggage at security. Containers that exceed this limit will not be permitted, even if the volume of the product inside is less than 3.4 ounces (for example, if you have a half-used bottle of conditioner). Note that these restrictions do not apply to checked luggage.
Although toiletry bottles don’t have to be labeled from a legal perspective, many people like to do so to ensure they don’t end up brushing their teeth with expensive moisturizer, or vice versa. Some travel bottles come with waterproof stickers, especially for this purpose, and you can also purchase them separately online. This is a better option than writing on a standard office label by hand since toiletry bottles frequently get wet and ink can run and cause staining or become illegible. Alternatively, a permanent marker applied directly to the bottle could be an option if you’re always going to use the same container for the same product.
Jessica Macdonald is a regular contributor of travel-related commerce articles. She has visited more than 50 countries across six continents and lived out of a backpack for several months on many occasions. As such, she knows firsthand the value of travel bottles that allow you to reach your destination without any spillages. Products featured in this article were chosen according to tests carried out by TripSavvy’s team of travel experts.
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