These Affordable Burlington Travel Essentials Offer Tons Of Ways To Enhance Your Trip

Although they're well-worth it, vacations can be unreasonably expensive. For many, pre-trip prepping means purchasing new items and necessities which only adds to the financial burden. However, you don't have to spend tons of money on travel basics thanks to places like Burlington. The New Jersey-based chain is most commonly associated with coats so it may not be the first place you turn to for travel essentials, but maybe it should be. 

The long-standing discount retailer has a treasure trove of products that will upgrade how and what you pack on your next getaway. Most importantly, they won't break the bank since prices are often lower at Burlington compared to those at similar stores like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx (but with an equally impressive selection). I recently visited my local Burlington in Los Angeles and to my delight I found plenty of inexpensive travel essentials that will ensure any vacation is smooth sailing. 

A quick word of advice if you've never shopped at Burlington or if you haven't been recently: In my experience, items tend to be scattered throughout the store and not obviously placed (it can sometimes feel like a scavenger hunt). Give yourself plenty of time to browse the aisles, and if you can, visit on a weekday for smaller crowds. 

You can easily spend an arm and leg on luggage. It's not uncommon for suitcases to cost $150 or higher each (for example, the eye-wateringly expensive carry-on pilots swear by from Briggs & Riley will set you back $600 after tax). While you definitely want something sturdy for your travels, you understandably might not want to drop this much money on something that will most certainly get battered at the airport and beyond. 

At Burlington, I discovered pieces of luggage for less than $100 from brand names like Calvin Klein, Nautica, and others. Additionally, they featured a selection of both hard-shell and soft-sided pieces in varying colors and sizes. Prices ranged from $60 to $80, even for large, checked luggage. This is a steal when you consider that if you bought three pieces at Burlington, you could still end up spending much less than if you purchased a two piece set elsewhere. 

What's more, there was something for everyone in the family, including little ones. The viral ride-on luggage you may have seen on TikTok? Burlington had them for only $50, boasting adorable Disney and superhero designs (for reference, Target and Amazon sell the same product for much more). Getting your child a fun piece of luggage which can induce excitement for traveling is undoubtedly one of many simple and effective tricks to surviving the airport with kids. 

To my surprise, Burlington was also stocked up with an array of toiletries. One product that stood out to me was a travel self-care set, priced at $5.99. It came with a toothbrush, tongue scraper, floss picks, and cotton swabs, all neatly packed in a zippered pouch. You can throw this in your personal bag with a mini bottle of toothpaste to freshen up at the airport, on your flight (tip: don't use the tap water in the aircraft lavatory), or on-the-go at the destination you're jet setting off to. Burlington even had a 2-pack of TSA compliant mouth wash and a three pack of breath spray from Crest for $5.99 each. 

As someone who travels frequently, I keep a bag stored with my go-to toiletries just like the travel self-care set on hand at home. This makes packing so much easier –- it's small things like this that make traveling smoother in the long run. Burlington had everything you need to make your own version of a self-care set for just a few dollars. There were razor sets for men and women (including from the coveted brand Flamingo) for less than $10.

Another item on shelves was a small, battery-operated toothbrush for only $4.99. This is a cheap alternative to traveling with a bulky, regular-sized electric toothbrush. It's not a bad idea to keep some disinfectant in your kit, either. Burlington had dupes for the Touchland hand sanitizer (which retails from $10-$20) for only $3.99, while a pack of four to share with family sold for $9.99. Before you head to the drug store for toiletries, stop by Burlington.

If you're interested in making your own travel self-care set, Burlington had plenty of cute cosmetic bags, train cases, and even a hanging organizer to choose from, with prices ranging from $5.99 to $17.99. Some of the brands I encountered included Guess and Juicy Couture, the latter of which has made Burlington a viral sensation. It's worth mentioning that thrown in with all these items were cute and functional mini jewelry organizers that could fit in your personal item (although, you could always use this affordable dollar tree hack to conveniently store jewelry while traveling). 

Burlington's handbag selection was fantastic and many were ideal to protect yourself from pickpockets while traveling. I saw quite a few sling bags, including some from Adidas and Reebok, all for under $20. Given that sling bags can retail for as much as the price of a piece of luggage, you can't go wrong with Burlington's budget-friendly options. Sling bags are compact and fit the essentials you need for exploring, like your phone, wallet, water bottle, and camera.

As it can be worn on the front, it's not as easy for pickpockets to target you. Prefer a fanny pack? Burlington had those as well as a cell phone crossbody bag, both for under $15. All are practical options that allow you to comfortably be hands-free. Unfortunately, the Burlington I went to lacked when it came to men's items, but I did see a couple of men's toiletry bags and backpacks. Note that unisex items like the sling bags and fanny packs were all in the women's section. 

I'm no stranger to shopping at Burlington. When my family, who live abroad, visit Los Angeles, this is typically where I bring them to buy extra luggage for all the souvenirs and goodies to take back home. That said, I selected the travel essentials above that I, as an avid flier, have purchased or would purchase for my next adventure. Excluding luggage, everything I selected and mentioned above was under $20. Travel essentials at this price point is a rarity nowadays, but I wanted to prove that it can be done at Burlington. Although I did find many of these items in the women's section, I strove to include all travelers in this article.