It’s a suitcase kids can use to pack clothes, toys, toiletries, and snacks, but It’s also a ride-on conveyance system children can sit atop and be pulled through the airport when their energy flags. But that’s not all—the multipurpose suitcase is also an airplane seat-height platform that transforms a standard plane’s seat into a luxurious stretch-out spot for little legs. In other words, the JetKids bag is one clever piece of hardware that can minimize many pain points of traveling with kids.

Don’t want to strap a full-sized child carrier pack on your back but know your kid will be too tired to walk before long? Strap a Chicco Sidekick on your hip and you’re good to go. The Sidekick creates a seat your child can nestle on while you hold them in place with one arm. Your pelvis does the actual work, sparing your biceps, and a little storage pocket in the hip pack can secure your sundries.

This portable car seat uses the standard LATCH system to anchor itself into a vehicle and can also be secured in a plane’s seat using the lap belt. It can be made as secure as any full-sized car seat and uses a five-point harness to keep a child safely in place, too. Yet the Pico is so lightweight and compact that it can be folded up and dropped into a backpack, easily tucked into an overhead luggage compartment, or stored away on a shelf when not needed. From the Uber to the flight to the rental car and beyond, it’s a compact and portable car seat suitable for kids from 22 to 50 pounds that you’ll trust as much as an everyday car seat.

There’s a time and a place to travel light, and there’s a time and a place to pack everything everyone in the family could ever want. If your travels align with the second scenario—say, weeks to be spent luxuriating at a resort—then the Checked Plus suitcase from July is your bag. This suitcase has a 110-liter storage capacity divided into two spacious compartments. It has a laundry bag, a secure but TSA-compliant lock, and a durable German-made polycarbonate shell. If you’re packing for the whole fam and the fam travels heavily, the Checked Plus is ready to roll.

Kelty’s carriers are built with multi-mile hikes over all sorts of varied terrain in mind, so rest assured they can more than handle an afternoon of more laid-back, urban sightseeing in places where a stroller would be illogical. This time-tested kid carrier can support a child weighing anywhere between 16 and 40 pounds and can be configured to fit adult bodies of varied sizes as well. The Journey PerfectFit has plenty of space for carrying gear (and snacks), and it’s built tough enough to last for years. Pro tip: if you are going for an actual hike with a kid on your back, by all means, bring a pair of trekking poles; they will help offset the weight and keep you balanced, more comfortable, and less exhausted—you can get a pair of Cascade Mountain Tech hiking poles for less than $30.)

More than suitable for everyday use and arguably the best travel stroller on the market, the Babyzen YOYO2 can be folded up or deployed with one hand in about two seconds. When folded up, it will fit into the overhead compartment of most planes. The stroller weighs under 14 pounds but can support kids as large as 48.5 pounds. Depending on which variation you order, it can also accommodate newborns. The YOYO2 glides smoothly over any solid terrain and can be folded down and looped over mom or dad’s shoulder when needed. The basket under the seat can hold 11 pounds of weight, and the seat itself has a sun cover and multiple recline positions.

This sound machine and Bluetooth speaker is about the size of a small apple or large plum, yet it can create soothing sleep sounds all night long, or it can crank out tunes with enough power and clarity to fill a room (or campsite) with sound. Once you start traveling with this small, affordable, and capable device, it will become a must-have on your packing list.

With one of these colorful and stylish, and appropriately-sized roll-aboard suitcases on hand, your young jet setter won’t even complain about needing to tote his or her stuff along as the family travels. A front panel folds open to reveal a mesh pocket that can be used to organize markers, crayons, and stickers. Inside, the bag has ample room for clothing for a several-day trip, and that space is divided into two separate compartments. But as noted, it’s the colorways on the outside that really sell State’s Logan bag. For the smaller travelers, consider the even smaller Mini Logan, a bag with the same elements as the Logan itself. It helps foster a sense of independence in your young one… and when they get tired, it has a luggage sleeve that slides down over the handle of your rolling suitcase so you can lug it for them.

Not looking to spend $450 or so on your travel stroller? You don’t have to: The Clutch Stroller from Delta Children is a perfectly good piece of hardware that costs $150. It’s light, at just 12 pounds, and it is rated to support kids up to 50 pounds. The Clutch folds down in just a couple of seconds with a bit of practice, and it has a side handle for easy carrying when it’s packed down. The sun visor isn’t as generous as that of the YOYO2, and it’s not quite as smooth or agile as that Babyzen stroller, but The Clutch punches well above its price point.

Whether used to play games on a tablet, enjoy music or movies, or cut the din of the plane, train, or city streets, your kids will love using these high-quality, noise-canceling headphones. Puro headphones are volume-limited to 85 decibels, so kids won’t be able to hurt their hearing. They can also be linked together daisy chain style so two children can enjoy the same audio simultaneously.

Fair warning: you will tire of playing “I Spy” and tic-tac-toe—like really fast. It’s critical that you have at least one or two good travel games along when you’re traveling with kids, and this is a great one because it can genuinely be fun for both the kids and adults. This scavenger hunt-style game brings the surroundings into the gameplay, making it a fun and engaging way to pass the time, sure, but also to really see and appreciate where you all are.

Picking out clothes you and the kids can agree on can be a chore; packing for a vacation magnifies the stress here because there will only be so many outfits. When you outfit your children with clothing from Tea Collection, you can effectively create a capsule in which many tops and bottoms can be mixed and matched, multiplying the number of ensembles possible while still traveling light. Not only versatile but also durable, Tea clothing is up for the rigors of travel, from the amusement park to the plane, from the museums to the restaurants to the playgrounds and beyond.

Bringing along a full-sized coloring book may be impractical depending on where your travels take you and how you get there, but there’s always room for a coloring roll from Mudpuppy. These intricate and surprisingly large coloring rolls are perfect for coloring on the plane, at a restaurant, or anywhere your little artist can get a square foot or so of flat, hard surface.

Snacks. You need snacks. Never, ever travel with kids without snacks. But how to possibly find one snack that everyone in the fam will like? Easy, go with a brand that offers snack packs in myriad flavors, ranging from salty to spicy to sweet. Bada Beans are a decent source of protein, they have about 110 calories per pack, and they’re low in sodium and sugar, making them an all-around good treat for the kids—and the parents.