Upgraded Essentials is the travel kit we built for ourselves first — five things, no filler, all tested on the actual itineraries we're flying anyway.
Most "travel essentials" lists are 47 things, half of them affiliated, none of them stress-tested past a Tuesday flight to LA. We wanted the opposite: a tight edit of the things that actually survive a long-haul, the things we keep buying again, the things we lend out and miss until they come back.
So the Edit is five products. That's it. If a sixth earns its place, something else has to come off the list — that's the only way we keep our taste honest.
Every product on the site has done at least three trips with us. We pay for our own samples. We don't take placement money. When something is here, it's because the founders won't fly without it.
If you can't use it in the dark, with one hand, after a nap on a plane — it doesn't make the list.
Aesthetic counts. The things you reach for in transit are also the things photographed in a hotel room. They should feel quietly beautiful.
Not disposable. Not "good for travel-only." Things that come home and stay in rotation.
Notes from the road, dispatched occasionally. Sign up at the bottom of the homepage.
Every product on Upgraded Essentials ships directly from Amazon — usually 1-2 days with Prime. Returns and exchanges go through Amazon's standard policy. Questions about a specific order? Reach out below.
Do you sell directly? Not yet. The Edit is curated picks, all fulfilled by Amazon. When you click "Shop on Amazon," you're going straight to Amazon to complete your order.
How do you make money? We participate in the Amazon Associates program — we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. It doesn't change the price you pay, and it doesn't change what we recommend.
How often is the Edit updated? Quarterly. New volume drops with the seasons.
Silk pieces: hand-wash cold, lay flat to dry. Lip products: keep out of direct sun. Felt organizer: spot-clean with a damp cloth. We'll publish a full care guide with Vol. 02.
For press inquiries, partnership requests, or to be added to our private list of editors and stylists, email hello@upgradedessentials.com.
Drop a note any time at hello@upgradedessentials.com. We read everything.