Ten Taobao Travel Essentials to Up Your Travel Game

It's only one week until the October holiday, and if you're planning on traveling during the time off, then we've got some travel essentials to grab before you go! Here we've found ten items which we think are a must-have, along with the Chinese name for each so they're easy to find on Taobao or your preferred shopping app.

Multi-Adaptor

China, with its three different types of plug sockets, is a prime example of why a multi-adaptor is a real game-changer. Get one of these and you no longer have to juggle multiple adaptors or worry about whether you've packed the wrong one. A good one will cover pretty much all countries in the world and will often have built-in USB ports too.

Search for: 全球通用转换插头 (quánqiú tōngyòng zhuǎnhuàn chātóu)

Slim Power Bank

Perhaps this one seems like a no-brainer, but it's important to remember that when you travel outside of China, you don't have the luxury of power bank rental kiosks in every restaurant, bar or street corner. However, some can be a bit clunky to carry around, so this is where the slim one comes in. There are plenty of slim power banks available on Taobao that will fit right in your pocket (well, men's pockets anyway). Remember to check that it has the “3C” label and meets other requirements before purchasing. You can read more about specific power bank rules here and here.

Search for: 超薄充电宝 (chāobáo chōngdiànbǎo) 

Fold-Out Toiletry Bag

Forget digging through a jumble of bottles in a normal toiletry bag. A fold-out bag keeps everything visible and organized, with multiple compartments that unfold neatly like a mini bathroom cabinet. Hang it on the back of a door or over a towel rack, and you've instantly got a tidy, accessible setup. Most are also waterproof, so there's no chance of leaks, and you can fold it right back up into a compact pouch to pack at the end of your holiday.

Search for: 洗漱包干湿分离 (xǐshù bāo gān shī fēnlí)

Packing Cubes

Having recently come back from the UK where I was living out of a suitcase for a month, I made sure packing cubes were first on my list of Taobao purchases when I came back to Beijing. There are tons of different sets available on Taobao that allow you to separate underwear from clothes, clean from dirty, and which even have a separate bag for your shoes. No more routing around desperately looking for that last clean pair of socks you know is in there somewhere!

Search for: 分装收纳袋 (fēnzhuāng shōunà dài)

Travel Towel

This is an essential if you're going to stay in a hostel or hotel that doesn't provide towels or going on a beach holiday and don't want to have to carry a big, bulky towel around with you. These towels might not feel as nice as a normal towel, but they're thin, compact and dry in a fraction of the time.

Search for: 速干毛巾 (sù gān máojīn)

Refillable Toiletrie Bottles

These are great if you've only got carry-on baggage or just don't want to lug multiple big bottles of shampoo, lotion or other toiletries around with you. Sure, a lot of brands sell mini versions of their products, but these are way overpriced. Instead, buy a pack of refillable mini bottles and just decant your essential toiletries into them; most sets on Taobao also come with a free handy bag to keep them in.

Search for: 旅行分装瓶 (lǚxíng fēnzhuāng píng)

Foldable Water Bottle

A foldable water bottle is useful from the outset. You can take the folded-down version with you through security at the airport and then immediately refill it once through from a water dispenser. Some even clip to your backpack for hikes or city wandering. They're also environmentally sound and mean you don't have to waste money buying single-use plastic bottles all the time.

Search for: 折叠水瓶 (zhédié shuǐpíng)

Cooler Backpack 

If you're going on a holiday where you'll be spending lots of time on the beach or hiking, then a cooler backpack is a must. On Taobao, there are many that include a separate cooler section and normal compartments, so they can double up as regular backpacks, meaning you don't need to pack an extra bag.

Search for: 野餐保温双肩包 (yěcān bǎowēn shuāngjiān bāo)

Hair Towel

This one is more for the ladies, or guys with long hair. Most hotels normally only provide one big towel and one small hand towel, neither of which is a good size for hair drying, so this is where a specific hair towel can come in really handy. You can get them in multiple sizes depending on your hair length, and most of them fold down pretty small, so they won't take up too much space in your suitcase. 

Search for: 干发帽 (gànfāmào)

Jewelry Travel Case

Another one more aimed towards ladies. I used to chuck all my jewelry into a drawstring bag where it would inevitably become a tangled mess, but not anymore! You can get a range of different styles of jewelry cases on Taobao, from teeny tiny ones that will fit a few pieces, to larger ones that you can even fold out and hook onto the back of a door.

Search for: 首饰包旅行饰品 (shǒushì bāo lǚxíng shìpǐn)

READ: October 2025 Holiday Dates Reminder

Images: Unsplash, Taobao