10 Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Moms That Travel

Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Even if you’ve been procrastinating on the perfect gift, it’s not too late. With a little overnight shipping, you can treat the mom in your life to upgraded luggage with all the latest travel gear inside. Keep reading for 10 gift ideas for moms who travel.

Upgrade Her Luggage


Three things to look for in new luggage this year: style, security and storage.

No woman wants a big bag crowding up space in her closet, so that’s where the growing trend of compressibility comes it. Biaggi is the most stylish option for compressible luggage. It comes in a wide range of bright colors and allows you to pop that suitcase flat so you can store it under the bed or in small closet spaces.

For security, Briggs & Riley‘s new hardcase TORQ hits the market this week. There are a few perks to the bag. The extra-wide wheelbase is designed to prevent tipping – even when mom has overpacked. The wheel base is great, but this suitcase also offers a lot of security for hardshell designs with the biggest improvement being the front-facing pocket with its own locking system.

For a stylish option with hardshell luggage, check out Antler, whose lightweight Liquis collection uses the polycarbonate in a design that is supposed to resemble a waterfall. The design builds in strength that can bend, but won’t crack. The best part? The hardshell technology is just 4.8 pounds.

Organize the New Luggage

If your mom gets excited by organization Genius Pack is the luggage-maker for her. There’s carry-on luggage as well as the Flight Bag. The Flight Bag has customized pockets and compartments for everything mom might need to access quickly at the airport or on a flight: passport, tablet computer, reading material, smartphone, smartphone charger, and even speakers.

Trick out Her Smartphone Case

There are a lot of iPhone cases out there, but there are few that offer multifunction. We like the The Eyn Case because it offers protection, storage and primping. It’s a solid outer case for your phone with an additional perk: a hidden wallet compartment also comes with a built-in mirror.

Refresh her Travels

A bottle of perfume is a Mother’s Day staple, so for traveling moms you can do one better and check out a traveling atomizer. These tiny (but refillable) spray bottles offer 50 or more spritzes of a chosen scent. Plus, they’re designed to be spill proof. There are many models of atomizers on the market, but we’re partial to the colors in the Sephora Collection’s Universal Atomizer and the compact Travalo system.

Add to Her Travel Wardrobe

Scottevest is known for its multi-pocketed vests and jackets that can almost eliminate the need for a carry-on. For a more feminine option for mom, the lightweight Lucy cardigan is small enough to roll up in your purse… and it still won’t wrinkle. In addition to two visible pockets are two small zippered pockets. With just the Lucy, you can stash an ID, a room key, sunglasses and more.

Celebrate Active Travel & Fitness

FitBit has been winning more and more fans in the fitness community with its body trackers. This spring, FitBit released its tracking wristbands, the Flex, which monitors steps, calories burned, sleep habits, and more. Another option is the Zip by FitBit, which is designed to be worn inside your pocket. It tracks calories and more on its iPhone compatible apps.

Send Flowers, then Give Her Back the Miles

Flowers are the most expected Mother’s Day gift so how are they travel related? Well, turns out all the major flower delivery services have ongoing relationships with the award miles shopping programs. And this Mother’s Day, they’re offering big specials for earning miles. FTD is offering 15 miles a dollar with American. With Delta Skymiles, you can opt for 1-800-Flowers and earn $5 a dollar with 1-800-Flowers and $6 miles a dollar with Proflowers. The deal is if you earn miles sending mom flowers, then you put those miles toward your next visit.

Treat Her to a Tablet

If your mom loves to read or watch movies, the Kindle Fire and the Nook HD offer a women of options. The Fire HD has an HD connection to Amazon (and Amazon Prime, if you’re a subscriber). The Nook connects to Barnes and Noble’s extensive library.

For Moms who Snap Pictures on the Go

If mom is always snapping pictures on a camera phone, you can instantly upgrade the quality with a quick accessory. The Olloclip Lens connects to mom’s iPhone and adjusts the angle to macro, wide-angle and fish-eye. So you’re not stuck with just the standard landscape or portrait option.

Some Literary Inspiration

 

This year two amazing memoirs hit the market designed to get moms excited about travel.  If mom is dreaming of the exotic, pick up Wanderlust, which follows Elizabeth Eaves through 15 years of travels all across the world with stops in Cairo, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Back in the states, Wild  describes Cheryl Strayed impulsive journey to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through Washington State alone without any prior experience as a long-distance hiker.

Now that you’ve upgraded mom’s travel gear, it’s time to plan a trip! You have just four more days to book these mother’s day promotions at hotels across the country. You’ll even find hotel packages designed just for single moms.

By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com