I’m a Professional Grooming Writer: Here’s What’s in My Dopp Kit (2024)

I split time between Brooklyn and Charleston, and since I’m constantly testing items for GQ, my dopp kit is always filled with the best men's travel grooming products. While my dopp kit never gets all the way unpacked, today I’m going to do a digital breakdown for GQ Recommends readers. So, what goes into a grooming editor’s personal toiletries bag?

To bring you the best men's travel grooming products, I’m focusing on products that I believe will have a broad appeal. You probably have a particular shampoo, cologne, putty, razor, or beard trimmer that you can’t live without—just like I have a favorite beard comb—but I think I can recommend some useful travel hacks, all-in-one kits, and TSA-friendly products that will cater to a lot of you. So, for all your upcoming travel plans, here are my top picks.

The Best Men's Travel Grooming Products, at a Glance:

Before you fill up your dopp kit, fill up your shopping cart with these first-class travel supplies:

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Arlo Skye

Arlo Skye x Dusen Dusen Dopp Kit

This colorful little dopp kit comes from Arlo Skye by way of Dusen Dusen, but it's more than a pretty face. It even earned a spot in our guide to the best practical gifts. It's just the right size for a dopp kit, and it has a waterproof interior just in case your toothpaste decides to pop at 25,000 feet. For bonus style points, get the matching weekender bag or backpack.

Calpak

Terra Hanging Toiletry Bag

A hanging dopp kit can be useful in cramped hotel bathrooms, especially if you're competing for counter space with your beauty maven of a wife. (Just me?) It's a lot bigger on the inside, with dedicated slots for a razor and toothbrush—plus multiple compartments for general organization.

Bellroy

Dopp Kit

In case you didn't notice, there are a ton of EDC and grooming brands coming out of Australia lately. Case in point: Bellroy, which makes this compact and handsome toiletries bag. We love the toothbrush compartment with a magnetic closure and an easy-to-clean, water-resistant internal lining.

Bagsmart

Hanging Dopp Kit

Bagsmart makes a line of practical bags for Amazon shoppers. I was gifted one of these hanging dopp kits for Christmas, and now I never travel without it. For guys with a lot of grooming gear to pack, it's a spacious dopp kit with a surprising number of pockets.

Cardon

SPF 30 + Moisturizer

Are you a fan of Korean skincare? Then we have to assume Cardon is already on your radar. The brand's cactus-infused skincare products have been racking up GQ Grooming Awards, and their popular sunscreen feels impossibly light. The compact size also makes this fast-absorbing, broad-spectrum sunscreen my go-to for travel.

Geologie

Performance Face Sunscreen SPF 30

If my travel plans include the beach or the pool (ideally both), then I also pack Geologie's long-lasting face sunscreen, which offers some serious water-resistance.

Horace

Concealer

Sometimes, you don't have time for under-eye creams and acne treatments to go to work. So, unless you want that zit memorialized forever in wedding photos and your Instagram feed, you need an instant cover-up. Spot concealers like this can make blemishes and dark circles disappear, and Horace's comes in seven different shades.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Harry's

Foaming Shave Gel (Travel Size)

Harry's excellent foaming shave gel is better for your skin and hair than the average drug store shaving cream, and Harry's makes a travel-friendly version that won't get confiscated by the TSA. And if you've forgotten to pack a shaving cream, you can often find this travel grooming product for sale at drug stores.

Panasonic

MultiShape Ultimate All-in-One Travel Grooming Kit

This multigroomer isn't just an incredible beard and hair trimmer, but it also has attachments for a nose/ear hair trimmer, electric shaver, electric toothbrush, and more. We recommend opting for the Ultimate All-In-One kit, which comes with a toiletries bag. (This space-saving groomer also makes a great gift for guys—just sayin'.)

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Panasonic

ARC5 Palm-Sized Electric Shaver

The new palm-sized electric shaver from Panasonic is perfectly sized for travel. Despite the small size, this fully wet/dry shaver has an extremely powerful motor and five-blade cutting system. The egg-shaped travel case barely takes up any room in a dopp kit.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Caldera + Lab

The Smooth Shaving Elixir

I recently got turned on to this transparent shaving "elixir" by Caldera + Lab, a Wyoming-based company that makes eco-friendly grooming products with natural ingredients. This organic formula contains botanicals like oat kernel, watermelon seed oil, and witch hazel. This shave gel lets you see exactly where you're creating shave lines, and it comes in a travel-ready pump bottle.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Zeus

Pocket Beard Brush

The Zeus beard brush is seemingly made to slip into your dopp kit thanks to its slim handle. Despite the small size, it's fully capable of smoothing out scruffy, wiry beards. You can choose from soft and firm genuine boar bristles.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Cardon

Jet Set Travel Kit

Prefer all-in-one travel kits? Then you can't go wrong with Cardon's. Get the Korean skincare brand's best products in travel sizes, plus a dopp kit to keep them all organized. If you're looking for holiday gifts, the Jet Set kit would be a smart buy for guys that love grooming.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Harry's

Travel Shave Kit and Toiletries Bag

As a bearded guy, I don't pack much shaving gear—but if I did, this is the kit I'd buy. Not only does it come with the excellent Truman razor, but you also get extra blades, a travel case, the foaming shave gel we featured earlier, and a dopp kit. Not bad for $32.

Lisapack

Atomizer Spray Bottle

I might be the only men's grooming writer that doesn't love cologne. If you're a fragrance fiend, then you need to know about this travel hack. You can fill up these atomizers with your favorite colognes and take them with you when you fly. (You can also use them on long days in the office when your fragrance needs a re-up.)

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Fulton & Roark

Palmetto Solid Cologne

Most grooming writers have moved on from Fulton & Roark solid cologne. That's not because the brand's product quality has dropped, but because they aren't the hot new thing anymore. Well, I'm still a fan, especially when I travel. The musky Palmetto fragrance is one of my favorites, and for guys like me that don't love liquid cologne, it's the only real alternative. Plus, the tiny metal case is extremely travel friendly.

Harry's

Travel Body Wash Variety Pack

Harry's, the men's shave club that's expanded into skin, body, and hair products, really does travel-size right. The brand's excellent body washes, which have surprisingly sophisticated scents, all come in travel sizes. Get the all-in-one variety pack and you'll never have to use crappy hotel soap again.

  • Timothy Beck Werth

Welly

On The Go First Aid Kit

What's the first rule of safety club? You always talk about safety club. I'm my dad's son, and you better believe if you're traveling with me and you get a cut, scrape, burn, or boo-boo, I'll have a stylish Welly bandage ready for you. These super-handy travel kits have everything you need to mend and sanitize while you travel, and I never fly without one.

Highland

Glacial Hair Clay Pomade

I recently tested this pomade while riding a jet ski, and my part survived over three hours of salty spray and sweat. For weddings, work functions, and events that call for a perfectly coifed look, this natural-looking pomade provides a strong hold.

Briogeo

Vegan Boar Bristle Brush

You love your $275 Mason Pearson boar bristle brush, but do you really want to travel with it? I've recently been converted to this popular alterantive, which also happens to be free of animal products. Now, the affordable brush always travels with me.

About the Author: Timothy Beck Werth is an experienced freelance journalist and editorial director. You can find him splitting his time between Brooklyn, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. He’s been testing and reviewing grooming and skincare products since 2019, and as a frequent flier, he’s got a lot of practice packing a dopp kit. All of the products featured in this guide were personally tested by the author. In addition to his work for GQ, Werth has also written or edited for publications such as Mashable, The Daily Beast, SPY.com, and Gear Patrol. He recently finished his first novel and is seeking representation.

I’m a Professional Grooming Writer: Here’s What’s in My Dopp Kit (2024)
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