More and more players are now traveling for pickleball. Read on for some expert picks that will make your life easier, happier, and healthier while on the go!
[Related: Pickleball Fashion Review: Alo]
Table of Contents:
A jet-setting pickleball player can make use of the following accessories. These items will make life smooth and simple for a pickleball traveler, leading to a better trip!
Related Guides
Some lists and articles with relevant insight into pickleball, wellness, and travel products:
How to protect your skin from sun exposure if you play pickleball regularly. Prevent aging and wrinkles!
How to stay healthy, sleep well, and keep your muscles relieved while constantly active and on the go.
Some of the coolest tops to pack for your next trip and wear whether you're on the court or hanging out afterwards.
Quick Picks
Our top overall accessory: GoPro HERO9 (game footage and travel memories)
Our top travel pick for health: Ancient Minerals Cream (sleep and muscle relief)
Our top item for travel comfort: Luvcor Neck Pillow (cozy for long flight and car rides)
Our top underrated clothing item: Columbia Sun Hat (breathable, shading, lightweight)
Our top travel hack accessory: Anker Charge Pack (keeps electronics from dying!)
Our top versatile pickleball product: Theragun Mini (massage tool for soreness)
Packing for Pickleball (Tips)
We asked a panel of pickleball pros about their favorite travel products for tournaments.
We sought their opinion on the items they found most essential for pickleball travel. Four categories emerged from the discussion:
Basic Equipment: Anything relating to paddles, shoes, clothes, and bags.
Competition Supplies: More specific play items, like tape, headwear, eyewear, towels.
Active Athlete Aid: Supplements, muscle recovery tools, and medical supplies.
Transit Comfort: Everything that makes flights and car rides easier to endure.
Best Pickleball Travel Items (2023)
The below are handpicked from Amazon from the above categories, and a pickleball traveler should consider packing them on their next trip. All are useful and well-reviewed. Be sure to check out all accessories deals on Pickleball Central today.
Apple AirPods
Players can listen to wireless music (pump-up jams) while warming up and can stay focused, without any harm or risk with cords and cables. Great for a long flight, and they take up no room in a bag. Try these alternatives to veer from Apple, but for the same idea.
Silicone Stasher Bags
Players want to pack rations for the day when they head out to the venue. Keep snacks fresh and handy without worrying about spills or leaks. Perfect for organizing a cooler with sandwiches, fruit, and other snacks. Can even pack regular clothes and non-perishables.
Takeya Water Bottle
Stay hydrated and refreshed all day long with a leak-proof and insulated water bottle that keeps drinks cold indefinitely and holds significant volume. Sturdy, voluminous, and well-known in the pickleball world. Always sip on a cold drink!
GoPro HERO9 Camera
Capture your best plays and share them with your fans and followers on social media, or just study the footage as you aim to improve. Perfect to clamp onto the fence or put on a tripod and gather film that you can share or study later on. Hi-def 5K, action quality.
Dura Fast-40 Pickleballs
You won't be able to pop into a store in-person and buy pickleballs just everywhere. Bring the official tournament ball with you wherever you travel. They do break, so bring a spare!
Theragun Mini
Work sore muscles and relieve stiffness, increase blood flow, and enhance your recovery and performance with a portable massage tool. Keep it in your bag and be everyone's best friend!
Magnesium Night Cream
Ancient Minerals brand aids with sleep quality and recovery, reduces muscle cramps and soreness, and nourishes skin with a soothing magnesium lotion. Apply it to the area of soreness and feel comfortable and cozy through the night. Works like a charm!
Adidas Slides
Comfy, durable slides to slip on after a play session. Relaxing on the feet, breathable, they take up barely any packing space. Good for lounging before and after play! You can wear these in the car or plane too, with or without socks. Versatile and relatively cheap.
Oakley Wrap Around Eyewear
Protect eyes from sun and glare, boost vision and clarity on court. Perfect for tough outdoor conditions, and also great for shading eyes during a long flight or car ride. Lenses interchangeable depending on the time of day. The gold standard of sunglasses.
CLIQ Folding Camp Chair
Relax and recharge between matches with a lightweight, durable, and comfortable camp chair that folds up into an easy-to-carry sling bag. This little guy packs into a handheld bag, but can spring out in five seconds and hold 300 lbs. Treat yourself to an event chair.
Hydration Supplement Packets
Boost stamina and general wellness with convenient hydration supplement packets full of electrolytes and nutrients. Never feel sluggish and gassed ever again! These are magic and can help you feel energetic at all hours. Here are some other hydration supplements.
Compression Socks
Support muscles and joints, reduce fatigue and soreness, and improve your performance and recovery. Also blocks UV sunlight from the skin on arms and legs. Read our guide on the best value compression sleeves on the market too. All are unisex.
Luvcor Travel Neck Pillow
Relax and unwind after a long day on the court, and relieve neck and shoulder tension and pain with a dreamy, portable neck pillow. Great for flights and long car rides. Memory foam and supportive, comes with ear plugs and carrying bag. Transit will never be a pain!
Anker Charging Pack
Keep your phone, camera, and other electronics charged while you're at the tournament all day. Small and easy to fit into a day bag. Never run out of juice at the venue again. You do not want to get stranded out in transit with no more phone or laptop battery!
Columbia "Bora Bora" Sun Hat
Protect your head and neck from sun and heat, and stay cool when outside. Shade your face from the sun at all times. Just floppy enough that it won't get in the way of your swing, but just sturdy enough to shade your eyes and face. Super lightweight and durable.
Mossio Shoe Bag
Protect and organize your shoes, avoid odor and dirt, and travel in style with a compact and durable shoe bag. Great for keeping dirty shoes away from regular clothes, to keep the dirt and smells away from your clean street clothes. Holds up to three pairs of footwear.
TSA Travel Containers
Store toiletries and cosmetics in leak-proof and travel-friendly containers, and avoid messy spills or TSA troubles. As a pickleball player, you may have several creams, lotions, and other skin products that are restricted by liquid volume. Make the security line an easy breeze.
Chilly Pad Cooling Towel
Stay cool and refreshed on the court, and wipe away sweat and heat with a soft and absorbent towel. Super moisture wicking, and provides supreme coolness when wet and evaporating. Need this for play in hot and humid conditions. Washable, reuseable.
Pickleball Travel FAQ
Best equipment bag for pickleball travel?
For a tournament, players must pack for multiple days and many court hours.
We recommend traveling with a Pro Style pickleball bag, packing street clothes in it too. Most can be carried onto a plane instead of checked. Bring a string back or fanny pack as well, for little side trips or daily activity away from the venue.
Tips on staying healthy as a traveling pickleball player?
Travel takes its toll and so does playing a ton of pickleball.
Most travelers need more vitamin C and smarter hydration in general. The Pickleball Cocktail has a vitamin content that addresses the needs of both travel and pickleball.
Make sure to get plenty of sleep, dress in layers, in addition to staying hydrated.
Overlooked pickleball travel clothes?
Bring a jacket, even for warm weather. It can be worn between games, at night, and even on the airplane or in the car. If a jacket is just too much, consider a puffer vest.
A nice flexible hat is great for both playing and for transit, to shade your eyes and face.
Compression sleeves and socks can be nice for both playing and travel days.
How much should I pack for a pickleball weekend trip?
Two or three paddles, a couple pairs of socks and underwear, just one pair of court shoes is fine, a towel, and a ball or two! Then bring two pairs of light street clothes.
Try to bring versatile gear: A jacket you can wear at the courts or with your street clothes, some joggers you can warm up in or wear to dinner, etc.
What are some travel hacks for pickleball?
Seek non-court shoes that are compact. Slip-on shoes or slides can reduce packing volume. Related: Check out this guide on picking the best court shoes for you.
Bring a cloth or plastic bag that can keep sweaty clothes separate.
You may also consider a pickleball backpack instead of a Pro Tour bag, to lighten your load and be efficient with space. View the top-rated pickleball backpacks on Amazon.
Fly or drive to a pickleball tournament?
Fly if you can afford it and the drive would be too long and tiring. You may consider driving though if the tournament is not located near a major airport.
Note that having a car is quite useful once at the event site. Even if you fly, you may need to sort out a car. Uber is not available in all areas, so plan ahead to carpool or rent.
Bottom Line
Travel is fun, pickleball is fun, and traveling for pickleball is very fun.
Consider these accessories to make your life easier and create a great travel experience.
The items above will bring you a sense of fun, efficiency, and just pure comfort as you fly or drive to faraway pickleball courts.
Click photos or blue links above to shop travel deals on Amazon.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. It does not affect the price at all. PaddlePal is completely viewer-supported and we will not present a product unless we have researched the market to provide accurate, informed recommendations.
