Traveling is fun and exciting and usually means that adventure is around the corner. But every parent knows that traveling with kids can actually mean a different type of adventure: An adventure in patience, stress and if things go really south, meltdowns. But take it from a seasoned mom, with enough planning and having the right gear, you really can have a stress-free travel experience with your grade-school-aged kids.
Things get easier traveling with kids as they get out of the infant and toddler stages, but there are still some must-haves to keep yourself and them sane. A huge one is snacks, and plenty of them. You also need to consider if you’re traveling by car, train or plane, as there is a slightly different set of needs for each mode of transportation, but beyond that, we thought we’d put our Editor vs. AI model to the test and see just how ‘travel-savvy’ the ChatGPT robot is.
We’ve tested the concept with what you need for your kids’ school lunch prep, their school supplies, a day at the beach, and even what they actually want for the holidays, and we’ve discovered that while the AI computer is remarkably sophisticated, there really isn’t anything like a editor/parent/human’s true knowledge when it comes to, well, life.
So now, we tackle traveling with those grade school-aged kids.
The Shopping Challenge
We asked ChatGPT, “What are some things I should buy to make traveling with kids easier.” Read on to see how helpful the bot truly was this time around.
What AI Told Us to Buy
1. “A Travel Pillow”
Product Name: FHSGGP Travel Pillow
Good Choice or No? Having a way for your kids to get comfy and be able to sleep while traveling is an absolute must for trips longer than about two hours, but the needs for car and plane are different. For the car, when you have more space and don’t have to deal with security, we love the large size and U-shape design of this pillow allowing for multiple positions and optimum comfort.
Where to Buy: $39.99 at Amazon.com
2. “A Travel Blanket”
Product Name: Giapow Travel Blanket and Pillow Set
Good Choice or No? As cold as airplanes and trains can get, a blanket is also a must for kids, but you definitely can’t just bring along your favorite in the more compact conditions. This set is ideal, because the blanket folds up to store inside the pillow, so you have one less thing to carry. And if you need both the pillow and blanket at the same time, the blanket isn’t the only padding the pillow provides–once you remove the blanket, while less fluffy, the pillow does still have some padding of its own.
Where to Buy: $25.99 at Amazon.com
3. “Kid-Friendly Headphones”
Product Name: Altec Lansing Kid Safe Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones
Good Choice or No? This is a great choice from AI. Not only are headphones a must to make sure your kids can watch their shows and movies and play their games without the general population having to hear it, but the noise-canceling part can also help with travel anxiety should it arise. This particular set of headphones have good sound quality and great noise canceling, is a mid-range price and comes in a variety of fun colors.
Where to Buy: $29.99 at Amazon.com
4. “Reusable Water Bottle”
Product Name: Elemental Iconic Kids Water Bottle
Good Choice or No? Again AI definitely “knows” what it’s talking about with this topic. A reusable water bottle is a must when traveling with kids, and we love this bottle for its many kid-friendly features. It’s super durable, leak-proof, triple walled to stay cold and free of condensation and has a genius fidget-strap to keep bored fingers busy.
Where to Buy: $20.49 to $25.19 at Amazon.com
What Our Editor Knows You Should Buy
1. Portable Charger
Product Name: Taegila Small Portable Charger
Why We Picked It: We know you’d never dream of taking a trip without your child’s tablet, which is why a portable charger is just as important. Travel is unpredictable, and this could be your back up when you need it most. This one is made for Apple products, and we love that it has a built in cord, that you can keep using your device while it’s plugged in to it and the LCD display is perfect, so you can quickly and easily see how much charge is left on the device.
Where to Buy: $19.99 at Amazon.com
2. Their Own Backpack
Product Name: Caran-Y Kids Backpack
Why We Chose It: Many hands make light work… or something like that applies here! If every child has their own bag with their own activities, snacks and water bottle, it makes travel a lot easier on everyone. There are, of course, a ton of great options when it comes to backpacks, but we picked this one because its water-repellent fabric makes it easy to wipe off, which is handy when traveling, and it comes in lots of colors and prints.
Where to Buy: $29.99 at Amazon.com
3. Magnetic Travel-Friendly Games
Product Name: The Purple Cow to Go Lettergories Travel Game
Why We Chose It: Having things to occupy their time — whether it’s waiting at a gate at the airport or sitting in the car during a road trip — is crucial, just like having something other than a screen to look at is crucial. These magnetic games (there are 16 different options!) are small enough to fit into even the most over-packed bag, won’t spill all over the place because of the magnetic boards, and are perfect for bringing multiple family members together for some fun.
Where to Buy: $7.20 at Amazon.com
4. Hand Wipes
Product Name: The Honest Company Sanitizing Wipes
Why we Chose It: Anyone who thinks having wipes with you 24/7 is only for parents of infants has clearly never had an older kid. From snacky hands to drinks spilling to unidentified messes to cleaning hands after rest stop bathroom visits, having hand sanitizing wipes is crucial for any family vacation. These wipes still kill 99.9% of germs, but are fragrance-free to be more gentle, and have aloe to prevent drying out your skin.
Where to Buy: $9.99 at Amazon.com
Who Shopped Better?
Of all the AI vs. Editor tests I’ve written, I was most impressed with the AI’s performance on this one. Everything on the list was spot-on and would truly help out a novice looking for answers.
Of course, it is still important to have an editor’s touch for picking specific products, since the options are vast in all of these categories. But for a jumping off point, we’re giving ol’ ChatGPT a virtual pat on the back this time around.
The post Editor vs. AI: What to Buy for Traveling with Kids appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.