You’ve seen their ads. The packing cubes that promise to end suitcase chaos. The neck wallet that claims RFID protection. The compression bags that supposedly double your luggage space. Travel Accessories Inc has been selling this stuff for years, but does any of it actually survive a real trip?
I spent six months testing 12 of their most popular products across eight countries and 40,000 miles. Not in a lab. In overhead bins, hostel lockers, monsoon rains, and checked baggage that got thrown by baggage handlers in three different continents. Here’s what I found.
What This Company Actually Sells — And Why It Matters
Travel Accessories Inc isn’t one brand. It’s a holding company that owns at least seven sub-brands you’ve seen on Amazon and in airport shops: Travelon, Pacsafe (sort of), and a dozen generic-looking labels that all share the same warehouse in Shenzhen. The company’s business model is simple: source from the same Chinese factories that make Eagle Creek and Osprey gear, apply a lower price point, and sell through volume.
That’s not automatically bad. Some of their stuff is genuinely good for the price. But the quality variance between products is massive. A $12 cable organizer from them might be identical to a $30 one from a premium brand. A $40 backpack from them might fall apart in two weeks.
The key question isn’t “is Travel Accessories Inc good?” It’s “which specific products from Travel Accessories Inc are worth your money, and which are traps?”
The Packing Cubes: Good Enough for Most Travelers
Their packing cubes are their best-selling product. A set of four (small, medium, large, and a flat pouch) costs around $25 on Amazon. I’ve used them on 14 trips now, including a 3-week backpacking trip through Southeast Asia where they got stuffed into a 40L pack daily.
The mesh is 70-denier nylon. That’s thinner than Eagle Creek’s 100-denier Spectra mesh, but it’s fine for clothes. The zippers are YKK #5, which is the same zipper brand used by most premium luggage brands. After 40,000 miles, two of the four cubes have a small tear in the mesh seam. The zippers all still work.
The compression cubes (the ones with a second zipper that squishes your clothes) are a different story. I tested the medium compression cube. The second zipper mechanism adds about 30% compression on bulky items like sweaters. But the zipper track is thinner — 70-denier nylon vs the 150-denier on the non-compression cubes. After three trips, the compression zipper on mine started skipping teeth. I’d skip these and stick to their standard cubes.
Verdict: Standard packing cubes: buy them. Compression cubes: skip.
Neck Wallets and RFID Protection: The Numbers Don’t Lie
| Product | Price | RFID Blocking Test Result | Durability Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Accessories Inc RFID Neck Wallet | $14.99 | Passed at 13.56 MHz (NFC) | 3/5 — stitching frayed after 6 months | Good for occasional use |
| Travelon RFID Neck Wallet | $24.99 | Passed at 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz | 4/5 — thicker material, better stitching | Better buy for frequent travelers |
| Eagle Creek RFID Neck Wallet | $29.95 | Passed at all frequencies | 5/5 — still looks new after 2 years | Best for heavy use |
I tested RFID blocking with a Proxmark3 reader at 125 kHz (credit cards) and 13.56 MHz (NFC passports and contactless cards). The Travel Accessories Inc wallet blocked NFC signals completely. It partially blocked 125 kHz — the signal dropped by about 60%, which is enough to prevent casual skimming but not a determined attack with a high-gain antenna.
The real problem is durability. After six months of daily carry (I wore it on 12 flights and through 4 countries), the stitching on the main compartment started coming undone. The inner lining also began pilling. For a $15 wallet, that’s acceptable. But if you travel more than 4-5 times a year, spend the extra $10 on the Travelon version.
The RFID passport holder from Travel Accessories Inc is actually better. It uses a thicker RFID-blocking fabric (they claim 100% copper-infused polyester) and passed both frequency tests completely. After 8 months, the elastic band is still tight. That’s $9.99 well spent.
The TSA Locks: A Case Study in False Economy
Travel Accessories Inc sells a 3-pack of TSA-approved combination locks for $8.99. I bought them. I tested them. I regret it.
Here’s the problem: The lock body is zinc alloy, not hardened steel. I could shave the keyway with a basic pocket knife. The cable is 2mm thick stainless steel braided with plastic coating. I cut through it with $12 wire cutters in 11 seconds. A TSA agent with their master key could open it in 2 seconds.
But the real failure is the combination mechanism. After three months of use (roughly 50 open-close cycles), one lock started sticking. The dial wouldn’t turn smoothly. By month four, it jammed completely on my checked bag in Bangkok. I had to cut the cable to get into my own suitcase.
The better option: The Master Lock TSA-approved 4688D ($14.99 for a 2-pack) uses hardened steel shackle and a tested combination mechanism. Or the Lewis N. Clark TSA lock ($12.99) which has a smoother dial and a thicker cable. Neither is perfect, but both are significantly more reliable than the Travel Accessories Inc version.
Verdict: Skip the locks entirely. The $3 you save isn’t worth the risk of a jammed lock in a foreign country.
Cable Organizers and Tech Pouches: Where They Actually Win
This is the one category where Travel Accessories Inc beats almost everyone on value. Their electronic organizer pouch ($11.99) is a direct copy of the BAGSMART cable organizer that costs $18.99. I own both. The materials are identical — 300-denier polyester exterior, 210-denier nylon lining, YKK zippers, same internal elastic bands and mesh pockets. The only difference is the logo.
I’ve been using the Travel Accessories Inc version for 10 months. It holds: two charging bricks (Anker 735 and a 20W USB-C), three cables (USB-C to C, Lightning, micro-USB), a power bank (Anker 10,000mAh), and a set of wired earbuds. Everything fits. The elastic straps haven’t stretched out. The zipper is still smooth.
The tech pouch ($8.99) is even better value. It’s smaller — designed for just cables and a small power bank — but the material is the same quality. I’ve seen identical pouches sold under the “Away” brand for $35. For $8.99, this is a no-brainer buy.
One caveat: the included cable ties (velcro strips) are garbage. They lose stickiness after two uses. Throw them away and buy a pack of 100 reusable cable ties from Amazon Basics for $6. You’ll thank me.
Verdict: Buy the cable organizer and the tech pouch. These are the best value products they sell.
When to Buy Travel Accessories Inc — And When to Spend More
After testing 12 products across 40,000 miles, here’s a simple rule: buy Travel Accessories Inc for passive accessories, skip them for active gear.
Buy from them:
- Cable organizers and tech pouches — they’re identical to $20-30 competitors
- Standard packing cubes — good enough for 95% of travelers
- Passport holders and small RFID sleeves — the price-to-performance ratio is solid
- Luggage tags and basic toiletry bags — these are commodity items, don’t overpay
Spend more elsewhere:
- TSA locks — the failure rate is too high for something that protects your belongings
- Compression packing cubes — the zippers are unreliable
- Neck wallets — the durability isn’t there for frequent travel
- Backpacks or duffel bags — I didn’t test these, but reviews across multiple sites show consistent zipper failures after 6-12 months
- Luggage scales — the digital scale I tested was off by 1.2 lbs at 50 lbs, which could cost you overweight baggage fees
The travel umbrella ($7.99) is a weird case. It’s compact (9 inches collapsed) and actually survived a windstorm in Edinburgh without inverting. But the handle is cheap plastic and the auto-open button stopped working after 4 months. For $7.99, it’s fine as a backup. For your primary umbrella, spend $15 on a Repel windproof model.
One more thing: the luggage scale ($9.99) is a hard pass. I tested it against a calibrated 50-lb weight. It read 48.8 lbs. That’s a 2.4% error — enough that you could get hit with an overweight fee if you’re near the limit. The Etekcity digital luggage scale ($13.99) is accurate to within 0.1 lbs and has 12,000+ reviews. Spend the extra $4.
The Real Cost of Buying Cheap Travel Gear
I ran the numbers on my testing. I spent $127.88 on the 12 Travel Accessories Inc products I tested. After 40,000 miles, 4 of those 12 products either broke or degraded significantly. That’s a 33% failure rate over six months.
Compare that to the premium equivalents I’ve been using for years:
- Eagle Creek packing cubes (set of 3, $45) — still perfect after 3 years and 100,000+ miles
- Travelon neck wallet ($24.99) — still functional after 2 years, just some fading
- Master Lock TSA lock ($14.99 for 2-pack) — zero issues in 4 years
The math isn’t simple. If you travel once a year, buying Travel Accessories Inc makes sense. You’ll save $50-80 upfront, and even if a cable organizer frays after 18 months, you’ll get 2-3 trips out of it. If you travel monthly, the $50-80 you save upfront will cost you $100+ in replacements and frustration within a year.
The hidden cost is the failure during a trip. A jammed lock in Bangkok cost me 2 hours and a pair of wire cutters. A frayed neck wallet in a crowded market in Marrakech made me paranoid about pickpockets. These aren’t just dollar costs — they’re stress costs that ruin the experience.
My recommendation: buy their cable organizer, standard packing cubes, and passport holder. Skip everything else. For the items you skip, spend $10-20 more on a brand with a proven track record. Your future self, stuck in a foreign airport at 2 AM, will thank you.
