We Put Amazon's Best-Selling Travel Bottles to the Test

Pouring products into three-ounce bottles before a flight is my least favorite packing task. And, depending on where I’m going and staying, it’s definitely the first thing I drop. I’m fine with the hotel’s brand—especially if it’s high-end—and if there’s local pharmacy that I can hit up for beauty products I can’t get in the U.S., even better. But sometimes it’s best to stick with products I know and trust. And if you’re someone with sensitive skin or a parent who needs to bring special products for kids, sticking with what you know is an absolute must. 

So back to my least favorite packing task. When I’m decanting, it usually goes something like this: Me, standing over the sink with a heavy bottle inverted, aiming a stream of shampoo into a too-tiny travel bottle opening. The shampoo inevitably bubbles over and spills as I reach for the screw-on cap, which never fits quite right, and I end up spilling more. Awesome. 

When my aforementioned friend gushed over the Ourshine travel bottles on Amazon, I knew I had to to give them a whirl. And when my package arrived and I got my hands on them, I couldn’t deny that they were travel bottles of a different caliber.

Inside a clear zippered pouch were bottles and jars as bright as popsicles with hearts on the front, made from ultra-squishy silicone. Big check for attractive packaging. Investigating further, I noticed that the bottle neck extended up through the cap’s base to form the rim. I flipped open the top cap and squeezed the bottle. It deflated, but didn’t immediately fill up with air when I opened my fist—like it was vacuum sealed. Unscrewing it revealed a wide opening in which to pour my products. There were also a couple of screw-top jars with extra plastic covers inside to safeguard against leaks, and a sheet of labels for everything from sunscreen and body wash to lotion and conditioner.

They looked great and felt great. But did they work? It was time for the test to commence in my bathroom. I lined up the bottles and jars on the edge of the sink and searched my vanity for products of varying viscosity—sticky, goopy, runny, thick. Like a chemist, I started my experiment. The bottles’ wide openings made it easy to squeeze and pour liquids, creams, and pastes inside—just as I suspected. With my fleet filled, I threw everything into a small dopp kit. Then I dropped the bag on the floor. When I checked inside, nothing had leaked. 

Test number two was to see if they worked well under pressure. I filled up the bathtub, submerged the bottles, and gave them a squeeze. After they dried, I examined them to find they were still fully intact. (Pro tip: never fill bottles all the way to the top if you’re flying. As the cabin becomes pressurized the bottles deflate, which increases the chance of bursting.) Then I wondered how much product I could squeeze back into my full-size bottles so nothing was wasted. Sure enough, reverse decanting proved that just about every last drop came out. Deep satisfaction, that. 

On my next trip, even if there’s the possibility of swanky hotel lotion and hard-to-find products at international pharmacies, I’m still bringing all my own toiletries. 

TLDR: Ourshine Travel Bottles Review

• Bright and attractive travel bottle set in a clear, zippered traveling case
• Squeeze bottles are made from BPA-free silicone
• Leakproof flip-tops and extra plastic disks under jar caps 
• Wide openings make bottles easy to fill, and every last drop of product can be squeezed out 
• Five sets are available, with different color combinations and multiple options for bottles and jars: 3- and 2-ounce bottles, and 10-gram screw-top jars 
• Available (and highly rated) on Amazon, with free two-day shipping

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