I've Traveled with Wine for Years, and This Is My $9 Secret to Keeping It Safe in My Suitcase

I almost never check luggage. After losing multiple suitcases and spending far too many hours waiting in bag drop lines and baggage claim, I’ve become an extremely light packer to ensure everything I need fits securely in the plane’s overhead bin. There’s only one exception, and that is when the trip involves wine.

I’ve been a drinks writer for three years, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit numerous vineyards and wineries across the country and around the world. And once I taste a bottle I love, I know I have to bring some home for my friends and family as souvenirs — and some for myself, for good measure. 

I’ve learned the hard way that this isn’t always an easy feat. For years, I wrapped my bottles in sweatshirts and towels as makeshift padding and hoped for the best. And perhaps unsurprisingly, I’ve had my fair share of bottles burst in transit — dyeing my clothes and toiletries a deep red hue. But just last year, I found a solution that’s inexpensive and actually works.

Monkkino Wine Bottle Travel Protector Bags

This set of 8 inflatable cushions has made traveling with my favorite bottles a breeze. The bags are packed flat before use, saving you valuable space in your luggage for your outbound flight and measure just 4.5- by 13-inches. Once you’re ready to pack wine into your checked baggage, all you have to do is pump air into the fill port using the kit’s included pump to inflate the bubble wrap-like casing, place your bottle inside, and zip up your suitcase. 

Each plastic protector features seven individual columns, ensuring that a puncture in one area does not impact the others. This design guarantees your wine is safeguarded against leakage, no matter how bumpy the journey gets. It’s like bubble wrap, only better. 

While I’ve used them most often for wine, they also work great for spirits bottles and other breakable items such as drinking glasses, electronics, and more. Unfortunately they don’t deflate once they’ve been used, but luckily they can be purchased in bulk at just over 60 cents a unit. The bags are also self-sealing, so you won’t even need to add tape!

If you’re going through the trouble of checking your bags, you might as well fill them with great wine. Learn from my mistakes and stash a few of these in your duffel to avoid broken bottles and dreams — it’ll only cost you $9.

At the time of publishing, the price was $9.