Have her wear one everyday pair for the whole trip, pack a single spare pair in a small hard case, and keep the backs on the posts while they're stored. Most earrings go missing on holiday in one of three places: a hotel sink, a toiletry bag, or the bottom of a suitcase. If you plan to travel with jewelry for a child, the simplest plan is the one with the fewest pairs moving around. Our safety FAQ covers everyday wear questions too.
Before you leave
Choose the pair she'll wear. Pick studs she already wears comfortably all day. A trip isn't the time to try a new pair, because a sore ear is harder to deal with away from home.
Pack one spare pair, not five. A spare covers a lost earring or a pair that needs a rest. Every extra pair is one more thing to lose.
Pack spare backs. Butterfly backs are the part that disappears most often. A couple of spares take up no room.
Take a photo of each pair. If something goes missing, you'll know exactly what you're looking for, and it helps with a hotel's lost property.
How to pack them
Use a small hard case. A rigid case with a lid that clicks shut keeps pairs apart and stops studs from working their way out. Soft pouches let small earrings slip into the lining and out of the drawstring.
Keep each pair together. Push the backs onto the posts, or keep each pair in its own compartment. A loose back on its own is the first thing to go.
A weekly pill organizer works well. Each day's compartment holds one pair, the lids close firmly, and it's easy to see at a glance that everything is there.
Keep the case in your carry-on. Checked bags get delayed and searched. Small valuables are better with you.
Never pack earrings loose in a toiletry bag. They end up tangled with hair ties, coated in lotion, or thrown away with an empty travel bottle.
At the airport
Small studs rarely need to come out for security screening. If she's asked to remove them, put them straight into the case rather than into the security tray, where small items are easily left behind.
On a long flight, studs with a low profile are more comfortable if she sleeps with her head against the seat or the window.
At the hotel
Put the plug in first. Before any earring comes out near a sink, close the drain. Hotel sinks are where a lot of earrings are lost for good.
Choose one place for them. The same spot every night, preferably the case itself, not the bedside table or a towel.
Check the bed before checkout. A stud that falls out overnight usually ends up in the sheets.
Count them when you pack to leave. It takes a few seconds and saves a lot of searching once you're home.
Swimming and beaches
Pools, the sea and sunscreen are all hard on earrings and easy places to lose them.
Solid steel handles water well, but a back can loosen when her ears are wet and she's pulling a swim cap or a T-shirt over her head.
Plated pieces are better out of chlorine and salt water. Both are harsh on finishes.
Sunscreen goes on before the earrings, not over them. Lotion builds up behind the back and irritates skin.
Sand is unforgiving. If a stud comes out at the beach, you won't find it. Take earrings out and store them in the case before a day of swimming and digging.
If one does go missing
Check the bed, the sink trap if it's accessible, the case, and the clothing she wore that day, especially hoods and collars. If you can't find it, the spare pair goes in, and the single earring left over is worth keeping in case its partner turns up in a suitcase pocket.
What we do
Every pair of ours comes in a complete box rather than a card in a drawstring pouch. It's worth keeping for trips, because it keeps that pair together. Each pair is sealed in its capsule, sterilized, batch-numbered and dated when it arrives.
Our studs use butterfly backs on a double-notch post, which sit at a set tension on the lobe and don't slide off as easily as a loose back. We use two materials, S316L Surgical Steel and 24K Pure Gold, which is pure 24 karat gold applied onto a S316L Surgical Steel core with Aunix™ 24K, our engineered gold finish, a gold-plating process. Independently tested by SGS, with nickel release not detected under EN 1811.
If they keep going missing between wears, the purepixxi Jewelry Case gives every pair a fixed place to live, at home and away. The earrings themselves are on the Polished Surgical Steel collection.
Questions parents ask next
Should she take her earrings out to fly? There's no need for comfortable studs she wears every day. Take them out only if she's asked to at security.
What's the best way to travel with earrings so they don't tangle? Studs don't tangle, but backs come loose. Keep backs on the posts and each pair in its own compartment.
Can she swim in a hotel pool with her earrings in? Solid steel studs cope with pool water. Plated pieces are better out, and any earring is easier to lose in water.
Should we pack her earrings in checked luggage? No. Keep small valuables in your carry-on.
What if her ears get sore while we're away? Take the earrings out and let the lobes rest. If an ear becomes hot, swollen or painful, find a local doctor rather than waiting until you're home.
Related reading
- How long can she keep the same earrings in?
- Can she wear her earrings in the shower or pool?
- Why do her earrings keep falling out?
- How do I clean my daughter's earrings?
About the author. Matt Westmore is the founder of purepixxi. He came to children's jewelry from manufacturing and sourcing rather than marketing, which means he has walked the factory floors and knows what is actually inside a product rather than what a label says about it. purepixxi uses two materials only, names them exactly, and has them independently tested.
