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Best travel kettles 2026: portable gadgets for trips away
Travelling with your family and need your morning cuppa to kickstart the day? Here are the best lightweight and portable travel kettles to add to your suitcase.
By Lucy Cotterill | Last updated Aug 19, 2025
Whether you’re heading on a UK city break or jetting off for a well-earned family holiday abroad, ensuring you have everything you need for a trip away can feel incredibly overwhelming.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that the Mumsnet forums are full of debate about the top travel essentials - from must-have items such as toiletries and suntan lotion to the importance of taking a selection of outfits suitable for all weathers. Packing a small and lightweight travel kettle is one item that some Mumsnet users swear by - especially if you can’t get out of bed without your morning brew or are travelling with a baby in tow.
From sterilising and making your baby’s bottles, enjoying a comforting cup of tea before bed, or as a savvy way to save money during self-catering holidays, travel kettles are a quick and convenient way to boil water when travelling in the UK or abroad. And while some hotels may provide a kettle in your room, many Mumsnet users prefer to take their own to provide peace of mind that it is clean, hygienic and safe to use.
But which travel kettle should you buy? From universal voltage kettles to collapsible travel kettles for camping, we’ve scoured consumer feedback and verified reviews to bring you the best options to suit every budget.
Plus, for more best buys, don’t miss our guides to the best kettle for hard water and most stylish kettle and toaster sets.
Best travel kettle UK: at a glance
Best travel kettle overall: Russell Hobbs Travel Light White Small Kettle, £13
Best travel kettle on a budget: Cookworks Travel Kettle, £12
Best collapsible travel kettle: Outwell 155610 Collaps Cauldron, £39
Best travel kettle with cups: KitchenPerfected Corded Travel Kettle, £17
Best travel kettle for style: Navaris Compact Electric Travel Kettle, £18
What's the best travel kettle for you?
Best travel kettle overall
Russell Hobbs Travel Light White Small Kettle
Lightweight and portable
Budget-friendly price tag
Includes two cups and two spoons
Illuminates when on
Some reviewers found the cord was on the short side
Key specs
Price on writing: £13 | Foldable: No | Min capacity: Unspecified | Max capacity: 0.85 litre | Dimensions: 12 x 18.8 x 18cm | Weight: 0.59kg | Power: 1000W
Costing less than £20, this lightweight travel kettle from Mumsnetter trusted brand Russell Hobbs certainly won’t eat into your holiday spending money. With two cups and spoons included that conveniently stash away for travel, it takes up minimal space in your suitcase.
Despite its compact size, this travel kettle has an impressive capacity - boiling up to 0.85 litres of water (around three standard-sized cups). It even includes a removable limescale filter to keep your favourite drinks tasting their best and can be used worldwide thanks to the dual voltage switch.
We love the automatic switch-off and clear illumination on this travel kettle. However, some reviewers felt the power cord was a little on the short side.
Still not convinced? Read our tester's in-depth review of the Russell Hobbs Travel Light White Small Kettle.
Best budget travel kettle
Universal voltage
Boil-dry protection
Two cups included
Clear illumination during use
Relatively small capacity
The included cups are very small
Some reviewers reported a plastic taste
Key specs
Price on writing: £12 | Foldable: No | Min capacity: 100 ml | Max capacity: 400ml / 0.4 litres | Dimensions: 18.2 x 15.6 x 9.6cm | Weight: 0.57kg | Power: 1000W
If you’re looking for a small travel kettle that won’t break the bank, this budget-friendly Cookworks Travel Kettle makes an excellent choice, setting you back just over a tenner.
With a universal voltage design, this travel kettle is safe to use worldwide and includes helpful safety features such as boil-dry protection - automatically switching off the kettle when it's empty.
It has a 400ml capacity, and there are two cups included. However, reviewers found these to be on the small side, so you may prefer to take your own. Some reviewers also reported a slight plastic taste on the first few uses, so we recommend you boil and rinse a few times before you travel.
Best collapsible travel kettle
Substantial capacity
Easy to fold and unfold
Lightweight and portable
Surprisingly sturdy
Easy to clean
Costly
Requires heat source (non-electric)
Does not whistle or notify once boiled
Key specs
Price on writing: £39 | Foldable: Yes | Min capacity: Unspecified | Max capacity: 1.5 litres | Dimensions: 16.6D x 20.2W x 19.4H cm | Weight: 0.5kg | Power: N/A
The Outwell Collaps range comes highly rated, and it's a convenient choice for families heading on a camping or caravan holiday.
While it certainly doesn’t come cheap, this durable silicone and stainless steel kettle is surprisingly sturdy, providing a 1.5-litre capacity that can be used directly on a heat source for serving hot drinks and cooking.
Opening up in literally seconds, this lightweight kettle is incredibly easy to clean, before compressing down almost flat for easy storage and transportation alongside your best tea towels.
Best travel kettle with cups
Lightweight design
Includes two plastic cups
Universal voltage for international use
Capacity for up to five cups
Free travel bag
Some reviewers found the handle got hot
Key specs
Price on writing: £17 | Foldable: No | Min capacity: Not specified | Max capacity: 0.9 litres | Dimensions: 17L x 8.5W x 20H cm | Weight: 0.67kg | Power: 1000W
While its retro design may look like something straight from the 1970s, this compact kettle is packed full of useful features that make it practical for holidays and travel.
With universal voltage, it's suitable for boiling up to five cups of your favourite brew - wherever your travels may take you. While reviewers loved the auto shut-off and boil-dry protection for safety, some found the handle gets a little warm during use.
We love the convenient travel bag and two plastic cups that are included, making it easy to stash into your suitcase and keep clean between uses.
Related: The best slimline dishwasher for compact kitchens
Best travel kettle for style
Includes two cups
Stylish design in a range of colours
Compact
Heats up quickly
Lid is difficult to remove
Key specs
Price on writing: £18 | Foldable: No | Min capacity: Unspecified | Max capacity: 0.5 litres | Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 17 cm | Weight: 0.6kg | Power: 1100W
Travel kettles usually favour function over fashion, but if you like to travel in style, this Navaris Kettle may be the one for you. Coming in three sleek colours — grey, black and red (our favourite) — this kettle will look great anywhere, especially if you want to add a pop of colour to your caravan.
It’s perfectly sized to serve tea for two, and we love that it includes two cups. It's also very quick to boil, however, the lid is fiddly and some reviewers found it difficult to remove. That being said, we still think this is a great kettle, particularly as it's less than £20.
Do I need a travel kettle?
Whether or not you need a travel kettle comes down to your personal preferences and how often you like to travel. While most hotel rooms and self-catering accommodation supply a kettle, many Mumsnet users prefer to take their own for peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that it is clean and completely safe to use.
Travel kettles can also be incredibly helpful for families with babies and young children, allowing you to sterilise and create bottles of milk from the comfort of your surroundings.
Related: The best toasters, tried and tested
What to look for in a travel kettle
If you’re considering a travel kettle, here are some features you should look out for:
Dimensions and weight - How compact is the kettle? Do you have space for it in your luggage? If you’re particularly limited on space, you may want to consider designs where cups and spoons can be stashed inside when not in use.
Capacity - If it's just one or two of you having a morning brew, a 500ml+ capacity should be ample for your needs. For bigger groups, families or cooking, however, you may want to consider larger travel kettles that have capacity for up to 1.5 litres.
Is it collapsible? - Does the travel kettle fold down or collapse for storage during travel? While you’re unlikely to find this feature in electric travel kettles, many camping kettles can be compressed to help maximise space.
Voltage - Is the travel kettle dual voltage or can it be changed to suit your location? While you could opt for a standard kettle when travelling in the UK, most UK kettles work on 240 volts, making them less suitable for international trips to locations like the Caribbean.
Speed of boiling - The more powerful the kettle, the less time it will take to boil. This also depends on capacity and how much you fill the kettle up too.
Additional features - Does the kettle include any safety features such as overheating protection and auto shut-off? Does it illuminate during use or notify you when the kettle has boiled?
Accessories included - Does the travel kettle come with any extras such as cups, spoons or storage canisters? You may also want to consider travel kettles with a carry bag, as this can help protect it between uses.
How we chose the best travel kettle
First up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the kettles we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for products that were well regarded in the marketplace.
Then, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Lakeland, and Argos to get wider consumer experiences on the best travel kettles you can buy in 2026.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the merits and disadvantages of products, scrutinising expert guidance and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.
Lucy has written numerous Mumsnet kitchen round-ups, on everything from the best dishwashers to the top Tupperware. She's also our resident small kitchen appliance expert, having researched and authored multiple kettle buying guides - including the best glass kettle, most effective kettle descaler, and top hot water dispensers for home offices.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.
Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.
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