Last Updated on May 22, 2020
Nobody wants mushy, gunky soap getting all over their clothes.
But a bar of soap is often the best cleanser to pack when traveling.
The solution is a travel soap case or bag. They’re perfect for traveling and you can also use them to take a bar of soap to the gym or sports club, but they are not all created equally.
We review a lot of travel gear at TravelingLight.com and feel that the soap case is often an undervalued travel accessory.
This post has a look at what’s on offer and picks out what we think is the best product.
Packing A Bar of Soap vs Body Wash or Shower Gel
What you use at home comes down to personal preference.
But when you are traveling there is a compelling reason to pack soap in a soap holder rather than body wash or shower gel.
Body wash is a liquid and subject to the TSA liquids rule meaning you can only pack travel-size body wash bottles in your carry on luggage.
A bar of soap is solid and not subject to the liquids rule. So you don’t need to put a solid soap bar in your quart-sized baggie when going through the TSA security checkpoint.
You can pack as many soap bar cases as you want in your luggage, it’s even possible to get shampoo bars that work just as well as their liquid counterparts. And a bar of laundry soap allows you to wash your underwear in the hotel sink so you don’t need to pack as many clothes.
By switching liquids for solids you can make packing carry on luggage a lot easier.
Also, a bar of soap lasts a lot longer than body wash. I’ll be lucky is a travel-size bottle of shower gel will last me 2 showers but a bar of soap can last for weeks.
All this means that soap is a great option to pack when traveling, but you do need a travel soap dish or at the very least a ziplock bag to stop your clothes from getting wet from the soap bar.
What Makes A Good Travel Soap Dish?
It might seem like a simple product but there are still some things that a travel soap case needs to do well.
A good travel soap case:
- Protects Your Soap Bar – It’s important to let soap dry after use. If a bar of soap stays wet too long or it goes all soft and mushy.
- Doesn’t leak! – You have a quick shower and then immediately pack to get ready to check out your accommodation. Your soap bar is still going to be wet and you’d better hope your travel soap case doesn’t leak or you’ll get gunk all over your suitcase.
- Is the Right Size – Your soap container needs to be able to fit your soap bars. Make sure your soap holder is the right dimensions to hold the bar of soap that you want to pack but not be too large that it takes up space in your bag.
- Is Not Too Heavy – We’re all about traveling light here so we don’t want a soap case that’s going to add unnecessary weight to our case.
If you don’t have a soap dish for travel you could always use a plastic ziplock bag for a soap bag. The problem with that is that the soap gets all soggy and it becomes very messy fast.
The following travel soap cases are all available on Amazon if you buy we receive a small commission but it doesn’t affect the price that you pay.
Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Bag
The Matador soap bag is made with water-repellent material. This means that any splashes don’t penetrate the bag.
The fabric is also breathable so if your soap bar is damp when you put it in the bag it will be dry next time you take it out.
Frequent travelers love this travel soap case. It’s very useful when packing.
Pros
- The design means that the bag stops the gunk from getting on your clothes but allows the soap bar to dry
Cons
- Not easy to get the soap in and out of the bag. Since it’s not a soap case it doesn’t function as a soap dish or a soap holder while you are in the shower.
Carry-Dri Vented Travel Soap Case
The Carry-Dri makes some bold claims. A plastic soap case that doesn’t leak but also has vents? Surely that’s not possible.
But yet it seems like they’ve pulled it off. Many people love this soap dish for travel precisely because it’s vented and stops their soap bar from getting soggy but doesn’t leak water drips into your clothes.
If you’ve just recently had a shower it might be an idea to pack this in an outer pocket of your bag just in case. That way any drips that did escape the container would evaporate quickly.
Pros
- It’s vented so your bar of soap can dry off
- Water won’t spill on your clothes
Cons
- It will still get messy inside the case and you’ll need to wash it every now and then
- The case is significantly larger than the soap bar it holds
Carry-Dri made this video that shows their product.
Kiasona Travel Soap Case Box
The Kiasona is a hard plastic soap box that fits a normal-sized soap bar.
The included band gives extra security that the case won’t open accidently but can be a little tight to get on and off.
Inside the case, there is a sponge that is designed to wick away moisture from the soap bar so that it retains its shape.
Pros
- Airtight and doesn’t leak
Cons
- Despite the sponge, the soap bar can still degrade and become a bit soggy
PUTING Portable Soap Saver
The Puting brand of soap dishes is a more affordable option. You can get a pack of 4 soap dishes from the same price that other sellers charge for 1 dish.
That makes it a great option if you are taking more than 1 bar of soap on your trip, for example, a shampoo bar or a laundry bar.
It’s also economical if your traveling partner needs a soap case too.
Pros
- Economical multipack
Cons
- They don’t close airtight (although some people might view this as a pro)
Final Thoughts
The best travel soap case is a thing of personal preference. There is some innovation but most products are relatively similar. The ones we’ve looked at in this post give a fair representation of what’s on offer.