The Ultimate Spa Day Packing List

According to Lozina, the number one thing to bring for a spa day is loose-fitting clothing. “You're always going to want to wear comfortable clothes,” she advises. Wide-leg pants or shorts are excellent options for loungewear before and after your spa treatments. 

If you’re planning on adding any type of workout class to your spa day, be sure to pack a pair of breathable and flexible leggings. “Destination resort spas also have gyms so, if you feel compelled to squeeze in a workout or do a yoga session, you already have the clothes prepared for that.” Lastly, Lozina says not to forget to pack a swimsuit, especially one you feel comfortable in, since many spas will have a pool or sauna to use, too.

Best Loungewear for Women

Cozy Earth Women's Modern Modal Wide Leg Pant

View on Cozy Earth

These wide-leg pants from Cozy Earth are the ultimate loose-fitting pants that offer both comfort and style. We love the high-waisted fit and that the elastic waistband is stretchy enough that it didn’t leave marks or dig into our skin when we tested the pants ourselves. The soft, modal-blend fabric is breathable and lightweight, and the ultra-wide style is easy to slip on after a relaxing massage or mud bath. 

Best Loungewear for Men

lululemon City Sweat Jogger

$118 at Lululemon

When it comes to men’s pants, you can’t go wrong with a pair of silky smooth joggers from Lululemon; they are some of the most comfortable pants we’ve ever tried. We love joggers’ adjustable waist to get the perfect fit in the waistband, and that the tapered leg gives the pair a versatile style whether lounging at home or heading into the spa. The pants come in sizes XS to 5XL and you can pick a pant leg length in 27, 29, or 32 inches.

Best Swimsuit for Women

Andie The Amalfi

$112 at Nordstrom $98 at andieswim.com View on Gap.com

Lozina recommends packing the swimsuit style you feel most at ease in, whether that’s a bikini or a one-piece. We found Andie’s The Amalfi One-piece to be impressively comfortable both in and out of the water so it’s a great option for a spa-goer to toss in a tote bag. It has adjustable shoulder straps and the fabric doesn’t stretch or bunch in the water. The best part is that you can fully customize the color, pattern, texture, and coverage to create the perfect piece for you. 

Best Swimsuit for Men

Vuori Banks Short

$68 at REI $68 at Nordstrom $68 at vuoriclothing.com

Similarly, for men, a pair of comfortable swim trunks are essential for a day at the spa so we think these ones from Vuori are the best option. The shorts are extremely lightweight and run true to size without feeling too tight or loose-fitting in the waistband as you move. Because the fabric isn’t too thick, the trunks dry very quickly which makes them ideal for wearing in and out of the water. One thing to note is that the shorts don’t have a built-in liner but we think that makes them a bit more versatile to wear for both lounging and swimming.

Best Leggings

Lululemon Wunder Train High-Rise Tight

View on Amazon $98 at Lululemon

Lululemon’s iconic Wunder Train Tights are some of the best leggings we’ve tried. The material is soft and buttery while still providing the perfect amount of compression for working out or lounging around. Arguably, the best part of these leggings is that they come with two side pockets on either leg and a discrete pocket in the back waistband for storing keys or a credit card. There are tons of bright and muted colors to choose from as well as sizes ranging from 00 to 20 in 25- and 28-inch leg lengths. 

Next to comfortable clothing and swimsuits, Lozina stresses the importance of packing a pair of shower shoes like flip-flops or slides to wear around the spa or pool. “You always want to bring your own shoes because you do not want to walk around the sauna floor with bare feet,” she says. Since floors in the spa or poolside might be slippery, you’ll want to pick out a pair of sandals with solid traction and a sturdy footbed to prevent your feet from sliding around after an oily massage. 

Best Slides

OOFOS OOahh Slide

$45 at REI $60 at Nordstrom $60 at Zappos

For anyone who is not a fan of flip-flops, these cushioned slides offer an alternative style with the same benefits for lounging in the sauna or walking through the locker room. The slides have an impressive amount of support and sturdiness in the footbed thanks to the brand’s proprietary Oofoam material which offers soft cushioning and arch support. The slides are designed to cradle the foot and absorb impact with every step which makes them an excellent pair of recovery slides for the spa day. 

Best Flip-flops

Reef Cushion Court Flip Flops

$41 at Amazon $32 at Nordstrom $40 at Dick's

These Reef Cushion Court Flip-flops feel like stepping on clouds which makes them the best pair of sandals to slip on after your muscles feel like Jell-O from a deep tissue massage. The arch support in the footbed is comfortable without feeling too high and the soles feel sturdy with a grippy outsole for traction. Best of all, we discovered that the flip-flops require zero break-in time so you can easily wear them around the spa right out of the box without having any discomfort or irritation. 

While you can certainly pack light for a spa day, there are several accessories that you’ll want to consider. If you want to bring your own skin and hair care products for showering after a spa treatment, we recommend packing those cosmetics in small toiletry bottles to toss in your purse or tote bag before heading over. You can also bring in a water bottle to keep by your side in the sauna so you can stay plenty hydrated throughout the day. Other accessories to bring include a wet bag for your swimsuit and an eReader for further relaxation and unwinding.

Best Wet Bag

Rolling Nomad Wet Bag for Swimsuit

$20 at Amazon

After you take a dip in the pool or rest in the sauna, you’ll likely be left with a wet swimsuit. This can be a drag to store when it’s still damp so we recommend snagging a handy bag like this Rolling Nomad one to store wet items until you can hang-dry them. It is the perfect size for storing a single swimsuit and the pattern of this one is cute enough to use as a toiletry bag or carry-all pouch on other occasions, too.

Best Toiletry Bottles

Cadence The Originals Set

View on Moma.org

Since spas likely won’t carry your preferred hair and skin care products, Lozina suggests bringing your own to keep up a usual routine. These Cadence capsules are the perfect compact size for storing enough product to use after a spa treatment, and they take up virtually no room in a tote bag or toiletry case. The magnetic labels make it easy to see what product is in each little jar and you can customize the labels that come with the set of six capsules when shopping. 

Best eReader

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

$115 at Amazon $133 at Target $133 at Best Buy

If the day spa you’re visiting has a pool or lounge chairs, an eReader is the easiest way to kick back and read while relaxing. The Kindle Paperwhite gets our vote since it’s fully waterproof and can store all of the books you’ll ever need in one compact and convenient location (especially if you get a Kindle Unlimited membership with access to thousands of books at the touch of the screen). We love that this model has an adjustable light for a spa’s mood lighting, plus it packs up to 10 weeks of battery life so there’s less concern about the device running out of juice. 

Best Water Bottle

Healthy Human Water Bottle

$35 at Amazon

It can be easy to get dehydrated when you’re at the spa, especially if you spend time in the sauna or steam room. Having a water bottle nearby at all times will remind you to drink up so we think this Healthy Human bottle is an excellent option. Not only is it made of a super lightweight stainless steel material but it will also keep your water cold for up to 24 hours which is more than enough time to sip at the spa. Despite its lightweight material, we found out during testing that the bottle doesn’t dent easily so we give it two thumbs up for durability, too.  

Whether you’re at the spa for one day or on an overnight trip, you’ll want to bring a spacious bag for everything you’ll need. For day trips, we recommend a tote that makes it easy to pack your items without feeling too bulky. Travelers embarking on a resort weekend will appreciate a little more space from a weekender bag that can hold more than just your spa day essentials. 

Best Tote Bag

Bandolier Tote Bag

View on Bandolierstyle.com

This sleek leather tote is spacious enough to fit all of your essentials and it has plenty of built-in features for use beyond a trip to the spa. It has a laptop sleeve, discrete zippered pockets for wallets or phones, and a leash to keep track of your keys. Whether you’re heading into the office or the spa, the bag offers plenty of space for a change of clothes, a laptop, and a toiletry bag without looking, or feeling, too bulky to carry around. 

Best Weekender Bag

Béis The Mini Weekender

View on Beistravel.com

For weekend getaways to a resort with a spa, you’ll want something a bit more spacious like this mini weekender from Béis. We discovered in testing that this bag has a huge capacity without feeling cumbersome to carry around. It comes with a removable shoulder strap so you can carry it as a tote or duffel depending on your preferences, plus it comes with a removable laptop case that can fit in the designated pocket. There’s also a separate compartment in the bottom of the bag for storing shoes and it can be removed entirely if you don’t need to use it.