Do you buy travel sized shampoo bottles? Of course you do. We’ve all been there. Packing for a trip and realizing you have no small containers. Or arriving at your destination and realizing – crap – you forgot to pack shampoo! Or even worse, your airline tossed your luggage out of the plane! (At least, that’s the way it seems when they lose your bag.)
Travel size shampoo has it’s place. But I don’t want us to get lazy and buy them for the convenience.
How much of a ripoff is travel size shampoo?
To make a thorough case, I looked at the prices of five travel size shampoo bottles and compared the per ounce price to the full size. I used Peapod for my pricing comparison data.
Here is what I found:
| Brand name | Size | Price | Price per ounce |
| L’Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo | 1.7 oz | $1.49 | $.87 |
| L’Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo | 25.4 oz | $7.49 | $.29 |
| Travel price is three times as expensive per ounce | |||
| John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo | 1.5 oz | $1.79 | $1.19 |
| John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo | 8.45 oz | $6.99 | $.82 |
| Travel price is 1.5 times as expensive per ounce | |||
| Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo | 1.5 oz | $1.49 | $.99 |
| Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo | 15 oz | $4.49 | $.30 |
| Travel price is 3.3 times as expensive per ounce | |||
| John Frieda Frizz-Ease Shampoo Smooth Start | 1.5 oz | $1.79 | $1.19 |
| John Frieda Frizz-Ease Shampoo Smooth Start | 10 oz | $6.99 | $.70 |
| Travel price is 1.5 times as expensive per ounce | |||
| Head & Shoulders | 1.7 oz | $1.49 | $.87 |
| Head & Shoulders | 14.2 oz | $5.99 | $.42 |
| Travel price is 2 times as expensive per ounce | |||
Conclusion: travel size is about twice as expensive
In my review of five brands, travel sizes were 1.5 to 3 times as expensive as buying the full size bottle of shampoo. That may not seem like a lot because travel sizes are generally fewer than 3 ounces. However, if you were stocking up on travel sizes regularly, the dollars would add up.
Travel cheaply with Go Toobs
The calculation above is so we all know just how much we are paying for a teeny tiny little bottle of shampoo. It is not meant to dissuade you from buying travel shampoo if absolutely necessary. If you don’t already have travel containers, stock up on a set of these Go Toobs silicone travel containers
They are flexible so you can squeeze every last drop out. Large openings makes them easy to fill and clean, and an ID-window on the collar helps your remember what’s inside. Airplane carry-on approved, food-safe (FDA) and 100% BPA and PC-free. They fit easily into pockets, toiletry cases, and purses. A set of three Go Toob’s has received incredibly high ratings: 4.5 stars (out of 5 possible) from 145 people who bought Go Toobs. Having a set of Go Toobs makes it easy to avoid paying for the high cost of travel shampoo.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I have bought travel sizes when I wanted to try out a product or needed a small bottle because you get the bottle as well as some product.. I have refilled these travel sized bottles many times from larger sizes of the same or other similar products (i.e. shampoo) as the outside is permanent. I keep a set in my gym bag and refill as necessary.
@Myke I do the same with a travel size Aveeno bottle. I don’t need a lot for short trips, but I do need some for my dry skin. Using them at the gym is clever, too!