Is the Flyaway Kids Bed the ultimate long-haul sleep solution?

Can you really get your kids to sleep comfortably on a plane?

We are always thrilled when we see new products on the market aimed at the travelling family.  The Flyaway Kids Bed really lit our eyes up!

Small enough it can fold into your carry on, but inflating large enough to not only act as a footrest but a complete toddler bed?! Sounded too good to be true, but how would it work in practice? 

We recruited the help of fellow UAE expat mum Liz to help us with this detailed review of the Flyaway Kids Bed so you can decide if it’s the right thing for you. The product was tested flying on Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Manila. 

This post is part of our Tried & Tested Travel Gear Series – pop over  and see all the hand travel products we’ve reviewed

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Essential Facts to Know about the Flyaway Kids Bed

Unlike similar flying products on the market that provide you with an inflatable footrest that needs to fit into the crushing depths of an economy class seat gap (on average a tiny 30″-31″gap), the Flyaway Kids Bed is designed to be a flat mattress, with solid inflatable support for the legs. 

What Airlines will allow the Flyaway Kids Bed to be used.

Flyaway Kids Bed has been IATA approved as safe for use, however, many airlines still impose a ban on sleep device products that attach to the seat.  Flyaway Designs has provided this listing of approved airlines.

We also regularly monitor the situation and get feedback from our readers on what is allowed.  You can find our full airline guidance (along with handy plane sleeping tips!) here. 

So how did it work on the plane?

Handing over to Liz for her review with a 3-year-old flying on economy class on Etihad for a 9-hour flight.

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“Long-haul flight plus toddler is equal to a parent’s nightmare. I never realize this until it crossed my mind that my child has totally outgrown the bassinet. How time flies so fast! Getting them to sleep while seated is an issue, especially when your child rolls on their sleep.

I remember the last time we flew from Abu Dhabi to Manila with Etihad which is a 9 hours flight and he was 26 months old, his legs were on my chair while I sleep on my back and my hips were pushed forward almost to the edge of my seat. Also, there was a time when he was not comfortable and could not sleep at all, he will ask us to rock him to sleep and it stayed for hours! Just a few of the sacrifices a parent does for their little ones.

Then here comes the lifesaver Flyaway Kids Bed – one of the best travel investments you will ever have.”

The FyAway Kids Bed Packaging

When we got our hands on Flyaway Kids Bed, we were thrilled to what it can offer. The contents include the Flyaway inflatable bed, a manual hand pump, a hose to attach, user’s instructions and a black pouch. The inflatable bed is a bit bulky but can fit in your hand baggage.

The user’s instructions are not complicated and easy to understand. I didn’t get any problem setting-up at first when we tried it at home. It only took us a minute or two to inflate it like what it says on the packaging.

The bed like all inflatables are made of plastic so it smells plastic. But if you will cover it with a blanket and a small pillow the smell could go away not much of a bother. My child had it tested at home so he can be accustomed prior to setting it on the plane and he’s excited to think he has his own bed at plane!

Using the product on-board

When we were on our way to the airport, we have asked several flight attendants in Etihad Airways if we could use an inflatable bed. Some staff, especially in the city terminal, were not aware of the rule but the flight attendants on the plane allowed us to inflate it as soon as we took off.

Whilst waiting to take off, we placed the Flyaway Kids Bed just under our feet where it perfectly fits. As soon as the plane took off, we set-up the bed and inflated it with the pump. We successfully inflated it without having to cause any trouble. The sound of the pump as we used it didn’t bother the other passengers as the plane was much noisier. Although surprisingly the bed didn’t fully fit in the economy class**.

Although we didn’t much have a problem with it as seeing him have his own area to relax and play. We put him up against the window and this created his own little area.

Sleeping with the Flyaway Kids Bed

During sleep time, he could comfortably stretch out his legs and slept without any trouble. The little guy slept during the whole flight and we don’t need to rock him to sleep anymore.

When our plane nearly landed we deflated the bed with ease and folded back to its pouch, albeit it was a little bulky after deflating to fit it neatly back in the pouch.

With a huge thanks to Liz & her family for providing this review.

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** A special feature of Flyaway Kids Bed is that it expands to fit all economy and premium economy class seats (including the bulk-head). It has a special compartment at the top that you need to inflate as much as possible depending on the airlines’ legroom. On some aircraft, this will not need to be fully inflated.

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Flyaway Kids Bed – Products Specs

• Contents: Flyaway Kids Bed, Pump, Carry Bag
• Weight: 1.3kg / 2.8lbs
• Dimensions Deflated: 24cm x 20cm x 9cm
• Dimensions Inflated: adjustable length 60-80cm x Width 50cm x Height 10 cm
• Maximum Bearing Weight: 50kg / 110lbs
• Ages: 2-7 years

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How do you buy the Flyaway Kids Bed

New to the market, the Flyaway Kids Bed can be purchased from the designer direct here.

It costs $120 and has a flat $10 worldwide shipping fee at present. 

We do hope they will expand their distribution network to become available on Amazon Prime. 

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Comparision to other sleep products

Still trying to decide what the perfect sleeping aid is to fit your family’s needs? Pop over here for out comprehensive plane products review page. 

We also have a detailed review of the Jet Kids Bed Box a different style of sleeping product that doubles as a kid’s ride-on suitcase, and this guide to using the Kooshy Kids Kooshion which is an inflatable footrest-only product which comes in at a cheaper price point.

If your kids are over approximately 120cm, they have really outgrown the stage where a lie-flat sleep bed will work.  You will need to look at ways they can curl up in their chair and get cosy, for this we have a handy guide to other travel comfort products for kids. 

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Globetrotters Recommend

So would our Globetrotter mum recommend this product to other flying families?

Overall it has improved our journey and it’s one of our must-have in our travel bag.

Liz

There you have it – another innovative step forward to making long-haul flights more bearable for families.   

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Disclosures:  We were provided with the Flyaway Kids Bed for the purpose of conducting an honest review.  We do not make any sales commission on referring customers to Flyaway Designs. All opinions are our own. 

Images courtesy of Liz Obor-Jusayan and Flyaway Designs. 

© Our Globetrotters

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