JetKids Bed Box Review | An Airplane Baby & Toddler Bed in a Box!

Have you planned a holiday that involves a long haul flight with your child!? Want to know the secret to survival?

The JetKids Bed Box is a complete and utter game changer for parents who have young kids. It happens to be a baby and toddler bed in a box; or if you have older kids (up to the age of 7) it works as a nifty foot rest!

We all know that when we have a baby on a flight, we could book seats at the bassinette. But the bassinette seats can be quite tricky to come by. Not only that, but we found that our baby outgrew the airplane bassinettes around 10 months of age, which meant that we were left holding a sleeping baby for long extended periods of time (which meant little to no sleep for us).

The JetKids Bed Box is a great alternative and is guaranteed to make your flying experience with your young child just that bit easier.

How does the Jet Kid Bed Box Work?

The Jet Kids Bed Box is a very clever 3 in 1 suitcase.

1. It functions as a carry on suitcase. Whilst the suitcase already has a rolled up mattress inside, it also has space for more goodies. We loved packing everything we needed for 'sleep' purposes: blankets, sleeping bag, sleep cozy and bottle.

2. It is a ride-on suitcase. Our daughter (14 months) was too young to enjoy this feature, but if your child is 3-7, they will enjoy scooting around the airport on their ride-on suitcase.

3. It is a baby | toddler travel bed for airplane use; and for the older kids up to age 7 it makes a great seat extender that can be used as a foot rest.

JetKids Bed Box Review

Below you will find our Bed Box JetKids review as we look at both the positives and the negatives of this product. We hope that our honest feedback about this nifty product will help you to decide whether it is the right one for you.

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Read all our Travel Gear Review posts here.

Find other kids carry-on luggage options here.

Find your choice in kids pull-along suitcases here.

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What is in the Box:

• 1 Carry on suitcase that will fit in the overhead locker or under the seat in front.

• 1 Lid that can be flipped upside down to function as a seat extender

• 1 Strap that can be used as either a pull along strap or as a shoulder strap. It will also be used to secure your BedBox to your child's seat.

Whilst the mattress lives inside the box, you will still have a bit of room to pop some toys, snacks or sleeping supplies.

Positives:

• You can use the BedBox with the seat in front reclined.
• You can also use the BedBox in bulkhead seats.
• The BedBox doubles up as a small suitcase for essential items.
• If your child is old enough, they will also enjoy the ride-on factor.
• Of course the most obvious benefit is the ability for it to make a bed (or foot rest for older kids). Our daughter was definitely more comfortable sleeping this way and got better sleep on her own chair in comparison to sleeping in our arms.
• You can use the seat belt whilst your child is sleeping.
• Swivel wheels in front allows excellent manoeuvring; I have seen parents who simply tie up the box to their pram and it just follows along as they walk through the airport!
• The BedBox comes with side cushions which you can place either at the foot or at the head area of the mattress.
• The mattress that it comes with is hand washable! (Great news as ours has chocolate stains on it! Yes ... we used chocolate to shush up to tears on a few occasions - You can read more about our tips for flying with a baby here).
• It will fit into the overhead locker or under the seat in front of you.
• It is lightweight (3kg).

Negatives:

• Some airlines won't allow use of the product. JetKids is working hard at changing this and hopefully in the near future we will see more acceptance towards this great product.
• Ultimately it is one more carry-on luggage that you have to deal with. We found that when we had a few connections from point A to B, it really was a bit more of a hassle to deal with this extra piece of luggage. This will be less of an issue if your child is old enough to look after the suitcase themselves.
• We found that taking the lid off was a bit noisy. This is due to the fact that the lid is height adjustable so you can set it to the right height of the chair. But if you child is asleep and you are trying to set up the box, it could wake them up.
• I wish there was an easier way to carry the suitcase. As our toddler is only 14 months old, we had to drag the box around. We used the strap to carry the suitcase over a shoulder but as it isn't paddedwe really just found that it got uncomfortable after a short period of time.
• The box isn't really all that 'pretty', of course function is more important, but I would love to see a more kid-loving design or pattern on the box.

Who is the Jet Kids Bed Perfect for?

• The JetKids BedBox is perfect for families who are travelling with kids aged up to 7 years old.
• It is perfect for families who have the money to purchase a seat for their child (applicable to younger kids under 2).
• It is also easier to use the JetKids box when you don't have a lot of flight connections to deal with.

Is this Bed Box Safe to Use?

Yes the BedBox is definitely safe to use. But you need to follow the instructions properly when you set it up.

Safety requirements:

• Make sure that the BedBox is securely strapped on to your child's seat. If the box is loose it will move around.
• Your child should be lying with his/her head towards the back of the seat, with their feet pointing towards the seat in front.
• Make sure the seat belt is on during the flight.
• It is recommended to stow the BedBox during take-off, landing and turbulence.

In my personal opinion, the BedBox is probably one of the safest ways that you can fly with your child. Let's face it, if your child is sleeping across seats or even on the floor, they won't be able to use a seat belt. If you are holding them in your arms, their is always the risk that you will fall into a deep sleep. Having your child on their own seat with their seat belt on is the safest way to fly.

Is the Bed Box Airline Compliant?

The JetKids BedBox was specifically designed for it to conform to the standard requirements for global airline use. However, even though the BedBox is accepted by many airlines, there are some airlines which don't allow it. We recommend you check with your individual airline to see if they will accept the use of the BedBox.

Currently you can use the BedBox on all airlines except for:

Air New Zealand will also ask you to stow the BedBox away as they have a similar product which they would prefer for you to use.

You can see the latest information about the BedBox and the Airlines on this JetKids article. They keep it updated and relevant and you should be able to find the latest information on there.

JetKids Bed Box Price

You can purchase the JetKids BedBox for US $199 (AUD $254). It is available in either blue or red trim.

You can purchase from the manufacturer direct, or they have local distributors around the world.

Our Verdict

We think that the JetKids Bed Box is the great airplane toddler bed. Our daughter is currently 14 months old and she was very happy and comfy on her children's airplane bed.

When she was awake, we used the 'foot rest' space for a toy area. She could play with her doll and her blocks and it helped to keep her busy and engaged. We could lay her down on her bed and give her her bottle to encourage her to fall asleep and once she was asleep we could buckle her with her seat belt.

As we had 3 connections to deal with, we did find that it was a bit of a hassle to drag the suitcase around between all of our connections. On the first leg of the trip our lid broke which meant that we couldn't use the box on the flights to France. JetKids was really helpful though and sent us a new lid to our hotel in France so that we had a working box on the way home to Australia. We are always grateful when a product comes with great customer service.

We highly recommend that parents with young children invest in this brilliant and innovative sleeping system for young children. It really is a handy product and will aid in making your flight experience more manageable.

Over to You:

• Did you find our JetKids Bed Box review helpful?
• How do you normally get your kids to sleep on an airplane?

After more tips for travelling with a baby? Why not grab our informative ' Travel with Baby Guide ' here.

Disclosures: We were provided with a Bed Box by Jet Kids for the purpose of conducting an honest review, we have not been paid for this and all opinions are our own.

Originally from South Africa, now living in Australia, Jolene is a wife and a mother to three beautiful daughters. Together with her family, she is embarking on a journey towards changing her current stress-filled life to one focusing on her dreams and her passion for travel. She wants to share her stories in the hope to inspire you to chase your own dreams!