JetKids by Stokke is a ride-on suitcase for kids that upgrades their economy seat into a lie-flat bed. Senior travel new editor Michelle Baran recently tried it out with her two kids. Here’s what she loved and didn’t love in this honest review of the popular children's suitcase.
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CREDITS
Claudia Cardia - Video Editor
Jessie Beck - Senior Manager, SEO & Video
Elizabeth See - Designer
Sarika Bansal - Editorial Director
Michelle Heimerman - Photo Editor
Michelle Baran - Senior Travel News Editor
FOOTAGE / PHOTOGRAPHY
Michelle Baran
Read more about our favorite travel gear for families: https://rebrand.ly/7l59xb0
----
CONNECT WITH AFAR
Afar.com is a digital and print magazine that publishes travel tips, guides, news, and stories: https://www.afar.com
Get updates on the latest articles, travel news, and more from AFAR by signing up for the AFAR newsletter: https://afar.com/newsletters
Follow AFAR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia
Follow AFAR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afarmedia
Follow AFAR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia
Follow AFAR on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afarmedia
----
CREDITS
Claudia Cardia - Video Editor
Jessie Beck - Senior Manager, SEO & Video
Elizabeth See - Designer
Sarika Bansal - Editorial Director
Michelle Heimerman - Photo Editor
Michelle Baran - Senior Travel News Editor
FOOTAGE / PHOTOGRAPHY
Michelle Baran
Category
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TravelTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:01 You may have seen kids rolling around
00:03 on these funny looking suitcases at the airport.
00:05 Well, recently, mine were two of them.
00:08 (upbeat music)
00:11 This suitcase is called JetKids by Stokke.
00:16 And today I'm gonna show you what it was like
00:18 to actually travel with them on a two week trip to Europe.
00:22 So Stokke is a Norwegian company
00:23 that designs all kinds of great kids gear,
00:26 both for the home and for travel.
00:28 One product they make is the JetKids by Stokke
00:30 ride on suitcases.
00:32 Not only can kids ride these carry-ons to the airport,
00:35 but they also include padding that unfolds
00:37 to change an economy seat into a small life-hack bed
00:41 for tiny travelers.
00:42 The top of the Stokke suitcase pops up
00:44 to create a platform that serves as a footrest
00:47 and the kids can stretch out.
00:48 As soon as we received the Stokke's in the mail,
00:52 both of my kids were over the moon excited.
00:55 They had so much fun decorating them
00:57 with the included stickers
00:58 and immediately started riding them all over the house.
01:01 Packing them however, was a little tight.
01:04 The padding for the life-hack beds
01:05 takes up a lot of space inside the suitcase.
01:08 But with the small additional backpacks,
01:10 which you can buy as an add-on for $40
01:12 and some creative Tetris work,
01:14 we were able to make it all fit.
01:16 The ride-on aspect was by far the biggest plus
01:20 of the JetKids by Stokke suitcases.
01:22 It allowed the kids to quote unquote,
01:24 carry their own things.
01:25 They didn't need to be carried by us
01:27 and they just proved to be so much fun in the airports.
01:30 And we got huge smiles from passengers and flight crew
01:33 who were so amused by them.
01:35 When my son and daughter got tired
01:36 of scooting themselves around,
01:38 we simply got out the longer handles and pulled them along,
01:41 which is still much easier than carrying them.
01:43 I was worried the kids might be a bit big,
01:45 but at four and six years old,
01:47 their ages were honestly perfect
01:49 for these ride-on suitcases
01:50 because they could actually push themselves around.
01:55 Sadly, the bed conversion aspect,
01:57 which I was pretty excited about,
01:59 was a bit of a flop for me.
02:01 It helped get my kids excited
02:03 about being in their airplane seats
02:04 and set the stage for bedtime
02:06 and getting cozy on our overnight flight to Europe,
02:08 but the padding just does not stick to the seat
02:11 and inevitably gets pushed down
02:12 and off the seat while they sleep.
02:14 Ultimately, they did sleep out of necessity,
02:17 but I'm not sure how much the padding helped, if at all.
02:20 For future trips, I might just skip it
02:22 and save the space it takes up in the suitcase.
02:25 Or I'll try to think of a way to make it stick better.
02:27 Parents, if you've figured out anything to help with this,
02:30 let me know in the comments below.
02:31 Okay, we're back from Europe,
02:35 and I just have to say that the amount of joy
02:38 and convenience these brought us, our kids,
02:41 everyone around us at the airports,
02:43 the JetKids by Stokke are such a fun addition
02:46 to the gear roster for traveling families,
02:49 and my verdict is they are well worth the $230 they cost.
02:53 (upbeat music)