An Honest Review of JetKids by Stokke, a Ride-On Suitcase for Kids

AFAR

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.  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

Transcript

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)

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