6 Toddler Plane Beds/Seat Extenders To Consider in 2024 -

Is there anything better than having your child sleep on a long flight? I can’t think of anything that compares. Sadly, airline seats are anything but comfortable for kids to sleep on. Luckily for us, there are some genius parents and companies that have created plane beds or seat extenders allowing your child to have a larger surface to stretch their legs out and hopefully be able to get comfortable enough to sleep.

Safety note- The general safety recommendation is that children under 40lbs should fly in an FAA-approved restraint (car seat or CARES harness). If you do fly with a car seat on a long-haul flight, remember that the “2-hour rule” still applies to the flight. This means that every two hours, you should take your baby out of the car seat for a break. There is not a specific time that is recommended but is generally accepted as at least 10 minutes.

Important Note- Not all airlines accept plane beds! Additionally, there are some plane bed brands that have gotten approval from some airlines but those same airlines haven’t given permission to other brands. So be sure to verify with your airline if they allow the plane bed that you’re wanting to buy before purchasing! Additionally, products like these CAN’T be used during takeoff or landing!

Watch our comparison video on YouTube!

Table of Contents

1. Flyaway Kids Plane Bed

The Flyaway Kids plane bed is an award-winning device designed and engineered in Switzerland. It can help your little ones relax and sleep on flights better with its unique design and comfortable surface. See the pros & cons below! You can watch a short clip of it in action on our Instagram reel!

Use discount code BRIGGS for The Flyaway Kids Plane Bed.

Pros:

The Flyaway kids plane bed can inflate in 90 seconds (yes, I’ve tested this and it does actually inflate that quickly) and does not take very long at all to deflate.

I really appreciate the fact that the surface can easily be wiped clean! A lot of parents though will lay a blanket down on top of it or even a pack-n-play-sized fitted sheet. I think that’s a great idea because that can easily be thrown into the wash when you get to your destination.

Another benefit of using this plane bed is that during the times they are awake it will help keep the toys from rolling onto the floor!

I really appreciate that this brand has gone out and curated a list of airlines that have approved their device on their aircraft! This just gives a little extra piece of mind when flying.

The Flyaway bed does come with a carry bag and the pump is included. The pump is lightweight and easy to pack!

It does not restrict the person in front to recline their seat. It’s been created with a pressure release valve to help adjust the pressure on the flight.

What I really love about this model is that it keeps everything at the same level with no cracks or the potential for the extended to be lower or higher than the actual seat.

The company recommends using this for the ages of 2-7 so you’ll get plenty of years of use from it!

Cons:

It will take up a decent amount of space in your carry-on bag. It weighs 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs and the deflated dimensions are 25cm x 25cm / 10in x 10in. Inside of the No Reception Club Duffle Bag, it takes up 1/4 of the main section.

It elevates them in the seat allowing them to use the tray table more easily. If your child is older/bigger, the tray table may rest on their legs if they fold it down. This was the case in our experience. So we just used the bed itself as a flat surface for him to place his toys on.

An issue a few people have reported is that sometimes it may be hard to get it small enough to fit into the bag while you’re sitting in the seat after deflating it. We did not have that issue because we either had my toddler stand in the aisle when we were deflating the bed so we had more space to work or I would get up with the baby and have Briggs sit in my seat while dad worked on deflating the bed in the empty seat. We’ve also been able to get it back inside the original bag.

Check out a video we created about the Flyaway Kids Bed here.

2. Air Cot Seat Extender

The Air Cot seat extender acts like a hammock attaching to the seat belt and to the tray table allowing kids a little extra comfort so their feet aren’t dangling the entire flight. It acts like a hammock, allowing them to stretch their legs.

Disclaimer from their website- “The Air Cot is intended for use as a seat extender/footrest only, not to support the full weight of a child. Always supervise your child when the product is in use.”

Use discount code BRIGGS10 for the Air Cot Seat Extender.

Pros:

My husband loved not having to pick up any toys during the two flights we used this seat extender. Picking up toys from the airplane floor gives him the ✨ ick ✨ (like many of us) so he was really appreciative of that fact!

I love how it was super compact to slide into the diaper bag with all his toys, food, etc, and did not take up unnecessary space.

There is an instruction card that comes with the air cot. Don’t throw it away but bring it with you. Instructions are really easy to follow and I was able to install it my first time in just a couple minutes from following the step-by-step guide.

I love that it’s made from a waterproof canvas so it’s very easy to clean if there are spills (or your sippy cup decides to spew water everywhere due to air pressure 😂).

It may help restless legs that are prone to kick the seat in front of them be more at ease during the flight.

Pro & Con here- Because it attaches to the tray table, if you’ve got a little one that starts jumping, kicking, etc. it may cause some shaking. I have yet to experience this because on the two flights we’ve used it on he’s been super chill. (I was watching the seat really closely in front of me since we were testing this item but I didn’t see any movement when he was just simply shifting his legs). But the pro in this scenario is that it would just take a quick second to unbuckle it from the tray table should your little one start to throw a fit.

Cons:

Let’s talk about using this as a “bed” for your kid. Personally, I would use this for daytime flights for the above reasons. But because this is NOT to support the full weight of your child, if I’ve got a red-eye flight where the only thing I want my child to do is sleep on the flight, I would save this for another flight. You need to be supervising the entire time your child is using this device.

There is not a list of airlines that have approved this on their website so it’s hard knowing which ones will accept it or not.

Check out a video we created about the Air Cot here.

3. Bubba Board

The Bubba board was created by two parents that were “looking for a way to make travel easier for their kids (and themselves!)”. Essentially, the Bubba Board is a portable seat extender allowing young children to sit or even lay down comfortably while traveling.

Use discount code BRIGGS15 for the Bubba Board.

Pros:

Sometimes flight attendants will request you to put away plane beds & seat extenders if turbulence happens during the flight. (This is strictly applied during takeoff & landing but it depends on the flight attendants if they enforce that same rule during turbulence.) With that said, an amazing benefit of the Bubba Board is that you can quickly slide the inner board back into its original position without having to dismantle or deflate anything!

Not only will this work on flights, but the Bubba Board can also be used on trains, long bus rides, etc. You gotta love getting more use out of an item than in just one scenario!

I can see myself also using this as a play mat/seating mat for little ones while waiting at the airport!

The Bubba Board has an attached strap that can go around your shoulder or around the handlebars of the stroller for easy carrying.

There are multiple colors to choose from! Currently, they offer the colors purple, pink, orange, and blue.

The installation is very easy and can be done in less than 30 seconds!

This will also give your little ones a little extra space to place their toys & books on helping them not end up on the floor!

It may help restless legs that are prone to kick the seat in front of them be more at ease during the flight.

Cons:

It does not fold down into a small box-like size but it is completely flat making it easy to pack at the bottom or top of a suitcase if needed.

There is not a list of airlines that have approved this on their website so it’s hard knowing which ones will accept it or not.

Check out this video we created about the Bubba Board here.

4. Plane Pal

The Plane Pal is a uniquely designed inflatable cushion that you will place in the space between your seat and the seat in front of you (think inflatable footrest!) It ships from either Australia or UK.

Use code BRIGGS for 15% on their Australian site.

Use discount code BRIGGS for 15% off their UK site.

Pros:

Plane Pal has a unique design in the fact that the top section is a little longer than the bottom section. This is great because it allows for airflow at the base! Additionally, when you are on a budget airline, you’ll just flip it upside down so the larger section is on the bottom allowing space for the smaller legroom.

It’s made from high-quality nylon which will allow it to not easily be popped.

Plane Pal can come with a pump that’s easy to use. It took me about 2 minutes to inflate it on my first try. Deflating is quick and easy and only took me about 30 seconds to get it deflated and folded.

In addition to using on planes, Plane Pal can also be used on trains and buses!

Plane Pal has a customized safety value that ensures it could NEVER be overinflated or burst. Which is pretty reassuring if you’re trying to get it just right on the flight!

They have a list of airlines on their website that have approved the device making it easy to decide whether to bring it or not.

Cons:

You won’t be able to access the bag underneath the seat in front of you.

The pump is a little larger than other plane bed pumps.

5. Jet Kids Bedbox

The JetKids BedBox is the unique carry-on suitcase that not only can kids ride on but also sleep on as it transforms into a bed on the plane!

Pros:

This suitcase allows kids to ride on it, either pushing themselves or being pulled with an attached strap). If your child does well with this, it could eliminate the need for a stroller at the airport.

The two front wheels on the suitcase are swivel wheels which help in maneuvering better.

It does have a little space inside the suitcase to store their carry-on items.

It creates one uniform, comfortable area for your child to lie down.

On their website, they have a list of over 50 airlines that have officially approved this device.

This will work for train travel too.

It is a typical carry-on size so you won’t have to pay extra for baggage.

It can be stored in the overhead bin or underneath the seat if you won’t be using the bed function.

Cons:

If your child doesn’t want to ride it, it might be just another item that you’ve got to lug around plus hold your child.

It’s one of the most expensive options

This will be their entire carry-on which may be a bummer if you were hoping to bring more for them on the plane.

Check out the video we created about the JetKids BedBox here.

6. Amazon Inflatable Foot Rest

If you do a quick search on Amazon, you’ll find lots of different options for inflatable footrests! Many of them are similar so you’ll just want to look at the reviews and prices if choosing from Amazon. Some popular options include the Koala Kloud and the one from Sunany. Many of the pros & cons are similar to the Plane Pal which we featured above so I won’t repeat the same information twice. Below you’ll find the pros & cons that make Amazon inflatable footrests different from the Plane Pal.