JetKids BedBox Review – First class flying for kids

We have had a Trunki for years which has done its fair share of air miles with us, but before our recent flight to Gran Canaria we had the opportunity to try out a Trunki competitor called the BedBox by Jet Kids.

When we told Holly that she had a cool piece of luggage to travel to Gran Canaria, she was very excited and after looking at photos of it she said it looks cooler than a Trunki.

This is where the BedBox gets interesting and how it differs from other products on the market like Trunki. BedBox is a top of the range ride-on suitcase that easily converts into a bed on the plane for children up to age 7.

The luggage is light grey and comes in two colour trims: red or blue and Holly chose the red case. It would have been nice to see the product offered in a wider range of colours, but I guess this is what makes it stand out when at the airport.

With an upcoming 4 hour flight to Gran Canaria with Thomson it looked the perfect option for Holly to get some sleep during our night flight. Unless you are lucky enough to travel business class or first which isn’t even an option on European flights, it can be difficult to get comfortable onboard so the Bedbox seemed such a clever little idea.

When it was delivered we took it for a trial run at home first to make sure we knew how to fit it together, rather than trying it for the first time when at 35,000 feet! You take the lid off the Bedbox by pressing the two red (or blue) buttons in at the side, which reveals the 20 litres of storage on offer and strangely the instructions which were hidden under the lid.

Holly loved using the stickers provided to personalise her BedBox and got to work packing her luggage for holiday. The mattress (which is handwash only) is inside the luggage took up the majority of the storage space on offer, but we were still able to pack a soft toy, iPad, books and crayons and some in-flight snacks for our journey.

Once at the airport the BedBox can be used independently as a fun ride on for children to propel themselves through an airport. However, Holly was delighted to be pulled around Bristol airport by her older sister using the strap provided.

The BedBox has 360-degree swivel wheels which made it much easier to pull around compared to a Trunki even with a six year old sitting on top.

Once onboard the flight the BedBox needed to be stowed away for take-off and landing but once the seatbelt signs were turned off, Holly wanted the comfort of first class travel offered by her Bedbox.

I was a little bit worried trying to set up Holly’s Bedbox in the confined space of a plane, but I needn’t have worried it was quick and easy. All we had to do was place the Bedbox in front of the seat, press the 2 buttons to remove lid, turn and adjust according to seat height at the desired place. Once it was ready all we had to do was unfold the mattress and place on the side cushions.

Holly always likes to “set up camp” wherever she goes and enjoyed the comfortable padding of the mattress and loved having her doll and teddy sat beside her on the bed.

The only issue we encountered on our flight with Thomson was that the leg room was very limited, which meant that there was not enough legroom space to pull out the extension plate.

However this did not affect the bed provided by Bedbox, Holly is 116cm tall and had plenty of room to enjoy her bed in comfort at the window seat of the plane.

I think to fully enjoy the BedBox you would need the extra leg room that is provided on a longer haul flight, it would have been perfect for our recent long haul flight to Orlando.

The Bedbox was just as easy to pack up as we got ready for landing, and even my husband was impressed. His first impressions of the Bedbox was that it looked too big and awkward to carry compared to the backpacks that the girls normally now take on as hand luggage.  However, having seen Holly having so much fun with it and how this unique piece of luggage transformed her plane seat into the next best thing to a business class seat for a child he is now a Bedbox fan as am I.

Some airports and airlines operate strict guidelines with hand luggage weight and dimensions so it’s worth checking with your airlines before flying, however most airlines (apart from Emirates) will accept the BedBox when it is used at a window seat or middle seat.

The weight of the BedBox including the mattress is 3kg which is similar to a small travel suitcase and its dimensions are LxWxH: 46cm x 20cm x 36cm.

Overall

The BedBox is so much more than a piece of luggage; it really does enhance your families travel experience – especially if you are travelling long haul or have a night flight. We covered some distance at the airport especially in Gran Canaria and Holly was happy zooming around the airport on her BedBox and with no moaning of tired legs! She liked the BedBox so much she is still zooming around our house on it.

What could put a lot of families off the BedBox however is it’s cost at £129 especially when compared to a £35 Trunki. However as the owner of a Trunki, I do feel that the BedBox is a much slicker product even though it holds slightly less luggage. It is so much easier to manoeuvre around the airport because of its wheels and it’s bed facility is a bonus – but it does come at a cost.

You can buy from BedBox direct .

We were sent a Jetkids BedBox for the purpose of this review