Technically, toddler airplane beds aren’t beds. They’re inspired by a foot pillow, but are designed with a taller height to create a surface as a seat extender for your child to rest their legs on. If your child is still young and small, she might even fit to lay her back on it and get a good rest on the plane!
In fact, many parents have said that these inflatable beds are really helpful to keep their toddlers well-rested on long flights. Some even said their child sleep for over 7 hours!
To help with choosing, here’s our list of 10 Best Toddler Airplane Beds in 2023, with all the quality products to suit different budgets and styles.
What to consider when choosing an airplane bed?
Quality is very important when choosing a toddler airplane bed because a bad-quality product will quickly deflate over time and require you to re-pump it multiple times. On top of that, it should be made from safe and skin-friendly material. And most important of all is that the brand should be officially approved by many airlines.
Table of Contents
Comparison Table
Product
Title
Features
Price
Best quality
Plane Pal Inflatable Foot Pillow
- Premium quality
- High-quality nylon material
- Officially approved by many airlines
Best comfort
Fly Away Children’s Plane Bed
- Flat surface
- Side bumpers
- Officially approved by many airlines
Best budget
Simptech Upgrade Travel Foot Rest for kids
- Affordable price
- Adjustable height without deflating
- Plenty of positive reviews
Best quality
Plane Pal Inflatable Foot Pillow
It’s the best officially-approved brand for an airplane bed
- Premium quality
- High-quality nylon material
- Officially approved by many airlines
Plane Pal was the first brand that came up with the idea of an airplane bed so that children could rest better during a long flight. It’s designed as an inflatable cushion that fills the space between your child’s seat and the seat in front, providing a space for toddlers’ legs to rest without hanging their legs. You can even use it as a ‘bed’ so they can sleep while lying on their back.
This Plane Pal is made from high-quality nylon that’s highly durable, lightweight, and folds into a very compact form for easy carrying. The package also comes with a backpack and pump, so it’s ready to use once it’s arrived in your home. And, unlike most unbranded products, it’s officially approved by most airlines worldwide.
It’s very easy to use on the plane and would not deflate over time, even if used for a long time. A parent who bought it for their daughter said, “She was excited to rest her feet on it and when sleeping, she was able to lay flat, which helped.” While another added, “I own 3 Plane Pals for my kids… It is hands down the best investment we’ve ever made for flying.”
Pros
- Premium quality
- High-quality nylon material
- Officially approved by many airlines
Cons
- Expensive price
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Best comfort
Fly Away Children’s Plane Bed
It has a flat surface for your child to lie on comfortably
- Flat surface
- Side bumpers
- Officially approved by many airlines
The Fly Away Children’s Plane Bed is a unique airplane bed compared to the rest of the other products. Instead of turning a ‘foot pillow’ into a seat extender for their leg, Fly Away is designed with a flat surface on the top, thus providing a very comfortable place for them to rest on. Especially for smaller toddlers, it would be an excellent place for them to sleep during a flight. It is suitable for children up to 110cm in height.
For added safety, Fly Away designed it with side bumpers. Not only it’s helpful to keep your child from rolling down, but it also makes an excellent place for them to play with their toys, as it would prevent the toy from falling to the floor. Apart from that, it’s also easy to clean with a simple wipe of a wet fabric – something you can ask the flight attendant for. Like the Plane Pal above, it’s also approved by many airlines. You can check the list here.
Pros
- Flat surface
- Side bumpers
- Officially approved by many airlines
Cons
- Expensive
- Take more time to assemble
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The more affordable premium choice
Aestoria Inflatable Foot Rest Air Travel
Though a premium product, it comes at an interesting price
- Affordable for a premium product
- Integrated pump design
- 3 adjustable positions
Comes at around £70 price range, this Aestoria Inflatable Foot Rest is a more affordable premium option. However, it still offers a good premium quality and will not deflate over time, even after you use it for a very long time.
What’s different is that instead of offering a separate pump in the package (which can take up space in your bag), it’s designed with an integrated pump instead. You can manually press it by hand to inflate, taking around 3 to 5 minutes. You can even do it without leaving your seat and disturbing other passengers. In addition, it features three adjustable heights so that everyone – including parents – can use it in various positions.
Pros
- Affordable for a premium product
- Integrated pump design
- 3 adjustable positions
Cons
- Still more expensive than most products
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Three adjustable positions
Koala Kloud 3 Height Travel Foot Rest
Offering the flexibility your child will need for a whole flight
- 3 adjustable position
- Affordable price
- High-quality leak-proof valve
As its name suggests, this Koala Kloud Travel Foot Rest features three adjustable height positions, so you can easily find a comfortable position for your child. It is designed with a unique wide-circle, leak-proof valve that efficiently keeps the air within, and the manufacturer claims it’s 24 hours tested before shipment, so you can rest assured it wouldn’t quickly deflate even for a long flight.
The downside, however, is that it doesn’t have a pump in the package, and the hole is quite large to blow it up manually – it can also be messy on the flight! Therefore, you’ll need to purchase the pump separately at around £30.
Pros
- 3 adjustable position
- Affordable price
- High-quality leak-proof valve
Cons
- It doesn’t have a pump included
- You need to buy the pump separately
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Best budget
Simptech Upgrade Travel Foot Rest for kids
One of the most affordable airplane beds right now
- Affordable price
- Adjustable height without deflating
- Plenty of positive reviews
This Simptech is one of the cheapest ‘airplane beds’ around. Despite its low price, it’s still highly rated on Amazon, with a decent 4.1-star rating from over 500 reviews, with most buyers mentioning how easy it is to inflate.
Parents also like that the upper part is removable, so you can easily change its height without first having to deflate the whole bag – something even a toddler can do by herself! The downside whoever, this bed can deflate over time when in use, so you’ll have to be ready to re-pump it once in a while – which can be a bit of a hassle during a long flight.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Adjustable height without deflating
- Plenty of positive reviews
Cons
- Can slowly deflate when in use
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Best for siblings and twins
HONCA 2 Pack Inflatable Travel Pillow
A package of two for siblings or twins
- Good value for a package of two
- Easy height adjustment design
- Lightweight
If you’re looking for an airplane bed for siblings or twins, this HONCA Inflatable Pillow comes in a package of two at great value. In addition to offering three adjustable heights, each product comes with two air valves so that you can adjust its size easily according to your needs. Made from environmentally-friendly PVC material, it’s soft and washable and weighs just 365g when deflated.
Pros
- Good value for a package of two
- Easy height adjustment design
- Lightweight
Cons
- PVC material
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Best airplane hammock
UNARK Airplane Footrest for Kids
It’s designed in a comfortable hammock to support your little one’s legs
- Easy and quick to use
- No pumping required
- 95% cotton material
Next up is this UNARK Airplane Footrest for Kids, which comes in the form of a hammock for your child to rest her leg on. While it doesn’t offer a flat surface like the inflatable pillows above, it’s a lot easier – and quicker – to use as there’s no pumping required. All you need to do is simply attach one side to the back seat and another to the front seat tray, and it’s ready to use. Quick and easy, it’s a more practical option for a short to medium flight range than most toddler airplane beds in this list. In addition, it’s also made from 95% cotton material, so it’s also healthy for your child’s skin.
Pros
- Easy and quick to use
- No pumping required
- 95% cotton material
Cons
- Not flat surface
- Not suitable for a long flight
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Suitable for older toddlers
LIOOBO Inflatable Travel Foot Rest
Suitable for a toddler that’s too tall for an airplane bed
- Suitable for older toddlers
- It comes in a package of two
- Quick to inflate
Last on the list is this LIOOBO Inflatable Foot Rest. It’s technically not a seat extender like previous products and more of a footrest, but it’s suitable if you have an older toddler that just needs a footrest for their legs to rest on. It takes only 1 to 2 minutes to inflate it fully. And it comes in a package of two, so parents can also use it.
Pros
- Suitable for older toddlers
- It comes in a package of two
- Quick to inflate
Cons
- Only for footrest
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The Best Toddler Airplane Beds Buying Guide and FAQ
Are airplane beds allowed by airlines?
Airplane beds can vary in terms of approval by airlines. Some are officially recognized, while others are not. It is important to purchase from a reputable brand that has been officially approved by airlines. You can also reach out to the airline to confirm the approval status.
What’s the best brand of airplane beds?
There are plenty of airplane bed brands available in the market, but what we think are worth considering are Plane Pal and Fly Away. These two brands aren’t just premium quality but have also been officially accepted by airlines worldwide – no worries wherever you go!
How does a 2-year-old sleep on a plane?
Using airplane beds is a great way to allow your little one to rest comfortably on a long flight. Acts as a seat extender, it provides your child with a surface for their legs to rest on. However, since they’re usually inflatable beds, you’ll need to find one that’s easy to pump and reliable enough not to deflate over time.
