Is the Flyaway Bed Worth It? Probably Not – Here’s Why

I’ve always been known in my friend group as the one who travels, and when I shared the news of my pregnancy, a friend of mine was so excited about the FlyAway bed that she shipped one right to me since she knew we’d be traveling with my baby.

The FlyAway shows a kid peacefully sleeping on the bed during a flight in an economy seat, making it into a little travel bed. It seems like the ideal solution to toddler and baby sleep on a flight, but unfortunately, the reality was a bit different. Here’s everything to know before you buy one:

The Airline Compatibility Conundrum

Although my son has been on over 100 flights, it took us a while to test this since not all airlines accept the Flyaway Bed. And, of course, many of our favorites are on that list – looking at you, Emirates, United, and Qatar. However American and Delta accept it, among others.

We’ve been fortunate enough to leverage credit card points and fly business class quite a bit, with my son enjoying the luxury of being a lap infant, and that made sleep much simpler. Those days, however, are numbered, as he now requires his own seat. This means we need to get creative in coach.

Our test flight was with Icelandair, which is on the approved list. Perfect, I thought. This would be the ideal opportunity to put the Flyaway Bed to the test. Spoiler alert: it didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

The Fit and Comfort Struggle

The bed was easy enough to quickly pump up and is small enough to store in a carry on — I’ll give it that — albeit it does add considerable volume and weight.

However the Flyaway Bed took up a significant portion of what little space I normally gain from having a child in the middle seat, like valuable legroom. It even encroached on my space a bit and made my experience less comfortable overall. I also had the aisle seat in the last row, which is the worst possible seat on the plane. Every time someone went to the bathroom, I was bumped, jostled, and leaned on. Not having any space on either side was tough.

Consider the seat you’re using it in. Icelandair’s seats are not exactly roomy. The seat was too short for the Flyaway Bed to inflate all the way, which meant the top pillow either had to be pushed up awkwardly or deflated partially.

This bed would work best in a bulkhead or premium economy seat, but those aren’t always easy to get. On smaller and especially low cost airlines, it might not completely fit. I’d probably only use it when I know I’ll have more space than usual.

It’s Shorter than I Imagined

When I first got my hands on the Flyaway Bed, I envisioned my little one snoozing peacefully, stretched out in comfort, while I finally got to relax and maybe even read a book (imagine that!). On our recent flight home from our Iceland and Norway trip, I took it out after meal service, pumped it up, and envisioned my toddler lying right down for his bottle.

Except it looked a lot shorter than it had in the pictures, and I couldn’t figure out how he was supposed to fit on it. In hindsight it makes sense that it can’t be that long as there’s only so much space in each row, but the photos online are a little deceptive, IMO.

I’ve always had a 100th percentile height baby, but since he falls asleep on his back, his entire bottom half was too long for the bed, and would only work if he was curled up side sleeping, which isn’t how he usually sleeps.

Every kid is different with how they fall asleep, but mine did not want to lay on it as much as he wanted to jump around and climb on it.

My next idea was getting him to fall asleep on my lap, then transferring him over. But trying to transfer him to the bed was like attempting to perform a delicate ballet in a space the size of a phone booth. He woke up immediately and only ended up sleeping for an hour of the 8 hour flight. Flying with a toddler is already tough, and having him be so low on sleep was not ideal.

The Seatbelt Safety Issue

Safety is always a top priority and with extreme turbulence becoming more common, I am realizing that keeping him buckled as much as possible is essential. The seatbelt situation with the Flyaway Bed was another challenge.

Unless my son was sitting up, the seatbelt cut right across his neck. The promotional images show the seatbelt going under their arms, but it wasn’t very tight if we did that. Plus, the idea of him being jostled during turbulence made me uneasy.

Is a Car Seat Better?

Given these challenges, I’ve been considering a different approach although nothing is perfect. An FAA-approved car seat like the Cosco Scenera might provide the best combination of sleep and safety for my son, though it really restricts his movement, which he isn’t thrilled about at this age. For shorter flights, I think it’s great, but for long-haul, I’m torn on whether a car seat or CARES harness is best.

That said, car seats are designed to be safe, and while they don’t offer the same level of comfort for sleeping as a flat bed, they do provide a familiar and secure environment. My son can fall asleep in his, which so far makes it more successful for us than the Flyaway Bed.

The Pros and Cons in Summary

Pros of the Flyaway Bed:

• Lightweight and easy to carry.
• Quick to inflate and deflate.
• Durable material.

Cons of the Flyaway Bed:

• Limited airline acceptance.
• Size compatibility issues with seats.
• Difficult to transfer a sleeping child to the bed.
• Encroaches on personal space.
• Safety concerns with the seatbelt.

Final Thoughts on the Flyaway Bed

Now, don’t get me wrong – the Flyaway Bed isn’t all bad. The concept is brilliant. For the right child and the right circumstances, it could be a game-changer. It’s lightweight and easy to carry, which is a huge plus when you’re already lugging around a ton of baby gear. The material seems durable, and it’s quick to inflate and deflate. But for us, it didn’t quite hit the mark.

It’s also pricey at $159, though there are plenty of Amazon dupes that offer the same sort of thing, and the JetKids by Stokke also offers a bed as well as a ride-along feature, though we prefer the Miamily ride along suitcase for that (read my Miamily review).

This experience has taught me that no single product will be a miracle cure for traveling with a toddler. Each trip and each child is unique. What works for one family might not work for another. This may also be more useful to us in time, particularly when my son is a little older and can fall asleep more independently with his legs curled. He may always be too tall for it, but he’s also taller than almost every other kid his age.

What are your thoughts on the FlyAway bed?