Travelling with mini explorers made easy
Every parent reading this will nod their heads when we say that planning – and then successfully executing – a family travel adventure with toddlers is one of the world’s biggest challenges. The thought of a disgruntled miniature human (read:any children under five) combined with many hours on a plane or in a car, or a few nights away from their all-time favourite place – that’d be their own bedroom – can transform even the calmest, most experienced travellers into nervous wrecks.
We’ve tested some of the newest (and some of the most iconic) products in the market, designed to remove a lot of that pre-trip pain from the equation. Each of these not only boasts robust build quality but is also designed to ensure your tiny tourist enjoys using them while they’re exploring the world with you.
Stokke® JetKids™ Bedbox™
The Bedbox™ has already proven a hit with some Aus Geo ADVENTURE staffers’ children, and it’s easy to see why. It weighs just 3kg and measures 20cm wide, 39cm high and 47cm deep, with a volume of 19 litres. This ride-on suitcase has wheels, and a strap, so you can pull it – and your child – along. The swivel wheels at the front are a stand-out in terms of manoeuvrability.
The Bedbox™ is packed with features aimed at offering the ultimate comfort for children (ages two to seven) when travelling, whether by train or plane. It fits most standard economy seats and is approved by most airlines. (Note: check your selected carrier to confirm this before flying.)
As the moniker suggests, the Bedbox™ can be transformed to a longer seating/bed option for little’uns via its internal mattress, cleverly housed in the case lid section. To access the bed base and mattress you simply pull the top lid section off, flip it over, open it to access the mattress (which also includes comfy side panels) and reinsert the lid section upside down, to present a flat surface for where the bed base will be positioned. After that, the bed base is attached to the case’s flat lid section and the rest of the mattress attached to the bed base, and you’re done. It’s available in six different colours and comes with two sheets of stickers for your child to decorate it with. Going by our young testers’ early impressions, it will be one of your best travel purchases ever.
Stokke® YOYO³ Pram Bundle
The YOYO³ Pram Bundle combines the compact and lightweight (only 6.2kg) YOYO³ Frame with the YOYO³ 6+ Colour Pack for children six months through to toddler ages. The YOYO³ Frame is incredibly light in weight for the robustness it provides. It includes a perforated backrest and a unique folding system that ensures it fits all carry-on luggage requirements (it will fit in most overhead lockers).
A stand-out feature of the Frame is the four-wheel suspension system, using Hytrel elastomer technology and what Stokke® dubs its ‘Soft Drive’ system. Translated, the pram’s forgiving suspension absorbs any shock or vibration from rugged terrain, before those bumps reach the relaxed/sleeping occupant. That’s a win in our books!
The 6+ Colour Pack includes a redesigned seat pad and pillow, an extendable canopy to protect your child from the sun’s rays, and a window you can access/open to check how your child is travelling. The Stokke® YOYO³ Pram Bundle includes a handy travel bag, and there’s a choice of nine colours.
BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light
This travel cot continues the lightweight theme, weighing in at only 6kg (that weight includes the carry bag) with a strong steel frame and mesh fabric walls for optimum ventilation and occupant comfort. Plus, it gives your little adventurer the chance to look out and check their surroundings.
The cot measures 82cm wide, 112cm long and 64cm in height when assembled, and 49cm x 60cm x 14cm when folded into its carry bag. The set-up for this cot is straightforward and fast, and there are no loose parts that need to be fitted (and that can easily be lost).
Impressively, the cot’s fabrics meet the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class 1 for infant products, which translates to them being friendly to sensitive skin. The cot fabrics – and included mattress – are machine washable, too. There’s also an optional accessory fitted sheet (organic cotton) available for additional cost.
See Stokke and Baby Bjorn for more info on these and other products.
