Our Favorite Kids' Luggage

There is a specific sound our family makes moving through an airport, and it is eight sets of wheels rolling at eight different speeds. With six kids, we learned early that the only survivable system is everyone pulls their own bag — no exceptions, no renegotiations at the gate. That rule works beautifully right up until somebody's legs give out between security and boarding, and suddenly Dad is carrying a suitcase, a toddler, and what's left of his dignity all at once.

The Stokke JetKids BedBox ended that era. The little ones don't pull it — they ride it, perched on top while one of us tows them through the terminal like a tiny commuter train. Then the real magic happens on the plane: it slides up against the seat and flips into a little bed, which means our littlest actually sleeps mid-flight instead of melting down somewhere over the clouds. A suitcase that gets us to the gate and through the flight is doing two jobs, and it does both well.

Is it pricier than a character suitcase? Considerably. But we've bought the cheap cartoon luggage before, and it never solved the actual problem, which is small legs and long terminals. This one ends the carry-me meltdowns and replaces the airplane-nap wrestling match, and for us that's worth it twice over. The big kids don't need rescuing anyway — our twelve-year-old and Will are perfectly happy pulling the rolling backpacks, which cost a fraction as much and hold a truly alarming number of snacks. Everyone rolls, nobody gets carried, and Mom and Dad's arms stay free for coffee.