There is nothing more stressful than a crowded airport, especially if you’re like me and always seem to be rushing between plane transfers or running late after having to repack your bag after security. When you add kids into the situation, the stress level takes on a whole new dimension. I swear it seems as if your luggage grows exponentially while you’re still limited to two hands. Well, do you want to get your hands back and zip through the airport effortlessly with kiddos? If so, you’re going to want the Ride On Carry On to ease your travel stress.
Anyone who has ever rushed through an airport with a young child knows that it’s harder than it looks, and it certainly doesn’t look easy. When your kiddos are young and are unable to walk, you either have to carry your baby along with all your luggage or you need to push your stroller, which is incredibly hard to do while carting around luggage and going through security. Once your kiddos are walking it really doesn’t get much better, because now they insist on toddling beside you…at a snail’s pace.
Ride On Carry On has created a solution for the toddler dawdle and changed the way we (and all of our friends with young ones) travel for good. The Ride On Carry On is a metal frame chair that attaches to your wheeled carry-on luggage and turns getting through the airport into an adventure for your little travelers. When not carting kiddos, the seat folds quickly and compactly onto your bag for easy security checks and then again for stowing on the plane in the overhead bins.
The Ride On Carry On even comes with a handy little removable tray that attaches to the unit and allows the seat to be used as a portable high chair or craft station while you wait in line or at the gate. The tray also doubles as a head rest for taller children when not in the tray position. The design may be simple, but the quality and construction of the seat and the ingenuity of the product are what makes it one of our top travel picks.
When I first saw the contraption that is the Ride On Carry On online, my concern was with stability, since it sort of reminded me of a metal framed camp chair; you know, the kind that never seems to sit level. My concerns completely disappeared when I saw the Ride On Carry On for the first time in person. The metal framed chair of the Ride On Carry On is extremely sturdy and durable and is anything but rickety. Once attached to the rolling luggage, the seat was exceptionally secure to the bag and felt very solid as we wheeled it around the house.
A house is one thing, but a busy airport (ahem *JFK*) is completely another, and the Ride On Carry On completely passed the airport test with flying colors. Since it is ultra-portable and doesn’t add any additional width to the bag you are wheeling, it really is the ideal way to whisk through crowds and tight spaces. What’s great is that the Ride On Carry On is just as comfortable to push or pull as the luggage you already own, which means your kid’s going to be grateful you sprung for the rubberized wheels and you’re just going to be happy that you can fit down that narrow aisle way with ease and don’t have to check it at the gate.
As a super duper added bonus, when you are wheeling through the airport with your Ride On Carry On, you will find that people are roughly 3,000% nicer and more accommodating, often treating you as if you are a celebrity. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you are single-handedly undoing the image of the harried parent and screaming child terrorizing the airport with their frantic disposition while delaying long lines of passengers. Or maybe it’s that adorable kid you’ve got strapped in the Ride On Carry On that beams at every passing traveler and offers a sweet “wheee” as you fly down the terminals. Whatever the reason, we have frequently found the elusive red carpet rolled out for us on our travels with the Ride On Carry On, which is a welcome change from the typical travel encounters.
Random Rave: For those of you traveling light and leaving the stroller behind, the Ride On Carry On can double as a makeshift stroller once you arrive at your destination airport until you reach your hotel and unload your baggage. Once we arrived in New York, we found it amazingly handy to have the Ride On Carry On while we navigated the subway and made our way to our room with our luggage. We even used it in our room during our stay as a safe place to set our 16-month old in while we showered or while she ate breakfast. We decided not to bring the removable tray that comes with the Ride On Carry On because we were traveling light (ha ha), but if you’ve got the extra space, I would definitely recommend it if not for this reason alone.
Price: $39.95 with a discount for buying two
Looks: Ingenious on its own, but when paired with a small and sweet traveler, the combination is impossible to resist.
Overall: Pretty much the only way to get through an airport with your sanity and all your kids.
Thank you to Ride On Carry On for providing their ingenious little travel seat to be reviewed. No other type compensation was received for this review.
That sounds really nice. Thanks for sharing!
So cute! I love the picture of baby in there enjoying the airport.
that is cool. i have never seen anything like it and would totally use it. it’s the type of thing I’d review on my second blog http://www.thriftymommagogo.blogspot.com/
What an interesting contraption! We actually have a trip by plane scheduled for next month and I’m wondering if this would be a better option than the umbrella stroller that we already own. Thoughts?
Stephanie, I would highly recommend this for airport use, but unfortunately it won’t replace the stroller entirely once you arrive at your destination if you’re using it for long distances. However, if your kids are all-day walkers or the front-carrying kind, and you won’t need a stroller once you arrive, it could possibly eliminate the stroller entirely. The other option would be to check the stroller as soon as you walk in so you have free hands to manuever through the airport with. That all being said, the Ride-On Carry-On was so much better than both the umbrella stroller and the fancy contraption hubby worked out to strap baby in her car seat to the top of his carry-on bag on previous trips. I wish I had pictures of the luggage strap/carseat tie-on disaster to post – it’s even scarier than it sounds!
Leanne