Flying with kids takes more than a bag full of distractions. These are the products, packing strategies and hard-earned lessons that help us navigate airports, flights and unfamiliar nights with less stress.
Flying with kids is less about finding the right product to solve each problem and more about the dozens of small decisions made before heading out the door. What gets checked? What stays within reach? When should you board? What happens if the flight is delayed? And how much gear can you reasonably carry before the alleged solutions create more headaches than they solve?
Some travel friction is inevitable, but careful planning can prevent the unforced errors that make a difficult day worse. Making time for meals, testing devices, downloading content and organizing carry-ons before departure removes several avoidable sources of stress. It will not guarantee a smooth trip, but it leaves you better prepared to handle the problems you cannot control.
The right products can support that preparation, but only if they reduce the work required of parents. The best items keep children comfortable or occupied, preserve familiar routines and prevent minor problems from spiraling. Every item still has to solve a significant enough problem to justify lugging it through the airport and bringing it home again.
This guide covers the gear we do not travel without and the planning decisions that often make more of a difference than anything you can buy.
Our Top 5 Air Travel Picks
- Best Mess-Free Coloring: Crayola Color Wonder Activity Kit
- Best Airplane Seat Hack: COZYBONDER Toddler Airplane Bed
- Best Packing Hack: LeanTravel Premium Compression Packing Cubes
- Best Cheap Headphones: noot products K11 Kids Headphones
- Best Portable Formula Dispenser: Termichy Stackable Formula Dispenser
How We Chose These Products
My wife and I were both experienced travelers long before we had children. She grew up traveling the world, while I spent more than a decade traveling as a professional cyclist. At the peak of my racing career, I was away from home more than 100 days a year and regularly flew enough to maintain United Premier Platinum status. I knew my way around major airports as well as I knew my hometown and had a favorite restaurant in many of them.
Traveling with our two children changed everything. Airport logistics were no longer about moving quickly and efficiently as free agents. We needed products our kids could use independently, that could survive repeated trips and that solved a meaningful problem without creating additional work. And yes, it meant carrying a lot more stuff than we were accustomed to.
Since becoming parents, that experience has expanded to seven years of family travel around the country and across multiple continents. We have had days when everything went according to plan and days when everything seemed to go wrong. The hardest have included fevers, stomach bugs, crew timeouts and 5 a.m. arrivals.
We have made plenty of bad packing decisions and wasted money on products we thought would make our lives easier. The items in this guide are the ones that proved valuable enough to keep packing. We considered portability, durability, ease of use, independence and the amount of space each product occupies.
What to Pack When Flying With Kids
COZYBONDER
Toddler Airplane BedWhat We Love
- • Extends the seat to support kids’ legs and feet
- • Soft velvet surface with a waterproof underside
- • Packs into a small drawstring bag
- • Machine-washable after spills and travel
Worth Knowing
- • The suspended section sags under weight and works better as a leg rest than a flat bed
Despite the name, the COZYBONDER works best as a padded seat extender and leg rest than a true airplane bed. It closes the gap between the child’s seat and the seat ahead, giving small legs and feet somewhere to rest while catching toys and snacks before they reach the floor.
The soft pad packs into a small drawstring bag and can be machine-washed after the trip. Our kids have been noticeably more comfortable on long flights since we started using them, and even taken a few naps
Crayola
Color Wonder Activity KitWhat We Love
- • Markers will not color furniture, clothing, or skin
- • Plenty of activities beyond basic coloring
- • Can hold a focused child’s attention for extended periods
- • Markers work with other Color Wonder sets
Worth Knowing
- • Eight loose markers are easy to lose while traveling
- • Color takes a moment to appear
- • Requires proprietary Color Wonder paper
Color Wonder gives kids a familiar activity without creating another mess for parents to manage. The markers only produce color on the specially treated pages, so an errant swipe across clothing, skin or the tray table will not leave a permanent reminder of the flight.
This kit includes coloring pages, stickers, pop-out characters and a background scene, giving kids enough variety to stay occupied for a meaningful stretch of time. The tradeoff is keeping track of eight markers and several loose pieces in a confined seat.
What We Love
- • Keeps bottles, toys, and snack cups from getting dropped
- • Works across a wide range of situations
- • Simple and easy to use
Worth Knowing
- • Not load-bearing; meant for lightweight items
- • Another small item to keep track of
These inexpensive silicone straps keep bottles, snack cups and favorite toys from repeatedly falling onto the airplane floor. Attach one end to the item and the other to a seat, stroller or bag, and kids can retrieve what they dropped without needing an adult to reach under the seat.
They are simple, compact and useful well beyond the flight, including in rental cars, restaurants and strollers. They are intended for lightweight items, however, and should not be treated as load-bearing straps.
LeanTravel
Premium Compression Packing CubesWhat We Love
- • Keeps clothing organized throughout the trip
- • Mesh panels make contents easy to identify
- • Compression reduces the bulk of soft clothing
- • Multiple colors simplify family packing
Worth Knowing
- • Expensive compared with basic packing cubes
- • Dense clothing gains little from compression
- • Saves space but does not reduce luggage weight
These packing cubes help us fit bulky kids’ clothing into a suitcase, but their greatest value appears after we land. Each cube becomes a portable drawer, keeping everyone’s clothing organized without requiring us to unpack into hotel furniture or dig through the entire suitcase for one clean shirt.
The mesh panels make the contents easy to identify, and different colors allow us to assign a set to each family member. Compression works best with soft clothing and does little for dense items such as jeans. These cubes also save space, not weight, so a tightly packed suitcase can still exceed the airline’s limit.
Contigo
Aubrey Kids Water BottleWhat We Love
- • Highly leak-resistant when fully closed
- • Survives drops and rough daily use
- • Lid opens for thorough cleaning
- • Easy one-handed drinking for kids
Worth Knowing
- • Kids must remember to close the spout
- • Plastic exterior scratches and dents
- • Plastic version is not insulated
The Contigo Aubrey gives young children a water bottle they can open and drink from without help. Pressing the front button releases the silicone spout, which remains attached to the lid so there is no cap to lose.
The bottle does not leak once the spout is pushed down until it clicks closed. Younger children may need help with that step. The straw, valve and lid separate for cleaning, and all parts are top-rack dishwasher-safe.
noot products
K11 Kids HeadphonesWhat We Love
- • Comfortable for long periods
- • Adjustable fit accommodates growing kids
- • Foldable design packs easily
- • No batteries or Bluetooth pairing
Worth Knowing
- • No built-in volume limiter
- • Requires an adapter for devices without a 3.5mm
- • No microphone or inline controls
- • Five-foot cord can be cumbersome
The noot K11 headphones are inexpensive, comfortable and ready whenever kids want to watch a downloaded movie. Their wired connection eliminates Bluetooth pairing and dead batteries, while the padded, adjustable headband works across a wide range of head sizes. They also fold to take up less room in a carry-on.
The 3.5mm plug requires an adapter for many newer phones and tablets, so confirm compatibility before leaving home. These headphones also lack a built-in volume limiter, microphone and inline controls. But for about $13, they are a practical choice when simple and reliable matter more than extra features.
CozyPhones
Toddler HeadphonesWhat We Love
- • Soft headband stays comfortably in place
- • Flat speakers work well against seats and pillows
- • Reliable Bluetooth with a wired backup
- • Battery lasts through full travel days
Worth Knowing
- • Does not block loud background noise
- • No adjustable sizing beyond the stretchy fabric
- • The 90 dB limit still requires volume monitoring
CozyPhones solve the recurring problem of traditional headphones slipping off small heads. The soft fleece band stays comfortably in place, while the flat speakers work well when kids lean against an airplane seat or try to sleep. Our kids have worn them through cross-country flights without complaint, and the battery reliably lasts through a full travel day.
Bluetooth pairing is simple, and the included auxiliary cable provides a useful backup if the battery dies. The tradeoff is that the flat speakers do not block much cabin noise, which can make audio harder to hear.
Termichy
Stackable Formula DispenserWhat We Love
- • Pre-portions formula for easier travel
- • Funnel spouts reduce spills
- • Stackable, modular design
- • Dishwasher safe
Worth Knowing
- • Threaded sections must be tightened carefully
- • Compartments can be difficult to unscrew
- • Multiple pieces require cleaning and tracking
- • Portions must still be measured accurately
The noot K11 headphones are inexpensive, comfortable and ready whenever kids want to watch a downloaded movie. Their wired connection eliminates Bluetooth pairing and dead batteries, while the padded, adjustable headband works across a wide range of head sizes. They also fold to take up less room in a carry-on.
The 3.5mm plug requires an adapter for many newer phones and tablets, so confirm compatibility before leaving home. These headphones also lack a built-in volume limiter, microphone and inline controls. But for about $13, they are a practical choice when simple and reliable matter more than extra features.
Toniebox
2 Audio PlayerWhat We Love
- • Simple controls young kids can use independently
- • Plays downloaded content without Wi-Fi
- • Durable, screen-free and rechargeable via USB-C
Worth Knowing
- • Expensive upfront, with additional Tonies costing around $20
- • New Tonies require Wi-Fi before they can play offline
- • Some features require the companion app
The Toniebox was not designed specifically for travel, but it has become one of the first things we pack for longer trips. After we finish reading at night, our kids choose a familiar story and listen as they fall asleep. That routine helps strange hotel rooms and grandparents’ houses feel more like home.
Young children can operate it without a screen or adult help by placing a magnetic Tonie on top and using the physical controls. Content requires Wi-Fi the first time it plays, then remains available offline. The Toniebox 2 also charges through USB-C. The $149.99 price is steep, and additional Tonies cost around $20, but ours has more than earned its keep.
How to Make Flying With Kids Easier
Keep One Bag Under the Seat and One in the Overhead Bin
We divide our carry-on gear into two categories. Items that need to come on the plane but are unlikely to be used during the flight go in my backpack, which I put in the overhead bin. Snacks, entertainment, wipes and favorite comfort items go in a smaller bag that stays at our feet.
That division prevents repeated trips to the overhead bin while preserving as much legroom as possible. It also forces us to decide what truly needs to remain within reach.
Medication, chargers, essential toiletries and at least one change of clothes stay in our carry-ons, even if we do not expect to need them during the flight. When traveling with infants or toddlers, pack fresh clothing for the adults as well as the children.
Before paying to check additional luggage, review the airline’s baggage policy. Major U.S. airlines commonly allow families to check one stroller and one car seat per child for free without counting them toward the standard baggage allowance. Policies can differ on international and partner-operated flights, so confirm the rules before leaving home.
Separate Destination Supplies From Travel-Day Supplies
For longer stays, consider ordering bulky supplies such as diapers, wipes, formula and favorite snacks online and having them delivered to your destination. If you are shipping an order to a hotel or rental, confirm that it can receive the delivery before placing it.
You still need enough supplies to cover the travel day and a reasonable delay. When our kids were infants, we counted the number of feedings expected before reaching our destination and planned for several extra.
Pre-portioning powdered formula saves space and eliminates the need to measure scoops on the plane. Use clean, sealed containers or a purpose-built formula dispenser and follow the manufacturer’s mixing instructions. Water can be purchased after security, so you do not need to carry an entire day’s supply through the airport.
Prepare Entertainment Before Leaving Home
Before every trip, charge the devices, pair the headphones and download anything that normally requires Wi-Fi. Open each app, movie or story before departure and confirm that it works offline.
Bring at least one activity that requires no battery, internet connection or adult assistance. For longer flights, consider buying a new toy or activity and keeping it hidden until your on the plane. Remove the packaging and prepare it for use before putting it in the carry-on. The middle of a flight is the wrong time to discover that the toy contains dozens of loose pieces.
Organize for Security
If your family does not have TSA PreCheck, pack anything that may require separate screening where it can be removed without emptying the entire bag. Keep identification and boarding passes accessible, empty pockets before entering the line and consolidate loose belongings instead of filling several trays with phones, toys and jackets.
We find it useful to divide who will shepherd the children through screening and who will manage the bags and bins. Explain to younger children that their backpack, stuffed animal or blanket will briefly go through the scanner.
If you are bringing a stroller, practice folding it before the trip. Collapsing it alone in the garage is very different from doing it while managing children and holding up a security line. I learned that lesson the hard way.
TSA does not require identification from children under 18 on domestic flights, although airlines may have their own requirements. Formula, breast milk and baby food can exceed the standard 3.4-ounce liquid limit, but they should be declared and removed for separate screening. Review the current TSA guidance before departure because screening procedures can change.
Choose a Boarding Strategy
We have seen two approaches work well with young children.
The first is to use family pre-boarding and get everyone on together. Both parents work toward the same goal: stow the bags, organize snacks and entertainment and get the children situated before the aisle fills with passengers.
The alternative is to divide responsibilities. One adult boards early with the carry-ons and prepares the seating area while the other remains in the terminal with the children. The second adult boards later and arrives at seats that are already organized.
Early boarding generally makes more sense with infants, toddlers, car seats or a large amount of gear. Dividing may work better with older kids who become restless in their seats or when one adult can handle all of the luggage alone.
Keeping children in the terminal longer can reduce the amount of time they spend confined to an airplane seat, but do not expect running around the airport to guarantee a nap. That has never worked for us. The excitement of flying usually wins, and extra fatigue has often made our kids less cooperative rather than calmer.
Before Leaving Home
- Confirm seats and review the airline’s family, stroller and car-seat policies.
- Check identification and travel documents, especially expiration dates.
- Charge devices and portable batteries.
- Download and open entertainment.
- Pair and test headphones.
- Include clothing changes for children and adults.
- Carry required medication, food and comfort items.
- Hold one new toy or activity in reserve.
- Confirm any deliveries to your destination.
Quick Answers About Flying With Kids
Frequently Asked Questions
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“If we wouldn't use it with our own families, we don't recommend it to yours.”
Read Our Story →Bobby Lea
Co–Founder
Bobby Lea is a dad of two and co-founder of Kitli. Before launching Kitli, he was a senior reviews editor at Bicycling, where he spent years testing gear and helping readers decide what was worth their money. He also raced bikes professionally for more than a decade and competed in three Olympic Games. He lives with his wife and kids on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, where his children are very good at finding the limits of whatever gear they use.
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