Getting your baby to sleep on the go is one of the things parents worry about most. If you are flying with a lap-infant and not lucky enough to take advantage of a bassinet or an extra seat the Sky Baby Travel Mattress (£30) is for you.
The Sky Baby Travel Mattress is a lightweight mattress that is designed to make your baby more comfortable when sleeping in your arms. It is not a restraint but does have holes that allow you to use an infant seatbelt (required on flights inside the E.U for lap infants) while the device is in use.
We took the Sky Baby Travel Mattress with us on a trip to Switzerland. We were traveling without a stroller or a car seat, leaving limited options of places for the 9-month old to sleep on the go. As we were traveling only by train we packed lightly. The Sky Baby rolls into its own small stuff sack with a clip. We were able to easily attach this to our bags as we needed. Just before the flight I clipped it onto my purse so it would be easily available on the flight.
Once we boarded the flight and I got the other two littles settled in I tried to get my 9-month old into the Sky Baby. Honestly, I struggled for a bit. He was wiggly and I couldn’t quite figure out how to get the belt into the straps. (I tend to freak out a little bit when I can’t work things out.) I finally got the little little nursing and then slipped the Sky Baby under him and fastened the infant seatbelt through the holes.
We were on an Easy Jet flight and the flight attendant asked me not to fasten the elastic over the seatbelt until the seatbelt sign was off. The flaps are more for comfort than anything else anyway, so it was not a big deal.
The little guy nursed for takeoff and then fell asleep. I liked that I could use the Sky Baby a bit as a cover as he nursed. Once he fell asleep I do think he was more comfortable than he would have been on my arm alone. In the past I’ve struggled with how to hold him for an hour or more once he falls asleep. The Sky Baby gave a bit of structure to how I was holding him and the pillow on top let me rest it against the airplane. He happily slept for the remainder of the flight.
I relied on the Sky Baby a few times on the trip when we had a sleepy little one and I wanted to be sitting down. He sleeps well in the carrier as long as I am standing. Each time the Sky Baby seemed to provide a bed of sorts and was easier to hold than holding him on his own.
I was able to hold him comfortably and enjoy my glass of wine on the boat! I’ll count that as a win.
The Sky Baby is machine and hand washable, which is great in case of spit-up or a leaky diaper. I had no trouble wiping spit-up off the fabric with a damp cloth.
Depending on the size of your child you can use this device for ages 0-2. As you can see from the pictures my 9-month old exceeds the length of the Sky Baby but it still provides nice support for him when sleeping.
This is a needed option to the world of flying beds for babies. If you’re looking for options for older children, check out the Bebe Voyage article on Fly Beds.
