Kid friendly travel products for your upcoming summer vacation

Taking the kids with you this summer? As exciting as the plane or car ride may be, eventually your little ones will become bored, and some may start playing that fun game called “kick the seat”. The products in this lineup may not all be designed to entertain your kids, but they can make your own trip a little more enjoyable.
Trunki

Trunki is probably the most kid friendly luggage on the market. As you can see from the photo, the luggage looks pretty cool (if you are under 10 that is). Kids can pull their own suitcase through the airport, but it is also sturdy enough to sit on and be pulled by their parents. The cases are available in several bright colors.

Price: $49.95
Where: Most major online luggage retailers

iFrogz Tadpole case + headphones

The Apple iPod is perfect for kids – it has the ability to keep them quiet for the duration of an episode of Dora, Diego or <insert their favorite TV show here>. Of course, with $300 in electronics comes the risk that they’ll drop it. The iFrogz Tadpole kit is designed to protect your iPod, and consists of a silicone rubber case with large handles and a pair of kid friendly headphones.

The case is designed for the iPod classic (all sizes). The headphone have a standard jack, so you can also use them on the in-flight entertainment system as a better fitting option than the headphones provided by the airline. The headphones also provide some basic volume reduction, to keep their little ears safe.

Where: www.ifrogz.com
Price: $14.95

CARES harness

Fellow Gadling blogger (and Flight attendant) Heather Poole mentioned the CARES harness last year, and it really is the kind of product you just need to invest in if you plan to fly with young kids. CARES straps around the back of your seat (you’ll have to ask the person behind you to help out if they are already in their seat), and once installed, it provides a secure way to strap your little one in.

The product is FAA approved, and the official FAA child safety page even uses a photo of a CARES harness in their briefing. The best part of the product is that it is becoming pretty popular, which means you won’t run into any flight crew member who hassles you over using it.

Price: $74.95
Where: www.kidsflysafe.com

Plane clean air

Plane Clean Air may seem like the perfect product for the hypochondriac, but after the recent swine flu scare, it may make more sense than ever. Plane Clean Air is a small device that attaches to the vent above your head. Its built in filter blocks up to 99.5% of bacteria, viruses and germs.

It obviously won’t filter germs coming from fellow passengers, but given the speed of the air coming out of the vent, any way to clean that a little more is pretty neat.

Price: $19.95 + $6.95 for replacement filters
Where: www.planecleanair.com

Zoombak

Zoombak is the high tech equivalent of a long leash – the device incorporates a GPS receiver and cellular phone in one compact unit. Zoombak is small enough to be attached to a child, stroller or even a dog, and can send you an alert any time the device moves outside a predetermined “zone”.

In addition to this, you can track its location at any time using a web browser, or through a text message on your mobile phone. One of the accessories in the Zoombak lineup is a small pouch with a clip, making it easy to clip the unit to a backpack or belt loop.

Price: from $99 + $9.99 monthly subscription fee
From: www.zoombak.com and many online retailers

Heys Disney luggage

Nemo, Cars, Pooh, Tinkerbell, Mickey, Minnie, Princess
Price: from $55
From: most online luggage retailers

Sarahbelli “Tray Bien Kid”

The Sarahbelli “Tray Bien” is a tray table mounted pouch, with plenty fo space for the kind of stuff you’ll need to keep your kid(s) entertained during your flight. The product is great for storing stuff, and it doubles as a place mat, to prevent getting crayon all over the table.

Price: $39.95
Where: www.sarahbelli.com