Getting children their own kids’ luggage is a great way to build excitement about a trip and a habit here at Little City Trips we embraced with all our kids since a very young age.
Having their own bag teaches children to be in charge of their own things, allows them to always have their most precious possessions handy and leaves mum and dad’s hands free, something that can never be underestimated, especially when also lugging a stroller and your own bags around foreign lands!
However, choosing the right kids luggage requires a little bit of research.
When picking the right bag for kids, you want to make sure you get a good quality item that is appropriate for their age, one they will actually use and won’t just end up as an extra piece on your own shoulders and one that can withstand the inevitable battering luggage gets on family trips.
If you are trying to decide what kids luggage bag to buy, here is our selection of the best children’s travel bags, including ride on suitcases for toddlers and small kids, kids suitcases with wheels and day packs for kids
You can also catch the Little City Trips team discussing the pros and cons of each luggage type on our City Travel With Kids Podcast products episode.
Our expert roundup of the best luggage for kids
Kids Ride On Suitcase by Trunki
A very popular type of kids’ luggage is the cute ride on suitcase by Trunki.
This is a very popular brand for children travel accessories and their ride on suitcase is probably the best known of all their offerings.
It is a hard side children bag on wheels and children can pull it along or ride on it, something you may have seen many doing in long airport corridors, usually with great pride!
Trunki tends to divide opinions and while some parents love, it, others are not quite sure about it.
You can get a good idea of the two extreme reactions in this two posts, this one by a Trunki lover (me, we used it for years and love if for international travel especially) and here, in this piece by my co-editor Keri who was less than impressed with the bag.
Indeed, an item like Trunki comes with pros and cons:
Among the pros, Trunki boasts:
- A very cute look, which include bags looking like ladybirds, zebras, tigers and more
- A long strap for kids to pull it along, making them feel like they are out with a little pet
- A good capacity, which allows to pack a full packing cube of children clothes or many toys
- A good carry on size for the plane
- The ability to get your child to sit on it, which Is handy in airports
On the cons side, Trunki is met with resistance by some parents who find it too bulky to carry.
Indeed, if your children are likely to quickly lose interest in pulling it, Trunki can be a bit of a nuisance. However and despite this downside, overall Trunki gets our vote as it is fun, durable and a much loved by kids.
Jet Kids Bed Box
Another very interesting type of ride on suitcase for young children is the one by jet kids bed box, a piece of travel gear that works double duty both as a ride on suitcase and a leg rest for kids on the plane.
The Jet Kids BedBox is designed as a bag with the same height as airline seat and has a top that lifts off to washable mattress – the idea is that you carry it on with you on board and you can have at the same time a children bag and a flat bed for them.
Like Trunki, this is an excellent solution if your kids are happy to pull it and a little less ideal one if you are the person doing all the carrying. However, the ability to turn it into a bed for the plane makes it exceptionally attractive for families who expect to travel long haul and this is why we include it in our list of best buys.
We highly recommend you click on the link below to see the exact specs before buying so you can be sure it fits your family needs.
Kids Rolling Luggage
If you are after a more traditional shaped children bag and don’t need a ride on suitcase, we recommend you check out the cute rolling luggage by Skip Hop.
Their bags are really sweet and strike a great balance between a grown up type of bag, which you pull along like mum and dad, and a kids one, decorated with the cute animal characters.
The Skip Hop bags are made of lightweight material and they have a front zip pocket to easily reach snacks and toys, as well as a side mesh pocket for water bottles.
These bags are great to carry on plane journeys as they are big enough to carry everyday items but small enough to fit comfortably under the seat and stay within easy reach.
American Tourister Disney suitcase
If you prefer rolling luggage with hard sides, a good name to check out is American Tourister, a brand traveling parents regularly rate very highly.
American Tourister has a good selection of Disney luggage so your kids can pick their favourite character and they are all made of durable materials and good wheels.
The ones we love the most are the hard side model which has 4 wheels, a durable dual tube pull-handle and an internal mesh pocket to organise your children belonging’s in the internal compartment
Best small kids backpack with leash
Backpacks are great for family travels and make for excellent kids bags to carry on planes or on day outing.
You can choose between several styles, catering for needs ranging from small day bags to hiking needs, but the one we like most for city trips with young kids is the one by Skip Hop, which comes in several shapes and colours.
Children love Skip Hop backpacks because of their cute animal looks and parents are fond of them too as they are large enough to accommodate daily essentials and they come with a harness, which makes it easy to give a little freedom to your little one without worrying they may rush ahead of you in an unknown city!
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