Don’t Buy a Baby Hammock for Plane
If you are a parent with kids, you must have realised that travelling with them during a long flight becomes unbearable. Kids constantly throw tantrums and are usually uncomfortable during the whole journey. This is understandable because, if we adults are restless during long flights, the same can be expected by kids as well.
It is easy to get a Lightweight Compact Stroller for Travel, but that’s the on-ground story. There isn’t much you can do about the comfort of your child during a plane journey other than putting them to sleep for the most part of it.
Seats in airplanes are not designed to give your infant the right space for sleeping soundly.
But travelling with kids now can be bearable with the portable baby airplane hammock that allows kids to sleep horizontally with comfort. It is a product that also solves the problems faced by parents of infants all over the world.
Baby flight hammocks are to be attached on an airplane seat’s back. The other end is usually attached to your waist so that you can place your baby in front of you. This allows you to have a face-to-face interaction with your baby throughout your travel journey.
Most of the baby flight hammocks available in the market today are in compliance with FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations for the cruise portion of the flight. These hammocks come with a five-point harness system that securely attaches itself to the seat in front of you. It is ideal for parents who travel a lot for work-related reasons or otherwise.
Baby airplane hammocks are one of a kind as they allow parents to play, interact, feed and care for their infant, while leaving both hands free. The baby hammock allows parents to have their hands free during the cruise portion of the flight. This means they can do other activities like reading a magazine, eating food, changing diapers and so on.
Need for a Baby Hammock for Planes
Parents travelling with infants during a long journey cannot possibly hold a baby in one position for a long period of time. It is both uncomfortable and painful for the parent and the baby. Therefore to make it easier for parents, a baby plane hammock is essential during flight travels. But the product must conform to all safety standards set by Aviation Authorities and must be simple to use. Baby airplane hammocks are available with travel bags that are easy to pack and carry on the go.
Flyebaby Hammock for Plane Review
There are mixed responses regarding Flybaby hammock in the market. Many people have complaints that this baby airplane hammock comes in one size only and isn’t universal in nature. It can be used for babies up to the age of 5 months only. This could change with respect to different sizes and age of the baby.
Some customers complain that the hammock doesn’t work on all planes because it needs to attach to a tray. Each plane has a different tray or chair style, thus making the product restrictive in terms of its use.
Remember that this baby hammock product can only be used during the cruise portion of the flight.
Parents must not use it during takeoff or landing. Turbulence occurs during long hour flights and the baby flight hammock isn’t approved for use during turbulence.
This constant hassle of detaching and attaching the hammock on to the seat makes the product inefficient. When the hammock is not used to cradle a baby, it is used to place your feet upon, by attaching it to the lower end of the chair in front of you.
Recommended: Best Baby Hammocks in UK
Why shouldn’t you get a Baby Airplane Hammock?
1. Flights do not allow
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not approve the use of baby airplane hammock during takeoff, landing or taxiing of your flight. Even during periods of turbulence, a baby hammock cannot be used because it is unsafe for the infant. Turbulence could happen anytime and detaching the baby hammock frequently during a long journey could be very tedious. Currently, two Australian airlines, Qantas and Jetstar have banned the use of baby airplane hammocks and other baby sleeping devices keeping in mind the safety of infants during flight journeys.
2. Different tray/chair style
As per the reviews by verified customers, these baby hammocks cannot be used in every flight because of the different styles of chairs installed in these airplanes. Moreover, certain airlines have various types of food trays attached to the back of the seat. This could either be sturdy or lightweight. If the food tray attached to the seat of your flight does not support a weight equivalent to the weight of your child, it is risky to attach the baby hammock and cradle your infant in it.
3. Problematic if the front seat get Reclined
The website mentions that you must attach the baby hammock and notify the passenger sitting in front of you about the hammock. You must request them to inform you in advance when they decide to recline their seat backwards. Usually asking such a favour from a stranger is an uncomfortable task to do. This could even disturb the passenger unnecessarily. Parents may also not want to bother strangers in the flight by asking them a favour. Moreover it could be possible that the stranger forgets to inform you and reclines his/her seat suddenly, causing harm to your infant.
4. Very less space
The baby hammock cannot be used in case you are travelling in the economy seating area of the flight. Generally flights do not provide enough space for passengers that book their seats in the economy sitting area. Hence it becomes difficult for you to attach the baby hammock. Moreover, if the passenger seating in front of you decides to recline his/her seat, you are left with almost no space at all for the baby flight hammock.
If you book your flight seats in the premium or business sitting area, you’ll probably end up having too much leg space. The baby hammock is attachable and usable in the business seating area of certain flights only. In flights where the leg space is beyond the length of the hammock, the product cannot be used. Moreover, different airlines have different leg space for the seats that are next to the emergency exit. The baby airplane hammock may or may not fit in the area provided. The hammock needs to be tried and tested for attachment in different airlines, with different seating arrangements.
Our Advice
Since the baby airplane hammock comes with a lot of drawbacks and safety concerns it is advisable to not purchase this commodity. Moreover, this utility is intended for infant use. Infants are very vulnerable and risking their safety for a product that isn’t up to the mark is a bad idea.
Although Flybaby has come up with a product that intends to solve travel hassles of parents with infants during a long journey. But the product could be better developed in terms of durability and flexible length adjustments. Besides, the product must be available in different sizes to target every infant. Apart from this, more product safety testing has to be carried out to come up with a final baby hammock that is suitable for use during takeoff, landing, taxing and turbulence as well.
Laura is a trained primary teacher who takes a profound liking in interacting with and bringing out the best in children. She is also an ISSA certified pediatrician with an extensive practice of over 12 years. Laura comprehends the needs of infants and now compresses her expertise into writing thorough parenting guides to aid new parents.
