The JetKids by Stokke Ride-On Suitcase Will Make You Feel Like the Coolest Parent at the Airport

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetic: 20/20
• Joy Factor: 20/20

TOTAL: 95/100

The sweat-inducing, back-breaking (depending on the volume of luggage you’re carrying) experience of traveling with young kids at the airport isn’t for the faint of heart. But the load-lightening, joy-sparking JetKids by Stokke ride-on suitcase is an investment you’ll be thrilled you made. Here’s my honest review.

First, a bit about my travel plans. It had been a whopping three years since I’d flown from New York City to California to visit my in-laws—and we were staying in the Bay Area for a month. Needless to say, my family of three had quite a few bags (and backpacks and a stroller and a car seat and omg). But a very cool mom friend of mine who recently made the same trip in reverse swore by Stokke’s ride-on suitcase ($199). “Game-changing,” she raved.

It’s more of a carry-on than a suitcase. I wasn’t stuffing my Stokke with clothing (although I did squeeze in a change of clothes for my 4-year-old). It’s more of a carry-on that comes with ample space for all sorts of in-flight projects. We packed workbooks, markers, paper for drawing, a tablet, a point-and-shoot camera (my son is practicing!) and snacks all inside. Keep in mind that whatever you put in the suitcase shares the space with removable cushioning that can act as a comfortable seat extender for your child in-flight. (That part is pretty luxe, TBH.) Bonus: The whole thing is sized to fit in the overhead seat compartment.

Functionality aside, let’s talk about the joy factor. Once the suitcase is packed to the gills, the cover pops on and an airport ride-on is born. My son hopped right on, intuitively held the handle and it was go time. (I had my own tether attached to the suitcase to whisk him along.) This thing cornered like it was on rails—we breezed through security, made it in minutes to our gate, it even handled the bumps on the jet bridge. On the return trip, when our luggage was delayed by 90 minutes at baggage claim, the Stokke ride-on was the only thing that saved us from a mega meltdown. (Shout-out to my husband who pulled my child in circles around the carousel.)

My only criticism: Depending on what you squeeze into the carry-on, you may have to jiggle the top to get it to snap into place with a proper fit. Also, don’t get too over-confident about the smoothness of the ride. (Let’s just say I may have run the suitcase a bit too fast down a ramp and my son toppled off—he was OK!)

Bottom line: I felt like I was the coolest parent at the airport. I saw plenty of other Stokke ride-ons at security and, every time I did, subtle congratulatory glances were exchanged. Better still were the looks I received from the non-parents—the coos from airport workers, grandparents, even a teenager or two squealed at my parental genius and well-behaved son holding on tight as we breezed by.

The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what's worth the spend—and what's total hype. Learn more about our process here.