There’s a piece of advice that gets shared regularly on social media, a travel “hack” for parents of young children, that says to just slip them onto your suitcase and roll them through the airport. Genius, right? So much easier than carrying the child, as well as your bags, after you’ve checked the stroller!
What could be easier than slipping them over your rollaboard’s handles, like they’re a laptop bag?
Method of carrying a child with a suitcase pic.twitter.com/IHYNqzIl6H
— Enez Özen | Enezator (@Enezator) January 25, 2024
I first spotted this advice online a year ago. My eyes popped out, and I wrote that I’d worry about losing control of the bag over uneven ground. After all, suitcases tip over! Sometimes the wheels aren’t steady, or the weight doesn’t balance perfectly. Boom.
Since then I’ve seen the advice everywhere.
@camillesmiith Parents, this is a game changer for real when it comes to traveling with toddlers! #toddler #travel #miamilly #momhack #travelhack #airporthack #fyp #familytravel #suitcase #travelmusthave #travelingwithkids ♬ original sound – Vinny and Moe
Millions of people are watching these videos, and generally eating them up. But this seems dangerous to me. Would you mount your child to a suitcase and roll them through the airport, confident that you’d never stumble with the bag and drop it? Suitcases tip over!
I actually purchased a few riding Mia Mily suitcases for our kids (1 and 3) that have built in seats and safety belts. They are weighted differently and with the back side and strap I’m not worried about it tipping. I would trust a regular bag to hold my kids.
Gary, what are the odds I’m going to stumble while using the suitcase – which is actually similar to a walker/rollator as support? I would think having the suitcase weighted with a child adds support for me, while guiding the suitcase.
When I was a parent to a small child, I always worried about carrying the child in my arms, carrying the child on my back, and carrying the child in a sling, and stumbling or losing balance. Odds are greater on losing balance with the child on your body, as the center of gravity changes.
Most carry-ons are not designed to safely carry a small child. Some seem to be. I wonder if this trend will grow. I don’t see any of them as particularly safe, especially if the child throws a tantrum.
It would be better to put them in the suitcase, then they would not be a nuisance to your fellow passengers.
What @WileyDog said.
Waiting for some stupid left wing sacrificing their child for a huge payday.
Of course it’s dangerous.
But so does hot coffee from McDonalds.
Think safety first when clearing airport security. Please remember to remove your kiddo attached to your luggage before placing your bin and luggage through the x-ray.
Or don’t travel with them and enjoy your time instead
Far too top-heavy to be safe.
Have I ever tripped and dropped my bag? No. Has my bag ever hit something uneven and tipped over because of it? Multiple times. Has my bag been bumped and fallen over while just standing there? Multiple times. (Usually a strike from somebody’s two-wheel bag.)
A stroller has a **far** wider wheelbase.
Want to make a safe rollaboard/child carrier? Put the wheels on the large side, not on the bottom. A folding handle instead of a telescoping one. Think kid’s wagon.
Utterly ridiculous.
When the child is old enough buy a Trunki – one of the best inventions ever. Until then a Baby Bjorn carrier is a good idea in my experience or a McLaren stroller.
Feels like only yesterday that this was a worry for me but my eldest is now 18 and 6’5″ tall!
Why would anyone traveling with kids young enough to need a stroller do anything other than gate-check their stroller? This entire ‘hack’ (with its completely obvious, not hidden, dangers lol) is unnecessary.
I agree with Wiley and Phil
As with everything else when travelling, a high degree of caution, diligence, and “situational awareness” so you don’t crash?
You can’t let go of the handle while the child is riding on the bag. As long as you have hold of it, it won’t tip over.
Yes, bags tip over. But also, CHILDREN tip over! I think they’ll be ok with this.
If the child falls backwards and crack their head. Not a good time!
Save the Planet, the slow and low IQ shouldn’t reproduce. No need to restrain a child to a suitcase!!
1. People take their children in seats attached to their bicycle, which could also crash at much higher speeds. This seems a lot safer than that! 2. A bike helmet while riding a suitcase might be an easy fix for you worry worts. 3. Kids are pretty tough and you all worry way too much.