In-Cabin Pet Carrier

Product Description

Sleepypod Air is a revolutionary carrier that redefines in-cabin pet travel. Air adapts to the various under-seat storage requirements set by different airlines while providing maximum comfort for your jet set pet. Worrying about buying a carrier that will not fit under a plane seat is a thing of the past. Our patent pending folding system allows pets to travel in the largest space possible while the airplane is in the air, yet still allows for stowage under an airline seat during takeoff and landing. When the captain says you can recline your seat, rotate the Sleepypod Air so it is between your feet and expand the ends so both you and your little friend can stretch out comfortably for the duration of the flight. In-cabin pet travel has never been so comfortable. Straps on both sides allow you to secure the Sleepypod Air in your car. A pass through pocket allows you to secure the Sleepypod Air to the telescoping handle on carry-on luggage.

Features

• Mobile pet bed, in-cabin airplaine carrier and car seat, fits pets up to 17-1/2-pound
• Includes padded shoulder strap, machine washable Ultra Plush bedding and an instruction card
• Top and ends open for easy access to the pet, large zipper pockets on both sides
• Luggage grade nylon outside and Ultra Plush polyester inside
• Compresses from 22-inch long, 10-1/2-inch wide, 10-1/2-inch high down to 16-inch long, 10-1/2-inch wide, 8-inch high

Top Reviews

Nearly perfect! -- Ends hard to fold up
by DesignGirl28 (4 out of 5 stars)
May 19, 2015

I recently adopted two adult purebred American Shorthair cats and needed to pick them up in Seattle and travel with them by plane to my home, a nearly 2-hour flight away (thank heavens it was a direct flight!). We purchased two carriers, one in silver and one in the bright yellow/orange color. The cats seemed to like the carriers right away and we had no problem getting the cats into the carriers.

The only problem we ran into was when we attempted to fit the carriers under the seats in front of us on the airplane. As per the instructions from Sleepypod and the diagrams on the website and on the fliers included with the carriers, we tried to fold up the ends of the carriers so they would fit under the seats. They were nearly impossible to fold up! The bottom of the carrier was so stiff that we couldn't fold them up. Instead, we had to wedge the carriers in at a slight angle. Thankfully the flight attendants didn't mention anything. (It helped that the cats were pretty much silent for the whole flight).

My advice is to thoroughly break in the ends of the carrier before getting to the airport if you plan to fit the carrier under an airplane seat. I've tried to fold up the ends since the flight and they're still pretty impossible. However, that doesn't mean the carriers aren't awesome otherwise.

When traveling, I highly recommend putting some absorbent "puppy pads" in the bottom of the carriers (over the top of the existing bottom insert). I also suggest traveling with extra pads in case you need to replace them because of accidents. One of the cats pooped during our traveling. After throwing out the one puppy pad we had (and lamenting the fact that we didn't foresee to pack extra puppy pads), we hoped the cat would do okay with just the regular insert. However she threw up in the carrier at the end of our flight. After deplaning, we cleaned it up as best we could in an airport bathroom. We were fortunate enough to find a family washroom where we could lock the door and let the cat out of the carrier for a few minutes while we wiped everything down and cleaned up as much as we could. After a quick drive home, we removed the bottom insert and unzipped the "furry" cover to wash it. It was easy to remove and run through the washing machine on a gentle wash cycle. After replacing the furry cover and putting the insert back into the carrier, the carrier was like new again.

Since arriving at home with the cats, we've traveled with the cats in the carriers one other time since and that was to take them to the vet. No problems with that trip. :) I love that the carriers could be safely buckled into the back seat of my car.

If it wasn't for the folding up problems, I would give these carriers 5 stars.
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Perfect for long, international travel
by Viva (5 out of 5 stars)
August 21, 2013

A few months ago, I moved from the American Midwest to Eastern Europe and took my nine-year-old indoor cat with me. The preparation was nerve-wracking and I tried different carriers. This one was perfect and is definitely worth the money. It's flexible enough where I could take it in me in the middle of the flight or slide it back under the seat when landing; however, it's also sturdy enough to carry a bigger pet. Its best feature, of course, is its adjustable size. This bag allowed my pet plenty of room while adhering to all international regulations. I couldn't find another bag that did that.

Also, if your pet is like mine and occasionally tries to get out by kicking and scratching, this is the bag you need. It's very solid, and the black one attracts no attention. It's dark, too, which allows your pet to feel protected. If you want peace of mind and a comfortable pet, I recommend it. Before getting this carrier, I red some reviews saying that it smelled like chemicals. It did, but after I aired it for a while and washed the removable plush cover, my pet had no issues.

Finally, if you need more information on moving your pet internationally, I've posted all my resources here: http://vivabolova.weebly.com/travel. People have commented with their questions/issues, too, so that might help you. I had such a hard time preparing for this move that I want to help anyone else going through the same.
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The best airline cat carrier on the market!!
by Debra G. (5 out of 5 stars)
August 12, 2017

I can't say enough good things about this carrier. I just returned from a 17 hour airline adventure with my 5 month old kitten, and all I can say is this was so worth the price splurge! The carrier may look sleek but the pockets held 2 ziploc pint bags of litter, one large adult incontinence pad liner, 1 pint bag of kitten food, 2 packets of Fortiflora, a mini bag of dehydrated chicken and a cat toy. The inside tether allowed me to open the carrier to comfort my kitten on our long flight as she wore a harness. It was long enough to let her turn around and come partially out when allowed. Most importantly, this carrier easily fit under the seat in front of me, thanks to the ease of the foldable sides. Yes, you must first flex them a few times at home to break the initial stiffness. Very easy! Cats prefer to stretch out versus sit up, so the lower height room was fine because the extra length option was more important for us. You need to know your pet. If your pet needs more height and less length, the Sturdi Bag works for us too. However, the features are not as outstanding. The Sleepypod gave me two different options to attach it to another bag. This feature proved to be so fabulous when I had to lug my luggage through international checkpoints with the carrier. The adjustable carry strap wass also comfortable to use on my 5'1 frame. A plush, removable pad is included. I removed this for our lengthy travel day and used two Stay-Dri pads to line the base instead.

Note: I went with the discreet black color as most people had no idea it was a cat carrier until she mewed. This was useful at the airport and at the gate.
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WORTH EVERY PENNY AND THEN SOME
by K. Dawn (5 out of 5 stars)
October 2, 2016

I can NOT recommend this carrier more. Truly. It is AMAZING! I know it's VERY expensive when you see other carriers for $20-40. But TRUST ME. This thing is luxury. Our dog is a cairn terrier mix. Only 11 pounds but very long. She had a hard time fitting in other carriers. This one? No way. Even when we had to fold down the sides on the plane (for take off and landing only), she fit in it fine! There is a fuzzy, furry soft insert on the bottom. The mesh part on the top and on the sides allows her to breathe and the ability to have a suitcase slide through one side of it (so u don't have to carry it) is HEAVENLY. I know it's ridiculous but this thing is beautiful. If you are on the fence, can afford it, trust me, you won't regret it!
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Looks great but POOR ventilation!
by Bonnie (3 out of 5 stars)
May 20, 2018

Sadly, I am returning this pet carrier. I was so hopeful after reading reviews of this product -- and I have gone through other carriers with little luck. The Sleepypod Air is SUPER cute and stylish (I bought the strawberry red color). Everything I read in other reviews was true with one (big) exception: it simply doesn't have much ventilation. The sides are completely enclosed, so the mesh is only on the ends and top --BUT the mesh is layered in an off-set manner so it's extremely difficult to see out of it, and it's HOT in there! My dog was too uncomfortable after just a few minutes in it, and I had to take her out because I felt so bad for her. It doesn't help that the faux-fur pad is black and extremely warm too. There's just not enough air flowing through there for my pup, so I exchanged it for the Sherpa Original Deluxe carrier and she's MUCH happier now! She can see all around her, air circulation is great AND the top zipper lets her stick her little head out.

PROS of Sleepypod Air:

Super cute

Nicely made

Outside pockets for storage

Can attach easily to a rolling suitcase

Lightweight

CONS of Sleepypod Air:

Insufficient mesh material for visibility

Insufficient mesh material for ventilation

Pad and sides are warm, making the temperature too hot inside

Too dark inside
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Good experience flying Transatlantic
by Jenninedinburgh (5 out of 5 stars)
May 30, 2016

We ordered this to take our cats on a transatlantic flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to Atlanta, GA. The look and feel of the Sleepypod Air is just as we expected - very nice looking and well made! Although we haven't actually taken our flight yet, we've given our cats a few weeks to get used to their Sleepypods before we take them in the cabin on our Air France flight. They have already made themselves home in them and apparently love them. This is a photo of my cat Buster lounging in his :) We also purchased the DryFur Pet Carrier inserts which you can also see in the photo.
**Update***

Now that we have taken our flight, I wanted to update this about our experience.

First of all, I have to say that my husband and I were VERY nervous about the prospect of flying our 2 cats in the cabin with us from Edinburgh, Scotland to Atlanta, GA and also taking them through security. Security wasn't an issue as we did not have to walk them through the scanner as I had read about, but were allowed to take them to a private room so that the security officers at Edinburgh airport could feel inside and around their Sleepypods. They could not have been NICER! They actually said that they hardly ever had cats to come through and were quite excited about it In fact, all of the airport personnel were very kind to our critters throughout the whole day! The cats were amazing too. They did not cry very much at all - only in the taxi to the airport and that was it! We would reach into their carriers from time to time on the plane and give them a pet and put some water on our fingers for them to lick off. We also found family bathrooms in Amsterdam and Atlanta where we unzipped their carriers and let them out for some fresh air and water (although they did not drink any until we were actually home - which was HOURS later). They also jumped straight back into their carriers as they weren't sure about where they were, so the visit to the bathroom made us feel better, but not sure about them.

For any potential accidents, I purchased DryFur pads to place inside their carriers. We followed the vet's advice and did not feed them in the morning before our flight. They did not soil the pads at all over the course of the 22 hours it took us to get door to door from Edinburgh to South Carolina which was very surprising.

The only problem we had was a result of issues with the airline rather than the cats. We booked our tickets on Air France months in advance and had booked the cats in the cabin with us. Our flight was scheduled at 06:35 AM from EDI to CDG. At 10 pm the night before our flight, after we had already gone to bed, we got a text message advising that our flight had been cancelled. We got up and spent 2 hours on the phone getting booked on another flight on KLM only to arrive at the airport to find that they had double booked us on another Air France flight and part of the KLM flight WITHOUT the cats (Air France, KLM and Delta are all the same company, but their systems don't seem to be very well integrated yet)! It was a nightmare with them! Good thing we arrived at the airport early as we stood at the check in counter for an hour and a half while they tried to sort it all out. We're not sure if the flight was cancelled due to the strikes in France (no reason was ever given), but my advice to anyone is if you are travelling in the summer, DON'T choose Air France as the risk of strikes is higher.

My overall position is that I highly recommend taking your cats in the cabin with you if possible. It's cheaper (100 euros each) and I think they much preferred being with us rather than being shuffled around with luggage and being scared to death about what was going on around them.
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Comfort + safety + utility
by Cersar,Top Contributor: Pets (5 out of 5 stars)
October 13, 2017

I just moved from the USA to Germany and flew with my cat in cabin in this carrier. I couldn't be happier with this thing- I tried several carriers and this one was the best by far.

Good:
* the dark inside and optional blackout cover kept my cat calm in the airport. This was a huge plus because she's a very anxious traveler.
* the size was big enough that my cat wasn't too cramped, but small enough to fit under the seat.
* the pocket for securing the carrier on top of luggage was super useful
* the zip pocket on the side was a perfect place to store some treats and some Feliway
* the carrier has a thick, sturdy handle that aids in distributing weight evenly. In other words, your cat gets a smoother ride when being carried.

Not so good:
* the front flap/entrance to the carrier can be held open via a Velcro attachment on the INSIDE of the carrier. This means that you have to push the flap inward and up vs flipping it over the top. Although my cat tolerates this carrier, she is by no means eager to go inside it, so some amount of wrangling has to be done to get her zipped up and contained. Having the flap open inwards makes this process ever so slightly more challenging.
* the adjustable size feature isn't as fancy as it sounds- you have to fold the ends up and then hold them in place, or brace them against something (like the metal bits under a plane seat as intended) to maintain the smaller size. Not a huge deal but it was a little worrisome when the airline check in people were verifying the dimensions of the carrier prior to allowing it on the plane and I'm like, smooshing the sides in going "it will fit, I promise!"

All is well that ends well, though, hence the 5 stars.
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The pockets hold a lot and the shoulder strap was comfortable. Held my 16lb mini schnauzer without d
by Susan Hernandez (5 out of 5 stars)
February 10, 2017

The container was exactly as advertised and very well made. It's the TUMI of pet carriers. The pockets hold a lot and the shoulder strap was comfortable. Held my 16lb mini schnauzer without difficulty. She could lay down or stand up easily, not really enough room to turn around. Soft bottom for her old joints too. The privacy shield prevented her from being frightened. Fit length-wise on the aisle seat on 737 Southwest airlines flight and width-wise in the other two seats without problems. I would buy another if I needed one!
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Long duration Air travel. Please read before you buy
by Christmas (2 out of 5 stars)
July 28, 2019

Now that I'm done with my travel, let me give you an honest review of this product, I don't know if Amazon would block this review because I may be very harsh.

First, if you are worried about the build quality, I can tell you, DON'T WORRY! This thing is very well built! My international flight was 31 hours in total and had to transfer from three different airports, this thing holds up very well. Recommend!

Second, size. I fly in United Airlines, I don't have to fold this carrier, just placed it under the seat vertically, you will sacrifice some legroom of your own but for your pet, everything is worth it! The space inside the carrier is more than enough for my 10lb girl! Recommend!

Third, comfort, this is where I DO NOT recommend this thing at all! due to its thick high-quality materials, this thing blocks air flow, all of my flight we're in either business class or first class, while my cat seats underneath the seat, she screams! not because it's uncomfortable, but just because it's way too hot in there! I have to constantly run into the lavatory just so I can let her breath for a bit! I understand this double layer design is for durability and it shows like I said the durability is fantastic! BUT What if durability costs the life of an animal?! Cat doesn't get overheat as much as a dog, just imagine if you have a lovely puppy inside? This design is very appealing to the human eye but the manufacture really needs to rethink about the airflow and then maybe add more window to it! The side pockets are good enough for some small items, both pockets have quick-release inside which takes up some space.

Conclusion, I think it's more important to let the animal feel comfortable than let the owner feel privileged by buying this ridiculously expensive carrier. This is a quality product no doubt! But what's the purpose of this price if what it does is to let your loving pet suffer inside for 14 hours of flight? If SleepyPod ever come up with a redesign I would 100% percent buy it! So please! Give it a redesign! For animals comfort! Not for humans!
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Good for taller small dogs for travel but not perfect
by MC,Top Contributor: Pets (4 out of 5 stars)
August 1, 2018

I have a small but lanky dog - about 14lbs but with long skinny legs. When he was a puppy we flew in the Sherpa carrier and it was perfect, but now that he's fully grown I was looking for something a bit longer and taller and this does the trick, although there are definitely some things I would change.

Pros:
- It seems to be one of the tallest and longest carriers you can buy that still fits under the seat. It's nice to be able to show that the ends fold up just in case although I haven't actually needed to do that. My dog can comfortably stretch out or curl up in this.
- It feels really sturdy, much more so than the Sherpa. It's a bit heavier as a result but I think it's worth it. The Sherpa used to flex a bit so I always felt like I needed to support the bottom while carrying my dog - not at all with this one. The bottom is really firm and sturdy and the handle is comfortable and easy to carry with.

Cons:
- The mesh is too dark and thick. That might be nice if I were traveling with a cat who wanted to hide, but my dog likes to see me and I like to be able to check on him, plus I was worried about ventilation. I actually ended up taking a small pair of scissors and cutting out the inner layer of mesh and I think it's much better now. I can see my dog, I'm not worried about ventilation, and it feels just as sturdy.
- The fact that it's one big opening is really inconvenient - this is the biggest thing I would change. I think it's easiest to put pets into any carrier via a top entry, but in this case you have to unzip the entire top and ends to do that, and once you do the sides sort of fall inward and there's nothing to really contain your pet while you zip them up. It's annoying. I also like to be able to open the top and let my pup stick his head out while we're waiting at the gate and it's almost impossible to do that with this - again, you either have to unzip a side to open the top (in which case he would just walk out) or you can unzip a tiny slit at the top which isn't comfortable. The Sherpa's openings are MUCH better.

In short: if you have a really small dog, go for the Sherpa. If your dog is slightly taller/heavier, get this but probably remove some of the mesh.

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