This $16 airplane footrest is a “godsend” for overnight flights, Amazon shoppers say. I tested it on 9 hours of red eye.

If you’ve ever flown long-haul or overnight flights, you know that comfort is key to saving hours. fly (see what I did there?). But if you’re like me, always trying to get the best travel deal, you’re most likely stuck with seat 43F rather than seat 1A.

Fortunately, ingenuity Amazon buyers Looks like we’ve found a solution—and it costs less than $20. Reviewers called it $16. floating footrest on airplane “a godsend” for traveling by plane. It has over 1,400 reviews and an average rating of 3.9 stars, as well as hundreds Yahoo readers bought it this year too.

But does it really live up to expectations? I recently tested an airplane footrest on two 9-hour transatlantic flights, one of which was overnight. Read all the details about this gadget, as well as my honest review.

Details and how it works

A floating airplane footrest is a simple folding piece of soft fabric that essentially creates a hammock for your feet. To use, simply attach its straps to the arm of an open or closed tray table and place your feet into it until they are stretched out and slightly suspended. The airplane footrest has a buckle to reinforce the strap and can be adjusted to suit your height.

It folds into a small bag and fits easily into your carry-on luggage. And it’s not just for airplanes—it can be used anywhere you need a little relief, including a train, bus, or plane.

While the adjustable strap allows it to be used in most situations, it’s worth noting that the gadget may not be compatible with all airline seats.

What I liked about it

It won’t take up space in your bag: The Airplane Footrest comes in a padded case that measures approximately 8.5 x 2.5 x 2 inches, which means it can easily be folded into your carry-on luggage or even your backpack.

It’s easy to set up and configure: Installing the footrest takes about 2 seconds – simply slide it onto the tray and adjust to your desired height.

Provided (some) comfort: Did it change my life? No. And it had some disadvantages, which I will discuss below. However, it was a simple and affordable way to ease the discomfort that typically occurs on a long-haul flight—I found myself switching between resting one or both legs, as well as adjusting the altitude at different points in the flight to prevent restless legs.

Room for improvement

This is kind of flimsy: For $16, I wasn’t expecting much, but I do wish the footrest had a little more cushioning.

Doesn’t really work if the passenger reclines the seat in front of you: This was probably my biggest problem. I installed the footrest about an hour after an overnight flight and everything was going great. Then the man in front of me reclined his seat. Even if I reclined the seat all the way, I found that I simply didn’t have enough room to do anything with the gadget. I tried setting it up in different ways, but found that nothing was convenient. This may not be the case for every plane, but it’s something to keep in mind, especially if you plan on using it to get some sleep. It’s worth noting that on my flight home, this worked a little better when the person in front of me reclined normally instead of putting their seat in my lap. Can you tell that I’m sad?

What other buyers say

⭐️ 3.9/5 stars

💬 1400+ reviews

🏆 “Make long-haul flights in economy class bearable”

“This product saved my life,” said one Amazon shopper, adding that flying for more than 8 hours is “brutal,” especially “on an economy flight.” The reviewer said the footrest “helped rest my feet and keep the blood flowing,” and added that it was “comfortable and comfortable.”

Another shopper said the footrest was a big help, that they saved “over $1,000” by staying in savings mode and “used that money to spend in Europe.”

Another reviewer said that using the footrest gave them “less lower back pain and less tired legs and calves.”

However, some shoppers warned that “in real life” they weren’t actually able to use the footrest on the plane as intended because “the distance between the seats in economy class wasn’t enough for me to elevate my feet enough.”

It’s “a great idea,” they continued, “but not functional in many economy class situations.”

Verdict

One Amazon shopper said they used floating footrest on airplane this is for a 15 hour direct flight and it “helped a little, but not as much as I expected”, which I think is a fair conclusion. If you’re looking for an affordable way to make your flight a little more comfortable, give it a try – but personally, I think unless you’re on an airline with more legroom, it’s claimed to be a “lifesaver”. “overpriced.

Not for you? Shop our editor-approved travel essentials below.

Meet the shopping expert

Hilary Hagerman is the managing editor of Lifestyle & Commerce magazine. Yahoo Canada Lifestyle. She’s been helping Canadians figure out what products are worth buying since 2019. She’s been reporting on every Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber ​​Monday and Boxing Day for the last 5 years – so you can be sure she knows which deals are worth it. (and which you should skip).

The reviews above reflect the most current versions at the time of publication.

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