The Airhook

Over the last few years, I’ve participated in several crowd-funded projects (in case you’re unfamiliar with crowd-funded projects, they’re a way of seeing someone’s great product or idea to market via public funding at various levels). The Airhook caught my attention.

The Airhook

The Airhook looked like something that could offer a bit more room when flying with children. We were Costa Rica-bound for two weeks with our 18-month-old son, the perfect opportunity to put this product to the test.

Due to my son’s young age at the time, he didn’t receive his own seat, so this meant passing him back and forth between me, my wife and grandma during our flight from Vancouver to San Jose, Costa Rica.

airhook-box

Having snacks or drinks onboard translates to moving seat-back trays into an ever-changing position game. On today’s crowded, space-challenged aircraft, this can be annoying enough on its own let alone having to juggle the situation with a baby.

The Airhook was designed to help give you a bit more room on flights while making less use of the seat-back tray.

Design

The Airhook is made out of fairly ridged plastic and folds up into its own convenient little pouch.

airhook-pouch

The front of the Airhook contains the drink holder. Throughout the campaign, Airhook’s designer (Seattle-based Craig Rabin) tested out a variety of drink sizes from small plastic cups and pop cans to Starbucks cups. For a bit of extra stability, there’s an included support that slides in through the top and secures along the edge.

airhook-front

The middle area is for your favorite electronic device (fits small smartphones and large tablets alike).

I did come across an issue while using The Airhook. I own an iPhone6 Plus with a Lifeproof case. The case itself was a bit too thick to be supported properly but I think it had more to do with our Air Canada flight — on an Airbus A320, the seat-back screen sticks out a bit further and got in the way.

I did find however that the Airhook holds a Kindle Aura HD without any trouble. Electronic devices are held in place using a tension-based adjustable clip.

airhook-back

The rear contains a bracket that slips into an upright seat-back tray. The Airhook’s easy and quick to set up and and be adjusted to different angles via a tension screw.

Features

– Enjoy additional legroom by keeping tray table in locked position
– Supports phones and tablets up to 8.5” tall
– Perfect for big and tall travellers
– Adjustable angle for reclined seats for a better viewing posture
– Great hands-free entertainment for kids
– Collapsible for easy carry-on stowing
– Supports bottles up to 16 ounces

The Airhook

Overall Performance

There isn’t much to the Airhook itself. Its construction appears fairly ridged and folds up in a small pouch to minimize its footprint in your bag. It comes in five different colours: Sky Blue, Jet Black, Cool Grey, Jet Black on Sky Blue and Sky Blue on Cool Grey and retails for US $24.95. The company also offers a discount on orders starting at three or more per order.

airhook-usage

During a bit of turbulence, my water-filled cup managed to survive unscathed. It was really nice to have the little bit of extra room with the seat-back tray up and not have to hold my glass of water. I could also easily put my Kindle away without risking leaving it behind in the seat-pocket, an all-too-common scenario these days.

airhook-closeup

The one downside (as mentioned earlier) was not being able to make use of my iPhone 6 Plus during the flight.

The Airhook
[Sizing up The Airhook vs. a wallet]

If you fly often, I recommend checking out the Airhook. I’m glad I picked one up and made use of it on our flights. I can’t wait for my next flight to use it even more.

About Our Contributor Tyler Ingram

Tyler Ingram

Software engineer Tyler (@TylerIngram) has worked with computers for over 30 years. Fascinated by the latest consumer gadgets, he’s always looking for the next exciting gizmo to play with. Tyler’s an avid photographer who loves capturing images of landscapes, wildlife, travel and people.

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