Part product magazine, part wacky inflight entertainment- Who didn’t love the absurdity of the SkyMall catalogues? Here are some of the most outlandish Skymall products travellers have been able to buy on airplanes for over 20 years, until they went bankrupt in 2015.
The Skymall magazine may not be available on flights anymore-it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015; however its legacy lives on.
Founded in 1990, the iconic Skymall magazine was an inflight catalogue that passengers could reach for in their seatback pocket.
It sold a wide range of products, many of which came across as bizarre or absurd. It was the absurdity of the magazine’s products that made it so popular.
Since going bankrupt in 2015, the company was purchased and relaunched with new items that are supposedly innovative, fun and cool while still keeping in line with the original theme travellers grew to love.
Here are just a few of the most outrageous things sold In the Skymall catalogue, before they went bankrupt.
Absurd SkyMall Products: And Where You Can Buy Some Of Them Now
1) SkyRest Travel Pillow
The classic SkyRest
Although the original is no longer available for sale, I did find the second generation for sale on
Skyrest 2 Pack Inflatable Travel Pillow
The second generation of the original Skyrest Travel pillow, once available in Skymall magazines found in the seatback pocket of airline chairs. This new and improved travel pillow allows you to rest your head and your neck on Planes, trains, buses and in cars.
2) Upright Sleeper
I love the idea of this neck support; however it looks like she’s been in an accident and is wearing a neck brace to hold her head up. A far better solution is a more discreet travel neck and head support.
3) e-Reader Buddies
As electronic devices have become more and more commonplace, finding ways to prop them up so that your hands remain free has become a common frustration. One solution found in the Skymall catalogue years ago was this
Unfortunately, I think the design is flawed because you still need to prop this
I found a better solution that works in multiple scenarios, and you can bring it with you during your travels.
Adjustable iPad, Tablet, Kindle & Cell Phone Travel Stand
This adjustable metal stand can hold your devices upright on planes, trains so you can watch your favourite shows hands-free. Or plop it on your kitchen counter while you cook and watch your favourite shows or cooking recipes. Folds flat so you easily store it away or throw it in your carry on luggage.
4) County Jail T-Shirt
There was an orange jumpsuit fad that hit pop culture for a while- probably thanks to the hit TV show “Orange is the new black,”” a comedy-drama about women in prison. Skymall must have tried to cash in on the craze with the Tshirt version of the orange prison T-shirt so that anyone can look like a prison penitentiary escapee.
5) Big Ass Bigfoot Garden Yeti Sculpture
As I mentioned before, part of the appeal of the Skymall magazine was the absurdity of its products like this giant lifesized Bigfoot Garden statue. Skymall was selling this monstrosity for a littler over $2K USD.
Although I don’t think you can get the lifesize one today, you can purchase a miniature sized one for your backyard garden.
Bigfoot Yetti Schlepping Lawn Gnomes
Now you can have it all. Gnomes and Bigfoot. This 16 inch tall Bigfoot is the perfect lawn decoration you've been looking for.
6) Bigfoot Tree Yeti Sculpture
Yet another Yeti creation sold in the Skymall catalogues was the Bigfoot Tree Yeti sculpture which actually looks terrifying lurking behind a tree.
7) Creepy MLB Forest Face
It’s was called a forest face, I call it weird, ugly and creepy. The idea behind it was to show your neighbours and friends which baseball team you were rooting for by hanging this on a tree.
Although no longer available, that I can see, I did find a much cuter forest face that doubles as a bird feeder.
8) Faux Work pant Lounge Wear
Loungewear that looks like work pants with a faux tool belt, the irony behind this is not lost on me.
Something equally funny but much cuter would be some pyjama bottoms with donkeys.
Lazy Ass Donkey Pyjama Bottoms
The novelty of these humorous pyjama loungewear bottoms will bring a smile to their face with then see the tiny donkeys and the words Lazy Ass pattern. Hee Haw!
9) Dr. Seuss Graduation Cap & Glasses
This psychedelic looking Dr. Seuss graduation cap and matching glasses were once for sale in the Skymall catalogue as a costume, I think. Although I couldn’t find them for sale anywhere, I did find some adorable Thing 1 and Thing 2 Dr. Seuss socks.
Dr. Seuss Thing 1 & Thing 2 Crew Socks
- Make sume fun and mayhem all year round with these officially license Dr. Seuss socks.
10) Grip-n-Assist Mobility Belt
Don’t you hate it when you can’t get a good grip on your grandpa so you can help him out of bed? Now HE CAN GRAB YOU and pull himself up. Problem solved. Not to make light of the problem this product is trying to sell, I found it extremely strange that Skymall was selling these in their catalogues on airlines.
I did a little research and found that there are belts with grips which the patient wears giving caretakers a better grip when helping patients in and out of bed, wheelchairs and other mobile situations.
11) Sand Name Prints
Skymall used to sell personalized prints of your name written in the sand at a beach. These days, you can do something similar online for free like these from PhotoFunia.
12) Roswell, the Alien Butler
There must be a market for sophisticated middle-aged sci-fi lovers because Skymall used to sell these little Roswell Alien Butlers. As strange as this thing looks, I think it’s actually pretty cute.
Luckily, the original producer of these extraterrestrial statues still makes them so you can pretend an alien is serving you brandy in a snifter. Or put it in your bathroom as a toilet paper holder.
13) Babette Table
Skymall outdid themselves when they sold the Babette table in their catalogues. Nothing screams “CLASSY” more than a torso-less pair of legs with stockings, panties and strappy red high heels, trying to pass as a table to hold your
14) Hot Dog Leash
Another absurdly bizarre product sold in the Skymall magazine was the “hot dog leash”. There are still variations of this sausage leash being sold online however I like these leashes with a useful message.
Dog Leash - With Warning "Blind Dog"
Warn others about your dog's temperament or disability. "Blind Dog", deaf dog, "caution", "service dog", "adopt me" and "friendly". Prevents Accidents by Warning Others of Your Dog in Advance.
15) FaceTrainer
Saggy face? Fine lines? Crows feet? Forget creams, lotions and plastic surgery. All you need is the Face Trainer! Put it on for 10 minutes every day and watch your sags melt away. Plus it doubles as a scuba divers hat thingy. I’m sure the inventor of this item put a lot of thought into it but it looks ridiculous, which is probably why it was in the SkyMall catalogue.
There’s a new face trainer on the market which seems to be a pretty popular item.
Face Slimming Strap, Double Chin Reducer
The makers of this facial slimming strap claim it effectively improves Sagging skin and wrinkkls while firming the skin of the face and neck. No medicine, no injection, no surgery. Goodbye double chins.
16) Silicone face slimmer.
If a picture is worth a thousand words than this face slimmer says it all. It was marketed as a face slimmer. You’re supposed to put it in your mouth and squeeze giving your jaw a workout and strengthens your facial muscles which in turn removes double chins. If you’re really looking for a face slimmer, there’s an even newer model that doesn’t look as weird.
16) Mobile Massage System
No, It’s not a ninja turtle costume, it’s a portable back massage thingy that you control with a remote control. I prefer the portable back and neck massagers that you place on a chair.
Portable Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager
This portable neck and back massager is ergonomically designed to merge with the contours of different body parts. 4 Powerful 3D Massage Nodes with automatically changes direction every min so you can relax your neck, back, shoulder, leg and tight muscles anywhere on the go.
17) Drunk Cat Lithograph
Skymall used to sell artwork like this lithograph titled “Drunk Cat” by Valery Yershov. Valery was a Russian Postwar & Contemporary painter who was born in 1960. His work has been auction multiple times, with prices reaching as high as $20k USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork.
If you’re into drunk cats, here’s a drunk cat with a purpose. It’s part home decoration, part wine caddy and part cork container.
Drunk cat wine stand & cork container
It's not only a wine rack for your home, but also can be used as home furnishing ornament. Handmade!
18) Wine Glass Aerator
It’s a wine glass that does the work of a decanter. The Chevalier aerating wine glass instantly aerates your single-serving glass of wine.
Shatterproof Aerating Wine Glasses (Set of 2)
No decanter? No problem. Made with BPA Free Plastic that's shatterproof. This wine glass will instantly aerate your wine on the go. Perfect for outdoor use, sophisticated parties with rowdy people or while on the go.
19) Hicural Hiccup Stick
Hiccups? Forget chugging water while holding your nose and plugging your ears. This “Hicural Hiccup Stick”, which you could purchase for less than $20 dollars claims it can cure hiccups. All you have to do is bite down on the stick while drinking a glass of water.
My daughter and I laughed so hard. We wanted to make our own hiccup stick, pictured below. Unfortunately, the hiccup stick did not get rid of hiccups.
i never ever heard about those kind of weird stuffs before, that wine glass holder is funny of them all, thanks for sharing this funny and entertaining info.
I want to use the Face trainer with the Bigfoot statue.
haha Josh, you might actually scare the bigfoot statue with the face trainer.
I was sniggering Annie because the kids are in bed and I didn’t want to wake them.
I got to number 10 though and I just had to let the laugh out!
I think your comment made it even funnier!
I definitely want the life-sized Bigfoot sculpture. Oh, I just noticed it can’t be exported. What a shame! And what a snip at $2,250.
Hi Annie,
Very interesting. I didn’t know any of those things existed.
I like the plane pillow.
As much as I like wine, I can’t see myself with a glass around my neck,though :)
Thanks for this fun post.
Hi Annie
The upright sleeper might actually work really well on my neck when the days I have arthritis flare up in my neck. But some of that stuff looks down right ridiculous.
So you could sell your hiccup stick for 12.99, what a deal. Not sure how you could actually hold that in your mouth and drink water at the same time without drenching your clothes or drowning, because you can’t swallow!
Yeah, are they stupid or are they just clever marketers as they have everyone as a captive audience. With so many of them with too much money to have any sense to hang on to it. Very expensive gag gifts!
Mary
I went on 2 trips last month Annie and I thumbed through the Skymall catalog and I remember seeing that pillow. I got a good chuckle then thinking with what they’re charging you now to store your luggage you’re going to waste some space carrying that thing on. What a waste.
Some of these other ones, I wonder why anyone would even come up with these ridiculous inventions and I can’t believe that Skymall would actually carry them. Do people actually buy these things? Yeah, I want a big foot in my yard. lol…
As you said though, very entertaining indeed.
Thanks for the laugh!
~Adrienne
Lol! Thanks for making me laugh! My boys and I always reach for that same catalog just to see what kind of goofy things we can find. We’ve even laughed at the very ones you have here – the travel pillow, the yeti, and Roswell. My teen even dared me to get that travel pillow. So not happening! At least we are entertained enroute for a little bit!
I love this Annie. I’m particularly fond of the FaceTrainer – that would come very handy on a cold day.
And sad to say I think the upright sleeper in theory is a wonderful idea – I can’t sleep on planes because my head rolls forward so I don’t like long flights. (As you say, whether you could make myself use that contraption is another question :0)