Swimline Doodles Inflatable Pool Noodles (6-Pack) - Colorful Floating Pool Toys for Kids & Adults, Perfect for Swimming, Water Games & Summer Fun

I love lounging in the water, especially when I'm mostly submerged. I have a water hammock but it's only good for calm waters like in a lake or pool. I like the foam noodles but they are not ideal for taking on an airline given their length and inability to compress down. I purchased these gems for a 2 1/2 week trip to Colombia and they survived the use from 4 adults ranging in weight from 90-180lbs. Despite being rolled/unrolled, folded and hastily shoved into backpacks, beach bags, dry bags and multiple uses in pools, rivers and the ocean they came back home unscathed! The guys didn't want to use them at first but after some time in the water they soon wanted to "share"... then before you knew it they were off floating on their own =) These toys are geared towards children but considering they can aid in floating the weight of two adults at once (about 250# -300#) I'd say it's not just for kids. Some of the doodles are straight and some are wavy, but the shape didn't make a difference for our use in the water. We made sure to not overfill them with air so it was still easy to bend them without fear of damaging them. Our favorite ways of using them was like a chair without a seat (placing the middle of the doodle behind your back and draping your arms over the "arms" that curve (or can be made to curve) toward your front. Bonus position we discovered if you are of short stature (I'm 5'2 and the other female travel companion that tried this method is about 5'4) and want more more of your body out of the water and/or closer to the sun ~whilst in the water put the doodle in a C-shape (a small portion of the tip goes behind the neck so your head rests on top of the doodle, then curve the remainder of the doodle in a "C" shape so the lower portion rests behind the bend of your legs) *some water wobbles will undoubtedly occur while trying to achieve this, but it's worth the trouble once you figure it out =DBeing inflatable they pack wonderfully, the bright colors make them easy to spot, and they blow up/deflate fairly well. Of the 6 I only took 4 on our trip (all the blue and red ones) not sure why, but our group thought 2 of the four seemed easier to blow up/deflate than the others *not so much as to be a real issue. Like some inflatables these have the special valves with an inner flap that, while making them retain air better, it may also make blowing/deflating them a little tricky. Most people probably know this already, but just in case ~this minor issue is easily resolved by merely pinching the valve when blowing them up or deflating. Deflation can be hastened by rolling the end down (the end opposite of the valve) while pinching the valve to expel air quickly.My only regret is that I didn't discover these sooner. Happy buyer, would buy again and highly recommend.