We had a 6 hour layover at Helsinki-Vantaa airport en route to Ivalo. Our flight from London arrived at 0015, and rather than take our chances ‘roughing it’ in the airport, we opted to use the pods in the GoSleep Lounge.

Situated at Gate 12, the lounge was located quite literally at the other end of the terminal. Having gone through the automated passport gates, we made our way to Gate 12. There, we were greeted by a representative who took our details, gave us a pillow, earplugs, a blanket and bottom sheet, and directed us to our pods.

The pods were bigger than I was expecting, and arranged in rows. Ours overlooked the road to the terminal. Not the most attractive view on earth, but we weren’t there for the view!

Toilets were located about 20 steps away (less if you’re taller than me!)

The premise is simple: you store you belongings beneath the seat, and then recline as you wish. The recliner is operated by two buttons (up/down), and it runs silently as not to disturb others. Once settled, you can pull down the shutters and get some sleep.

I was worried that I would find the experience claustrophobic. I had always thought that I would enjoy it, but the worry was there. I needn’t have worried. I had plenty of room to fidget and get comfortable, and there was plenty of room above me. There was a power outlet and USB port to enable charging of devices.

I personally wasn’t affected by any external noise, but others with more sensitive hearing may well benefit from using the earplugs provided.