Families who are on the go often ask us which car seat is the best for airplane travel. Just like seats used exclusively in the car at home, the best travel seat is the one caregivers can install and use properly every time. Important features for travel seats can be a little different than stay-at-home car seats so we’ve compiled a few key things to keep in mind.
This portable harnessed car seat used to be known as the SafeGuard Go but now goes by the name IMMI Go. This lightweight, combination car seat stores in a handy bag and converts to a backless booster seat.
If you’re on any social media outlets, you’ve probably seen an ad or ten for the mifold. We sure have! We’ve been anxiously awaiting its release. Unlike most products, the mifold got its start with an Indiegogo campaign so the manufacturer was taking orders for it long before its release to market.
Baby Trend has revived another retired car seat. This time, the Compass Pathways B570 Booster has been redone and given another shot at life. When the Compass Pathways came out it was the latest in a line of folding high back boosters from Compass. Since then, Compass and Harmony have phased out their folding boosters. Safety 1st has stopped producing the BoostaPak. But now, Baby Trend has brought the PROtect Yumi to the market, a folding high back booster that’s great for travel or everyday use.
Renting a car seat along with your rental car sounds so convenient. Just hop off the plane, grab your rental car, grab a rental car seat, and go! Some rental car companies show a picture of a high-end car seat with a lot of nice ease of use and comfort features. Surely, that’s the seat you’d receive at the rental counter. Why not rent one?
Families going on long trips with small children will often consider a class of vehicle called a Recreational Vehicle or RV for transport, rather than dealing with a cramped smaller car and hotels along the way.
The face value appeal is obvious. RVs allow a certain amount of freedom in destinations, are potentially more comfortable than a car, and make packing easy. Unfortunately, RVs present a unique set of safety challenges for adults traveling with children that may not be readily apparent.
Now that you’ve read Leaving on a Jet Plane and On the Road Again you’re all prepped for air travel with your Littles. But you’ve heard horror stories from other travelers who have said the flight attendants didn’t let them use their seats, or told them their infant must forward face, or something similar. You want to be prepared for your trip. What documents do you need in order to fly with your child’s car seat? Which parts of those documents are relevant?
Simple Parenting’s Doona rear facing only car seat/stroller made quite a splash when it was announced. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on one to see if it was worth the hype! First, a kind parent allowed us to take a close look at their baby’s Doona during a seat check; then we were able to look even closer (and admire the variety of pretty colors that are available!) during the ABC Kids Expo.
Imagine yourself seaside with blue-green water, warm tropics, and a great book in hand. Maybe you want to visit pagodas or take a float down the canals of Venice or Amsterdam. Perhaps it’s an African safari that really excites you. Having kids does not mean you need to stop traveling internationally, nor travel unsafely.
Though the laws in many states require a car seat or booster until children are 8 years old, the laws of physics work a little differently. Until your Big Kid can pass the Five Step Test, in many cases, the Right Seat for big kids and tweens is some type of booster.
Why? Because the lap/shoulder belt may not fit properly without a little help from a booster, even on kids between 8-12 years old.
