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Traveling with kids can be stressful. Figuring out how to transport car seats and booster seats, and which ones to use, can be a huge pain. As a Child Passenger Safety Technician, I can give you some guidance to make your family vacation or trip as simple as possible.
Sometimes it is best to purchase a new car seat for traveling. There are several reasons for this:
- The car seat you already have may be bulky and heavy, making it difficult to transport. I try to select car seats that are lightweight, narrow, and versatile so they can easily fit into rental cars or planes.
- There is a chance your car seat could get damaged. Using a budget-friendly seat can protect the investment you made in your more expensive car seat.
- It saves you time because you do not have to uninstall and reinstall your normal car seat.
There are options that will keep your kids safe without breaking the bank. All car seats pass the same federal standards, so you can rest assured that just because you’re not dropping a a ton of money doesn’t mean your child is unsafe.
If you are flying, consider getting the GO-GO BABYZ TRAVELMATE Car Seat Cart or something similar to roll your car seat around the airport. It makes things SO EASY!
The first step to choosing your car seat is knowing what type of car seat is appropriate for your child’s weight and height. I’ve chosen a few seats for each car seat/booster category that would be my top picks for travel. Plug in your child’s stats in this form to get an idea of what type of car seat will be best. Read about how to get the best deal on your car seats here.
Click here to see the summary table at the end of this post!
Infant Car Seat (Rear-facing Only)
Many parents like to use infant car seats because you can carry them around or snap them into strollers. I have traveled with these many times, and seats like the Chicco Keyfit 30 are already very narrow.
It’s important to note that most infant car seats can be install with the base or without it. You do not need to bring the base when you when you travel, unless you just really want to. There are instructions for how to install these car seats without a base using a seatbelt.
- Evenflo Embrace: This is a good all-around seat that has all the basic things you’ll need, plus a few extras. It holds infants up to 35 pounds and can be installed without the base. Extra base for around $40.
- Graco SnugRide Click Connect 30: This is a user-friendly car seat that can hold infants up to 30 pounds. It is compatible with Graco ClickConnect Strollers and can be installed without the base. Extra Base from $35-$60.
Tip: Compare more infant seats side-by-side here. Compare prices here.
Convertible Car Seat (Rear-facing and forward-facing)
Most convertible car seats can be used from infant to at least age two rear-facing, and a few years more for forward facing. They are an extremely versatile option for traveling.
- Cosco Scenera NEXT: This is the go-to seat for many Child Passenger Safety Technicians because it is a very versatile seat that is fairly narrow, easy to install, and one of the lightest seats on the market. It also has a very LOW price making it a huge winner for many families! The only downside is that it is outgrown quickly when you switch to forward-facing.
- Evenflo Sonus: This seat rear-faces until 40 pounds and forward-faces until 50 pounds, giving you more forward-facing use than the Scenera NEXT.
- Safety 1st Guide 65: These are fairly narrow and forward-face until 65 pounds, so hopefully you can use it for a long time! This seat is also known as the Cosco MightyFit 65.
Tip: See these seats compared side-by-side here. Compare prices here.
Combination Seat (harnessed forward-facing to booster seat)
Combination seats are forward facing seats with a 5 point harness that can later be converted to a booster seat. Your child should be at least two years old to ride in these.
- Cosco Finale: This is a relatively new seat that offers some generous height and weight limits (the 5-point harness can be used up to 65 pounds) for a very low price! It is fairly lightweight and narrow making it great for travel and three-across situations.
- Evenflo Maestro: You can harness your child up to 50 pounds in this seat, which is lower than all the other seats on this list. It could still be a great fit for children who are on the lighter side.
Tip: See these seats compared side-by-side here. Compare prices here.
Booster Seat (High-Back)
These are stand-alone booster seats. Their job is to properly position the adult seatbelt over the child’s body. All of these listed below are high-back booster seats, which means it comes with head and back support along with an integrated shoulder belt guide.
Note: You cannot use an actual booster seat (or a car seat in “booster mode”) on an airplane.
This is because they ONLY have lap belts on planes instead of a lap-and-shoulder belt. It is dangerous to buckle a child into a booster seat with only a lap belt. Therefore, they are not FAA approved. However they can be useful when you arrive at your destination.
- Evenflo Big Kid AMP High Back Booster: This inexpensive booster seat is narrow and great for three-across situations.
- Graco Highback Turbobooster: The Turbobooster is a lightweight, well-rounded booster seat that is reasonably priced. Note: You may be required to install screws in the armrests after you purchase it.
Tip: See these boosters compared side-by-side here. Compare prices here.
Booster Seat (Backless)
Many parents find backless boosters to be the most convenient for traveling because they take up the least amount of space. When using a backless booster, ensure that your child has a headrest behind them and that they can stay sitting properly the entire ride and not slump forward or to the side.
- Cosco Rise Backless Booster: This is a narrow and low-priced option that’s great for when you need to fit three kids in the back seat.
- BubbleBum Backless Inflatable Booster Car: Yes, inflatable! You can safely and easily inflate this by mouth when you need to use it, and then deflate this booster when you are done and roll it up to fit in a small bag. It could easily fit in a backpack or suitcase!
- Graco Turbo Booster TakeAlong: This innovative booster seat can be folded up and comes with a bag for easy portability.
- Harmony Youth Backless Booster: This isn’t the smallest option, but it is one of the only backless boosters that has a lower weight limit of 30 pounds versus 40.
Tip: See these boosters compared side-by-side here. Compare prices here.
There you have it! This is a great list to start your search for a car seat or booster to use while traveling.
For more tips on how to get the best price on each car seat, see my post on Car Seat Deals. Don’t forget to use your Ebates for cash back!
As always, be sure to read your car seat or booster manual in its entirety to be sure that it’s a good fit for your child, your vehicle, and that it’s installed correctly. Below is a table that summarizes all the seats I’ve discussed and the approximate price ranges (note: prices do vary). Read more tips about airline travel with car seats here.
Happy shopping!
Looking for more car seat or booster recommendations?
Check out my updated list here!
Car Seats for travel
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