Best Travel Car Seats and Best Travel Booster Seats

Posted on October 28, 2019

We are in a day and age where parents can have their cake and eat it too. Perhaps the millennials are to thank. This generation’s focus on self-fulfillment and their unwavering sense of “can do,” arguably has paved a new path for travel in parenthood. Their influence can be seen not only in the increased popularity of discount airlines but the ticket price decrease in major airlines. Whatever the reason, the excuse of not being able to travel due to a baby’s age is becoming extinct. With this newly claimed opportunity of exploration, the need for child safety seats has never been higher, but where to start?

There are plenty of opinions about what should or should not be done when it comes to child travel safety. Under the age of 2, having a “lap baby” is an option. This option, usually, avoids any additional seat purchase. If you opt out of that, keep in mind that some airlines offer discounted seats for the infant traveler. The Federal Aviation Administration or FAA provides a tremendous amount of information on their website. Should you decide to go with a Child Safety Restraint System, or CRS, to fly with, there are some guidelines that you need to follow. Keep in mind that the requirements created by the FAA are only for airlines in the United States. If you are flying with a foreign airline, you will need to reference the requirements created by the Civil Airline Association or CAA.

If you are a frequent flyer, you may want to keep in mind what airline you hold allegiance too. Each airline has its own set of requirements for systems they allow. If the CRS is not FAA approved, there is a very good chance that your seat or booster will be required to be a checked item and not allowed on the plane. To confirm if the seat is approved just check to see if it has the FAA seal and, ” This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft,” printed on it. Booster seats are not FAA approved for use on aircrafts.

As far as harnesses go, the FAA only recommends using a CARES child safety device with the same requirement of having the approval on it. FAA suggests that any CRS will fit if the width of the device is 16″; however, if it does not fit in a purchased seat, the FAA requires that the airline is ” responsible for accommodating the CRS in another eat in the same class of service. The airline may have policies that dictate that specific safe seat locations for specific aircraft.” For the premium class flyers, use of a CRS in oblique seats is prohibited, so you will want to find out the types of seats you will be flying in if that’s the case. Below are the CRS and booster requirements for the five most popular US Airlines. It is advised that before you make any decisions, do your diligence for these airlines. Requirements and standards change as technology evolves.

American Airlines^[1]: If the child is under the age of 2, a seat is not required, and the family can request to board early at the gate. Children over the age of 2 are required to have their own seat at a normal fare. The CRS requirement is only that the seat must be FAA approved. The seat cannot be placed on either side of an exit row. They request that the seats be placed in a window seat. Children must be in their seats during taxi, take off, and landing. If the child is able to sit upright without assistance, they are not required to have a CRS but must be securely fastened by their seatbelt during take-off, landing, and taxing.

Delta^[2] : If the child is under the age of two, they are not required to have a seat. If you choose to have your baby in your lap, you must contact Delta and have their name added to your ticket as an ” Infant in Arms.” If over the age of two, a ticket must be purchased and the CRS must meet the following criteria:

– If made after February, 25th 1985 must conform to all applicable federal motor vehicle standards and must be certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.

– If made between January 1st, 1981, and February 25, 1985, it only has to meet federal motor vehicle standards.

– All booster seats are prohibited, regardless of meeting any government standard.

– Vest and harness style CRS are prohibited except FAA CARES restraint device.

Southwest^[3] : An infant between the ages of 14 days and two years, can fly for free on the lap of an accompanying adult who must be at least 12 years old. (I’m certain that in 2019 a 12-year-old is not an adult, but that’s for a different article). If you choose this option, you don’t need a boarding pass for the baby, but you will need to get a Boarding Verification Document the day of the flight at the Southwest Counter. Should you want to use a CRS, they have the same requirements as Delta and offer infant fares for seat reservations. The only harness style they allow is an FAA CARES restraint device.

United^[4] : An infant between the ages of 7 days and two years, can sit in the lap of their caretaker as young as 15 (They do not describe this age as that of an adult). They have the same requirements has Delta and Southwest for using a CRS. Their website is unclear as to whether they only allow the use of CARES restraints devices, as is their call center. It would be advisable to assume that the only harness system they allow is the CARES version. They, thankfully, list where they restrict the use of CRS, which includes first class on three-cabin 767 or 777-200 aircraft, on 757-200 aircraft with rear-facing seats, or in United Polaris® business class on 767, 777 and 787 aircraft.

JetBlue ^[5]:The primary difference of requirements that Jetblue has for an infant traveler is that on the day of the flight when you check in you must provide immunization records and birth certificates for the child, even for domestic flights. They also specify that once the FAA approved CRS is affixed to a seat, it cannot be moved from the seat for any reason until the plane has landed. Again, the only harness vest that they allow is the CARES child safety device.

Now that we have a general idea of the rules and restrictions, let’s dive into what some of our options are. The following list will only include FAA certified options, just to save you some leg work for later. As previously mentioned, boosters are not FAA approved; however, if you are using a combination seat or an all-in-one seat that has a 5 point harness mode, you can use it on the airplane. The devices that are listed below were selected based on a variety of criteria, including Consumer Report Rating, Customer Satisfaction Rating, and zero product recalls.

Best Travel Car Seats and Best Travel Booster Seats

CARES Safety Harness ^{^[6]}

This is the only harness allowed in the sky. This very simple harness set will make securing your child in their seat easy and hassle free.

Get this travel harness here.

Chicco Next Convertible Car Seat ^{^[7]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
19”	25lb	12lb – 65lb	25” – 49”	Rear + Forward	$$

The Chicco Next Convertible is great for the growing family. It sits three seats across the back of most vehicles and comes with a removable cupholder.

The cupholder may come in more handy than you think when you are on a long flight!

Get the Chicco Next Convertible here.

Safety First Guide 65 ^{^[8]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
18”	14lb	5lb – 65lb	19” – 40”	Rear + Forward	$

This carseat was made wallet-friendly. Under a $100, it has a 5 point harness making traveling with your baby as they turn into a toddler that much easier.

Get the Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat

Nuna Pipa Lite ^{^[9]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
17.5”	5.3lb	4lb – 32lb	Up to 32”	Rear + Forward	$$$

Talk about relief; this lightweight carseat is ideal for carrying your baby through the airport. Do not be deceived; adding the base on to this one will increase the weight to 19.3lbs.

Get the Nuna Pipa Lite here.

Combi Coccoro ^{^[10]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
15”	14.3lb	3lb – 40lb	19” – 40”	Rear + Forward	$$$

Available in 3 colors, the Combi Coccoro is has a modern design and provides an ideal width for any airline travel.

Get the Combi Coccoro here.

Maxi Cosi Pria 3-in-1^{^[11]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
20”	17.5LB	4lb – 100lbs	–	Rear + Forward	$$$

The seat is designed to last your child from birth up to age 10. Available in 6 colors, this carseat is designed to last. It even comes with a lifetime warranty. That being said, it is a larger sized seat, you will want to check with your airline before definitely using this one.

Get the Maxi Cosi Pria 3-in-1.

Clek Foonf ^{^[12]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
16.9”	33lb – 38lb	14lb – 50lb	25” – 43”	Rear + Forward	$$$

Self-proclaimed as the “Mother of all child-seats,” and to be, “Built like a tank,” The Cleck Foonf is available in 8 different colors and is rated one of the safest chairs on the market. With the additional purchase of their product, “infant-thingy,” this chair can hold a child that is as light as 5lbs at 19 inches.

Get the Clek Foonf here.

Diono Rainier^[13]

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
17”	24.2 lb	5lb – 50lb	Up to 57”	Rear + Forward	$$

Diono is touted for being innovative with their products. If you are a person who likes to stay up with the latest technological advances, this brand is for you. The Radian 5 is available in 8 different colors.

Get the Diono Rainier here.

gb Evoq 4-in-1 Travel System, Charcoal ^{^[14]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
17”	9lb	4lb – 35lb	Up to 32”	Rear	$$$$

This lightweight carseat is ideal for traveling with your newborn. European made and targeted towards the parent who has not lost their sleek and stylish edge.

Get the gb Evoq 4-in-1 Travel System.

Peg Perego Primo ^{^[15]}

Car Seat Width	Weight of Car Seat	Weight of Baby	Height of Baby	Facing	Price
18.66”	21lb	5lb – 65lb	Up to 49”	Rear + Forward	$$$

This Italian brand put extra effort in to make sure your baby’s travel experience is the most comfortable. Let them have their first-class experience before even boarding the plane.

Get the Peg Perego Primo here.

Choosing how you want to fly will be a challenge, but keep in mind, the choice is yours. You are doing all of the research, you are speaking with the airlines, and you will be making an educated decision for what you think is best for your child. The legwork is challenging, so that the travel does not have to be. Hope you enjoyed this post on best travel car seats and best travel booster seats, and happy and safe travels!

^[1] https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/traveling-children.jsp

^[2] www.delta.com/us/en/children-infant-travel/infant-travel

^[3] https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/baby-on-board-pol.html

^[4] https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/infants.html

^[5] http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/webcgi.exe?New,Kb=askBlue,case=obj(1939)

^[6] http://kidsflysafe.com/cares-overview/

^[7] https://www.chiccousa.com/shop-our-products/car-seats/convertible/nextfit-sport-convertible-car-seat—black/06079853950070.html

^[8] https://www.safety1st.com/guide-65-convertible-car-seat-seaport-cc078bjba.html

^[9] https://www.nunababy.com/pipa-lite

^[10] https://www.combiusa.com/Coccoro-p/8220.htm

^[11] https://www.maxicosi.com/us-en/pria-3-in-1-convertible-car-seat-cc244-mc-us-en.html

^[12] https://clekinc.com/products/convertible-seats/foonf/