For me, the sheer amount of STUFF involved is the worst part of traveling with kids. I hate lugging around a ton, and car seats are probably the worst of all. Yes, you can rent them from rental car agencies usually, but it’s expensive and you never know what you’ll end up with. We’ve always brought our own, and after we saw a rental car seat in Croatia that looked so old I could’ve probably used it as a kid, I’ve sworn off that strategy for good.
Luckily, there are some products out there that can help make traveling with car seats a LOT easier:
- Infant seat – OK, this is pretty obvious, but infant seats are relatively portable and are a great option when your child is still small enough to use one. Most can also be secured without using the base. We still used our for travel long after we switched to a convertible seat at home. Remember to check the weight AND height limit though – the height limit tends to be reached first and is usually harder to find.
- Cosco Scenera Next – A really lightweight and inexpensive convertible car seat for kids 5-40 lbs that can be used in both the car and the plane. Much lighter and less clunky than a regular convertible car seat, plus you won’t risk damaging your regular one. A great option once your kid outgrows the infant seat but is too small for the more portable alternatives. We used it for Lydia and now for Kai, and it’s been great. It’s still a little annoying to cart around but seems to be the best option for the younger kiddos. I recently managed to travel with both kids, our bags, a stroller, and this car seat on a cross country trip alone and managed just fine!
- Ride Safer Vest – This option is a highly portable vest, used as an alternative to a car seat for kids 30-60 lbs. This one is a bit pricey, but it’s a great option for when your child is too small for a booster (or too immature to sit in one properly!). This one is just for the car. We switched Lydia to this relatively recently, and I’m in love with how portable it is. It’s small enough that I can even shove it in a large purse, and it’s also a great option for when you’re exploring cities and want to grab an Uber or Lyft. I find it easy and quick to put on too. The one drawback is that it’s a little trickier for napping compared to a car seat, but Lydia still falls asleep with it fine (even if her head is bobbing around a bit, haha).
- CARES harness – If you feel more comfortable having your child restrained in the plane and don’t want to bring a full seat, the CARES harness is for kids 22-44 pounds and at least 1 year old. This is not something we have tried, but seems to be an easy and portable option if you want something for the plane.
- Mifold Booster – Advertised as being more than 10 times smaller than a regular booster and just as safe. For kids 4+ and 40-100 lbs. Lydia doesn’t meet the weight requirement and I would say she’s not ready to sit properly in a booster, so we haven’t tried this yet.
- Bubble Bum – An inflatable and super portable booster seat, also for kids 4+ and 40-100 lbs. We haven’t tried this one personally either.
For the larger seats, here are a few options to help make carting them around a little easier:
- JL Childress Car seat backpack – This fits a wide range of car seats (we’ve used it with an infant carrier, Cosco Scenera Next, and a large Britax convertible seat that was a bit of a squeeze and was heavy but still worked). It’s a little clunky and awkward to have a big seat on your back, but it works out really well if you are also dealing with rolling your suitcase and potentially a stroller. This is how I managed to bring the car seat on that cross-country trip alone with the kids. The backpack also helps to protect your seat if you check it – it doesn’t have much padding but there’s a little, and of course it keeps the seat clean.
- Traveling Toddler suitcase attachment – Attach your car seat to your rolling suitcase (haven’t tried this personally)
- Brica Smart travel cart – Basically turns your car seat into a stroller (we haven’t tried this one either)
I hope this helps make traveling with car seats a little less painful for you! Or if you have any other options that I’ve missed, I’d love to hear them!
Looking for some broader packing tips? Check out these handy steps!
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