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Best Travel Car Seats of 2024

Traveling with kids? Whether an extended road trip or airplane ride is on the agenda, your little one needs a travel car seat to stay safe on the journey. Travel car seats are a bit different from everyday ones, as they’re typically lighter in weight, easier to move and set up from car to car, and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take in the air.

A travel car seat also comes in handy if you find yourself in ride-shares or taxis regularly. Many models don’t require a base, so it’s simple to strap the unit in without spending half the afternoon figuring out which piece goes where. The best travel car seats are so convenient, in fact, that you might stick to them altogether.

Table of Contents

• Best Travel Car Seats
• Things To Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex Infant Car Seat  »

Various features for correct installation

Can be installed without a base via European belt routing

Five height positions and six recline positions

Includes base and newborn positioner

Extendable canopy with UPF 50+ sun protection

JPMA certified and GreenGuard Gold Certified

Not super light

Travel bag sold separately

There’s no need to worry about properly installing the Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex Infant Car Seat. It comes with multiple features to ensure you do it correctly, including LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) connectors, a SuperCinch force-multiplying tightener, and RideRight bubble level indicators to make sure it’s at the right angle.

This best travel car seat comes with ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) 50+ sun protection. It also comes with a base, but doesn’t require one in order to use. That means you can keep the base in your car for regular use and still be able to install it in other vehicles, thanks to its European belt routing system. It only weighs 10 pounds and is FAA approved, so it’s ready to bring on an aircraft. The Chicco Car Seat Travel Bag , however, is sold separately. But with the five height positions and six recline positions, your baby is bound to be comfortable no matter how you choose to travel. And once you reach your destination, keep the car seat looking fresh by tossing the fabrics in the washing machine.

They KeyFit 35 is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), meaning it meets minimum government requirements based on safety and use, and GreenGuard Gold Certified, meaning it’s built to contribute to safer, healthier air and has been screened for more than 15,000 volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Cosco Kids Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat  »

Affordable price point

Aircraft certified and TSA-friendly designed

No additional base needed

Side Impact Protection

Machine-washable and dryer-safe seat pad

Installation may be tricky with some seat belts

May fit snugly on older babies

If you’re looking for a secondary car seat, chances are that you’re hoping to keep the cost low. With the Cosco Kids Scenera Next Convertible Car Seat, you’ll save money without losing the factors that make a travel car seat desirable. At just 6.8 pounds, this is one unit you won’t struggle to carry through the airport. Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing it has built-in Side Impact Protection.

This model can carry a child up to 40 pounds and 43 inches tall. It has five harness heights and three buckle locations, so it’ll grow with your baby from infancy to toddlerhood. This affordable car seat comes in seven designs with black details. And Cosco Kids makes it easy to clean with its machine-washable and dryer-safe seat pad and dishwasher-safe removable cup holder.

While this may not be the ideal pick for everyday use, the no-base, lightweight design makes it a smart pick for upcoming vacations or times when you need to move it between cars often. Just use the LATCH connectors to safely secure it in place.

Diono Radian 3RXT SafePlus  »

Only 17 inches wide

Seats folds up

FAA approved

Supports kids up to 120 pounds

12 headrest positions

Available in five colors

Heavy at 30.6 pounds

Booster mode can’t be used on a plane

LATCH connectors not available for all weights

At just 17 inches wide, the Diono Radian 3RXT SafePlus comfortably fits in even the most compact cars. If you have a full backseat, three of these models can fit across the backseat. Don’t let its compact size fool you, though. This travel car seat was designed to grow with your child from 4 to 120 pounds, in rear-facing position, forward-facing position, and booster mode.

This unit comes with a detachable rear-facing base, which Diono recommends using, but it can be used without it. The base shouldn’t be used in the forward-facing position or in booster mode. To make sure your little one is happy, the Radian boasts a 12-position headrest that you can adjust with just one hand. The covers are machine washable, and the shell and components on the rest of the car seat can be spot cleaned.

This convertible car seat folds to make travel easier, and its FAA-approved status means it’ll be your airplane companion. Just keep in mind that it can only be taken on a plane in rear-facing and forward-facing positions, not booster mode.

Doona + Car Seat & Stroller  »

Converts from car seat to stroller in seconds

Comes fully assembled

FAA approved and can be pushed down airplane aisle

Available in seven colors

UPF 50+ sun protection and water-repellant canopy

Includes LATCH base, infant insert, head support, and vehicle seat protector

Can only be used up to 35 pounds

The Doona + Car Seat & Stroller can be used with or without the included base, but the real magic comes in when you’re using it in between car and airplane rides. Within a matter of seconds, this innovative model goes from car seat to stroller with the push of a button. Plus, it comes fully assembled, so you can use it the moment it arrives.

The water-repellent canopy provides UPF 50+ sun protection, and comes in seven bold colors, including Racing Green, Flame Red, and Blush Pink. The adjustable handle is a nice touch, too, for a more comfortable gliding experience for adults.

Not only is the Doona approved by the FAA, but at just 17.4 inches wide, it can easily be pushed down an airplane aisle so you can get in your seat easily. Although it’s pricey, the fact that it acts as both a travel car seat and stroller means that it’s a great value. Consider this the all-in-one travel system that makes navigating the world with a baby so much simpler. Megan Wood, Senior Editor at U.S. News 360 Reviews, uses the Doona as her family’s main car seat and loves how easy it makes running errands and travel without having to pack a separate stroller.

Wayb Pico Portable Car Seat  »

Fits in most airplane overheads bins

Only weighs 8 pounds

Installs via LATCH or car or plane seat belt

Folds down to 11.6 inches long by 14.5 inches wide by 18.9 inches tall

Made with space-grade aluminum alloy and Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)-certified wool

On the pricier side

Can’t be used until child is 22 pounds

Make your next flight with your child as easy as possible with the Wayb Pico Portable Car Seat. With a compact design that folds up—so much so that it fits in most airplane overhead bins—this FAA-approved model goes wherever you do. Weighing just 8 pounds, this travel car seat is installed via LATCH connectors or using the car or airplane seat belt.

Unlike the other best travel car seats on our list, the Pico is a forward-facing option that’s designed for children 22 to 50 pounds and 30 to 45 inches tall. Wayb recommends it for ages 2 years old and up. While you can’t use it for a newborn, it’ll be your little one’s travel companion once they grow a bit.

The Pico is available in five colors, and an optional carry bag, vehicle seat protector, and cup holder are sold separately. If you have multiple children, you can snag a few of these and three can fit in a row in the backseat of most vehicles.

Nuna Pipa RX x Pipa Relx Base  »

Five-second installation

Can be used with or without the included base

Removable UPF 50+ canopy

GreenGuard Gold Certified and fire retardant-free materials

Connects with all Nuna strollers

Doesn’t fold

If installing a car seat isn’t something you’re looking forward to, make it easy on yourself with the Nuna Pipa RX. It comes with Pipa Relx Base, but you don’t need it in order to put it to use in a car or on an airplane. If you do decide to use it, however, the base features a stability leg that absorbs impact to prevent motion from transferring to your baby. Plus, installation takes just five seconds.

At 7.6 pounds (not including the canopy or infant insert), it’s one of the lightest options on our list. This travel car seat has a four-position recline, and you don’t have to reinstall it to change the position. It features an infant insert that can be removed when your little one grows. But no matter what age they are, you’ll want to take advantage of the removable, full-coverage UPF 50+ canopy.

This unit has the green light to be part of air travel, and you can feel good knowing that it’s GreenGuard Gold Certified and made with fire retardant-free materials.

Britax Emblem 3-Stage Convertible Car Seat  »

High-strength steel frame and SafeCell technology to absorb crash energy

Accommodates children up to 65 pounds

Aircraft approved

10-position harness and headrest adjust together

Machine-washable and dryer-friendly fabrics

On the heavier side

Any piece of baby gear you put your child in needs to be sturdy and durable. The Britax Emblem 3-Stage Convertible Car Seat was built to last. Its frame is made of high-strength steel, and it features SafeCell technology to absorb crash energy, so you can feel confident that your little one is protected. Its fabric is tough and can be tossed in the washing machine and dryer to refresh it after a spill or accident.

This best travel model is designed to grow with your child, as it accommodates them from 5 pounds all the way up to 65 pounds. As they get bigger, you can adjust the harness and headrest, which move together in 10 different positions.

The Emblem is on the heavier side at just under 20 pounds, but it’s still reasonable enough to bring with you in a ride-share or carry it on for aircraft use. Just utilize its installation features, including LATCH connectors and level indicators, to ensure that it’s correctly set up.

Graco Century Carry On 35 Lightweight Infant Car Seat  »

Only weighs 6.8 pounds

Four-position carry handle

Machine-washable seat pad and canopy

Doesn’t convert to front facing

Graco refers to its Century Carry On 35 Lightweight Infant Car Seat as “The Weightless Wonder,” and it’s clear why. This lightweight car seat only weighs 6.8 pounds. If you count the base, it only goes up to 10.4 pounds. It’s the lightest carrier on our list, so it’ll truly become a travel must-have when vacation is calling.

Approved to take on an airplane, the Graco Century has a carry handle with four adjustable positions, so both you and your baby will be comfortable. It comes with a base that can be installed via LATCH connectors. However, it can be used without one for even quicker installation with a vehicle or airplane seat belt. And if an in-flight spill dirties the seat pad or canopy, both are machine washable.

The Century is designed for babies up to 35 pounds. Even though it won’t go the long haul, it’s a budget-friendly option that does its job well while it can. Plus, it’s compatible with all Century strollers and car seat bases from Graco that can be purchased separately.

The Bottom Line

The market is far from short on car seat options, and that rings true for travel car seats, too. To choose the best one for your child, consider how often you plan to use it. If it’s a secondary car seat that you’re planning to only break out a couple times of year for vacation, then you may want to keep your budget low. But if you’re looking forward to road trips and airplane rides on the regular, better quality and durability may be more important. Once you see how much use you’ll get out of it, you can focus on what features are necessities in your book. Does it need to fold? Does its weight need to stay super low? But if you’re not totally sure what you need in a travel car seat, the Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex Infant Car Seat, our Best Overall pick, is FAA approved, weighs just 10 pounds, comes with a UPF 50+ canopy, and comes with a base but doesn’t need it in order to install.

Things To Consider When Buying Travel Car Seats

Safety Certification and Compliance

The good news is that if you’re buying a new travel car seat from a reputable retailer in the United States, you’re probably in good shape.

“All car seats sold in the U.S. must meet stringent safety regulations, following the requirements set by the NHTSA,” says Joe Colella, JPMA director of Child Passenger Safety and 2020 Child Passenger Safety Hall of Fame Inductee. “A car seat that meets these standards is required to be labeled with, ‘This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.’”

Don’t forget that car seats also have expiration dates, and when they hit it, toss them, reminds Samora Coles, founder and executive director of The Alex House Project , an organization that supports low-income families and young mothers with their transition to parenthood. While this is one piece of baby gear you’re likely to want to buy new, if you’re using a secondhand model, it’s even more imperative that you check its expiration date and look up if any recalls or malfunctions have been reported.

Size and Weight Suitability

Most—but not all—travel car seats can be used right from birth, so keep in mind when you plan on using it and if your little one is big enough to be safely strapped in. Some options have one mode while others convert to various positions, including rear facing, forward facing, and booster to grow with your child. Each mode has its own weight and height limits, and those numbers vary depending on the brand and model. It’s important to read through and follow those instructions for safety.

“Car seats, when not used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, could be less likely to protect a child from injury,” says Colella. “Car seats are safety devices that are designed and tested to protect children when used as directed by the manufacturer.”

Many travel car seats have an adjustable headrest that you can raise as your child grows. If longevity is important to your buying decision, check to make sure it has this capability so you’re not stuck getting a new one in a year’s time.

Ease of Installation and Compatibility

The first time you put a typical car seat in your vehicle may have taken a while. That kind of time isn’t provided when you’re on the tarmac, so the best travel car seats need to be easy to install. It’s a smart idea to do a test run in a car so you can feel confident in its setup.

Even though many travel car seats come with a base, they’re typically not a must-use on the road. Some models just need a vehicle’s or airplane’s seat belt to safely strap in. Others also offer LATCH connectors that provide a super-secure installation.

“Most travel car seats are compatible with any vehicle, but parents want to research car seat company manuals and reviews from other parents,” says Coles. To assure parents that they did it correctly, some units have colored indicators that give the thumbs up when it’s ready to use or level indicators that confirm it’s not tilted. If you’re concerned about always setting it up and taking it out, look for a model that eases your worries.

Portability for Frequent Travel

Whether you’re hurrying to your gate or rushing to the taxi stand, the last thing you want is a bulky, heavy travel car seat weighing you down. Even if you don’t plan to carry it around while your baby is in it most of the time, you want the unit to be built for portability. That starts with looking at the car seat’s weight. The lowest on this list is 6.8 pounds, and it goes up quite a bit from there. It’s also helpful if the travel car seat folds down — not only so that it fits in the overhead bin on an airplane, but so it’s convenient to carry along with your weekender bag.

“When considering portability factors, parents should consider dual abilities in a travel car seat,” explains Coles. “Seats that can act as strollers can help parents limit necessary items they must carry while traveling.”

Don’t forget to check out the handle, too. Even if it’s lightweight, if the handle doesn’t boast an ergonomic design, parents can feel quite uncomfortable.

Convertibility as the Child Grows

Some travel car seats grow with your child, so they’ll go from rear facing to forward facing to even booster. Each of these stages have their own weight and height limits. However, things can get tricky depending on where you’re traveling to.

“Every U.S. state and territory has a law that defines how a child must be restrained in a vehicle and also requires car seat compliance with the aforementioned safety regulations. State laws vary significantly, and travelers must follow the law for the state in which they are traveling,” says Colella. “For example, 19 states and the District of Columbia require that children ride in rear-facing car seats until at least age 2, while other states use age 1 or do not specify a rear-facing age requirement. Most states also require the use of car booster seats, though the maximum age for those requirements varies from 5 to 10 years old.

How We Chose the Best Travel Car Seats

Nothing is more important than safety when we’re talking about baby gear. U.S. News 360 Reviews kept it at the top of mind when hunting down the best travel car seats, but we also considered price, weight of the carrier, weight and height limits, and installation. To ensure we had the must-know information, we consulted the director of Child Passenger Safety at JPMA and the founder and executive director of an organization that helps young mothers with their transition to parenthood. They provided insight on which key components to understand before landing on the travel car seat for your personal lifestyle. Before adding to cart, think about when and where you’ll use it and what features truly matter to you.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

Caitlyn Fitzpatrick , the author of this piece, has been researching, testing, and reviewing products since 2017. This means she has years of experience honing in on what’s important when shopping for a product, including baby gear. Fitzpatrick is a mom herself and has done her own personal deep dive on what makes one car seat better than another. That’s why she concentrated on safety as the top priority when choosing the best travel car seats. Megan Wood , Senior Editor at U.S. News 360 Reviews, focuses on baby gear and recommends the Doona Car Seat + Stroller for traveling families.

“While the FAA does not require the use of car seats on airplanes for children, and those under the age of 2 are allowed to ride on their parents’ lap, this is not considered best practice,” says Colella. “Turbulence can happen with little or no warning, and appropriate car seats provide the safest way for children to travel on airplanes.”

Most travel car seats are certified to use on aircrafts, but be sure to check that it’s the case with your specific model. It can also make a difference which airline you fly and if you’re traveling domestically or internationally. Booster car seats and child restraint harnesses are generally not supposed to be used on an airplane. All of the recommendations on this list are approved for airplane use.

As far as adjustability, many models feature adjustable straps, height/headrest positions, and recline positions.

The best travel car seats are typically easy to install. After all, they’re expected to be moved between vehicles or on and off airplanes regularly. Some of these models come with a base, but don’t necessarily require it for the unit to be secured. Many travel car seats come with LATCH connectors. “This system is compatible with vehicles with anchors located at the lower and upper tether of their seats where the car seat can be secured,” explains Coles. “Since all vehicles must have seat belts, all car seats have a space to secure car seats using the seat belt.”

Two of the most important factors when shopping for the best travel car seat are installation and portability. You want it to be easy to secure on an airplane and in a ride-share, and simple to carry it with you wherever your adventures lead.

“Additionally, factors such as the age, weight, height, and overall condition of the seat should be considered as they can help determine the overall value of the car seat, especially for those with limited resources and busy lifestyles,” says Coles.

About Our Team

Caitlyn Fitzpatrick

Contributor

Senior Editor

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

Flying with a car seat on a plane: 10 things you NEED to know (2024)

This article about taking a car seat on a plane is written by certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Melissa Conn and may contain affiliate links.

Are you considering flying with a car seat? Or maybe you’ve decided it’s your best option and wondering exactly how to fly with a car seat? Then you’ve come to the right place!

This guide covers everything you need to know about travel with a car seat on planes – from choosing an airplane car seat to airline rules to installation quirks and insider tricks you can only learn with lots of experience. We’re sharing it all to make traveling with a car seat on a plane a smooth experience for your family.

Flying with a car seat is the safest option

Let’s start with the most basic question: why should you fly with a car seat? The simple answer is that airplane seatbelts aren’t designed for tiny bodies. The general recommendation is for children under 40lbs to fly in an FAA-approved restraint – either a travel car seat or a CARES harness (minimum weight 22lbs, but fits better at 30lbs – full review here ). The best car seat for airplane travel depends on your child’s age, size and development level – start your search here to pick the right one . The FAA and the NTSB both recommend using your car seat on airplanes.

This video shows you exactly why:

Why aren’t parents required to use car seats on airplanes? First, because airlines have lobbied to prevent rules that might decrease the number of families who fly – and thus, their revenue. Second, air travel is much safer than car travel. Government statisticians have determined that society is better off overall with unrestrained or improperly restrained kids on flights than with many more families taking to the roads to travel. Learn more about the pros and cons of flying with a lap infant if you have a baby.

Even if you’re reading this after you’ve made your travel arrangements and you didn’t buy a seat for your baby, you can always ask at the ticket counter or check in with the gate agent. If the flight isn’t full, you can often use an empty seat for free to put your child (with their car seat) so that everyone on the flight is safer.

So do you need to bring a car seat when traveling? You need some way to keep your child safe in-flight and safe on the roads beyond, so in part it will depend on your child’s age and the type of trip.

Can you take a car seat on a plane? It depends on the airline

The US leads the way for using car seats on airplanes. Kind of shocking, eh? Not only do the FAA and NTSB encourage buying kids their own seat and using a car seat in flight, but your right to use an FAA-approved car seat through the entire flight is protected by law. Bookmark these FAA rules on car seats on your phone (or even save it) in case a flight attendant gives you a hard time. Across the border, Transport Canada maintains similar standards .

If you bring your car seat on board ( and you should ), you’ll have to use it for your child for take-off, landing and when the seatbelt sign is on during turbulent patches. All in the name of safety! Just make sure your car seat is certified for airplane use – nearly every car seat in the US is FAA-approved (just not this one ). You can’t use a booster seat on planes at all since they require a lap-shoulder seat belt, but a combination car seat like this one is completely fine if the harness is still installed. Get more details on bringing booster seats on an airplane here.

Read more: Important info for traveling with car seats

How do I know if I have an airline approved car seat? Near the base of the car seat there’s a white sticker with lots of small print. In red letters it should say that it’s approved for aircraft use.

Below is an example of the FAA approved car seat sticker from this seat . It’s located inconveniently on the bottom of the seat, but they’re in different places on different seats. Make sure you locate yours before you get to the airport; for some international flights, we’ve had to show it at the check-in counter to avoid sending it along with the baggage. In other cases, we’ve been asked to show it before installing on the plane.

Some parents (and flight crews!) get confused when they see this because it has two separate sentences about aircraft. That’s because the seat can either function as a forward-facing harnessed seat or as a booster seat. Just leave the harness in and you’ll be fine! An FAA-approved convertible car seat will generally just have the first red sentence, while an all-in-one car seat will have both. Booster seats can’t be used on board so they will only have the last red sentence.

It’s been an uneven few years for airlines, and plenty of crew members don’t know the ins and outs of flying with a car seat. Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid unpleasant encounters:

• It’s YOUR responsibility to know how to correctly install your own travel car seat for airplane use. Be sure to read the manual in advance of your flight and consult a CPST if you have questions.
• Infant car seats generally fit better than rear facing convertible car seats .
• You are allowed to rear face within manufacturers’ limits on US carriers, even if it impedes recline. You may want to consider seating someone else from your family in front of a large rear facing car seat so that another passenger isn’t inconvenienced.
• Car seats must be installed on forward facing aircraft seats, but that doesn’t mean that car seats must be forward facing.

Read more: The lightest infant car seats of 2023

Note that on some airlines the seats are so narrow that you’ll have to choose your travel car seat wisely. If you plan to fly Spirit airlines, for example, be sure to read this article for all the particulars.

There’s one important (and recent) exception to note: some of the new premium classes of service like United Polaris and Air Canada Signature aren’t able to safely accommodate car seats. In those classes, the only option is to hold a child under 2 in your lap and to buckle older kids in the lap belt. Personally, I wouldn’t book those with a young child.

Can you bring a carseat on a plane in other countries? In my experience, outside of the US and Canada it’s more like the wild west. Every airline sets their own policies. They can range from airlines that are extremely supportive of car seat usage on board in the interest of safety to airlines that prohibit all car seats in the cabin. Some don’t allow any car seats, some only allow forward-facing car seats, some only allow car seats for certain ages. Thankfully a few give discounts if you’re purchasing a child their own seat.

The strangest rule we’ve encountered is that even if you bring a car seat on board, some foreign airlines require you to use a “belly belt” instead during take-off and landing. Belly belts have been banned in the US and Canada because they turn a baby into an air bag. What should you do if you find yourself in that situation? Graciously accept the belly belt and attach your child to you. As soon as the flight crew is securely seated in their harnesses, strap your baby into the car seat to keep them safe during the most dangerous part of the flight.

The worst situation reported by one of our Tiny Globetrotters families was when traveling on an Asian carrier with their 3 year old and car seat. They wouldn’t permit the kid to sit in the car seat for take-off, but he was clearly not of an age to use the belly belt. The airline forced the family to gate check the car seat. Which leads me to recommend…

If you’re flying a carrier that isn’t based in the US or Canada, be sure to check their “traveling with children” section before booking your tickets to make sure you’re comfortable with the airline’s policies. You’d hate to arrive at the airport and be told that you need to check your car seat unexpectedly!

What’s the best carseat for flying?

The best airplane car seat depends on your child’s age and size – there’s a wide range to choose from but it’s important to consider your family’s specific needs in selecting the best car seat for plane travel. Check out these best car seats for airplanes, including the honest pros and cons of each one:

– Best infant car seat for travel

– Best travel car seat for a 1 year old

– Best travel car seat for a 2 year old

– Best travel car seat for a 3 year old

– Best travel car seat for a 4 year old

– Best travel car seat for a 5 year old

– Best travel car seat for a 6 year old

– Best travel booster seat

How do you travel with a car seat? The airport isn’t so bad

For lots of parents, the most daunting part of figuring out how to travel with a car seat is strategizing about the airport. How to travel with a car seat in the airport depends on your family’s specific needs, like how many kids, their ages and what gear you’ve chosen for flying with car seat and stroller.

Yes, a car seat is another thing to schlep with you on the endless trek through the airport. But it’s not the end of the world. Travel systems and other car seat-stroller combinations can help, and there are lots of creative ways you can transport your car seat through the airport all the way to the gate – read about them all here .

Just give yourself plenty of extra time to get through security. Some car seats fit through the x-ray machine, but others will require hand inspection. We’ve been delayed as much as 10 minutes at security waiting on an officer to poke at our car seats. Beyond that, it’s not much of an issue if you have a solid game plan for transporting your car seat around the airport.

Maneuvering through the plane with a car seat can be ugly

Ok, so getting through the airport is no big deal with the right tricks up your sleeve. Getting through the plane… that can be a little tricky depending on your car seat. Car seats have gotten wider, aisles have gotten narrower. So what can you do?

The first thing to do is show up at the gate with your small child, car seat, carry-ons and miniature circus tent and politely explain that you need some extra time to board the plane and get situated. Usually gate agents will let you on fairly early in the process even if there isn’t an official family pre-boarding policy. Trust me, the extra space in every direction can only help you!

There have been plenty of times when I’ve had to carry a car seat down the aisle of an airplane over my head. That’s why I personally prefer a lightweight travel car seat ! The other great option is to use a foldable car seat travel cart to wheel your narrow car seat through the aisle. Just make sure the folks in front of you keep their knees in! If you have a Doona , you don’t even have to fold the wheels in until you get to your seat.

Once you get to your row, if possible put your child in the same row on the opposite side of the aisle. It’s for their own good! Raise the arm rests in your row to make your life easier. There’s usually a hidden lever on the underside of the aisle arm rest (near the hinge) to lift it.

If you’ve used a cart up to this point you need to detach the car seat from the cart, lift the car seat into the row and shimmy it to the window seat if need be. Then fold your cart and stow it under the seat in front of your car seat. If your car seat is light enough that you carried it over the tops of the seats, hopefully you can gently place it in position to begin installing the car seat on the plane.

For me, maneuvering down the airplane aisle was always the worst part of flying with a car seat!

How do you install a carseat on a plane? It’s usually pretty easy

Do you remember your first time?

The first time you huffed, puffed, sweated, swore and possibly cried… through installing a car seat, that is.

Installing a car seat on a plane won’t be like that. It’s generally the easiest kind of installation you can do. There are just a few simple steps for how to install a car seat on a plane:

• Find the correct belt path on your car seat for rear-facing or forward-facing
• Loosen the adjustable side of the airplane seatbelt
• Feed that side through the belt path
• Pray that your hand is tiny enough to reach through
• Buckle the seatbelt
• Put your weight into the car seat (possibly with the airplane seat reclined) while pulling the seatbelt tail to tighten

Here are few tips to help you out… 

• An infant car seat is the easiest style to install since the “belt path” is just two little arms that are completely exposed.
• For a rear-facing car seat, the buckle is usually between your child’s feet or knees so it won’t bother them. As long as your child is on the older side of infancy, it’s ok to install your rear-facing convertible car seat a little more upright. Sometimes that’s necessary on airlines with tiny seat pitches.
• The biggest challenge with using a forward-facing car seat on an airplane is that the seat belt buckle may end up right in the middle of your child’s back. We usually shove a sweatshirt in there after installing the car seat to offer more padding and that’s worked well. Some parents also recommend looping the short side of the seatbelt around the armrest so that the latch plate connects outside of the car seat.
• If your car seat has a lock-off for seatbelt installation pretty please read the manual to understand your seat’s particulars. The last thing you want to do is break the lock-off on your super expensive car seat ! See the yellow box below.

That’s pretty much it when it comes to car seat airplane installation! The best place to look for details on your car seat is in your manual.

SPECIAL NOTE: Installing a car seat with a lock-off, ClickTight, SnugLock or other fancy tensioning mechanism

Lots of car seats today are designed to make seatbelt installation in cars easier, and I love them. They may have a traditional lock-off (Clek Foonf/Fllo, Britax Allegiance etc), a locking panel (Britax ClickTight, Graco SnugLock) or a “tensioning” panel (Evenflo LockStrong, Nuna True Tension).

The common feature of these seats is that you must consult the instructions to make sure you install the car seat on the plane without breaking it. Generally you’re instructed to bypass the tensioning/locking mechanism for aircraft installation.

At least once per week now I’m asked how to install a Britax ClickTight on a plane, or someone tells me that they couldn’t get it to work and had to check the seat. Below you can see the Britax ClickTight airplane installation instructions taken from the Marathon manual, and you’ll not that they’re totally different than the instructions for installing in a car! Note that the directions for installing the car seat rear facing and forward facing are different as well.

Want to know all my best secrets? Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro!

You can only be seated in specific places on the plane

Nearly all airlines have rules on where on the plane you can install your child’s car seat. Generally speaking, it needs to be in a window seat if it’s a single aisle plane, and it can also be in a middle seat in the middle section on a plane with two aisles. We’ve gotten away with putting a rear-facing car set in the window and a forward-facing car seat in the adjacent middle seat.

A car seat (or a child without a car seat, for that matter) can’t be in an exit row. In the US, you usually can’t install a car seat in the row in front of or behind the exit row either. Many airlines don’t allow car seats in the bulkhead row.

Errrrrr…. So where can you install the car seat?

Rest easy. You can install your child’s car seat in the vast majority of seats on any given flight (assuming the airline permits them). We’ve only run into an issue once in all the flights we’ve taken, and that was because we were assigned seats immediately behind the exit row.

If you’re having trouble figuring out the right seats to request or if you’ve booked a Basic Economy fare, I suggest reaching out to the airline in a private message on Facebook or Twitter and let them know you’ll be taking a car seat on the plane. It’s by far the fastest way to reach a real customer service representative, you’ll have everything documented and they can make changes for you immediately if you provide a confirmation number.

You have to install your car seat on a forward facing aircraft seat. Into the early 2000s, Southwest offered “lounge seats” (aka “party seats”) in the exit row that faced each other. You’re unlikely to see those again, but you also can’t install a car seat on sharply angled seats.

Some well-meaning parents worry about inconveniencing other passengers by limiting their recline on long flights. That’s awfully nice of you! Remember that your child’s safety trumps another passenger’s comfort and convenience. That said, you can try to mitigate the issue by putting someone else from your family in front of the car seat – especially if it’s rear-facing. 

When we traveled with two kids in car seats, we’d book our family of four in the “AB-AB” (two rows of window seat and middle seat) configuration rather than “ABC-D”. The forward-facing car seat went in the window seat in front of the rear-facing car seat since there was no real need for recline. We missed having the aisle seat but survived lots of flights this way.

If you’re lucky enough to be flying in First Class or Business Class, you’ll definitely want to do your research in advance. There are many limitations on car seats in First Class and Business Class and they vary not just by airline, but even by aircraft type and configuration.

Rear-facing car seats are awesome for sleeping babies (and beyond)

Do you ever have trouble falling asleep on flights because you just can’t seem to get comfortable? Imagine if you got to sit in a perfectly-sized, cushioned recliner for the entire flight. That’s what I’m talking about.

But seriously, that’s what it’s like for your baby or young toddler when you put them in a rear-facing car seat on the plane. Their heads are properly supported so they don’t loll awkwardly forward. Our flights got much harder when our kids switched to forward-facing because they had a harder time getting comfortable!

The other advantage of rear-facing car seats on planes is that your kids can’t really drop stuff. We’d prop the tablet at our kids’ feet against the seat back when they were old enough to watch. If they dropped a toy or blankie, it rarely went further than their laps (or ours). These days I feel like half of our flights are spent retrieving their stuff from disgusting airplane floors.

If you’re traveling with another child in a car seat or adult, you may want to consider seating them in front of the rear facing car seat so that a passenger outside of your family doesn’t lose out on recline. It’s not required, but it is considerate.

Your kid may not be able to use the tray table (but that might be ok)

One downside of using a forward-facing car seat on a plane is that, with very few exceptions ( this one , this one and this one ), a standard tray table won’t come down all the way. Boooooo. That can make it hard to serve them meals or offer quiet hands-on activities on a long international flight. One option is to bring along a tray like this one that props on their laps.

Somehow, our kids managed to survive. By the time we let them face the front of the plane, they were much more interested in spending the whole flight watching movies on the in-flight entertainment system… at least as much as we’d let them. And our kids have almost always refused airline meals anyway – just a few nibbles even on 13 hour flights! So we don’t stress too much about it. I do recommend bringing a car seat with a cupholder so that your kid can have easy drink access to stay hydrated.

This, however, is the one bright spot of Spirit Airlines and their comically tiny tray tables. They are so ridiculously small that the car seat arm rests don’t interfere with them!

You can flip the airplane car seat around mid-flight if you need to

The FAA says you have to use your car seat per manufacturer instructions, but if your child is the right age and size to rear-face or forward-face then it’s totally up to what you want to do. Change your mind mid-flight? No problem.

Why might you want to flip your car seat back and forth during the flight? There are a few reasons. On a long flight, you might want to let your child face forward to eat and watch a movie but then flip her rear-facing (which offers more recline) for sleeping. Alternatively, if you have a child who’s old enough to face forward but won’t stop kicking the seat in front then switching him to rear-facing is the kindest thing you can do for the passenger in front.

When riding in a car, the car seat harness should come from below the shoulders for rear-facing and above the shoulder for forward-facing. I have changed them mid-flight when there was a big difference, but for the cruise portion of the flight I wouldn’t worry if they’re pretty close to the right spot. For take-off and landing I’d make sure the car seat is installed such that the harness height is correct.

There isn’t usually anywhere to store a car seat on board

Last but not least… once you decide to bring a car seat on a plane with you, you’re pretty much locked in to that decision unless you bring this . Your child will be required to use it for take-off, landing and turbulent patches. In between they don’t necessarily have to be strapped in (though that’s always the safest bet).

But don’t plan on taking your baby out and stowing the car seat elsewhere to let them play. There generally isn’t room. There are exceptions, of course – on a huge international flight, the overhead bins (if they aren’t full) are usually tall enough to accommodate an infant car seat.

Sometimes flight attendants will be nice and put a car seat in a closet in another cabin. But usually either you take it or leave it. A notable exception is this car seat (suitable for kids at least 2-3 up to 7-8): if you’re bringing it on board for a child over 40lbs and decide you don’t want to use it mid-flight, you can separate the base from the back for storage.

If your child is at least 30 lbs and you don’t need a car seat at your destination (or you have a Ride Safer travel vest for cars), you can use the CARES harness instead if you think you’ll want your child to have the whole seat available to relax and play rather than sitting in the car seat most of the time.

Get a quick visual summary of flying with a car seat !

Flying with car seat FAQs

While kids under 2 who have their own seat on a plane are often required to use a car seat, kids over 2 aren’t required to use one. However , it’s strongly recommended to use a car seat to keep your child safe through runway incidents or extreme turbulence.

As kids approach 40 pounds, they can get a better fit with the airplane seatbelt than when they are smaller. But an average 3 year old is still just over 30lbs and benefits from riding in a travel car seat for a 3 year old . Another option at this age is the CARES harness .

Average sized 4 year olds can often sit safely using the airplane seat belt, though not if they’re on the smaller side. However, bringing the travel car seat on a plane avoids the risks of loss or damage when checking a car seat .

If you buy your child their own seat and are flying a US-based carrier, it’s your legal right to bring an FAA-approved car seat on board and use it! If you don’t buy a seat for your child (under age 2), you may luck out and ask for an empty seat. If you’re flying a non-US airline, be sure to check their specific policies before booking your tickets.

While a car seat isn’t generally required on a plane, some airlines do require a car seat if you purchase a ticket for a child under age 2 (assuming he or she is under 40lbs).

Not sure if you do need a car seat on a plane for your upcoming trip? Reach out to the airline to confirm, but remember that the recommendation/requirement is in place to keep your child and the other passengers safe in a runway crash or during serious turbulence.

Car seats must be installed so that they don’t block the safe exit of another passenger. In a single-aisle aircraft, that generally means a window seat (or window seat and middle seat if you’re installing two car seats). On a two-aisle aircraft, you may also install a car seat in any airplane seat in the center section.

If you’ve purchased a ticket for your child, you don’t have to pay extra to bring the car seat on board! When checking your car seat , there’s generally no charge but many airlines deem them “special items” and aren’t liable for loss or damage per the contract of carriage.

You might also like…

• Uber and car seats: what you NEED to know about riding Uber with a baby or child
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The post Flying with a car seat on a plane: 10 things you NEED to know (2024) appeared first on Travel Car Seat Mom .

• Top Picks for Narrow Convertible Car Seats

One of the most challenging and also satisfying parts of being The Car Seat Lady is figuring out which car seats will work best in tight side-by-side or 3-across situations. We’ve created a guide to help you narrow down (pun intended!) the options when you have to fit a bunch of car seats together in a small space. 

Why did we pick these seats?

We’re going to first explain why we’ve chosen the seats on this list and how vehicle geometry and car seat design interplay in this situation.

The Criteria

To make the list, a narrow car seat must also meet some other criteria:

• Size and shape: a seat must be narrow….but it also must puzzle well next to other car seats
• User friendly installation with the seat belt
• High enough height and weight limits and roomy enough for comfort

Size and Shape: Size doesn’t matter (too much). Put away your measuring tape! What matters more for the car seat is how two or three car seats work together , and for the vehicle is how much usable space there is in the back seat. 

For the car seat: When we choose a car seat for a three across set-up we look at the car seat’s total design, not just the width. Car seats aren’t rectangular boxes. They’re 3D objects with curves. Some sit up higher on the vehicle seat, others sit lower. Fitting 2 seats side by side is a 3D puzzle: where one car seat flares out another may be narrowest and they can puzzle together nicely. Likewise, a seat that sits low to the vehicle seat may tuck nicely next to a seat that sits high off the vehicle seat.

For the vehicle: This logic applies to the car too! The t otal width of the back seat doesn’t actually matter (too much). In most vehicles, t here are many inches of wasted space between the door and where the seat belt is anchored. This is room that car seats can’t occupy when tightly installed. Total hip room also doesn’t matter, because very frequently the backseat is not divided up with an equal amount of space for each passenger.

Installation with the seat belt is often required for a three across set up. Why is this required if there are lower anchors in the vehicle? Lower anchors are usually centered on a vehicle seat, and as such they restrict the placement of the car seat to right in front of where the anchors are placed. When we need to put three car seats across, we usually need to use ALL the available usable space on the vehicle seat to give the center car seat enough space, which means having the car seats near the doors be slightly closer to the doors then they’d be if they were centered on the vehicle seat when installed with LATCH. If you’ve read this page regarding LATCH in the center or this page regarding locating lower anchors in your vehicle , you already know that you typically can’t use LATCH to install a car seat in the center position….which means all three car seats must be installed with the seat belt.

Because installation with the seat belt can be difficult, we favor car seats with built-in seat belt locking devices . These lock-offs usually make installation MUCH easier, which we hope leads to less misuse. These lockoffs can also make it possible to get the car seat secured in close-to-the-door positions where using the seat belt’s own locking mechanism would not provide a tight installation.

High enough height and weight limits and roominess: Some narrow seats have a very short usage due to low shell height or top shoulder strap slot. We left those off our list! All of our recommended seats are roomy on the inside even if they’re narrow on the outside. In fact, we’ve taken care to choose seats in each category that are at least as comfy, if not more roomy, than the other seats in their category that happen to be wider on the outside. Figuring out this three across situation is hard enough to do once–we don’t want you to have to do it again in 6 months when your child needs a bigger seat! 

Rear-Facing Convertible Car Seats

We’ve selected three convertible seats that we’ve found to work in a wide variety of tight situations. 

Graco Slimfit3 LX

Why we love it for crowded back seats:

Super narrow footprint and width: The Graco Slimfit3 LX is probably the narrowest seat out there right now! Cupholders are removable to make the seat even more narrow.

Easy rear-facing LATCH installation: Fits well on the side installed with lower anchors. Lacks a seat belt lockoff for rear-facing so not ideal for a rear-facing center installation or side installation with the seat belt, which does mean it may sit more centered than is desired in a tight 3-across situation. Still worth a serious try though due to its narrow width.

Other things we like (besides the narrow parts):

• Built in lockoff for forward-facing (see below)
• Smooth pulling straps
• 10 year lifespan so perfect for passing down to siblings

Fits in very tight side spaces due to seat belt installation: With built in seat belt lockoffs, a rear-facing Foonf can be placed slightly over towards the door to accommodate another car seat or passenger next to it. A seat belt installation also means there’s no need to worry about LATCH weight limits when used rear-facing.

Extremely narrow on the outside but still super comfy : This seat is narrow and streamlined on the outside but very roomy and comfy on the inside, even for bigger kids.

Fits well behind the driver or passenger: The Foonf can sit fairly upright so it’s a great choice for placement behind even a taller driver or passenger. (Older kids often prefer to sit more upright in the car) Note: Because it sits quite high off the vehicle seat, the Foonf can cause an obstructed view out the rear window when installed in the center of many vehicles, especially as a child grows and the headrest moves up.

Longevity: The Foonf can be used rear-facing until a child is 44 inches or 50 lbs. This means even a 95th percentile boy can use this seat rear-facing until his 4th birthday. The mandatory anti-rebound bar means your child will have lots of legroom.

Can be used for a newborn : The Infant Thingy , sold separately, makes the Foonf suitable for newborns. This is particularly helpful for vehicles that don’t have enough room to fit an infant seat in a 3-across set up.

• Mandatory antirebound bar adds stability, prevents rebound, and adds leg-room
• Optional q-tether adds safety by limiting motion
• Rigid LATCH for forward-facing
• Smooth pulling straps that don’t twist
• 9 year lifespan so great for passing down to siblings

Fits well in the center seat due to seat belt installation: Because it comes with built-in seat belt lockoffs, the Fllo fits very nicely in the center seat, where a LATCH installation is not usually possible. The built in lockoffs mean the seat can be placed slightly off-center to accommodate another car seat or passenger next to it. A seat belt installation also means there’s no need to worry about LATCH weight limits when used rear-facing.

Extremely narrow on the outside but still super comfy : The Fllo is narrow and streamlined on the outside but very roomy and comfy on the inside, even for bigger kids. Great for installation next to other car seats and when used in the center, usually allows both front seats to come all the way back.

Longevity: The Fllo can be used rear-facing until a child is 44 inches or 50 lbs. This means even a 95th percentile boy can use this seat rear-facing until his 4th birthday. The anti-rebound bar is optional, but when used will give your child a lot of legroom.

Can be used for a newborn : The Infant Thingy , sold separately, makes the Fllo suitable for newborns. This is particularly helpful for vehicles that don’t have enough room to fit an infant seat in a 3-across set up.

• Optional antirebound bar adds stability, prevents rebound, and adds leg-room

Forward-Facing Car Seats

We’ve selected five forward-facing 5-point harness car seats that we’ve found to work in a wide variety of tight situations. 

Super narrow footprint and width: Probably the narrowest seat out there right now! Cupholders are removable to make the seat even more narrow.

Choice of installation with either LATCH or seat belt: Graco’s Slimfit3 LX Works nicely forward-facing with LATCH until child is 45 lbs, or with the seat belt and tether until 65lbs. Built in seat belt lockoff means seat does not need to be centered between lower anchors. Using the seat belt, it can often be secured slightly towards the door/off center, enabling 3 across. Remember to always use the tether when forward-facing. 

• Built in lockoff for forward-facing 

Note: When purchasing, make sure you are getting this seat, the Slimfit3LX , and not the similarly named Slimfit 3-in-1, which is a completely different seat that is not very slim despite it’s misleading name. Be very careful, the two seats are often listed on the same Amazon product page! The Slimfit3LX has a gray lever on its headrest and a small black base that is more narrow than the actual seat, with a grey lever to adjust the seat’s recline angle. The Slimfit 3-in-1 has a red lever on its headrest and a wide base with a red lever to adjust the recline angle. 

Assured super tight installation, even in a 3-across situation (as long as the Foonf can be installed, it will be tight): Because the forward-facing Foonf uses Rigid LATCH and therefore plugs into the vehicle’s lower anchors, you’ll never need to worry that it’s installed too loosely. This is important in a 3-across situation where you must be certain that all three seats are independently tight, and they don’t just seem tight because they’re smack up against each other. The Foonf is the only forward-facing 5 point harness seat sold in the US to feature Rigid LATCH at this time.

Extremely narrow on the outside by still very comfy: The Foonf is narrow and streamlined on the outside but very roomy and comfy on the inside, even for bigger kids. 

Longevity: Can be used forward-facing until about age 6. 

Note: Great option for the side seats, NOT the center: Because the Foonf uses Rigid LATCH, it’s best placed on the side seats. It often fits nicely next to a rear-facing Clek Fllo in the middle seat. The Foonf is not a good choice for a forward-facing seat in the center because most vehicles do not have lower anchors in that position. 

Other things we like, besides the narrow parts:

• Works well rear-facing too
• Has smooth pulling straps that don’t twist.
• 9 year lifespan  so great for passing down to siblings
• Kids can’t access button used to loosen straps (if you have a curious preschooler you’ll know why this matters)
• Sits high off vehicle seat to give child more leg room, because the child’s legs can hang straight rather than pointing out into the front seat
• Accommodates protruding vehicle head restraints better than other forward-facing car seats. 

Diono Radian 3RXT

Extremely low profile, narrow width, and shallow sides make it a great option for tight center spots: The Radian’s design means it tucks in nicely next to other car seats, especially rear-facing seats. Often works well in the center with two rear-facing Foonfs on either side.

Easy to maneuver around and in/out: Kids have an easy time climbing in and out due to the Radian’s shape. It’s easier to get an infant carrier out of the center if the Radian is on the side (compared to a higher forward-facing seat.) Finally, it sits low to the vehicle seat so it’s less likely to obstruct a driver’s view out the rear window when its installed in the center.

Longevity: Most kids will fit until about age 6.

Note: Installation can often be tricky! In many vehicles you’ll need to use a locking clip and/or the double seat back recline trick. Also requires changes to straps, crotch buckle, and base over time which means reinstalling several times, and this can be annoying especially if installation is difficult.

Note: Not recommended for rear-facing: The Radian does not meet our criteria for a recommended narrow rear-facing convertible car seat because its rear-facing seat belt installation often does not yield a tight result and because when installed with LATCH, doesn’t accommodate another car seat next to it.

Note: IMMI Go is sadly discontinued!

Easy LATCH installation can be completed in under 3 minutes. 

Easy to maneuver around and in/out: Kids have an easy time climbing in and out due to the Go’s shape, especially when the Go’s in the center. It’s easier to get an infant carrier out of the center if the Go is on the side (compared to a higher forward-facing seat.) The Go sits low to the vehicle seat so it’s less likely to obstruct a driver’s view out the rear window when its installed in the center. Finally, its lack of sides means an adult will be m ore comfortable sitting next to the Go than most other forward facing seats.

Longevity : Fits most kids until about age 6.

Extremely narrow on the outside but still super comfy : The Go is narrow on the outside but very roomy and comfy on the inside, especially for kids who like to sit criss-cross. 

A forward-facing option for the center: Because its narrow and lacks sides, the Go works well installed with LATCH in the center (as long as the vehicle permits this) next to two rear-facing seats on the sides. Note that the seats next to it will likely need to be installed with the seat belt. Using the Go in the center may permit a family to install their infant seat on the side (instead of in the center, which is less convenient.)

Allows third row access in specific vehicles, when other car seats don’t: Great on vehicle seats that first fold forward and then slide forward for third row access. The IMMI Go can usually stay securely installed while the vehicle seat folds forward, unlike other forward-facing car seats. 

Other things we like besides the narrow parts:

• Great for travel (in the US, Canada & Europe)
• Great for storing in your trunk 
• Fits in overhead bin on planes
• Weighs just 10 lbs

Note regarding installation: The Go does not want to be installed with the seat belt. It absolutely needs to be installed with the lower anchors and tether strap. 

Chicco Myfit

Great seat belt installation, especially on side seats: Nicely designed seat belt lockoff holds the seat belt tight and allows for an installation close to the door. 

Longevity: Very high height capacity means this seat will last longer than others. Almost all children will fit in harness mode until about age 7. This is helpful in a tight three across situation where a booster would be hard to operate (because it is often very hard to buckle and unbuckle the booster’s seat belt in a tight 3-across. Using a harness instead of the booster removes this difficulty). 

• Harness straps pull smoothly
• Offers a bit of recline

Note: We don’t recommend the Myfit in booster mode because the arm rests make buckling a challenge and because the shoulder belt tends to get stuck in the shoulder belt guide when a child leans forward. This is problematic because the seat belt is then too loose on the child. 

Great seat belt installation in center or side seats: Fantastic seat belt tensioning device allows for an easier, tighter installation in most seating positions.

Accommodates protruding vehicle head restraints and rigid, angled seat belt buckles: The Exec’s design means it fits nicely even when vehicle features present a challenge. It’s very hard to find forward-facing seats that work with these vehicle features. 

Longevity: Fits most kids in forward-facing mode until age 6. Note that booster mode is short-lived; your child will likely need another booster with higher height limits before they can pass the 5-Step Test to use the vehicle seat belt on its own.

Good visibility for the child using it: Because the Exec sits high off the vehicle seat, a child can easily see out the window. This is great until the child gets tall, when it can start to become a visibility issue for the driver if installed in the center position.

• In booster mode it also nicely accommodates protruding head restraints–this is a very nice feature in a booster. 

Surprised at what is NOT on our list? Here’s a quick look at why we omitted some seats that you might have thought would make the list: 

Diono Radian for Rear-Facing: Often won’t install securely with the seat belt, and has short usability (only 35 lbs) when installed rear-facing with LATCH. 

Graco SlimFit: Lacks built-in seat belt locking device and not very slim.

Cosco Scenera NEXT: Lacks built-in seat belt locking device and won’t typically install securely when positioned close to the door. Also has limited capacity due to its small size.

Combi Coccoro: Typically difficult to install tightly. Also has limited capacity due to its small size. 

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FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this page. No monetary compensation was provided, however, a few of the reviewed products were supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate the review. All opinions are those of The Car Seat Lady, LLC.

What is the best travel car seat? (2021)

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You’ve probably come here because you’re planning a big trip for your family and don’t want to lug your beast of a car seat for home. What are the best travel car seats for airplanes to pick for your situation? Every family and every trip is different so there’s no single right answer.

We have tons of experience traveling with a car seat and have used many different ones. As a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, I also have the in-depth knowledge of what it takes to keep kids safe and familiarity with most car seats on the market. In this article you’ll find the honest pros and cons of the top traveling car seats available today as well as our favorite car seats for travel at each age.

Quick picks: Best travel car seat by age

Best car seat for airplane travel, best booster seat for travel, top picks: the best travel car seat for every age, best car seats for travel – wrapping up, you might also like….

Here are my top choices for the best portable car seat for travel at each stage:

• Doona – car seat stroller for birth to 1yo (also available here and here )
• Cosco Scenera Deluxe – travel convertible car seat for birth to 3 years old
• Evenflo Sonus 65 – long-lasting convertible car seat for birth to 6 years old ( check prices here too )
• Evenflo Maestro Sport – forward-facing travel car seat for ages 3 to 5 ( check prices here too )
• Ride Safer travel vest – car seat alternative for ages 4 to 6
• Bubblebum – inflatable booster seat for ages 5+

Want more info? We have full reviews of all of these best car seats for travel and other portable car seats further down. Remember: the best car seat for travel is the one that fits your child and that you actually use when you’re out in the world.

We’ve traveled with nearly a dozen different car seats over the years, and these are our favorites. The only one from this table we haven’t personally used is the Doona, which sadly came out after our kids had outgrown infant car seats.

Good news: nearly every seat sold in the US is an FAA-approved car seat! Just remember that you can’t use a booster seat (or the Ride Safer travel vest ) on an airplane.

Read more You’ll find an in-depth breakdown of what to look for, reviews and recommendations in these articles on the top travel car seats by age: – The best travel infant car seats – The best travel car seats for 1 year olds – The best travel car seats for 2 year olds – The best travel car seats for 3 year olds – The best travel car seats for 4 year olds – The best travel car seats for 5 year olds – The best travel car seats for 6 year olds – The best booster seats for travel

If your child is a frequent traveler, owning a lightweight car seat for travelling abroad is crucial for getting through the airport, hoisting it through the plane, rental car shuttles and taxis. We love our full-sized, full-features seats at home but would never dream of transporting 50lbs of car seats to the other side of the world. Here are our favorite travel-worthy car seats for kids of all ages, many of which we’ve owned over the years.

Best car seat for travel with an infant

You’re in luck! Usually you can just use your infant car seat – and if your little one isn’t too big yet, it makes a great travel car seat for a 1 year old. Our Chicco Keyfit served us well for many trips. A portable infant car seat is handy because you can click it into a matching stroller or carry it by the handle when you need to.

To save weight and bulk, leave the base at home and install with the seatbelt instead. In some countries, the seatbelts do not lock at the retractor so you’ll need to bring an old-school locking clip. If your car seat didn’t come with one, you can buy a locking clip here . Learn everything you wanted to know about locking clips (and more!).

If your infant will have more passport stamps than a flight crew or you live in a big city where you mostly take public transit check out the Doona car seat stroller combo, the infant car seat that magically becomes a stroller! I haven’t used one in a car but I did get a chance to play with it and I was impressed by this new-fangled travel car seat with wheels. Others who have used it say that it lives up to the hype as the best car seat for airplane travel with an infant. Stroll up to the taxi door, retract the handle and wheels, then install as you would any other infant seat. It makes a perfect portable car seat for taxi rides with an infant.

>>> Check prices on the Doona here

An awesome new infant car seat for travel in 2021 is the Century Carry On 35 , which weighs just 10 pounds for the car seat and base together . It’s the lightest infant car seat and base combination you can find. Since it’s a modified Graco SnugRide 35, it’s still easy to install and fits kids well from birth to 15-18 months. The best part? In addition to the light physical weight, it’s got one of the lightest price tags around: the base model is scant $72 when you use a coupon, while the upgraded Century Carry On 35 LX clocks in at $104.

Read more: MUST-HAVE travel baby gear to make your life easier

Travel toddler car seat options

Here are some choices for the best convertible car seat for travel. We look for light weight and ease of installation in portable car seats for toddlers. Every country we’ve visited in Europe has had lower anchors for LATCH/ISOFIX, though top tethers for forward-facing kids are not yet universal; if you’re traveling outside of the developed world you should bring a locking clip just in case and know how to use it .

Get more details on the best convertible car seats for travel

Here are several portable car seat reviews to start your search:

Cosco Scenera NEXT Review

*Our top pick for a travel car seat for a 1 year old

The Cosco Scenera NEXT is not designed specifically as a travel seat; rather, it’s designed as an affordable way for families to keep their children rear-facing until at least 2yo (as the AAP recommends) but as long as 4yo. Note that the forward-facing mode is outgrown before rear-facing because of the low top harness slots.

But it has quickly become an extremely popular travel car seat for preschoolers because of its light weight and shockingly low price tag . It’s the lightest toddler car seat currently on the market! If you’re an infrequent traveler but you want a portable car seat for travel or a backup for home, this is the car seat to buy.

Pro tip: the solid colors have much nicer, more cushioned covers than the patterns. Check Cosco travel car seat reviews and latest prices on Amazon – but you’ll often find the best deals on this seat at Walmart . There’s also now a Cosco Scenera Deluxe that offers a plush cover, padded head and body inserts and and harness covers.

For families on a budget, this is an excellent portable car seat for toddler travelers!

What we like:

• Ultra-low price tag for a functional seat
• Lightest convertible car seat – only 7lbs!
• Narrow convertible car seat is great for 3-across
• Rear-facing mode fits newborn until around 3-4yo

What we don’t like:

• Patterned cover has absolutely no padding – upgrade to the still-cheap Cosco Scenera Deluxe for more padding
• Taller shell makes it harder to install on planes with narrow seat pitch
• Car installation/removal isn’t always easy – cheaper hook-on LATCH connectors, and pull strap can be very stiff to tighten
• Continuous harness can be tough to use for a heavier child, especially forward facing; sometimes pulling the strap causes the entire seat to pivot when installed on leather seats

>>> Check prices on the Cosco Scenera NEXT here

Evenflo Sonus 65 Review

*Our top pick for a travel car seat for a 2 year old

We’ve been satisfied Evenflo customers for the last six years and are impressed by their latest lightweight convertible car seat offerings, including the travel-worthy Evenflo Sonus 65 . Unlike the Scenera NEXT, the Sonus 65 has a 25″ shell height that can keep average kids rear-facing until their 4th birthday – and then keep them forward-facing for several years after that!

This is one of the best traveling car seat options if your child will appreciate using the tray table one she turns forward-facing. Unlike some other seats, the front is low-profile enough to let the tray table fold all the way down. That also makes it a great car seat for travelling abroad since international flights typically involve meal service.

There are several other seats in the new Evenflo family (the Sonus and Stratos), but the middle-of-the road Sonus 65 strikes the right balance of travel features like light weight (around 11lbs) and two different recline options – it’s a solid portable toddler car seat option. Check reviews and latest prices on Amazon and be sure to compare the price with Walmart .

• Light convertible car seat
• Two re cline options should help fitting in an economy class seat
• Rear-facing mode fits an average 4yo
• Low profile allows tray table use when forward facing
• Decent padding, cupholders and ventilation make this a comfortable convertible car seat
• Taller shell makes it harder to install on planes with narrow seat pitch if you have a young infant
• Be careful not to pinch thighs when you’re buckling!
• Installation can be tricky in some cars

>>> Check prices on the Evenflo Sonus 65 here

Safety 1st Guide 65 Review

We haven’t tried the Safety First Guide 65 (also now available as the Cosco Mighty Fit 65 ), but we’ve heard that it can be a good choice for travel with older infants and toddlers. It’s almost as affordable as the Cosco Scenera Next! It offers more room forward-facing and a higher weight limit, but isn’t as ideally suited for youngest travelers. It weighs a moderate 13lbs, but probably wouldn’t be my top choice as a car seat to install in unfamiliar rental cars. Even so, it’s probably the best lightweight car seat for travel if you want just one travel car seat to last for many years. Check the latest prices on Amazon and Walmart .

• Affordable price tag
• Compact front-to-back for kids over 22lbs
• Relatively light weight
• Fits older infants through Kindergarteners!

What we don’t like:

• Doesn’t fit average babies until 6mo – don’t buy this for a newborn or young infant!
• Required recline position for babies under 22lbs is very reclined and takes up a lot of space, not ideal for smaller cars found in many countries
• Installation can be tricky and might require a pool noodle

>>> Check prices on the Safety 1st Guide 65 here

WAYB Pico foldable car seat review

If you’ve been anywhere on social media over the last year, you’ve surely heard of the WAYB Pico foldable toddler car seat. This lightweight aluminum foldable car seat for travel has the potential to be a real game-changer for kids who are old enough to forward-face (minimum age 2, but ideally closer to 4yo). It weighs a scant 8lbs and integrates a full five-point harness, making this a solid contender as your child’s travel car seat. But does it stand up to the hype?

There are still very few Picos in the wild and we haven’t managed to get our hands on one yet. However, a few of our Tiny Globetrotters families were early adopters through the crowdfunding process and have shared their feedback. Read our in-depth Wayb Pico expert review here.

• 8lb weight and easy folding make it perfect for city travels when you’ll need to use a taxi
• Optional carry backpack makes transporting it a breeze
• FAA approved car seat
• Easy LATCH install
• Max 50lbs and 44 inches gives a limited lifespan (around 5yo for average size kids)
• Seatbelt install can be tricky
• Short crotch strap
• Short tether strap for some cars (WAYB will send an extender upon request)
• High price tag for a seat that’s unlikely to be used as a daily ride

Save 15% on your WAYB Pico with coupon VOYAGE15

Best travel car seats for older preschoolers and early elementary

Once your child is ready to turn forward-facing, around 3 or 4yo, a combination seat (forward-facing harness that changes into a high-back booster) is a great light-weight option if you choose the right one. There are even some specialized car seats for travel for this age group that you may never have heard of!

Evenflo Maestro Review

*Our top pick for a travel car seat for a 3 year old

Evenflo’s combination seats are a great choice for travel thanks to their light weight and ease of use. We use the Maestro’s cousin every day, and it will last kids for several years as a harness and then well into booster age. It’s light enough for travel and easy to install. The newer Maestro Sport version has a little more padding than the original too. Check the latest prices here.

• Lasts from age 3 (as a forward-facing harness) until roughly age 9 (as a high-back booster seat)
• Easy to install in a range of cars
• No built-in lock-off
• 50 lb harness weight limit
• No harness strap covers and straps are somewhat narrow at the shoulders

>>> Check prices on the Evenflo Maestro here

Graco Tranzitions Review

While Graco redefined the market more than a decade ago with their Nautilus combination seat, it was always far too heavy and bulky to be a good travel booster seat or travel combination seat. They’ve now upped the ante with a new offering that’s vying for the best travel combination seat title – the Graco Tranzitions and Graco Wayz seats (same seat, different names). These three-mode harnessed booster seats for travel are narrower, cheaper and lighter than the Nautilus! There’s certainly a lot to like with this new Graco car seat platform.  Check the latest reviews and prices here.

In summer 2020, Graco addressed one of the biggest complaints about the Tranzitions: it can sometimes be a pain to install with the seatbelt. Obviously that’s an important factor for families traveling to countries that may not offer LATCH in cars and for kids who have exceeded the LATCH limit. Their new version is the Graco Tranzitions SnugLock , which adds a little weight and a few dollars but offers a much easier seatbelt installation. This is the version I’d pick!

• Reasonable price tag (though more than the Maestro)
• Lasts from age 3 (as a forward-facing harness) until age 10+ (as a backless booster seat)
• Only 17.5″ wide when the cupholders are folded in
• Lightweight 12.5lbs
• Works as a forward-facing harness, high-back booster seat and backless booster seat
• No built-in lock-off on the base version
• The seat itself has sparse padding, and for travel it may be inconvenient to bring the optional pad

>>> Check prices on the Graco Tranzitions here >>> Check prices on the Graco Wayz here >>> Check prices on the Graco Tranzitions SnugLock here

Ride Safer travel vest (Ride Safer Delight) Review

*Our top pick for a travel car seat for a 4 year old

The Ride Safer Travel Vest is one of the only safe, legal car seat alternatives. It’s a wearable booster seat, but when used with the top tether it passes US crash testing as a forward-facing harnessed booster. It weighs about 2 pounds and rolls up to the size of a 2L soda bottle. This folding car seat for travel beats any other portable carseat on size, hands down!

Check out our full review of the latest Ride Safer travel vest, the Gen 5. It’s now an indispensable piece of travel gear for our family and we’ve been so glad to have it for our year-long trip around the world. The Ride Safer travel vest is truly a game-changer in that it provides a safe restraint for kids 3 and up (though we feel more comfortable using it for age 4 and up, especially if there’s no top tether and/or parent sitting in back). 

Note: The Ride Safer Delight is not certified for use on airplanes, but pairs perfectly with the CARES harness for kids under 40lbs who still need extra protection in-flight – read my full review here . 

Get yours here – use coupon VOYAGE for a great discount!

• Extremely portable – it worked great on our trip to Paris with kids  and subsequent Croatia adventure and then for our round-the-world family gap year
• Provides better support and protection than a traditional booster seat, especially for sleeping kids
• Works in any car with a lap-shoulder belt – no worries about compatibility with an unfamiliar rental car
• Only as big as your child, perfect for tiny rental cars abroad
• Great car seat for taxi rides with a preschooler
• Not as easy to use as a car seat
• Can get uncomfortable after several hours of driving
• No view out the window
• Not a great fit for smaller kids

Read our full review of the Ride Safer travel vest (including video demos!)

>>> Check prices on the Ride Safer Delight here

When your child is old enough and mature enough (usually around age 5) you can move on to a portable booster seat to make your travels even lighter – keep reading to find the best travel booster car seat. Note that  you can’t use any booster seat on an airplane because they all require a lap-shoulder belt.

Bubblebum travel booster car seat

*Our top pick for best travel booster seat

We started using the Bubblebum as backup for our older one at 6 years old and then used it full-time during our gap year. We love it! It’s an inflatable cushion that has a positioning clip on each side to keep the lap belt in place and an optional clip to position the shoulder belt at the right spot.

It’s an awesome portable travel car seat! It folds up into a small stuff sack, about the size of a very compact sleeping bag. Inflating is a breeze and our son can get himself in and out.  Note: not for use on airplanes. Read our full review   or  check prices here.

• Extremely portable
• Easy to set up and use
• Kids can still see out the window
• Comfortable
• Very narrow
• Great car seat for taxi rides with an older child
• Adjusting the optional shoulder clip to the right height takes a little practice
• Need to make sure your child is sitting in the middle of the seat so that they don’t slide
• No support for sleeping kids

>>> Check prices on the Bubblebum here

Cosco Topside

If you want an extremely affordable booster seat that’s light enough for your child to carry, the simple-but-functional Cosco Topside may fit the bill. Unlike most other backless booster seats,  it doesn’t have a shoulder belt guide – that makes it more likely to fit slightly older kids (indeed, the minimum height is 43″ unlike the usual 40″). But at just 2.5lbs and less than $20, it may be a great choice for some families! Check the latest prices here.

• One of the lightest booster seats for travel
• Extremely low price
• Narrow enough to fit 3-across
• Shorter kids may not get a great fit due to the absence of a shoulder belt guide

>>> Check prices on the Cosco Topside here

Chicco GoFit

The Chicco GoFit isn’t technically a travel booster seat, but it could be a great pick for many families on the go! It’s reasonably priced, fairly light, extremely comfortable for kids, narrow enough to fit in even the tiniest rental cars and… drum roll please… it has a built-in carrying handle! Our 7yo has carried his through the airport without issue.

The belt fit is consistent, so you won’t have to worry about weird issues in different cars. The minimum height is just 38″, so if you have a tiny kid who’s mature enough to ride in a booster seat and stay in the correct position all the time, the Chicco GoFit is an awesome choice for travel. When we’re going on a long trip that doesn’t require multiple flights, we bring our GoFit. The latest version even has LATCH to keep it from shifting around. Check the latest price and read more reviews.

• Comfortable for kids
• Easy to use
• Carry handle for easy transportation
• Fits kids for many years (and it has an 8 year expiration, so multiple kids can use it)
• The price tag, though we’re willing to forgive that since it’s a wonderful choice for full-time use

>>> Check prices on the Chicco GoFit here

Which car seats are approved for air travel? Nearly all car seat in the US are FAA-approved!

Best portable car seat for baby:

The best travel car seat for 1 year old and younger – Doona infant car seat ( click here for reviews and latest prices )

Best portable car seat for 1 year old:

Cosco Scenera Deluxe portable toddler car seat ( click here for reviews and latest prices )

Best portable car seat for 2 year old:

Evenflo Sonus 65 lightweight convertible car seat ( click here for reviews and latest prices )

Best portable car seat for 3 year old:

Evenflo Maestro ( click here for reviews and latest prices )

Best portable car seat for 4 year old:

Ride Safer Delight travel vest ( click here for reviews and latest prices or buy directly from SafeRide4Kids )

Best travel booster seat:

Bubblebum inflatable travel booster seat ( click here for reviews and latest prices )

There are plenty of great lightweight car seats for travel available now! Hopefully you can find one from this list that makes your family’s travels easier and safer.

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What to read next

12 thoughts on “what is the best travel car seat (2021)”.

wow thats alot of info! right now, my kids are 6 and 8 so we have been through all the stages and are now at the point where they are both in a backless booster. We check those with the luggage and its all good. easy to use on the cab to and from airport and they are fine with the lap belt on the plane. BUT we have been through the snap and go with the infant seat, and then I had a Britax Boulevard – the smallest Britax of the line (I bought it in 09) and it fit in the airplane seat. I had a JJ Childress backpack to transport it. At one point we had two kids in big car seats and had two of the backpacks. those were great. I even did an CARES harness rental one time for my son. When he really didnt need the big car seat on the plane BUT I didnt trust him to keep the lap belt closed ( I think he was about 3.5) great wrap up

This is an essential read for parents. We always travel with ours

Great post. We have rented a car seat on a few occasions but always turned out more stressful than needed. So now we travel with our own car seats. So much easier! #fearlessfamtrav

This is really helpful, I never would have thought about needing a car seat in a plane. I just had my little girl on my lap when I travelled with her as a baby, I can see having read this that a car seat would have been saver. Lots of brilliant tips, thanks for linking up to #familytraveltips Nat.x

Wow, what a brilliant and comprehensive post. A great post for families who travel with young children. It gives clear options for most stages and alternative ideas to rent-a-car seats. Thanks for linking up to #wanderlustkids

Thank you for your great post, yours was the only I could find informing about flying with a car-seat in the plane. It is really very detailed and helpful. I hope I will keep my cool since it will be our first flight with our little one and it will be a 10 hour flight to the US.

Awwwww thanks! It’s comments like yours that make all the work worthwhile. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

We have our first trip after having a second child coming up. We will bring the car seat for our toddler in his purchased seat. But what to do for infant/newborn car seat since we didn’t buy a seat for her? Do you recommend checking it at the check in counter? Use it in the airport and then gate check it? For either option, any recommendations for how to securely pack/check it? We do have a layover if that matters.

A few options: 1) If you’re set on bringing one convertible and one infant seat, I’d bring the infant seat to the gate. If there’s an empty seat, many agents will shuffle sets to let your baby use it. There are also fewer opportunities for your seat to be lost or mishandled if you’re bringing it to the gate yourself. From there is put it in a padded bag like the one linked above. Not my top choice, but better than counter check with the baggage.

2) If you’re frequent travelers and your older one will be at least 3 (bigger is better), you can buy a Ride Safer Delight Vest for him or her. You can’t use it on board, but you’d use the convertible on-board for the big one and then once you get to the rental car adjust the straps down and put the baby in the convertible while the older one uses the vest for car rides. https://www.thefamilyvoyage.com/ride-safer-travel-vest-review/

What a magnificent blog this is! Bookmarked this & love this. Thanks a lot for your great info.

Thank so much The family voyage for this great content and information. I appreciate your efforts.

Happy to help!

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• The best overall
• The best budget-friendly
• The best booster
• The best for infants
• The best for air travel

What else we considered

Check out our other baby gear guides, the best travel car seats.

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I'm not one to buy extra things just to buy them, but I'm okay with spending some extra money on a safe car seat that makes my life easier. When my daughter was born, my husband and I didn't stop traveling, and with Uber, flights, and rental cars, the need for a travel car seat quickly became apparent. They're lighter, less cumbersome, and take up less room. 

Finding the right travel car seat is difficult, though. You need to find the perfect mix of affordability, portability, comfort, and safety. An uncomfortable kid can make for a miserable flight or road trip.  

If you're planning on taking any flights, your car seat must be approved for use by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) . Otherwise, it will need to be checked, and your child will not be able to sit in it on the plane. Babies and kids don't need to sit in car seats on planes, but it's safer and more comfortable for your child. All of our picks are approved by the FAA, with the exception of our booster seat pick. No booster seats are reviewed by the FAA.

I take car seat safety very seriously; I've tested my fair share of car seats and have returned the ones that didn't meet my standards. To bring you the best travel car seats, I combined my own experience testing seats with thorough research using top consumer product websites and authentic customer reviews.  

Here are the best travel car seats you can buy:

Best overall: Safety 1st Guide 65, $144.99 on Amazon Lightweight, compact, and comfortable for kids up to 65 pounds, the Safety 1st Guide 65 is the ideal travel car seat for road tripping across the country or hopping on a flight. 

Best budget-friendly: Cosco Scenera NEXT, $59.98 on Walmart The Cosco Scenera NEXT is extremely light and compact, and the low price point makes it the perfect option to have as an extra car seat for travel. 

Best booster: BubbleBum, $29.99 on Amazon BubbleBum is an inflatable booster seat that weighs just over a pound and can be inflated in 20 seconds.

Best for infants: Doona Infant Car Seat, $550 on Amazon You won't need to pack or check a stroller with the Doona Infant Car Seat that converts directly to a stroller and is safe for babies 4 to 35 pounds.

Best for air travel: Evenflo Tribute LX, $79.99 on Evenflo Lightweight to carry through the airport, compact to fit in the plane seats, and comfortable for your baby or toddler, the Evenflo Tribute LX will serve you well on any flight. 

Best overall

Lightweight, compact, and comfortable for kids up to 65 pounds, the Safety 1st Guide 65 is the ideal travel car seat for road tripping across the country or hopping on a flight. 

If you're already buying an extra car seat for travel, you probably want to buy one and be done for good. The Safety 1st Guide 65 is a convertible car seat that holds babies as small as 5 pounds when rear-facing, and while many other travel car seats are only manufactured for kids up to 40 pounds, the seat is safe for kids up to 65 pounds when forward-facing. 

The Safety 1st Guide 65 is ideal for travel because of its light weight and compact size. It weighs only 12 pounds while many traditional convertible car seats are double that weight. Measuring 20 inches wide, 23.5 inches high, and 18 inches deep, it fits well on airplane seats and can fit three across in most cars. The seat comes with a removable cup holder, which is a nice feature to help keep it compact. I've also found that it is much more cushioned and comfortable than many of the other travel car seat options. 

The seat can be installed with or without the LATCH system, and while this seat is small, light, comfortable, and convenient to use for travel. However, it may be difficult to install tightly and securely in a car. Other reviewers say that they are able to get a very secure fit, so the fit is likely better in some cars than others. 

The Safety 1st Guide 65 is recommended as one of the top travel seats by CarseatBlog , based on research and tests conducted by Child Passenger Safety Technicians. Car Seats for the Littles , a nonprofit staffed by Child Passenger Safety Technicians, also praises this seat, calling it a "long loved convertible car seat that packs some desirable features into a low price tag."

Pros: Lightweight and compact, safe for kids up to 65 pounds, more cushioned and comfortable than many other travel car seat options

Cons: Difficult to securely install in some cars

Best budget-friendly

The Cosco Scenera NEXT  is extremely light and compact, and the low price point makes it the perfect option to have as an extra car seat for travel. 

At 10.4 pounds, the Cosco Scenera NEXT  is one of the lightest car seats out there, making it easy to carry through the airport, on and off shuttle buses, or anywhere else your travels take you. We also love this one because it's extremely affordable.

The car seat can be used for children weighing 5 to 40 pounds, and it's compact enough to fit on an airplane seat or three across in a car. The seat is 17.63 inches wide, 15.75 inches deep, and 30.25 inches high. This seat can be installed rear- or forward-facing and with or without the LATCH system.

While the Cosco Scenera NEXT is a safe option that is convenient for parents, it might not be the most comfortable seat for your child. It doesn't provide much padding between your child and the plastic shell. 

It also has a machine-washable and dryer-safe cover, so you can easily clean it right up when you're done traveling. A removable cup holder is perfect to keep drinks or snacks within reach of your child while traveling.

Wirecutter named it the best convertible car seat for travel of 2019, saying "it's lightweight, small, inexpensive‚ and yet still safe." Car Seats for the Littles praises it for travel: "It's lightweight, it fits under larger strollers, and it can be hung on the handle of a smaller stroller using the top tether strap."

Pros: Lightweight, fits in small cars and on airplane seats, machine-washable cover

Cons: Hard to install properly, some reviewers note that it seems flimsy and uncomfortable

Best booster

BubbleBum is an inflatable booster seat that weighs just over a pound and can be inflated in 20 seconds.

For safety reasons, kids should stay in a car seat with a five-point harness until they outgrow the weight and height recommendations of the seat, so boosters are only for older kids who have completely outgrown car seats. Because no booster seats are approved by the FAA, our top pick is easy to store on an airplane and quick and easy to install in a car.

Hands down, the best travel booster seat is BubbleBum , which is inflatable and made of memory foam. It weighs just over a pound and folds up very small, so you can easily store it in your carry-on, diaper bag, or purse. When ready to use, it can be blown up in 20 seconds and is 11 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 4.5 inches high. It is suitable for children 4 to 11 years old, weighing 40 to 100 pounds, and up to 59 inches tall.

BubbleBum keeps kids safer in the event of a crash by positioning the seat belt on their legs rather than their stomach, and the memory foam helps kids' bodies stay stable. BubbleBum does not have a high back or head stability, but the lack of these features is what makes it so compact and portable.

Experts widely agree that BubbleBum is the best travel booster. It's rated as a top seat by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Wirecutter , and BabyGearLab . "We like the simplicity of the BubbleBum and think it is tough to beat for children who do a lot of carpooling," BabyGearLab said. IIHS employs engineers to test booster seats and chose BubbleBum as a best bet because it properly positions the seat belt on kids in virtually any vehicle.

Pros: Lightweight, compact, easy to use, stabilizes child's body and positions seatbelt in a safer position in the event of a crash

Cons: No high back or head support

Best for infants

You won't need to pack or check a stroller with the  Doona Infant Car Seat  that converts directly to a stroller and is safe for babies 4 to 35 pounds.

We'll come right out and say it — this thing is pricey. But if you can afford it and are looking for something that makes life traveling with a baby a million times easier, the Doona Infant Car Seat will be well worth the investment. Designed with wheels attached, this car seat converts to a stroller literally in seconds with the click of a button.

If you find yourself traveling with an infant, this will save yourself room and hassle by not having to pack or check a stroller. Although the LATCH base makes it easier to transfer the seat in and out of a car, the seat can be safely installed without the base as well.

The Doona car seat measures 23.6 inches wide, 17.3 inches deep, and 26 inches high when folded, and unfolded, it measures 39 inches wide, 17.3 inches deep, and 32.3 inches high. The seat weighs 16.5 pounds, making it heavier than your typical infant car seat, but the majority of the time, you'll be pushing the stroller rather than carrying the seat. 

The Doona is safe for babies 4 to 35 pounds, and it comes with an infant insert to help stabilize and bring comfort to even the smallest baby, and many users report using it well beyond their child's first birthday. Because it is an infant seat, it can only be installed rear-facing.

Wirecutter named the Doona one of the top travel car seats, citing its convenience and ease of use. Car Seats for the Littles gave the Doona a positive review, saying it's pretty easy to install (a must for traveling) and has many comfort features to please even the smallest of babies.

Pros:  Stroller and car seat in one, easy to use, saves room when traveling, fits babies 4 to 35 pounds

Cons:  Expensive, heavier than many other infant seats

Best for air travel

Lightweight to carry through the airport, compact to fit in the plane seats, and comfortable for your baby or toddler, the Evenflo Tribute LX will serve you well on any flight. 

The Evenflo Tribute LX is a lightweight and compact seat at just over 9 pounds. It's suitable for babies and toddlers from 5 to 45 pounds. This seat fits well both on airplanes and in compact cars as it measures 17 inches wide, 25 inches high, and 19 inches deep and weighs 9.29 pounds. It's also a very affordable seat that doesn't skimp on comfort or safety. 

We like that the Tribute LX has more padding and is more comfortable than many other travel seats. Its removable cup holders make it very convenient on long trips. If you have a very snug fit on an airplane or in a car, you can easily return them. The seat can be installed rear- or forward-facing and with or without the LATCH system.

Another great feature is the option to purchase this seat with a travel and storage bag. This makes it easy to store at home when you're not traveling and will help protect your seat if you decide to check it rather than have your child sit in it on the plane. 

Board-certified pediatrician Juliet Spurrier of BabyGearLab praises this seat because it scored very well on their crash tests, and it's inexpensive. That combined with its light weight "makes it a good candidate for parents who frequent taxis or Uber," Spurrier said.

Pros: Lightweight and compact, inexpensive, comfortable padding, option to purchase with a travel bag

Cons: Some reviewers have difficulty getting a proper fit in a car

Finding the perfect car seat isn't an easy task, and especially when you're looking at lightweight travel options, you're always sacrificing one feature in favor of another. Here are the other travel car seats we considered for this guide, and why they didn't make the cut. 

• Evenflo Sonus : The Evenflo Sonus is very similar to the Evenflo Tribute LX and is also a great pick for air travel. We like that it has a higher weight capacity, so it will last you longer, but we ultimately picked the Evenflo Tribute LX because the Sonus is a bit heavier and more expensive than the Tribute LX.  
• CARES Child Safety Device : CARES is the only safety device that is not an actual car seat that is approved by the FAA. It's a five-point harness that is designed to keep your child safe on a plane. We didn't include it in the guide because it's not an actual seat, and it's not approved for use in cars. 
• Baby Trend Yumi : The Baby Trend Yumi is a high-back booster seat with head support, and we like it because it provides more security and protection than a backless booster. It does fold up to fit into an overhead compartment on an airplane, but we chose the BubbleBum instead because it is so much more compact when folded, and it's lighter.

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• Main content

The 10 Best Travel Car Seats In 2024 (For Airplanes & Transfers)

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. FIND MORE INFO IN MY DISCLAIMER.

Our process involves independent research, testing (by using it whilst we travel), reviewing, and recommending the best products. Click here  to learn more.

It can be so tricky to find car seats for airplanes.  

Deciding which car seat is in actual fact the  best travel car seat  can be even more challenging.

Did you know that you can only use a portable car seat for travel on an airplane if it is has been FAA certified?

Now take into consideration that we need to find the best lightweight car seat for travel so we can easily port it around and lastly that we also need to find a car seat that is slim enough to fit on the narrow airplane seats.

It is no easy feat to find to find the best car seat for flying, and that fits all of those criteria!

Don’t have time to go through the entire list?

THE BEST CONVERTIBLE LIGHT CAR SEAT FOR TRAVEL

Our pick: Safety First Jive 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat  

• It is lightweight
• Slim design for airplane seats
• Suitable for weights from 5 - 65 lbs

See the Safety First Jive 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat for travel reviews

Below you will find a list of best airplane car seats for 2024.

We also share some food for thought about whether you actually need a car seat as well as ideas on how to make it easier to actually travel with the car seat.  

PS.   Here is our guide to the best baby travel gear and the best travel gear for toddlers .  

Best Car Seat for Travel Guide & Top 10 Compact Travel Car Seat Reviews

In this airplane car seat buying guide, we suggest you check out our comparison chart of the best car seat for air travel and then read our portable baby car seat reviews of the seats that best suit your requirements.  

The below reviews are of the best convertible travel car seats, so if you are shopping for either:

• the best travel car seat for 1 year old, 
• best travel car seat for 2 year old,
• best travel car seat for 3 year old or
• the best travel car seat for 4 year old, 

we got you covered!

Click Here to See Our Pick for the B est Convertible Car Seat for Travel

FAA Approved Car Seats Comparison Chart

Below is a helpful airline approved car seat list of all the top rated car seats for travel, which are mentioned in this article.

You can then read my reviews below featuring the best car seat for airplane travel that 2024 has to offer.

Best Travel Car Seats Sorted by Age

We also thought it might be helpful to have a FAA child seat chart that is sorted by age.

Let's take a look at some options of the best travel infant car seat for babies from birth to 1 year of age  and travel toddler car seats options that are perfect for little ones from 1 - 4 years of age.

Also, let us show you our recommendation for a car seat for travel on airplane for 3 - 4+ year old.

Before you choose which is the best car seat for plane use, we do recommend that you read through all of the reviews to get a clearer picture.

Top 10 Best Travel Car Seat Reviews

Below you will find the list of the best FAA approved car seats and best FAA approved convertible car seats. We will have a close look at the top air travel car seats.  

I will outline the features, the pros and cons of each in detailed travel car seat reviews, which should help you choose the best travel car seat 2024 has on offer for you. 

1. Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat Review

What We Love About It: It is only 18" in width - so it fits nicely on plane seats. The arm rests are low so we could use the plane tray table for eating.

Important to Note: For a car seat to be light, it has to compromise on comfort and quality, so we only keep this seat for travel purposes but have a better seat for when we are home.

This is one of the best selling travel baby car seat because you can use it straight from birth all way through to 65 lb.

It is cheap enough to take on a trip without worrying if it got dirty or banged up a bit. 

It is lightweight (14 lb) and slim (18"), but still offers some cushioning for little babies.

Tip: There are also 2 removable cup holders on each side, which will save more space and make it more compact. 

This safe travel car seat is certified for aircraft use in both the rear- and forward-facing positions

Lightweight

The Safety 1st car seat might not be the lightest car seat on our list (the WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat is), but it is still light enough at 14 lbs to carry with ease and offers more cushioning in comparison to the NEXT car seat.

It is important that your little one is comfortable which is why we prefer this car seat.

Convertible Car Seat

The seat is convertible and has a weight range of 5lb to 40lb when using rear-facing and a weight limit of 22lb to 65lb for forward-facing position.

Some Negatives

Whilst you can use this seat from 5 lb, we prefer the Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 LX for infants. The straps are a bit hard to adjust and the padding slips around a bit.

Keep in mind this is a basic car seat (which is great as you won't mind if it gets knocked about on a trip), but a newborn baby, I prefer to spend more and get more protection for their necks.

Overall Opinion

The Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 Car Seat is one of the best cheap baby car seats for travel.  It is lightweight and slim enough to fit on airplane seats.

It has a wide weight limit so that you can use the seat for many years.

The seat is definitely one of the best car seat for traveling on an airplane and, in our opinion it is one of the best car seat for airplane 2024 options.

This is our pick for the best cheap car seat for travel and/or the best convertible car seat for air travel.

2.   Cosco MightyFit 65 DX Convertible Car Seat Review

What We Love About It: It’s light weight and you can use it in a plane rear facing and front facing. 

Important to Note: It could have more padding where the airplane buckle goes.

This travel-friendly car seat is a lightweight car seat for travel that is also a FAA certified car seat. 

It has high safety ratings and it a bit taller in comparison to other cheap car seats, which means that the seat will last that bit longer before your little one hits the height limit.

It is FAA-Approved and can be used only on forward-facing positions on the plane.

The car seat is lovely and light at 12.76 lbs, which is the ideal weight for a car seat for aircraft use.

The seat is convertible and has a weight range of 5lb to 40lb when using rear-facing and a weight limit of 22lb to 65lb for the forward-facing position.

Whilst you can use this seat from 5 lb, we prefer the Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 LX for babies and infants as it offers more support and protection for their necks.

The Cosco MightFit DX 65 Car Seat is a brilliant buy for older kids. The seat is cheap as chips and lightweight.

It is a great option as a portable car seat for 3 and 4 year old's, as the seat is nice and roomy.

It is also a fabulous car seat for home-use. You can fit 3 of these car seats in most cars, which is brilliant!

We love this car seat and I'm sure you will love it too.

3. WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat Review

What We Love About It: It folds! This is the narrowest and lightest car seat on our list.

Important to Note: This seat is so innovative, but it comes at a premium price.

Looking for a travel car seat for 2 years and up to 4 year old kids? This is a fabulous seat with extra room for growing kids. 

The WAYB Pico travel car seat is super lightweight (8 lb) and lovely and slim (14.5"). It is such a great car seat that I would even recommend it for the car at home as well. 

The car seat is lovely and light at 8 lbs, which is the ideal weight for a car seat for aircraft use.

Slim Design

The baby travel car seat is lovely and slim and at 14.5" it should fit comfortably on most airplane seats.

When folded the Pico car seat can fit into overhead bins and is easily carried while walking through the airport or to-and-from the car! 

Forward-Facing ONLY

Because this seat is designed for older kids, you can only use it in the forward-facing position and it doesn't recline.

It is suitable for toddlers and kids older than 2 with a weight range of 22 - 50 lbs. It is roomy and lovely and tall for kids with height up to 45".

The WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat is a brilliant buy for older kids.

The seat is our most expensive travel car seat however if you are looking for a super lightweight and lovely slim travel car seat this is a great option for 2 - 4 year old's.

It is also a fabulous car seat for home-use and due to it's lightweight you can easily move it from car to car and it will fit in most cars, which is brilliant!

Tip:  Check out our blog post on best portable car seat for 2 year old here.

4. Evenflo Sonus 65 Convertible Car Seat Review

The Evenflo Sonus 65 is ideal for use as a travel seat on the airplane. It is a FAA approved child restraint seat, it is lightweight (only 11.5 lbs.), and has a perfect width of around 19".

The Sonus is a lovely light 11 lbs. It is the second lightest car seat on our list and is the perfect seat to cart through an airport, you might even get away with carrying it if you have to.

The width of the car seat is 19", which means that the seat should fit comfortably on all plane seats, although you might have to lift the arm rests on the very narrow 16.5" seats.

Convertible

The seat can be used in rear-facing position from 5 – 40 lbs. and in the forward-facing position from 22 – 65 lbs.

You can find out how to install this seat in rear- and forward-facing positions on the plane in the manual here . 

The Sonus 65 is a great convertible lightweight travel car seat.

It is suitable for babies and toddlers from 5 to 65 lbs. and offers 6 harness positions for a better fit. The seat is lightweight and slim.

We also love that the seat features a revolutionary air flow ventilation system that provides a temperature-regulated, which means that your little one will be comfortable no matter what the season or temperature is of your destination.

Read our review of this seat here.

5. Graco Contender Slim Convertible Travel Car Seat Review

What We Love About It: It is light and compact. It is also a bit more comfy in comparison to the seats listed above.

Important to Note: If you need to use the seat in rear-facing, it will mostly likely be a very snug fit (and it might not even fit). It is better in forward-facing.

This Graco travel car seat is a great portable car seat that is FAA approved with a good safety ranking.  

Despite it having a fixed base it is still lightweight (16 lbs.).  

It is slightly more expensive than many of the other car seats on our list, but it is more cushioned and comfy.

The Graco Contender Slim Convertible car seat is a lovely lightweight car seat despite the fixed base, weighing in at only 16 lbs.  

It is slightly heavier than other car seats so we do recommend you invest in a car seat carrier.  

The Graco car seat is compatible with the Baby Trend Snap N Go car seat carrier.

It is a convertible car seat which means that you can use it in rear-facing to forward-facing positions.

It has a rear-facing weight limit of 40 lbs. and a forward-facing weight limit of 65 lbs.  

The car seat is a bit more pricey in comparison to the cheap infant car seats such as Cosco, Evenflo and Safety 1st.

It also has a lower height (24.75") in comparison to Safety 1st (29.75"), which means that your little one might grow out of it before they hit the weight requirements.  

As with many other car seats on the list, it can be tricky to install on planes.

The Graco Contender Slim is a great seller due to being able to use it from infants up to toddlers. 

If you don't mind the slightly higher price tag, then this might be, in our opinion, the best travel convertible car seat for you.

It ranks high on our list as one of the best travel convertible car seat 2024 options, after all.

6.   Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Car Seat Review

The Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 is a great portable car seat FAA approved and with a good safety ranking.  

It is slightly more expensive than many of the other car seats on our list, but it offers better comfort from the cushion and padding.

The Graco SlimFit slim design makes the seat 10% slimmer despite the dual integrated cup holders.

It is a convertible car seat which means that you can use it in rear-facing to forward-facing positions. It is also used as a high-back booster seat.

It has a rear-facing weight limit of 40 lbs, and a forward-facing weight limit of 65 lbs. When used as a booster seat it has a weight limit of 100 lbs. 

The Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 is a great car seat for air travel.  

Although it is more expensive than the other car seats we have recommended, this car seat will provide value for money as you can use it from infants right up to the booster seat stage for your child. 

It is also a great car seat to use in your car at home.

7. Graco TriRide 3-in-1 Car Seat Review

The Graco TriRide 3-in-1 car seat is not the best lightweight car seat for travel. It is a bit on the thicker and heavier side, but it is still an FAA certified car seat. 

This car seat weighs just over 17 lbs (it is not the lightest car seat on our list!) which means that you should consider using the following to carry it with you through the airport.

We still do recommend that you put it in a  car seat backpack  or a car seat roller like the  Baby Trend Snap N Go to make life easier.

Thicker Design

The Graco TriRide is not the slimmest with a width of 19" compared to other car seats we have recommended.  

It will still fit through the security scanners and it should still fit on most airplane seats with the armrest up. 

Please do check with the airlines to make sure that the size of this seat is allowed before you go.

Rear-Facing

The Graco TriRide car seat is a travel convertible car seat, which means that you can use this car seat in the rear-facing position for babies up to 40 lbs. and forward facing for little ones up to 65lbs. 

When using the booster seat option, the seat can take a wight limit of up to 100lbs.

It is important to note that this seat can only be installed on the plane in the forward-facing position.

The Graco TriRide 3-in-1 is a very popular travel car seat because it offers value for money through the various weights and stages so can be used for a long time, but it also has high safety ratings.

The car seat is convertible and will last your bubs up until 100 lbs.  

8.   Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible Travel Car Seat Review

The Evenflo Tribute LX is a favorite because it is such an incredibly lightweight infant car seat.

The Evenflo Tribute LX is the one of the lightest car seats on our list. It is compact and weighs only 12 lbs. which is pretty incredible!

The seat has been designed to fit on plane seats. It measures 22" so you might have to have the arm rest up on smaller seat planes.  

I would also suggest you check the width of the bulkhead seats as they tend to be slightly more narrow than normal seats.

This car seat is convertible which means that it is suitable for newborns up to a weight of 30 lb when used in the rear facing position.

It has a weight limit of up to 40 lbs for forward facing.

The Evenflo Car Seat is a great car seat for travel. It is compact and lightweight and at a width of 22" it will fit on most seats with the arms rests down.  

The seat will fit through the baggage security scanners. A great car seat with high safety ratings! 

Find information on how to install this seat in rear- and forward-facing positions on the aircaft in the manual here.

Read our review of this car seat here.

9. Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 LX Review

If you have a little baby, the best way to travel is with a capsule. Little babies sleep a lot and the last thing we want to do is to disturb their sleep by having to wake them up when we need to transport the seat.

Capsules are fabulous because you can leave your baby sleeping and simply grab the handle to carry baby through the airport.

Another fabulous things about this specific capsule is that it has the silent shade canopy which will help to block off the harsh plane lighting.

The capsule is suitable for infants from 4 - 35 lbs.

We also highly recommend that you can get the stroller frame that accompanies this capsule.

This travel system is ultra-lightweight at 16 lbs and is the perfect travel accessory for the capsule.

It also folds up great which is fabulous as it won't take up loads of room in your boot when you have to fit other luggage as well.

Grab the Graco SnugRider 3 Elite Car Seat Carrier here.

The capsule is lovely and lightweight at 10 lb. Important to note that you cannot use the base of the capsule on the plane (this is across the board with all capsules, not just this brand).

So best to pop the base in the overhead locker.

This capsule measures at 15.5 inches in width, which means that it definitely fit on all airplane seats.

Infant Travel Car Capsule

The Graco SnugRide is great for newborns babies up until 35 lbs.

It is a capsule style infant travel car seat which means that you can easily cary it around with the adjustable carry handle.

We absolutely love this baby capsule with the combination of the Graco stroller frame.

Both pieces are affordable, lightweight and small in size, which makes it perfect for vacations with your baby.

10. Graco Size4Me 65 Convertible Car Seat Review

The Graco Size4Me is a great and lovely cushioned seat for travel. T

he Graco car seat is FAA approved and whilst many people assume you can't travel with it due to its widest width being 22", you can actually still fit it on most plane seats with the arm rests down due to the narrow base and the way it is shaped.

The car seat is heavier than many other car seats on our list.  

It weighs 19 lbs. so do ensure you have a car seat trolley or car seat backpack to port it around the airport.

Whilst the seat measures at 22" at the widest point, it does have a narrow base.

Which means that the seat should fit beautifully (with the arm rests down) on the larger plane seats, but you will most likely have to fly with the arm rest up on the slimmer seats.

This car seat is great for 4-40 lbs babies in rear-facing position and 20-65 lbs. in forward-facing position. Which makes it a great travel toddler car seat.

Be aware that it is on the heavier side, so don't try to carry it around the airport.  

Due the width, you might also have to lift it up over the seats when you walk down the aisle in the plane (although friends have reported that it does fit down the aisle of some planes).

The Graco Size4Me 65 is a great portable toddler car seat to take along on trips. It fits beautifully on seats due to its narrow base and shape.

It is also really easy to install and adjust.

Important to note that it is slightly on the heavier side, but if you prefer a seat that is cushioned and super cozy for your baby, then we do recommend the Graco Car Seat.

Best Car Seat Travel Cart and Transporters for Airports

No matter how light the car seat is, I still suggest that you invest in either a car seat travel stroller or a backpack car seat bag to get around the airport.

Even with a trolley it might be slightly challenging to get your baby, luggage and car seat to the plane. Here are some great car seat cart options:

1. Britax Car Seat Travel Cart

The Britax Travel Cart is, in our opinion, one of the most popular travel carts for Britax car seat owners.  

It is a great car seat roller cart that allows seats to attach effortlessly using the car seat latch connectors.

The one-hand telescoping handle is great as it adjusts to fit any height. It will fold down compact enough to fit into most airplane overhead compartments.

The Britax car seat travel cart will work with all Britax convertibles and harnessed booster seats, as well as with most other brands.

The cart is a lot heavier (20.8 pounds) in comparison to the Go-Go Babyz cart (5 pounds) down below.

>>> Check pricing of this cart here .  

2. Go-Go Babyz Kidz Travelmate

The Go-Go Babyz Car Seat Luggage Cart is a great cart for USA car seats.

It works with both infant travel car seats as well as toddler convertible car seats. It has an additional fold down plate that you can use for larger car seats.

You can adjust the handle, which is great as you can make it shorter when stored and lengthen it out to make it easier to push (it has 4 positions).

It has wide-set 3" roller blade wheels which makes it easy to push along in the airport.

The Travelmate can be checked with your baggage, rolled to gate and checked, or rolled all the way on the plane to be used in flight or stored in the overhead compartment.

Folds to 28 x 17 x 5 inches. Weighs 5 lbs.

3. BRICA Roll ‘n Go Car Seat Transporter

The Brica Sar Seat Roller Cart is great as it fits most major brands of convertible and forward-facing car seats.

The best travel carseat stroller must have a lightweight design.  

It has fold flat wheels as well as an adjustable telescopic handle which allows the cart to fold up in order to fit in an overhead locked on the plane.

Weighing just 5 pounds, this transporter folds flat (2-1/2 inches thick) for easy storage.

4. Car Seat Travel Accessory

For a small alternative, you can consider this car seat travel strap. Simply connect your car seat to your rolling carry-on suitcase and off you go.

Easy, although I would probably suggest you only use this option for the lightweight car seats.

Best Car Seat Travel Bag, Carts, Transporters and Protective Covers for Travel

I hope you managed to find a car seat for your next trip from our FAA approved car seats list, the next step is trying to figure out how to transport the car seat around the airport.

If you wish to check in your car seat, we highly recommend you purchase one of these top car seat bags for air travel.  

Some airlines might give you a thin plastic car seat cover for travel, but they offer no protective.  

The first time we traveled with our car seat, it got damaged so we never go without a protective car seat cover for travel now.

Here are some of the best infant car seat travel bags that we can recommend:

1. JL Childress Padded Car Seat Travel Bag

The JL car seat travel bag is a great option. It is durable and comes with a lifetime warranty.  It is adjustable, has padded backpack straps and a lifting handle.

The interior of the travel car seat bag is padded.  It has dual and lockable zipper openings and an ID card pocket to pop all your details.

>>> Check pricing of this bag here .  

2. Flightjoy Travel bag  

The Flightjoy Car Seat Bag for Travel is another great option.  It has adjustable straps. The material is heavy duty, durable and will last.  It is compatible with most baby car seats.

These infant car seat travel bags are also airline approved so you can carry it through the airport terminal gates when you want to use the seat on the airplane itself.

3. Britax Car Seat Travel Bag

The Britax Car Seat Airplane Bag is great for Britax car seats. The brilliant thing about this bag is that it has built-in wheels.

The car travel bag is light and has several straps to make it easy to carry. It is waterproof and comes at a pretty affordable price tag.

4. Jeep Car Seat Travel Bag

The Jeep Airplane Car Seat Bag is a great universal car seat travel bag.  It is nice and large in size to fit even the bulkiest of seats.  

It has shoulder straps and made from quality durable fabric.  it is also waterproof and lightweight.

You can also choose to invest in the Jeep car seat travel bag with wheels if you prefer.

5. JL Gate Check Car Seat Bag

After a simple, no-frills car seat gate check bag that will get the job done?  Then the JL Childress Car Seat Check Bag is for you.

It’s lightweight and easy to carry. It is large enough to fit most car seats.  Simple, but effective and affordable.

Does My Child Need a Car Seat on an Airplane?

Ultimately the answer to this question comes down to safety and how important your baby or toddler's safety is to you.

The American FAA does strongly recommended that you use an approved child restraint device when travelling with infants less than 2-years old.

Ultimately car seats are the safest and most comfortable way for infants to travel on a plane.

Plus a toddler travel car seat for airplane use really comes in handy as your child know that they are expected to stay put in the seat.

But, in saying all of that, you are not legally required to use a car seat on the plane, so it does come down to your own decision.

Of course, you would also need to purchase an additional seat in order to use the car seat on as well, so keep that in mind.

A convertible car seat on airplane can be an easy option, allowing for use both rear and forward facing. We prefer a convertible travel car seat over an infant travel car seat. 

You will also need to ensure that the car seat has FAA approval.  Not every car seat can be used on the plane!

More information and the best infant car seat for travel below.

FAA Baby and Toddler Car Seat Regulations for Airplanes

In order to be allowed to use your car seat on the plane, it must be FAA approved. How do you find out if your car seat is FAA approved?  

Have a look at the sticker on the side of the seat and see if it says “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraf t .”

If you are located in Australia , the car seat must be approved to Australian Standards AS/NZS 1754. So make sure your seat has an AS/NZS 1754 approved safety label.

FAA Requirements

For a child less than 40 lbs. : Secure your child in an FAA approved car seat for the duration of the flight.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. This would typically be in the rear-facing position.

For a child 22lbs – 44 lbs. : For babies and toddler at this age, you could either use an approved car seat or you could choose to secure them in the airplane seat in an  Airplane Child Safety Harness .

The harness restraint is the only FAA approved child airplane harness system that is allowed to be used during takeoff, landing as well as in flight. 

More about this device below.

More than 40 pounds: Kids can use an airplane seat belt, however many parents typically keep their child in a car seat till around 4 years.

FAA-Approved Child Harness Device

The Airplane Harness Child Safety Device is the only FAA approved harness restraint for children weighing between 22 and 44 lbs (kids 1-year and older).

The benefits of a this harness is of course that it is small and portable enough to carry in your carry-on bags.  

The negatives are that your child will be required to sit up pretty straight on the airplane seats and the harness is really uncomfortable to sleep in.

So we do still prefer a toddler portable travel car seat as they are more comfy for kids.

>>>Learn more about this FAA approved child restraint or check out the airplane harness here .

You can find a list of 7 other great car seat alternatives for travel here.

Travel Car Seat Buyers Guide

Things that you should look out for when purchasing a car seat for travel use.

1. Weight of Seat

Ultimately the best car seats for travel should be lightweight, compact and portable. The weight of the seat is important for your own sanity.

We prefer a car seat that is around 10 lbs. (Slightly over is still okay).  

You will be required to lift the car seat in and out of the car, on to trolleys, port it around the airport as well as potentially have to lift it over peoples heads on the plane to carry it down the aisle. Stick to a lightweight car seat. Trust me!

2. Width of Seat

The width of the seat is another important consideration.  Just because the seat has FAA approval does not mean that it will fit on the plane seat.  

Plane seats can be anywhere from around 16" to 22". Most are around the 17 or 18" mark.  

You can check to see if your plane is list on the SeatGuru seat chart table to see what size your seat will be ahead of time.  

We find that child care seats around 18" or under fit on all airplane seats. Although you might have to lift the armrest on the 16" seat planes.

Another important consideration with slim designs is so that the seat will fit through the security scanner.

If the seat won't fit, the will need to hand inspect the seat and it would slow down the whole checking in process.

3. FAA Approval

As mentioned above, you will need to ensure that you purchase a FAA approved infant car seats or FAA approved toddler car seats.  

You can do this by checking the sticker on the side for this saying: “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraf t .”

3.  Convertibility

When you are shopping for the best car seat for international travel, make sure to get the best convertible car seat for travel option there is.

Buying a convertible car seat means that you will save money in the long run.

Convertible travel car seats can accommodate your child from infant to toddler with ease, from approximately 5 lbs. to 65 lbs. comfortably. 

Most of our seats on our list are convertible airline approved car seats.

With that in mind, please make sure to check out the convertibility features carefully and choose the travel car seat that suits you best.

Tips for using a Car Seat on an Airplane

Here is a list of some tips to make life easier when it comes to using your car seat on an airplane.

1.  Booking Seats

Important to note that you will need to use the car seat in a seat that won't block anyone's exit, so for example a window seat.

You will only get away with using your car seat in the bulkhead seats if your car seat is really narrow. Bulkhead seats have fixed armrests, thus reducing the amount of width available for a car seat.  

You won't be allowed to use the seat in exit rows or where it could block anyone's exit path.

2. Rear-Facing Car Seats

Another consideration is that if you use a rear-facing seat, the person in front of the seat might not be able to recline at all. So consider booking one parent to the right of your baby and one in front. 

3.  Notify the Airline of your Intent to use a Car Seat

Do take the time to make a call to the airline in advance to notify them that you intend to travel with car seat.

As extra precaution we also recommend that you request to have this noted to your booking and also ask for written confirmation of approval that you can bring out and take with you on the plane.

4.  Infant Capsule Seats with a Base

Another tip that might be useful is that the base of the capsule style infant travel car seats are NOT FAA approved and you would need to check-in your base or pop it in the overhead compartment (if it fits). You can only use the seat part on the plane itself.

5. Booster Seats and Plane Travel

According to regulations, booster seats are not permitted on-board.

Some airlines might let you use the booster seat for flying, but it will need to be stored for take-off and landing, but realistically speaking they can tell you that you are not allowed to use it at all as there are NO FAA approved booster seats. Sorry!

If you use a combination car seat/booster car seat, you can use the car seat with the internal harness, but the booster seat is not acceptable because there is no shoulder belt to use with the seat.

Tip: Here are the top 10 best travel booster seats .

6. Getting Around the Airport with your Seat

Making your way through the airport with a child, luggage, and a car seat can be a challenge.

Fortunately there are ways to make your life easier and easier means better! Last thing you want on the airport is an added struggle.

You could choose to invest in either a car seat trolley or choose to carry it around on your back with a car seat backpack.

You will find different recommended products for both of these options at the bottom of the guide.

>>> Click here for more helpful information on using a car seat for plane travel .

Answers to FAQ

1. should i bring a car seat on the plane.

Flying with a car seat is your safest option when flying with a baby or toddler. This is because the seatbelts on airplanes are not designed for their little bodies.

The general recommendation is for children under 40lbs to fly in an FAA-approved restraint which can either be one of the car seats for planes or an airplane harness. 

The great thing about taking your car seat with you is that when you reach your destination you have a car seat to use when traveling either in the taxi or in your rental car.

Most airlines will allow you to check a car seat into the hold for free in addition to your baggage allowance.

This applies to toddler car seats and booster seats as well as baby car seats.

So yes, you should purchase one of the best car seats for airplanes so that you can keep your child safe.

2. Can you rent a car seat from an airline?

No you cannot rent a car seat from an airline. Most airlines will allow you to check a car seat into the hold for free in addition to your baggage allowance.

3. Are all car seats airline approved?

The short answer is no, not all car seats are airline approved. We always recommend that you check if your airline does allow car seats and if it does, it must normally be an FAA or TÜV-approved seat. 

This means it is approved for use in an aircraft. To find out if you have an airline-approved car seat, check to see if it is marked "For Use In Aircraft".

Most car seats will have a sticker near the base of the car seat and it should have in red letters that it is approved for airplane or aircraft use.

4. What car seats can be used on planes?

Nearly every car seat in the US is approved for aircraft use - but not all are. But it is important to purchase car seats approved for air travel, so make sure it says it is FAA approved to avoid any issues with the flight attendants.

The only car seat that you cannot use is a booster seat as you require a seat belt that goes over the shoulder and lap when securing. 

We suggest using a high-backed booster seat as they are allowed on planes if they have a 5-point harness. 

5. What is FAA approved?

FAA approval means that the car seat has passed a standard airworthiness test and therefore allows you to travel with the car seat on a plane.

6. How do you pack a car seat on an airplane?

If you are checking in your car seat when flying we would recommend that you pack the car seat in a car seat travel bag. This will help prevent your travel car seat from being spoiled or damaged.

If your airport does offer baggage wrapping service we would also recommend this as it will add an extra layer of protection to the car seat.

7. Is it better to gate check a car seat?

Gate checking your car seat might not be as convenient as checking your car seat with your baggage when you check in, however the advantage to checking your car seat reduces the time and handling of your car seat by someone else.

This means less opportunity for your car seat being lost or damaged!

8. How do I check my car seat at the airport?

When you check in you can check your car seat at the same time if you wish it to go into the hold with the usual luggage.

First you will need to get it checked and tagged at the counter where you get your tickets and then you will most likely have to drop it off to the oversized luggage counter.

When checking in your car seat to the hold this is not counted as a part of your baggage allowance and most airlines will allow you to check a car seat into the hold for free.

This applies to toddler car seats and booster seats as well as baby car seats. 

We always recommend checking with your airline first to be sure of the rules and what they will and won't allow.

9. Do airplanes damage car seats?

Unfortunately, any item that is checked into the hold is at risk of being damaged or even lost.

We would recommend that if you do plan to check in a car seat, purchase a cheap FAA approved car seat for the flight.

This way if it is lost or damaged, it is not your expensive car seat that you use in the car at home.

10. Can I take my baby in a taxi without a car seat?

A child can only travel in a taxi or private hire vehicle without a child car seat if he or she sits in the back.

However, even though this is allowed we would always recommend that a car seat is used when traveling in a vehicle as this is the safest option. 

Children older than three years old must use the car's adult seat belt and it is advised that children under three should not use a seat belt.

11. Do airports provide car seat bags?

No, airports do not provide car seat bags as each car seat is different in size and there is not one size fits all car seat bags available. 

We have at times grabbed a normal thin plastic bag from the counter to use, however it didn't add any protection for the seat so is not recommended.

Verdict on Our Pick of the Best Travel Car Seat

Your baby's safety will of course top priority when it comes to choosing a car seat for travel. You may also take into account the style as well as your preference, needs, and budget.

If you want a travel car seat that will work for both travel and home use then our top pick would be the Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat . It is also great value for money as you can use it from birth up to 65 lbs which means you will get a good few years of use.

Although the Safety 1St Jive 2-in-1 can be used from 5 lbs, we do prefer the Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 LX for babies and infants as it offers more support and protection for their necks.

If you prefer to travel light and with minimal fuss then the WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat is perfect. It folds up small and compact and does not take up much space when not in use or you have to transport it when not using. It is perfect for ages 2-4 years old.

If you want to travel super light and not have to worry about a car seat for when you arrive at your destination, a great option for children  aged two years or older who have their own seat and do not need much support is the Newroutes Airplane Safety Harness .

If you opt for the Safety 1st Jive 2-in-1 car seat we suggest investing in the Britax Car Seat Travel Cart as it will make transporting the seat around the airport so much easier.

We also recommend the Britax Car Seat Travel Cart for the WAYB Pico Travel Car Seat. Although this travel cart is made by Britax it works with most other brands of car seats as well. If you want to check this travel seat in then we recommend the smallest of all check-in bags, the JL Gate Check Car Seat Bag .

To give your Cosco Might Fix 65 DX travel car seat the best protection when you check it in when not using it on the plane, be sure to get the JL Premium Backpack travel bag . 

We hope this article has helped you decide on the best travel car seat for flying. Have a safe and comfortable trip.

Why Trust Wanderlust Storytellers

Jolene Ejmont is an author with almost a decade of experience in researching and writing about travel and lifestyle products. 

Additionally, she is a mother to 3 kids. She has experience traveling with a baby, toddler, preschooler, tween and teenager.

In the process of creating this list, Jolene delved into the research of numerous products, scrutinizing crucial specifications such as dimensions, weight rating, and reviews, both positive and negative.

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• Baby and kid

The Best Convertible and All-in-One Car Seats

By Christina Szalinski

Christina Szalinski is a freelance science writer with a PhD in cell biology.

Your kid could end up sitting in the same convertible car seat for five years or more—making it arguably your most significant car seat purchase.

Since 2017, we’ve evaluated over 90 convertible seats. We’ve interviewed safety experts, pored over reviews, endured our share of aching muscles from installing literal towers of car seats, and concluded that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is the overall best choice. The seat does a standout job of encouraging extended rear-facing use—the safest position for a young child.

We also recommend the Britax Boulevard ClickTight for those whose top priority is ease of installation. We’ve added the Clek Foonf as an also-great pick for families that are happy to pay more for a beautiful but super-heavy (and ultra-sturdy) seat. For those who are set on an “all-in-one” seat that transitions from infant seat to convertible to booster, our pick is the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 .

Everything we recommend

Graco Extend2Fit Convertible

The best convertible car seat.

The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible does a superior job of keeping your child rear-facing longer—and it’s straightforward to install and use.

Buying Options

Britax Boulevard ClickTight

The easiest convertible seat to install (by far), but not the best for extended rear-facing use.

Like the other seats in Britax’s ClickTight line, the Boulevard ClickTight requires less effort to install than any other seat we tested. Plus, it looks and feels plusher than our top pick.

Built like a tank, but fussier to install rear-facing

The Clek Foonf is a high-end convertible seat that’s great for extended rear-facing use. Also, it’s narrow and easy to keep clean, and it comes with the added safety feature of an anti-rebound bar.

Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1

The Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has many of the same qualities we like in our top convertible pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, plus it converts to a booster seat. But there are some caveats.

How we picked

A properly installed car seat is a safe car seat, so we sought seats that made the process easy.

We evaluated independent crash-testing scores and ease-of-use ratings (when available), as well as the seats’ individual safety features.

Since kids are safest when they’re in the rear-facing position, we looked for seats that would support this longer with their height and weight limits and design features.

Instead of conducting our own crash testing, safety experts encouraged us to focus on how the seats performed in the real world.

As the name implies, a convertible car seat is designed to evolve as your child grows. Your baby will be ready for this larger, five-point safety harness seat once they’ve outgrown their infant seat’s height and weight limits (usually around 30 inches or 30 pounds); this will likely happen at any point between 6 months and 2 years of age. Once you transition to the convertible seat, you’ll start out with a baby or toddler sitting in it rear-facing and eventually end up with a much bigger kid riding in it forward-facing. Getting the hang of convertible seats can be daunting—what with their various installation modes and positions, multiple seat belt paths, and safety tethers—which is why we set out to find the models that are the simplest and safest to install and use. Whatever seat you choose, we’ve also included plenty of helpful tips on how to navigate the road ahead.

The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible has a lot going for it, including pretty easy installation, thoughtful features, and great value for the price. But most importantly, this seat excels at keeping your kid comfortable while they ride rear-facing—the safest position for a young child—for longer. Many large toddlers and preschoolers struggle to stay rear-facing in their car seats because at a certain point they start to feel squashed. The Extend2Fit Convertible addresses that problem by adding an extension panel to the seat that pulls out to provide 5 inches of extra legroom in rear-facing mode. Kids can remain rear-facing in the Extend2Fit Convertible until they reach 50 pounds, the highest capacity of the seats we tested. (Our also-great convertible pick, the Clek Foonf, has a 50-pound rear-facing weight limit too.) We found installing the seat to be quick and intuitive, particularly when using LATCH (which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, a system that lets you attach a pair of metal hooks on the seat to a set of anchors built into the car). The Extend2Fit Convertible’s LATCH install system can be used for children who weigh up to 45 pounds, the highest LATCH weight limit of any of the seats we tested. Also, the seat is lightweight and has a no-rethread harness, so as your kid grows, you don’t have to take the seat apart to adjust the straps. Even though the fabric isn’t as stain resistant as we’d like (consider going with a dark color), the cover is machine washable.

Weight of seat: 19 pounds

Seat dimensions: 18.5 inches wide by 23.7 inches tall (with the headrest in its lowest position)

Passenger rear-facing weight and height range: 4 to 50 pounds; head must be at least 1 inch below the headrest’s handle

Passenger forward-facing weight and height range: 22 to 65 pounds; up to 49 inches tall (the top of the child’s ears must also be below the top of the headrest)

The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is a stylish and user-friendly seat that stands out for its incredibly easy installation. It features Britax’s innovative ClickTight installation system: You thread the vehicle’s seat belt through a path beneath the Boulevard’s seat cushion and close the seat cushion, and then a built-in mechanism tightens everything securely into place—no grunting, sweating, or swearing required. (You can also use LATCH to install the Boulevard, but Britax recommends the seat belt method, and we agree.) Like our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, the Boulevard has a no-rethread harness that makes ongoing strap adjustments hassle-free. But like the majority of convertible seats out there, this seat can only be used in the rear-facing position for kids weighing up to 40 pounds (10 pounds less than with our top pick). And in our experience, the Boulevard doesn’t provide much legroom in rear-facing mode, so it may encourage caregivers to turn their kids forward-facing sooner than experts recommend. If keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible is the number-one priority, then we think you’d be better served by our other picks. However, if a fast and convenient install matters most, then the Boulevard is your best bet.

Weight of seat: 29.4 pounds

Seat dimensions: 18.5 inches wide by 23.5 inches tall (with the headrest in its lowest position)

Passenger rear-facing weight and height range: 5 to 40 pounds; head must be at least 1 inch below the top of the headrest

Passenger forward-facing weight and height range: 20 to 65 pounds; up to 49 inches (the top of the child’s ears must also be below the top of the headrest)

The Clek Foonf offers an appealing combination of safety features, handsome aesthetics, and clever engineering. At 38 pounds, it’s heavy as all get-out—something people are likely to either love (because it feels like a tank) or hate (because it’s a monster to move). Similar to the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, our top pick, the Foonf can comfortably accommodate a child in the rear-facing position until they reach 50 pounds. This seat doesn’t have a pull-out extension for added legroom like the Extend2Fit Convertible does. But the design of the Foonf and the way it reclines both make it feel roomy and spacious when rear-facing, even for taller kids. The Foonf also comes with an added safety feature: an anti-rebound bar, which is a steel support piece that, in the case of a crash, can help to reduce the rebound motion of the seat. Installing the Foonf in the forward-facing position with LATCH is beyond easy. However, the rear-facing install of the Foonf is a bit tricky—it definitely requires more force and effort than either the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible or the Britax Boulevard. Once the Foonf is installed, it feels rock-solid, but it may be a better fit for families that don’t need to move the seat frequently, especially when it’s in rear-facing mode. The Foonf’s footprint—17 inches at its widest point—is among the narrowest in the convertible category, which makes it a good candidate for families that need to fit three seats across in a single row. The seat comes in a range of stylish, sophisticated color and fabric options, and the material is unusually easy to keep clean.

Weight of seat: 33 pounds when forward-facing, 38 pounds when rear-facing (with added base and anti-rebound bar)

Seat dimensions: 13 inches wide at the base, 17 inches at the widest point, and 28 inches tall (forward-facing, with the headrest in the lowest position)

Passenger rear-facing weight and height range: 14 to 50 pounds (or 5 pounds if you purchase a Clek Infant-Thingy ); 25 to 43 inches (19 inches with use of the Infant-Thingy)

Passenger forward-facing weight and height range: 22 to 65 pounds; up to 49 inches (the top of the child’s ears must also be below the top of the headrest)

An all-in-one car seat is meant to be a utility player: It can be used as a rear-facing infant seat, a rear-facing toddler seat, a forward-facing toddler and big kid seat, and finally a booster seat. Buying a single car seat (versus three or even four) is cost-effective, and it sounds like a genius idea, in theory. But we’ve found that each individual type of seat tends to do a far better job at its dedicated purpose than an all-in-one seat can. So we think most families will be happier going with an infant seat, then a convertible seat, and then a booster seat. However, if you do decide to buy an all-in-one, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is a solid choice. It’s the all-in-one version of our top-pick convertible seat, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, and it has all of the same features, including an extension panel for added legroom—to enable kids to remain rear-facing for longer—and a no-rethread harness. The straightforward installation, whether via seat belt or LATCH, is the same, too. But the LATCH method, which we prefer, can only be used until your child reaches 40 pounds. (The Extend2Fit Convertible has a 45-pound LATCH limit.) Also, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1’s highest shoulder-harness setting is over an inch shorter than the one on the regular Extend2Fit Convertible, so you may end up needing to switch your kid from convertible to high-back booster mode sooner than you’d like.

Weight of seat: 21.9 pounds

Seat dimensions: 19 inches wide by 24.5 inches tall (with the headrest in its lowest position)

Passenger booster mode weight and height range: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches; also, at least 4 years old (but most experts recommend waiting until at least age 5)

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, how we tested, what about crash testing, our pick: graco extend2fit convertible, runner-up: britax boulevard clicktight, also great: clek foonf, also great: graco extend2fit 3-in-1, other good convertible seats, other good all-in-one seats, what to look forward to, the competition, care, use, and maintenance.

While researching this guide, we interviewed a broad range of industry experts, including safety authorities, engineers, and physicians, asking them to detail the most important safety and usability considerations for convertible and all-in-one car seats. We consulted multiple Child Passenger Safety Technicians ( CPST s) and car seat safety advocates, such as Alisa Baer (CPST), a pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady website. We also had an in-person meeting and assessment of the seat finalists with Gina Duchossois , an injury prevention expert with the Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), as well as the chair of Safe Kids Southeastern Pennsylvania and a certified CPST.

We spoke to dozens of caregivers about their car seat experiences, scanned hundreds of online reviews, and read articles and recommendations from other media sites like BabyGearLab and Car Seats for the Littles .

The original writer of this guide was Rebecca Gale, a Washington, DC–based reporter whose articles on policy and parenting have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Slate, and The Washington Post. As part of the research and testing process, Rebecca became certified as a CPST herself; she’s also the author of Wirecutter’s guide to the best booster car seats and a mom of three.

The current author of this guide is Christina Szalinski , a science writer with a PhD in cell biology whose reporting on health has appeared in The Atlantic , Scientific American , Undark , and more . In addition to writing Wirecutter’s updated guides to the best infant car seats and travel car seats , she is responsible for Wirecutter’s guides to the best baby formula and kids face masks . Christina has three children, ages 4, 6, and 9; she can frequently be found ferrying them to soccer practice and play dates in her Honda Odyssey minivan.

All young kids need to be buckled into the appropriate car seat for their age and size every time they’re on the road. Many families will begin their car seat journey by using a dedicated infant seat , which we think is the best choice. Being able to click the bucket portion of the infant seat in and out of its base is highly convenient. The infant seat is replaced by a convertible car seat sometime between 6 months and 2 years, depending on the size of the child and the kind of seat. (Convertible seats can also be used for infants, usually from 5 pounds and up and with the addition of an infant insert. But since they’re not portable, we don’t think they’re especially well suited for the task.)

The term convertible refers to the fact that this type of car seat can be installed either rear-facing or forward-facing, whereas infant seats are meant to be installed facing the rear only. Although the laws vary , many states require that a kid remain in a car seat with a five-point harness—which all infant seats and convertible seats have—until they’re at least 40 pounds or 4 years old. Experts, however, recommend keeping your child in a five-point harness until they outgrow the seat’s height and weight limits ; this means it’s possible to get from two to five years of use out of a standard convertible car seat before you move on to a booster seat (which relies on just the car’s seat belt as a restraint).

Rear-facing vs. forward-facing car seats

Many states also require children under a year old to ride rear-facing in their car seat, and increasingly state laws require kids to stay rear-facing up to the age of 2 (though longer is better). Both the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (PDF) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay rear-facing for as long as possible. That is, “until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer,” according to the AAP. The British Medical Journal concluded in 2009 that a child is safer riding rear-facing until they’re 4 years old . In Sweden, a country with a notably low fatality rate for children in car crashes , kids typically sit rear-facing until they’re 4 years old.

Why is rear-facing so much safer? Because in the case of a head-on collision, when a child is facing to the rear, the impact of the crash would be absorbed primarily by their backside, which is cocooned and protected by the shell of the car seat. But if the child is facing forward, the force of a frontal crash is going to propel their body forward, with the strain absorbed by their head, neck, and spine.

Children’s anatomy plays a role, too. Alisa Baer, a pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady website, points out that a 2-year-old’s head makes up about 18% of their body weight, whereas an adult’s head comprises only about 6% of their body weight. So in a crash, a forward-facing toddler would endure far more force to their neck, relatively speaking, than an adult would under the same circumstances. Also, a child’s bones aren’t fully formed until they’re about 6 years old—they’re stretchy—whereas the nerves of the spine don’t stretch. That combination of the heavy head and stretchy bones makes the spinal cord more vulnerable to being broken.

The research that we’ve conducted for our various car seat guides has led us to the conclusion that the safest approach is to move a child from an infant car seat to a rear-facing convertible seat, and to keep them in that position until the child reaches the seat’s height or weight limit for rear-facing installation. (A seat’s rear-facing height and weight limits are generally different and lower than its forward-facing limits.)

We recognize that this is easier said than done, and we understand that many caregivers are eager to switch their child to the forward-facing position. This can be because it’s easier to see them or hand them things from the front seat when they’re facing forward, because caregivers are hoping to reduce car sickness , or because their child simply prefers it. Still, we think the trade-offs and inconveniences of keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible—ideally until your child reaches their seat’s rear-facing height or weight limit—are worth it for the added safety and security.

Once you do turn your convertible car seat around to be forward-facing, it’s extremely important to begin using the included top tether. The top tether is a strap that attaches from the back of the car seat to a tether anchor built into your car. In a crash, this strap limits the forward motion of the seat , ideally preventing the child’s head from hitting the back of the seat in front of them or the center console.

Many people seem to be under the impression that the tether is optional, but that is not the case. Check your vehicle manual to confirm the location of the tether anchors. Although tether anchors have been required in vehicles since 2001, there is no standard position for them —they can be located on the ceiling, the back hatch, the back of the rear seat, the cargo floor area, behind the headrest, or on the rear filler panel. And it’s easy to mistake other parts of the vehicle, like cargo hooks, for them, but cargo hooks don’t have the same load-bearing capacity.

Your child can remain forward-facing in a convertible seat until they’ve outgrown the seat’s forward-facing weight or height limit. They will not be eligible for a booster seat until they’re at least about 40 pounds and 38 to 40 inches tall, and until they’re mature enough to sit upright in a booster seat without slouching or leaning (which usually happens around age 5, at the earliest). “At age 5, the skeleton has matured enough that it can withstand the force from the three points of the seat belt rather than the five points of the harness,” said Lani Harrison , a CPST in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Also, age 5 is [when they might begin to have] the maturity to be able to sit still.” But again, there should be no hurry to move to the next stage: A booster seat is completely reliant on the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder seat belt, which must lie flat against the body in order to work effectively, so it’s not a good choice for a wriggly kid who can’t sit still.

All-in-one car seats

As mentioned, the typical progression is for a child to start out in an infant car seat , then move to a convertible car seat, and finally transition to a booster seat . But an alternative approach is to purchase an all-in-one car seat, also known as a 3-in-1 or 4-in-1. This can serve as a rear-facing seat for infants and younger babies and a forward-facing seat for toddlers and preschoolers, and then convert to a booster for bigger kids. (Depending on the all-in-one model, it will have either a high-back booster or a high-back booster that can additionally be converted to a backless booster, which is what makes it a 4-in-1.)

The main selling point of an all-in-one is, of course, that you’ll have to buy only one seat—or at least that’s the hope. It would certainly be more environmentally friendly if you could actually manage to purchase a single seat rather than multiples. And we can see how an all-in-one seat might also make a lot of sense if you’re in the market for an ancillary car seat—say, to keep at a grandparent’s house or as a spare for the babysitter.

But for most situations, we don’t think all-in-ones are the best option, and here’s why:

• Dedicated infant seats make more sense . All-in-one (and convertible) seats are large, so they come with infant inserts—removable cushions with copious padding—that allow them to safely accommodate infant passengers. But just because the seats can be used for this purpose doesn’t mean that they’re particularly convenient or well suited for it. A standard infant seat is a bucket-shaped carrier with a handle. This seat is designed to click in and out of a base that remains in the car, so it’s easy to tote your baby around in the carrier. All-in-one seats, on the other hand, are meant to stay installed in the car—they’re not portable, so every time you take your (often sleeping) infant for a ride, you’re going to be maneuvering them in and out of the seat.
• Car seats don’t exactly age gracefully. Sure, it may sound appealing to keep one seat for up to 10 years. But given the wear and tear that most of these things take (think layers of pulverized Goldfish crackers and countless bouts of carsickness), many caregivers are elated when the time comes to retire their grimy old seat and usher in a fresh replacement. Beyond that, car seats are constantly evolving, so you may discover several years down the line that you’d prefer a newer model with more-advanced safety or design features.
• You might not get the bang for your buck that you intended. If saving money is your main reason for considering an all-in-one, it would behoove you to really crunch the numbers first. As mentioned, we’d recommend getting a standard infant car seat regardless; if you reach the same conclusion, then your all-in-one is taking the place of only two seats, a convertible and a booster. And there are lots of affordable booster seats out there. Depending on the all-in-one seat you choose, you could end up spending more on it than you would on a more reasonably priced convertible and booster combined. Finally, consider what’s the most practical cost-wise from a family-planning standpoint. If you end up having more kids, you might not be able to take advantage of every stage of the all-in-one seat before it gets handed down to the next passenger, so you’ll still be on the hook to add more seats to the mix.

We began this process by examining online customer reviews and existing media coverage from other media outlets, including BabyGearLab , Car Seats for the Littles , and The Car Seat Lady . That left us with a list of over 90 convertible and all-in-one car seats to consider.

We spoke with 10 experts on car seat safety, policy, and installation. We looked closely at the results of government testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA), the federal agency charged with road safety. All car seats sold in the US are self-certified by their manufacturers to pass the NHTSA’s strict standards (PDF) for safety testing. The agency doesn’t independently test seats before they are first sold but instead conducts what it terms “safety compliance testing” of multiple seats each year, and it makes its database of results available (though it takes some digging to find and interpret the results for individual seats).

We knew from our expert interviews that proper installation is generally a far bigger problem (PDF) than actual seat safety. So we also considered the NHTSA ease-of-use ratings , which score seats on a scale of one to five stars, based on factors like how simple the seats are to install and the clarity of their instructions.

Car seat manufacturers frequently release new models and update their existing ones. Though we didn’t rule out any seats on the basis of their being brand new, whenever possible we chose to test models that had been available for at least a year, in order to give us a more solid track record of user reviews.

Our 20 total hours of background research led us to conclude that the ideal convertible (or all-in-one) car seat should be:

Simple to install. Installation is undoubtedly the biggest potential source of frustration when it comes to car seats. And the experts we interviewed confirmed that it’s also the most common barrier to car seat safety (if a seat isn’t put in properly, it can’t work optimally). We sought out seats that were intuitive to install—with bonus points for especially clear, accessible instructions—so that a diligent adult following the manual could manage a correct installation within a few minutes without expert assistance. We looked for seats that could be installed easily in the rear-facing position and the forward-facing position, using either the vehicle’s seat belt or the LATCH system. (Note: LATCH, which lets you install a car seat by attaching metal clips on the car seat to hooks built into the car, can be found on all cars and car seats manufactured after September 1, 2002 .) That versatility is important, because the LATCH install method can be used only up to a certain weight limit—usually when your child hits 35 to 40 pounds, depending on the seat. Once they weigh more, you must switch over to the seat belt install method. (LATCH cannot safely restrain a child past the prescribed weight limit, whereas the vehicle’s seat belt is designed to bear far heavier loads.)

As safe as possible. To help narrow down our initial list of over 90 seats, we evaluated the frontal crash-testing data from the NHTSA. However, since car seats are not required to be certified before sale, several of the seats included in our at-home testing did not yet have government crash-testing data available; this limited our ability to compare results systematically. Of the seats we decided to try out in person, the NHTSA had crash-testing data available only for the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible (PDF) , the Britax Boulevard ClickTight (PDF) , the Clek Foonf (PDF) , and the Graco 4Ever DLX (PDF) . Additionally, we considered it a plus if seats had design elements or features that made them inherently safer, such as an anti-rebound bar.

Designed for extended rear-facing use. Both the NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that a child ride rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limits of the seat—and we wanted those limits to be generous. Keeping a child rear-facing until they’re 4 years old is an ambitious and oft-cited benchmark; that would mean an average of about 35 inches tall and 40 pounds. To encourage the likelihood of actually keeping kids in that position longer, we also took into account design features that would make the ride more comfortable and the fit better for bigger kids—by creating more room for the child and by providing more space for the caregiver to buckle and adjust the child into the seat.

User-friendly. A car seat should be functional, and—in a perfect world—have thoughtful features that make everyday life a little more pleasant. Some of the questions we kept in mind: Are the seat’s harness straps simple to adjust? Are the buckles easy for caregivers to clip and unclip, but difficult to impossible for toddlers to compromise? Is it possible to get a child in and out of the seat quickly and securely? Is the seat comfortable for a child? How much of a chore is it to keep this seat clean?

Using the above criteria, we narrowed down our original list of over 90 convertible and all-in-one seats to 12 that we field tested in late 2021 and early 2022.

What about travel car seats?

The weight of a convertible car seat can be an important factor for some families—especially those who often travel with their seats, take frequent taxi rides, have strength or mobility issues, or move their car seats in and out of different vehicles regularly. But for the purposes of this guide, we didn’t intentionally seek out lightweight seats. If you need a very lightweight convertible car seat for travel, we recommend the no-frills, 6.8-pound Cosco Scenera Next , the top convertible-seat pick in our guide to the best travel car seats . But we don’t think it’s great for everyday use.

Like most caregivers in the real world, we began with installation. For the 2022 edition of this guide, I personally installed 12 different convertible and all-in-one seats in the second row of my Honda Odyssey minivan. For each seat, we evaluated all of the possible install methods and positions: rear-facing with LATCH, rear-facing with seat belt, forward-facing with LATCH, and forward-facing with seat belt. Unlike an infant seat, where the base and seat can be separated for the installation, a convertible seat is a single piece and typically weighs 20 to 30 pounds (though the heaviest seat we tested, our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf , is 38 pounds).

In addition to my own installs, I spent six hours comparing our top convertible and all-in-one car seats with Gina Duchossois , who’s an injury-prevention expert with the Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the chair of Safe Kids Southeastern Pennsylvania , and a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). We were joined by Wirecutter senior editor Courtney Schley, who has four kids—the youngest just aging into his first convertible seat. Courtney and I took turns installing the seats in our family cars—my Honda Odyssey and Courtney’s Ford Transit cargo van—parked in Gina’s driveway on an icy-cold winter day, and then Gina evaluated our installs. (Again, the installs were done all four ways—rear-facing using LATCH, rear-facing using a seat belt, forward-facing using LATCH, and forward-facing using a seat belt.) Together, the three of us discussed the merits and drawbacks of each seat, and Gina offered her expert feedback and installation tips.

We also wanted to find out how the seats performed in everyday use. Over the span of a few months, we tested each of the seats (with the exception of the Diono Radian 3QX and the Evenflo Gold Revolve360 , which we were not able to install securely enough in our vehicles, even with expert help) with our children, between 2 and 5 years old. (Depending on the age and size of the kids, we were able to try both forward- and rear-facing positions and LATCH and seat belt installations.) During this extended trial, we had the opportunity to assess functionality, adjustability, and ease of use. For example, we discovered that we had clear preferences when it came to choosing which seat we’d pick to move between cars on short notice. Whenever possible, we sought feedback about the seats from the kid testers.

Another way we evaluated the seats: testing how easy (or difficult) they’d be to keep clean. In many cases, we were able to track this organically, experiencing firsthand what it was like to spot-clean a particular fabric after a toddler had spilled snacks on it or climbed aboard wearing muddy shoes. For each of our finalist seats, we took the extra step of simulating on-the-go spills by smearing peanut butter, jelly, and grape juice on the seats. First we used a baby wipe to clean up the mess; we came back later with some soap and water. Different car seats have different cleaning instructions, so it’s important to carefully follow the guidelines in the user manual. For more guidance, check out our post on how to clean a car seat .

For the first version of this guide, published in 2018, we elected to perform independent crash testing on the convertible car seats we considered to be our top contenders. We commissioned Calspan, an independent lab in Buffalo, New York, to conduct the tests. The results were factored into our final recommendations.

When we began working on the update to this guide, in late 2021, we were open to pursuing independent crash testing once again, eager to take a thorough and comprehensive approach that would arm us with information to inform and improve our decision-making. To help us better understand the latest crash-testing protocols, we reached out to three industry experts: Alisa Baer , a pediatrician, CPST, and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady website; Matt Maltese , an engineer and crash-testing expert who’s worked for both NHTSA and CHOP ; and Jessica Jermakian , vice president of vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) , a nonprofit organization dedicated to automotive safety.

Much to our surprise, the more we learned about independent crash testing, the less certain we became that it made sense in our particular circumstances. (To be clear: This in no way diminishes our faith in the mandatory, regulated crash testing the government requires of all car seat manufacturers, which is essential to maintaining high safety standards and accountability.) After considering the advice of multiple experts, we concluded that although we could certainly conduct a series of crash tests that would generate plenty of data, it was unlikely that data would be meaningful or serve its intended purpose—that is, to provide us with information that would help us zero in on the best options among a small group of high-quality seats.

Our plan had been to crash test the four to six convertible and all-in-one seats that had already performed the strongest in our field testing, based on the criteria laid out in How we picked . But we learned that as advanced as today’s crash-testing tools are, they still aren’t advanced enough to reliably differentiate between a set of well-engineered seats or to tease out an A+ from an A-. In a nutshell, crash testing can be extremely useful for determining good versus bad, but it’s less helpful for determining really good from really, really good. “I’m not sure that crash testing would give you meaningful results,” Jermakian said. “If you’ve already picked the four best seats from all the other perspectives, then you can feel confident that engineers have spent a lot of time designing those seats for a good and safe user experience.”

Here are some of our key takeaways:

• Crash testing is an imperfect science. It’s difficult to simulate in a lab the real environment of a car and the real circumstances of a crash. Also, dummies aren’t all that sophisticated or life-like. (In their defense, the name doesn’t imply otherwise.) “Humans are very complex,” Jermakian said. “Dummies are not so sophisticated that they act exactly as a real human would in a crash, or give us the level of confidence needed to differentiate between similar results.”
• Numerical results don’t tell the whole story. After a crash test, seats are assigned injury measure scores—scores that predict the likelihood of injury. And it would be logical to conclude that if one seat gets a better score than the other, it’s clearly the safer seat. But unfortunately it’s not that simple; those scores come with some complex caveats and asterisks, which raise questions about how accurately they translate to differences in real-world injury risk. “Everybody wants the easy, intuitive answer—one number is bigger and one is smaller—but it’s so much more nuanced than that,” Jermakian said.
• Crash-testing results tend to vary. With crash testing, there tends to be some level of test-to-test (and lab-to-lab) variability. This means you can run the identical scenario multiple times and come away with different injury measure scores each time. Without repeating the tests on each seat multiple times—a process that can cost thousands of dollars, plus the cost of providing a brand-new seat (which needs to be disposed of afterward) for each setup—we’d have to assume that the differentials between our results could be driven simply by randomness.

After careful consideration and consultation with experts, we reached the decision that field testing alone, without crash testing, should dictate our picks within this guide. If anything, our research has confirmed that caregivers can take comfort in knowing that most car seats do their jobs very well. “Five-point harness child restraint seats are highly effective in reducing the chances of injury and death,” Maltese explained. So the most effective strategy for keeping your kids safe on the road is to choose a car seat that works well for your family—and to use it correctly. “The best car seat is the one that fits your kid, fits your car, and is used properly on every trip,” Maltese said.

The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is a well-designed, well-executed convertible car seat that ticks the most important boxes on our wishlist at a great price. This seat is easy to install and adjust, and with a generous rear-facing weight limit (50 pounds) and an extendable panel to provide additional legroom as kids grow, it’s one of the best convertible seats for enabling kids to stay rear-facing longer. (In the case of an accident, a child is safest in that position.)

Like other convertible car seats, the Extend2Fit Convertible can be installed using either the vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH. But the Extend2Fit Convertible stands out for how long you’ll be able to use the LATCH system. Many convertible seats have LATCH weight limits that are around 35 to 40 pounds—which means that when your child reaches that weight, you must stop using the LATCH install method and switch over exclusively to a seat belt install. But the Extend2Fit Convertible has an unusually high LATCH weight limit of 45 pounds, which applies to both the rear- and forward-facing positions. For context, the majority of kids won’t hit 45 pounds until they’re around 6 years old—and by that time, they’re likely ready for a booster seat. So there’s a good chance you’ll be able to use the LATCH install for the full life of the Extend2Fit Convertible, if you choose. (It’s our preferred method of installation for this seat.)

Installing the Extend2Fit Convertible rear-facing with LATCH (video) is simple. You just recline the seat to the appropriate position (there are guides on the seat to let you know how much recline is needed, based on your car’s angle and the child’s age), push the LATCH clips onto your car’s LATCH anchors, and tighten the straps. Tightening the LATCH straps can take some force; this is true for just about every seat, with the exception of the Britax Boulevard ClickTight (our runner-up pick) and the other Britax ClickTight seats. Note: When you switch the seat from rear-facing to forward-facing, you’ll have to take the seat cover off to reroute the LATCH straps from the rear-facing belt path to the forward-facing belt path; it’s a bit of a nuisance, but hopefully a rare one.

There are a couple of tricks you can use to get the Extend2Fit Convertible in extra-snug. These tips apply when it comes to installing most convertible car seats, and they’re best demonstrated via video: If your rear vehicle seat reclines, try the seat-back recline install trick (video) ; otherwise, you may need to slip part of the cover off and try the inside/outside trick (video) .

To install the Extend2Fit Convertible using the seat belt, you thread the seat belt through the appropriate path; it’s below the seat for rear-facing and behind the seat for forward-facing. On the Extend2Fit Convertible, there is no seat belt lock-off (this is a handy mechanism found on some seats that locks the seat belt in place and prevents it from moving once it’s been routed). So you have to manually tighten the seat belt and engage its locking feature (video) by pulling the seat belt all the way out and and then slowly letting the slack back in, while holding tension on the seat belt. (Because it can be tricky to get the seat belt tight and locked, we prefer the LATCH install method for this seat.) When you’re done, the Extend2Fit Convertible shouldn’t move back and forth more than one inch, if you grab it at the belt path and wiggle it.

If the seat has been installed in the forward-facing position—using either method—be sure to use the included top tether. The tether, which extends out from the back of the car seat, clips into the vehicle’s tether anchor, which is usually located either above the rear seat (in a sedan) or behind the rear seat (in an SUV or a van). (Check your vehicle manual to confirm the exact location, since it’s easy to mistake other parts of the car for the anchor.)

On a day-to-day basis, the Extend2Fit Convertible is convenient and pleasant to use. The sides of the Extend2Fit Convertible are fairly low (the sides of our runner-up pick, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight , are noticeably higher). So it is slightly easier to maneuver your child in and out of this seat. And there are two built-in cupholders, which are handy for storing snacks, drinks, or toys on the go.

The Extend2Fit Convertible’s harness is easy to tighten around your child—you just pull on the strap located at the front end of the seat, so a snug fit can be achieved without a struggle. And on both sides of the seat, there are nifty little harness holder pockets, where you can temporarily rest the strap clips while you’re getting your child settled in (rather than plunking your child down on top of the straps and then fishing around to locate them again). The buckle for securing the harness straps is straightforward to use.

The seat has a no-rethread harness, so making height adjustments to the harness straps as your child grows is a quick and easy process—no dismantling and rethreading required. The harness and headrest height automatically adjust together in one smooth motion—you just squeeze the lever at the top of the seat and pull up or push down—so they always remain in the correct proportion to each other. We found the padding on the headrest to be ample and cushy; our toddler testers demonstrated their approval in the form of frequent naps.

One of our favorite things about the Extend2Fit Convertible is how exceptionally well it facilitates extended rear-facing riding, with a 50-pound rear-facing weight limit. (This model is listed as one of The Car Seat Lady’s best seats for extended rear-facing , along with our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf .) The Extend2Fit Convertible comes with a pull-out footrest, which provides extra legroom and creates a little extra space for the caregiver to operate when they’re getting a child buckled in. There are four different settings on the panel, so it can be extended for a total of 5 inches of additional legroom when rear-facing. (The panel is not intended for forward-facing use.) It’s perfectly fine for a child’s legs to dangle over the side of a seat without a footrest—or to rest on the back of the vehicle seat. But many kids will likely appreciate the extra support this unique feature provides.

At almost 3 years old, my son was tall for his age. He could still safely ride rear-facing in any convertible car seat in terms of height and weight, but he looked uncomfortable in many seats, and I had a hard time buckling him in since his legs were all scrunched up. However, with the panel extended on the Extend2Fit Convertible, he had more room to stretch out, and I had more room to get him buckled. I found it much less tempting to turn the seat forward-facing than I had at this point in the past, when my two older children were in rear-facing seats that didn’t accommodate their long legs as well.

In the forward-facing position, the Extend2Fit Convertible can be used for a child up to 65 pounds or 49 inches tall. The minimum weight for forward-facing use is 22 pounds, though experts recommend keeping a child rear-facing for much longer. (This seat also comes with an infant insert and can accommodate babies as small as 4 pounds in rear-facing mode only, though many people prefer an infant seat.)

Aesthetically, the Extend2Fit Convertible is nothing special. It looks like a totally standard, run-of-the-mill car seat. But it likely won’t make you shudder when you see it in the back of your car. It comes in several color combinations—mostly subdued variations on gray, black, and white, but turquoise and pink make an appearance, too. The seat padding doesn’t feel quite as cushiony to the touch as padding on our other, more expensive picks (which add more foam between your child’s tush and the hard seat). But we had no complaints from our kid testers.

The fabric on the Extend2Fit Convertible is not the smoothest or the softest—we prefer the material on our runner-up Britax Boulevard ClickTight and our also-great Clek Foonf picks. The Extend2Fit Convertible’s fabric feels a bit like that of a wetsuit, slightly nubby and rough. And it’s prone to staining—the material was not as easy to casually wipe clean as that of the Britax or the Clek. Also, in our food-and-drink tests, when we smeared peanut butter on the seat, it left a stain that we couldn’t get off with a soapy damp rag.

Thankfully, the entire seat cover can be removed (video) , machine-washed, and drip-dried. (Depending on which fabric option you choose, some of the Clek and Britax fabrics require hand-washing only.) Machine-washing the Extend2Fit Convertible’s cover improved the appearance of the peanut butter stain but didn’t erase it completely. The light gray color of our test model didn’t do much to help hide the stain, either; for this seat, solid black is probably a better bet.

The Extend2Fit Convertible is 19.5 inches wide (about the same as the Britax Boulevard ClickTight), which may make it narrow enough to fit three car seats across, depending on the vehicle. But it’s not nearly as narrow as our also-great pick, the 17-inch-wide Clek Foonf. The Extend2Fit Convertible weighs only 19 pounds, making it one of the lightest convertibles we tried. (By comparison, our runner-up Britax pick weighs 29.4 pounds, and our also-great Clek picks weighs a whopping 38 pounds, with the anti-rebound bar attached.)

The Extend2Fit Convertible has a one-year warranty and a lifespan of 10 years from the date of manufacture. The seat scored well (PDF) in front-impact crash tests conducted by the NHTSA (the agency tests with dummies the size of 1-, 3-, and 6-year-olds), earning strong Head Injury Criterion (HIC) scores. Its ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA is four out of five stars.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Extend2Fit Convertible does fall short on a couple of details. In order to reposition the LATCH straps from a rear-facing to a forward-facing position, you must take the cover completely off the seat. If this seems overly onerous, that’s because it is—however, it’s not something you’re likely to do very often.

Also, the inclusion of a seat belt lock-off would have made installing the Extend2Fit Convertible with the seat belt method easier and more appealing. But given the ease of the LATCH install—and the seat’s unusually high LATCH weight limits—for the majority of people, manually locking off the seat belt is a nuisance that can be avoided. Still, if you need or want to install this seat frequently using the seat belt method only, then it’s something to consider.

And, as previously detailed, the Extend2Fit Convertible wasn’t as easy to clean as our other picks. The fact that the cover is machine-washable helps on that front, and it’s unlikely that the lingering peanut butter stains we failed to vanquish would’ve been visible had our seat cover been black rather than light gray. Still, not everyone wants an all-black car seat.

When it comes to making a car seat as simple as possible to install, Britax has figured out how to build a better mousetrap—period. The Britax Boulevard ClickTight is part of the company’s ClickTight family, which also includes the Britax Marathon ClickTight (our former top pick in this guide) and the now retired Britax Advocate ClickTight (still available at some retailers). All of them have the same proprietary, innovative install system, and all of them are by far easier and quicker to install than any other convertible car seat we’ve come across. We found the Boulevard model to be the most appealing—it’s mid-range price-wise, and it has extra padding on the headrest. But all of the ClickTight seats are stylish and user-friendly, with a high-end feel. However, where the ClickTight line falls short in our book is that it’s not nearly as good as the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible or Clek Foonf for extended rear-facing use, which experts agree is the safest way for toddlers and preschoolers to ride.

The ClickTight install system is designed to be used with the vehicle’s seat belt. You can install the Boulevard using the LATCH method instead, but we’d advise against it—not only because the ClickTight system works so marvelously but also because the LATCH weight limit for a rear-facing child in this seat is just 35 pounds. (The forward-facing LATCH limit is 40 pounds.)

To get started, you’ll use the color-coded bubble indicator at the base of the seat to determine the correct recline setting. Then the fun begins. The key to the ClickTight install, fittingly enough, lies within a 1.5-inch-diameter circle called the ClickTight Key (sometimes referred to as a dial), located at the front of the seat. When you press down on the key and turn it clockwise, the bottom of the seat lifts up, opening to reveal the guts of the operation. You then weave both the lap and shoulder portion of the vehicle seat belt through the appropriate slots—they’re labeled for either the rear- or forward-facing position, depending on which you’re using. Finally, you push the seat bottom closed; you’ll know the lid is secure when you hear a satisfying click.

There’s no additional tightening or snugging of the seat required because the ClickTight’s internal seat belt lock-off mechanism automatically removes all the slack from the seat belt. And it does a bang-up job of it: The seat absolutely does not budge.

With many car seats, getting a tight install relies on human force or skill. Not so with the Boulevard, since the ClickTight system is doing all the hard work—which makes this seat an especially good choice for anyone struggling with strength or dexterity issues. That said, for the uninitiated, the ClickTight system may take a few minutes to understand, since the key and seat belt lock-off could be counterintuitive for parents familiar with a LATCH system. For first-timers, we think a video demonstration may offer a clearer overview than the diagrams in the seat’s manual.

If you’re installing the Boulevard with the LATCH system (and again, we can’t think of a scenario where you would or should), the process is the same, but you use the included LATCH straps in place of the seat belts.

The Boulevard has more going for it than just the ClickTight system; it’s also a very pleasant seat to use on a daily basis. The Boulevard features a no-rethread harness—as does our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible —so the height of the shoulder straps can be easily adjusted in seconds, even with a kid in the seat. (Seats that don’t have a no-rethread harness—like our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf —require you to manually remove the straps and then rethread them into higher slots as a child grows taller, which can be tedious.) As with the Extend2Fit Convertible, the Boulevard’s harness straps and headrest adjust together with the pull of a lever in one smooth, concurrent motion.

The Boulevard’s harness has another trick up its sleeve: It’s called a Click & Safe Snug Harness, because as you’re tightening it around your child, it gives an audible click to let you know when it’s been properly tensioned. (Although we haven’t found it especially challenging to tighten a strap appropriately without the help of a click , if you enjoy feedback from inanimate objects, then, hey, you might get a kick out of that feature.) Operating the buckles on the harness is straightforward.

The Boulevard ClickTight does not have cupholders, which is a bit of a bummer. (My kids like to bring their water bottles with them on outings.) You can, however, purchase a dishwasher-safe cupholder separately from Britax for about $30, though online reviewers have complained that it’s difficult to install and pops off easily.

In terms of aesthetics, we found the Boulevard to be a stylish, good-looking seat; it has appealing curves and a generally high-end appearance. It used to come in a number of fabric colors and options, some of which can be found at some retailers, like the Cool Wash fabric, which claims to wick away moisture and promote ventilation, to keep kids cooler. The most recently added line of SafeWash fabrics, which are made without added flame retardant chemicals, is now the primary option (though Amazon offers a soft-knit version ).

The SafeWash fabrics can be machine-washed and -dried up to 30 times , whereas the other fabrics must be hand-washed and line-dried. (In general, most car seat covers cannot be put in the dryer.) The SafeWash fabric could be an especially appealing choice for families with kids who are prone to car sickness, and therefore need to regularly wash seat covers but don’t want to wait for them to fully line-dry.

In our food-and-drink tests, we found that grape juice soaked into the SafeWash fabric. As for spot-cleaning, when we scrubbed peanut butter and jelly stains with a soapy damp rag, they came completely off the SafeWash.

The Boulevard can be used in the rear-facing position for kids up to 40 pounds (the size of a typical 4-year-old, and an average rear-facing weight limit for a convertible car seat). But we think it could be difficult, in practice, to actually keep a kid rear-facing in the Boulevard for that long. Unlike with our other convertible picks, with the Boulevard the design of the seat itself doesn’t really accommodate larger kids in the rear-facing position. Our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible, has a pull-out extension panel to create extra legroom. Our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf, reclines in the rear-facing position to create more space, and it has narrow, upright sides that help accommodate a larger rear-facing child. But the Boulevard’s flared, thick sides seem to provide less room for a child’s legs. And there also didn’t seem to be enough space for a larger child between the crotch buckle and where the seat back begins to slope upward. When my tall-for-his age son sat in the seat rear-facing at almost age three, his legs were scrunched up.

If your kid isn’t bothered by scrunched-up legs, then they don’t pose a problem—there’s no inherent safety issue. So some bigger kids may do fine in the Boulevard. But my son’s scrunched-up legs did make it difficult for me to get him buckled in, because I didn’t have much room to operate. Further compounding the issue: The Boulevard’s relatively high sides make it more difficult to lift a child up and into the seat, particularly if that child isn’t in the mood to go for a car ride. Normally, my son can get himself into the seat on his own. But when he wasn’t feeling cooperative, it was especially strenuous to lift him into the Boulevard and arrange the straps around his scrunched legs while he was arching his back and twisting his body to get out. (With all of our main picks, I’ve had this less-than-fun experience more times than I care to admit, and I found it the most challenging with this seat.)

The Boulevard’s weight minimum for a child to sit in the forward-facing position is 20 pounds, although experts recommend waiting as long as possible before turning a child around. The weight and height maximum for the forward-facing position is 65 pounds and 49 inches, respectively. The Boulevard ClickTight can be used in the rear-facing mode for babies as small as 5 pounds (an infant insert pillow is included), though many families prefer to use a dedicated infant seat instead.

The Boulevard is 18.5 inches across—1.5 inches wider than our also-great pick, the notably narrow Clek Foonf—and it flares out a bit on the sides. So depending on the vehicle, the Boulevard may not be suitable for a three-seats-across situation.

As mentioned, the Boulevard is part of Britax’s family of ClickTight seats, along with two other, similar models—the base model Marathon ClickTight and the now retired Advocate ClickTight (still available at some retailers). Their install methods are identical, and many of their features are the same. The main difference is in the layers of padding throughout the seats. The Marathon has the least padding of the three, and it typically costs about $50 less than the Boulevard. The Advocate has one more layer of padding than the Boulevard. The Boulevard and the Advocate both offer the Click & Safe Snug Harness, which gives an audible click when the harness is properly tensioned, whereas the Marathon has a standard harness. The Marathon was previously the top pick in this guide, and we still think it’s a solid choice. But ultimately we opted for the Boulevard because we thought the headrest’s cushiness would be more conducive to naps.

The Boulevard weighs about 29 pounds—more than many similar seats, but significantly less than our 38-pound also-great pick, the Clek Foonf. This seat comes with a one-year warranty and has a lifespan of 10 years. It performed well (PDF) in front-impact crash testing carried out by the NHTSA, with good Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and chest acceleration scores. Its ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA is four out of five stars .

Britax Boulevard ClickTight: Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Boulevard’s biggest weakness is that it doesn’t do nearly as well as our other picks at helping to keep your child sitting in the rear-facing position longer. To be clear, there’s nothing uniquely wrong with how the Boulevard performs on this front—its 40-pound rear-facing weight limit is on a par with that of many other convertible seats out there. But my almost-3-year-old son seemed much more cramped in the Boulevard than he did in our other picks. If you know you want to keep your child rear-facing until they’re 4, or you at least want to give yourself a fighting chance, then you may be better off with the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible or the Clek Foonf: Both have a 50-pound weight limit for rear-facing and design features to help make reaching that milestone more possible.

Even though the ClickTight system is easy to use—and we have yet to hear anyone say otherwise—it’s not perfect. When the seat bottom is open, it doesn’t always stay fully propped open on its own; one mom with a large SUV complained that the seat lid kept falling on her head as she was trying to do the install. And getting the lid of the seat to close completely can take a few hard pushes—although when it does close, it gives a substantial click , so there’s no question as to whether the task has been completed.

At 29.4 pounds, the Britax is a bit bulkier and heavier than many seats out there. It may not be ideal if you’re planning to travel regularly with the seat, especially if you’re going to be lugging it onto planes. Finally, we wish that you didn’t have to pay extra for a cupholder , especially if the cupholder is subpar.

After field testing the Clek Foonf , we came away impressed. We were won over by its solid construction, painless forward-facing install, cushy seat bed, and stain-evading fabric. The Foonf has a generous 50-pound rear-facing weight limit—the same as our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible —and the seat’s pitch and shape keep kids comfy riding in it rear-facing as they grow. The Foonf was also a favorite among our kid testers, who appreciated how well padded and roomy it felt. But the Foonf’s rear-facing install is more complicated than that of any of our other picks, and its weight can be burdensome. Also, the Foonf is expensive, which is why we’re recommending this seat with the full awareness that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

It sounds a little silly to describe a car seat company as having a cult following, but in the case of Clek—a high-end, niche Canadian brand—it happens to be true. People who love Clek really love it, and with good reason: The seats—and the Foonf in particular—are beautifully engineered and built like tanks. The company also tends to have some of the highest safety ratings out there, and it even publishes its own crash-testing results ; as far as we’re aware, Clek is alone among its peers in doing so.

Installing the Foonf in the rear-facing position can be a bit intimidating for a first-timer. Unlike most other convertible car seats, the Foonf comes with a rear-facing base; it’s a wedge-shaped piece that must be attached to the bottom of the seat to create a proper angle for installing the seat in rear-facing mode. It also has an anti-rebound bar, an added safety feature for use in rear-facing mode (only) that—in the case of a frontal crash—can help minimize the amount the seat rebounds after the initial impact. The anti-rebound bar is a separate metal piece that hooks into the foot of the seat. If you want to add yet another optional safety feature for your rear-facing child, Clek also sells a Q-tether strap. This strap wraps around the Foonf and hooks to the top tether anchor; its purpose is to help further absorb the forces in a crash, without transferring them to your child.

For the rear-facing install, we think the car’s seat belt is a better choice than the LATCH method because it will save you from making the switch in the not-so-distant future. (And both methods require about the same amount of effort.) The Foonf can only be used rear-facing with LATCH for babies who weigh up to 25 pounds; about half of all babies will reach that weight by 12 months. To begin the process, first you’ll remove the seat cushion and set it aside; it comes off entirely, allowing access to the inner workings of the seat. Once the lid of the seat is off, you can position the Foonf on the vehicle seat at the correct angle—there’s a diagram on the side of the seat to guide you, based on your child’s age and weight.

Next, you route the seat belt through the seat’s rear-facing belt path and buckle it in. To remove any slack from the seat belt, you have to press down on the center of the Foonf while pulling on the belt. Then, as you’re holding the belt tight, you must close and latch a pair of belt lock-offs, two plastic tabs that fold down over the belt to cinch it into place. Though the process is fairly intuitive, it does require some force and coordination to get those tabs closed. In general, it would be helpful to have strong fingers and three arms during much of this installation process.

If you opt to do the rear-facing install using LATCH, you’ll remove the top of the seat cushion and take out the rear-facing LATCH strap (with connectors on either end) from its storage location. Once you’ve adjusted the strap to give you enough length to reach your vehicle’s LATCH anchors, you thread the two ends with the clips through the rear-facing LATCH belt path and connect the clips to the anchors. After positioning the seat at the correct angle—using the same diagram as for the seat belt install, based on your child’s age and weight—you tighten the LATCH straps snugly on both sides, close the belt lock-offs, and replace the lid of the seat.

Installing the Foonf in the forward-facing position is substantially easier. In fact, of all the seats we tested, the Foonf was our favorite to install forward-facing. When we had visitors and I suddenly needed to put a car seat in the third row of our minivan, I opted for the Foonf out of about eight models in our garage at the time to choose from. Its forward-facing install is so simple and satisfying.

The Foonf has a feature for its forward-facing install that no other convertible seat in the US has: rigid LATCH connectors. Rigid LATCH connectors are LATCH hooks mounted on metal bars that extend straight out from the seat—they look a bit like miniature staplers. After adjusting the pitch of the seat to the appropriate angle for your child, you pull the LATCH connectors out from the base of the seat, align them with the car’s LATCH anchors, and click them into place. (There’s an indicator on the bars that turns from red to green when a secure connection has been made.) Once they’ve been clipped to the car’s anchors, the Foonf feels like it has been welded to your vehicle.

As always when using a convertible car seat in the forward-facing position, be sure to also install the top tether, which extends from the back of the child seat and clips onto the tether anchor, either above the seat (in a sedan) or behind the seat (in an SUV or a van).

Another distinguishing feature of the Foonf is that, unlike the vast majority of convertible seats, you can install it in the forward-facing position using both LATCH and the vehicle seat belt. (Most seats call for one method or the other, but not both.) So once your child has reached 35 pounds (the Foonf’s forward-facing LATCH limit), you can keep using the rigid LATCH, which makes it easy to line up the seat properly and get a snug fit, and add the seat belt to handle the extra weight load.

To install the Foonf forward-facing with the seat belt alone, you route the lap portion of the belt through the forward-facing belt path and the shoulder portion of the belt through the forward-facing belt lock-off, and then buckle it in. To get it extra-snug, you pull on the belt while pressing down on the center of the seat, removing any extra slack.

We thoroughly enjoyed using the Foonf on a day-to-day basis. So did our kid testers; it was the favorite among my kids.

The Foonf’s chest and crotch buckles function smoothly and without issue. With the Foonf’s low sides and taut fabric, I felt like I spent less time fishing for the harness straps hiding behind my child than I did with any other seat we tested. Tightening and loosening the harness with your child in the seat is very easy, too. And we’ve noticed that the harness straps on the Foonf almost never get twisted, the way that straps on car seats usually do. (The sorcery has something to do with how the straps emerge from the buckle tongue.)

Unlike our other convertible picks (the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible and the Britax Boulevard ), the Foonf does not have a no-rethread harness that’s connected to the headrest, and the harness and headrest cannot be adjusted together in one simultaneous motion. We have mixed feelings about that.

There’s no question that a no-rethread harness is more pleasant and convenient to use. In order to adjust the height of the straps on the Foonf as your child grows, you must slide them off the splitter plate (tucked behind a panel in the seat), thread them through a different slot, and then reattach them to the splitter plate. As long as your child is rear-facing, this can be done without fully uninstalling the seat, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do.

Although we enjoy the convenience of adjusting the harness and headrest as one unit, there’s a safety argument to be made for having the harness and headrest operate independently. According to pediatrician Alicia Baer of The Car Seat Lady website, with the Foonf, if the headrest were to come off in an accident, the harness system would still be intact. But with seats that have the headrest and harness as part of the same system, if something were to happen to one of the pieces in a collision, it would have an impact on the other.

Adjusting the headrest is simple; you simply push up or pull down. (It’s nicely padded, too.) The Foonf’s seat cushion has a firm feel to it, yet it’s actually very thick—thicker than those on any of our picks, by far, and the comfiest of the bunch. Unfortunately, the seat doesn’t come with a cupholder—c’mon, Clek—but you can purchase one for about $20.

We love the Foonf’s sleek, minimalist look; it’s a handsome seat. It is available in a range of colors, with either white or black plastic sides. The most recent fabric, Crypton C-Zero Plus, has a moisture barrier and an antimicrobial treatment on top, and is Greenguard Gold –certified for lower emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). It’s also stain-repellant. The seat comes in marshmallow (off-white fabric, black sides), thunder (gray fabric, black sides), aura (purple fabric, white sides), cloud (gray fabric, white sides), snow (off-white fabric, white sides), snowberry (pink fabric, white sides), and ten-year blue (blue fabric, white sides). There’s also a natural wool-blend option called mammoth (black fabric, black sides) and the super-soft railroad (black fabric, black sides). All of the fabrics are free of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, and the mammoth and railroad are free of added flame retardants.

The seat’s fabric cover can also be removed completely , hand-washed, and drip-dried.

We particularly love the roominess that the Foonf affords a child. Even without the extension panel that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible has, a rear-facing Foonf gives even a larger child plenty of legroom. When the seat is reclined (which it should be for a rear-facing installation), the tall front edge of the seat provides ample legroom; with many other convertible seats, the front of the seat is shorter, or it ends up flush against the vehicle seat and doesn’t leave any extra room for a child’s legs. Plus, the Foonf’s lower sides make it easy to get a rear-facing child into the seat and buckled.

Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, the Foonf can accommodate rear-facing children up to 50 pounds and forward-facing kids up to 65 pounds or 49 inches. Clek sells an Infant-Thingy insert for the Foonf that lets the seat carry babies as small as 5 pounds in rear-facing mode only; we recommend using a dedicated infant car seat for newborns. The Foonf’s minimum weight for a forward-facing child is 22 pounds, but experts recommend keeping your child rear-facing for far longer.

Although the Foonf feels roomy to its passengers, this is one of the narrowest car seats on the market, at only 16.9 inches wide, making it a good candidate for families that need to fit three seats across. And it doesn’t have any parts that flare out to compete for space with neighboring car seats or riders.

The Foonf is taller than our other picks, but depending on the recline angle you need for your child and the size of your car, that may not be a problem. However, if you’re attempting to transport a small infant in the Foonf’s most reclined position, and you’re using it in a compact car with low ceilings, it could be an issue. So be sure to double-check the dimensions in advance. Note: If your vehicle has a low ceiling and you’re concerned about the height of the Foonf, you may want to consider a similar convertible seat, the Clek Fllo . The Fllo has the same narrow width as the Foonf (16.9 inches), but it’s 2 inches shorter. It also lacks the Foonf’s rigid LATCH system—we’re big fans of that rigid LATCH—and is less expensive than the Foonf.

All Clek seats last nine years from the date of manufacture before they expire, and they have a three-year warranty, if you register the seat within 90 days (one year if you don’t register it). The Foonf performed well (PDF) in the NHTSA’s front-impact crash testing, with good Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and chest acceleration scores. Clek also provides access to its own crash-testing video .

The Foonf received an ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA of two out of five stars. Some of the reasons for the low rating: The seat requires some assembly out of the box; the lack of a no-rethread harness; the seat cushion must be removed to route the seat belt; it’s necessary to refer to the owner’s manual for complete install instructions (versus being able to follow printed instructions on the seat alone).

Clek Foonf: Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Foonf is a big, heavy seat. It weighs 33 pounds when it’s in forward-facing mode, and it’s a whopping 38 pounds when it’s in rear-facing mode with the anti-rebound bar and base attached. This seat is 28 inches tall, compared with 27 inches for the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible. (Despite being taller, however, the Foonf doesn’t necessarily take up more room in the car, depending on how it’s angled.) The Foonf’s heft is polarizing: Some folks find it reassuring, and they like the idea of their child being protected by this fortress-like seat. But there’s no doubt that it takes strength to lift and lug this seat. If you plan to travel with your convertible seat regularly or to move it around frequently, this seat probably isn’t the ideal one for you (unless you’re Popeye).

The Foonf does require more assembly than its counterparts, with a separate headrest, an anti-rebound bar, a base for rear-facing install, and manually threading harness straps. However, we didn’t find dealing with any of these pieces to be particularly onerous. The only thing that stumped us was how to remove the rear-facing base in order to switch the seat to forward-facing mode. So we found a video on YouTube to help with that.

As previously described, the Foonf’s rear-facing install takes more effort than the rear-facing install of our other picks. It’s not confusing—and Clek has good videos online for how to install the seat (though we found the owner’s manual to be sufficient). But it is fussier. If you’re planning to transfer the seat between positions or cars frequently in the rear-facing mode, then one of our other picks may be a better option.

The Foonf is also the priciest seat among our picks. From a value standpoint, it can be hard to justify spending over $500 on a car seat when there are great alternatives that cost about half as much—including our top pick, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible. And it’s irritating that if you do decide to shell out half a grand on a Foonf, you’d still have to buy a cupholder .

There was a voluntary recall issued on Clek Foonf and Fllo seats manufactured prior to May 21, 2021. Clek discovered that it was possible for kids to place their fingers through the crotch buckle opening and pick at the foam seat cushion beneath. (This doesn’t compromise the actual safety of the seat, but it could pose an issue if a child were to ingest the foam.) To remedy the issue, owners of affected seats should contact Clek to receive a plastic piece that can be fitted over the buckle area, blocking access to the foam.

The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is our top convertible seat pick in this guide. So perhaps it’s not surprising that when we set out to identify the best all-in-one seat, we ended up being won over by the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 . It has many of the qualities we like about the Extend2Fit Convertible, such as easy installation and an extendable footrest (which adds legroom to help keep your child comfy in the rear-facing position longer). Plus, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 converts into a high-back booster seat. We still think a dedicated convertible seat is the way to go for most families, as we’ve previously explained . However, if you want an all-in-one seat, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is a good option, despite some weaknesses in comparison with the Extend2Fit Convertible—namely a lower rear-facing LATCH limit and a shorter maximum harness height.

The process for installing the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is exactly the same as it is for the Extend2Fit Convertible. It’s straightforward, whether you’re using the LATCH system or the vehicle seat belt; we prefer the LATCH install for this seat. If you’re carrying an infant in this seat, then the seat must be in the rear-facing position. (Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, the 3-in-1 can be used for babies as small as 4 pounds, and it comes with a removable infant insert.)

The maximum weight limit for a rear-facing rider in this seat is 50 pounds, same as for the Extend2Fit Convertible. However, while the Extend2Fit Convertible has a 45-pound rear-facing weight limit for the LATCH install (which we appreciate, since installing this seat rear-facing with LATCH is the quicker and easier method), the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has a 40-pound rear-facing LATCH weight limit. (It takes the average 2- to 5-year-old a full year to gain 5 pounds, so that’s a big difference, timewise.) If your kiddo is still riding rear-facing in the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 when they reach 40 pounds, you’ll have to reinstall the seat rear-facing with the seat belt instead. The forward-facing LATCH limit for the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is the same as it is for the Extend2Fit Convertible: 45 pounds.

Unlike the Extend2Fit Convertible, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 converts to a high-back booster seat. In order to switch over to booster mode, your child must be at least 40 pounds and 43 inches tall, and have the emotional maturity to maintain correct posture while in the seat. To turn the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 from a five-point harness seat into a booster seat, you remove the bottom crotch buckle strap, move the harness straps behind the padding, and stow away the buckles in a compartment behind the padding. Removing that lower buckle is harder than it sounds; it can take several minutes of maneuvering to guide it out of its tight slot. This is not a flaw that’s particular to this seat—we’ve found readjusting crotch buckles to be a nuisance on plenty of other car seats—and you’re unlikely to be changing from convertible to booster mode all that often.

When you install this seat as a booster, you can choose to keep it anchored to your car with LATCH, or you can stow away the LATCH hooks and go without. (As explained in detail in our guide to the best booster seats , once your child is in a booster, the vehicle seat belt is working as the sole means of restraint, so the use of LATCH becomes totally optional.) Either way, the owner’s manual states that you should continue to use the top tether strap with this booster.

Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, the 3-in-1 has a no-rethread harness that’s linked to the headrest; it’s smooth and simple to adjust. And, like the Convertible, it allows for convenient snacking with two built-in cupholders. The seat has low sides, which make it easy to get your child in and out (similar to the Convertible).

In addition to its generous 50-pound rear-facing weight limit (with a seat belt install), the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 facilitates extended rear-facing riding with the same unique design feature as the Convertible has. There’s a footrest panel that extends by 5 inches to add legroom for a rear-facing toddler or preschooler, enabling them to stay comfortable in the rear-facing position longer.

One of the key differences between the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 and the Extend2Fit Convertible is that the 3-in-1’s maximum shoulder-harness height is over an inch shorter than the Convertible’s. If a child is tall, they could reach that harness limit, and you’d have to switch them over to booster mode—possibly before you would have ordinarily put them in a booster. A five-point harness provides more protection than a booster; also, some kids who are physically large enough for a booster aren’t mature enough developmentally to ride in one, since they must be able to sit without slouching or leaning forward.

The Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is similar in appearance to the Convertible; it’s not going to win any design awards, but it’s not offensive. The cover is a polyester blend that’s available in dark colors (black and dark gray) with lighter accents. As with that of the Extend2Fit Convertible, the fabric on this seat doesn’t wipe clean as easily as the fabric on our other picks. The cover can be put in the washing machine and then drip-dried. We found that the dark color of the 3-in-1 we were testing (it was all black) hid stains better than our light gray Convertible test model. And after a few months of use, the 3-in-1 looked cleaner, though I doubt it had any less grime on it.

The Extend2Fit 3-in-1 is a half-inch narrower and an inch taller than the Convertible, and it weighs a little less than 2 pounds more, but it’s still lighter than our other convertible seat picks. And like the Convertible, the 3-in-1 can accommodate a forward-facing child in a five-point harness up to 65 pounds or 49 inches. (Although, given the shorter harness height, they may outgrow the 3-in-1 a little sooner than the Convertible.) In high-back booster mode, this seat can accommodate a child up to 57 inches or 100 pounds, which is typical of a booster seat.

Like the Extend2Fit Convertible, the 3-in-1 has a one-year warranty and a lifespan of 10 years from the date of manufacture. Since it is a relatively new model, the NHTSA has yet to release crash-testing data or an ease-of-use rating for this seat.

Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1: Flaws but not dealbreakers

Although there aren’t many differences between the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 and the Extend2Fit Convertible, the differences that do exist are significant—and they make the 3-in-1 less appealing. Though both seats have a high rear-facing maximum weight limit of 50 pounds, the rear-facing LATCH limit of the 3-in-1 is only 40 pounds, compared with 45 pounds for the Convertible. We really like the rear-facing LATCH install of this seat, and it’s a letdown that people would have to make the switch from LATCH to seat belt earlier.

Also, the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 has a shoulder-harness height that’s over an inch shorter than the Convertible’s. We would never want any caregiver to move their child into a booster seat prematurely. However, if you have a petite child, neither the 3-in-1’s rear-facing LATCH limit nor its harness limit are likely to become an issue.

And when you need to convert this seat to a booster, removing the crotch buckle can be a bit tricky—but this is a challenge you will face with just about any convertible car seat when it comes time to move that crotch buckle to a different position. (One notable exception: the Nuna Rava , which makes the process easy.)

If you like our runner-up pick, the Britax Boulevard, but want to spend less: The similar Britax Marathon ClickTight is currently around $30 to $70 cheaper, depending on where you purchase it. The Marathon has the same easy ClickTight installation system that we love in the Boulevard . But it has less padding on the headrest than the Boulevard, so sensitive nappers may find it less conducive to on-the-go snoozing. It also lacks the Boulevard’s Click & Safe Snug Harness, which gives an audible click to let you know the harness is properly tensioned (though we don’t think that really matters). The NHTSA crash-testing data for this seat (PDF) is available, and it received four out of five stars by the NHTSA for ease of use.

If you like our runner-up pick, the Britax Boulevard, but want even more padding: The Britax Advocate ClickTight has the same ClickTight installation system, but it adds an extra layer of padding, which makes this seat about a pound heavier. Britax has retired the Advocate, but you can still find it at certain retailers. And the price is comparable to the Boulevard. (Each seat in the ClickTight line—the Marathon, the Boulevard, and the Advocate—has its own line of colors.) The NHTSA crash-testing data for this seat (PDF) is available, and its ease-of-use rating is four out of five stars .

If you want a cheaper, smaller version of our also-great pick, the Clek Foonf: The Clek Fllo is a more lightweight alternative to the heavy-duty Clek Foonf , and it currently costs around $200 less. The Fllo weighs 28 pounds in rear-facing mode with the added safety feature of the anti-rebound bar (versus the Foonf’s 38 pounds), and it weighs 25 pounds in forward-facing mode (versus the Foonf’s 33 pounds). The Fllo and the Foonf are both narrow—about 17 inches across at their widest point—but the Fllo is 2 inches shorter. Unlike the Foonf, the Fllo does not have a rigid LATCH system, which makes for an especially easy and secure forward-facing install on the Foonf. Instead, the Fllo has LATCH clips that are attached to straps, like most convertible seats. (In our opinion, the Foonf’s rigid LATCH alone is worth the extra cost.) The Fllo also reclines differently than the Foonf. The Foonf has a handle that you use to recline the seat into the position of your choosing. But in order to readjust the angle of the Fllo, you must manually reposition it on your vehicle seat. The Fllo is sleek and stylish, and it has the same harness straps as the Foonf, which resist getting twisted; the seat comes in Clek’s usual range of stain-resistant fabric options. The NHTSA crash-testing data for this seat (PDF) is available, and Clek also publishes its own crash-testing results for the Fllo; there is no ease-of-use rating from the NHTSA for this seat.

If you want an all-in-one that’s affordable and easy to install but isn’t as good for extended rear-facing: The Graco TrioGrow SnugLock LX is technically a cousin of our all-in-one pick, the Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1 , but their designs are fundamentally different. The TrioGrow SnugLock LX has the SnugLock installation system, a mechanism that helps you ratchet down the LATCH straps or the vehicle seat belt. The SnugLock does the tightening for you, so you can achieve a tight install without any elbow grease. The TrioGrow SnugLock LX features a rapid-remove seat cover. The lower portion of the cover (aka the part most likely to be targeted by a spill or potty accident) can be taken off separately and washed; this is helpful because Graco’s fabrics weren’t top performers in our food-and-drink stain testing. (However, the fact that our TrioGrow SnugLock LX test model had an all-black cover definitely helped to keep it looking better than some of our other Graco models.) The rapid-remove cover also makes the belt paths easier to access for installation. But this seat doesn’t do as much as the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 to facilitate keeping your child sitting rear-facing longer. This seat’s weight range for rear-facing riders is 5 to 40 pounds, compared with 4 to 50 pounds for the Extend2Fit 3-in-1. We also missed the Extend2Fit 3-in-1’s extension panel, which pulls out to provide extra legroom for rear-facing riders. The TrioGrow SnugLock LX has a 22- to 65-pound weight limit for forward-facing riders, and a 40- to 100-pound weight limit for riders in high-back booster mode. There is no crash-testing data from the NHTSA available for this seat; its ease-of-use rating is four out of five stars .

At the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, Britax unveiled two new convertible car seats, the Poplar and the Poplar S . Both seats feature the company’s ClickTight installation system, can fit children up to 50 pounds rear-facing, and come with two cup holders. The Poplar S also includes a rebound stability bar for use when rear-facing, which helps limit movement in a crash. The Poplar costs $300 and the Poplar S costs $350, the same price as our current runner-up pick, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight. Britax is phasing out the Boulevard ClickTight and Marathon ClickTight, though they are available to buy while supplies last.

We are currently testing the Poplar and Poplar S and will update this guide soon with our findings.

Convertible seats

One of our favorite infant car seats is made by Chicco, so we were eager to try the company’s convertible seat, the Chicco NextFit Zip . (The zip in the name refers to the fact that this seat comes with a zip-off seat cover for easier washing.) The NextFit Zip is available in two other variations, the Chicco NextFit Max ClearTex and the Chicco NextFit Max Zip Air , which have different fabrics. For the LATCH install, the NextFit Zip has a so-called SuperCinch system, which allows you to tighten the straps with minimal effort. However, once your rear-facing child reaches 35 pounds, you must switch over to a seat belt install, which isn’t as easy. (You have to pull the seat belt very tight and then maintain tension while you slide the seat belt into a piece on the side of the seat.) And we found that it can be difficult to get a child in and out of the NextFit’s deep, egg-shaped seat. Also, when the seat is in forward-facing mode, the depth of the seat seems to make a kid’s legs point straight out, rather than hang down, which can encourage the kid to (annoyingly) kick the seat in front of them.

At just 6.8 pounds, the inexpensive Cosco Scenera Next weighs far less than most other convertible car seats. (One 2018 tester described the lightweight seat as feeling “like a kid’s toy.”) That makes it a good choice for travel—it’s the convertible pick in our guide to the best travel car seats . But for everyday use, the Scenera Next has some serious drawbacks. First, it’s hard to get a tight install that hugs the seat well. It’s doable, but even professionals we consulted noted that this seat is harder than others to install well. And unlike our main picks, which have a forward-facing weight limit of 65 pounds, the Scenera Next’s weight limit is 40 pounds in both forward- and rear-facing mode, which means you can’t use it for nearly as long.

Graco, the manufacturer of our top-pick convertible, the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible , makes a lot of convertible car seats, including the Graco Contender 65  and the Graco Admiral 65 . We opted not to test these seats because they’re less widely available than the Extend2Fit Convertible and have lower rear-facing weight limits. We additionally dismissed seats that were not as well suited for extended rear-facing as the Extend2Fit Convertible, which has the extension panel for added rear-facing legroom.

The Uppababy Knox debuted in 2019, but that first version of the seat was voluntarily recalled in April 2020 due to an issue with the design of the base. (The base could cause the seat to tip when installed.) The Knox was relaunched with a new base in March 2021. While it is an attractive seat (fans of the Uppababy brand will recognize the stylish aesthetic), at 32.5 pounds, it’s very heavy. And we also found it tougher to install than others. When we were using the seat belt install method (which the instructions recommend), it took a lot of force to get the seat’s SMARTSecure indicator (a color-coded window that shows when you’ve managed to get the seat in tight enough) to turn from red to green. And it was tough to then maintain that force while routing the belt into the lock-off. Additionally, we found it difficult to maneuver a child into the seat, which is perched higher than average. (Though Alisa Baer of The Car Seat Lady website did note that taller seats can have a safety advantage, since they put a child in a better position to benefit from the vehicle’s side-curtain airbags, should they deploy.) The Knox comes in five colors, and the Jordan (charcoal) and Gregory (blue-gray) fabrics are free of added flame retardants but cost about $50 more.

The Nuna Rava was one of the easiest seats to install of those we tested. It has panels that you route the seat belt through; when you close them, the seat belt automatically tightens, so there’s little effort required. (Because the Nuna’s rear-facing LATCH weight limit for a baby is 35 pounds, we recommend seat belt installation so you don’t have to make the switch as your child grows.) The Rava is a great-looking, plush seat; the material used for the seat cover is Greenguard Gold –certified for lower emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The seat has a no-rethread harness, which makes it easy to adjust the harness height as kids grow. It also has a nifty mechanism for sliding the crotch buckle (video) between one of two possible positions, depending on the size of your child. (Although that’s not an adjustment you’ll have to make often, doing it on the Rava is far more pleasant than on most seats.) However, the Rava has a few flaws. For one, though the system enables you to get a secure seat belt install without breaking a sweat, it doesn’t have a seat belt lock-off, so the seat belt can continually slide through the router. Over time, we found that because the seat belt wasn’t locked off, the car seat didn’t stay totally in place; it started to rotate, and we needed to reinstall it to make it straight again. The Rava does have a high rear-facing weight limit of 50 pounds—and an adjustable footrest that adds 2 inches of legroom in the rear-facing position. But in practice, we didn’t find that the extension panel added much room, especially compared with the panel on the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible. (My almost-3-year-old’s legs were scrunched up, even with the Rava’s footrest extended.) Also, the higher sides on the Rava made it difficult to get a large, almost-3-year-old into the seat and buckled. Additionally, our Frost-colored test model (it’s a pale gray fabric) didn’t perform well in our food-and-drink test. Grape juice, peanut butter, and jelly left stains that we couldn’t get out with spot-cleaning. So if you’re getting this seat, a darker shade may be a better bet.

All-in-one seats

We tested the Diono Radian 3QXT all-in-one, which is part of Diono’s line of seats specifically designed to fit three across. (In 2018, we tested the similar Diono Radian RXT, which has since been discontinued.) Like our also-great convertible pick, the Clek Foonf , the Radian 3QXT is a slender 17 inches wide. With low sides, a deep recline, and high rear-facing limits, the Diono Radian series is a favorite among people who are trying to keep their kids rear-facing longer; the rear-facing weight limit of the Radian 3QXT is 50 pounds. The design of Radian seats may help stave off carsickness, as well, since they have an L shape, rather than a more typical C shape. “For some kids who get queasy, sitting in a C-shaped seat isn’t great because it puts pressure on the stomach,” said CPST Lani Harrison. However, we found the Radian 3QXT more difficult to install than other seats we tested; it requires a lot of physical effort to get a snug install. It also has some additional pieces that you need to remember to attach, depending on the situation; these include a base for a rear-facing install and a SafeStop tether piece, intended for a forward-facing child who weighs less than 40 pounds (you’d need this only if your child was both tall and slim). And unlike any other seat we tested, the 3QXT is so top-heavy that it can’t sit upright on its own. So if you need to uninstall it to change the SafeStop or to remove the seat cover, you have to prop it up against something. Additionally, the Radian 3QXT’s anti-rebound bar—an added safety feature that helps to prevent the seat from rebounding in an accident—was not fully flush to the seat. According to The Car Seat Lady’s Baer, that could pose a safety issue if a child rides with their feet tucked under the bar and then is in a crash.

The Evenflo Gold Revolve360 is an all-in-one with a novel design: The seat revolves on a base, so you can have it facing you as you’re getting your child in or out, and then you can rotate it to a rear- or forward-facing position for the ride (this exact model is no longer available, but Evenflo sells other versions that are very similar). It’s a clever idea, but the execution didn’t deliver. During testing, the seat got stuck in a rotated position in the base; it was permanently facing sideways, and it wouldn’t budge. (The mechanism is supposed to work by someone pulling on a handle near the headrest , as seen in this video.) We contacted Evenflo’s Gold Consumer Care (a special customer service program for customers who own products in the Gold line) and had a video consultation with a helpful technician, but we still couldn’t get the seat to move without the assistance of a much stronger person arriving on the scene. (We found reviews online with the same complaint about the seat getting stuck.) Additionally, once we did get the seat unstuck, we were unable to install it tightly in a Honda Odyssey minivan, because the seat belt’s fabric loop obstructed the locking mechanism. If we moved the seat belt loop out of the way, the base became too loose. The Gold Revolve360 also has one of the lowest rear-facing height limits of any we tried, at just 40 inches (our main picks in this guide accommodate kids up to 49 inches).

The Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 is an all-in-one seat that converts into both a high-back and backless booster. This seat is recommended by Car Seats for the Littles , Mommyhood101 , and Babylist . Yet after testing, we preferred two other Graco all-in-one seats to the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1: the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 , our also-great all-in-one pick, and the TrioGrow SnugLock LX , in our other good all-in-one seats section. (Both of those seats convert to high-back boosters only; they do not have a backless booster mode.) Installation of the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 is similar to that of the Extend2Fit 3-in-1. The 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 was not quite as simple to install as the TrioGrow SnugLock LX, which is easy to install due to the SnugLock feature (a mechanism that helps you effortlessly ratchet down the LATCH straps or the vehicle seat belt). If you’re interested in the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 and want the easier SnugLock install, you can upgrade to the Graco 4Ever DLX SnugLock 4-in-1 . Still, the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 is not as good as the Extend2Fit 3-in-1 for extended rear-facing. During testing, the 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 also appeared to take up more room in the car front to back than the 3-in-1 (when appropriately reclined). And it’s a heavier seat, at 23 pounds, versus the 3-in-1’s 19 pounds.

Graco makes a number of additional all-in-one seats, including the Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 , the Graco SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 , and the Graco Milestone 3-in-1 . We have not tested them because the other Graco models that we did test are more popular and widely available. However, the SlimFit3 LX 3-in-1 is only 16.7 inches wide and designed to fit three across in a back seat, which may be appealing to some families.

The NHTSA estimates (PDF) that the lives of 10,157 kids, age 4 and younger, were saved by the use of child restraints in vehicles between the years 1975 and 2012. The proper care, treatment, and use of your car seat will help keep your little ones safe and sound. Here are some of the essentials:

Install the seat properly. A well-installed car seat is a snug car seat; once it’s in, there should be minimal wiggle. (If you grab the seat near the attachment point and pull back and forth, it should move less than an inch in any direction.) Let the owner’s manual and online instruction videos be your guide—don’t assume you can go on instinct alone, especially when you’re installing a seat for the first time. There are many resources online that can provide both general installation tips and specific advice for your particular seat; we like The Car Seat Lady and Car Seats for the Littles . And it’s always a great idea to enlist the help of a pro. Safe Kids Worldwide provides information on how you can find a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in your area, so you can get your seat installed correctly, and learn how to do it yourself the next time. The Safe Kids Worldwide website also provides schedules of free car seat check events and locations of inspection stations. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to get a free car seat install or check by your local fire or police department (often by appointment only). Or you could consider hiring an expert to come to your home to do an installation and training on one or more seats; just be sure that the person you choose is a trained CPST.

Get a good fit. The way your child is secured in their seat matters. Remove puffy coats or heavy outer layers before buckling in your child because they can cause the harness to be too loose. The owner’s manual for your seat will have illustrations showing what a proper fit looks like, and you should reference it with your child in the seat. But in general, here are the guidelines:

• The shoulder straps should be positioned in the harness slot right below the shoulders, when rear-facing, and at or above the shoulders, when forward-facing. (In a crash, if a forward-facing child’s shoulder straps are too low, this could cause their collarbones to break, and if a rear-facing child’s shoulder straps are too high, the child could slide up the seat.)
• The straps should be tightened snugly on the child and pass the “pinch” test. That is, if you try to pinch the fabric of the strap, it shouldn’t fold within your fingers.
• The chest clip should be resting at the armpit level.
• If the crotch buckle on your seat is adjustable, it should be in the position nearest to—but not underneath—the child.
• The bottom of the headrest should be positioned just above where the harness straps emerge from the seat; if it’s digging into your child’s shoulders, it’s too low.

And remember: Your child is growing, so all of these adjustments will need to be made and checked regularly.

Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible. Young children are safer in a rear-facing seat. Safety experts generally agree that it is better to stay rear-facing longer, as is staying in a seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible before switching to a seat belt–dependent booster seat.

Observe your seat’s size and weight limits. As they do with infant car seats , most kids will probably hit a convertible seat’s height limit before they hit its weight limit. A kid can no longer sit rear-facing when their head is less than an inch from the top of the seat’s shell height. (But a child who’s outgrown the rear-facing height is still likely to fit in the same seat forward-facing.) A kid can sit in a forward-facing seat until the tops of their ears are at or above the top of the seat’s head restraint at the highest setting (it’s okay for the top of their head to be above the top of the seat, as long as their ears are not), or until the shoulder straps can no longer be properly positioned at or above their shoulders.

There are other limits to keep in mind. If you install your seat using the LATCH system, there is a maximum weight limit that you need to be aware of; once your child reaches it, you need to switch over to a seat belt installation. (The Graco Extend2Fit Convertible has the highest maximum rear-facing LATCH weight we’ve come across, at 45 pounds. This is one reason we love that seat, since you likely won’t ever need to reinstall it rear-facing using a seat belt, depending on the size of your kid.)

Follow the cleaning instructions for your specific seat. Different car seats require different cleaning methods; the particulars are spelled out clearly in your owner’s manual, and they should be heeded. Guidelines vary widely by brand and model, and if you ignore them, you could cause damage to the materials or textiles, which may compromise their ability to function safely. (Say it with us: No. Clorox. Wipes.) We have a detailed blog post that provides step-by-step instructions on how to clean your car seat .

Dispose of your seat properly. Yes, car seats expire. (Among the various reasons : Frequent use and exposure to sunlight can degrade the materials over time.) Convertible car seats generally have a longer lifespan than infant seats; nine to 10 years is typical, instead of six or seven. If your seat has reached its expiration date, it should be thrown away. Stores like Target periodically hold trade-in events ; bring your retired seat to the store, and the store will dispose of it and typically give you a discount on a new seat. Not sure where to dispose of an old seat? Check out our guide on how to get rid of a used car seat .

A car seat that has been involved in a moderate or serious accident should also be thrown away. You can continue to use a seat that’s been in a minor crash , provided that all of the following criteria are met: You are able to drive away from the crash site; the vehicle’s airbags did not deploy; there are no injuries to passengers; there is no visible damage to the car seat; and the vehicle door nearest the car seat is left undamaged.

Additional reporting by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Rebecca Gale.

This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson, Amy Miller Kravetz, and Kalee Thompson.

Gina Duchossois, injury-prevention expert with the Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, chair of Safe Kids Southeastern Pennsylvania, and certified Child Passenger Safety Technician , in-person installation assessments , November 29, 2021

Alisa Baer, pediatrician, nationally certified child passenger safety instructor, and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady , phone interview , November 4, 2021

Jessica Jermakian, PhD, vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) , phone and email interviews, 2022

Miriam Manary, senior research associate, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute , phone interview , August 30, 2017

Lani Harrison, CPST, Car Seats for the Littles , phone interview , August 30, 2017

Chris Lumley, founder and CEO of Clek , phone interview , September 13, 2017

William Conway, engineering leader, car seats, Graco , phone interview , March 5, 2018

Sarah Haverstick, Evenflo safety advocate , phone interview , September 18, 2017

Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, pediatrician, uncompensated consultant to Chicco on matters of car seat safety, CSPT-I , phone interview , September 20, 2017

Maggie Rauser, Safe Kids/KISS county coordinator, Carroll County Health Department (Md.) , CPST Training , September 21, 2017

Meet your guide

Christina Szalinski

Further reading

Are Rotating Car Seats Worth It?

by Christina Szalinski

Rotating car seats are gaining popularity—but for the typical family, they’re not better than simpler options. Here’s what to know before buying one.

The Best Travel Car Seats

by Christina Szalinski and Rebecca Gale

After testing 17 lightweight, portable car seats, we have five good options for infants, toddlers, and big kids to recommend.

The Best Booster Car Seats

by Rebecca Gale

After researching over 50 booster car seats and testing 13, we’ve concluded that the convenient Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is the best overall choice.

The Best Infant Car Seats

After extensive research and field testing, we found that the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is the best infant car seat for most families.

Ride Safer Travel Vest review (2024)

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This review of the Ride Safer travel vest is written by certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Melissa Conn and may contain affiliate links.

We’re all about experiences over things, but sometimes things come along that makes the experiences a thousand times more enjoyable. That’s my overall impression of the Ride Safer travel vest car seat – for our family it has become an indispensable piece of travel gear as we’ve gallivanted around the globe with two young children. In this Ride Safer travel vest review, you’ll get my complete, honest opinions as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and a mom.

We have now used two different generations of the Ride Safer Travel Vest, the Ride Safer Delight travel vest and the current Ride Safer Travel Vest Gen 5 . Within the current generation we own three of the four sizes and in this review I’ll share photos on a variety of kids. We’ve spent many years with our vests, so I’ve had plenty of time to get acquainted with them!

You may have seen parents in Facebook groups refer to it by a range of almost-correct names: safe rider vest, rider safe vest, ride safe vest, rider safe travel vest, rider safety vest… I’ve seen pretty much every combination but the only correct one is Ride Safer Travel Vest.

Keep reading (and watching!) to learn how to use the Ride Safer travel vest, its pros and cons and how to decide if it’s right for your family. I’ll also share some information about the companion TravelSmarter booster seat.

DEAL ALERT! Save $11 off the Ride Safer Travel Vest with coupon ‘ VOYAGE ‘

Here’s a quick video review of the Ride Safer travel vest:

What is the Ride Safer travel vest?

The Ride Safer travel vest is a wearable booster seat alternative for young children up through tweens. It works by bringing the seatbelt down to your child’s level rather than boosting her up.

Your child puts the vest on (like a clothing vest) and then you secure it using the industrial-strength velcro panel and metal buckle on the front. Once you get in the car, you’d buckle the seatbelt as usual but then thread it through the seat belt guides that are included on the lap and shoulder portions of the vest. The Ride Safer Travel Vest has fairly rigid support through the body, unlike a traditional booster seat that has no body support.

It meets or exceeds all crash test requirements and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for harness restraints, meaning the Ride Safer travel vest is legal throughout the US. It is still considered a booster seat, allowing much more mobility than a harnessed seat. You’ll have to use your judgement regarding your young child’s maturity and ability to stay in the proper position for the whole car ride.

There’s also an optional top tether that should be used whenever possible to limit head movement in an accident. It also help to keep younger riders from reaching for a toy or slumping when asleep in this kids seat belt vest. Having forgotten the top tether piece on a recent trip, I can tell you that it’s an essential piece (even for kids who are old enough for a traditional booster seat).

Want to know all my best secrets? Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro!

Who should use the Ride Safer Travel Vest?

According to the manufacturer specifications, the Ride Safer Travel Vest Gen 5 will fit the following ages and sizes:

Ok, but what ages and sizes should use the Ride Safer Travel Vest?

As I mentioned in the introduction, we’re fortunate to have used two generations and several sizes of Ride Safer travel vest over the course of many years and many rides.

2023 update! In previous versions of this review I expressed frustration that the Gen 5 vest ran much larger than Gen 4 and didn’t fit kids as the size chart indicated. I’m thrilled to say that the manufacturer, Safe Traffic Systems, responded to sizing feedback and quietly change the design! The changes are significant enough that I wish they’d given it a new name or generation number. This is especially worth noting if you owned a previous vest or have been considering one for a while.

In the photo below, the original Gen 5 is on the left and the new Gen 5 vest is on the right. As you can see, the new version has a much wider range of length adjustability! The diamond-shaped panel can slide up and down along the harness and the velcro tab that determines the vest’s length can be affixed either to the diamond or basically anywhere along the back strap. On the old version we only had about 2″ of Velcro to work with, which translated to very little length difference.

Here’s a comparison of the XS vest at its largest setting along with the new Gen 5 and old Gen 5 smalls at their smallest settings – don’t worry, you’ll see them on real kids in a minute! The XS Ride Safer Travel Vest has some additional considerations so look for that in the next section. In the middle you can see that I’ve also crossed the buckle over to the far side of the vest, which is now permitted to get a better fit on slim kids.

Here’s the updated Gen 5 Ride Safer Travel Vest size small fit. My cute nephew is 5 years old and around 43″ with an average build, while my sweet niece is 7.5 years old, around 46″ and slim. With the improved adjustability, an average sized 4 year old should be able to use the size small. I tried the small on my 9 year old – around 48″ and 60lbs – but it was too small on her.

Not ready for the Ride Safer yet? Here are some great travel car seats for 3 year olds and 4 year olds to consider instead.

Many parents ask if they should buy the small or large Ride Safer Travel Vest for their child (there is no medium vest). Here are updated pictures of my own kiddos using the size large vest. At 48″/60lbs (left) and 53″/75lbs (right), the large fits great! My son still has plenty of growing room as well.

Ride Safer Travel Vest X-Small review

In this section, I’m going to address the Ride Safer XS vest that was released in 2022. It’s a bit of a different product and there are a host of considerations that aren’t as important for kids old enough to use the small through XL sizes. Remember, it’s still safer for kids this age to be rear facing in a convertible car seat .

If your kiddo is already 4, scroll down to the next section.

Ride Safer Travel Vest small vs x-small comparison

First, let’s look at a comparison between the Gen 5 Ride Safer Travel Vest XS (left) and the Small (right) and spot the differences:

The overall concept is the same, but there are some critical changes here! First, the XS is obviously smaller. This photo shows the XS on its largest setting and the small on its smallest setting, and there’s still a pretty big difference. There’s just isn’t a ton of room on the back of the XS for the velcro torso length adjustment, so it has a much narrower range than the small.

Second, the small has a metal buckle at the waist while the XS has a similar buckle attached at the chest pads and only velcro at the waist. If you’ve never had one of these vests in your hands, the velcro is incredibly strong so don’t be concerned that kids are going to mess with it, nor that it would open in a crash. But that metal buckle on the chest? Genius.

It remedies the biggest issue with size small for smaller kids, which is that the shoulder straps can easily slide off of slim shoulders. I’d love to see this change on the Ride Safer Gen 6 vests! Not only does that “chest clip” give a better fit but it also prevents kids from deliberately getting out. Could a determined child unfasten it? Surely. But it’s an important first line of defense!

Finally, you’ll see that the shoulder belt guides on the x-small travel vest are exposed while they’re covered with fabric on the small. While the velcro on those flaps is pretty flimsy, I miss them on the XS. In their absence, curious fingers may be more inclined to play with the shoulder belt and potentially remove it from the guide.

Ride Safer Travel Vest XS fit to child

I’m excited to have a tiny new model to show off the XS vest! This little lady is just over 2 and on the short side. You can see that the XS fits her nicely. If she had been more compliant I would have used the crotch strap as well (more on that later).

On the topic of curious fingers, let’s meet our second adorable XS vest model: my 3.5yo nephew – these photos were taken a few years ago, and you’ll see above that he’s now comfortably modeling the size small. At 3 he was 37.5″ and 33.5lbs – exactly average for height and just a little above average for weight. In these photos he was probably around 39″ and 35lbs – nearing the top end of the size range for XS.

He juuuuust fit into the XS (right) and the crotch strap was very helpful for keeping the vest low with the lap panel on the tops of his thighs. By contrast, the small was so baggy through the shoulders that when he was fed up with modeling he slid his tiny shoulders through and pulled the whole thing down.

Is the extra-small Ride Safer Travel Vest right for your child?

And therein lies rub… a child doesn’t need to be 100% booster-ready to use the vest, but he still needs to basically be a calm and compliant child even if a vest or other car seat makes him grumpy.

The XS Ride Safer Vest is marketed for 2 and 3 year olds, but that’s precisely the age at which kids beginning pushing boundaries and asserting their independence. Some kids, like my daughter photographed above at the same age, are total rule followers and will just sit where you place them and how you place them. Others – perhaps the majority – at 2 or even 3 will wiggle and squirm, sometimes for discomfort and sometimes to get a rise out of their safety-minded parents.

While my little niece looked like the perfect model above, before getting that picture she spent about 30 minutes sitting on the ground saying “I don’t like it!” when I showed her the vest. She wasn’t willing to put it on at all until after both of her older siblings had modeled for me. If you’re considering using the vest for a trip with a young or sensitive child, give yourself plenty of extra time to get them comfortable and situated.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the CPST community is split on whether or not the XS vest should exist. Yes, it passes Federal crash testing both with and without the top tether. However, crash test dummies don’t move . In deciding whether or not your child is ready for the vest, you have to be honest about her behavior and developmental level.

There aren’t many situations where I’m inclined to steer parents to the XS vest versus a traditional travel car seat or the WAYB Pico , but here they are:

• You have a calm, compliant, petite 3-4 year old and will be doing the sort of travel that just doesn’t work with a traditional car seat (like full-time travel )
• You’re taking a 2 year old on a car-free vacation that only requires a taxi / Uber from the airport and an adult or teen will be sitting next to the toddler in the car

While the crotch strap is optional for all ages, I strongly recommend its use with the XS vest. Kids this age are prone to wiggling and the strap ensures that the lap belt stays nice and low on the thighs. Between that and the “chest clip” it’ll also remind kids that they’re in a car seat and shouldn’t be frolicking around the car.

When possible, I also recommend using the top tether. With that piece the Ride Safer Travel Vest passes the same testing that’s required of a forward-facing harness. Furthermore, you’re really limiting how much your young child can squirm out of position. In some countries (generally in the developing world) there are no top tethers, so keep that in consideration as you decide whether or not to travel internationally with the XS RSTV.

Finally, if you have no alternative but to use the vest and you think your child will try to wiggle too much you do have the option of locking the seatbelt at the retractor like you would when installing a car seat. Many countries (like Mexico ) don’t have that “switchable” retractor as a standard unfortunately but it’s mandatory in the US and Canada.

XS Ride Safer Travel Vest in the car

So how does the vest do when you put an actual child in the car? It was actually pretty good for my little nephew at 3.5 and average height!

You can see that I managed to pull the vest down pretty far so that the lap panel is flat on his thighs. I’ve used the top tether and the crotch strap to limit the wiggles. If he had a little more room in the vest, sitting “criss-cross” would help the lap panel sit even flatter.

He’s right near the top of the size chart for the XS vest, and because he’s 3 he had no tolerance for trying the small in the car. It’s also worth nothing that in this vehicle he doesn’t have the appealing red button of the seatbelt buckle right next to him, but he would in a sedan or other bench seat. I’m confident that this little guy wouldn’t mess with it once told, but only you know how your child will handle that situation.

This is in a different vehicle, but you can see that the fit on his sister at age 2 is… less good. In theory this works: the lap belt is flat on her thighs and the shoulder belt crosses near her collar bone. But because she’s very small and the seatbelt is mounted high in this car, it hits her right in the face! There’s a good chance that she would (understandably) move the seatbelt out of position after a few minutes because that can’t be comfortable.

Safe Traffic Systems offers the Travel Smarter backless booster seat that can be used with any size vest to improve the seatbelt fit. As you can see here, it does exactly that! There’s no chance of the lap belt riding up onto her “soft belly” and the shoulder belt is more appropriately positioned. She’s also able to benefit from the car’s advanced safety features like side curtain airbags since she’s higher up.

You can read my Travel Smarter booster seat review for more info. It’s incredibly light and comes with its own backpack that also fits the vest inside.

If you feel that the XS Ride Safer vest is right for your family, you can buy it here and save $11 with coupon ‘VOYAGE’.

How to put on the Ridesafer vest for kids

When you open the Ridesafer travel vest backpack, you’ll see a few different parts and you’ll need to make some adjustments. The great news is that you can fit it to your child before you need to use it in the car.

The components included in the box are the vest, a sometimes-optional crotch strap, the optional-but-highly-recommended top tether, the truly optional neck pillow and a convenient carry backpack. We ditched the pillow after just one use and the crotch strap once our kids got a little bigger.

Putting the vest on is pretty intuitive: open the buckle and the very sturdy Velcro panel in the front, then have your child slip his arms in. Tug the vest down, fasten the Velcro so that it’s snug but not uncomfortable and then fasten the metal buckle, adjusting the strap length as necessary – there’s no way that vest is coming undone on its own! To get the length right, turn your child around and open the Velcro on the crossing straps on his back. Adjust the vest until the bottom flap on the front is resting on top of his thighs (since it will hold the lap portion of the seatbelt in the proper position), then refasten the Velcro straps on his back.

The final (optional) step is to the thread the Y-shaped crotch strap through the two slots on the back of the vest on the bottom (one on each side), then pull between the legs and fasten snugly through the slot at the bottom of the front. While the crotch strap is technically optional, it’s important for preventing younger riders from “submarining” (sliding down and out of the vest).

We stopped using the crotch strap around 4.5-5 years old. It’s not long enough to use all the way to the top of the size range, but it’s also not necessary at that point.

You can see a hands-on demo of putting on the Ride Safer vest below:

How to use the Ride Safer vest in the car

The Ride Safer travel vest is very easy to use once you get it on your child.

Here are the basic steps to use the Ridesafer vest:

• Put the vest on the child, making sure that the lower panel is over the tops of the thighs. It can help to “fan out” the two sides of the lap panel so that it sits flat.
• Have child sit in the car and fasten seatbelt as normal.
• Feed the lap belt through both metal guides in the lap panel of the vest, then pull snug across the lap. Don’t over-tighten the lap belt or it may start to bunch in the guide on the side away from the buckle.
• Open the Velcro shoulder pad on the side where the should belt crosses and feed the shoulder belt through that metal guide, then pull snug and close the shoulder pad.
• Attach the optional but highly recommended top tether to the shoulder straps using the two metal hooks (above the pads), then attach the other end to the car’s top tether point and pull the tail to remove slack .

If you’ll be using the Ride Safe travel vest in your own car or a rental car, you can leave it attached to the car when you get out! Just unbuckle the seatbelt and remove it from the lap belt guide on the buckle side before you unbuckle the waist strap. You can leave the tether attached at the shoulders and even leave the seatbelt threaded through the shoulder and the other side of the lap! As you become more experienced with the vest, it’s a real time saver.

Ride Safer travel vest FAQs

Yes, as long as it’s used in accordance with the directions the Ride Safer travel vest is legal in the United States. Please see more information on Europe , Australia and Costa Rica for additional guidance if you’re traveling to those places.

Yes, it passes FMVSS 213 testing just like all other car seats in the United States.

No. If your child is under 40lbs, the CARES harness ( full review here ) is an excellent complement that can be used on planes.

The RSTV is permitted in Canada as a medical device with prescription.

The Ride Safer Travel Vest has only been crash tested an approved with the Travel Smarter backless booster seat . Using it with any other booster seat (inflatable or otherwise) may be unsafe and in some cases illegal.

RideSafer Travel Vest Review Impressions

Bottom-line upfront: we liked it enough to take it with us for a full year of travel. Yes, its that much of a game-changer. Now having returned, I have no regrets about that choice.

Now for my full thoughts: The Ride Safer vest is an awesome product that really delivers on its promise to make traveling with preschoolers and older kids easier without compromising safety. We took it to Europe without ever testing it at home, which was a risk for sure, but I figured it out pretty quickly. Our son barely complained during any of our car rides, though he’s generally pretty easygoing about car seat safety and is accustomed to riding in a forward-facing harness most of the time at home.

When we used it during our gap year trip, it was perfect for taxi rides in the cities because I could just roll it up and put it in our day bag. We also used it for some very long road trip stretches, and found it to be solid overall. There were times when our daughter slumped more than we would have liked when sleeping, and early in the trip the shoulder straps seemed a hair too long for her; however, a little gap at the shoulders isn’t necessarily a concern. In our long-term testing, she never complained about comfort despite some drives of 6 hours in a single day.

Overall we’re very satisfied with our decision to bring the Ride Safer rather than our usual travel car seat. For kids who are mature enough and big enough to fit, we whole-heartedly recommend it in situations like ours where traveling light is the only practical solution .

It’s also a great alternative to a booster seat for taxi or Uber riders living in major cities or families on extended trips at age 4+, especially when many families would otherwise allow their children to ride unrestrained. Just throw it in the included backpack and let your kid carry it around! We’ve also found it indispensable for fitting 3-across in our small car when Grandma comes to visit.

If your child is younger or smaller, take a look at the WAYB Pico , which is an excellent folding car seat with a 5-point harness. If you travel infrequently and will just be taking a single flight and then renting a car, one of these travel car seats might be a good fit for your needs.

The RideSafer travel vest is also sometimes prescribed for children with special needs, especially now that there’s a size Extra Large available. It can be a great choice for older children and even teens who have outgrown the tallest harnessed car seat and still need more support than a traditional booster seat can offer.

What we like:

-Feels very well made

-Design has multiple fail-safe mechanisms

-Extremely compact (takes up less than half of a preschool-sized backpack)

-Easy to use, takes less than 3min to put on the vest and get the seatbelt in place (assuming your kid is a willing participant)

-More torso support than a backless booster, avoids booster rider slumping when asleep

-Adjustable sizing so it can last for several years

-Wide range of sizes now available, from XS to XL

What we don’t love:

-Can take some practice and tweaking to get the fit of the car seat vest  just right

-Crotch strap is almost too short for many kids, though its use is not required

-Getting the vest on the kid and then the kid in the car can get to be tiresome if you’re doing it several times per day, every day, for a whole year

-Lots of parts to keep track of (for a city family using the vest in a taxi, you can leave the headrest at home and save tons of space)

-The optional headrest is more trouble than it’s worth

-Not permitted to use on an airplane, so for a child under 40lbs you’d need to buy a CARES harness to make the airplane seatbelt safe

-Kids can’t see out the window (can be used with the Travel Smarter booster seat to give them a lift)

-The 2023 version now has a 5 year expiration, while earlier versions had a 10 year expiration

Final Thoughts on the Ride Safer car seat vest

As you can see from my impressions above, there is room for small changes or additional features; however, our impression is overwhelmingly positive. I was especially pleased that, when used with the top tether, the car seat travel vest prevented slumping out of position while sleeping. If we had just brought a booster seat, our daughter would have been in an unsafe position. Moving from two bulky car seats to none on our gap year was absolutely epic (we use this one for our son since he was 6 years old by then – full review here ). I honestly don’t know how we could have managed without the Ride Safer travel vest .

While the Ride Safer vest is a little pricey for an item most families will use only occasionally, if your family travels often with older preschoolers or young school age children I can’t recommend it enough. It would be a fantastic choice for car-free families with kids ages 4 and up as well, as you can easily shove it in your purse or backpack for unexpected taxi rides.

We feel confident that the Ride Safer offers a safe alternative to either lugging a huge car seat around a city or relying on an unfamiliar car/driver to maybe offer car seats. Ready to buy your own Ride Safer vest? Get it directly from Safe Ride 4 Kids for amazing customer service and fast, free shipping! Use coupon ‘VOYAGE’ to save $11 on your order.

Key stats: -Weight 2lbs -Size small: minimum age 3, fits best for 30+ lbs and 35-47″ -Size large: minimum age 4, fits best for 50+ lbs and 45-57″

Pros: ✔ Rolls up to the size of a 2L soda bottle ✔ Perfect for taxi rides ✔ Lowers seat belt to provide an appropriate fit for young children ✔ Keeps kids properly seated better than a traditional booster seat – even when sleeping ✔ Easy to fit 3-across since it’s only as wide as the child ✔ 5 year expiration

Cons: ✘ No side impact protection like a highback booster seat ✘ Takes practice to get belt fit right ✘ NOT permitted for use on planes

Still not sure? Pin this for later to come back to it!

Not sure what car seat to bring for travel? Find the best travel car seats by age

Our friends at Safe Traffic Systems and Safe Ride 4 Kids sent me several Ride Safer travel vest for kids to review; all opinions are my own. 

24 thoughts on “Ride Safer Travel Vest review (2024)”

Hello! What are your thoughts on this for a tall 7 year old who is complaining that cat seats are getting uncomfortable, but has ADHD and needs something to help him stay in his belt? He also falls asleep in the car and tips over so I am not anywhere close to a booster for him. Thanks.

The Ride Safer is a wonderful solution in that situation as long as he won’t unbuckle the seatbelt. Just be sure to use the top tether for extra support. I suggest size large given his age and height (the length and width are adjustable). Right now you can grab the vest for 20% off with coupon HOLIDAYTRIP20 .

Best, Melissa

You mention the RideSafer Delight when discussing the size of the vest as an option for smaller children. As I search for the Ride Safer Delight, I find options that say things like RideSafer Delight (Gen 5) and they look exactly like the Gen 5. Do you have any advice for finding the Delight or know what the distinguishing features are? I can’t find the Delight on the Ride Safer website.

Thanks for stopping by! The Ride Safer Delight was the official name for the Gen 4 vest – I don’t know why they moved away from the numbers for that one and then moved right back! Unfortunately the Delight is discontinued now and not available to purchase. Only the Gen 5 is available. Since most reviews on the internet still reflect the Delight, I wanted to make sure everyone understands the sizing difference. The easiest ways to tell the difference are: -Gen 5 has fabric covered loops on the tops of the shoulders rather than metal on the Delight -Gen 5 has a buckle that slides closed from the top rather than hooking across on the Delight

I hope this helps!

What are your thoughts, in terms of convenience and comfort, of using this INSTEAD of a booster?

My oldest (7) will outgrow his 5pt harness car seat soon and so I’ve started researching boosters etc when I stumbled on your review. I LOVE the idea of no more bulky boosters etc to deal with…just wondering if this is easy for kids to get in and out of on their own and if they’re more comfortable or as comfortable as boosters?

*not asking about safety differences! Just ease of use and comfort for every day use*

Thanks for stopping by! It’s an important question. While I love having the Ride Safer in my toolkit when I need it (travel, tight 3-across etc), it’s not something I’d choose for every day use if I could realistically use a different option. Getting a perfect fit can be tricky and requires fine-tuning.

I’m not sure if you know this, but there’s no evidence that a highback booster is safer than a backless booster. There are some crashes in which one is (theoretically) better and other crashes in which the other option may perform better. If your child is at least 50 pound (and can sit properly for the duration of the ride), the Graco RightGuide is the most minimalist option out there. I’m actually about to buy one myself to review, but I’ve heard excellent feedback from my colleagues. One downside is that shorter kids may not be able to see out the window in some cars. My son has also liked the Chicco GoFit , Graco Turbo GO and Bubblebum over the years.

Super helpful! Thank you so much for your reply.

Your review is so very helpful. I have a situation where on 2 days of the week I have 2 different nannies doing pick ups and drop offs making the car seat situation difficult. Would you recommend the safe rider travel vest for these 3 times per week 20 min rides? I have a 3.5 and 5 yr old (40 and 44 lbs respectively). I am just so worried about the lack of side impact protection, though I have read that many cars have high standards for side impact protect in the car itself. Would love to know your thoughts on this.

Thanks, Brandy

That’s a great question. The Ride Safer can be a little finicky to fit properly on the lap – it needs to be lower than most people think, with the lower flap sitting flat on the thighs. It would really depend on how confident you are in the nannies’ abilities to get the fit right and their attention to detail. When we had a nanny for our kids back in the day, I made sure to get the absolute simplest seats I possibly could for the kids to reduce the chance of installation or usage mistakes – remember, most parents don’t even get everything right with their car seats!

Can you tell me the kids’ heights? And do you feel like your 5yo is mature enough to ride in a booster seat on those trips? I’m happy to try to come up with some additional ideas if you don’t feel that the nannies could properly use the vest.

Safe travels, Melissa

Thank you for this great review! We are Americans living in the EU, car-free so we only need car seat for taxis and rental cars. My large 3-year-old (37 lbs, 39”) is THIS close to outgrowing her Cosco Scenera NEXT so we are trying to find our next seat. Hoping this will work. We looked at Wayb Pico but I don’t think it’s technically approved in the EU like Ride Safer is, and we have never gotten good at the locking clip (we try to use LATCH/Isofix now). Do you think this will work? Am I overthinking given she hasn’t been in a car in months? 😂

Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately the current version of the Ride Safer isn’t approved for Europe either 🙁 That said, in your situation I might still opt for it. We know that it is a *safe* choice. Since you’re rarely in cars it does seem like the best option. I suspect that many European parents in your situation might choose to use nothing other than the adult seatbelt, which of course is not a safe choice, or a booster seat (also not a safe choice). Some of the details will also depend on which country you live in, whether you’re there on US government orders, etc.

Safe travels,

Hello, Thanks for this review. Is it mendatory to use the “TravelSmarter Delight Booster Seat” or can we use in any booster such as “bubble bum”? Thanks again.

Thanks for stopping by! Using the TravelSmarter Delight booster seat (thanks for pointing out the name change) isn’t required, but the Ride Safer travel vest HAS NOT been crash tested with the Bubblebum. They are not approved for use together.

Good morning

I have an 8yr old who had down syndrome. He is around 3ft 54ish pounds I ordered the small. Is that the correct size? I was also curious as to how you would use it in the winter time with the heavy jacket. I will be sending him to and from school with this Amy suggestions on how to make sure the teacher is comfortable putting him in the vest for the ride home from school. I do pick up and drop off only 5mins down the road.

Thanks for stopping by! If he’s truly 3′, it’s possible that you may not get a great fit even with the size small vest. It’s a little more “fiddly” to get right than a traditional harnessed car seat so anyone who is going to put him in needs specific training on how to get the lap panel FLAT on the tops of his thighs.

Is there a reason you opted for the vest rather than a traditional harnessed car seat? What sort of vehicle will he be riding in? It will probably be easier for a teacher to buckle him properly in a combination car seat.

As to the jacket, it’s very important that he (and you!) choose outerwear that’s not overly bulky for use in the car. In very cold climates I recommend having kiddo wear a fleece and then another jacket, and take the outer shell off in the car. Alternatively you can look at various “car seat safe” winter jackets. Here are tips for riding safely in the winter .

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Drive safely, Melissa

Thanks so much for this thorough review! I have a 4.5 yo who is quite tall (46″), would be an average 5.5-6 yo. any thoughts on whether he needs to be in small or large? we would be using it for Uber/Lyft in the town we live. thanks!

The large is quite large. I recently evaluated it on a skinny 49″ 6yo and it was like a circus tent. Can you have him sit straight against a wall with his legs in front and measure from the top of his thigh to his shoulder? That’ll be the best way to determine the correct size.

Hi, My child is 5 years old but only 30 pounds, 40 inches which fall within the size recommendations for the XS and S. Which one would you recommend? Seems the chest strap and crotch strap on the XS are great, but since she’s 5, maybe there is not much room to grow, or it may be too cumbersome.

Thanks for stopping by! I would go with the S, as I fear the XS would already be outgrown by height. However, I’m not confident that your child will get a great fit with being so slender. I would strongly recommend using the top tether, which should help keep the vest up on her shoulders. Just be sure not to over-tighten!

Hi, I’m looking at this as the next step after a Clek Foonf in forward-facing mode/other forward-facing car seats for every day use instead of a traditional booster seat. I’m thinking a couple years ahead here. LO is currently 3yo (38mo), 38.75 inches tall and 36.8 pounds (82nd percentile for height). Extrapolating, LO should be about 41 inches by age 4 and 45 inches by age 5.

I’m thinking of this for when LO is 5yo or when they grow out of any of the three (yes three!!) car seats we are forced to own. (We have two nannies who each need a car seat their car, plus the Clek Foonf in our family car.) I’d like to quit having a herd of car seats, its associated costs, the necessity of knowing how to install three different car seats, and the need to remember three different heights for when LO will outgrow each car seat. I’d also like to not have to buy yet a fourth car seat for LO to ride in Grandma’s car.

The Ride Safer vest appears to be the only option available.

What are you thoughts here? I see you mentioned maturity of rider as a factor, but didn’t go into great detail about it. What age/maturity level is necessary for this? How do I know if my kid meets those standards? I also see you mentioned in a comment above that you wouldn’t choose this for every day use. What is the reasoning there? If this is really not indicated for daily use in regular, non-travelling life, what other options are there for having one restraint for multiple cars?

(I feel like I’ve asked you to write another blog post here! Apologies. I feel like there is a huge gap in information available about restraint options beyond forward-facing 5 point harness type seats.)

Hi Adrienne,

Thanks for stopping by! These are great questions. I’ll start from the bottom, as in some ways that’ll be easier.

We used it daily for over a year. It’s a fine and safe choice BUT you really have to make sure that the fit is correct each and every time – in particular that the lap belt is sitting basically flat on the tops of the thighs. As a mom and CPST, it’s no problem. But it’s not an option that I would casually send with other caregivers who may struggle or be in a hurry.

As for maturity, it’s really about sitting basically still (not like a statue, but always in position) despite the additional “freedom” the vest offers. A basic pre-condition for using the vest is that your kiddo would never ever ever consider touching the tempting red button that unfastens the seatbelt!

We had a nanny when our kids were little, so we had three seats for each of them (plus travel seats!). I get it. The good news is that booster seats are generally inexpensive and very easy to use correctly. They don’t even *have* to be installed, though attaching with lower anchors prevents them from becoming projectiles when empty so it’s recommended. We’ll have to see what options are available and what your family’s situation is when your child reaches booster age, but you should be able to grab $16 backless boosters for nanny cars (or travel) and they’ll just require a few minutes of instruction for safe use. Then you can pick up one nicer booster seat for your family car and call it a day!

Hi Melissa,

Yes, this helps immensely. Thank you for the thoughtful response. My main concern now is LO growing out of the car seats we have before being developmentally ready to sit without the five point harness. Tall child problems.

Many thanks!

We have a laid-back, patient 2 year old who is 38.5″ and 31 lbs. We’re planning a family reunion for August, when she will be 2.5 and SizeCast predicts she will be 40.5″ and 33 lbs. She’s almost outgrown her Cosco Scenera NEXT, and we are older and have health issues making it hard for us to move heavier car seats. She’s already gone through a “no to everything” phase and that seems over now (though could always return). She’s always been very good about obeying safety warnings so far.

We’re taking the train to our destination, and we’ll need to take a taxi or Uber to the airport to pick up a rental car. (BTW we’ve never used Uber, so we’d have to hope the app even installs on our ancient phones, figure out how to use it etc…or we could just use a taxi.) We can rent a car seat with the rental car (I think–need to confirm that), but we’re unsure what to do about the ride to the airport. We could

* hope the Scenera still fits by then (it “officially should,” but it really doesn’t seem like it will) * try to drag along the new car seat we got before this trip was planned, even though it weighs almost as much as she does * try a Ride Safer vest

Might a Ride Safer vest work for this? If so, what size? (I know at her age it should be XS, but I saw in the comments that the XS might be too small for 40.5″?) (The Wayb Pico seems cool, but we can’t afford it, especially not for just one trip. The Safety 1st Go Hybrid seems like it would’ve been what we need, but it’s long gone…)

What are your thoughts here? Thanks!

I’m really glad you stopped by! While the vest is technically approved, it’s not ideal at this age. I recommend that you take a look at the Evenflo Chase . It’s not a seat I typically recommend since it only harnesses to 40lbs and the booster mode isn’t great, but it does have a 50″ standing limit with high top harness slots. It’s also very budget-friendly and lightweight! You should get several years of use out of it given her build.

Let me know what you think or if you need another recommendation 🙂

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35. The Car Seat Lady – Car Safety for Kids and Dogs

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Alisa Baer, The Car Seat Lady. She is a board certified pediatrician and car safety specialist. We discuss not only how to keep families and dogs safe in a car accident, but how to keep children and dogs safe when riding in the car together. In our discussion, we answer the very common question of where kids and dogs should sit when in the same vehicle and the safest way for families to ride together.

In this episode…

• Consider dog-child safety in the car and how to limit their interactions
• Consider crash safety for every living creature in the car
• Dogs should be restrained, ideally with a seatbelt harness or in a crash tested carrier
• Restraint in cars prevents objects, people and pets from becoming missiles in a crash
• Dogs should not be driver distractions. If your dog is unlikely to be calm, it should not ride in the passenger seat of the car.
• Restrained dogs can not run into traffic if they are injured in an accident.

About Dr. Alisa Baer, The Car Seat Lady

Dr. Alisa Baer is a board-certified pediatrician, nationally certified child passenger safety instructor, and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady. In her 22 years in the field of vehicle and car seat safety, Alisa has consulted with many of the leading car seat manufacturers in the design and development of their car seats. She has collaborated on programs that improve how children travel in urban environments (such as Uber’s car seat program in NYC), and personally installed over 15,000 car seats.

Alisa has been featured as a car seat expert in major publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and many more. She also develops the content for The Car Seat Lady’s website and popular social media channels, which empower parents worldwide with evidence-based research and recommendations on vehicle and car seat safety.

Where to find The Carseat Lady

• The Car Seat Lady and her page specifically on pets (it’s amazing!)
• Center for Pet Safety
• Recommended products for travel and car safety
• Volvo XC90 recommended by Alisa for safety in an SUV
• Honda Odyssey recommended by Alisa for roominess and flexibility for families.

Ask Question

If you’ve got a question about your kids and dogs, go to www.speakpipe.com/PoochParenting and record it there just like a voicemail. And I will include it in a future episode.

About Michelle

Related posts.

Expectations for New Puppy Families

Can Kids and Dogs Become Best Friends?

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BOCHAO Dog Car Seat for Large Dogs Car Seat 2 Small Dogs,Dog Car Back Seats Travel Bed Dog Seat,Comfortable and Safe;Multipurpose Design-can be Converted into a Dog Bed or Dog Sofa Cushion;Dog Blanket

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• Large car bed for dogs-Safety and comfort: super soft short plush fabric,high-density sponge, high-resilience environmentally friendly PP cotton,4cm wide car seat belt,high-quality non-slip bottom,Bold safety buckle;The high-performance car dog bed allows dogs to not feel scared or anxious while in the car, and is ideal for traveling with dogs.
• Large Dog Car Seat Size：33.5"(L) X 21"(W) X 7.9"(H),This large dog car seat is suitable for large/medium dogs under 55 lbs or two small to medium pets under 20 lbs;The Dog Seat is suitable for installation in the rear seat of all types of cars, and can also be installed in a larger space in the trunk of the car (such as in the trunk of an SUV).
• Multifunctional use:The safety belt of the dog car seats can be removed and put into the side pocket, After removing the seat belt Fold the backrest and use it as a Dog beds at home;It can also be used on the Sofa to protect the Sofa from being damaged by Dogs.
• Easy to install:The seat belt is designed with an adjustable buckle, the dog booster seat can be easily installed on the rear seat of the car, just fix the seat belt on the top of the car seat and adjust the length of the seat belt;There are also 3 iron clips at the bottom that can be inserted into the car seat belt card slot to more securely fix the dog booster seat;The dog seat is equipped with 2 safety buckles and can be used by 2 puppies.
• Easy to clean: This dog seat is completely detachable, open the zipper to take out the sponge and PP cotton, and put the dog seat cloth cover in the washing machine for cleaning; you can also use a vacuum cleaner to clean the surface impurities or hair of the dog seat during daily cleaning.
• Special Note:The Dog car seat is packaged in vacuum compression, please wait patiently for about 8 hours after opening the package, it will return to the best state; if you encounter any problems during use, please feel free to contact us, we will solve it for you within 12 hours !

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Bochao dog car seat car bed for dogs.

Multiple uses for a dog car seat that can be converted into a dog bed or a dog sofa cushion for use at home

Suitable for medium and large dog car seats, or 2 small dog car seats.

High-performance dog car seat made of high-quality materials, comfortable and safe

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Customer Review: Soft and plush

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Dog Car Seat for Large Sized Dogs and Safe Multipurpose

Dog Car Seat for Large Dogs Car Seat Dog Car Back Seats

Seat for Large Dogs Car Seat Dog Seats Comfortable and Safe

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• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 33.5 x 22 x 7.87 inches; 5.25 Pounds
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ Large car bed for dogs-Grey
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 20, 2021
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ ZEEXI US
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07QV9Q2KM
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• #67 in Dog Booster & Car Seats

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Customers like the comfort, ease of installation, and appearance of the pet seat. For example, they mention it's very soft, the sides are firm enough yet soft, and the material feels like memory foam on the bottom. That said, opinions are mixed on the quality, fit, adhesion, and value.

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Customers like the comfort, safety, and security this dog bed provides. They mention that the sides are firm enough yet soft, the material is nice and soft, and it feels like memory foam on the bottom. Some say that it comes with a super soft blanket that their dogs already started nesting with.

"...I would use a separate leash for safety. Overall it’s very comfortable and looks nice, doesn’t take up too much space. Perfect for long car rides." Read more

"...These seats kept them comfortable , but not enclosed for our car ride. Highly recommend!..." Read more

"...The bed is very soft and comfortable. It is very easy to clean. It did take a good three days before he would lay in it...." Read more

"...The quality is fantastic, and very comfortable for the dog . It has nice side pockets to store toys or leash...." Read more

Customers like the ease of installation of the pet seat. They say it's super easy to put together, takes almost no time at all, and the instructions are clear. They also mention that it'll keep their pets comfortable, but not enclosed for their car ride.

"...These seats kept them comfortable, but not enclosed for our car ride . Highly recommend!..." Read more

"...Initial thoughts were it was really easy to put the foam in and looked great in the cad. My puppy loved it...." Read more

"...I had not problem putting it together and the quality was good. Would recommend." Read more

"Nice for big dog to sit in or little dog to lie down in. Horrible to assemble " Read more

Customers like the appearance of the pet seat. They say it's great, cute, and sturdy. Some mention that the bed is perfect and made well.

"...Overall it’s very comfortable and looks nice , doesn’t take up too much space. Perfect for long car rides." Read more

"...thoughts were it was really easy to put the foam in and looked great in the cad . My puppy loved it...." Read more

"... The bed is perfect ! She is comfortable with plenty of room to stretch—she is 35lb but long! (Australian Shepard length, corgi legs)...." Read more

"Wow! I should’ve gotten this for my pup WAY earlier. It’s AMAZING !..." Read more

Customers like the safety of the pet seat. They say the features are nice, and it provides a safe place for their pets to lay. They also appreciate the safety belt that keeps the dog in its seat. Overall, customers are happy with the quality and value of the product.

"...It keeps my seats protected and keeps them safe ." Read more

"My dog loves this bed so much!! I love it because it protects my leather seats ...." Read more

"...Regardless, the seat doesn’t move and I feel like he’s very safe in it with the comfy cushion barrier..." Read more

"...It’s the only thing that makes him feel safe in the car !..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the quality of the pet seat. Some mention it's well made, stable, and airtight. However, others say the sides are low and the quality is low. They also say the material is thin and without padding in the back.

"...They come airtight , so naturally, they need time to expand." Read more

"...There is a thin fiber mesh stabilizer that makes it slightly difficult to put it back over the foam...." Read more

"...It worked well for what I needed . However, the quality is much cheaper than I thought for the price...." Read more

"...but we didn’t like how shallow the sides are and they’re also pretty unstable so if our dog leans on them/puts her head on them, they roll out...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the fit of the pet seat. Some mention that it fits their pets very well, while others say that it didn't fit in theirs. The size is not as displayed and the product comes in super tight packages.

" Nice for big dog to sit in or little dog to lie down in. Horrible to assemble" Read more

"...They fit snug but well together . I prefer the snug side-by-side fit, and stayed in place for our 9 hour drive!..." Read more

"...She loves our Scotty’s car seat but it’s too small . I wish this was a little firmer but it does the job...." Read more

"...It may look silly in the photo, but it folded well to fit between my two boys when we picked up the puppy...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the adhesion of the pet seat. Some mention that it's easy to secure to the passenger seat, and the attachments hook into the seat belt clips perfectly. However, other customers say that it isn't secure to car seat, does not secure the bottom, and does not keep the animal in place.

"...firm enough yet soft for her, it doesn’t slip around, and the safety hook are great ...." Read more

"...That leaves the 3rd latch unbundled where the seat is not secured ...." Read more

"...It’s easy to remove and install in the car, very secure with the two harnesses , and very sturdy for keeping my pups safe in the car...." Read more

"...have their seat belt attachments there.. That said there is no way to secure it on the door side..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the value of the pet seat. Some mention it's well worth the price, a great purchase, and good quality for the price. Others say it'll be a good product, but the quality is much cheaper than expected for the value.

"...This is perfect, not extra purchases or bulky item. A 2 in 1. I love it and so do the dogs. Unfortunately the smaller dog doesn’t get to use it...." Read more

"...It worked well for what I needed. However, the quality is much cheaper than I thought for the price...." Read more

"...quality and security of this car seat is great... and a very good value for the buck !" Read more

"... Good value for the money , I believe. Thank you!" Read more

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The best car seat stroller combos of 2024

Car seat stroller combos are an all-in-1 baby transport solution.

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Car seats are an essential piece of gear for every parent who drives. A stroller can be just as important for getting children around town. Buying both can be an expensive or inconvenient proposition, so you might want to consider going with a car seat stroller combo. You can connect the car seat to your vehicle then remove it and connect to your stroller. Having this flexibility might make it easier to move your little one around while keeping them comfortable. Here are the best car seat stroller combos that are for sale on Amazon.

Graco Modes Nest Travel System - $399.99

$399.99 at Amazon

This Graco Travel System stroller operates as 3 strollers in 1. It operates as an infant car seat carrier, infant pramette and toddler stroller. This car seat can be used as either forward or rear facing depending on the size of your child and has 3 adjustable height positions.

Key features

• The #1 best-selling baby stroller travel system on Amazon
• Rear-facing weight limit: 4 to 35 pounds
• Includes a SnugRide 35 Lite Elite
• Large and expandable storage baskets

Baby Trend EZ Ride 35 Travel System - $189.99

$189.99 at Amazon

The Baby Trend Travel System has a padded seat that reclines into multiple positions to keep your child comfortable. There is a parent console where you have two cupholders and a covered storage compartment. The stroller also has a tray so your child can have a drink or snack to take with them. This is a more affordable system with a reasonable price compared to other brands.

• 3-position height adjustable handle
• 5-point harness
• LATCH system
• Adjustable canopy

Safety 1st Smooth Ride Travel System - $199.99

$199.99 at Amazon

This Safety 1st Travel System has high-quality head and body inserts to provide extra support for newborns. This stroller has a child tray, a parent tray and an extra large basket for storage. The flip-flop friendly brakes make it easier to stop and lock in place when parking the stroller,

• 4 adjustable harness heights
• Head and body inserts for extra comfort
• Large canopy with Peek-A-Boo Window

Evenflo Pivot Modular Travel System with LiteMax Infant Car Seat - $255.99

$255.99 at Amazon

The Evenflo Travel System features a SafeMax Rear-Facing Infant Car Seat and a SafeZone Base. This seat combo includes a stay-in-car base that makes it easier to connect the infant car seat to the stroller and in the car.

• Weight limit: 4 to 50 pounds
• Includes the SafeMax Infant Car Seat
• Anti-Rebound Base
• 6 modes of use
• Self-standing fold

Doona Car Seat & Stroller - $550

$550.00 at Amazon

The Doona car seat and stroller duo is a complete travel system that can be installed and removed with a simple click of a button and won’t disturb your sleeping baby. Doona uses a near-flat ergonomic design that helps newborns’ upper back, lower back and neck stay aligned when in the seat.

• UPF 50+ sun protection
• 3 Layer Side Impact Protection
• Anti-rebound bar
• 2-year manufacturer warranty

How to choose the right car seat stroller combo

Before choosing a car seat stroller configuration, there are some key factors to consider. These travel systems tend to have a maximum weight between 35 to 50 pounds so plan ahead once your child grows too big. If you are struggling to pick the right size for your car seat, then check out this tool from the NHTSA to help you find the right seat for your child .

Are there any drawbacks of car seat stroller combos?

As great as these seat combos are, there are still a few flaws to discuss. These seat combos can take some getting used if you are using one for the first time. If you often take your child out of the car and put them in a stroller then it’s worth the cost but if you don’t do this often then it may not be worth spending the money on a system like this.

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Car Rental Elektrostal

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Frequently asked questions.

• You’ll feel the lively spirit of bustling city life the minute you pull into Moscow. Some 35 mi from Elektrostal, it has loads of fantastic spots to visit, like Red Square.
• About 35 mi away, Ryazan is another location worth putting on your travel itinerary. Don’t forget to stop by Monument to Evpatiy Kolovrat during your visit.
• After all that time behind the wheel, treat yourself to a dose of nature at Nikola-Lenivets Art Park. It’s roughly 130 mi from Elektrostal.

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Renting a car in Elektrostal

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Cheap Flights To Elektrostal 2024

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Elektrostal Flight Travel Guide

No matter how much you fight the travel bug, sometimes there's only one solution—to hop on the next plane to Elektrostal. AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia® is here to help you cure that bug with great deals on flights and activities. With the best rates from Expedia combined with members-only discounts, AARP Travel offers members the best price in travel, guaranteed.

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Once you've got your trip scheduled, we'll show you a full list of deals for your route. Don't forget to look at flights to alternative airports nearby, which can help you find a lower fare.

Transportation at the Airport

Once you have got your flight scheduled to Elektrostal with AARP Travel, you might want to book a car so you can get around on your own. You can book a Elektrostal rental car under our cars tab and get into the driver's seat as soon as you step outside. For more information, check out the Elektrostal Car Rentals Guide.

Things to Do in Elektrostal

If you aren't sure where to start, we can help you with that too. Not to worry—there's plenty to do in this city. Elektrostal has so much to do, and we can help you get started.

If you're looking for some fun activities to do in Elektrostal, make sure you look at our "Things to Do in Elektrostal" page for excursions and activities for the whole family.

Book Your Hotel in Elektrostal

Elektrostal has accommodation options in the area, make sure you check out our hotel listings tab for some great recommendations from past visitors. No matter where you stay, just remember that you'll get the best for your trip when you book with AARP.

Booking Your Visit to Elektrostal

We know that you want to focus less on the logistics and more on the fun stuff, so we provide travel arrangements that fall within your budget. Don't wait a minute longer—book your airfare today and land in Elektrostal tomorrow.

Airports near Elektrostal

• Zhukovsky Airport (ZIA)
• Domodedovo Intl. Airport (DME)
• Ostafyevo Airport (OSF)
• Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO)
• Vnukovo Intl. Airport (VKO)
• Grabtsevo Airport (KLF)
• Yuzhny Airport (IWA)
• Yaroslavl Intl. Airport (IAR)

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