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Car Seat and Air Travel Questions
This is kind of a 2 part question.
We have three vehicles and 2 car seats. We currently have the Britax Marathon and an Evenflo Momentum or Triumph. We like them both. We would like to get a third car seat so we don't have to switch out. We are going to be flying to NJ this summer so I'm trying to decide if I should get a car seat that we can easily travel with. What would you do? If you bought a carseat that is easy to travel with, which one would you get? I would like to spend less than $200.
Should I get a carseat that fits on the plane or should I go with the CARES harness?
Too many decisions and options. My mind is spinning.
TIA
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Car Seat and Air Travel Questions
We fly all the time and have done so since DD was 3 months old...probably averaging 2 times a month with our longest flight about 16 hours. We have never actually flown with the carseat installed in the seat. We always gate check it or we have one at our destination if we are flying to a family members house. (We have the Sit and Stroll carseat/stroller all in one and LOVE it for travelling if you aren't going to be spending a lot of time in and out of the car-it is really good for trips to and from the airport or a long ride at your destination but sort of a pain in the butt if you have to constantly take your child in and out since it is like you have to install every time you unhook the child.)
My recommendation is to buy the carseat you like for everyday use and then out of the ones you have just gate check the one that is lightest. I don't like using the carseat on the plane, it just gets too cramped, you have to worry about your child kicking the person in front of you and then what if he/she doesn't want to stay in the carseat then you are stuck holding him/her the whole time with less room. If you guys don't fly a lot or haven't then your child won't know any better and you might have a better chance of that not happening since it will be like a car and he/she is expected to stay in it the whole time. We also like to use the tray table to color or put the DVD player on and DD also likes to sprawl out and nap. I also fly solo a lot and just seems like a pain to have to install the carseat when you are alone and juggling your child. If you and DH are flying together everything will be much easier so if your DD just likes being in her carseat or if you think she will nap better then purchase the smallest carseat you can that will fit on your plane.
As for the CARES harness...we have one and used it for MAYBE 10 minutes. For us it was a waste of money. I wish I would have borrowed or rented before I purchased. I know some people swear by it. It seems a million times safer than just using the actual seat belt for a small child but DD is really good about sitting in her seat when she knows the seatbelt light is on. It is easy to install but I would still recommend having DH or yourself board early to get it in place first.
Not sure if this helped at all
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-5-Point-Convertible-Car-Seat-Black-Santee/13004563?findingMethod=rr
Super lightweight, easy to install and cheap
So Tasty, So Yummy
we have this one as well and only use it for travel.