Renting Baby Gear when travelling

happywifemomofone · February 2014

We are travelling to Las Vegas with a 4 month old in April. Considering renting a carseat and other baby gear upon arrival from a baby equipment rental company. Has anyone done this? I could only find 3 reviews of the company on Yelp-2 positive comments, one negative, but it's about equipment pick up not the quality of equipment. Is it better to just go to Walmart and buy and inexpensive carseat? Car rental company charges $80+ for carseat rental for the week and I've read horror stories about the condition of the equipment that they rent-that is NOT an option for us.

JENandJEH · February 2014

I wouldn't hesitate to rent a stroller but would not rent a car seat from a baby equipment rental company or a rental car company. Unless you know the history of the car seat and whether it's been properly taken care of (i.e., straps not submerged/washed with soap, never in an accident - even a fender bender, etc) then I would steer clear.

I know it's not feasible for some, but I would take your car seat on the plane and use it (be very wary of checking, even gate checking, because they do not treat car seats any more delicately than they do luggage and they could damage your car seat) and then rent a stroller. Ask the hotel for a pack n play or crib. If purchasing a seat and using the car seat on the plane isn't an option, I would purchase an inexpensive travel seat once I arrived (but, is someone going to be able to bring it to the airport for you?).

klyann · February 2014

The only safe way to travel is to buy your baby a seat and take your carseat with you on the plane. Your baby deserves to be safe and not a human projectile. Please read.

https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

SunAndRain · February 2014

We always have brought our car seat, both the infant and then the convertible. I brought our sng for the infant seat and a roller to attach the convertible to.

We rented a crib, stroller and high chair when we traveled for a week. Money very well spent! Renting a car seat...I just didn't want to risk it not showing up or not meeting my expectations cleanliness or quality wise.

SunAndRain · February 2014

klyann said:

The only safe way to travel is to buy your baby a seat and take your carseat with you on the plane. Your baby deserves to be safe and not a human projectile. Please read.
https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Um hm. Right. And how many times have you flown with and paid for seats for your children when they were under 2?

Not arguing the benefits of doing so. But I find that those who don't travel frequently tend to.be most judgemental and outspoken on this issue in particular.

Oh and I'm loving the "your baby deserves to be safe..." comment. Your child must live in a bubble!

headgear03 · February 2014

SunAndRain said:

klyann said:

The only safe way to travel is to buy your baby a seat and take your carseat with you on the plane. Your baby deserves to be safe and not a human projectile. Please read.
https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Um hm. Right. And how many times have you flown with and paid for seats for your children when they were under 2?

Not arguing the benefits of doing so. But I find that those who don't travel frequently tend to.be most judgemental and outspoken on this issue in particular.

Oh and I'm loving the "your baby deserves to be safe..." comment. Your child must live in a bubble!

</blockquote
If you were to check out the facebook group car seats for the littles youll find a whole bunch of people who frequently fly and ALWAYS buy a seat for their children even those who are under two. The FFA even discourages lap babies when possible. In the event that your plane runs into extreme turbulance ( note an incident of this just happend recently where the child was injured) or take off of landing issues that child will become a projectile and not only risk serious injury to themselves but other passengers as well. What the other poster said was true if an adult is requried to be belted in for their safety then that child deserves the same consideration. The only safe way to fly is to purchase a seat for that child . I would forgo flying compleatly if I couldnt afford a seat . I could care less whos dying or what , my childs safety comes before anything else. Yes our children dont live in bubbles however in this case its not so much letting them fall when there learning to walk its their lives.

dogperson11 · February 2014

SunAndRain said:

klyann said:

The only safe way to travel is to buy your baby a seat and take your carseat with you on the plane. Your baby deserves to be safe and not a human projectile. Please read.
https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Um hm. Right. And how many times have you flown with and paid for seats for your children when they were under 2?

Not arguing the benefits of doing so. But I find that those who don't travel frequently tend to.be most judgemental and outspoken on this issue in particular.

Oh and I'm loving the "your baby deserves to be safe..." comment. Your child must live in a bubble!

----------

Do you ride in the car with your human child on your lap? Same physics in a plane as in a car. The poster gave good advice - the safest place for a child in a plane is securely strapped into their car seat. No, it's not common practice, but that doesn't make it any less valid.

JENandJEH · February 2014

And it was just in the news this week about the plane who hit awful turbulence and a mother who was holding her child was unable to hold onto the child once they hit turbulence and the child was thrown into the air and landed in another seat. Also, on some airlines, in case of emergency you are instructed to put your child on the floor rather than holding them.

I know purchasing a seat is not always the most convenient financially but it truly is the safest for the child and others on the plane (a baby thrown in a crash, turbulence or other airplane disaster is actually three times it's body weight and could seriously injure another passenger as well as itself). We lived in Germany when my oldest was a baby and the few times we flew to the States for Christmas or traveled around, we always budgeted to purchase a seat. One, because he wasn't a child that would be happy in our laps for extended periods of time, two because it was safer, and three because I wasn't willing to check the car seat and risk damage.

dmurrie · February 2014

I'd bring the car seat. They make rolling cart things for the airport. Check your local consignment shops. We got one for $15 when we flew with DD. We've used hotel cribs on one longer trip where we flew. We brought our own regular crib sheet and pack n play sheets with us. We had good luck with most of the hotels, but there was one where we ran off to the store to buy disinfectant wipes. Many hotels have mini cribs, but since DD was almost 2 at the time, we were comfortable using the regular crib sheets. Umbrella strollers are cheap, so you could buy one there and donate it before you leave... or if you like the better strollers, the rental ones that I've seen look nice.

kmc84 · February 2014

Never ever rent a car seat. They are often expired, filthy, and very inappropriate for the age of the child. That being said, your child needs to be in their own carseat in their own seat on the plane. Yes, it's more money, but is saving a few hundred (a thousand?) dollars worth the risk to your child's life? In the past week, 19 people have been hospitalized for turbulence related injuries. If your child was 2, they are required to have their own seat anyway.

klyann · February 2014

I will admit that with my first I did not buy her a seat when we flew first class to Hawaii. But when we flew with my DS in November he got his own seat. And he will when we travel this summer. So know better, do better.

I can only provide information about safety I can't make anyone do something, but at least they can make an informed decision.

frasey · February 2014

We bought a new carseat when we got off the plane. Actually we bought it online and had it shipped to where we were staying. It was cheaper and more reliable than the rental place. We left it in the rental car when we returned it....

We brought our umbrella stroller and gate checked it, but dd was 13 months then. We will do the same in a few wks again.

Also we bought a pack n play for dd to sleep in as there was no other option where we were and then may have returned it on our way home.....

gimmietimmies · March 2014

SunAndRain said:

klyann said:

The only safe way to travel is to buy your baby a seat and take your carseat with you on the plane. Your baby deserves to be safe and not a human projectile. Please read.
https://csftl.org/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-the-csftl-guide-to-safe-air-travel-with-children/

Um hm. Right. And how many times have you flown with and paid for seats for your children when they were under 2?

Not arguing the benefits of doing so. But I find that those who don't travel frequently tend to.be most judgemental and outspoken on this issue in particular.

Oh and I'm loving the "your baby deserves to be safe..." comment. Your child must live in a bubble!I

I love SMRT. Most of us seasoned travellers do. There is nothing worse than holding on to a squirmy toddler that's kicking shit while you're trying to hang on to them. Or being that mom who lost hold of her kid on the flight over Montana because phrysics, yo? I don't have the grip strength to hang on to 1500lbs of force. Get out of the stupidity bubble. If your kid were over two you'd have to buy a seat, so start now.

alake · March 2014

My 18 month old DD3 has been on twenty plus international flight, including three trips to Europe and has never road as a lap child. She took her first international flight at 5 weeks. It is safer and easier on her to be in her car seat. You wouldn't drive down a major highway with your child not strapped into a child seat, why on earth would you fly with a child not in a car seat. I go under the if you all can't have a ticket, you shouldn't be flying, because you aren't able to afford for your whole family to travel safely.

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