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Baby Travel

5 Common Travel Mistakes when Vacationing with Kids

by Jenna Hatfield Leave a Comment

The first time you travel with your new baby, you have no idea what to expect. What do you pack? How do you plan your day? When should they sleep? You can learn a lot and plan accordingly by avoiding these five common travel mistakes.

Looking for our exhaustive packing list? Take a look at the items you may need to pack when traveling with your littles.

Making a Strict Itinerary

Photo by hessam nabavi on Unsplash

Planning your schedule on vacation so that you get the most out of your time is a smart thing to do. Planning your schedule so rigidly that you feel stress when your baby sleeps in—or doesn’t sleep at all—will ruin the whole trip. Make a plan but be aware that your baby might act differently out of their normal routine. They might nurse or eat more often out of comfort. Getting them to sleep might be a struggle. Because of all of the fun new activities, they might nap for longer times. Allow for flexibility and your stress level will remain in vacation mode. 

Totally Ditching Your Normal Routine

Another of the common travel mistakes is going willy nilly with your schedule. While you don’t want to adhere to a super strict itinerary, you shouldn’t completely ditch your at home routine either. If your baby has been napping for two hours every day for the past four months, skipping their afternoon nap will result in a cranky baby for the rest of the day. Likewise, bumping their mealtimes by too much will leave them feeling hungry and grumpy—and you’ll be the one to pay for your mistake. Try to keep nap times, meal times, and bedtimes approximately the same so as not to confuse your baby.

Leaving Comforts at Home

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Does your baby have a special blanket they like to snuggle with during your nursing sessions? Or maybe a particular cup to drink from during lunch? Perhaps they have always slept with a white noise machine in their bedroom. Or their favorite bear sits with them while they eat their meal. Do yourself and your baby a favor and bring along these items, especially any surrounding eating and sleeping. If they can have their comfort item, they might adapt more easily to being in totally new surroundings.

Bringing Along Absolutely Everything

While it’s smart to bring along a comfort item or two, bringing along their entire toy box and wardrobe is simply unnecessary. Overpacking for baby is definitely a common travel mistake. Yes, your baby will need a few more changes of clothes than you to account for diaper blowouts, slobber, and eating messes. Yes, some toys are smart to bring along to serve as a distraction on the plane or car ride as well as in the stroller and hotel room. But you don’t need it all. Your back will thank you when you don’t have to lug everything and the kitchen sink in and out of the car. 

Not Taking Enough Pictures With You

Common travel mistakes
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

It’s easier for parents nowadays to take pictures thanks to the camera technology in our phones. You will definitely capture their first step in the ocean, a taste of a local treat, and the sunrise they woke you up to see. But are you taking enough pictures of your baby — and you? If you’re traveling with another parent, friend, or family member, ask them to take pictures of the two of you interacting on vacation, and not just posed photos. Candids of playing in the sand, walking on a trail hand in hand, or meeting a character for the first time will be images you will cherish for a lifetime. Having you in the photo means that your baby will also cherish that photo when they are older. You were there; make sure you’re visible in the photos. 

You will have a great time on your baby’s first vacation. Just keep a few of these common travel mistakes in mind as you head off to make memories together.


Filed Under: Baby Travel, Travel Tagged With: travel

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To Grandmother’s House, We Go!

by Abby Ludwig Leave a Comment

After the past 20 months, we are all ready for a bit of normalcy. For many of us, this might mean traveling to see Grandparents this holiday season. No matter near or far, there are some products you may want when you bring your little ones for a visit. Check below for our round-up of all the products that may need to “live at Grandmas!”

Also, don’t forget to check out our Ultimate Travel Checklist.

Time to Eat

You’ve finally figured out a routine for your little ones. Baby needs a bottle every 4 hours, while your toddler needs 3 meals and about 45 snacks in between.

Starting with baby, we absolutely adore the bbhugme Nursing Pillow, which is great for both breast and bottle feeders. It is customizable, comfortable, and comes with an excellent carry case, which is great for travel.

If you’re pumping, be sure to grab a Freeze It Flat by MAMMaway. This will allow you to efficiently freeze + store your breastmilk, without taking up valuable space in Grammy’s freezer. Also, be sure to check out some of our travel favorites by Baby’s Brew. Known for their excellent bottle warmers and 2-in-1 Snack Cups.

For your little one starting solids, we love the sets by Green Sprouts. You will have your bibs + dishes ready to go when lunch approaches. Your toddler will also love the GoBe Snack Spinner, making snack time fun and easy!

Time to Run Out and About

While you may travel with your stroller and/or carrier, sometimes it’s nice to show up at your Grandparent’s without any gear. We love leaving a lightweight stroller at Papa’s to throw in the car or run to the park. Larktale has some of our favorites, which also fold up small for easy storage. Check out the Chit Chat or the Autofold, which folds down small with the flip of a handlebar. Looking for a way to carry multiple kiddos? Larktale’s Caravan Wagon is an excellent way to visit the park, beach, zoo, and beyond!

Time to Relax

Sometimes at Granny’s the schedules and routines go out the window. We support that! Vacation is a time when rules are broken. Instead of nap time, your 3-year-old may cozy up on the couch watching football. Bizzi Growin has some of the softest luxury blankets with the cutest patterns. We highly recommend the Koochicoo blanket for your big kids and their adorable sleepsacks for your littles!

Looking for a safe place to sleep? Babymoov’s Naos Crib & Playard is an excellent option. Weighing under 9 lbs, this playard will fold up small for easy storage and easy for Grandpa to move. Mom hack: This is a great place for baby to play, especially in an area that might not be babyproofed as your home. Add some reusable ergoPouch Window Blockouts to ensure a great night of sleep for everyone.

Whether you’re visiting Grandparents by plane or car, we know you’ll be fully prepared to enjoy time with your loved ones!

Looking for More Travel Tips & Tricks?

Travel Must Have: Slumberpod Review
The Best Travel Gear for Baby
5 Best Lightweight Travel Strollers


Filed Under: Baby Registry, Baby Travel, Gear, Strollers, Travel Tagged With: gifts, registry, travel

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The Only Travel Checklist You’ll Ever Need

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

The 2021 holidays will be here before we know it and along with everything else on our plate, we also have to decide if we’ll be traveling with our little ones this holiday season. No matter what you choose for your family, Gugu Guru is going to have your back, recommending the best products to keep things stress-free.

Gear

  • Car Seat – Our post on Travel Car Seats is a great place to start.
    • The Clek Liing: designed with a European belt path allowing you to securely install the car seat without the base. It is also aircraft-approved. Bonus: the lightweight polyester-spandex blend interior fabric feels like pjs, giving your little one a cozy place to snuggle up.
    • The Wayb Pico is ultralight, super strong, and absorbs energy forces in a crash while being 8lbs! It folds compactly for easy storage and installs safely in seconds with LATCH or a seatbelt.
  • Stroller -No matter where you have to fit your stroller, we have the best Lightweight Travel Strollers to meet your needs. Here’s two of our favorites:
    • The Larktale chit chat™ is constructed from recycled nylon fiber for a lightweight and incredibly strong design. Built in suspension, quick fold, and a carrying strap makes travel with littles a breeze.
    • The Mountain Buggy Nano is a hidden gem. It’s car seat compatible, has a carry strap, and a travel bag while meeting carry-on requirements for most aircrafts.
  • Carrier – Great for the airport, discreet nursing, and naptime. Some parents actually prefer a carrier to a stroller for travel! Either way, take our Baby Carrier quiz or check out 2 of our picks:
    •  The Baby K’tan Original carrier is especially nice for travel as the included sash converts to a carry bag when needed! Known as the “wrap without wrapping”, it offers a hands-free, buckle-free experience for parents! The new Active Oasis style has antimicrobial properties for a little extra peace of mind. 
    • If you prefer something with a little more structure, the BabyBjorn Mini is made of soft cozy fabrics. It has an adjustable seat and head support to make it ergonomic. 
  • Changing Pad/Diaper Bag – We recently surveyed our Gugu Village for the most inconvenient place they have ever had to change a diaper. Topping the list was an airplane bathroom. Having a hands-free bag like the TWELVElittle Diaper Clutch 3.0 or the Kibou bag makes it so much better. 
  • Travel Gear Bags –J.L. Childress has some excellent options. The bright colors make your bags easy to spot and they have Disney options, too! 

Sleep

  • Travel Crib – To continue following Safe Sleep Guidelines, we recommend a playard or travel crib at your destination.  Looking for something more compact?:
    • The Babymoov Travelnest is a portable bassinet that can be used as a diaper bag, napper, or changer. It converts within seconds and has a removable foam mattress plus sturdy edges to keep newborns, infants, and toddlers comfortable.
    • Pro-Tip: If your stroller system came with a detachable bassinet (that is approved for sleep) this is a great option for your baby in a hotel or family home as well!
  • Sound Machine – whether you are trying to mimic your baby’s home environment or drown out other guests, the Yogasleep Hushh Portable White Noise Machine is excellent. It’s compact, clips onto your stroller/carseat/bassinet and lasts 6+ hours on a single charge.
  • Blackout Curtains – Need a way to keep baby’s room dark? Amazon Basics Blackout Curtain Shade with Suction Cup saved all of our sanity.  The Slumberpod is another great option that may be a perfect fix for your sleeping sanity! 
  • Toddler Options – Looking for a solution for your toddler?  The Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed Portable Inflatable is an excellent airbed choice. It’s made with built-in guard rails, fits a standard crib sheet, and includes a compact pump and carrying bag. For durability, check out the Regalo My Cot Pals is lightweight, holds up to 75lbs, and requires no setup. 
  • Pregnancy Pillow – Expecting Mamas, don’t forget about yourself! I recently drove from NJ to FL at 7 months pregnant and bringing my bbhugme® Pregnancy Pillow was a lifesaver. I used it in the car, the hotel, and for elevating my swollen feet.  My pregnancy travel must have!

Feeding

  • Formula Container – Figuring out formula logistics on vacation can be its own stressor. You may want to ship ahead to ensure formula will be waiting at your destination. To help carry small amounts, the Baby’s Brew Formula Dispenser Pro is mess-free, easy, and fast. It holds 150 grams of powdered formula, and one push equals 1 scoop of formula – that’s it!.  If you prefer pre-measured, Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Milk Powder Dispensers fit inside most bottles for travel.
  • Bottle Brush – to clean and reuse your bottles, the Boon TRIP Travel Drying Rack is compact and includes everything you need – the drying rack and 2 brushes. Just add soap. 
  • Cooler – from breast milk to sippy cups, baby food to snack containers, water bottles to flasks (oops how did that one get in there) you may need to keep things cold. PackIt’s Freezable Classic Lunch Boxes is the first and only lunchbox with freezable non-toxic gel built in to keep food and drinks chilled for hours. The Luli Bebé Monaco Snack Bag can be worn either as a backpack or over-the-shoulder and fits large 16oz beverages. Finally, the YETI Hopper Portable Cooler is the perfect size for long road trips, holds temperature extremely well, and can fit 6 bottles or cans with ice.  
  • Snack Container – toddlers + snacks will keep tantrums at bay.  For airplane days, we choose to lighten up on many rules – you want goldfish for breakfast, great! The GoBe Kids Snack Spinner is easy to pack and allows you space for 5 different snacks. We also love the Baby’s Brew 2-in-1 Snack Cups that can be used as a collapsible cup for on-the-go drinks or snacks. Best of all, both are dishwasher safe! 

Organization

  • Diaper Bag – when flying with baby, you get to bring 1 extra diaper bag – even if you don’t purchase an extra seat! Take advantage of this with a weekender-style travel bag that is made just for baby.  The Babymoov Traveller Diaper Bag has a large storage capacity, 11 different pockets, and 6 accessories to keep everything contained. The Skip Hop Diaper Bag: Iconic Duo Weekender slides easily over rolling luggage handles and fits the PackIt’s Freezable Classic Lunch Boxes perfectly inside. 
  • Packing Cubes – to an over-packer, trying to fit 14 days of clothes for 4 people into 2 suitcases sounds like a nightmare.  This is where the Shacke Pak Packing Cubes Set comes in. Separate by person or color to make packing a breeze. Pro-tip: Put them in your suitcase standing up (with the handles on top) for maximum fit and easy access.
  • Extra Bags – this one is a bit of a Pro Tip, but bring extra bags with you! We never leave home without a BAGGU Reusable Shopping Bag or two. These come in hand for souvenirs, snacks and drinks, wet/dirty clothes, unexpected accidents, and so much more.  Other options are Wet/Dry bags like these from Bumkins, Diaper Sacks, or even just large freezer bags. 
  • Passport Holder – for international travel, keeping everyone’s identifications is key so that you are not digging through bags at the gate.  You could use one of the extra bags mentioned above, a Reusable Mesh Zipper Pouch Document Bag or an RFID Blocking Family Passport Zip Wallet. 

Apparel & Accessories

  • Pajamas – Sometimes having a jammie day makes everything easier. Plus, when siblings are dressed in matching prints or colors, it is much easier to keep track in airports or rest stops.  A few favorites include Clover Baby & Kids, ergoPouch, and Little Sleepies.
  • Socks – no one wants to worry about finding missing socks. Squid Socks feature 100% skin-safe tested silicone dots on the inside cuff to gently hold the socks in place. They are also moisture-wicking, have temperature control properties, are buttery soft, and naturally antibacterial. 
  • Pacifier Clips – the last thing traveling parents need is a dropped and dirty (or worse yet, lost) binky, paci, or baby soothing device. Prevention tips from – Little BaeBae RetractaClips, Loulou Lollipop Binky Holders, or Little BaeBae Pacifier Travel Case.
  • Toys – How to keep your little one occupied when traveling? Mouse Loves Pig Travel Shape Toys, Busy Baby Placemat, and Fat Brain Toys Suction Kupz are some of our top favorites. 
  • Hand Sanitizer – my final words to you.  Stock up.  Put one in every bag.  Always keep it nearby.  We love the travel shape of Kibou Sanitizer Stash, the scent of Baby Bum Hand Sanitizer, and the individual packets of Yoobi Hand Sanitizer Wipes. 

Filed Under: Baby Travel, Travel Tagged With: travel

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5 Best Lightweight Travel Strollers

by Jenna Hatfield Leave a Comment

Whether you’re traveling for the first time as a parent or you’re an old pro at bringing along little ones on your world adventures, you won’t regret adding a travel stroller to your list of things to pack.

A travel stroller is smaller and more compact than your everyday stroller. However, it’s also a bit bigger and more rugged than an umbrella stroller, making it a better choice for different terrains. The travel stroller still offers a bit of storage and a few amenities like cup holders while also folding compact. All of the strollers we’re recommending fold down to carry-on size to fit in almost all overhead bins on planes.

We’ve included the weight of the stroller and the max child weight it can carry after each review to help you make the best decision for your upcoming travels.

The Traveler by ZOE

While we’re not sure what the budget-friendly Traveler by ZOE has done to be labeled “Disney Approved,” but if you’re heading there, you might want to grab this handy travel stroller. It’s another easy-fold option that quickly snaps down to standard carry-on size. We love that it comes in eight fun colors (and even a camo print) along with a UPF 50+ 4-panel extendable canopy. Your little one will be safe from the sun and heat while you traverse the happiest place on Earth!

Child weight max: 45lbs
Stroller weight: 11lbs

Real Mom Review of an everyday ZOE Stroller we adore >

The Chit Chat by Larktale

If you’re looking for something a little fancier, you can’t go wrong with The Chit Chat by Larktale. The Cottesloe Cream version feels very classy and it comes in five other colors. It folds down into standard carry-on size, but it comes with a carrying strap as a bonus. Plus, it pushes like a much larger stroller, making it great for vacations with loads of activity.

Child weight max: 55lbs
Stroller weight: 14.5lbs

Also, new for 2023, they have launched an entire new line of INCREDIBLE stroller wagons. Not as lightweight, but worth checking out for longevity and versatility.

Pockit+ All Terrain Stroller from gb

If you’re wanting super lightweight and a bit of a techy feel, The Pockit+ All Terrain Stroller from gb is the one for you. It’s the lightest travel stroller we’re featuring, coming in 9.5 pounds. At under 10 lbs, this stroller will still amazingly hold up to 55lbs!

Child weight max: 55lbs
Stroller weight: 9.5lbs

Silver Cross Jet

Looking for something that will hold up to loads of trips, takes a car seat, and is easy on the eyes? The Silver Cross Jet is exactly this and more. Newborn compatible from day one with its near-flat recline, this stroller is great for airports, city streets, and quick errands. Unlike some other travel strollers, the canopy also has a pop-out visor to add to its UPF50+ protection. Silver Cross prides itself on high-quality strollers and what the Jet lacks in weight, it makes up for in functionality. 

Child weight max: 55lbs
Stroller weight: 13.6 lbs

BABYZEN YOYO2

We’d be remiss if we didn’t share the BABYZEN YOYO2. It’s beautiful, complete with a UPF and water-repellent sunshade as well as compatibility with some infant car seats. Add the newborn pack to offer functionality from day one and YOYO2 becomes the only stroller you’ll ever need. Additionally, the stroller folds and unfolds in seconds, making it the perfect choice for busy urban families and travel. Speaking of the fold, you can easily push the stroller right onto the airplane before popping it in the overhead compartment for takeoff. 

Child weight max: 39.7 lbs (US weight limit)
Stroller weight: 13.6 lbs

These five lightweight travel strollers will help you get through subways, airports, and busy streets. Whether you go for a fun, bright color or the most compact fold, your family will definitely be traveling in style.

Check out more of our tips-
Our Best Travel Tips
Baby’s First Flight Checklist
Choosing the Best Car Seat Stroller Combo for You

Disclosure: We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own. Products shared are curated by our editorial team. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you.

Filed Under: Baby Travel, Gear, Strollers, Travel

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Gugu Guru & comotomo’s Checklist for Baby’s First Flight

by Christine Swearingen Leave a Comment

Our exclusive Checklist for Baby’s First Flight from Gugu Guru and comotomo.

We’ve compiled a list of everything you’ll need for baby’s first flight to take away some of the stress and make packing a breeze!

Please enter your information below and when you are done press Submit.

Filed Under: Baby Travel, Essentials, Travel Tagged With: checklist, travel

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Gugu Guru & comotomo’s Checklist for Baby’s First Road Trip

by Christine Swearingen Leave a Comment

Our exclusive Checklist for Baby’s First Road Trip from Gugu Guru and comotomo.

We’ve compiled a list of everything you’ll need for baby’s first road trip to take away some of the stress and make packing a breeze!

Please enter your information below and when you are done press Submit.

Filed Under: Baby Travel, Essentials, Travel Tagged With: checklist, travel

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Real Mom Review: The Super Easy-to-Carry Maxi-Cosi Coral XP!

by Christine Swearingen Leave a Comment

“I’m so happy we upgraded our car seat to the Maxi-Cosi Coral XP – I feel so much more coordinated when I’m carrying Wren! Honestly, felt so awkward previously that it didn’t seem entirely safe. Now I feel so much more confident and comfortable carrying her around. Plus, I always have a completely free second hand!”

Thank you to Liz Elliott for reviewing this product – Liz is a home & style guru and blogger of Franc and Eli.

Thank you to Maxi-Cosi for sponsoring this video!

SHOP NOW

Filed Under: Baby Safety Zone, Baby Travel, Safety, Travel Tagged With: car seat, safety, travel

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Real Mom Review: Maxi-Cosi Coral Infant Car Seat

by Gugu Guru Leave a Comment

Thank you to Jessie De Lowe for reviewing this product – Jessie is a manifestation coach, art therapist, certified yoga instructor and Co-Founder of the lifestyle + wellness platform How You Glow.

“This car seat is the best discovery as second time parent, thanks to Gugu Guru. The installation process was incredibly easy and straightforward. My favorite part is how portable it is; you can easily take it out of the car because it is so lightweight and comes with a genius crossbody strap for carrying. Can’t recommend this car seat enough!”

Shop Now

Manifestation Coach, Certified Yoga Instructor, Art Therapist and Co-Founder of How You Glow, Jessie De Lowe provides life-enhancing, enriching, and enlightening experiences to clients across the globe. Through one-on-one Manifestation Sessions, Relationship Coaching sessions and group Manifestation Workshops that blend her background in therapeutic healing with spirituality, positive psychology and neuroscience, De Lowe inspires people to live the most vibrant life possible and step into alignment with their soul’s true calling.

Thank you to Maxi-Cosi for making this sponsored post possible.

Filed Under: Baby Safety Zone, Baby Travel, Safety, Travel

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Our Best Travel Tips

by Christine Swearingen Leave a Comment

Traveling with a babe or kiddo can be stressful and overwhelming. Read through our best tips to make sure traveling is stress-free and enjoyable for all. 

Tip #1: For any type of car seat, make sure your car seat is FAA certified; we recommend bringing your seat’s FAA documentation (typically a sticker on the seat or manual) and having the FAA and airline rules printed or bookmarked on your phone.

Tip #2: If you’re concerned about your car seat getting damaged and have the budget for it, consider purchasing an additional inexpensive, lightweight, FAA certified seat specifically for air travel.

Tip #3: A travel bag protects your car seat from both physical and environmental damage: some brands offer straps or wheels for easy transportation. I have loved this car set travel bag from Britax.

Tip #4: Whenever your baby is in his seat, make sure to properly fasten all straps to provide a safe and secure environment.

Tip #5: Babies & Kids feed off of your energy; so if you are calm and confident during travel, they will be too!  If possible, try and book flights around nap or bedtime so that if all else fails, everyone can sleep.

Check out this post with our favorite car seat picks for travel: Our Fav Picks: Travel Car Seats

Filed Under: Baby Travel, Safety, Travel Tagged With: car seat, safety, travel

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Our Fav Picks: Travel Car Seats

by Christine Swearingen 1 Comment

Traveling with babies and toddlers can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! I went from a mom who swore she would never bring an infant on a plane to flying across the country every 8-12 weeks with a growing newborn (and big sister) in tow! Whether your little one is rear-facing or forward-facing, needs a 5 point harness, or just a booster seat, we have our favorite travel car seat picks for you!

The first question to ask yourself is do you need to bring a car seat? What parts of your trip will be in the air vs. on the road? Most airlines do offer an option for a “Lap Infant”, and you should check with each for their definition and guidelines on what that means. This option is there to save you money, and promote families to fly. However, both the FAA and the NTSB recommend children under 40 lbs to fly in an approved restraint. Once you land, how are you getting to your destination? In some areas, you can find a car service (or even Uber) with a child seat option or upgrade. Will you be traveling around while you are there? This was the defining factor for me (along with the 6-hour flight) to start purchasing a ticket for my child and bringing a car seat along with us. Whether you decide to check one at the ticket counter or curbside, gate check, or buckle up on board, the next step is to select the right type of seat for your child’s height and weight. 

Infant Car Seats

Infant Car Seats are already designed to be portable; they are lighter and smaller and most configure to snap directly onto your stroller (which will allow you to push it through the airport and remain hands-free!). When selecting my infant seat, it was important to me to choose an infant car seat with a European belt path feature (which enables you to wrap the shoulder belt around the back of the carrier) to allow you to easily install the car seat without the base. 

 

The Cybex Aton 2 car seat offers outstanding safety and convenience. At 9.5lbs, it is lightweight for easy carrying and installation. It features a linear side-impact protection system (a little piece that extends on the door facing side of the installed car seat) that offers increased safety (it absorbs up to 25% more impact) during a side-impact collision. The extra-large sun canopy can be extended incrementally, offering not only UPF 50+ sun protection but also shield against wind and rain.  The largest cons about this seat are that the price is on the higher side compared to other infant car seats and it does not feature a no-rethread adjustment for the harness. 

Rear Facing, 5 Point Harness 

Once babe exceeds the height and/or weight limit of an infant car seat, it is time to move up to a convertible car seat. The CDC recommends that a rear-facing car seat be used from birth until ages 2–4. They continue, that for the best possible protection, infants and toddlers should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat, in the back seat, until they reach the maximum weight and height limits of their car seat. The bummer about this for travel is that for the most part, convertible car seats are enormous, heavy, and not easily transferred from car to plane to car. So it became my mission to find one that was the exception to this rule. 

At just under $50 and 7 lbs the Cosco Scenera Next is the perfect, affordable solution to the convertible car seat travel blues. While it doesn’t attach to a stroller, it is so compact that we were able to use ours (sans baby) to maneuver around the airport with ease. The seat pad doesn’t offer a ton of cushion, but it is easy to remove, machine washable, and dryer safe which was a huge comfort for those airplane ickies. The largest con about this seat is that the top harness slots are low, so babe might outgrow the straps before they reach the weight/height limits. It is also rather large, so if you are using it as an extra travel seat, make sure you have a place to stow it in the offseason. 

Forward Facing, 5 Point Harness 

The AAP advises that all children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car seat should use a forward-facing seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by their manufacturer.  While some children may reach the minimum weight for a booster seat or high back booster, they are still safest in a 5 point harness. 

I cannot say enough good things about the WAYB Pico car seat.  We were initially planning on only bringing one with us, but immediately went and purchased a second. Made from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, it is light (just 8 lbs), strong (it absorbs energy forces in a crash), and foldable (making it super easy to carry and store). Their ASTROKNIT™ fabric is breathable and ergonomic, keeping little travelers comfortable and it can be installed either with a one-click LATCH connection or a car/airplane belt. The price point is high, and it can only be used forward-facing, but if you are a frequent traveler or in/out of taxis often this is an excellent choice for you. 

High Back Boosters

When babe is mature enough to move on from their 5 point harness, but not yet tall enough that the vehicle seat belt fits properly, they should use a belt-positioning booster seat (typically until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years of age). Previously, there was a gap in the travel market to support kids in this size range (there are many options for your day in and day out use), which is what makes the “the world’s most portable booster” so smart.

The mifold hifold fit-and-fold booster is an adjustable highback booster with unique “multi-fit” technology that can be adjusted to 243 individual settings. This means that it grows with the child to ensure optimal seat belt fit and comfort. Weighing just under 10 pounds, its lightweight design and handy carry strap make the hifold great for travel or moving from car to car. The hifold is not suited for use on aircraft (as it requires the use of both a lap and a shoulder belt system), however, it folds small enough to fit underneath an airplane seat (resulting in 1 less thing to check!). At the absolute smallest settings, my petite 4.5-year-old felt comfortable and confident and her only complaint was that she couldn’t see out the window! My last note is that this seat cannot be attached with a Latch system, so remember to buckle it in (or fold it up!) when your child is not with you.

Whether your travels are by land or air, these travel car seats have you covered! These car seats are our favorite picks for traveling safely.

Filed Under: Baby Safety Zone, Baby Travel, Safety, Travel Tagged With: car seat, safety, travel

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