Best Car Seats for Travel

Pack Without Breaking Your Back

Looking to travel with your young child without hauling all the weight of their regular car seat? Maybe you’re flying overseas, and want a safe seat that won’t break your back getting it to and from the airport. Or you need a spare seat for grandparents or other less frequent chauffeurs to use. If you want a lighter seat that won’t break the bank but will still keep your kids safe, check out these options to find the one that’s best for your family.

Mifold Hifold: If you want a compact seat, it doesn’t get much smaller than the Mi-Fold. Yet this booster seat also offers a lot of adjustments to get a great fit on a variety of kids, meaning you can use it for more than one trip. 

Ride Safer Harness Vest: If you want to avoid the car seat altogether, consider a travel harness vest. These straps pack down much more compactly and can fit inside a suitcase or even in the airplane cabin with you. They require a little adjustment to get used to, but make a great alternative to bigger, bulkier seats. The Ride Safer vest comes in two sizes based on how much your child weighs, and you should definitely test it out and adjust all the straps before you depart. 

Graco TurboBooster: This sturdy contender offers a lot of bang for the buck. It weighs much less than similar seats, and you can remove the back for easier packing. The adjustable headrest means your child can use it as a highback booster longer, yet it’s light enough to carry with one hand. And when they outgrow the highback portion, it can still be used as a backless booster seat.

Cosco Highback Booster: This simple design keeps the booster seat lightweight. It can be used with the five point harness from 22 to 40 pounds, or as a belt-positioning booster up to 80 pounds. While it doesn’t transition to a backless booster, your kids can still get a lot of mileage out of this lightweight option. We’ve used it with grandparents and for our own travels for years.

Car Seat Travel Bag: And finally, if you don’t feel like lugging any of these seats or the one you already own, consider investing in a car seat travel bag. Not only does it put your car seat on wheels, making it much simpler to transport, it can also offer extra luggage space. Most airlines allow you to check your car seat for no additional charge, and you can fit a lot of diapers, clothes, and other items in the extra space inside the bag.