To seat or not to seat, that is the question

Perhaps I am overprotective. Perhaps I worry about odd things. Perhaps I have too much free thinking time while feeding Rusty and being unable to do much else. Perhaps I am normal. Perhaps it is because Billy is about to outgrow his. Whatever the reason, car seats have been on my mind.

I have very little experience flying with little ones. Actually I have just one experience and I learned a lot from it . . . suitcases can explode, 20 month old boys can pop blood vessels in the neck and face from crying, and car seats are bulky to travel with. On our trip to Hawaii, we may have used Ricky’s car seat once, maybe. But we diligently dragged it along.

It was annoying, but not so bad since we only had the one. This November we will have 3 who, by Utah law, require car seats or boosters.

Here is my dilemma: do we take the car seats or not? Convenience says, nah. Conscience says, Heck yeah! Spatial awareness says, Do you remember how small the cabin will be?

So I started thinking. We will be in a car from airport to hotel and any shore excursions. Are there even going to be seatbelts any of those times? Do I want to drag a car seat around on excursions with me? Would I be able to live with myself if an accident were to happen and I had made the decision to not have one of my boys in a car seat? I’ve checked Florida law and it requires those 3 and under to be restrained in more than just the vehicle’s seat belt. I would assume seatbelts would be available in Florida, but the other places?

What about on the plane? Ricky and Billy will have their own seats, so we could possibly use their car seats on the plane (probably a good idea with Billy–he’s crazy, that one!). But to do that, I have to check to see if they are FAA approved. And if we check them, that takes up one of our bag restrictions (although Tony’s family will be traveling so light that I’m sure they would let us use some of theirs). Can you see why in the wee hours of the morning, this line of thought can be a bit overwhelming?

I have therefore done a bit of research and come upon a couple of possible solutions.

1. RideSafer Travel Vest (cost $80)

Meets or exceeds applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
Two sizes: Small (35-60 lbs) and Large (50-80 lbs)

2. FreedomRide Harness (cost $47)


Complies with all U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
Fits children 20-50 lbs
The pictures make me think of duct tape contraptions!

3. Eddie Bauer Portable Car Seat (cost $170)This one folds flat in to go in a suitcase, but it is hard or next to impossible to find.

4. Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory ($15)

This is just an easier way to transport the regular car seat through the airport.



None of those options address the car seat on the air plane issue. Not all car seats are approved for airplane travel. If ours are not, I found two other options for that.

1. Baby B’Air Toddler Flying Vest ($27-40)

This would only work for those tots who are lap riders (hello, Rusty). It attaches to the grown-up’s seat belt and is not “allowed” for take-off and landings.

2. CARES Child Aviation Restraint System ($74)
This is designed to simulate a 5 harness car seat but just buckles to the airplane seat. Pretty cool and if we were to fly more than once very 3 years, I’d seriously consider it.


I know most of you don’t have any real interest in this particular issue (only Dan & Cathy need car seats for their kiddos), but it is a handy place to keep my research. Thanks for listening!