For those of you with young kids, I wanted to share with you my recommended car seat for travel. In my car, I have a massive bulky convertible car seat (which I love) but there is no way I’d even remotely think of traveling with it on an airplane. While I’ve tested out a few different car seats for airline travel, my favorite is by far the Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible Car Seat. This car seat is extremely light weight and currently is on sale for less then $50!
Top 4 Reasons Why I Recommend:
- This car seat is currently pricing out as low as $47! I see that low price on Amazon and Walmart, but many retailers will price match as well (Buy Buy Baby and Toys R Us). I personally purchased this car seat when it was $55 and still thought that was a great price! Many of the other less expensive car seats on the market are still way more expensive and not nearly as good or have as many features. Keep in mind that the Amazon price is for Amazon Prime members and Walmart price is free shipping over $50.
- It is only 9.11 lbs! That is extremely light and probably half the weight (if not more) of the bulky car seat currently in your car. It is also not as wide as the bulky car seats so is guaranteed to fit in an airplane seat. I recently flew online with my daughter and was easily able to carry the car seat throughout the airport with no problem. Although I do recommend a carrying case to throw it on your shoulder so you have your hands free (I forgot mine!). I was also able to install it myself with no issues (it is also very easy to install in a car with the LATCH system).
- The cover comes off and is machine washable. Not all car seats allow you to clean up a kids mess so easily, but this one allows you to take off the cover in no time and throw it in the wash. This is essential for any car seat in my opinion!
- It has many features, such as a head pillow and cup holder. Many of the less expensive car seats are bare bones and have no cushioning for the head. My daughter has never complained and has slept very nicely in this car seat. A big bonus when traveling! This car seat is also approved for airplanes and contains a LATCH system which makes it easy to move in and out of cars (also that contain the LATCH system).
For me, it really came down to the price and weight/size. Clearly safety is a factor and this car seat is just as safe as any other seat as long as it is installed properly and your child is within the right height and weight requirements. This was hands down the easiest car seat to carry to travel with for my daughter. However, my assumption is that the next flight we take she will refuse any car seat and want to sit in the seat like mommy and daddy and be a “big girl”. If we are renting a car on the other end, we will still take the car seat on with us and gate check it as renting a car seat with the rental cars is both expensive and uncertain. No debate needed on whether or not gate checking a car seat is advised.
This car seat is only approved to fit kids 40lbs or less, although that seems like the norm for most of the light weight easy to travel with car seats. My daughter is almost 3 and is on the bigger size for her age and is still only 35 lbs so I believe we have another year to squeeze out of it. It will then be handed down to her soon to be born brother!
Feel free to comment below with your experience and suggested car seats for travel.
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have you tried the Cosco Scenera Next? I’ve read that one is also a good travel seat, but have never tried it.
@Diana – I have not, but I do know it is a good one to travel with as well. Light weight and inexpensive. For a few bucks more though, I like the option of a head rest.