Advice on Boosters for Travel and in General

qaQ

Hi D.,

When we went on vacation and rented a car, they provided a car seat for our daughter. THis way, we didn't have to worry about it at all.

I took my daughters to disney. We had to check our booster seats and they used the regular seat belts on the plane. They were fine. My daughters weigh 36pds and should not use a booster without the back until 40pds. So we took their boosters with the back it was a huge incovience I wish I would have just rented them at the car rental place. I would recommend renting car seats at your destination.

D.,

We always traveled with the full boosters. Yes, it is a pain to carry these around, but we made the decision that our children's safety was more important than the inconvenience. The kids also were used to the seats, so it made for very comfortable air travel for them, and for us! We just counted the car seats as additional, necessary "luggage," along with the camera bag, strollers, etc.! Have a great trip!

I think you better stick to what's legal wherever you're going because if you were in an accident, not only would your child not be protected in the best way, but I believe your insurance would be null and void. Have you looked into buying a travel car seat? They're very easy to pack and not that expensive.

I used a booster seat that had a removable back. That way, when my children got to a certain height, I could remove the back. The backs of these seats have holes that position the seat belt properly for the child.

This was taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website (www.nhtsa.dot.gov)......Once children outgrow their forward-facing seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4'9” tall).

Now in the case of my middle child, he outgrew his forward-facing seat shortly after he turned 3. So, he has been in a booster seat since then. So, it depends on your child.

I would recommend that if your twins are approaching 4, they are probably old enough. But, as I recommended at the beginning of this response, get one with a removable back. Keep the back of the booster seat on for now and when they are tall enough for the seat belt to sit comfortably across their shoulder without digging into there necks, remove the back. Then you can use just the seat part until they are either 8 years old or 4'9" tall.

A few thoughts on boosters:
Even if your children meed the age & weight requirements for a backless booster, keep in mind that if your back seat does not have headrests, they SHOULD STAY IN THE BOOSTER WITH A BACK!
I found that out at a local free car seat check done by our county police.
Please take time to attend a free car seat check in your area. It is well worth the time!
Sadly, a large number of parents install and or use a car seats and booster seats improperly!
There have been other posts on here about boosters--please take time to read the responses and visit the resource links given!
PLus, if you are renting a car, AAA members receive free car seats for their use.
Check out: http://www.seatcheck.org/ to find a car seat check near you.

If you check the state that you are going to website. You should be able to find car seat safety laws. Everyone is different. I know air flight has there own laws.
My girls have used booster seats since age 4. However when we travel (by vehicle of course) we always put the 5 point harness car seats back in because they can fall asleep and do not have the drooping heads.
But it is really up to your comfort and personal view. They are you prize possetion.

There was an article on Slate.com a couple of months ago about travel boosters, I'm sure you could track it down if you searched their archives...

Yes, check with the airline - sometimes they have "harnesses" that can secure young children. Don't forget that if your children still use car seats/boosters in your own car - they'll need that wherever you're going. Check with the airline to determine if you should check your carseats and use their harness, or if you should provide your own apparatus for the flight! Have a great time!

we just got back from Disney and we took
A booster seat for my daughter we took it onto
The plane and we could not use it. But we needed
It for our rental car. But enterprise had rental
Car seats. If I knew that I would not of taken ours
We just checked it on the way back. Btw she's
A big 2 1/2 yr old and did fine in the plane

I would check with the car seats you are looking at but most backless boaster are for kids weighing 40lbs or more. Even more important is a booster seat with a back help position the shoulder strap properly until you is ready for a backless booster. I would rather have my kids safe even if it makes traveling a little more difficult.

The idea about checking with car rental companies is a good idea too!

We check our car seats with luggage, they do not count it as a bag & then we know our kids are safe!

Just another note to add to the other posts, I just got back from a trip out of the country with my 3 & 5 year old. The airlines will not allow you to use your booster seat in the plane. The seat belts are different and fit my five-year-old just fine. We brought the car seat with a 5 point harness for the 3 year old but she probably could have done without it.

If you do bring seats for the twins you need to make sure they are airline approved. There is a sticker on the side of the car seat. Depending on where you going, you may want to see if the people picking you up will provide car seats. It's a lot of stuff to lug (times two).

Bon Voyage!

Hi D.,
While I know that you are concerned about convenience on your trip, not sure where you are going from your message. You may want to check the state you are going to for their carseat rules. I ran into issues in another state with my then 4 yo. They still required them to be in the regular carseats with the 5pt harnesses. If you would get pulled over, you could wind up with fines.

Personally, I have converted both my kids to backless boosters when they were 40lbs. That is supposed to be the rule of thumb to use. I think it is legally 4 yrs and 40 lbs according to my ped. My daugthter is not quite 4 but over 40lbs and I put her in the booster. She was not fitting in the regular seats with her winter jacket on.

Good luck!
A.

Hi D.,

My children's grandparents live in Manhattan where it is impossible to cart around a car seat everywhere. I went to either One Step Ahead or the Right Start to buy portable car seats. The first one I bought, (I don't recall the name of it) is a harness. It hooks to the seat and seat belt. It is approved by the FDA for flights and approved for travel in cars. It was a lot of $$. The second one I bought is similar to the Eddie Bauer one that is on the market. They both work great. I would recommend either.

The answer to your second question is age 4 and 40 pounds. You must be both. I called the PA state police and they were adamant. No exceptions.

K.

You don't say where you are going. If you are going somewhere urban where the taxi rides aren't going to be on highways, I'd skip it. No taxi driver is going to wait for you to instal 2 booster seats into his car-- even though they are supposed to, you're probably not going to get picked up. In NYC (and most other cities) taxis are exempt from car seat laws, even for babies, though car seats are officially recommended. If you are going somewhere where you are going to be on the highway a lot, either get the backless boosters or rent a car with car seats.