On the market, there’s a wide range of car seat products for you to choose from. Unlike choosing a product just for your family car, when it comes to bringing a car seat on the airplane, there are some regulations you have to notice.
But it’s not a big deal. Here are some buying tips for you to find out the best car seat for airplane travel.
Things You Have To Keep In Mind Before Flying
1. Your Car Seat Must Be Approved On The Airplane
First, you need to get permission from the airline. Visit the airline’s website to learn more about its policies to ensure that your car seat is allowed to bring on the plane.
After you determine that your car seat has passed the regulations, you should add it to your baby’s booking.
2. Will The Airplane Seat Fit Your Car Seat?
Airplane seats are getting narrower and narrower, but car seats are getting bigger and bigger. If your model is too bulky, it probably can’t fit the airplane seat.
In particular, bulkhead seats may be the most troublesome since the tray tables stored in the armrests make the seats slightly narrower.
3. Your Car Seat Must Be FAA-Approved
How can you know whether your car seat is FAA-approved or not?
Near the base of the car seat, there’s a white sticker with plenty of small print. In red letters, it must be of this phrase: “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”
On top of that, just because the seat has an airline-approved sticker on it, it doesn’t mean your car seat fits the airplane seat. Remember to consider your car seat size.
Our Best Airplane Car Seat Tips
1. The Lighter, The Better
Imagine that you have to move the car seat into the airplane and then carry it down the aisle with a child on. It will be such a terrible experience if the car seat is too heavy. One recommendation for you is to choose a product of about 10 lbs at most.
2. The Car Seat Should Have A Bag
A bag comes in handy for you to carry the seat. Backpack straps and a rubber handle of the bag bring much convenience as you can put the car seat on your back. It also comes with some spots for you to put your small staff in.
3. Comfort Makes A Happy Trip
You want your kid to be comfortable on the flight but dislike to haul so many trivial things. It’s worth considering the product that integrates more than one function but still ensures light and simple design.
Those functions can help you gain more comfort, for example:
- Seat Reclining Angle: The wider angle is, the more comfortable your child feels, no matter how many different sitting and lying gestures they have on a long flight.
- Spacious Legroom: It will not only bring comfort for your kid, but it also helps you utilize it for the long term in case the kid grows up. As a result, you will save a lot of money.
- Breathability: Besides, car seats should deliver airy grooves and vents on the sides of the face and behind. It will help the baby stay dry and feel comfortable throughout the journey.
4. A Lot Of Airplane Accessories
You can purchase more small items to get comfortable with the bulky car seat. There’s a bunch of accessories that you can consider. For example, some trolleys help to wheel the seat as a baby carrier or traps to fasten the car seat to the carry-on package if you lack a bag with this function.
But when you have one more thing to fold in the flight, it will reduce your space. If it’s not a long flight, the extras may be unnecessary.
A List Of The Best Car Seats For Airplane Travel
In case you can’t decide on the product that suits your kid as well as meets the airplane approval, here we suggest you top 5 best car seats to bring on a flight according to our point of view.
- Cosco Apt 50 Convertible Car Seat (Black Arrows)
- Evenflo Tribute LX Convertible Car Seat – Neptune with Car Seat Travel & Storage Bag
- Safety 1ˢᵗ Grow and Go 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat, Carbon Wave
- Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat, Glacier
- Evenflo Everyfit 4 In 1 Convertible Car Seat, Augusta
Conclusion
With this buying guide, you may come up with the conclusion to choose the best car seat for airplane travel that suits both your child and the airplane seat. We hope that the car seat product will make great support for your family trip to be comfortable. Now, it’s time to enjoy your journey.
