Which carseat do you use when flying?

We're looking for a 2nd carseat that we can also use when flying.

Please share which carseat you use when flying. Thanks!

I just bought another radian, specifically because we fly fairly often. I already have 2, and have been flying with them for years. Yes, they're really heavy. BUT becaues the seat folds in, they're more streamlined/ easier to carry. And the part that I love the most - they're low profile, so a forward facing seat fits *under* the tray, giving the kids back a space to eat and colour on.

Erica

What is the age and weight of the child you need a seat for? What seats do you currently have, and how much growing room does the child have in those seats?

All the seats I have flown with are now discontinued so I don't think my experience will help much.

My LO is 10mos. We plan on taking the 15hr flight to Hawaii next summer. She'll be aroung 16mos. I'm not sure if she'll still fit in her infant sit then because of height. But we have a Radian XTSL for my van. We want a 2nd carseat for my husband's car. So, we're looking for one that we can also fly with.

I understand that the Radian is good for flying. But we're just not sure about its weight.

The Radian is great for flying with a forward-facer-- not so much with a rear-facer.

For RF kiddos I like our Uptown (look at the Avenue - it's the current version). It's lightweight, and has a tall shell to last quite a while RF & FF. It fits OK RF on the plane (but no that my DS is 2 I've been FF on the plane even if he's RF in the car). It's a little trickier to install RF in some vehicles, I just take a few pool noodles with.

For older kids (FF) we have a Safeguard GO - it folds up nice and small, a little quirky and needs a top tether. But easy to carry. Another great option for bigger kids is the Ride Safer Travel Vest. (just something you might want to log away for the future)

For rear facing I love our Coccoro. It's light and small. The Avenue was nice to fly with as well rear facing.

Forward facing I loved our Radian.

Wendy

Levi rode in the TrueFit until last January. At that point, he was still small enough to ride without the headrest so I installed it RFing. Now we have a radian which I LOVE for travel (we travel a ton). He rides FF on the plane, I just bought a second boot so I can keep one at grandma's where we are 2-3 times a year, but on other trips I keep it in a carry on bag. He is always RF in the car.

The radian is super easy to travel with - I use a cheepo wheely cart or wear it as a backpack.

I have come to the conclusion that the easiest carseat to fly with is an infant bucket, followed by the Radian. I flew with DD by myself, and wore the Radian as a backpack, 25 pound DD in a carrier on my front, diaper bag (with Radian boot) attached to baby carrier, pregnant, and two free hands once I checked the luggage. I had bruising on my shoulders and it was a workout, but better than the alternatives, IMO.

I've flown with LOTS of different seats.

Britax Marathon (rfing and ffing) - huge pain. Big, bulky, a pain to install/uninstall because of how the plane buckles work.

Radian (ffing) - would never fit rfing on a plane, nice ffing. Heavy, but folds flat so less awkward. When we were lugging this we would bungi it to the sibling step on my pliko p3 to get it through the airport.

Scenera - nice and lightweight and easy to get through airport. Easy to install rfing on plane (without a towel or pool noodles). Can be a challenge to install rfing in cars if you're not familiar with the install - so practice before hand and bringing pool noodles (I always brought 3 cut to length in case I needed a pyramid) is key.

Complete Air - light like the scenera, but fits older/bigger kids and is easier to install (IMO). Only used it ffing on the plane, imagine it would fit rfing.


For a around on year old like your dd, I would recommend a scenera or if you want to spend more a concorro. Easy to get through the airport and easy to install rfing on the plane.

For an older child (3+) who is big enough, I HIGHLY recommend the ride safer travel vest. Just putting that out there for people reading this thread that are actually looking for travel seats for older kids. Also, for a child too tall for the scenera but not old/big enough for the RSTV, I really liked traveling with our CA. It's only a smidge heavier than the scenera.

I don't recommend the new-style RSTV for a kid under 4, really, because of the way the belt guide slides now, unless you're SURE you'll be able to use the tether at your destination. Also, there is a range of ability to sit still without unbuckling on the plane, even with an adult right there. And take into account that the FAA recommends CRs for all children under 40 lbs. as they contend a belt only may not provide adequate protection for kids under 40 (though an older, skinnier child I'm completely comfortable with, a 40+ lb. 2 year old I'm not, I'm just saying take into consideration what the FAA says about their own setup.)

I've used a Complete Air (not the LX) on a plane RF and it JUST BARELY fit (no towel or noodles, about a 30-33 degree angle.) I don't know that the LX with the base would fit at all. But the regular one does, at least on a Southwest 737.

I've flown with lots of different seats, but my favorite after the infant bucket was the Coccoro.

Taking notes. I have yet to fly with kids, but I like seeing what has worked well and not so well for other people.

I used two CA's RF on a plane yesterday. I was not pleased. The CAs fit into the airplane seats but they are so tall that they were touching the backs of the seats in front of us and I think they were more reclined than they should have been. Getting the plane's seat belt in the RF belt path was a pain cause I had to lift up the seat pad. But getting the seat tight was not difficult and the kids were comfy.