travel seat for 6 year old

Leche Mami

New member
Hi! We are headed to France and Belgium for a few weeks. We will not have a car and will travel mostly by train. However, we will be staying with friends for two weeks and I'm sure the "opportunity" will arise for car travel. Their kids don't travel in car-seats or booster seats, etc. so borrowing something is probably out of the question. We want to take something to keep our kids safe but have to pack really minimally due to the train travel, etc. We are currently planning to have the nearly three-year old in a Britax TWE that will be attached upside down to our one suitcase. DS1 will be almost 6.5. He rides in a Recaro Vivo but we won't be bringing that as it is too bulky. He's never ridden in a low-back booster. Is he of a reasonable age to do that? Is a Bubblebum worth the cost to get the small packing size? Other options? Should we consider the RSTV instead? He weighs 50 pounds.
 
ADS

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
I would totally consider the bubble bum, if you feel he can stay in position. I assume there will be lap/shoulder belts in vehicles you will be traveling in?
 

Leche Mami

New member
Thanks. Can we install the TWE FF on the airplane for the US leg or does it have to have an FAA sticker on it? We will be on AirFrance for the long leg and their website says car-seats are allowed.
 
I have both a BubbleBum and an RSTV and think both are good options for travel and as a "just in case you need to carpool with a 3rd kid" seat for later on. So I've listed a couple IMO pluses/minuses for both and hope that helps:

RSTV: pluses - more like a 5-pt. so feels more secure for younger/smaller riders than BubbleBum (handy for use with my petite and squirrely 7YO niece so she could sit 3 across with her cousins), no expiration as long as it's not in a crash, can be used in lap-belt-only slot if top-tethered. minuses: DDs didn't think it was as comfortable as their HBBs but since we mostly used it for short carpool trips it wasn't a problem. Since it's not a very commonly used restraint, I would be a bit hesitant to send it with my DDs for a carpool or field trip in case it would fluster the other parent and would probably send an LBB instead.

BubbleBum: easier for child to use himself/herself (good for sending on field trips with a petite 10YO, for example) minuses: shallow seat depth and relatively short expiry.

Since you have a younger child, I'd lean towards the RSTV b/c you'd be able to use it for your younger child later. But you could probably also get your money's worth out of the BubbleBum if you foresee a lot of carpooling/playdates/field trips for your ODS in the next few years.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Thanks. Can we install the TWE FF on the airplane for the US leg or does it have to have an FAA sticker on it? We will be on AirFrance for the long leg and their website says car-seats are allowed.

The FAA accepts FAA approved OR foreign equivalent seats. So if it's airline approved under UNECE regulations, then it would be accepted on a US flight, but you'll need to be able to prove that if challenged (with a label, sticker, or wording in the manual about aircraft approval.)
 

cantabdad

New member
Keep in mind, however, that Air France is not a US-registered carrier, so the FAA rules won't apply in your case. We recently used Air France and posted our experience on this forum -- the upshot is that their stated policy is that approved carseats may be used, but some of their staff are not familiar with the policy and you may need to be prepared to educate them and show documentation.

Now, I am not sure about the Two Way Elite -- is it approved for aircraft use? I'm not too familiar with the seat, but my guess would be that it may not be, because it is a European-style seat that cannot be installed with just a lap belt. But I could be wrong. Again, this is just based on our limited experience, but the Air France crew will not let you use the seat if it is not approved for aviation use.
 

Leche Mami

New member
Thanks for the heads up on that. According to the manual, it can be installed forward facing with a lap-belt. He will be nearly 3 so we would be fine with him FF on the plane. The manual doesn't show any pictures in an airplane. I'll need to look into this some more...
 

Leche Mami

New member
Thanks! The multi-language manual doesn't say anything about aircraft use and in fact doesn't even show the lap belt installation. The manual that came with it (we bought it in Sweden) is in Swedish but definitely shows a lap belt installation for forward facing.

Sooooo, if we can't use this seat, our only other option is a TFP which I don't really want to lug along. I'm not sure if he would fit in a Scenera. He's rather short and about 27 pounds so he might fit. Then, of course, there is still the issue of it being a US seat and the fact it may never get used again after this trip.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,898
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top