Booster for vacation?

tina1114 · Jul 13, 2012

Would you put your barely-4yo/40-pounder in a backless booster for a vacation?

Here's our situation:
We'll be flying out to a wedding and will end up spending 4 nights at the destination. The airport is 1.5 hours from where we'll be staying, but other than that, the kids will hardly be in the car, and when they are, not for more than 5-10 minutes at a time.
We're already taking 1 car seat for the baby (which he will sit in on the plane, we are buying him his own seat). Since we're already taking 1 car seat, we are really tempted by the possibility of not having to take a 2nd one too! DS will be about 4 years and 1 month, and he's right at 40 lbs. He's never ridden in any kind of booster before, but I do believe he has the maturity to sit upright, even for the long drive to/from the airport.

Also, assuming he can sit up properly on the plane, is he ok riding on a plane with just the plane seatbelt??

Finally, if we do take a booster, are there the same concerns about checking it as there are about checking car seats?

Thanks!!

Ladybugmama · Jul 13, 2012

He might be ok in just the plane seat. But I would not booster a 4 year old never mind backless booster. You have a plane seat I would bring a harness seat and use it in the plane too. Checking is too much of a risk

tina1114 · Jul 13, 2012

Oh yes, just to be clear, I would never check a seat! If we bring it for him to use in the car, he's using it on the plane too

Brianna · Jul 13, 2012

I would not use a backless booster for a barely 4 and 40 child. I would consider an RSTV though.

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EmmaCPST · Jul 13, 2012

I definitely would not. Put the stress and crankiness of all day travel on a barely 4 year old and then tell them to sit properly (especially if he's tired and wants to sleep) for 90 minutes in the car? That just doesn't sound like a good scenario to me.

What seats do you have? What does he normally ride in?

tina1114 · Jul 13, 2012

Thanks guys!
Brianna, I had completely forgotten about the RSTV - might look into that...

Emma - he currently rides in a Radian, and the baby's in a Boulevard. We also have an Evenflo Triumph Advance and a Truefit (baby is too big for the TF without the headrest, otherwise that would have made it so much easier to travel with!)

EmmaCPST · Jul 13, 2012

tina1114 said:
Thanks guys!
Brianna, I had completely forgotten about the RSTV - might look into that...

Emma - he currently rides in a Radian, and the baby's in a Boulevard. We also have an Evenflo Triumph Advance and a Truefit (baby is too big for the TF without the headrest, otherwise that would have made it so much easier to travel with!)

Quite a few people have traveled with the Radian very successfully - especially if you do two of the carry straps to make it a backpack. And it works really nicely on a plane seat so your son can use the tray table still. A Scenera for the baby would be easier to carry than any of your other seats too if you wanted to pick one up?

aept · Jul 13, 2012

Brianna said:
I would not use a backless booster for a barely 4 and 40 child. I would consider an RSTV though.

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Agreed. Good suggestion.

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tina1114 · Jul 13, 2012

EmmaCPST said:
Quite a few people have traveled with the Radian very successfully - especially if you do two of the carry straps to make it a backpack. And it works really nicely on a plane seat so your son can use the tray table still. A Scenera for the baby would be easier to carry than any of your other seats too if you wanted to pick one up?

Yup, we've traveled with the Radian before, and thought it was awesome! Back then though, we only had 1 kid... (things were so much easier, haha!) We do have a 2nd Radian, actually, but I've heard it's a pain to travel with it RF because of that extra attachment-thingy it needs to go RF?

EmmaCPST · Jul 13, 2012

tina1114 said:
Yup, we've traveled with the Radian before, and thought it was awesome! Back then though, we only had 1 kid... (things were so much easier, haha!) We do have a 2nd Radian, actually, but I've heard it's a pain to travel with it RF because of that extra attachment-thingy it needs to go RF?

You do need to pack the RF boot in your carry on, and I probably wouldn't want to travel with two Radians, myself. I'd rather do a lightweight convertible for the other and then at least you can put one on your back and carry the other without dying haha. There are lots of creative solutions involving attaching seats to strollers or travel luggage carts and things too, it's just a matter of getting all of it apart to go through x-ray at security while you wrangle the kids at the same time.

Are you renting a car or is someone picking you up from the airport? Any chance any of your relatives would have a seat your 4 year old could ride in when they pick you up?

kam1011 · Jul 13, 2012

If you bring a booster for the 4yo, put the back in the suitcase, mixed in between the clothes so it's somewhat protected, and have the child carry the bottom portion as a carry on. Then when you get to the car, you can take out the back and attach it. I would do it. But first, I would take some practice rides with it around the neighborhood to see how he does.

Brigala · Jul 13, 2012

I'm one of the biggest extended harness proponents on this board and often get griped at for my hardline attitude about child size and booster use...
... and even I would consider taking a backless booster in the situation you describe if I thought the child could really handle it.

That said, no 4 year old I know would ride in a car for an hour and a half after a plane ride and NOT fall asleep. If you're really sure he won't fall asleep and he'll sit straight, he should be fine and adequately protected in a well-fitting backless booster. I just have my doubts about how realistic that expectation is. If it were a 10 minute ride I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just worry about the length of the car trip with a tired kid.

A RSTV would be a better option because you can use the top tether attachment to hold him in place even if he falls asleep. And he can wear it through the airport if you prefer, so it's one less thing to carry (put the extra straps in your carry on bag).

Or else the Radian for the older child and a smaller lightweight convertible for the younger one would be a good option also.

Booster for vacation?

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