Britax TWE vs Max-Way on Plane

Hello car seat experts.

I am flying to the US from Japan the end of this month with my son, who has outgrown his Graco Snugride 35, and I need to purchase a convertible seat, but I feel like I am going round and round without finding a seat that meets my needs.

So far, the Britax TWE seems like the best bet, but I am confused about installation on the plane. Does one use the tethers on the plane, or is just lap belt installation enough? The online manual warns "no freestanding", so I am not sure if that is referring to the use of the tethers or the lap belt.

The Max-Way also looks like a good option but I am not sure if it would work on the plane since its manual states "cannot rest on seat in front" and "needs 10cm between car seat and the seat in front".

If any of you have used these seats on a plane, could you please share how you installed them? (Also if you could mention which airline you were able to use them on, I would appreciate it!)

Alternatively, if there is a US made seat (FAA approved) that has a high back like the TWE and can be used for ERF, I would love to know about it!

Sincerely,
Jules

I'm pretty sure you can't use either of these seats on a plane. The TWE requires a 3 point belt ff and isn't approved for use on a plane rf and the max-way is rf only and also not approved for use on a plane. There is no way you could hook the tethers up.

The "no free standing" means that the seat must be braced on the either the seat in front of it or the dashboard.


I'm pretty sure every American seat is ok on a plane, but I could be wrong. Also if you are not flying with an American carrier then you might want to call the airline and check what their rules are regarding car seats.

Almost all seats sold in the US market are approved for aircraft use, whereas European-market seats like the TWE generally are not. There are exceptions in both cases, but that is generally true.

Is there a way you could buy a US-market carseat, such as a Britax Marathon? Those are easy to install on the plane and will last a while RF (though not quite as long as some other seats such as the Diono Radian or Clek Foonf).

But first things first - - What is your son's age and weight? And which airline(s) will you be using?

Actually you can use the TWE on the plane. You use it without the tethers. I installed in RF in bulkhead once (delta 777 I think). After that I just installed it FF bc I hate bulkhead. You will probably need to raise the armrest to Install it but it's low profile so you can put the armrest back down after.

I'll add another thought of mine...I'm not a tech so take this with a grain of salt but I basically consider the car seat on an airplane a containment device. I absolutely do not expect it to perform as it would in a car crash. Yes, takeoff and landing are, I suppose, more akin to car crashes (that's when most survivable accidents occur), but statistically you're also much less likely to be in a plane crash than a car crash. So I view the car seat's purpose as 1) preventing my kid from hitting the ceiling in a sudden altitude stop/turbulence and 2) preventing my kid from becoming a projectile. This is also why I'm ok with my kids FF on a plane way before I'm ok with it in a car.

Thanks for your responses. My boy is fifteen months and 29 lbs and 30 inches. Since Marathon and other similar US seats can be RF only to 40lbs I am fearful I would not be able to get long use from them. The Graco lasted us less than a year since he grew so fast.

What are my best options here?
Jules

Where do you live?

We live in Tokyo but possibly moving back to the US in the next year or two.

The Marathon goes to 40 lbs. rear-facing. Some seats that have a higher RF limit are the Diono Radian (45 lbs.) and the Clek Foonf (50 lbs.). But many kids outgrow seats by height rather than by weight, and I believe all three of these seats have top shoulder slots around 17", so I am not sure how much practical difference there would be.

I'm sorry I misspoke earlier about the TWE; I knew there were some European seats that were indeed certified for aircraft use but did not realize it was among them. From the previous poster's experience, it sounds like it will work well for you forward-facing on the aircraft, and I agree that FF is fine on a plane even if you were to continue RF in cars. FAA's recommendation is RF for kids under 20 lbs.

Well the other issue you have is that you may not have top tether anchor points or locking belts in your cars in japan. American seats require locking belts or locking clip. If you're going to be moving the seat often I would avoid anything requiring a locking clip so that means you'd want built in lockoffs (for a US seat... EU seats don't require them as most cars in the EU don't gave locking belts).

That said, if you think you might be moving to the Us it may make the most sense to buy a US seat (if you're not comfortable using an illegal EU seat there). Or buy an EU seat now and sell it when you get to the US maybe...

I've got a TWE and a Varioguard and I love both. If funds were unlimited if have gotten a maxfix but I live in Europe so buy EU seats. Sorry that doesn't help you... Basically my personal choice would be a Swedish seat just bc they are compact and last the longest RF. But I'm also totally comfortable using a Euro seat in the US when I'm there.

To NewYorkDOC

Thanks for your information. I checked our car manual, and it shows the car has anchors for the tethers and locking clips. It also is OK for isofix seats.

Could you share more information about using the TWE on the plane? For example, I looked at the TWE manual online and could not find any information that would indicate it is approved for airplane use. Have you ever been challenged on this point by a flight attendant? How did you actually install the seat? What did you do about the tethers? Can it be installed RF in economy class (regular seating)?

If pressed, I guess I will go with the Britax Marathon, but I really feel my son will outgrow it so quickly it will be a waste of money in the long term. If i can justify the purchase of the TWE (can it be used on planes, which is where I need it), I would prefer that seat.

Thanks again!

Moreso that The seat, you need to check airline policy. Almost all airlines state that any FAA and/or UN approved seat can be used. The UN seal is the circle with the number in it. The TWE (and I think all EU seats actually) have this seal.

If you install a TWE in a regular seat RF, you must tell the person in front that they cannot recline their seat. And actually, as the TWE is so tall, it may supersede the height of the seat back in front. I honestly don't remember as I only installed it RF in bulkhead then chose to FF in a regular row. My DD was 21m so it wasn't really a big deal. Anyway you install without tethers. Under no circumstances would you be allowed to install floor tethers as they'd be an obstacle in an emergency exit. It's very uptight when FF, I won't lie. But my DD has never minded. Plus I switch to the CARES harness as soon as possible (it's utility is controversial here but like I stated before, I restrain my kids so they don't hit the ceiling or become flying objects). I use an RSTV when travelling after 3yo.

Adventuredad has also flown with his I think. I talked with him about it before our first flight.