Car Seat For Plane Travel? (CANADA)

Hi all,

Newbie question, please and thank you.

I will be travelling alone with my 2yr 8 month daughter in February. Each flight has a stop over. We will be staying with my parents, who have a Civic Hybrid (don't know the year but it has LATCH).

Our daughter currently rear-faces in two Sunshine Kids Radian XTs. We've taken this seat with us on trips, but my husband has always been with us, and the seat is too heavy for me to carry through the airport. I also need a stroller in the airport (I have a lightweight Inglesina Trip and will gatecheck) and my daughter won't sit in a car seat in the airport (we've tried, believe me)

So here are my options, if I can get expert input, I'd be very grateful:

1. CARES harness. The downside -- my daughter is 34.5" tall and barely 25 lbs. I don't want to spend $80+ on a harness that won't fit her properly, plus, I'd then need to check the seat, which I don't want to do.

2. Take the Radian, bungee it to a folding luggage cart. The downside -- the Radian is heavy. Dragging it on the cart and pushing the stroller? Difficult with one person. I have the backpack straps, but there's no way I can carry it. It's not ergonomic and it kills my back.

3. Buy another lighter seat for travel. This is the option I'm leaning toward. I'd bungee it to the folding luggage cart.

So keeping in mind that my daughter is RF (FF on the plane), a total peanut at 34."5/25 lbs at 2 years 8 months, and this will be used as a travel/spare, AND it needs to be installed RF in a Civic sedan, what would you choose?

I'm leaning toward either a Safety 1st Guide 65, or an Evenflo Sureride.

The Guide 65 is currently available on clearance at my Walmart for $80. I missed the BRU sale on the Sureride (booooo!!!!) but it's $118 at Sears for the next two days.

Does anyone have experience with either of these seats? Which would be easier to install? Which would take up less room RF, given that it will be installed in a small sedan? I'm not really worried about maxing out the RF limit since my girl is tiny and this will be a spare.

I'd be grateful for any and all input, thank you!

Hi! Sorry, I have no experience with the Guide 65. I can say that the Sureride is a super easy install RF in every vehicle I've tried it in, and fairly compact front-to-back. The only thing that might bother some people is how far below the shoulders the straps can end up, since you only have the bottom 3 slots for rear-facing. Depends on your child's torso height. Has an overall RF height limit of 40".

I think the Guide 65 is compact front-to-back, but maybe not as easy an install. However, it has a RF height limit of 36", so won't last very long in RF mode if you go by the rules.

The guide 65 really needs a pool noodle to help with the recline (well not NEED but it helps) but other then that isn't bad. The headrest can bother some babies, especially forward facing but my lil guy (still RF) has no complaints. At one time when he was younger his head used to flop to the side when he fell asleep because they don't have much of a side for him to rest his head on but he's been good lately, I think the headrest fits him better now that hes older/bigger. It is very compact front to back though if you need to fit in a tight space I would recommend it. Personally I'd say the extra couple bucks is worth it for the SureRide as it will last much longer (even as a back up its nice to have it be long lasting just in case you need it) and the easier install. Unless you think it will be a problem fitting in the car, like if you have tall parents who need the seat all the way back or something.