Car seat for 4yo that fits in overhead bin on plane?

We're thinking of traveling around my son's 4th birthday.

Since turning 3 and passing 40 lbs, he has flown very well without a car seat. We left a SureRide for him to use at our destination since we go there a couple times a year.

Upcoming trip is to a new destination where we will rent a car, so we would need a car seat there. I prefer not to have him use a car seat on the plane since he doesn't need one anymore and expects not to use one. I also prefer not to check a car seat or use a rental seat.

So what are my options for seats I could stow on the plane for use at our destination?

So far I've found:
Radian - bulky and maybe not worth it
RideSafe Vest - safe? sounds flimsy
IMMI Go - again sounds a little flimsy

Any foldable booster options? I definitely wouldn't use a booster yet at home, but this is a short trip and I could ride in the backseat with him. Is he big enough for this? He is mature and never tries to unbuckle himself on planes or in cars.

Whatever we get, we may end up using it a couple more times for travel over the next few years with him and then his younger sibling when old enough. We may also be able to use it in a year or two as a backup seat at home in a family member's car that he rarely rides in, which makes me think I should get a more traditional seat like the Radian instead of something like the vest. I would love to find something cheaper though, like a Harmony foldable booster I saw that was discontinued.

Thank you!
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Hi there!

First, I even though your son is over 40 lbs, I would still recommend using his regular car seat on the plane. He's still much smaller than the average adult the belt is meant to fit.

If that's not an option, though, you're right that it's better not to check his seat.

The Radian folds up, but I'm not sure it typically fits in an overhead bin. I seem to recall that it occasionally does, but not always. It can also be a little finicky to work with in the car, and it's HEAVY, so not great for lugging through the airport (although it gets much easier if you use two carrying straps to make it into a backpack).

The Ride Safer Travel Vest and IMMI Go aren't flimsy. I mean, they're flexible, but they're safe. The vest is the lighter and more compact of the options, but personally I'm more comfortable with the Go since it's more like a "normal" seat, as opposed to the vest which is more of a wearable booster...sort of. (I'm sure there are other people who feel differently.)

With the Go, you'll need to make sure whatever vehicle you're putting it in has top tethers, which any modern rental car will have. It also installs much easier with LATCH than a seatbelt, so making sure it can go in a LATCH position is important.

I would not recommend a booster seat for a child under 4.

I would just get another Sureride and use it on the plane. It's cheaper than the Go, is compatible with more vehicles, and will last as a spare until your son is ready for a booster.

Sorry, it probably isn't what you want to hear, I tend to agree with the previous posters. Not for the safety aspect, it's your family and your decision if you want to allow him to not use a seat on the plane. It seems like your life is going to be much much easier (and probably much cheaper) if you use the seat on the plane as you won't have to be as concerned about size, and I don't think it counts against your carry on luggage that way. Unless you fly often and he will be taking lots of flights to locations where you don't have a seat, it just doesn't seem practical to spend so much on the IMMI Go or a RideSafe Vest (and is it just me, or does it look like you need an engineering degree to get that thing on). I personally wouldn't be comfortable boostering my kiddo at 4, but my kiddo also seems much smaller, so if that works for you the Harmony folding booster with you in the back might be an option.

Aside from your son knowing that he has ridden in the plane seat without a car seat, is there a reason you don't want to use the seat on the plane? Is he a fairly adaptable kid? Again, that's a totally personal thing, but unless he has a huge aversion to the seat, I would try the "just this once" and he can ride without a seat when you fly next time to the place you have the SureRide.

What car seats do you have that you use for him in your normal vehicles? One of them may work. Otherwise I agree that a SureRide would be a good purchase, depending on how tall your kiddo is, a Maestro might be a good choice too.

I guess another option that would save you hauling the seat one way would be to purchase it at your destination (send your DH with the rental car). Then you can take the chance of gate-checking it on the way home since it would basically be a backup for you then.

Thanks for all the replies. He is a pretty adaptable kid. Part of the reason I was looking for something to stow is also that DH doesn't like lugging seats through the airport and plane, so I think he would complain less if it was a stowable carry-on. Also just thinking ahead to the fact we may encounter this situation a couple more times over the next few years. Hopefully next time he'll be old enough for a booster. Good to know that Radian might not even fit.

Thank you all and I'll keep thinking.
Posted via Mobile Device

I think a folded Radian would fit but I'd be concerned with its weight being more than is allowed in an overhead bin.

Once you get to booster stage we very often use a high back Turbo Booster which fits in the overhead bins. It works because it comes apart in two pieces. To navigate through the airport I attach it to my rolly bag using two bungee cords. I even had a pilot once comment "wow I wish I had thought of that when my kids were in car seats." You're not to booster age yet but it's amazing travel seat once you are!

Are there other situations where an IMMI Go would work in your favor? Carpools? Grandparents? A secondary vehicle that usually doesn't have kids....but needs to have a seat in the trunk "just in case"? If you strongly prefer to have a seat that you can stow and it is worth it to you, I would get the IMMI Go. It seems like a good option in this situation. Like, others, though, my first choice would be to find a light travel seat you can use on the plane.


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