WWYD re: air travel

I tried Piper out in just a plane's belt today, and shock of all shocks it was snug and on her hips!! I admit, while I don't mind lugging the Radian, I would love to not to have to have it.

I'd always thought that I'd get a Compass for her for travel, but she's so narrow and it's such a wide booster that I'm just not comfortable with that. She's 38.5 pounds (the scale at my mom's read 40 on the dot, but it reads high. My mom, stepdad, and brother drive Hondas, though, so I didn't bother with LATCH) so she's big enough for a RSTV. She'd be riding outboard probably in whatever got bought, so I don't know about a RSTV. Though I'd LOVE an excuse for one. ;-)

Should I just start bringing one of our cheap backless Coscos for travel? I'd really rather her in a high back. She's only 6, nearly 6.5. Say heck with it and continue with the Radian? If we have another baby in a year or so I would LOVE to just have one carseat going.

Not bringing something with us is not a comfortable option. Today we ended up unexpectedly in a cab. We were taken to the airport by my brother, then Nathan was supposed to pick us up. Miscommunication ensued and Piper and I ended up in a cab. If I'd been relying on a booster at my mom's/brother's and then what we have for her here then we would have been seriously SOL.

She's got a 16" torso or so, so a Go would be a temporary option (99% of cars she's in have tethers and LATCH, and if not she could ride in it backless), but I'm rather "eh" about it.

So, WWYD? Wide Compass and narrow bottom, RSTV? Don't ditch the Radian yet?

And for the record, every single Northwest flight we were on and we heard announced preboarded. Though the agent this morning tried to give me a gate check tag for the carseat that I was preboarding with. Um, duh, if I'm going to check the darn thing why do I need to preboard? And she couldn't see Piper so she didn't know why I had it in the first place. Take a guess that there's a kid around somewhere! LOL I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, it was a 6 a.m. flight and so she was probably still just waking up.

Wendy

I would probably go with a RSTV, esp. if you don'tknow if you will even need a seat, just because it is so easily packable.
My next choice would be a backless booster unless you had plans for a long car ride, then I would probably use a booster that comes apart and bring the NBB as a carry on and pack the highback in luggage.

From my mom's to the airport is about 40 minutes, and it's not uncommon for us to go see friends a couple of hours away. If we head out west it's not far, but it's Bay Area route 101 traffic, so lots of time in the car.

It's usually me and Piper alone, and we use one suitcase for the two of us, so a back is an option, but it's not uncommon for her to have to sit on the bag so I can close it. I could rig a traveling toddler sort of deal for a booster, then yank it into bits onto the plane, but that'd take up a lot of space in the overhead.

I'm thinking RSTV, I think, I'm just nervous about her having no built in SIP. But I'm nervous about the lateral movement for a Compass booster, too.

wendy

What about a Turbobooster? you can carry on the bottom and stow it, and pack the back in luggage, well protected by clothes.

Possible, but see above about usually having to sit on the luggage to simply close it. I'm an efficient packer, but it's a suitcase filled with stuff for two people, usually for about a week.

How flat does the Turbo back get? I haven't sat Piper in one recently, but it's much narrower than the Compass, right?

What is the SIP difference between the RSTV and a high back shallow winged booster? Just curious. Wearable five point versus dedicated high back?

Wendy

I wouldn't say the TurboBooster is shallow winged. The Evenflo Big kid is, but the TurboBooster isn't. I measured the wings on a Parkway and TurboBooster last summer and the Parkway's were only .5 inch deeper. The TurboBooster's are just angled differently, but a lot of people go on and on about how deep they are on the Compass B510, but they are angled out even more than on the TurboBooster.

Why don't you get a nice dedicated booster with good SIP to leave at your mom's and then carry a backless on board just in case you end up in a cab?

wendytthomas said:

Say heck with it and continue with the Radian? If we have another baby in a year or so I would LOVE to just have one carseat going.

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I would do this and revisit the issue of you do have another child.

minismom said:

Why don't you get a nice dedicated booster with good SIP to leave at your mom's and then carry a backless on board just in case you end up in a cab?

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Hmmm, interesting. Seems like a lot, though. And we don't just fly to my mom's, we go all over the world. So I need something for travel.

Wendy

I would choose the RSTV over a backless booster -- neither provide side impact protection, but at least the RSTV crash tests (frontal) more like a harness :twocents:

My kiddo isn't quite as light as yours, but she's a long legged skinnimini 1st grader. She did fine in the Compass B510 for our trip to Lifesavers '07. It was a little wider than ideal, but the belt fit was actually better than the Parkway. Plus, any high back booster (even without deep head wings) is about 70% safer in side impacts than a backless :thumbsup:

If I had the funds, I'd bring both the B510 & RSTV

wendytthomas said:

Hmmm, interesting. Seems like a lot, though. And we don't just fly to my mom's, we go all over the world. So I need something for travel.

Wendy

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Dang! I had really liked my idea... I don't know what else to suggest but if you're in all sorts of different cars I wouldn't do the backless booster cause it could not fit her well in some cars. Why dont you just keep doing the RN, at least until she's the only child? I know she fits well on the plane belt but the car part of the trip is the most important right? Nah, maybe I'm just jealous cause I still have a long future of lugging seats around airports

Do you need a top tether anchor for a RSTV?

If you don't think you can get a graco back in your luggage, order an FPSVB from albeebaby. Those backs are really compact.

What about a Monterey? It's narrow + you can take it apart for the aircraft.

A little on the heavy side, from what I hear, but I've thought about getting one for us if DD grows any more before March. I don't want to chance the Parkway getting damaged. And I'd have as much emotional tie to the Monterey as I do our Radian -- zilch
If DH takes her to NJ alone, it might be the best option for us. At 46" she's large enough, but I still worry.

The Monterey is NOT narrow.

When K1 & I went to SC this past summer I borrowed my friend's (she is a tech too) Compass for the trip. I bunged it to a traveling suitcase/bag cart and once on the plane. The flight attendent put it in the closet they hang coats in. This way it didn't take up overhead bin space but also not down in the belly of the plane either.

K2 is tall & skinny and I tried her out in the Compass because I plan to order 2 since I will be traveling with both soon. It fit her realy good and I am not as concerned about the width because the belt was hitting her properly & very snug on her body. K2 is 5.5yrs old 51lbs & height is probably pretty close to my sig still.

Gypsy said:

The Monterey is NOT narrow.

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Yeah, not narrow at all.

I'd prefer a wide compass over a backless booster for my own skinny kid any day, personally. :twocents: (as long as the lapbelt fits low and the shoulderbelt is on the shoulder, I don't think there's an issue with a booster being 'too wide' for a skinny kid, it's still offering sleep support and SIP whether the kid's body is one inch from the side or 3 inches form the side, IMO).

Thanks, all.

The cars we ride in generally have shoulder and lap belts, so the top tether for the RSTV would not be required (only required for lap only belts).

Right now we have no air travel planned, nor anything speculated (which is odd, normally we have *something* in the pipes) so I have time to make my decision. I would love an excuse for an RSTV, but I think I'd be more comfortable with a HBB. But there are many times this weekend when I was glad we had the Radian with us. Albany, NY got a foot of snow and the roads were horrid quite a lot. So I was so happy Piper was safe in a harness rather than a booster.

Thanks, guys.

Wendy

wendytthomas said:

From my mom's to the airport is about 40 minutes, and it's not uncommon for us to go see friends a couple of hours away. If we head out west it's not far, but it's Bay Area route 101 traffic, so lots of time in the car.

It's usually me and Piper alone, and we use one suitcase for the two of us, so a back is an option, but it's not uncommon for her to have to sit on the bag so I can close it. I could rig a traveling toddler sort of deal for a booster, then yank it into bits onto the plane, but that'd take up a lot of space in the overhead.

I'm thinking RSTV, I think, I'm just nervous about her having no built in SIP. But I'm nervous about the lateral movement for a Compass booster, too.

wendy

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How about a RSTV to have on hand in case of the unexpected, but also have a good high back booster waiting at your mom's?

Give me a call when you came into the Bay Area and I can loan you any one of my seats you like.