Southwest flight with The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat?

[Unregistered]

We are getting ready to fly home and I am about to upgrade to a convertible car seat. I really like this first year true fit because of the removable head rest. We have a 2011 Toyota Camry so I am worried about it fitting in the car rf. I plan on keeping him rf for as long as possible so fit is a big deal for me. Has anyone flown with the true fit on southwest or can you recommend another seat that would be a good fit in our car rf?

 

[Carrie_R]

How old and heavy is your child, what is his current seat, and how does he fit in it? The answers to those questions will help us better recommend a seat for you. (The TrueFit is a great seat, but its 35lb RF limit tends to only make it last "as long as possible" RF for very tall, lightweight kids.)

 

[Unregistered]

He is tiny! LOL but he is 7 months old almost and is 10% for his weight and 50% for his height. He is just now 16lbs and is 27" (I think :S). He is in a graco infant seat (not sure the brand but is the most popular ones for their travel systems). He fits ok in it but I am just antsy to get a new one. If I choose to fly back with just his infant seat, I won't have the base though..

 

[wendytthomas]

An infant seat without the base is perfectly safe. And I'd much rather travel with that than the True Fit. It's wide and heavy. I have one, and I've never traveled with it. I have a smaller and lighter seat to travel with.

It will fit, it is FAA approved, I can just think of more comfortable seats to travel with.

Wendy

 

[Unregistered]

What is the best convertible car seat to travel with that you recommend that would also fit into a mid-size car? We are military so we fly a LOT to go visit family and to move.

 

[wendytthomas]

I have two seats. One stays in my husband's car as our spare/travel seat (it's a Combi Coccoro) and the True Fit stays in my car. The Coccoro will be outgrown between 2-3 years old rear facing, and 3-4 forward, so it's not a very long lasting seat. Laine's True Fit should get her to close to 5 rear facing and nearly seven forward, if she's like her sister. But the Coccoro is much lighter and smaller and fits better on a plane.

Other nice travel options are the Cosco Scenera and Evenflo Tribute.

Wendy

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks so much! I have been looking at the combi coccoro too. I just don't see them in person and it looks like of tiny online.

 

[erin327]

We flew last spring with our True Fit. We don't have any of the other seats often recommended for travel so I can't say that they wouldn't be better, but we got by with the True Fit. We had three adults and one child though. The seat is sort of heavy and awkward. We flew Southwest and the seat did fit on all three flights. I had to install it forward facing once to make it fit. Once I was able to install it rear facing. The other flight I ended up installing it forward to try to avoid causing a scene. Here is the thread with more of our story in it if you want more.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=121630

 

[unityco]

I really like this first year true fit because of the removable head rest.

Sorry if you already realize this, but in case you don't, I just wanted to point out that you can only remove the headrest while you child is under 22lbs and has an inch or more of shell above his head. That's still 6lbs away for you, though.

Even so, the TF will likely still fit well in your Camry RF with the headrest on. :thumbsup: