Very lightweight booster for travel

shelbyscout

New member
Here's my situation. I'll be flying alone with my 2 kids and need to figure out a reasonable car seat solution. DD, 2, rides in a Radian, which will go on the plane with us. DS, 5, also has a Radian but I'm not going to be able to handle getting both on and off the plane and through the airport by myself. I refuse to check a seat, even gate checking.

My thought right now is buying an inexpensive, lightweight HBB, pref harnessed, for DS and leaving it in the original box, checking it as luggage in its box, and having DS in a CARES harness on the plane (which he has done before with no problems). The catch is getting the right price and a lightweight HBB for this kind of situation. DS weighs about 48 lbs and is about 40" tall (I haven't measured him for a while). At home he rides in the Radian in one car and in a Maestro in the other. I'm not thrilled with the Maestro because the straps constantly twist and ours is hard to buckle.

I will have help with the luggage at both destinations but compact and lightweight on the second seat would help tremendously. At home it would go into a grandparent's car for occasional use.

Does anyone have any suggestions or feedback on this idea? Thanks so much!

Shelby
 
ADS

shelbyscout

New member
I haven't been overly thrilled with our Maestro. Our straps are constantly getting twisted, even through the buckle so I have to spend a bunch of time carefully folding it through the buckle to lay flat. Plus the LATCH is very difficult to loosen.

At what age or stage can a regular seat belt be used with a booster?
 

bubbaray

New member
I would use a Harmony Literider LBB at the destination and use the lapbelt (not CARES) on the plane. I also would use the CARES harness for the 2yo on the plane and gate check the RN.
 

bubbaray

New member
Well I move my own children to HBBs at 5/40 and after that use LBBs for trips involving air travel. There was a study (that some here disagree with) showing no statistical safety difference between LBBs and HBBs.

There was also a statement (2012?) from the manufactures stating that gate checking does not render a restraint crashed.

When my kids were in harnessed seats, RNs were our travel seats and we always gate checked them after are two-ish. Crash physics are different in a plane and I was satisfied that the lap belt or CARES were sufficient for turbulence.

Plane travel, particularly with more than one child and one parent, is IMO where there is a lot of parental judgement. I would do whatever made it *easier* for the parent because, statistically the highest risk is the trip TO the airport (& trips at the destination, for which you would have seats).

Re lost gate checked items I always used the huge red JL Childress gate check bags. I still use them for the LBBs

Also I always got my seats thru the airport by piling them on a stroller and gate checking that too.
 

jordansmom

New member
I agree on using a LBB for your oldest for travel, but if you are going to be bringing your radian to the gate and your two year old has a seat, why not just carry it the extra 100 feet onto the plane? I would pack the rearfacing boot in my luggage and use it forward facing on the plane to make things easier. I just personally wouldn't risk damage or it not showing up at my destination if I was going to cart it through the airport anyway.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
If you are going to use a LBB at the destination, what about a Bubblebum? You could bring it right on the plane with you in a carryon, so there would be no worry about it not arriving at the destination.

How long is your flight? I'd probably bring the Radian on board for the 2yo like you had planned as it will be easier to keep him seated during the flight and less squirrely (at least that would have been the case when my kids were 2!).
 

gigi

New member
If you can get your hands on one, the Boostapak is AMAZING. My son carries it on, filled with his stuff for the plane, and it is SO easy to set up and use...he can do it himself. Also the shoulder belt guides are attached and work so easily. I have one from England but I think they have a US version now.
 

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