Cares Harness.... anyone tried it?

[DisneyLover83]

We are thinking of using a CARES Harness for our 15 month old on our flight, we bought her a seat but loath the idea of lugging a car seat. She meets the height and weight requirements and it is FAA approved but I'd love some real life reviews.


Thanks!!!

 

[Disneychica18]

Haven't used the harness but you could always buy a cheaper more lightweight car seat to take with you. From other websites and forums the cares harness is generally not a good fit for a child that age even if they meet the weight in it.

 

[msmama]

My son used it from about 18 months to 3 years (several flights per year). People will tell you that it gets in the way of the person whose seat is behind you, but it doesn't. Lower their tray, slip on the harness and then put their tray up again. They can use it normally throughout the flight. It is definitely easier with 2 adults (1 to put on CARES, one to wrangle toddler) but I did do it myself a few times, too.

My son was a DISASTER in his carseat the one time we tried to use it (ended up on my lap with an empty carseat in the seat next to us) which is why we went with the CARES. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how much safer it made him, but the chest strap was familiar to him so he knew he couldn't really move around or get up.

I've heard some people have had trouble with their kids sliding around because it doesn't have a crotch strap. We never really had that problem because he was often sitting up using the tray table. On the rare occasion he'd fall asleep while in the air I'd undo the chest strap so he could move around and get a bit more comfortable. As he got older, he would want the chest strap undone when the fasten seatbelt sign was off, but I think that was just because we he wanted to, not because it was uncomfortable.

Really the only reason we stopped using it was because I forgot to pack it once and he did fine without it.

I liked it. Way easier than dragging carseats along!! I'd be happy to answer any specific questions if you have them, too.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I honestly can't imagine it working for our son, who turns 1 in a week but will be 15 months old for our next trip. He meets the height/weight requirements but we are bringing the car seat. It's familiar to him and I just think it will work better.

 

[kboo]

We've had the same experience as msmama - used the cares harness (we own one) from about 2 yrs - 4 years, when she outgrew it by height. It really depends on your kid, if s/he is squirmy then it may not work that well. Our DD#1 always liked having a "seat belt" like the grownups, and she understood the rules and listened to the FAs and the announcements, so it was quite easy. (we've also taken several flights a year with it) It helped that we told her about it in advance and explained what the rules were for flying in the airplane.

 

[kohlby]

We have - but I'm not sure how well a child that young will fit in it. My child was a tall 2.5 years old and fit well. I read several reviews where it didn't work well for younger kids though.

It was very easy to install. I had read that the child's behind might slip too might in the seat so I brought a jar gripper for him to sit on just in case. He didn't need it - though I made sure not to put him in more slippery pants.

I agree with the suggestion to buy a lighter car seat to take along. I'm not up to date on baby car seats right now, but there used to be a really cheap light-weight five-point harness that many people recommended for that age for travel.

 

[mcjaco]

At 15 months, can't they still be on your lap??? I don't recall.

I know the first trip we took our boys on they were 15 months, and they sat on our laps for the flights. Since they hit two, and have to have their own seats on a plane now, we did the car seats on one trip (never want to do that again), and then just seatbelts on this last trip. They were fine both ways.

 

[dalmatian7]

At 15 months, can't they still be on your lap??? I don't recall.

I know the first trip we took our boys on they were 15 months, and they sat on our laps for the flights.

The point of the Cares harness is to make the lap belt safer for children who may be small enough to slip out of it in the event of a rapid decent or turbulance (a baby could slip out of your arms). I have traveled with the Cares and with a car seat (our big ole Britax). We used the car seat at 11 months and 23 months. One because we needed it when we got there and I was not checking something that could be ruined if dropped, and second our daughter did well in it because it signaled car ride. A car seat is a pain, no way around it but it was still a minor inconvenience.

We used the Cares for our first ME trip at just shy of 3 years and it has worked great. No problems with the tray tables behind us. One woman didn't even know I had installed something, she thought it was part of the seat. They do slide some when younger because there is no belt between the legs. I get better and better at installation. Try it out at home. I bought a used one off ebay instead of renting, and I plan on selling mine that way once we are done with it.

 

[mcjaco]

The point of the Cares harness is to make the lap belt safer for children who may be small enough to slip out of it in the event of a rapid decent or turbulance (a baby could slip out of your arms). I have traveled with the Cares and with a car seat (our big ole Britax). We used the car seat at 11 months and 23 months. One because we needed it when we got there and I was not checking something that could be ruined if dropped, and second our daughter did well in it because it signaled car ride. A car seat is a pain, no way around it but it was still a minor inconvenience.

We used the Cares for our first ME trip at just shy of 3 years and it has worked great. No problems with the tray tables behind us. One woman didn't even know I had installed something, she thought it was part of the seat. They do slide some when younger because there is no belt between the legs. I get better and better at installation. Try it out at home. I bought a used one off ebay instead of renting, and I plan on selling mine that way once we are done with it.

I'm not arguing the need or maybe not needing the Cares harness. I'm just asking, because I don't recall, the need for a seat for a 15 month old, as they don't need their own per the FAA or airlines.

Like I said, at 15 months, our two boys sat on our laps (thank goodness we scheduled flights at naptime!).

At 2 1/2, they had their own seat with their car seats buckled in. Lugging the car seats around wasn't fun, but when they need their own seat, and I'd hear just as many bad reviews, as good reviews about Cares, we opted to bring the seats along.

This past trip to Hawaii, (they were 3 1/2), we went with no car seats (rented from the rental car place), and they were fine with just the seat belt.

Really, it's on the parent to decide what their kid can/will tolerate, and what's in their best interest.

 

[dalmatian7]

I'm not arguing the need or maybe not needing the Cares harness. I'm just asking, because I don't recall, the need for a seat for a 15 month old, as they don't need their own per the FAA or airlines.

For some reason I thought it was a year? So I looked it up and it is two.

I don't want to argue either. I have heard grumbles from people on using the Cares and our car seat and why we would pay for a childs seat. Just like everything else its a choice. I think people just don't think about flying the same way they do driving.

 

[Bluegrrl]

We love our cares harness. We have a 3yr old, and traveling with huge care seat is a pain. So we check the car seat and strap him into the harness. As others have said, it's a little tricky on the first try, but it gets better with practice.

Most airline flight attendants have seen them, and can help.

 

[Ladcassidy]

We used a CARES harness from the time DD was 15 months old until last month, when we finally let her fly without it. She's almost 8! We loved it, and never had any problems hooking it over the seat. Highly recommend.

 

[DisneyLover83]

I'm not arguing the need or maybe not needing the Cares harness. I'm just asking, because I don't recall, the need for a seat for a 15 month old, as they don't need their own per the FAA or airlines.

She may not "need" a seat but we are flying Southwest and were able to get direct flights for $73 each way, at that price for our own comfort and space we bought her a seat.

 

[BubblyTrip]

We used Cares for a while and it was great. My child would never have stayed in a car seat on a plane. I'd have ended up with him on my lap with a big old car seat next to me. It was a great a fit for us.

 

[tabrizia]

We have one and have used it. It works, but some 18 month olds are too small for it. My daughter was too small for it until around 3. My sons were both fine with it by 18 months to 2. I found I prefer a car seat to the cares harness at that age though. It was far easier for mine to escape and they were far more comfortable in their car seats. That being said it worked okay and if I didn't need a car seat on the other side and mine were still young enough and small enough for it to be useful we'd use it.

 

[Dreamin192]

We're going in May and I rented CARES harnesses for my twins who will be 23 months. We went last year when they were 11 months old and lugged their infant seats with us. We were quite the spectacle in the airport, twin 11 month olds, a double stroller, and 3 year old, plus the two seats and all our carry on items. Not to mention the seats took up so much room in our hotel room once we got there. This time I am trying to cut down on the bulk so we went with CARES and even bought Maclaren strollers that will fold up more compactly than the ones we have and can rent while there. I do understand it's not as secure as a car seat and if it was a long flight I would suck it up and lug the car seats on the plane. I would also definitely do it if we were renting a car. However for us it's a 1 hour and then 2 hour flight, followed by Magical Express. I'm planning on bringing toys and snacks to keep them entertained.

 

[Docmum]

Wie used the CARE harness a couple of years and it worked great. But, in 2013, while I was putting it on again, a flight attendant (we were flying Lufthansa) denied approval! I explained her that it was FAA certified and so on nur she did not allow me using it! Even asking the captain did not help, he said the same thing: It was not according Lufthansa's guidelines, no matter, how safe it would be.
Being back home I wrote a letter to LH, requesting why they had not approved the CARE harness but their reply was not helping either - it was just a "we do not want that anymore", stretched over 10 poetry sentences.
So, just in case - this can happen,too.

 

[lorenni]

We have a Cares harness and use it every time we fly. DS doesn't mind it at all and as others have posted, it will keep him put in the event of severe turbulence.

 

[pezaddict231]

At that age I'd use a carseat. We bought a cheap lightweight one at Walmart, it was $40. DD was contained and fell asleep and was perfect the whole flight. We used the carseat for our next trip when she was 2. For our Dec trip we used the cares harness bc I didn't want to be bothered lugging around the carseat. It was really easy to install but she was slipping out of it the entire flight. When she fell asleep it was uncomfortable for her so she spent most of the flights awake so I spent most of the flight entertaining her.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

At what age did you stop using he cares harness? I am definately getting one for my three year old, but was unsure what to do for my 5 year old. I just read not to us the cares if the child is over 40 inches and over 44 pounds. We are flying in November. My son is currently 40 inches, but only 36 pounds. I know he will not be 44 pounds in November. So he will be over on the height but under on the weight. I was just worried if he would be safe without one?