Car seats

[mamabear0222]

What do you all do about car seats?
Do you drag them with you? I totally dread doing this with 2 kids ...
We will be renting a car for our 2 week stay in Florida .. but I REALLY dont want to drag my car seats. I know some rental vehicles offer built in car seats .. any help or suggestions?
Thanks!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Are the kids little enough that you could use them on the plane?

I wouldn't trust a car seat from a rental place for a million dollars. And I don't think American cars have built in carseats. Maybe the occasional minivan has a *booster*, but if you're using car seats at home, I doubt a booster will be adequate.

Dragging them through the airport is fleeting. Having them safe and snug and secure in their seats for two weeks will be WELL worth it.

When we still used the proper car seat, we took it all the way through and gate checked it so we picked it up on the ramp as we left the airplane. I once checked it through to be picked up at the carousel, and watched in horror as it *slammed* down onto the metal. Yikes. If I dropped a bicycle helmet, with the same sort of foam, with that impact, I would replace the bike helmet. So I stopped checking through to the carousel after that.

 

[sam_gordon]

We rented a car for one day of a 7 day trip. We got a booster seat for our DS (then 3) from the rental car company. *I* made sure it was attached correctly.

Other times we've rented a car from the airport, we've brought our own car seats. They were certified for airplane use, so we used them on the airplane too.

 

[Jaymie]

For my youngest, we bring his car seat and he uses it on the plane.

We're Canadian too and unfortunately, CDN carseats don't have the same sticker showing that they are FAA approved. Has to be an American car seat if you're flying out of the US, if you're flying out of a CDN airport, shouldn't be a problem. I've been unable to use a CDN car seat once, that's why I know, but the flight attendant was very nice about and gate checked it for me.

For my older son who was still in a booster, I used a backless booster and just packed it in my luggage with clothes all around it. It didn't take up a ton room and save us tons of money on renting them. I think they charge $10/day per car seat at the rental car agencies. Plus who knows what's happened to those car seats.

 

[CourtneyL]

If the seats you have now are too heavy, you could always get two inexpensive lighter weight seats and use those instead. The Cosco Scenera is a good convertible and the Evenflo maestro is a good forward facing harness/booster combo. The Scenera is around $40 and the maestro is around $70 in the US. It would be cheaper than renting seats (which is usually around $10 a day per seat).
When we fly we attach the car seat to our rolling carryon. We use a strap called the Travelling Toddler, but you could just as easily rig something with bungee cords.

It's always best to have a child in a car seat on the plane in case of turbulence or an accident. If you choose not to use them during the flight I would gate check them as opposed to checking them with the regular luggage.

 

[Salrx95]

this is one of the many reasons why we drove for our first trip and will drive for our second next month.

good luck with it.

 

[mamabear0222]

Well my kids will be 5 when we go but still need seats. I may buy boosters to bring with us instead but our car seats are huge. Regardless safety first. ..

 

[ccgirl]

What do you all do about car seats?
Do you drag them with you? I totally dread doing this with 2 kids ...
We will be renting a car for our 2 week stay in Florida .. but I REALLY dont want to drag my car seats. I know some rental vehicles offer built in car seats .. any help or suggestions?
Thanks!!

For my DS5 I bring the car seat on the plane and use it on the plane. I also bring my DD10's booster as a carry on. I find seatbelts on SUV's go across her neck unless she is boosted up.

When they were both in car seats we took them both on the plane as they were both safer in cases of turbulence.

 

[DSLRuser]

Well my kids will be 5 when we go but still need seats. I may buy boosters to bring with us instead but our car seats are huge. Regardless safety first. ..

Florida only "requires" car seats to age 3.

When those of us over 35 grew up, we were all out of the car seat by age 2 in some cases and we survived.

To each his own.

We had this situation, my daughter just turned 3. We were in a car only from airport to condo, and condo to airport. We just sat her in the back and used the lap belt. No issues.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

booster seats can not be used on plane because plane does not have shoulder belts

 

[maurene]

The last time we went to Disney we rented high-back boosters for my DS and neice (who were nearly 5 and 6 yo, I think) from a place that specializes in renting baby/child gear. My husband arrived a few days before us (on business) so he was able to get the seats before we needed them. Some baby gear rental places do deliver to airports (for extra $$).

If you are comfortable putting the children in boosters, I probably wouldn't have real issues with renting from car rental place. But be sure to call them first. When I inquired about renting a booster, they said they didn't carry them because FL didn't require them (for children over 3, I think). But, renting for 2 weeks would likely be more expensive than just buying.

So, you might consider just buying boosters that you can check with your luggage - as often car seats don't incurr baggage fees.

 

[ccgirl]

I love my DS seat for travel. It is really a high back booster but when used with the 5 point harness it is approved for FAA airplane travel. When he's older we can take the harness out and just use the seatbelt.

My DH did forget the car seat once and we had to rent from the car rental company. I found them to be dirty, and they smelled weird. In addition, I watched other people throw them to the ground. After that, I said I would never rent one again.

Florida has one of the more lenient seat belt laws. For me, I was not comfortable following them. Safety to me was more important than convenience.

 

[Nicoal13]

I rented a carseat from A Baby's Best Friend www.abbf.com when DS was younger. They delivered right to the resort. They leave it with Bell Services and when you leave, you give it back to Bell Services for pick up.

The seat was clean and worked out well. It was nice not to haul one through the airport.

 

[pooh4evr]

A 5 yr old in a big carseat on the plane is going to be a tight fit. I would use A baby's Best Friend (we have twice and loved them) . Land, DH gets rental car, you and kids take DME bus to resort, once there the carseats should be the waiting in the luggage storage area. Then you can put them into the car and be on your way! We have split up before, kids and I go on the bus and DH gets the car, we arrived at the resort pretty much at the same time maybe 5 min difference.

 

[mamabear0222]

Yes I know boosters can't be used on a plane but we will be renting a car for 2 weeks and no way I'm just putting my kids in a vehicle without some kind if car seat. Yes I realize 35 yrs ago we didn't need seats. Women also smoked while pregnant and we rode on our mother's laps. Doesn't mean I would do the same today and endanger my child. I personally could never live with myself if something happened I could've prevented just because it was "inconvenient" for me to drag a child restraint with me on a vacation.

 

[mamabear0222]

Thanks for the suggestions. .. I will look into for sure. You are right about the tight fit in big seats....