High Back Booster for Airplane/Rental Car?

[mzozzietj]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this so please feel free to move if it isn't.

We've always purchased a seat for DD so we could travel with her car seat on the plane. For us it worked out best since she was used to her sear and slept for most of the flight. Plus we got the peace of mind knowing she was securely strapped in. We always had to bring a less expensive car seat on the plane because the Britax was just too big to fit comfortably (we usually travel on southwest).

This year DD will be 3.5 and she's nearing the limits on her car seat. We have the Britax Marathon & Frontier in our cars for her but they are gigantic and definitely won't work on a plane. I told my mom I'd buy a new high back booster for her car and we could use that for the flight/car rental on our trip.

I can't seem to find any information on what high-back boosters are permitted on flights. Many of the high back ones can also convert to backless so I'm not sure if they're permitted. We'd prefer a booster that has a 5-point harness as she does often fall asleep in cars/planes and slip down if there isn't a strap between her legs.

I purchased the CARES harness a year or so back but our experience did not go well as it doesn't have a strap between the legs to keep a child from slipping down.

Anyone know where to see what high back boosters are permitted on flights and anything about dimensions, etc. Or does anyone have first hand experience using a particular brand?

I think she's still small enough that we can use a car seat for this trip if needed then we'll move to the harness next year but I figured since we need to get a booster for my mom's car and we'll need one for the rental car in the future too i'd try to find one we could use this trip too.

Thank you for any help!
-stacey

 

[stephie1012]

How much does she weigh? The evenflo maestro Is a good one it's lightweight and can be used on the plane. High back boosters that rely on the cars vehicle belt to hold child in ie that don't use a harness will not be allowed to be used on the plane. What you want isnt really a high back booster you want a forward facing only seat or one that eventually converts to a booster. The graco nautilus is another one, more money and a bit heavier but will last longer for most kids.

 

[mzozzietj]

How much does she weigh? The evenflo maestro Is a good one it's lightweight and can be used on the plane. High back boosters that rely on the cars vehicle belt to hold child in ie that don't use a harness will not be allowed to be used on the plane. What you want isnt really a high back booster you want a forward facing only seat or one that eventually converts to a booster. The graco nautilus is another one, more money and a bit heavier but will last longer for most kids.

Yes, we definitely want the 5-point harness not the ones that use the vehicle's belt. I think she's around 38 or 39 lbs but I'm looking for her last physical to double check. It seems the maximum for most of the smaller car seats or boosters with 5-point harness is 40 lbs. What I mean is that most of the high-back boosters I can find only support the harness until 40 lbs then after that they have to use the vehicle belt.

I just looked up the Evenflo Maestro and that one does support using the harness up to 50 lbs so it's 10 lbs more than most of the others!! Now I need to look up car seat dimensions and see how much thinner it is than the Marathon/Frontier. Thanks so much for the tip!

 

[mzozzietj]

Hmmmm she was actually only 34 lbs back in March so she might be okay for another 6 months or so. I have to take her back into the Dr next month so I can check then.

I'm overly protective obviously

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I can't seem to find any information on what high-back boosters are permitted on flights.

Booster seats of any type are not allowed to be used on planes, period. You can carry them on and stow in the overhead. If you want to use a seat on the plane, it must be a regular car seat.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/

Booster seats and harness vests enhance safety in vehicles. However, FAA prohibits passengers from using these types of restraints on airplanes during taxi, take-off and landing. These restraints should be checked as baggage. Also, supplemental lap restraints or "belly belts" are not approved for use in both airplanes and vehicles in the United States.

 

[mzozzietj]

Booster seats of any type are not allowed to be used on planes, period. You can carry them on and stow in the overhead. If you want to use a seat on the plane, it must be a regular car seat.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/

Booster seats and harness vests enhance safety in vehicles. However, FAA prohibits passengers from using these types of restraints on airplanes during taxi, take-off and landing. These restraints should be checked as baggage. Also, supplemental lap restraints or "belly belts" are not approved for use in both airplanes and vehicles in the United States.

I thought if the seat had the 5 point harness and a high, solid back they were considered a car seat and were permitted.

If this is the case, I modify my request for advice on finding a thinner/taller style car seat with 5-point harness that supports higher than 40 lbs, ideally much higher. Our marathon is huge so I'd prefer something that fits better on an airplane seat.

 

[mzozzietj]

I may be using the wrong terminology, perhaps they are called combination car seats?

 

[MegaDisney]

OP, I think the confusion is in how you are describing the seat. When I hear the word "booster" I consider that the type of seat that only uses a seat-belt to hold the child in (it can be high-back or backless). The seat itself is not anchored to the car in any way.

A child seat that uses the 5-point restraint, and is anchored to the seat, is not typically referred to as a "booster". It's usually just called a car seat. True, some of these can be converted to booster seats, but not all. Once you start talking booster, most people think you are talking about a true booster seat, and those are not allowed on airplanes.

What about the Scenera? Would she still fit in one of those? I had a couple in my lifetime, but my youngest is now 6 so it's been a while. I loved that seat for travel- so light and easy to install. Great seat for the money.

 

[amylynne01]

A booster seat (high back or no back) uses only the car's seat belt to keep a child in. These are not permitted on planes because they require a shoulder and lap belt, where a plane only has a lap belt. A combination seat (what you're looking for) is a forward-facing harnessed seat that converts to a booster. A 3.5 yr old should most definitely be in a harnessed seat. Most kids are not developmentally ready for a booster until age 5-6.

A Scenera has a 40lbs weight limit, so it wouldn't be a great choice here. There are many combination seats on the market, but many have really short harness heights and won't last until 40-50lbs even though they say they will. Or the booster positions the belt horribly and can cause more injury than prevent them. The Evenflo Maestro is the cheapest of the combination seats that will last to 50lbs and make a decent booster. Other options are the Graco Nautilus, Graco Argos, Britax Frontier, and Recaro ProSport.

The Maestro is most definitely smaller than the Marathon and Frontier. It has lower sides than the Marathon and is not as wide as the Frontier. I think it's a great travel or backup seat.

 

[mzozzietj]

A booster seat (high back or no back) uses only the car's seat belt to keep a child in. These are not permitted on planes because they require a shoulder and lap belt, where a plane only has a lap belt. A combination seat (what you're looking for) is a forward-facing harnessed seat that converts to a booster. A 3.5 yr old should most definitely be in a harnessed seat. Most kids are not developmentally ready for a booster until age 5-6.

A Scenera has a 40lbs weight limit, so it wouldn't be a great choice here. There are many combination seats on the market, but many have really short harness heights and won't last until 40-50lbs even though they say they will. Or the booster positions the belt horribly and can cause more injury than prevent them. The Evenflo Maestro is the cheapest of the combination seats that will last to 50lbs and make a decent booster. Other options are the Graco Nautilus, Graco Argos, Britax Frontier, and Recaro ProSport.

The Maestro is most definitely smaller than the Marathon and Frontier. It has lower sides than the Marathon and is not as wide as the Frontier. I think it's a great travel or backup seat.

Thank you all for attempting to read my mind and not what I was typing! I apologize for not knowing the right terminology. I think I'll go check out the Maestro for my mom's car and for our trips. I appreciate your help!

Babies R Us has their trade in event going on right now too

 

[mzozzietj]

OP, I think the confusion is in how you are describing the seat. When I hear the word "booster" I consider that the type of seat that only uses a seat-belt to hold the child in (it can be high-back or backless). The seat itself is not anchored to the car in any way.

A child seat that uses the 5-point restraint, and is anchored to the seat, is not typically referred to as a "booster". It's usually just called a car seat. True, some of these can be converted to booster seats, but not all. Once you start talking booster, most people think you are talking about a true booster seat, and those are not allowed on airplanes.

What about the Scenera? Would she still fit in one of those? I had a couple in my lifetime, but my youngest is now 6 so it's been a while. I loved that seat for travel- so light and easy to install. Great seat for the money.

Thanks so much for clarifying for me! We actually have the scenera in my mom's car now and it is the one we usually use for our vacations on the plane since it's so light and small. It's weight limit is 40 lbs so I was looking to replace that one for my mom's car.

I think she might still be small/light enough to use this for our upcoming trip (I'll double check her weight) and I'll look into higher weight limit combo seats with harnesses to replace it.

 

[mzozzietj]

Incase anyone else is looking, I just found this website which indicates which are FAA approved too: http://www.carseatsite.com/recommended_car_seats.htm#Combination_Seats

 

[laughinplace199]

DS5 has a Marathon in our car and we bought the Evenflo Maestro for travel (or to use as an extra seat in my mom's car).

The Maestro is definitely smaller than the Marathon. It's a pretty decent travel seat.

 

[camlace]

My 7 yo is 42 lbs...you might find your 3-4yo stays in he 30s for quite awhile. My daughter hasn't gained more than a pound or two for the last 3 yrs...just grown vertically

We have a Britax Frontier and Radian RXT. Both are FAA approved and go to 85 lbs in the harness. Not sure I ever heard of a car seat that had a 40 lb weight limit on the harness, that seems awfully light.

 

[2binak]

The Graco Nautilus uses the 5-point harness up to 65lbs (or 57") so you would definitely get more use for your money with the Nautilus since it will last you longer than any other convertible car seat. I got DD's on sale at Target last year for $125. TRU has them right now for $150, or $113 with the 25% off trade-in discount.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

We have the Graco Nautilus in my husband's car, and I just bought the Graco Argos for my car. They are heavy--I'm not gonna lie. But I liked that they are sturdy and seem to be well-built. My daughter is 6 1/2 but still under 40 lbs., so she will be in those seats for a good long while!

 

[mzozzietj]

DS5 has a Marathon in our car and we bought the Evenflo Maestro for travel (or to use as an extra seat in my mom's car).

The Maestro is definitely smaller than the Marathon. It's a pretty decent travel seat.

Sounds exactly like what I was thinking, thanks for sharing!

 

[franluvsbubba]

Many Britax models go up to 65 or even 80 lbs with the 5 point harness. The Graco Nautilus goes up to 65 with the 5 point harness and thn u can use it as a booster to 100 lbs. My almost 10 yr old daughter is only 45" and weighs 38.5 lbs so I have her in a carseat still NOT a booster cause of how she fits in those.

 

[mzozzietj]

My 7 yo is 42 lbs...you might find your 3-4yo stays in he 30s for quite awhile. My daughter hasn't gained more than a pound or two for the last 3 yrs...just grown vertically

We have a Britax Frontier and Radian RXT. Both are FAA approved and go to 85 lbs in the harness. Not sure I ever heard of a car seat that had a 40 lb weight limit on the harness, that seems awfully light.

That makes me hopeful maybe I can get another year on the Cosco Scenera. I have to see about the height limits to be safe also.

I was looking at less expensive models to have as travel/back-up since they tend to be thinner, lighter. I don't want to lug the Frontier as much as I do love them! I like to leave them in the car, don't even want to move it from my car to my mom's on the rare occasion she takes DD for the day. Most of the less expensive smaller convertible seats have higher limits but that's for the passenger seat belt, the harness is only good to 40 lbs.

 

[mzozzietj]

The Graco Nautilus uses the 5-point harness up to 65lbs (or 57") so you would definitely get more use for your money with the Nautilus since it will last you longer than any other convertible car seat. I got DD's on sale at Target last year for $125. TRU has them right now for $150, or $113 with the 25% off trade-in discount.

I just saw the Graco Nautilus at Walmart for $125 today also. I thought that was a good price but I wasn't sure about the dimensions (width wise) versus the Maestro for fitting on an airplane. I do like that it goes up to 65 lbs though so we can use it longer.

My mom is not good about safety. We flew down to visit her in Tampa when DD was only 18 months and she picked us up with a booster seat for DD to ride in. She had borrowed it from someone she knew and thought it was completely safe for a 1.5 yr old :O (but then I remembered they crammed 6 kids in the back seat of the vista cruiser when I was a baby, lol) - long story even longer... Even though DD is only with her a half a dozen times a year on average, I'd like to give her one with the high back and the harness so DD is safe when she is with her so I don't rely on her to pick one out.