New Cares airplane seat for babies

[Jeanine3kids]

has anyone tried that new Cares seat for airplanes yet?

 

[NotUrsula]

Just FYI it's not for babies; it is for children 22 lbs-44 lbs. and a minimum of 1 year old (capable of sitting front-facing.)

 

[canadianmom2three]

Haven't tried it, but have to second what the pp said. I've seen all the pics of it in use, and the little ones using it look VERY uncomfortable. Babies belong in carseats on the plane. I think the only thing it would be useful for is bigger kids, who can sit upright very well, and wouldn't be sleeping on the plane. Kids who might otherwise use the lap belt only. JMHO though.

 

[DreaGirl]

I have used it for two round trip flights. My DD is 2, 27 lbs, 36 inches. She didn't seem as comfortable as her carseat, but she wasn't uncomfortable. It was so much easier than carrying her carseat on the plane (we checked it for our rental car).

 

[clori]

We used it last summer for one round trip flight when dd was just over 3. She was 25lbs and 35.5inches. It fit fine but it was essentially worthless once dd quickly learned how to undo the seatbelt of the airplane seat. I am debating on what to do for our trip this summer but now that she is a year older it might work okay. I can't attest for how well it worked while asleep since she didn't sleep at all in either direction.

 

[Minniemouse07]

The CARES system is great for people that don't need a child restraint upon arriving at their destination.

IMHO it is a waste of money (and $75 is alot for some seat belt webbing) if you still need your car seat at your destination. It isn't worth the risk to check a car seat (subjecting it to possible loss or damage) and pay for the harness system.

If we were going to be taking more than 2 trips to WDW (the only place where we wouldn't need a car seat upon arrival) in the next four years I would get one. But w/ a 40lb upper limit it won't be useful for my already 35lb ds (he was 30lbs for our December trip and he won't traveling to WDW again until 2010).

Now my best friend travels to see her ILs about 2-3x a year...the CARES harness system makes sense for someone like her. We were quite fine "dragging" our Britax seat with us for ds to use on the airplane in December. We stashed it under the bus while in DME and used WDW transportation the rest of the trip. The car seat stayed in the corner of our closet area until we stashed it back under DME on the way home.

 

[Jeanine3kids]

Thanks for all of the replies my son is 2.5 and he is about 25lbs, but he does not like being restrained we never had this problem with my other 2 children. Last Nov we went to Disney and he wouldn't sit in his seat ( we didn't bring the car seat since he was a lap baby at the time.) He wouldn't sit on our laps so he ran around the plane it was a nightmare so this time we are bringing the car seat but when I saw this thing I thought maybe this will work and he can't get out of it. Once he is in his car seat he calms down because he knows there is no winning and he falls asleep. What would you do stick with the car seat or go for this gadget?

Jeanine

 

[justhat]

We are in the same boat as you. We own the CARES restraint and use it for my daughter, who is now 4yo. We got it when she was 3yo and it was great because we could just leave the carseat home on trips to WDW. She was comfortable in it and stayed seated and buckled.

We're going back in 2 weeks and now I'm wondering if I should try the CARES for my son and forgo his carseat. He'll be 22 months and is 26 lbs, 34 inches. Normally we bring the carseat for him. He's not at all the well behaved child my daughter was and is all over the place so restraint is necessary. But we're rooming with 3 other, unrelated people. So I figure the carseat will be taking up space and if I can eliminate it, i should. I think I'll end up using the carseat though, just cause I can be sure he'll sit in it and not escape, thus allowing a more enjoyable flight.

 

[DreaGirl]

Thanks for all of the replies my son is 2.5 and he is about 25lbs, but he does not like being restrained we never had this problem with my other 2 children. Last Nov we went to Disney and he wouldn't sit in his seat ( we didn't bring the car seat since he was a lap baby at the time.) He wouldn't sit on our laps so he ran around the plane it was a nightmare so this time we are bringing the car seat but when I saw this thing I thought maybe this will work and he can't get out of it. Once he is in his car seat he calms down because he knows there is no winning and he falls asleep. What would you do stick with the car seat or go for this gadget?

Jeanine

That's a tough decision. My DD doesn't like to be restrained either and I was very nervous about using it. I thought for sure she would just cry until I let her down. The restraint is like a 5-point harness, so I just told her to get in the seat so I could buckle her carseat. It worked.

 

[Jajone]

Does anyone have a link to where I can get one of these? Or at least see what it is?

 

[DreaGirl]

Does anyone have a link to where I can get one of these? Or at least see what it is?

Here ya go:

http://kidsflysafe.com/

 

[azcater]

I bought one and tried to use it for my ds (at the time was 18 months old) and he hated it. He cried and fussed and tried to pull it off him the whole flight. So then he would try and slip under it and then he was falling halfway off the seat, it was ridiculous. He does soo much better in his carseat although it is a huge hassle to drag it on the flight (it's the Britax Boulevard) But I bought a wheelie bag for it last time and it worked great. It's still a juggle figuring out how to get everything on the plane when it's just you and a toddler but we managed. I will probably hang on to it and try it again when he gets a little older.

P.S. My son was about 24-25lbs then.

 

[frtchr]

My DD (17 months) HATES her car seat. We used the CARES last month on our trip to Disney, and she was so much happier than when we made her be in her car seat. I think a lot of it really depends on your kids and how they feel about car seats and travel.

 

[katied]

I just used it for DS on our trip last week. He's 13 months - is 32 inches, 22 lbs, and can sit in a chair (or seat) very well. He did great with it. It helped him understand he needed to stay put. I only had him strapped in during take off, landing, and turbulance.

With that said, on long flights, I would still take his car seat, because he can nap must better, and is more comfortable, in his car seat. CARES for me is just for the shorter flights where I don't need the car seat on the other end.