Reddit reviews Child Airplane Travel Harness - Cares Safety Restraint System - The Only FAA Approved Child Flying Safety Device
We found 10 Reddit comments about Child Airplane Travel Harness - Cares Safety Restraint System - The Only FAA Approved Child Flying Safety Device. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Safety harness designed specifically for aviation travelCompact fits into 6 inches stuff sack weighs just 1 poundEasy to install takes less than 1 minuteAdjusts to fit almost every size airplane seatDesigned for children 1 year and older weighing 22 to 44 pounds and up to 40 inch tallSafety harness designed specifically for aviation travelCompact fits into 6" stuff sack weighs just 1 poundEasy to install takes less than 1 minuteAdjusts to fit almost every size airplane seatDesigned for children 1 year and older weighing 22 44 pounds and up to 40" tall
For kids that young, I think carseats are an option too, if you have a travel seat. That said, you would probably be better off going with 3 seats in coach, as it'll give her room to sit and play and stretch her legs. If you go this route, be sure to get an appropriate kid harness for the seat. This is the one I used on our trip to Florida with a 2.5yo.
Even though she's young, when you book, start talking about what's going to happen. Tell her all about planes and about being in the sky. Practice taking off and landing (put her in a chair and tilt it back and wiggle it around). If you have a flight museum nearby, take her out there so she can see a plane close up and get to know what it's all about. She's young, but would probably benefit from exposure to a new thing before it happens.
We always purchased a seat for our kids even when they were under 2 and could fly free on a lap. It's just so much easier to give them their own space strapped in to their car seat (most are airline rated these days).
Now that they are toddlers and have to have their own seat anyway we use this:
http://www.amazon.com/Child-Airplane-Travel-Harness-Restraint/dp/B0012E4FV8
If you want a car seat, go for this one - the Safety 1st 65. It's the one we travel with because it's very light weight and easy to carry around when on the go. I find it strange you say it's heavy, because it is about 10 pounds lighter than our regular everyday car seat and is one of the few that I found are narrow enough to fit in plane seats. So, I'd recommend sticking with the Safety 1st. And I never used a pool noodle... and honestly don't understand what you'd use it for. Anyway, we used it with great success, and no, she won't be sitting on the buckle because the belt path will be closer to under her thighs than under her butt. (Edit - if you want to be able to carry the car seat easier, get something like this.)
However, ever since my daughter hit 25 pounds (at about 18 months) we use the CARES harness instead of a car seat on the plane. It's the only FAA approved harness that isn't a car seat and it's wonderful. You can get it on Amazon.
Just keep in mind that the FAA allows infants on the lap because it boosts air travel rates, not because it's safe.
The turbulence issue is rare but pretty bad and can kill children. I tend to agree with the thinking that if you wouldn't put your kid in a car without a belt you shouldn't do it in an airplane either. There's only one FAA approved harness for little ones and it's pricey but it works (other harnesses are usually not allowed to be used which is retarded).
You're not asking about this particular issue but you've got good answers for how to handle your gear and I thought I'd suggest one more piece of overpriced "stuff". Happy traveling :).
You can use something like this for the plane depending on the size of your toddler:
http://www.amazon.com/Child-Airplane-Travel-Harness-Restraint/dp/B0012E4FV8
For riding around in taxis, my wife and I spent a year in Argentina with our toddler. We just held on tight to him while riding in a cab. In Argentina, if they see you rolling up on a cab with a car seat 1.) you're a tourist/about to get robbed and 2.) they'll keep on driving.
One of my Indian friends was traveling to India with her toddler just before we left for Argentina and we asked her the same question you're asking. She just looked at me weird like "why on earth would I bring a car seat to India?" It's not the kind of thing you ever want to tell your inlaws and it's weird as hell the first few times, but that's how it's done in the non-Western world.
Ooo I’m so glad you said you’ve been on mint! I have a question. We’re flying mint in December. Our toddler (he’ll be 20m) will have his own seat. Usually when we fly we sit in coach and we put him in his car seat, but this time I’m thinking it might be nice for him to have the option to lay flat. I was thinking of buying one of these cares safety harnesses instead. Any thoughts?
My almost 2 yr old and I just went to Hawaii from KC and back. She did really well and I was very surprised. I did a lot of research beforehand on basic boarding ettiquite and such for the airline, as well as the various airports we were flying into. Our total one-way flight time with layovers was 18 hrs (ack). The best thing was making it fun and interactive. We constantly looked out the windows, and when the seatbelt sign was off, she was allowed to be unbuckled. She was amazed by the tray table and I brought stuff for her to color with (although she likes drawing on my phone better), snacks, drinks, baby dolls, books, etc. I also bought one of these so we didn't have to use the carseat. It's FAA approved and she actually liked it!
I flew with my 18-month-old for the first time this month and we used one of the CARES harnesses for him (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012E4FV8?keywords=cares%20harness&qid=1451579406&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1). It was really simple and took up a lot less room than his car seat would have, so that may be an option. It helped him to be sitting next to us, I think.
Also learned on this flight that "small" electronic devices only have to be on airplane mode during takeoff and landing, so we were able to have a few episodes of TV shows that he likes downloaded and he could watch them during takeoff and landing. That seemed to help him stay calm. Also, lots of snacks and a sippy cup with water.
So, I have flown twice with my kiddo. When he was a crawler and when he was 22 mo. When he was little I brought a carseat with us. It honestly didn't fit the right way, there was just no way. This more recent trip I bought this. Even though he was a little young for it. Mmisstrez is saying they won't let you hold infant for take off/landing, is not true in my experience if you are flying them on your lap.
I would check to make sure any seat you buy is approved by the FAA. When I brought the car seat they asked to see the tags certifying it and I had a moment of panic because I hadn't specifically looked for them. They would have made me gate check it. Another thing to think about is carrying everything through the airport. Kid's safety is important, but so is Mama sanity.
This is the one we got: http://www.amazon.com/Child-Airplane-Travel-Harness-Restraint/dp/B0012E4FV8