How to travel when your toddler needs a car seat
Renting, carrying or buying a dedicated travel seat each has pros and cons. Safety experts share practical advice to help parents choose the best option.
From airports to taxis, travelling with a toddler’s car seat can be a challenge for families. (Illustration: The New York Times/Philip Lindeman)
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It’s 2026, and parents of toddlers have yet to come across a perfect solution for a perennial headache: travelling with a car seat.
As the father of a rambunctious two-year-old, I’ve learned this the hard way. My wife and I have tried every popular approach discussed on Reddit and parenting forums, including schlepping my own car seat through airports and renting one along with a car. Every option had downsides, and the struggle made some family vacations exhausting.
Yet, like many parents who want to expose their children to the world, I’m eager to continue travelling with my little one, so I asked experts on car seat safety for tips.
They agreed on one thing: The safest — and by far least convenient — idea is to bring your own car seat.
Convenience and safety are “like two north poles of a magnet that are just pushing apart,” said Dr Alisa Baer, a paediatrician who runs the Car Seat Lady, a safety consulting firm. But safety is non-negotiable, she added: “The car seat is the only product that you will have on your trip that is for the sole purpose of saving your child’s life.”
None of the tips or workarounds were perfect, but here are some of the best.
RENT A CAR SEAT? MAYBE NOT
Many parents who are turned off by the idea of navigating the airport with a seat simply choose to rent one at their destination. It’s an understandable approach, but renting has its dangers.
For one, a rental seat will probably be unfamiliar, which could lead to improper installation, and they aren’t always clean. Also, there’s no way to know the history of a rental, including whether it’s been in a crash, said Emily Thomas, an auto safety expert who leads the car seat program at Consumer Reports.
Leaving your seat at home would still limit your options for safely transporting your child to the airport. It would also leave you without a car seat on the airplane — not a great idea, Baer said — especially with growing concerns about the safety of air travel and questions about flying with children in your lap.
BUY A LIGHTER, THINNER OPTION
If you’ve decided to buy instead of rent, you have two main options: Get one seat for home and travel, or purchase a second just for trips.
Experts recommend choosing a slim car seat that fits down an aircraft aisle, or a lightweight model if you’re buying one specifically for travel.
Travelling from Singapore?
- Check whether your airline allows approved child seats on board.
- Consider whether your destination offers family taxis or ride-hailing services with car seats.
- If buying a travel seat in Singapore, choose one that’s lightweight and approved for use on aircraft if you plan to use it during flights.
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PUT IT ON WHEELS
Now, you have to figure out how to easily transport the car seat. A miniature wheeled dolly, like the Britax travel cart, can help. Another option: Put the seat inside a travel bag with shoulder straps, like one from Gorilla Grip, and wear it on your back.
During a recent family trip to Hong Kong, I tried the rolling strategy, loading my Chicco Fit3x into a bag with wheels. On the plane, the weight of the car seat made removing it from the bag and installing it in the window seat a challenge — but mission accomplished.
After arrival, I encountered another stressful situation: Taxis in Hong Kong do not have the lower anchors for installing car seats that US cars typically provide. That meant I had to consult a YouTube video to learn how to install the seat using a seat belt and a tether. (The cabdriver was not very patient.)
Later, I found a workaround: In the Uber app, I could select Uber Car Seat, an option to summon a vehicle with a car seat installed for a small extra charge. (Lyft has a similar option called Car Seat Mode, available only in New York City.) This feature spared me the indignity of hauling a car seat into museums and temples.
Uber Car Seat is currently offered in only about 30 cities, including Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Taipei and Vienna. An Uber spokesperson said in an email that the company planned to expand the programme.
Parents should resist the easiest, and least safe, option in cabs or ride-hailing cars: putting your toddler in your lap, Baer said. That’s because in a crash, an unrestrained child is likely to fly forward into the divider screen, or the windshield.
If you must go somewhere without a car seat, the best option, Baer said, is public transportation. Riding a bus may be time-consuming, but it can also be entertaining. Who doesn’t love singing The Wheels on the Bus?
By Brian X Chen © The New York Times.
A version of this article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Source: New York Times/bt
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