Easy Elite Slim All-in-One Convertible Car Seat

I have Cosco Easy-Elite All-in-One convertible car seats for both my kids, and I love them. They were each under $100 and are comfortable, durable, and easy to install. They are not heavy or bulky, and they fit beautifully in my sedan. My daughter is 4.5 and has been using hers since she turned 1. I have used other, more expensive car seats in other cars and have not seen the benefit of them, to be honest.

He probably won’t fit in the doona. Infant seats can not rear face, even on a plane. I would bring a cosco seat and use it on the plane. That’s what we did when we took our 18mo to Europe. She did end up being held for sleep but she was in her seat otherwise. Good luck!

We used it rear facing. Easier to keep her from kicking the seat in front. Movies did not hold her attention at that age so we didn’t attempt it. We have since used it forward facing on planes as well.

Cosco until big/mature enough for RideSafer.

I’d bring it. I have kids here, and the subway can be hard…no working elevators or filthy ones. Lots of stairs with bad weather and tired kid. Taxis also go super fast from the airport to the city. The car services might have car seats, but there’s no guarantees about their condition, size, installation and availability. I have a cosco for when I take my kids out…it sits (awkwardly) right on my travel stroller.

i have done this with a cosco travel seat. while in the airport, either wedge the car seat under the stroller (a bungee cord is great here) or on top of your carryon while you wheel it. then once you gate check the stroller, and get on the plane, put the car seat upside down ON YOUR HEAD and wheel the carry on. hopefully your 4 year old is being corporative for the walk down the aisle personally i'd check the carryon though it's not worth the effort

Where are you going that you don't need seats at your destination? We bought a Cosco brand seat for traveling. Much more lightweight and easy to install than our usual car seats. We used it on the plane and in our rental car while on vacation.

I put this list together a while ago. You may find it useful We’re a travel heavy family and have taken 23 flights with our 2.5 year old and a few with our 10 month old. We started flying/traveling with our oldest daughter at 6 months old. From New England we’ve traveled to Florida, Turks & Caicos (x3) Anguilla, Portugal, Italy, California, and North Carolina. **Flying tips:** - Direct flight if it’s available. The less time you spend navigating airports and trying to get the baby to nap on layovers, the better. - Of course pack extra of everything in the diaper bag (including outfits). - Try to time flights with the babies nap schedule if you can. The less time you have to entertain a baby/toddler on a plane, the better. - If it’s an international, 5+ hour flight, try to take an overnight flight that lines up with their natural sleep schedule. - On larger planes (mostly international flights), request a bulkhead seat with the bassinet if you can. You can safely use these until they’re about a year old. These are typically reserved for families with babies and you’ll likely have to call in for this. - Business class when they’re small and still sleeping on you is a god send. Our daughter slept through both of her overnight international flights either on my wife or laying next to her. She barely made a fuss both times. - Feed a bottle (or water when they’re older) at take off and landing. This will help them adjust to the change in pressure. - Strollers, car seats, diaper bags, and breast milk coolers all fly for free. You can either check them or gate check them. We typically gate check the car seat as it’s less likely to get damaged, and carry on the diaper bag, cooler, and stroller. - If you check or gate check a car seat, make sure you have a car seat bag. They’re pretty inexpensive on Amazon and will protect the seat a bit better. Plus, you can stuff the car seat bag with extra stuff. It’s never been looked at on all 14 flights. Some brands (like uppababy) sell their own bags and cover all damage made in those bags. We had our car seat and stroller damaged and they replaced both fully. - On the stroller…buy an easily collapsible travel stroller that fits in the overhead bin. There are lots of different options at different price points. We have the Uppababy Minu V2. - Once they’re out of an infant car seat look into buying a gravel car seat. The cosco is a great option at the low end and the Wayb Pico is a great option at the expensive end. - We find having a rolling carry on helps a ton. You can typically strap a bag to the handle when expanded and it’s much easier when juggling a baby. - Wear the baby through security. It’s much easier to have your hands free. Most airports in the U.S. don’t require you to take the baby carrier off. Most airports internationally we have found make you take the carrier off. - Most airlines let you board early with a baby. You may have to ask at the gate. This will allow you to guarantee your overhead bin space and get set up with ample time. Some people don’t like to board early with a baby or toddler because it’s more time they’re restricted in their seat. - Babies fly for free (minus taxes & fees) in a parents arms until they’re ~2 years old. We’ve found that for short flights, this is fine, but once our child reached ~10 months, having a seat for her was ideal and gave us a lot more space. - Load an iPad/tablet with shows/games basically anything to distract the baby if they get cranky. Airplanes are an unlimited screen time place in my mind. - Pack new toys your baby has never seen before and give them to them if they start getting a bit cranky. It’ll keep them distracted for a bit. - Make sure you think about how many feeds they’ll have on way to the airport, on the flight, on the way to the hotel and pack enough milk/formula AND bottles. - Bring plenty of snacks and variety! **General Travel/Hotel Tips:** - A lot of hotels will provide a crib/pack and play at no additional cost, or for a small fee. Reach out in advance. - If you can afford a suite, do it. Having a separate living room and bedroom makes naps infinitely easier and will allow you a separate space to be awake in after the baby goes to bed. - Try to get a room with a balcony so you can at least be outside while the baby naps. In Turks & Caicos we had a pool view room that was steps from the pool, so we felt comfortable enough to let her nap (with a monitor) while we sat in the closest loungers to our room maybe 10 yards away. - We found resorts or beach vacations to be much more enjoyable for everyone. City / exploring vacations are much harder, especially when working around nap times if your toddler or baby won’t nap in a stroller. - For city vacations, choose 1 thing you want to see or accomplish each day. Traveling is not the same as it was pre-kids. You likely can’t fit in 4-5 things a day anymore. - Find a park in each city you visit so that your kids can have some play time and maybe also get to interact with other kids. - On all vacations my wife and I will typically “rotate” nap times. I’ll stay in the room and she’ll get a couple hours to work out or explore or sit by the pool/beach. The next nap, I’ll get to do that and she’ll hang back. No reason for both of you to be stuck in the room! - Finding a hotel with free breakfast is great! You can make your way there in still in your PJs and it makes the mornings a lot easier. - Pack dish soap and a collapsible tub to wash bottles. - You can put a car seat in an Uber or taxi! We’ve never had anyone tell us “No”. Be sure you know how to strap the car seat in with the belt, just in case the vehicle doesn’t have the clips for a car seat. The biggest pain is the amount of stuff you have to travel with, but create lists, think about what you use on a daily basis and what you absolutely need and what you can live without. Traveling can still be enjoyable! To an extent it’s parenting in a different location, but we find our daughter loves the ocean/sand/pool so we still have had somewhat relaxing and enjoyable trips, especially for us to be able to see her having fun. She won’t remember the trips but we will and we value that.