Graco - Tranzitions 3-in-1 Harness Booster

Agree nuna rava is super easy BUT It’s $$$ and def not a grandma spare type car seat. Diono radian is front facing 5pt harness and I find it easy to install, have it in my husbands car and often have to take it out when we are driving other adults. Chico kid fit high back booster very easy to install. Just attach to latches and pull tight at the front. FWIW I bought a Graco transitions as an extra for grandparents and anytime they take it out and reinstall themselves it’s insanely loose and not right at all. It takes a lot of effort on my part to get it tight enough.

I have the graco 3-1-was the lowest cost from a brand I trusted, and all the way down to infant sizes when we needed a car seat for our second vehicle and didn't have time to wait for a second base to arrive from Amazon. The rotating is definitely nice I'm sure, but I would view it as more of an accessibility feature. Definitely not a requirement at all for the average person. Could likely make a massive difference for individuals with mobility disabilities. On my end I don't think it would change much. Exit to add: Make sure if you get a rotating seat is locked into place when driving even if your child is not in it! Huge safety thing!

2021 rav 4 2 forward and 1 rear facing Left is graco slim fit 3 in 1 with latch Middle is graco transitions with seat belt Right is graco infant car seat with latch. A lot of trunk space This setup also works with my 2019 Mazda cx5 but trunk space is way less than rav

We have the Graco transitions and are using it on the plane. Lightweight and that way we have a car seat when we get to our destination

We put a Grayco 3 in 1 in the third row forward facing and use the seatbelt. We fold down the other two 3rd row seats and that’s where our dog sits in his car kennel when we go on trips. We have a rear facing infant and rear facing toddler in the middle captains seats. The 3rd row kid buckles herself and I just reach back to tighten. Works for us.

Maybe something like the graco transition would be good. It’s shaped like a booster but has a 5 point harness. Then can grow with them into a booster seat when they get bigger. The ride safer vest could also be a good option travel and portability wise.

I am a CPST here in the US, so I have an extensive collection of car seats. I do a baseless install with a Nuna pipa, but I just installed the revolve slim today for my 1 year old (he is small) my 4 year old uses a Graco tranzitions and my 6 year old uses a bubble bum inflatable booster. My 4 year old has also used a ride safer travel vest. I’ve seen people manage 3 across with the graco slimfit. I’m not sure what seats you have access to. It’s doable though. My kids haven’t complained about being cramped when we do 3 across. We don’t drive more than 2 hours usually in one direction. If we are doing a longer trip, we drive my large suv.

For the diaper bag I just got a cooler back pack haha. It’s big enough that it fits everything I need especially for 2+ kids. It’s been very durable. Stroller it depends on your needs. I just got a travel system on sale. Car seat I got a Graco that grows with the kid. The one that I picked didn’t weigh much so that was a plus. For car we got a mini van and I love it! It’s so spacious and it’s so easy to put the kids on there without much struggle. Especially when space is limited (cars are parked next us). I think it’s good if you’re planning on having more than 1 kid. But even with one I still would’ve bought it.

Just flew with my son. No he fits the seatbelt great. I check the Graco transitions as our travel seat that way I have it in a car.

They should absolutely use car seats on the plane. Car seats are regularly damaged to the point where they are not safe to use when they’re checked. Also, the 1.5 year old is almost certainly not large enough to be able to use the airplane seat belt, which only starts fitting properly around 40 lbs or so. Get a wagon that folds and put the seats in that. Install the seats when you get on the plane, fold up the wagon, put it in the overhead compartment. Or use two of the trolley things. Turbulence is the number one cause of in flight injuries for children. I would recommend getting lightweight seats for travel - if your 4 year old is forward facing the Graco Tranzitions is a good option, and is FAA approved in harness mode (NOT booster mode). For the 1.5 year old it would be either the Cosco Scenera or Finale, based on their size. If your four year old is on the larger side, more than 40 lbs, you could get the RideSafer Travel Vest for them to use when you arrive at your destination, because the airplane seat belt SHOULD fit, but it’s a gamble.