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Reddit Reviews
We just got and used the Maxi Cosi XL Nomad for our 15mth year old. Apparently it can be used until 12yrs. Was portable & easy to install. Only issue was the beeping sensor sometimes goes off even when seat is correctly installed or when folded for travel. Feels safe & robust though.
There are a few brands of foldable car seats, Maxi Cosi has one that's good from 15mo. They are expensive but honestly the price of getting the crappy one from the car rental place is about the same. Once you get too booster seat age, then the MiFold and the Boostapaks are good options
Personally I wouldn’t trust taxi or hire companies to provide a car seat which was an appropriate stage, a seat I felt safe using and one I trusted had never been dropped or in an accident. Your son is at the awkward stage been infant carrier (unless he’s very small) and HBB, both of which are more portable than the toddler seats. If he still rear faces, the cheapest option for travel seat I see recommended is the Graco Slimfit R129 but it’s still bulky. On the smaller but pricier end there’s the TinySeats Two (which folds) or Nachfolger HyFive World (which is inflatable). If he’s forward facing the Maxi Cosi Nomad could work. [Just don’t get anything like this](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-are-ebay-and-amazon-still-selling-killer-car-seats-a4kjj8v3Jxp6) from Amazon or Temu or TikTok Shop. The link has a crash test included and they aren’t crash tested so just fall apart. You’d be better strapping him into the car seatbelt than one of those.
You could get a folding high back booster for the 3 year old (not ideal but as it's only for a transfer your risk appetite might be ok with it) like the Be Cool Foldy or the MaxiCosi Nomad. And then depending on the weight / height of the 18m old do they still fit in an infant carrier? If so you could buy a cheap one like the Joie Juva. Or Joie Steadi to travel with.
Maxi cosi Nomad folds very small and comes with a bag attached at the bottom.
We have a Maxi cosi nomad. It is a foldable car seat that comes with a carry baggy. You can fold it up and have it with you everywhere
We always brought our own. We had a few friends that rented them abroad and told horrific tales about how dirty and unsafe the seats provided were. Often just not appropriate for age/weight of the child, buckles could be opened by the child mid drive, etc. And this was in "safe" countries like Denmark 😳 given the extortionate prices rental companies charge for car seats, we just opted to bring our own, especially as it's included on planes for under 2s. Ours was always put in the bulky luggage and never once damaged even though we never used a bag for it. We've done over 15 flights with it so far. Once they outgrow their baby car seat there are some good travel car seat options out there (e.g. maxi cosi nomad).
We take our own car seats - we have a Maxi Cosi Nomad for our toddler and also a baby-carrier type seat for our baby. Check if a booster seat is ok for any of your children, but if not, I highly recommend the Nomad! Rent a car and install them. Nomad goes in the hold in a suitcase FYI
Our son was fine at just 2 years on the plane without a seat - in fact, the airline would not allow one anyway (I don't believe most European airlines do, it seems to be a US thing). We packed a Maxi Cosi Nomad in our case because we were hiring a car at our destination. However, usually we just need the pram/stroller for public transport.
I agree- doesn’t exist as far as I’m aware im afraid. We have the maxi-cosi nomad as it was the only affordable and easily transported car seat for toddlers I could get in the uk. It’s fine but not as small as I’d hoped - I think they used tall people in the adverts 😂
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