International Travel with Toddlers: Car Seat (or vest!) Considerations

#travel #gear

After flying from the U.S. to Taiwan (twice) with my toddlers, I've become the go-to person for travel gear recs amongst my friends. Instead of sending the same lengthy text message over and over again, I figured I'd jot everything down in a series of posts for easy sharing.

Obviously, every kid and journey is different but this series will give you a few things to can consider. No referral links or anything like that.

Let's start with the biggest headache: car seats. Unless you're planning to car share everywhere (and even then), you need a solution. And no, you don't want to lug around your cushy at-home car seat, unless it's one of the ones I'm suggesting below:

Option 1: Low Budget Traditional Car Seat - Cosco Scenara Next

The Cosco Scenera Next is the lightest weight traditional car seat on the market. It's a bulky shape (like all car seats), but it's cheap and it works for both rear and front facing, so it'll last you a while. The link above might be for their older model.

Option 2: The Packable Premium - Wayb Pico

If you have the budget and want something that actually packs down, the Wayb Pico is the most packable car seat on the market. It's expensive, but if you're a frequent traveler, it might be worth the investment. Check it out at Wayb. I've seen kids strapped into these on short-haul flights and they seem great. I can't imagine keeping my kids in one of these flights for a 6+ hour flight, though. I've never had the pleasure of owning one but you should know about it as part of your research.

Important note: this is only for kids who can front-face.

Option 3: The Game Changer - RideSafer Travel Vest

Here's what I actually recommend for kids old enough to understand instructions: the car seat vest. This thing passes all the same testing standards that regular car seats do, as long as your child stays in the right position and doesn't mess with the straps.

For a kid who can follow directions and understands safety, this is ridiculously convenient and cheap. No lugging a giant plastic contraption through airports. Just a vest. Find it here.

Rideshare or Car Rental?

Since we did not rent a car in Taiwan and traveled via rideshare, we went with the travel vest for the older kid and cosco for the yougner kid. We only did this because I'd be with my kid in the backseat the entire time to monitor their straps. This is really important!

We've done some domestic travel where we did rent a car and have had to buy a last minute car seat (the cosco one) because the 4yo would either fall asleep or slouch in the vest, putting them in an unsafe position. So now I own...two cosco seats and a travel vest.

Car Seat Travel Bag

If you go with a traditional car seat, you'll also want a car seat travel bag. Some airlines (depending on the airport) will provide a clear plastic bag for you but definitely don't bank on that. Here's the car seat travel bag we use, it's cheap and effective.

Note: you can bring your car seat (not the vest) directly onto the plane to strap your kids into. I personally don't do this for long-haul flights because my kids would lose their minds, but it is the safest option for them while in-flight.

A Word of Warning About International Cars

Here's something nobody tells you: car safety standards vary wildly by country. In Taiwan, 99% of cars didn't have the ratcheting mechanism in the seat belt like they do in the U.S. Brand new Teslas didn't have them.

So, if you're paranoid, you might want a car seat that supports lower anchors (both cosco and wayb do). Anyway, be sure to do your research on your destination country before you land so you know what to expect!