There’s a lot to consider when flying with a child! Everything from packing and snacks to entertainment and safety all require lots of planning and thought. Of course, the most important of these is safety! Many people don’t realize the risks of air travel, and opt to have their child sit on the airplane seat with no restraint system, or they even have their child sit on their lap!
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommend that children under 40 pounds use their child restraint system (CRS) while flying. Why? Because the lap seat belts (or your arms, if they’re in your lap) aren’t sufficient for keeping your small child safe in extreme turbulence or a rough landing.
Beyond safe airplane travel, there are other benefits to bringing your car seat on the airplane as well! Sending your car seat through the airline’s bag-checking process can end up with it being damaged or lost, so it’s best to keep it with you at all times. Plus, your child will likely be most comfortable sleeping, playing, and snacking in their own seat. You won’t have to wrestle your kids to sit the whole flight either!
All around, bringing a car seat for your child on a flight is the best choice for safety and convenience. But what car seats are FAA-approved? That’s what we’re going to dive into today! Here’s what you need to know about FFA-approved car seats.
What Car Seats Are FAA-approved?
Most, but not all, car seats have FAA approval! To see if your car seat has FAA approval, locate the usually white label on your seat that reads: “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft travel.” You can also find this information in the manual!
The FAA strongly recommends parents should buckle small children into their car seats that are installed on their own airline seats. However, if your child is normally in a booster seat, the FAA notes they should be in their own seat with a lap belt. No booster. (Here’s how to install a car seat on a plane if you need it!) Airlines also have what they call the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES) device that positions the airplane seat belt to suit children up to 40 inches tall and between 22 and 44 pounds. However, we don’t recommend this because once you arrive at your destination, you’ll need your own child safety seat anyway since trusting rentals isn’t a wise choice.
Below, we’ve got a bunch of car seats for travel! There are lots more than what’s on this list, as far as FAA approval goes. However, we’ll give you some of our favorite car seats for travel:
FAA-approved Car Seats
FAA-approved Infant Car Seats
Doona
Doona is an incredible infant car seat that folds out into a handy stroller, making it one of the best choices for a travel car seat! The dual features make the car seat a tad heavy, but you’ll love only having to bring one piece of gear that functions as a car seat and a stroller. However, if you plan to use this seat outside the U.S. or Canada, you’ll need to bring a locking clip, which you can get from the manufacturer for free.
Evenflo Shyft DualRide
Here’s another stroller/car seat combo! The Evenflo Shyft DualRide is a better choice over the Doona if you have a very small baby since it gives a better fit. Like the Doona, it’s pretty heavy and will require a locking clip if used outside of the U.S. or Canada. Other standout features of the Shyft include the removable stroller base and the SensorSafe chest clip!
Nuna PIPA urbn
The Nuna PIPA urbn is a great choice for travel because it’s compact, easy to install, and it’s suitable for small babies. It has rigid lower anchors attached to the seat! You can also install the seat using a European baseless routing method that makes the seat particularly international travel-friendly! Plus, if you’re looking for a non-toxic car seat option, the Nuna PIPA urbn uses flame-retardant-free Merino wool fabric!
Clek Liingo
The Clek Liingo has a lot of the standout features of the Nuna PIPA urbn, including fitting small babies well, a compact and lightweight design, flame-retardant-free fabric (Railroad), and the European baseless routing option! We also like that this seat has lower anchors attached to the infant seat rather than the base for easy on-the-go installation!
FAA-approved Convertible Car Seats
Cosco Scenera Next
If you’re hunting for a second car seat to use when traveling, the Cosco Scenera Next is the perfect option because not only is it airline-friendly, but it’s also very inexpensive! It’s a convertible car seat that’s compact, extremely lightweight (only 7 lbs!), and fits most kids from birth to around 2.5-3 years of age. Though it has a forward-facing option, by the time your child maxes out the rear-facing seat limits, they’ll probably outgrow the forward-facing limits, too.
Maxi-Cosi Romi
The Maxi-Cosi Romi is a compact convertible car seat. It’s affordable and weighs only 8 pounds, making it a smart choice for a dedicated travel seat. The fabric is flame-retardant-free, too, which is impressive when considering the low price. If you have a tall child, they’ll likely grow out of this car seat sooner than you’d like. This seat is identical to the Cosco Scenera Next, except for the fabric.
Safety 1st Jive
The Safety 1st Jive is another affordable travel convertible car seat option that actually fits up to 65 lbs! It weighs less than 10 pounds, and the seat is pretty compact, which makes it perfect for flying! However, if you plan to use this seat for your newborn, we’d advise against it due to the lowest harness height being too high for most kids under the age of 6 months. This is a great option once your child grows out of that infant car seat!
Evenflo Sonus 65
Here’s another lightweight convertible car seat option for travel! You can use it from birth, and it’s well-suited for tall children. So, if you’re worried about keeping your taller kiddo in a front-facing 5-point harness for as long as possible, this could be a great fit.
Century Drive On
Unlike all the other seats in this section that are rear-facing and forward-facing, the Century Drive On also transforms into a high-back booster seat! (However, you can’t use the booster seat mode on an airplane.) It’s still just 14 pounds with the added feature, and it’s not too pricey either. You’ll also love that Century uses recycled water bottles to create the fabric for this seat!
Britax Emblem
The Britax Emblem is a great seat for travel for a few reasons: it’s fairly lightweight, it has an included seat belt lock-off for international travel, and it fits up to 65 pounds. The Safewash fabric version is also flame-retardant-free! Though it says it’s suitable for as low as 4 pounds, the seat doesn’t suit newborns well. We recommend you move to the Britax Emblem after outgrowing an infant car seat.
Are There FAA-approved Booster Seats?
No. Booster seats do not have FAA approval, as they do not meet safety standards. Place your boosters in the overhead bin. (We do not recommend checking them, of course.) Kids using a backless booster or belt-positioning booster will be safe in their own seat using the lap belt.
Are RideSafer Travel Vests FAA-approved?
No. The RideSafer Vest does not have aircraft approval. Again, pack it in the overhead for use later. If you have kids in RideSafer vests, they should be sitting in their own airplane seat with the lap belt fastened.
What Car Seats Are Not FAA-approved?
As mentioned, most car seats are FAA-approved, but some aren’t. Here are some car seats that are not FAA-approved:
- Graco Turn2Me 3-in-1 Rotating Car Seat (Can use on a flight in front-facing mode only)
- Baby Jogger City Turn Rotating Car Seat (Can use on a flight in front-facing mode only)
- Nuna REVV Rotating Car Seat
- CYBEX Sirona S Car Seat
- Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 Rotating All-in-One Car Seat
Most car seats are FAA-approved, but check yours to make sure!
If you’re planning on traveling with your car seat, let us first give you a pat on the back! You’re making the safe choice for your little flier. Before you take off, make sure you have an FAA-approved car seat. Even if your car seat is FAA-approved, but you don’t like how heavy or bulky it is, grab one of the car seats listed above or check out our full list of the best car seats for air travel.
If you still need help finding the best seat and navigating the chaos of air travel with kids, take our Wheels Up: Airplane Course! It gives you EVERYTHING you need to know about flying with a car seat. For more information, you can find additional safety information and car seat advice on the Safe in the Seat blog! Here are just a few articles that’ll make your trip a breeze:
- Activities for Kids on a Plane
- How to Travel with a Car Seat
- International Guide to Traveling with a Car Seat
- Hacks for Travel with Kids
- Airport Safety for Families
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