It’s not a lightweight option, so I doubt I’d take it on my travels, but I’m not convinced many Group 1 seats are particularly good for that – finding a lightweight Group 1 car seat that also ranks well for safety seemed impossible, certainly to get something genuinely lightweight enough to take on a plane but still score well enough to use every day. Second, while the Doona always brings its wheels (and their weight) the Evenflo Shyft DualRide can leave the wheels behind on the car seat base or at home if you don’t anticipate needing them. That brings the weight of the car seat itself down to just 8-9 pounds – in line with many other car seats on the market. But it’s nice to have the flexibility to use the wheels when you want them and leave them behind when you don’t.

Most car seats are bulky and heavy due to their features, design, and materials, but there are exceptions. "The most travel-friendly car seat will be an infant car seat because they can be installed without the base, making Ubers and taxis easy while traveling and on the go," said Josh Dilts, product manager and child passenger safety technician at Chicco. Because it doesn’t require a top tether, the Wayb Pico is also the only foldable car seat for airplane use. Your kids can even fully use the tray table, unlike most forward-facing travel car seats, since it’s so low-profile. Weighing 9kg, it is light for a forward-facing toddler car seat but heavy enough that you won't want to be carrying it too far. And being able to travel with it as hand luggage would mean you won't have to worry about hiring a car seat or braving a taxi without one at your destination. It also reclines, has a special lever to tighten the belt and a green button pops up to tell you it’s fitted correctly – my main worry about using a non-isofix model.But if you plan to venture outside those areas you may have an extremely hard time using those car seats. We’ve encountered so many cars in South America, Morocco, Thailand and more that don’t have top tethers – rendering a fold up car seat like the IMMI Go completely useless. While you’d ideally use the top tether all the time with the Wayb Pico, at least you have the option to use it without the top tether if absolutely necessary.

So why wouldn’t every family put this foldable carseat on their baby registry? There are three downsides to consider with the Doona, and it’s up to you how important they are. If anyone knows of any great European transfer companies that are good at providing car seats please let me know in the comments. Take your own seats Like all Evenflo car seats, the manufacturer wants 1.5″ of clearance between the car seat and the vehicle seat in front of it. Practically speaking this rules it out for some compact cars unless you will always install it in the center seat (where the rule doesn’t apply). Keep that in mind if you’re planning on installing it by the window so that you can install another car seat on the other side! The Wayb Pico is by far the best foldable car seat for a 3 year old if you plan on lots of international travel. Why? The concept of a folding forward-facing harnessed car seat isn’t new. They’ve actually been made for years, including the current car seat used by Uber Family. The downside of prior seats is that they required use of a top tether. Without it, the seats don’t stay upright! If you’re traveling within the US, Canada or Western Europe that’s no problem. Inevitably, having made our decision, the rules are changing and babies around Minnie’s age are likely to be most affected although the new laws won’t apply instantly.After asking around and doing some googling and it seems there are 4 top options for travel car seats for toddlers on the UK market at the moment: For families going on extended journeys like ours who just can’t take a traditional car seat or those heading somewhere like NYC or Paris, where they’ll mostly rely on public transportation but need an occasional taxi ride, the Ride Safer travel vest is a fantastic option. It is not approved for use on an airplane, so you may want to pair it with the CARES harness ( full review here) to use on the plane.

Does it have a rear-facing option – safer but it will limit your choices, and may not fit in all cars. On the other end, many kids can use it until 15-18 months thanks to the extended headrest. It’s a very convenient option for travel with toddlers! We decided against this option though as we spend all this money to keep them safe at home, why risk it when abroad?! Arrange for the travel company to provide seats It’s legal to not have car seats for taxis/transfers in the EU so you won’t get into trouble for not using one.

What’s the most important thing to look for in a child’s car seat and why?

group 1 – rear or forward-facing seats suitable for children who weigh 9-18kg (20-40lb) or who are aged from about 9 months to 4 years However, I’ve done my research and a travel car seat option would be better for both than nothing at all. Portable car seats for toddlers in the UK In many ways their promise has come true. For certain families the Pico is the perfect solution to a really tough question of what to do when they need a travel 5-point harness, while for others it isn’t quite the right fit. Read our in-depth expert Wayb Pico review here .

When it comes to holidaying abroad, it’s hard to know what’s best to do about your kids and car seats. The thought of not having appropriate car seats makes us really anxious so I researched and tried out a few portable car seat for toddlers. In this blog post I compare 4 options of portable travel car seats for toddlers and tell you which we bought and why. Travel car seat for toddlers options

Will I need a base to fit the seat into my car?

Your car must have Isofix connectors for you to be able to use an i-Size car seat. At the moment there are only a few i-Size seats on the market in the UK and not all cars have Isofix connectors. Look out for safety days where experts demonstrate how to fit baby and child car seats safely. These often take place in supermarket or shopping mall car parks. You should use a car seat from the birth of your child till they’re at least 12 years old. If you’ve just welcomed your bundle of joy into the world and you’re all set to take your child home, go for a newborn car seat that’s rear or front-facing and comes under the group 0 or 0-1. Browse through our range of Joie car seats that offer some great safety and comfort features like side impact protection, a one-pull harness, and an overall cushioned seat. These i-Size certified seats allow you to choose the right one according to their height so they can rest safe, secure, and comfortably throughout the journey. We have now taken the BubbleBum with us on our recent holiday to Lanzarote. They aren’t heavy at all and they fit inside the kid’s carry on luggage (kid’s size character suitcases). Covers which can be removed and washed are a bonus as there will be plenty of opportunity for messy spills during the flight.