How to install a carseat on an airplane
If you’re planning a flight with your little one, they’re actually safest in their carseat onboard. CLICK HERE TO READ: CAN YOU BRING YOUR CARSEAT ON AN AIRPLANE? for everything you need to know about bringing your carseat inflight! Now that you know all the rules and best practices for bringing your carseat with you, lets talk about how to install it!
Read below for everything you need to know:
The Always Somewhere Family: How to install a carseat on an airplane
What carseat should I use on an airplane? If possible, we suggest purchasing a secondary carseat for travel so that your daily driver doesn’t run the risk of damage. You’ll want a seat that’s lightweight, easy to maneuver and install, and slim enough to fit in the narrow airplane seats. Our favorites include the Cosco Scenera Next convertible carseat that you can pick up for under $50 and weighs only 6.8lbs and the Maxi Cosi Mico 30 infant seat that weighs less than 9lbs! CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OUR FAVORITE TRAVEL CARSEATS
Determine if your seat should face forwards or backwards. In a car, your little one should rear face until 2 years old (at a minimum) or until they max out the height and weight limit for that specific seat in the rear-facing position. Ideally, the same rule applies in air. However, you might find it to be a tight-squeeze on some planes — especially on budget airlines where the space from seat to seat is mere inches! If you have the luxury of space for your seat to have a proper incline then install your infant seat or convertible carseat in the rear facing position. Otherwise, you can forward face the seat.
Find the correct belt path: For an infant carseat, there will likely be a slot or hook on each side of the seat towards the top for the seatbelt to slide in and buckle on-top of the seat. With a convertible seat, there will likely be a slot on each side of the seat towards the bottom for your to threat the seatbelt underneath the seat. One issue you may find is that the clunky buckle lands directly underneath your toddler’s bottom.
I’m still feeling nervous… Don’t worry! When you’re traveling with children you can take advantage of priority boarding! This means you can be one of the first people on the plane and have plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the seat and get situated. If you’re traveling with another adult, one of you could board the plane FIRST with the carseat and install it while the other keeps the kiddos in the terminal to let out their last bit of energy then board the plane in the back of the line.
Know YOUR seat before you go! Before you head to the airport, familiarize yourself with YOUR carseat’s SPECIFIC best practices and safety requirements. Make sure to read your carseat’s manual and you can also search for youtube videos directly from the manufacturer of your seat. It’s always best to ask for help! Some manufactures, like Uppababy, you can schedule a video appointment with their in-house CPST. Facebook group, Carseats for Littles, also offers fit-checks, best practices, and hosts a community of CPSTs to answer your questions.