READ MORE: The Fatherly Guide to Car Seats The most important element in finding a good travel car seat that you can travel with is weight, or rather a lack thereof, since anything more than 20 pounds is going to be tough to lug through an airport. After that, you also want something that’s easy to install for when you get out of the airport and into a taxi or rental car. The five car seats on this list meet those two essential criteria, while earning recommendations from numerous travel bloggers and high ratings from Consumer Reports. Any of them can work as your day-to-day car seat, but are especially well-suited for families who like to ditch their car and travel by plane.
Safety 1st Guide 65
Weight: 14lbs Infant/Convertible: Convertible At just 14 lbs., the Safety 1st Guide 65 is easily transportable through airports, but it also works well as a daily hauler. It works as a rear-facing seat for kids from 5-40 lbs., then goes front facing for kids until they reach 65 lbs. It has a multi-position headrest to accommodate growing kids, and a hand-washable seat pad. It’s compact design also means it’s a good fit for economy cars, and also that it can be used in three-across seating just in case you’re living the joy of having three very small children at the same time. Buy Now $85
Combi Coccoro
Weight: 15.6lbs Infant/Convertible: Convertible The Combi Coccoro also features a compact size and boasts three-across seating capability. It’s safety features include thick side padding and a harness that gives a visual indicator once it is securely buckled, as well as a tether for added rear-facing security. Plus, the fabric is machine washable for day-to-day convenience. It seats children from 3-33 lbs. When rear-facing, and 20-40 lbs. front-facing. Buy Now $177
Chicco Keyfit 30
Weight: 17lbs Infant/Convertible: Infant This infant-only seat earns high marks for safety, lightweight portability and all-around ease of use, particularly when using it with the base — testing indicates that it can be trickier to secure with belts only and no base. It comes with a padded newborn insert, and the fabrics are machine washable. This will comfortably and conveniently carry newborns through infants, up to 30 lbs. Buy Now $200
Cosco Scenera NEXT
Weight: 10lbs Infant/Convertible: Convertible What the Cosco Scenera NEXT lacks in frills, it makes up for with its low weight and price — the Scenera is both the lightest and the most affordable seat on this list. And ticks both of those boxes while offering good ratings for crash protection and ease of installation. The seat can carry children up to 40lbs. (22-40lbs for front-facing use). Buy Now $54
Maxi-Cosi Mico AP
Weight: 14lbs Infant/Convertible: Infant This rear-facing infant seat will carry kids from 5-22 lbs., which is the shortest weight/life span of the seats on this list. But the Mico AP is lightweight, simple to use, and earns good marks in crash protection ratings. The machine washable seat fabrics are designed to wick moisture away from the baby, and a headrest insert is designed to provide added comfort for little ones. Buy Now $130 Every product on Fatherly is independently selected by our editors, writers, and experts. If you click a link on our site and buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
