Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory
by Traveling Toddler
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List Price: Our Price: $14.75 You Save: $0.24 (2%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory
Customer Review: Good for what it is...
Summary: 3 Stars
I used this method to travel with my 15 month child from the Philippines to Hong Kong to Paris to Dusseldorf. While it's a good alternative to a stroller, keep in mind a few things if you're traveling as the only adult:
- If you use a short-handled bag, you'll have to stoop pretty low in order for the car seat to lift off the ground. This really sucks when you have to walk a mile in 17 minutes.
- Make sure your car seat is not wider than the plane aisles, otherwise you'll have to detach the seat and ask the crew for help when getting on and off the plane. Because of this, we were last to get off the planes and almost missed a flight or two.
- Some airports (mostly international ones) have posts in front of escalators or elevators that prevent people from bringing in luggage carts. These posts also sometimes effectively prevent you from bringing in your kid/bag combo and you're left to find a good samaritan for help.
- Additionally, some airports have these narrow gates with electronic doors and weird metal barriers, whereupon a car seat could get stuck and the doors open and close several times on your luggage and child while you figure out what to do.
- Finally, the product is easy to use, but you still have to factor in the time it takes to put together. It may just take a few minutes, but those few minutes are precious when you only have 17 minutes to walk that mile.
Customer Review: A Better Mousetrap
Summary: 5 Stars
We just test drove this product with our Britax Marathon's and this strap certainly does its job. Setup is easy. The rings at the end of the 3 way strap simply clip into the carseat's LATCH side clips and the rear top clip. The only straps that need to be adjusted are the side straps to tighten the carseat onto the luggage. Contrary to one of the few negative reviews for this item, you do not need to lay your luggage on the ground to attach the strap and the carseat. It's actually quite easy.
You will feel a bit disappointed when this item arrives. All you get is a box and a 3 way strap with D rings on each end. I'm sure this item cost less than a $1 to manufacture. That said, it does its job and this $15 strap is much cheaper than the $80 Travel Mate which only carries the carseat (rather than both the carseat and the rolling carry-on luggage) and appears to be a pain to setup and detach.
When you roll the luggage with the carseat, you will have to exert downward force on the extended handle. The outboard weight of the carseat and the Tot simply changes the balance of the luggage such that while rolling it down the terminal the luggage would rather stay upright. This is a little awkward but the ability to roll the luggage, carseat, and the Tot together more than makes up for the awkwardness.
Overall, I'm glad I found this alternative to the Travel Mate. Aengus
Customer Review: Fabulous. Buy it.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a single mother who travels on Amtrak frequently with my toddler. I would not be able to do so without this product! I was totally skeptical when I bought it, but relied on the strong reviews. Now, I can't imagine traveling without it. However, I have never used it for air travel, just from taxi to train station, through station to train and back again. Yes, it takes a minute to connect it, but it is super easy. I even lift my almost-2-year-old out of the taxi strapped in her Britax Boulevard, set her down on the sidewalk, and fasten the seat to my carry-on sized suitcase right there. That way, no worries about her running about while I'm attaching it! So long as you are careful to get the positioning correct (follow the directions that are included for ideal strap placement) the seat is totally secure. Also, the directions recommend having the suitcase pretty solidly packed for a secure fit. That's never really a problem when traveling with a child! I've never had a problem with it at all.
The added bonus is that we get tons of compliments! Families toting cumbersome luggage, a car seat and a squirming child eye me with envy. My daughter rides by happily, swinging her feet while attached to the suitcase. The suitcase also is lugging the matching carry-on bag, plus my daughter's small book bag. I simply pull it all behind me while whistling a happy tune! Gotta love it.
Customer Review: The Best Travel Item We Ever Bought!
Summary: 5 Stars
Love this product. Pure Genius! And people point and stare at our little girl chilling in her seat through the airport everytime. So many people comment on this. We have a Britex Marathon and our 2 year old LOVES her carseat, so we definatly take it flying because it keeps her happy being in her comfy space on the plane. But lugging it around would be a nightmare. These straps are SUPER easy to attach and a dream come true. I can check the stroller and don't have to worry. We can even attach her to the bag while she is asleep in her seat at the end of a flight. Its THAT easy, and the harness thing can fit in your pocket. (We store it in the small pocket of the bag we attach her to so we always know where it is when we get ready for a trip) We have only taken it attached down an Alaska Air plane isle, American we had to take it off and carry her in the seat, because it was two narrow, but that was her Carseats problem obviously. Its simple, its easy, and its strong enough even for a Britax. The only thing I personally would recommend, being 5'8 with a hubby who is 5'10, is getting a sturdy carry on size bag with a longer handle than most. The extra weight of more than the bag, having to bend a little to accomodate a short handle, is a little taxing on the body, but thats an easy remody. Also a bag with good wheels not a cheapy one you have to fight with WITHOUT the carseat on it.
Customer Review: Best $15 we ever spent!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I LOVE the Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory and recommend it to ALL of our friends! After using it to fly cross country last summer with our one-year-old, my husband proclaimed it the best $$ I've ever spent! It was VERY simple to attach and stayed tight to the carry-on.
I was surprised at the negative reviews that complain about taking it on and off the luggage or readjusting the LATCH system. One reviewer said it was so hard to put on because you had to lay the suitcase down. Well, if you laid the suitcase down, it would be hard, practically impossible. But it's totally simple! I practiced once in our living room before the flight and voila! We set the carseat level on the ground and backed the suitcase up to it. We then connected the LATCH system to the Traveling Toddler and were off!
Our son fell asleep during one leg of flights and my husband simply carried the carseat (with him inside) off the plane and then reattached it to our carry-on. I wheeled him through the airport and right onto the next plane, still sound asleep! Granted, I'm not strong enough to carry him in the carseat off the plane alone, but I'm not scared to travel with it by myself.
Looking forward to taking it back cross country (by myself) this year!