travel booster seat canada

5 Absolute Best Travel Booster Seats for 2024 (+Helpful Tips)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: January 23, 2024

One of the most asked questions when it comes to road-tripping with kids is what kind of travel car seat is the best. The answer depends on so many different factors – how and where you travel, how old are your kids, and how light you want to travel. In my opinion, packing a high-back car seat on a plane is really not worth the hassle, so in this article, I will only focus on the best booster seats for travel – portable booster seats . Here’s why.

In my opinion, if you are traveling with a baby or a young child, you better just rent an appropriate car seat when you rent a car abroad.

Car seats for that age group cost a lot of money and are bulky to pack, while the price to rent one isn’t that high compared to what it costs.

Whereas if you travel with older kids who can use a booster car seat, it’s exactly the opposite. Travel booster seats are cheap to buy, easy to take with you, and renting one would often mean paying more.

TIP: At the moment of the last update, BubbleBum booster is the most popular travel booster seat choice among our readers in the USA. If I’m not mistaken, you now get an extra discount with this promo code on Amazon : 9DUCE9MT.

Ride Safer Vest is a distant second, on a much higher budget but also quite incomparable to any others safety-wise.

And now back to the best portable booster car seats . Below, you can see an overview of the information you can find in this article, including all the best travel boosters in our selection.

You can jump straight to the product information, but I strongly recommend that you also read practical tips and advice that should help you choose the right child booster seat for travel.

Update: We have done our best to update this article through the years. But there are so many changes all the time! Regulations change, products and companies disappear and new ones emerge. With the last update, we had to remove several products completely since they are not available anymore and there are no similar alternatives. So use this just as a guide to see what kind of different types of travel boosters there are, and be sure to always double-check the requirements and product specifications that are important to you!

Travel booster seats – overview:

• Our Experience with Travel Booster Seats

Booster Seat Requirements

• Other Things to Consider when Choosing Travel Booster Seat

1. The BubbleBum Booster Seat

2. ridesafer travel vest, 3. trunki boostapak, 4. hiccapop uberboost inflatable booster car seat, 5. belt-positioning backless booster, travel car seats & booster seats – our experience.

We have three kids and have traveled with them overseas ever since they were born. We always rented car seats for our kids when they were young. I just couldn’t imagine adding a big car seat to our travel luggage , not even to mention having to take two or three of them.

To us, traveling light is the best way to survive traveling with young kids.

LEARN MORE: Tips for Traveling with Kids

When our oldest was almost 5, we made a 5-week road trip in Australia . Twins were just 3 years old at that time. With three young children and multiple flights, there was just no way we would pack portable car seats for all of them. So we reserved car seats for the twins when we booked our rental car. With multiple rental cars at 4 different destinations in Australia, we spent a small fortune on those two car seats.

We, therefore, decided to at least look for an alternative solution for our 5-year-old. That’s when we started researching all available booster seats and realized that buying one would save us several hundreds of dollars.

But even a regular booster seat is not easy to pack with you. So we looked for the best travel booster seats – something that would fit all the safety requirements and at the same time would be easy to pack.

This was years ago and in the meantime, we have bought two more travel boosters for our twins as well. I am happy to say that we are still using the same travel booster seats today. We have used them on every single trip ever since and also on a daily basis at home. Buying a quality travel booster car seat was one of the best investments ever.

But before we talk about the specific travel booster seats, we should first cover some things you have to consider before buying a booster seat for your trip. Read on!

Booster seats are generally suitable for kids from around 4 years of age when children are no longer required to use a car seat with a 5-point harness. A portable travel booster seat ensures your child’s safety whenever you rent a car or use a taxi away from home.

However, the rules for the use of car seats and booster seats vary significantly from one country to another. So it’s essential to consult an official source for the country that you are traveling to in order to make sure that you have the right car seat for your child. More information about this below.

In some parts of the world – particularly much of Asia and northern Africa, there are hardly any laws requiring car seats or boosters of any kind. However, I’d still advise to rent one or bring your own. After all, you should be more concerned with your child’s safety than the (lack of) local laws.

We have rented car seats in South Africa and in Namibia for our kids and most of the time they looked completely ok to us. If in doubt, ask to change a car seat – quality car rental agencies usually have plenty of them available.

As I said before, the moment our kids were old enough for a booster car seat, we just bought our own and never had to worry about it again. Bringing your own booster seat gives you complete peace of mind and ensures that your children can travel safely wherever you go.

If you are traveling abroad, make sure to check the laws for booster seats in the country you are visiting.

Below you can find some links to the car seat and booster seat rules for a variety of destinations. Please note, however, that laws around car seat requirements change all the time , so it’s your responsibility to do proper research for the most up-to-date situation for the country you’re visiting.

Some countries require travel booster seats to carry specific labels in order to be legal for use, so it’s very important to read these regulations carefully.

• Children’s car seat rules in the USA (please note that the laws vary from state to state).
• Car seat rules in the UK .
• Car seat regulations in Canada .
• Car seat rules in Australia .
• While the rules about car seats and boosters for children are very relaxed across much of Asia , there are some countries that do have regulations. Our advice is to look up your specific destination and check the rules before you travel.
• Car seat requirements are now a bit different all over Europe . While in the past you could use a booster car seat for kids from around 4 years, the new law requires a minimum height of 125 cm (4ft1) and weight of at least 22 kg (49 lbs) in order to use a backless booster seat. In most European countries, kids can use a regular adult seat from 135 cm (4ft4) height (e.g. France, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg…). However, some other countries require that kids under 150 cm (4ft 9) or under 12 years use a booster seat as well (e.g. Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia,…).

Since car seat requirements are different in every country and the situation might change again, I encourage you to research the laws of the specific country you’re planning to visit . You may also want to check if the booster you have is approved for use in the country you’re traveling to.

Other Things to Consider When Choosing Travel Booster Seat

In addition to local laws and regulations, there are a few other important things to consider when choosing the most suitable booster car seat for travel. Find out!

High-backed booster seats with ‘wings’ are the safest type, as they provide the best protection for your child’s head and neck in a side-impact crash. Unfortunately, though, it’s not always possible to carry this type of seat with you if you are traveling long distances.

The important thing to remember is that any approved booster seat is better than none at all.

Weight and Size

After safety, weight and size are probably the most important considerations when choosing the right (booster) car seat. Whilst some travel booster seats are ideal for local trips and days out and about, others are more suited to longer journeys where you are restricted on how much you can carry.

That being said, you might find that any extra baggage charges you incur from taking your own booster seat would be less than the cost of hiring a booster seat at your destination. Plus, of course, you will then have a portable booster seat for future use!

If you are traveling with 2-3 kids, consider if you can fit all the travel boosters next to each other (and hope they don’t fight all the time 😉 – see also our tips for how to handle long car rides with kids .

Versatility

Some seats are designed to serve more than one purpose, which is great if you have limited luggage space and want to get the most ‘bang for your buck’.

Important Tips

Wherever possible, we recommend sitting with your child and keeping an eye on them if using a backless booster, as it is a little easier for them to wriggle into an unsafe position.

Try to place your travel booster seat in the middle back seat if appropriate. Experts say that this is the safest position in the car.

Practice fitting the booster seat before you travel. While most boosters are pretty straightforward, some may need a little more expertise!

Best Travel Booster Seats: Comparison & Review

There are several good options when it comes to booster car seats for travel. So in order to give you the most complete guide to the best travel booster seats available at this moment , I not only based it on our experience, but also consulted other family travelers, and did extended research.

In the end, I selected portable booster seats that I think are the best options for those looking for a lightweight travel booster that doesn’t compromise on safety. In addition, I also included one high-back foldable booster seat. It’s obviously not as easy to pack as the backless boosters, but if you are traveling with a smaller child and still rather pack a car seat of your own, it might be a good option.

Below is our selection of the best travel booster seats. You can find a short review of each booster seat and a list of the main features that we think make them so useful. Of course, we also included our personal favorite – the travel booster seat that our kids have been using for years. Find out!

Here are the best travel booster seats:

The award-winning BubbleBum Booster Seat is described as an inflatable booster seat. However, it actually contains more memory foam than air, meaning that it will protect your child even if punctured in an accident.

BubbleBum Booster Seat takes just 20 seconds to inflate for use, then deflates quickly and folds to a small size, perfect for popping into your hand luggage or backpack.

The booster is designed for use with a 3-point adult seat belt (not a lap belt). The shoulder belt positioning clip and side lap belt clips help keep your child safe and comfortable.

At just 1.2 lbs it is the lightest travel booster seat we reviewed and it’s also the cheapest. But because it is a little smaller than some other travel boosters, we feel it’s more suited to shorter journeys than long road trips.

BubbleBum booster seat features:

• Suitable for children age 4-11 years, weighing from 40-100 lbs (18-45 kg).
• Inflates and deflates quickly.
• Lightweight and folds to a compact size and easy to store anywhere.
• Comes with its own bag.
• Made of a durable material.
• Narrow design allows you to use 3 across the back seat.

The compact and lightweight RideSafer Travel Vest is a brilliant alternative to a travel booster seat, but it comes with a much steeper price card. Weighing only 1.5 lbs (800 gr), it takes up very little luggage space and is particularly ideal for small cars, where bulkier car seats and boosters can be a tight fit. Fitting three of these vests in a row on the back seat is no problem whatsoever!

While the RideSafer may seem to offer less protection than booster seats at first glance, it’s actually the opposite. This is one of the safest solutions available!

Its clever design means that it maintains the car’s seatbelt in the proper position at all times. The shoulder belt is held in place, but away from your child’s neck, making him feel much more comfortable. It also positions the lap belt below your child’s abdomen, which best protects the internal organs.

This is the most expensive of the travel boosters we have reviewed in this article, but for the convenience and safety of your child, the RideSafer Travel Vest is invaluable!

RideSafer travel vest features:

• Available in 2 sizes, to fit children from 3-10 years, weighing from 30 to 80 lbs (15 to 36 kg).
• Certified for use in cars in the US.
• Small, lightweight, and easy to pack in hand luggage or backpack.
• Maintains proper seatbelt positioning at all times.

Trunki BoostApak is the travel booster seat that we chose for our kids. We bought one for our oldest son when he was 4 and used it till he didn’t need it anymore (around the age of 8-9). Our twins got the same Trunki boosters when they were 4 and used them until the age of 10.

I can’t even start to count the number of flights and road trips we have taken them on. The kids also used Trunki BoostApak boosters for their daily commute to school. Our high-back booster seats were only in use when we traveled big distances with our own car here in Europe. Since the new law in some European countries requires that booster seats are used till the kids are 150 cm tall, we used Trunki BoostAPak for our twins until the age of 10.

When we mentioned versatility earlier in this article, Trunki BoostApak is the booster seat we had in mind! The Trunki BoostApak is not just a booster seat, it’s also a hand-luggage approved child’s bag, with padded straps for comfort and a generous 8-liter capacity.

This means that you can use it to easily pack your child’s toys, books, games, and snacks for them to carry, then quickly convert it into an EU-certified travel booster seat whenever needed. You don’t need to unpack the Trunki before using it as a seat, as its hard plastic internal shell protects the bag’s contents. The shell is also designed to provide maximum strength in an accident.

It’s very easy to convert Trunki from a backpack to a booster seat, but if you (like many of us!) find some kids’ accessories a little challenging, be sure to practice with it before leaving home!

In addition to using it as a backpack and a car booster seat, the Trunki Boostapak with its wipe-clean cover makes a great booster seat for the movies too! We once even took our kids’ Trunkis to a theater.

The only minor issue we’ve had with this booster seat/backpack is that it’s slightly too heavy for younger children to carry – an empty Trunki BoostApak weighs 3.8 pounds (1,7 kg). So when our kids were just 4-5 years old, we usually had to help them with it at the airport. It’s not a big deal since the Trunki usually stays in the car for the entire duration of our trip.

Trunki BoostAPak travel booster features:

• Suitable for children age 4-11 years, weighing from 30 to 80 lbs (15 to 36 kg).
• Converts from a backpack to a booster seat in seconds.
• The fold-out seatbelt guides and seat belt adjuster help you ensure a perfect and safe fit.
• Approved as hand luggage by most airlines.
• EU certified for everyday car use.

Where to buy Trunki BoostApak. For some reason, Trunki BoostApak has always been a ‘European’ travel booster. Probably because it’s only been approved to be used in the EU and is not (yet) on the market in the USA. You can buy it on Amazon UK , but unfortunately, not on Amazon in the US.

Similar in principle to the Bubblebum, the Hiccapop Uberboost travel booster seat inflates and deflates quickly, so you can simply roll it up and pop it in your hand luggage, backpack, etc.

It’s cheaper than the BubbleBum, is made of a very thick, durable material and is comparable in weight.

The biggest difference is that – unlike the BubbleBum – there is no foam in the air bladder. Nevertheless, it feels as sturdy as a regular booster seat when inflated.

Hiccapop Uberboost features:

• Very compact and lightweight.
• Positions seat belt over the lap, not the stomach.
• Lifetime guarantee.

Update: The model reviewed below is not available during our last update, so check out these popular alternatives that offer pretty much the same functionality. Since this is the most popular portable booster design, there are so many brands selling similar models and they change the colors and the looks all the time.

Chicco GoFit Belt-Positioning Backless Booster is the only backless booster seat we reviewed that has dual cup holders, which are a huge plus on long journeys. The cup holders fold away, which is handy if you need to fit several car seats across the back seat. They can easily be removed and are dishwasher safe.

A little more expensive than other backless boosters, the Chicco GoFit feels very robust and well-made, whilst providing a lot more padding for your child’s comfort than many other seats of this type.

The seat has lap belt guides and a shoulder clip, which is attached to the back of the seat by a fabric strap. In some cars, you can fit three of these seats in the back – but you should only do this if you have a 3-point seat belt in the center seat, not a lap belt.

At 5 lbs it is heavier than the other travel booster seats in this selection and would also take up more luggage space. Nevertheless, it is still light enough to carry around and easy to move from one vehicle to another.

The only downside to this seat is that it doesn’t have latch connectors. Whilst this is a bonus in terms of travel, as it can quickly be moved to any vehicle, it does mean that it may shift a little during your journey and will also need to be stowed safely away when not in use.

Chicco GoFit booster seat features:

• Suitable for children age 4 and up, weighing from 40-110 lbs (18-45 kg).
• Double foam padding.
• Armrest covers and seat pad are machine-washable.
• Built-in carry handle.
• Smooth underside to protect vehicle seats.

So this is our complete guide to the best lightweight portable travel booster seats. I hope it helps you to find the best-suitable travel car seat for your kids.

Have you used any of these lightweight booster seats or have a favorite portable travel booster? Feel free to share your experience – you can leave a reply below.

READ ALSO : Best travel bags for kids

More tips for traveling with kids:

• Family travel: Tips for Travelling with Kids & Benefits of Family Travel
• Gear & luggage: Best Travel Gear for Kids & Best Kids Luggage
• Gift ideas: Travel Gifts for Kids (That They’ll Actually Use)
• Footwear: Best Travel Shoes for Kids
• Books: Travel Books and Destination Guides for Kids

If you found this post useful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends who might be looking for a travel booster seat for their children. Are you on Pinterest? Pin this image!

Some travel inspiration for families:

• Best Family Travel Destinations
• Best USA National Parks to Visit with Kids
• Lesser-known US National Parks for Families
• Top USA Spring Break Destinations
• Top Spring Break Destinations in Europe
• Yellowstone with Kids
• Arches National Park with Kids

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Wednesday 24th of January 2024

Hi Jurga, I really appreciate your blog - it's been so helpful! I was looking to buy the Trunki BoostApak for our trip to Portugal and Spain later this year as our kids will be 6.5 and 4.5 years old. I noticed that the boosters are no longer available to ship via Amazon to the USA when logged under Amazon UK. I also tried their website which doesn't ship to the USA. It's not urgent since we don't travel until the Fall, but I was hoping to to buy the boosters ahead of time instead of trying to buy something when we arrive. Do you know if something has recently changed or if this is just a temporary thing with Amazon shipping? Thanks much! Kaylee

Thursday 25th of January 2024

Hi Kaylee, unfortunately, I don't know which products Amazon ships where and there might be tons of reasons why a specific product isn't shipped internationally. It might also depend on who the seller is - Amazon itself or some third party. Here in Europe, we use various Amazon websites from all different countries and it's very random what we can buy from which website, and what can be sent to one country is often not possible to another, plus, it changes all the time too. Indeed, the official USA website of Trunki doesn't even show this product, and the ones from Europe don't seem to ship to the USA. It's likely because they never asked for an official approval of this car seat in the US. So I really don't know what to tell you. Maybe try an alternative booster, or rent with a car. You may also want to check what the current rules in Portugal and Spain are depending on your kids' height/weight. I think that they might still be required to use a booster with back/head support at that age (depending on how tall they are and also on the country).

Tuesday 2nd of January 2024

Hi Jurga, happy New Year! I know from your blog your family has been to Portugal a few times including the islands and mainland but don't recall reading specifically on boosters for kids. We will be going to mainland Portugal this July and have 2 kids (both turns 7 & 9 this August). We are not sure what the best options on regarding booster seats for them and wanted to hear your insights. We are debating on renting the boosters with the car rental company but they seem to cost anwhere from $80 to $110 per booster seat which we can save. If we bring our own (backless boosters from the U.S.), we might not be able to use them right? Any suggestions? Thanks!

@Jurga, thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my inquiry! Yes the booster we use in the U.S. is sturdy (Chicco KitFit 2-in-1 Belt Positioning Booster Car Seat). We would bring just the bottom section w/o the back support and that's why I asked if that would meeting Portugal's guideline or law? You rented a car for ONLY 144 euro for 12 days?!?!?! I'm assuming it's manual? Unfortunately we need an automatic and the price seems to just a lot due to that. Thanks for the car rental site. Will check it out using your link!

Hi Athan, indeed, kids that age are officially required to use a booster in Portugal. And yes, some car rental companies charge ridiculous amounts for them - that's also why we always packed our own when our kids needed them... You have several options. Buy a booster at a local store once you get to Portugal (you should be able to find them at all major supermarkets) or bring one with you. Depending on the booster that you use at home, it might be EU certified - just check online. Also, if it's a sturdy, quality booster, it's likely going to be better quality than what you get from some car rental agencies... And normally nobody will care what you use - it's your kids and you want to make sure that they are safe. The only issue is if something happens and police checks car seats. But I can't imagine anyone would make an issue about them not being certified in the EU if they are safe and certified in the USA. But it's your decision. Yet another option is to order a EU-certified booster from Amazon UK or Amazon Germany/France/Spain... (if they deliver in the US) and bring it with you. Just check if it's not going to become more expensive that way. If you want to avoid all the hassle, renting one together with your car is the safest option. Just a thought - car rental is usually so cheap in Portugal that it may not be such a big deal to pay extra for the boosters. P.S. We always rent our cars via RentalCars website. In fact, we are here in Portugal at the moment and we have a nice, family-size car for about 144 euro for 12 days including full insurance. If we had rented the same car directly with the company (and paid insurance at the counter), it would have been over 700 euros...

Wednesday 31st of May 2023

I love this post! I actually read it years ago, then when I was looking at booster seats recently, I was so happy to find it back. I saw that it now has the comfiGO booster-type seat by ClypX. I was very interested in that seat, but when I started doing more research on it I found that US child passenger safety news site called Safe Ride News had an article stating that the booster is not actually classified as a booster in the US, so safety regulations don’t apply to it. Since it claims it complies with the regulations (deceptive), and because of how it is designed, I would be hesitant to use it or recommend it to anyone, whether or not they are in the US.

Tuesday 6th of June 2023

Hi Nanika, based on everything I find online, this seat is certified in the US at this moment, but they were asked not to call it a 'booster' anymore.

Saturday 27th of May 2023

Do you have any information on when and why mifold went out of business? Have their booster seats been recalled? When I purchased our mifold years ago, it was considered very safe, approved for use in the UK (which is where we mostly need to use it) and we have loved it, but I know that ratings can change with more information. Thanks!

Hi Lindsey, it happened rather recently and I haven't heard anything about recalls. The company just stopped from one day to the other; I don't think it had anything to do with the product safety. Maybe try searching online - I wasn't able to find much info when I checked when updating this article last time.

Saturday 3rd of December 2022

On February 1, 2022, very shortly after you updated this for “2022 & Beyond” (Jan. 24), IIHS actually removed their “Best Bet” rating from both the BubbleBum and Hiccapop UberBoost inflatable boosters. This conclusion was made after new studies (using computer modeling vs. static dummies that were previously used) discovered the high potential for “submarining” in the event of a collision due to the lack of rigidity with an inflatable booster. Since they’ve determined more research/studies need to be performed with inflatable boosters, they have changed their previous “Best Bet” determinations to now “Unrated”. I just wanted to comment because you had mentioned the IIHS ratings in your article, so if that rating is a deciding factor for someone, they may want to choose another option. If someone is in need of a compact travel booster that does not inflate, your recommendation of the Mi-Fold would meet that criteria but again, that’s another option that is not rated by IIHS. Nonetheless, I found your article very helpful, thank you, and wish that the Trunki option you decided on was available here in the US!

Hi Cortnie, thank you for this update. It's difficult to keep up with all the changes, isn't it... I'll see when I can find the time to update this again. PS If you like Trunki Boostapak, I think you can just order it from Amazon.co.uk. We sometimes order products from Amazon in the US and they get shipped to Europe without any problems. They usually add some extra costs for shipping and customs duties, but sometimes it's still worth it. I'm just not sure if the Trunki is officially approved in the US and what that means if you'd use it there. I'm sure they are just fine safety-wise since whatever passes European standards could probably pass any others, but I don't know about the legal side of this. We took ours all over the world and in the last years, we see more and more families here in Europe traveling with these Trunki boosters/backpacks.

What’s the best travel booster car seat? (2024 reviews)

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This article about the best travel booster seat is written by certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Melissa Conn and may contain affiliate links.

If you’ve been traveling with your kids since they were tiny, finally getting to the booster stage will feel like winning the jackpot! After years of lugging around a car seat that’s bulky and heavy, now you can rest easy: there are plenty of amazing booster seats for travel that will keep your kids safe and slip easily into your carry-on luggage.

What’s the best travel booster seat for your kid? That depends a little on them and a little on you! In this article you’ll find candid reviews of some of the best portable booster seat choices in 2023 as well as guidance on what to look for when you’re shopping for a lightweight booster seat. If you’re on the hunt for the best travel booster car seat, this is the article for you.

While you’ll find many similar “reviews” and roundups online, our family actually owns many of the booster seats on this list, and we’ve used some of them full-time. In the reviews below you’ll find plenty of hands-on, real-world experience to help guide your choice in addition to my expertise as a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

In case your curious, here’s a sampling of our collection of travel booster seats as – I’ve even added a few more since taking this photo:

Unfortunately, as of 2023 some of these excellent booster seats for travel have been discontinued or out of stock. As such, I’ll provide alternatives in the reviews below.

Quick picks: best travel booster seat options

If you want to skip the details, here are my top picks for the best travel booster car seat:

• Ride Safer Travel Vest – age 4-6; booster seat alternative perfect for lightweight travel with preschoolers ( full review here )
• Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 – age 5-10; folding highback booster seat with tons of great features ( also available here )
• Bubblebum – age 6-9; inflatable booster seat for mature kids who don’t sleep in the car ( full review here )
• Cosco Rise LX – age 6-10; lightweight, affordable option

DEAL ALERT! Save $11 off the Ride Safer Travel Vest with coupon ‘ VOYAGE ‘

Portable Booster Seat Comparison

If you prioritize comfort over portability, check out these extra-comfortable booster seats that are great for family road trips!

Still researching? Pin this for later!

How to choose a portable car booster seat

Before you buy a travel booster car seat, it’s important to think honestly about your child. Is he big enough to meet the minimum requirements of the booster seat for traveling that you’re considering? Is she mature enough to sit properly in the seat 100% of the time? That means no bending down to get a tablet that falls down or putting the shoulder belt under her arm because it annoys her. Will he fall asleep in the car if he’s jet lagged after a long flight?

These are all things you’ll need to consider before jumping into traveling booster seats. In my experience, many kids are ready to transition to a backless booster for travel at age 6 (though there were a few times during our gap year when our 6yo fell asleep and I wished we had something different for him). Our younger one did great in the Ride Safer travel vest from age 3.5 to around 6, at which time she switched to a highback booster seat for travel since she was still a car sleeper.

What should you look for in a portable booster seat for travel? Here are a few suggestions:

-Choose between Ride Safer travel vest , highback booster and backless booster based on your child’s age, size and how much they sleep in the car

-Look for one that is light enough and compact enough to take as a carry-on or out in the city for the day

-Ideally it should last at least 3-4 years

Every trip may have different needs, too. If your travels involve lots of driving you’ll want to make sure you choose a comfortable option. On the other hand, if you’ll just be taking a quick taxi ride from the airport to the city center then portability might be more important than cushy padding or supportive headwings.

As you can see from the criteria above, there’s no one “best booster seat for travel”. Once you know your family’s needs, you can pick the right travel booster car seat. As you can see below, there’s a huge variety of portable booster seat options on the market today.

Read more: Bringing your booster seat on an airplane

Ride Safer Travel Vest review

Key stats: -Weight 2lbs -Size small: minimum age 3, fits best for 30+ lbs and 35-47″ -Size large: minimum age 4, fits best for 50+ lbs and 45-57″

Pros: ✔ Rolls up to the size of a 2L soda bottle ✔ Perfect for taxi rides ✔ Lowers seat belt to provide an appropriate fit for young children ✔ Keeps kids properly seated better than a traditional booster seat – even when sleeping ✔ Easy to fit 3-across since it’s only as wide as the child ✔ 5 year expiration

Cons: ✘ No side impact protection like a highback booster seat ✘ Takes practice to get belt fit right ✘ NOT permitted for use on planes

Several years ago the kind folks at Safe Ride 4 Kids sent us a Ride Safer travel vest to review, and it hasn’t left our travel kit since. The Ride Safer travel vest is completely different than the other travel car seats and booster seats on the market.

You could say that the Ride Safer travel vest is sort of in between a booster seat and a traditional forward-facing car seat. It relies on the car’s seat belt to handle most of the restraint, but also has an optional top tether that minimizes head movement in an accident and keeps your child in the correct position even if they fall asleep (or drop a toy). While our youngest child wasn’t ready for a booster seat yet at 6 since she was a car sleeper – especially when jet-lagged – we were comfortable with her riding in the Ride Safer vest.

So comfortable, in fact, that we brought our Ride Safer vest on our year-long trip around the world! It’s seen action on six continents and served us well the whole time. Once we practiced a few times, we got very fast at putting her in the vest and getting her secured in the car. The newer version features an easier buckle in the front and more adjustability, so that should help many parents.

The Ride Safer Gen 5 is rated for kids beginning at 3 years old and 30lbs, but honestly we felt that the fit was better starting at 3.5 or even 4 years old and other parents agree with us. Fortunately size small should last most kids until 6 or even 7 thanks to the adjustable shoulder strap length. It also comes in large and XL sizes to accommodate kids who are older or bigger but still not quite mature enough for a booster seat. Because there’s no side impact protection, it’s a good idea to put your Ride Safer in the middle seat.

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.

For a more typical trip that involves flying and then renting a car for a week or two, we sometimes opt to bring our other travel car seat . But if you’re choosing between the Ride Safer travel vest or a backless booster seat, the vest is the better choice for younger kids and/or car sleepers .

While we generally think of the Ride Safer as a travel car seat alternative, we also use it at home often. I keep it in my trunk at all times so that we can fit 3-across in our car for those unexpected carpools or for when Grandma comes for a visit! Since the vest is as narrow as the child in it, there’s no trouble fitting it between two big car seats in our compact SUV.

Want to know all my best secrets? Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro!

Best travel highback booster seat options

Ok, so what if you feel like your child year old is mature enough (and big enough) for a compact high back booster seat? There are a few great choices to consider for the next stage.

Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 Booster Seat review

Key stats: -Weight 15lbs -Highback booster size limit 40-120lbs, up to 63″

Pros: ✔ Steel reinforced frame ✔ Rigid LATCH ✔ Tons of size adjustments for a great fit ✔ Reclines for sleep ✔ Extremely narrow ✔ 10 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Really expensive ✘ No arm rests ✘ Heavy ✘ Folded size is as big as a carry-on suitcase

For a long time, I hesitated to recommend this next seat as a travel booster seat due to its high price tag. However, in light of so many discontinuations of less expensive and lighter competing seats, I’m bumping it up in the list.

The Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 has some great features, but a price tag to match as well. You can generally get it cheaper here with their coupon . It’s hard to fathom spending that much on luxury foldable high back booster car seat that doesn’t have any other modes available. However, some of the premium features make it a solid choice.

First off, it’ll last forever… or at least as long as you want it to. The upper size limit is a whopping 120 lbs and 63″, which is the size of a petite adult. Most riders that size will fit in a seatbelt just fine without a booster seat so you may not ever need a backless booster. The other piece of lasting forever is that Peg Perego gives 10 years until expiration of this seat. If you have a second child (or third or fourth!) they’ll be able to get a few years out of this seat as well.

Second, it’s loaded with reassuring safety features. The Viaggio Flex 120 has rigid LATCH connectors to easily install the booster seat and keep it from moving around, while most of the other booster seats on this list don’t have LATCH at all to save on weight. The back of the seat is also steel reinforced for additional safety.

Third, kids generally like it. It’s padded, it has folding cupholders on each side and the lack of armrests (though a downside for long drives) means it’s easier for booster-age kids to buckles themselves. You can even recline it on the fly after installing with rigid LATCH to allow your kids to rest a little. It’s also a really narrow car seat, which helps if you’re trying to squeeze three kids in the back row.

So what’s wrong with this child safety booster seat, other than perhaps the price ? It comes down to the portability aspect. The steel reinforcement and rigid LATCH add an extra 5-6 pounds compared to competitors, making you less likely to sling this one over your shoulder and use it out on the town. It’s not even close to the most lightweight booster seat for travel. Likewise, it’s not all that small when folded – about 2′ long! You’ll be lucky to fit it in the overhead bin, but taking it when you walk around a city means you’ll need a really big backpack to carry it.

The best use for the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex booster seat is probably when you’re flying to head on a road trip and won’t be moving it in and out of cars all the time. It’s an especially good choice for those situations if you’ll need to fit 3-across in a rental car since it’s so narrow.

hifold fit-and-fold Booster review

Key stats: -Weight 10lbs -Highback booster size limit 4yo, 40-100lbs, 40-59″ -Belt guide 14-20″

Pros: ✔ Tons of size adjustments for great fit ✔ Folds down small ✔ Legal to use everywhere except Australia (in progress) ✔ Extremely narrow ✔ 7 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Expensive if you will only use for a few years ✘ No cup holders included ✘ Bigger than some of the other travel-specific car seats

Sometimes I can get just a little too enthusiastic about innovative car seats. In this case, I’m pumped. While I’ve never been totally sold on the belt fit of the mifold backless booster , the company’s new hifold Fit-and-Fold highback booster car seat looks amazing for city-dwellers and travelers alike. No joke.

Read more: My in-depth hifold review

What’s so cool about the hifold folding booster seat ? While the weight is nothing to write home about at 10lbs, it folds down into an ultra-compact package – 13.5″ square and 10″ high. That means it’s easy to carry around in a backpack, throw it in your trunk or even stow it in the overhead bin of most airplanes. Of the folding booster seats ( would you believe that there are a few choices now for folding highback boosters? ) it’s the lightest and folds the smallest . It’s the best foldable booster seat with a back for taking as a carry-on.

The hifold booster is extremely adjustable to offer the optimal fit to booster riders of all sizes. There are three widths for the seat, three widths for the body, three widths for the head and nine height settings! They claim to offer 243 individual settings. That means it’ll fit new booster riders just as well as kids who are ready to transition to an adult seatbelt. For those of us with kids who are small for their ages but mature enough for a booster, the hifold car seat is a fantastic option as a travel high back booster seat.

It’s also one of the narrowest high back boosters available, so it’s really helpful if you need to fit three car seats in a small car (whether at home or a rental on vacation). Overall it’s a great travel car seat for 6 year old kids on up.

Ok so why wouldn’t everyone run out and buy a hifold? Unfortunately all that innovation doesn’t come cheap . Don’t get me wrong, I think the price is completely reasonable for what you get; however, the seat is something of a one-trick pony. There’s no harness for kids who aren’t mature enough to stay in position all the time, and it doesn’t convert to a backless booster seat when your child is ready to ride that way. Many families will feel ready to bring a lightweight backless booster around 6 or 7. So the typical usage for many families will be around two years (let’s say 5-7, or perhaps 4.5-6.5 for families who feel comfortable transitioning to the “next stage” early). If you travel a lot or have a younger sibling to use this in the coming years, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.

The hifold is a great choice for a kid who is mature enough to ride in a highback booster seat but would still benefit from some extra support when sleeping. It’s also a great choice if you’re visiting a place like the EU or Costa Rica , where recent laws have pushed for younger booster riders to stay in a highback booster and increased the age for backless boosters to much older stages. In fact, it’s even approved everywhere in the world except Australia – and that’s in the works. It’s a really slim booster seat so you won’t need to size up your rental car to fit two of them side-by-side.

Babytrend YUMI Folding Booster Seat review

Key stats: -Weight 9lbs -Highback booster size limit 40-100lbs, 38-57″ -Backless booster size limit 40-100lbs, 42-57″

Pros: ✔ Highback mode lasts until kids are ready for a backless booster ✔ Converts to backless booster ✔ Bargain price ✔ Cupholders and cushy padding for long drives ✔ 9 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Folded size is as large as a carry-on suitcase

If you’re shopping for a bargain travel booster seat, here it is. The Baby Trend Yumi folding booster seat has been around for a long time under different names and was a pioneer in this type of product. But is this foldable booster car seat still worth buying?

The highback booster size limits are a little lower than the hifold above, but when your child is ready you can remove the back to use it as a no back booster seat that goes all the way to 100 lbs (theoretically – in practice, it would probably be too narrow for a 100lb tween to be comfortable). Combined with the rock-bottom price tag , the Baby Trend Yumi 2-in-1 folding booster seat is an incredible value. (Note: The previous version of this seat did not convert to a backless booster and is even cheaper.)

A big plus of the Baby Trend Yumi is that it’s a booster seat designed for everyday use. It’s got cupholders and plenty of cushy padding. That makes it a great choice if you plan to fly somewhere and then take the kids on a long family road trip. Other folding booster seats like the hifold might not win kids’ hearts on a six hour drive, which of course means less peace for us parents.

The big downside of the Yumi is the fold. Whereas the hifold collapses into thirds to make an ultra-compact package, the Yumi’s fold just isn’t as small. While you might be able to fit the hifold under the seat in front of you, the Baby Trend Yumi definitely has to go in the overhead bin – and possibly sideways, depending on the size of the plane. With overcrowded bins the days there’s something to be said for a tiny package that won’t attract the attention of the flight crew!

For families on a budget or those with long drives ahead, the Baby Trend Yumi is worth a serious look.

Diono Monterey 5ist Booster Seat review

Key stats: -Weight 19lbs -Highback booster size limit 40lbs/38″ to 120lbs/63″; max belt guide 21″

Pros: ✔ Folds for compact storage ✔ Easy for kids to buckle ✔ Side impact tested ✔ Rigid LATCH for quick installation ✔ Very roomy, width adjusts to fit even the biggest kids ✔ Highest weight and height limits of any booster ✔ 8 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Heavier than other folding booster seats ✘ Too wide for 3-across as kids get taller

If you’re looking for the best travel booster seat for a child who will just be traveling to Grandma’s house now and then, put the new Diono Monterey 5iST on your consideration list. It’s not the lightest booster seat on this list, but it has a ton to offer.

First off, the Monterey 5iST adjusts tall enough and wide enough to last nearly every kid to the end of their boostering days (it’s officially rated to 63″ and 120lbs). Since it’s good for 8 years, if you buy it now you may not need to buy your child another car seat or booster seat ever again .

When you do plan to take that occasional flight, the 5iST folds to about the size of a domestic carry-on suitcase so that you can probably fit it in the overhead bin (YMMV depending on the airline and aircraft). I hope that the next version will have more supportive staps – or even a hip belt. Alternatively, you can just leave it at Grandma’s and she won’t even notice it in the closet since it folds so compactly.

The Monterey 5iST has plenty of great features: side impact protection, rigid LATCH, unbeatable ease-of-use and more. Subjectively, it also feels extremely sturdy. This is a wonderful everyday booster seat.

My kids absolutely love the booster we received from Diono. You can read more in my in-depth Diono Monterey 5iST review , but my 10 year old is so enamored that he’s chosen to ride in it full-time. That’s high praise from an image-conscious tween!

Best backless booster car seats for travel

Using an ultra-portable backless booster seat can make your travels so much easier! We made the switch when our older child was 6 years old, mature enough not to wiggle around and rarely fell asleep in the car. Our younger child isn’t ready yet at 6 years old, so she still rides in a harnessed car seat – even for travel. Read these backless booster seat reviews to help you choose the right one for your family:

Bubblebum booster seat review

Key stats: -Weight under 1 lbs ( really! ) -Backless booster size limit 40-100lbs, age 4+

Pros: ✔ Lightest booster seat ✔ Extremely narrow ✔ Good seatbelt fit in lots of cars

Cons: ✘ Can slide around if kids are wiggly ✘ 4 year expiration (from first use)

The best backless booster seat for travel is one with which we’re extremely familiar: the Bubblebum inflatable booster seat . We traveled full-time with this booster seat for the better part of two years.

The Bubblebum travel booster seat is pretty amazing. It weighs about one pound and deflates/rolls to the size of a soda bottle – it’s a truly packable booster seat. Setting it up takes just a few seconds, and there’s even a shoulder belt guide to give a great fit for kids of different sizes in all different vehicles.

If you’re a family with a mature kid who doesn’t sleep in the car the Bubblebum gives you the paragon of portability. It’s the perfect option for taking around on days in a city when you think you might hop in a taxi to get home at night or if you’re taking lots of planes and trains for an extended trip.

The Bubblebum is so light that it may shift if your kid is very wiggly. But if your kid is very wiggly, they may not be ready for a backless booster yet. In that case, I’d go with the RideSafer travel vest for an ultra-portable option or one of the high back booster seats for travel listed above. We also had an issue with one of our Bubblebums deflating after we left it inflated in a hot car for a month (oops!); we reached out to customer service and they sent us a whole new one for just the $7 shipping charge!

We started using this booster seat at 6 years old, and we think that’s about right. But it’s approved for 4 years old/40lbs and there are plenty of 5 year olds who can use it successfully, especially if your drives are short. This is a judgement call for each family and also depends on the specifics of your travels.

You can also read my in-depth review of the Bubblebum .

hiccapop Uberboost booster seat review

Key stats: -Weight 1.25 lbs -Backless booster size limit 40-110lbs and 38-62″

Pros: ✔ Extremely light and compact ✔ Very narrow ✔ More stable than other ultra-portable booster seats

Cons: ✘ Frustrating shoulder belt adjuster clip

If you like the idea of an inflatable booster seat for travel, there’s a new option to consider these days. The newish hiccapop Uberboost follows the same basic concept as the Bubblebum but with a few pros and cons.

Read more: My in-depth hiccapop Uberboos t review

The hiccapop packs down slightly smaller than the Bubblebum but inflates to offer a larger seating seating area. Score! It does that by keeping the inside of the booster seat completely empty (meaning it’s just a heavy-duty air bladder), while the Bubblebum has memory foam inside the booster seat to help it pass crash testing even when deflated. The hiccapop Uberboost also has a grippy layer on the bottom to prevent it from sliding around.

The biggest downside for us is that our leggy 48″ rider needs the shoulder adjuster clip in most seating positions but finds it very uncomfortable. The clip is much bulkier than on our other travel booster seats.

If your child is 48″+ or has a longer torso, you might be able to avoid using the clip – just be sure that the shoulder belt makes nice, complete contact with the middle of the collar bone. In that case the hiccapop Uberboost is a great choice for a traveling booster seat. For a smaller child, I’d stick with the Bubblebum for now.

Graco RightGuide booster seat review

Key stats: -Weight 2 lbs -Backless booster size limit 50-120lbs, 43-60″, age 5+

Pros: ✔ Extremely light booster seat ✔ Very compact booster seat when folded ✔ Narrow option for 3-across with big kids ✔ Inconspicuous option for tweens ✔ 10 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Belt guide may not stay in place securely ✘ Incompatible with some seatbelt designs

If you have a big kid or tween who’s approaching readiness for the adult seatbelt (usually 10-12 years old) but not quite there, check out the Graco RightGuide . It’s ultra low profile and easy to throw in a backpack or clip to the outside of a carry-on suitcase. It does require that kids be at least 5 years old, 43″ and 50lbs – a weight many kids don’t achieve until they’re around 7 or even older.

The RightGuide offers a wonderful seatbelt fit even for kids at the bottom of the stated size range. It can be problematic with certain types of seatbelts, so be sure to read my Graco RightGuide review to know what you need to look out for.

Cosco Rise LX booster seat review

Key stats: -Weight 2 lbs -Backless booster size limit 40-100lbs, 43-57″

Pros: ✔ Extremely light ✔ Bargain price ✔ Good seatbelt fit ✔ Narrow enough for 3-across ✔ Updated LX version has more padding

Cons: ✘ Doesn’t fold

Do you like the idea of a more “traditional” booster seat but want a more compact form for travel? Or do you worry that your child will outgrow the width of the Bubblebum too quickly? The new Cosco Rise LX might be your best travel car booster seat option! We own the original non-LX version and have used it extensively.

The Cosco Rise LX (and original) are the booster seat in its simplest form: you put it down on the seat and then your kiddo buckles and runs the seatbelt under the arm rests to place it properly on her body. If your child is on the shorter side, there’s also an attached adjustable shoulder belt guide to bring the seatbelt down low enough to cross her collarbone.

That’s it. It’s not a folding booster car seat, but at 2 pounds it’s one of the lightest booster seats on the market. It’s also incredibly affordable, coming in right around $20. I’ve used it for multiple kids ranging from 6 to 10 and the fit is good on all of them. Even if you never plan to use it for travel, this is a great one to have on hand as a spare since it’s the cheapest booster seat you can buy.

Check out my quick take:

The Cosco Rise is also the narrowest booster seat aside from Bubblebum at just 15″. That makes it a viable booster seat for 3-across, especially since it’s narrower at the back where your child will need to reach the buckle. We managed to squeeze one into the middle seat of our old CR-V between another narrow booster seat and an adult!

The biggest downside of the original version is the sparse padding, including none on the arm rests. This isn’t the seat my kids typically want to ride in for more than about 30 minutes, and we probably wouldn’t choose it for a long road trip if we had another choice. I recommend that you spring for the LX for just an extra $3-5, as it has more padding including on the arm rests.

Note that the minimum height for this booster seat is 43″ – many kids won’t reach that until almost 6 years old. Our son didn’t get there until almost 7 years old, so parents of shorter kids may need to look elsewhere . But the Cosco Rise LX may be the best booster seat for 6 year old globetrotters who need more hip room and prefer a stable seating area. On the other end of the spectrum, the Rise may not offer quite enough thigh support for the oldest booster riders since the seat is on the shallower side; at 11 years old, my son usually refuses it.

At 2 pounds, the Cosco Rise booster seat is one of the lightest booster seats available. It’s also extremely affordable ! If your child is ready for a backless booster and you don’t mind the extra size or weight compared to the Bubblebum or if your child has outgrown the small seat of the Bubblebum, this just might be the best booster seat for travel.

Chicco GoFit Plus review

Key stats: -Weight 5lbs -Backless booster size limit 4yo/40lbs/38″ to 110lbs/57″

Pros: ✔ Great padding ✔ LATCH to secure it when unoccupied ✔ Nice, removable/foldable cupholders ✔ Long arm rests ✔ 8 year expiration

Cons: ✘ The 57″ height limit means tall kids might need another booster down the line ✘ Seat isn’t wide enough for kids at the top of the growth chart

We own the Chicco GoFit and love it! (Actually, if I’m being honest we now own four Chicco GoFits and three of them are permanently in my van.)

The padding is nice and squishy, the arm rests and cup holders are great and the price is very reasonable. It’s not terribly wide and the cupholders fold in to help it play nicely with other car seats. Installing the booster seat with LATCH is just as easy as with all of our other Chicco car seats.

This is one of the best car booster seat options for kids who are on the smaller end of the growth chart. If you have taller or broader kids, the seat may not be wide enough to hold them until the end of their booster days. There’s also a 57″ standing height limit, which may not work for the tallest kids.

This is the booster seat we use at home and the one we take for our child when we know we’re going to be doing a lot of driving at our destination. It’s extremely comfortable and has a great carry handle integrated into the back of the seat (it’s where the back would attach if you’d bought it as part of the KidFit highback booster seat, which we also have and like). On some planes my son has put the GoFit at his feet, while on other flights he’s put it in the overhead bin.

If you want to save a little money and a little weight, the original Chicco GoFit weighs about a half pound less than the Chicco GoFit Plus – the only differences are the lower anchors and fancier armrest fabric on the Plus.

Harmony Youth booster seat review

Key stats: -Weight 2 lbs -Backless booster size limit 30-100lbs, 34-57″

Pros: ✔ Extremely light ✔ Bargain price ✔ Good seatbelt fit

Cons: ✘ Doesn’t fold ✘ Limited padding

There’s beauty in simplicity. The Harmony Youth booster seat has been around for a decade but it still gets the job done. There’s not much to this seat, but there doesn’t really need to be.

It’s an extremely lightweight backless booster seat at just 2 pounds, so it should be easy enough for kids 6 and up to carry this on their own. The Harmony Youth booster gets excellent ratings for providing a safe fit for kids and it includes a shoulder belt adjustor strap for kids on the lower end of the allowed size range.

It’s also a solid choice to use at home, whether for your own kid or to toss in the trunk for an impromptu carpool. The best part? It’s one of the cheapest booster seats around.

The only downside for hard-core traveling families is that it won’t fold up to fit inside a backpack or luggage. You can definitely put it inside your checked hard-sided luggage or your child can carry it on and put it under the seat in front of her (or in the overhead bin), but if your travels will involve hopping on and off trains or taking Uber in a city just know that this booster seat stays at its full size.

Tips for traveling with a booster seat on an airplane

When you’re shopping for a portable booster seat, it’s important to remember that booster seats are not FAA-approved . That means you can’t use a booster seat on an airplane. From a safety perspective, that’s fine: your child will be over 40lbs, so the airplane seatbelt will secure her properly. But what should you do with her booster seat so it’s not lost or damaged?

Take it on board! There are a few ways to manage this. One option is to buy a folding booster seat from the list above. Some of these look absolutely amazing and we’re excited to try them! They fold up small enough to fit in the overhead bin of a plane or even in your child’s carry-on backpack so that you’re never separated from them. This won’t be an issue with any of the backless boosters we’ve recommended.

If you’re traveling with a highback booster seat the other option is to detach the bottom from the back and put the back in a suitcase. It’s ok to check the back that way because it’ll be protected by the suitcase and padded by clothing. You’d then carry the backless part of the booster on-board with you and put it in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of your kid. The only risk is if your luggage is lost or delayed, but at least in a pinch you could use the backless portion of the booster on its own.

Get the full scoop on flying with a booster seat

Best booster seats for travel FAQs

Most children are ready for the responsibility of sitting correctly in a booster seat after 5 years old, but sometimes not until 7 or even 8 years old. Don’t rush it! If they can’t sit properly in the booster seat, it won’t keep them safe in an accident.

There’s no single best option. Once your child is big enough and mature enough to ride in a booster seat (usually starting 5-7 years old), you’ll need to evaluate the options on this list to find the one that’s the best match for her size and the type of trip your family is planning.

The mifold booster seat passes all Federal crash testing in the US, otherwise it couldn’t be sold here. That said, the seatbelt fit is not consistently in line with how we expect booster seat fit to look. Namely, the lap portion of the belt often sits mid-way on a child’s thighs in a mifold rather than on the strong hip bones. The fit seems to vary by car and child, so it may not be a reliable choice for families who can’t predict which car they’ll be riding in on a trip.

What’s your favorite travel booster car seat? Tell us in the comments below!

Still searching?

You might also like…

• Want a folding car seat for travel? Here are your best choices by age
• What’s the best travel car seat for a 4 year old?
• Car seats and taxis: here’s what you NEED to know

20 thoughts on “What’s the best travel booster car seat? (2024 reviews)”

Thanks for this awesome post! I’m intrigued by the Ride Safer Vest. It seems very appealing in many of the safety features and of course the lightweight aspect, but I’m concerned about the lack of a back for the side impact protection as well as the ability to lean against it to sleep. I’m curious why you say it’s better for kiddos that sleep in the car? Also, how often are there tethering systems in the middle seats of vehicles? My son is 4.5 yrs old, 39 lbs, and 43″ tall. During normal times we travel quite a bit, including long trips in foreign countries where he would fall asleep in the car…I’m torn between this lightweight vest option vs. a 2-option booster seat (high backed and converts to low back). Thanks!

Thanks so much for stopping by! The Ride Safer doesn’t offer side impact protection (which is the same concern as a backless booster); if possible, it’s great to use the vest in the center for extra protection.

When you use it with the top tether, it prevents a sleeping kid from slumping over. A highback booster offers some side support that can help kids stay upright when they fall asleep, but a backless booster doesn’t support sleeping kids at all.

In the US, it’s extremely common to find top tether anchors in the center seats for sedans and small SUVs. Three-row vehicles are more variable – typically both captains chairs and one or two in the back (but sometimes three). In countries outside of US, Canada and Western Europe finding a top tether anchor is really variable. But we have found them in Australia, NZ, Argentina, Chile and beyond (I can’t promise always in the center seat, as we had each of our kids outboard).

At 4.5, a booster seat isn’t a safe choice – especially for a child who falls asleep in the car. Most 4 year olds can’t stay in position properly 100% of the time, which is what’s necessary for a booster seat to be safe. If the vest doesn’t suit your needs, check out these choices . If you wait until your son is a little older (and heavier) and ready for a booster seat, the hifold booster seat might be worth considering – it offers side impact protection, support for sleeping and is approved in EVERY country except Australia.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thank you SO much for the incredibly detailed post!! It was super helpful for us as we are embarking on our full time travel adventure with 4 children. We are going to try the harness after reading several of your detailed posts. Thank you!! Olivia Kimball from The Minimalist Travel Family

Congrats on going full time! It was an amazing period for our family. If you ever have any questions, feel free to drop me a line.

Safe travels, Melissa

Have you had a chance to test the WhizRider? It seems similar to the other vest option but looks a little simpler to use…

Thanks for stopping by! Another CPST is writing up her review on it for me as we speak 🙂 Her initial impression (and mine) is that the WhizRider fit can be more challenging for kids on the smaller end of the approved range. It also doesn’t have the same structure to it, so it really just positions the seatbelt while the Ride Safer also spreads crash forces through the child’s torso instead of concentrating the in a few spots. WhizRider anticipates offering a top tether in the future but they don’t have it available yet.

If you want to share your child’s age, height and weight I’m happy to help you narrow down the choices to find the best one for your family.

I love all of your detailed content. Thank you. Have you had a chance to review the Wayb Pico? I am intrigued by it but the cost gives pause and some of the other reviewers say the bottom buckle is too short to allow the child to grow into it longer.

Hi Leighann,

Thanks for stopping by! My kids were too old by the time the Pico was released but one of my colleagues reviewed it for me and I also have tons of feedback from traveling families who use the Pico. Check out this in-depth WAYB Pico review and let me know if you have any questions.

Safe travels,

Hi, is the Ride Safer vest approved throughout the EU? Where can I find info on requirements by country? Heading to France and Spain soon with a 3.5 and 5.5 yr old. Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately the current version of the RSTV is not approved anywhere in Europe on its own. There is an EU-approved backless booster than can be used in conjunction with the vest for your older one. Here’s my full take on car seats for traveling in Europe .

We bought a whizrider about a year ago for carpool and travel, but recently I noticed they stopped selling it at typical retailers. They put a letter on their website recently that said it wasn’t recalled, “but NHTSA has informed us that the WhizRider does not meet the definition of a Child Restraint System as defined in FMVSS 213”. Help! What does this mean? Is it not legal for me to use it anymore? If it helps, I am located in CA but plan to travel to MD soon and was going to use it..

I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle of this sticky situation. This is an ACTIVE topic of conversation in CPST circles.

Here’s the background: FMVSS213 has both design standards and performance standards. The makers of WhizRider have tested to the performance standards. However, the vest doesn’t fit neatly into any legally defined category of design standards. Does it appear to hold the seatbelt in place properly for kids age 6+? In my experience with my own kids, yes. But the reason you’ve never seen a review of it here on my site is because I haven’t been comfortable promoting a product that technically doesn’t meet FMVSS213.

What that means for you: If you live in a place where your child is required by law to use a booster seat based on age and size, WhizRider is not an option. If you are traveling to a state where the law doesn’t require your child to be in a booster seat (for example, a 7 year old in Florida) you may use it.

I know this is a crappy situation for you to be in. If you share your child’s age and height, I’m happy to help you evaluate your options.

Has your opinion about the Bubblebum changed at all in the wake of the computer model submarining question?

We used the Ride Safer vest when my kiddo was smaller and loved it (she used to pretend she was an astronaut or a racecar driver) but now she’s a very tiny 8 year old and we’re looking for a travel booster seat. She has a high-back booster as her regular seat, and we have a Graco Turbo as our carpool/visiting friend seat (visiting friends are ALWAYS bigger!), and we’re traveling a couple of times this year. I’m trying to decide whether it makes sense to bring the Turbo or get something more portable. I had been leaning toward the Bubblebum, but now I’m worried about it. What do you think? Bring the one we have, replace it with the Harmony or RightGuide (or maybe the super-cheap Cosco?), or relax and get the Bubblebum?

I’m interested in using the Ride Safer Vest for our next trip to NYC. Would you say that it’s more important to position our daughter in the middle of the back seat (for more side protection), or in a side seat that allows for the top tether (assuming the middle seat does not have that option)? She is 7. In the city/in a cab, she would be positioned between me and my wife. We’ll also be doing a trip to Chicago and would like to use the same travel seat/vest. Part of our trip will involve driving on the interstate out to the suburbs. Do you trust this vest at interstate speeds? In this case, she would be alone in the back seat (and positioned in the middle, if possible.)

Hi Christina,

Thanks for stopping by! These are EXCELLENT questions.

NYC: All passengers vehicles in the US (since 2001 model year) are required to have three top tethers. That means in a sedan the middle seat always has one. You’re right that the middle seat, being furthest from the point of impact, is a great choice for kids using the vest.

Longer drives: Assuming your kiddo is able to sit properly and follow directions, there’s no safety concern about using the vest at high speeds. We used it full-time for the better part of two years. If used correctly, the vest adjusts the vehicle seatbelt to fit a child’s body similar to how a booster seat does. You can find lots of fit tips (and a discount!) in my detailed Ride Safer Travel Vest review .

Hi! I am taking my kids on a trip to Texas and was planning to us the two Whizriders that we have, instead of lugging carseats. My kids are 7 and 3.5. After more research, now I’m wondering if I can even use the Whizrider legally in Texas. Do you happen to know?

I’m so glad you stopped by! If you purchased a WhizRider new from a retailer, you should have received a letter informing you that it does not conform to FMVSS 213. As such, they are not legal for children under age 8 in Texas (who are required to use a booster seat). The fit on younger children isn’t very good, so I wouldn’t ever suggest using it on a child who is under ~6. Check out the Bubblebum booster seat for your older child.

You’ll want to bring a harnessed travel car seat for your 3 year old – all boosters in the US now have a minimum age of 4 years old, but most kids don’t have the developmental readiness to sit properly 100% of the time until at least age 5.

I’m sorry for your disappointment. You may be able to ask for a refund from the retailer who sold it to you. Please let me know if you need any more recommendations for your trip!

Question, is there any reason not to buy the Ridesafer Gen 4? I’m looking at getting two (used 5-10 times and 4 years old). It would save me a lot of money, just wondering if there are any HUGE downsides to getting them new.

As with any child restraint system, proceed with caution when buying used. You need to ask lots of questions about its history: Was it washed according to manufacturer instructions (if ever)? Was it in any type of crash? Are there any signs of physical wear? Are all of the accessories and manual accounted for?

I’ll say that our Gen 4 eventually had the buckle velcro separate from the body after HEAVY use, and SafeRide4Kids replaced it free of charge. If you choose to buy a new one, use coupon VOYAGE for a discount.

In terms of product changes, the Gen 5 runs bigger (not a good thing in my opinion) and it has an easier to use buckle plus fabric covering the tether attachment points.

Hi! We have 9yo twins who will (hopefully?!) be hitting that 50lb threshhold sometime soon (they’re between 45-49 (!!!) pounds). They’re both at just over 4 feet tall. One falls asleep in every car ride – after some investigation, it looks like she has a form of motion sickness that basically makes her pass out after about ten minutes in the car. Even in the current high-back booster (not travel-friendly at all – it’s the Clek Oobr highback), she pitches forward against the seatbelt when sleeping. We had a fold up travel seat that isn’t sold anymore – super heavy and bulky for travel. In this case, what would you suggest as the best option for travel? Thanks for any ideas!

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Choosing a child car seat or booster seat

From: Transport Canada

Choosing the right child car seat for your child can be confusing. Keeping your child safe is the priority. When you use them correctly, child car seats and booster seats can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash.

On this page

Before you start, the four stages of child car seat use, checking for recalls, safety notices and active defect investigations, using a pre-owned child car seat or booster seat, how to register your child car seat or booster seat, when to get rid of your child car seat or booster seat, contact motor vehicle safety.

Each province and territory may have its own age, height and weight restrictions. Consult the website for your province or territory for more information.

Some child car seats fit more than one stage. Check the manufacturers' labels to find the child car seats made for your child's height and weight.

Always look for the National Safety Mark. It is proof the child car seat meets Canadian safety standards.

It is illegal to import, sell or use child car seats in Canada that do not have a National Safety Mark.*

Parents are strongly advised to buy a child car seat only from a Canadian retailer in their area. This way, you may also be able to check the fit in your vehicle before buying the child car seat.

Find out more about Child car seat cross border shopping – what parents and caregivers should know , and be careful when buying child car seats and booster seats online !

*This rule does not apply to custom restraint systems for disabled persons, unless the restraint is made for use only on a school bus.

There are four stages of child car seat including seat belt use for children. Each stage is designed to keep your child as safe as possible, given their particular age, height and weight.

Stage 1: rear-facing

Infants and young children ride facing the rear in an infant seat with a detachable base or in a convertible seat. This helps protect their head, neck and back throughout the journey, during sudden stops or in a crash. All child car seats have a recommended recline angle based on the weight of your child. For example, newborns and premature babies need to be tilted back more than older babies. This helps support the head and helps to keep their airway open. Keep your child seated rear-facing until he or she reaches the child car seat's weight or height limits.

For tips on installing your rear-facing seat, go to Stage 1: rear-facing seats.

Stage 2: forward-facing

Children who have outgrown their rear-facing seat and weigh at least 10 kg (22 lb) may ride facing the front in a child car seat. These child car seats have a built-in harness designed to keep your child safe throughout the journey, during sudden stops or a crash. Use a forward-facing seat until your child reaches the maximum weight or height limits for the child car seat. Some forward-facing seats are made for children who weigh up to 30 kg (65 lb).

For tips on installing your forward-facing seat, go to Stage 2: forward-facing seats .

Stage 3: booster seats

Booster seats are designed for children who have outgrown their forward-facing seat and weigh at least 18 kg (40 lb). A booster seat helps children sit comfortably by raising them up so they can sit up against the seatback with their knees bent over the edge of the booster or vehicle seat. Even if a booster seat meets Canadian regulations, the booster seat you choose needs to fit your child, and your vehicle.

For tips on choosing a booster seat that fits, go to Stage 3: booster seats .

Stage 4: seat belts

The vehicle seat belt should only be used alone when children have outgrown their booster seats . Before you transition to this important stage make sure the seat belt fits your child. The minimum age, weight and height limits vary from one province to another.

For tips on checking the fit of the seat belt on your child, go to Stage 4: seat belts .

We publish safety alerts and notices for child car seats . These notices will:

• tell you if your child car seat has a safety defect and what you need to do
• tell you if your child car seat doesn't comply with safety standards
• tell you about a general problem with a product

We investigate potential safety-related defects. If a safety defect exists, the manufacturer issues a recall notice. Check for ongoing investigations that may affect your child car seat.

You may also be interested in:

• research testing done to check the safety of child car seats
• compliance testing done to make sure that child car seats meet Canadian requirements

Tips for safe use of child car seats

These notices provide important safety information related to child car seats and booster seats in general.

While we do not recommend buying or using pre-owned child car seats, we understand that it may not always be possible to buy a new child car seat. For your child's safety, please read the important warnings below before using a “used” child car seat.

• Do not use a child car seat that does not have a National Safety Mark
• Do not use a child car seat that has been in a collision
• If the child car seat is on the recalls/notices list, contact the manufacturer to learn what to do
• Check the list of parts in the manual to make sure no parts are missing or broken
• See if you can order missing parts from the manufacturer
• Do not use the child car seat until you have replaced any needed parts
• Do not use the child car seat if you cannot latch or unlatch the buckle
• Do not use the child car seat if you cannot adjust the harness
• Do not use the child car seat if the harness is missing, frayed, torn or discolored
• Do not use the child car seat if the chest clip is missing or broken
• Please be aware that most, if not all, manufacturers place an expiry date on their child car seats and booster seats, even though it is not regulated or required by Transport Canada. For questions regarding the expiry date for a specific child car seat or booster seat, please contact the manufacturer.
• If you are considering buying a second-hand car seat, please also visit Health Canada's Second-hand car seat safety page for a few safety precautions to keep in mind.

You should register your child car seat or booster seat with the manufacturer. We require that manufacturers provide you with a postage-paid registration card. The information collected allows the manufacturer to notify you if a recall affects your child car seat. The information you provide can only be used for this purpose.

There are two ways to register your child car seat:

• mail the product registration card to the manufacturer
• visit the manufacturer's website to register online

Just like children outgrow shoes and snowsuits, they also outgrow child car seats. So of course you should replace a child car seat when your child has outgrown it. It is important not to rush your child from one child car seat stage to the next.

It is safest to keep your child in each stage for as long as possible.

You should dispose of your child car seat or booster seat if:

• even if the child car seat was empty or was not directly hit, it may have been damaged
• the shell is cracked or the webbing of the child car seat is frayed, torn or discolored

Contact the manufacturer to learn on how to safely dispose of your child car seat or booster seat.

Telephone: 1-800-333-0371 (toll-free), 613-998-8616 (Ottawa-Gatineau region) Email: [email protected]

Related links

• Child car seat clinics
• Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database

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Folding Travel Booster Seat (World Traveler Edition) - Silver Tech

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Belt-positioning booster car seat, forward-facing 18.1-50 kg (40-110lbs). Download instruction manual

Description

Product features.

• Exceeds Canadian CMVSS, US FMVSS, and ECE standards.
• Extended weight range: For children 18.1-50 kg (40-110lbs) and 86.4-144.8cm (34-57 inches) tall.
• Ready for use in all countries accepting American FMVSS, Canadian CMVSS and European ECE standards.
• Full-body side-impact protection guarantees maximum safety to your child’s head, torso, and legs.
• EPE energy-absorbing foam throughout seat for added comfort and energy absorption in a crash.
• 7-position, 1-hand height adjustable headrest. 
• Anti-torque backrest keeps your child enclosed and protected in a collision.
• Anti-submarining belt path design prevents the child from sliding under the lap belt on impact.
• Visually pronounced belt guides promote correct installment of the seat belt. 
• Fits 3-across in most vehicles.
• Ultra-plush seat pad made with durable, premium fabrics and extra high-density comfort foam, provides exceptional comfort.
• Full wrap premium seat pad is removable for machine washing. 
• Cup/snack holder that can be easily installed on either armrest.
• Compact and lightweight: Folds to 45cm x 40.5cm x 27.9 cm.
• Carry handle for ease of transport.
• 1-year warranty.

Width: 17.38" (44.16 cm) Depth: 20" (50.8 cm) Height: 26.5" – 30.75” (67.31 cm – 78.10)

Related Products

• Tables & Chairs
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PandaEar Portable Baby Seat Travel Chair| Compact Fold with Straps for Indoor/Outdoor Use| Great for Camping, Beach, Lawn |Toddlers, Kids, Boys, Girls (Neural Seat)

About this item.

• 【Compact Folding Design】Our booster seat features an innovative fold design, which is convenient for traveling and cleaning. Give your little one a comfy place to eat with the whole family and get relaxed with the comfortable seat anywhere.
• 【Easy to Clean】Our safe baby chair comes with removable machine-washable fabric and a removable and dishwasher-safe tray with cup holder.
• 【Carry Bag】Our sturdy chair includes a carry bag, which makes storage and portability a piece of cake.
• 【Child Safety Belt】PandaEar baby chair can be used both indoors and outdoors. The child safety belt is perfect to prevent falls and injuries.
• 【100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE 】We want you to purchase your MOST popular baby booster seat high chair knowing you will be fully satisfied. It’s that simple. If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, we will completely refund your order.

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From the brand

We provide top-notch baby products at an affordable price.

In 2016, Virginia-based PandaEar was founded by Livea and James, parents on a mission. They aimed to provide high-quality, budget-friendly baby products, making parenting easier for families worldwide. With their vision of "Making Caring Everywhere," PandaEar thrived through cost efficiency, uncompromising quality, and innovative designs.

Why is PandaEar founded?

PandaEar began in 2016 when Livea and James, as parents, saw the need for affordable, high-quality baby products, sparking their entrepreneurial journey.

What makes our products unique?

PandaEar's uniqueness lies in affordable high quality, innovative designs, and a mission to make parenting stress-free.

What products we are offering?

PandaEar offers a wide array of products, ranging from feeding essentials to toilet and bath accessories, catering to all your baby's needs.

Silicone Baby Feeding Set

PandaEar Baby Items

Product description.

PandaEar Portable Baby Seat Chair Travel Compact Fold with Straps for Indoor/Outdoor Use

Child Safety Belt

PandaEar baby chair can be used both indoors and outdoors. The child safety belt is perfect to prevent falls and injuries.

Welcome to PandaEar,

At PandaEar everything we do starts with Mom and Baby in mind. As a family run company full of little ones ourselves – we only offer products we trust and use in our own home. Our chairs are put under countless tests to ensure they work for baby, they’re fun but most importantly they are SAFE.

What Are You Waiting For, Order Yours Today!

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Product Reviews

Best portable booster seats for travel in 2024 {buying guide}.

Why your preschooler needs a portable booster seat for car travel

You’ve planned every aspect of your family’s trip down to the last detail.  Each child has their allotted luggage space and you’re prepared to lug every last bit of it to the ticket counter or pack it in your vehicle’s trunk.  Hotels are in order, rental cars are booked, and it’s almost go time.  

Then you realize it: You don’t have a portable booster seat for your kiddos.  How are you going to obey safety laws without one? How are you going to lug around your normal car seat to every rental car and bus on your itinerary?  

Let’s wake up from this nightmare together, shall we?  There’s absolutely no need to panic.  We’re here to help you find the Best Portable Booster Seats for Travel without adding a significant burden to your luggage count.  

Features of Good Portable Booster Seats

• Booster Seat Safety Laws by Country
• Best Portable Booster Seats for Travel on the Market

This post is part of our tried & tested family travel product review series

Why use a booster seat.

You may be wondering when your child is ready for a booster seat, and there are several indicators.  Most school-age children over the age of 4 can ride in a booster seat, although ideally they would be used for children age 5 and older.  

Booster seats are a necessary next step up from an infant or toddler car seat , and required by law in many countries once your child has outgrown the height and weight requirements of their forward-facing car seat. 

Booster seats elevate your child’s position so that they can safely and effectively use your vehicle’s seat belt straps.  A portable booster seat is an essential travel companion to ensure that your young one is safe and secure.  

What to Look For in a Portable Booster Seat for Travel

Portable booster seats vs. regular booster seats.

The key differences between a portable booster seat and a regular one is that many portable seats are able to be folded for more compact storage and easier transportation, and they are also lighter.  While this may mean a little less padding, safety standards are never compromised.

High Back vs. Backless Boosters

The two main types of portable booster seats are high back and backless boosters.  Let’s take a look at the key features of each type: 

Backless Booster Seats

These are essentially a specialized cushion that your child can sit on to enable them to use a seatbelt.  Many backless boosters have armrests that act as seat belt guides, or the guides are built into the seat.  We definitely recommend backless boosters for air travel, as they can be easily stored and changed from one mode of transportation to another. 

High Back Booster Seats

High back booster seats offer increased back and head support and can be much more comfortable on a long car ride than backless boosters.  Many portable high back booster seats also fold down for compact storage or separate so that you can just use the bottom cushion as a backless booster.  

These are an excellent option if you’re going to be using a rental car for travel and don’t want to pay the added fees to rent a car seat.  

Safety: It’s essential that you look at the safety ratings of your portable booster seat and ensure they comply with the country’s laws you’ll be traveling in.  Many travel booster seats are compliant with most major countries’ safety guidelines and recommendations, but it’s best to double check.  

Size and Weight: Unless you’re only traveling to a few different locations on your trip, two of the highest selling points of your portable booster seat should be the size and weight.  If you’re going to carry the travel booster around an airport or even to the ticket desk, I can tell you from experience, they get heavy pretty quickly.  

Portability : It’s important to choose a portable booster seat that is, well, easily portable.  Bulky or hard-to-break-down booster seats may not fit easily into overhead luggage, and you don’t want to spend an hour trying to unfold the thing in between taxi rides.  Trust me, they charge you for that time.

Washable:   Portable booster seats WILL get disgusting and dirty.  It’s a fact of life.  Look for a travel booster with a removable cover or one that can be easily wiped clean.  We all know that children will demand snacks five minutes into the journey, and they will more than likely end up wearing some (or all) of them.

Child Weight and Size Requirements by Country

Best travel booster seats.

$ = Under $30 USD; $$ = $30 to $60 USD; $$$ = over $60 USD

Best High Back Travel Booster Seats

Best overall: graco affix highback booster seat with latch system.

Why We Love It: This travel booster seat can be installed quickly and easily with its signature one-hand, front-adjust Latch system.  This comes in handy when time is of the essence or you need to switch it between vehicles.  

You also get the best of both worlds due to the fact that you can remove the back and use it as a backless booster as well.  The price point is reasonable for all that you’re getting, and the safety rating is unbeatable. 

Possible Cons: The seat belt guide at the top doesn’t hold the belt in place as securely as some would like. 

Key Features: 

• Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 16.5 x 26.75 inches
• Min/Max Requirements: 30-100 lbs
• Product Weight: 9.8 lbs
• Comfort Features: Multi-layer headrest, full-coverage back support, fully adjustable headrest, integrated cup holder and storage compartment
• Cleaning: Machine-washable seat padding

Most Versatile: Hifold Fit-and-Fold High Back Booster Seat

Why We Love It: This incredibly adjustable portable booster seat can be adjusted to 243 different settings and folded down for quick and easy storage.  It adjusts with your child as he or she grows, and is regulated for global use, so you can take it just about anywhere.

Possible Cons: Not regulated for use in Australia, a higher price point may not make it worth it for occasional travel.

Want to get your hands on the Hifold with 10% off? Buy direct from Mifold here and use the code GLOBETROTTERS at the checkout!

• Product Dimensions: 14.60 x 13.40 x 10.70 inches
• Min/Max Requirements: 33-100 lbs
• Product Weight: 10 lbs
• Comfort Features: Sections can be adjusted separately to accommodate your child’s size, 6 advanced impact protection zones and 4-layer design for optimum comfort and protection, comes with convenient carry strap, can fit three across back seat
• Cleaning: Surface can be wiped clean

Best Value: Evenflo Big Kid Amp High Back 2-in-1 Belt-Positioning Booster

Why We Love It: This 2-in-1 portable high back booster seat has an integrated belt guide and six height position to not only grow with your child, but off versatility in travel as well.  It easily separates so that you can use the backless booster on its own, and an energy absorbing foam liner guarantees a comfortable ride every time.  

Possible Cons: Seat base is wider than other booster seats, so it may block the seat belt buckle

• Product Dimensions: 16.50 x 19.00 x 33.00 inches
• Min/Max Requirements: 40-110 lbs
• Product Weight: 8.10 lbs
• Comfort Features: Comfortable padding around head and body, elastic cup holders, one-hand height adjustment
• Cleaning: Machine Washable Seat Pad 

Best Backless Booster Seats

Best overall: graco turbobooster lx backless booster.

Why We Love It: This shockingly affordable, highly rated backless booster seat is a steal by any standard.  Not only is it top-rated by leading consumer magazines and publications it also exceeds US safety standards.  Dual cup holders and padded armrests aren’t bad either. 

Possible Cons: The seat padding may not be the most comfortable for long car trips. 

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 16 x 8.5 inches
• Min/Max Requirements: 40-100 lbs
• Product Weight: 5.10 lbs
• Comfort Features: Dual cup holders, padded, height-adjustable arm rests, deluxe seat cushion
• Cleaning: Machine washable seat cushion

Most Versatile: Bubble Bum Inflatable Backless Booster Seat

Why We Love It: This is one of the most compact and lightweight backless booster seats on the market.  It can easily be deflated, folded, and put in a nappy bag or purse, and meets or exceeds US and EU safety ratings.  The patented memory foam technology in the seat ensures a comfy ride every time.

Possible Cons: Some customers said that the strap that brings the shoulder strap down can come loose if the child moves around a lot.

• Product Dimensions: 11.00 x 4.50 x 11.00 inches
• Product Weight: 1.2 lbs
• Comfort Features: Air bladder contains memory foam for added comfort, Cover surrounding air cushion made of energy absorbing material
• Cleaning: Spray, wipe, and allow to air dry

Best Value: Cosco Topside Backless Booster Car Seat

Why We Love It: Sometimes basic is best, and this no-frills booster seat not only fits the bill, but it comes in several vibrant colors as well.  The extra-comfy plush pad and covered armrests make for hours of comfortable travel, and the booster’s ultra-lightweight design allows you to transport it with ease. 

Possible Cons: Only approved for use in the US

• Product Dimensions: 16.00 x 15.00 x 3.00 inches
• Product Weight: 2.20 lbs
• Comfort Features: Extra plush seat pad, designed to leave seats unmarked
• Cleaning: Hand wash only

Providing safe travel options for your older children has never been easier or more affordable with the Best Portable Booster Seats on the market.  You can rest easy on the eve of your next adventure with the knowledge you’ve got everything covered.  

Want more handy guides for travelling with your kids?

We have travelled across the continents with our kids for the past 10 years. Some bits of baby and toddler travel kit are definitely more useful than others! Here are just some of the pieces of travel gear we recommend you invest in:

• A cover for your car seats if you’ll be checking them into the hold on a plane to keep your valuable gear protected
• A carrier for your toddler , especially if you are travelling in busy places where strollers could be more hindrance than a help
• A portable travel cot – to make sure everyone gets a good nights sleep when you travel
• A durable and adaptable diaper bag -cum-backpack for fitting all your family gar from diapers to snacks and everything in between. Invest well at the start and this bag could last your family years

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Disclosures: We are members of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Qualifying purchases made using our affiliate links will earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. Our full website terms of use can be found  here .

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Air travel with children

This page provides information on flying with children, including what to pack in carry on baggage, going through security screening and using child restraint systems (car seats) on board the aircraft.

On this page

Travelling with children under 2 years old, child restraint systems.

• Children travelling alone

Carry-on baggage

Security screening.

For the safety of both adults and children, the Canadian Aviation Regulations require that no passenger can be responsible for more than 1 infant (child under the age of 2).

If you are travelling with children under the age of 2, a passenger must accompany each of your children, even if you buy seats for them.

Although children under 2 years old may be held in your arms during a flight, Transport Canada highly recommends that you use an approved child restraint system (car seat) for all legs of the flight. Car seats are designed to different standards than aircraft seats, so they may work differently and fit differently in planes. Any car seat intended for use on board an aircraft must have a statement of compliance label that shows it meets the applicable design standard and the date it was made.

The use of a car seat provides the best protection for the infant or child and minimizes the effects of unanticipated turbulence. Using a familiar car seat will make your child more comfortable, and you can also use it when you reach your destination. 

If you decide to use a car seat, always:

• check with your airline for its specific policies
• follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions
• tighten the aircraft seat belt through the correct path on the car seat
• secure straps out of the way since tether straps cannot be used on board the aircraft

The following devices are not approved for use as child restraint systems on an aircraft:

• Not approved for use as child restraint systems on an aircraft, as they are designed to be used with a car lap and shoulder belt
• Not approved for use as child restraint systems on an aircraft, as they may not be used when the aircraft is moving on the ground, during takeoff and landing or when the safety belt sign is on
• Not approved for use as child restraint systems on an aircraft, as they could injure the infant in case of an accident

Child car seat safety

Child restraint systems and other seating devices

Children who are travelling alone

If your child is travelling alone, contact the airline in advance to ask if someone from the airline will escort and supervise your child from check-in through arrival, and if there are any restrictions such as age limits.

Ensure that the person who brings your child to the airport stays at the airport until the flight has departed and that the person who is picking up your child at the point of arrival has appropriate identification and authorization.

A child who travels alone or without 1 of their parents or guardians should have a consent letter signed by the parents or guardians who are not accompanying the child.

You are permitted to pack the following items in your carry-on baggage:

• Breast milk in quantities greater than 100 ml, even if you are flying without your child
• Gel and ice packs to refrigerate breast milk or medically necessary items and medication that need to be refrigerated (as indicated on the label or a medical note)
• baby food, formula, medications, milk, water and juice
• gel or ice packs to keep your baby products cool

Check with the airline before you travel. Some items cannot be used during taxi, takeoff, landing or when directed by a crew member.

Carry-on baggage  (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority)

Planning is important when you fly with young children. A little strategic planning can make the flight a more pleasant experience for you, your children and other travellers.

Check if the family and special needs lane is available. Place infant carriers and other child-related items, including diaper bags, on the conveyor belt for security screening. Strollers need to be inspected separately.

Present all liquids to a screening officer for separate inspection.

Let your child walk through the metal detector. If your child is not able to do so alone, you can hold them in your arms as you walk through the metal detector.

Airport security screening – Families  (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority)

Related links

• Children and travel
• Travel documents for children
• Travelling with children  (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority)

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• Baby and kid

The Best Booster Car Seats

By Rebecca Gale

It’s not hard to find a satisfactory booster seat. But a booster that’s well engineered, with thoughtful features, can help provide a safer fit, a comfier ride, and a more pleasant overall experience for you and your kids.

After evaluating more than 50 booster seats, we recommend the versatile, easy-to-use Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus high-back booster. We also recommend other high-back and backless boosters that will fit a range of budgets and circumstances.

As the name implies, a booster raises a child up so that the car’s seat belt can be positioned properly. These seats are for school-age kids who are generally at least around 40 pounds and 40 inches tall, as well as for those who are ready —both physically and developmentally—to graduate from a five-point harness seat.

Everything we recommend

Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus

The best high-back booster car seat.

This attractive booster is safe, easy to use, and comfortable. It’s a hit with caregivers and kids alike.

Buying Options

Graco TurboBooster LX

This seat lacks some of the conveniences (and pizzazz) of our top pick, but it’s a really good booster at a reasonable price.

Diono Monterey 2XT Latch

A bigger, adjustable high-back booster.

This attractive, comfortable booster seat has a unique backrest that adjusts in width as your kid grows. It’s wider and heavier than our other picks, though.

Chicco GoFit Plus

The best backless booster.

In a sea of similar models, this seat stands out for its superior LATCH and other convenient features.

How we picked

A good booster seat should be simple to install and convenient to use.

We researched seats to find out which models have received the highest independent ratings for providing a proper belt fit.

Safety experts encouraged us to focus on how the seats perform in the real world, rather than conducting our own crash testing.

We made sure that our picks would work well in a wide variety of vehicles and circumstances.

The Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus weighs about 10 pounds and is easy to install and remove, thanks to a cleverly designed LATCH system. ( LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children; this system allows you to install a car seat by attaching a pair of metal hooks or clips, which are built into the seat, to a set of anchors, which are built into the car.) The KidFit ClearTex Plus’s LATCH system, which Chicco calls SuperCinch, can be tightened and released with one hand. And the seat features environmentally conscious, Greenguard Gold–certified fabric, two collapsible cupholders, and the best seat-belt threader of any high-back booster we tested. The seat’s relatively narrow footprint may allow for three across in the back row, depending on the vehicle. The top portion of the seat can be disconnected, converting it from a high-back to a backless booster.

• Weight of seat: 10 pounds
• Width of seat base (at widest point): 17 inches
• Passenger weight and height limits for high-back mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 38 to 57 inches
• Passenger weight and height limits for backless mode: 40 to 110 pounds; 38 to 57 inches

Less expensive than our top pick, the Graco TurboBooster LX has many of the same key features. Like the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus, the TurboBooster LX has two cupholders, and it can be converted from being a high-back to a backless seat. Our main gripe is that it has hook-style LATCH connectors, which can be more difficult to get on and off the car’s anchors. This seat weighs just slightly less than our top pick. And, like our top pick, this model has a relatively narrow footprint (it may be possible to fit three seats across, depending on the vehicle).

• Weight of seat: 9.8 pounds
• Passenger weight and height limits for high-back mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches
• Passenger weight and height limits for backless mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches

The Diono Monterey 2XT Latch is similar to our top pick in terms of function, but it’s covered in a plusher fabric, and it has the option of extending the sides through the shoulders. So this seat is a good choice for kids who have a wider frame. It’s also good for parents who want bigger kids to stay in a high-back booster longer (compared with the height and weight limits of our top and runner-up picks, this seat fits kids who are 20 pounds heavier and 6 inches taller). Like our other picks, the Diono Monterey converts from a high-back to a backless booster. And it uses hook-style LATCH. The seat weighs 4 pounds more than our top pick, and it’s one of the widest models we looked at.

• Weight of seat: 14.3 pounds
• Width of seat base (at widest point): 19 inches
• Passenger weight and height limits for high-back mode: 40 to 120 pounds; 38 to 63 inches
• Passenger weight and height limits for backless mode: 40 to 120 pounds; 38 to 63 inches

We recommend high-back boosters over backless ones for daily use because of the additional head and neck protection they offer. And many models—including our other picks—convert from high-back to backless for carpooling, traveling, or when a kid has outgrown the high-back limits. But backless boosters cost less, and having one on hand can be convenient. The Chicco GoFit Plus has the same SuperCinch LATCH mechanism as the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus, making it easy to install, tighten, and release with one hand. It also has expandable cupholders and a built-in handle on one end. We also like that this seat is relatively slender—making it possible to fit three across, depending on the vehicle. The GoFit Plus weighs 6 pounds, so it’s not the lightest option, but it’s about average for boosters with LATCH.

• Weight of seat: 6 pounds
• Passenger weight and height limits: 40 to 110 pounds; 38 to 57 inches

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, understanding the different kinds of booster seats, how we picked and tested, what about crash testing, our pick: chicco kidfit cleartex plus, runner-up: graco turbobooster lx, also great: diono monterey 2xt latch, also great: chicco gofit plus, other good high-back booster seats, other good backless booster seats, when can a child sit without a booster seat, the role your car plays in booster safety, the competition, care, use, and maintenance.

When I worked on the first version of this guide, in 2018, I became certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). I completed a 40-hour training program through the Safe Kids Worldwide organization, which teaches the proper installation and use of car seats. Since that time, I’ve interviewed over a dozen experts on car seat safety, policy, and installation. I’ve spoken with representatives from 10 car seat manufacturers and talked to dozens of parents about their car seat experiences. And I've scanned hundreds of reviews and read articles from reputable media outlets, including Car Seats for the Littles and BabyGearLab .

To help steer our decisions on which seats to test, we also relied on rankings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which independently ranks booster seats based on their ability to provide a good seat-belt fit.

Different types of car seats are designed for different stages of a child’s development. The good news: Boosters are, by design, typically the most straightforward to install and to use. But their cargo is no less precious.

Although the specifics can vary, boosters are generally intended for school-age kids who are at least about 40 pounds and 38 to 40 inches tall, and for those who are ready to graduate from a five-point harness. (Regulations on when a child is eligible to ride in a booster also vary from state to state and seat to seat.) Unlike infant car seats and convertible car seats , which provide protection using their own five-point harnesses, a booster seat relies on the vehicle’s seat belt to restrain a child. Younger kids have small frames that are not well matched to adult seat belts, so a booster’s job is to raise and position a child so that the lap and shoulder belts fit properly across their body. In the event of a crash, the vehicle’s safety belt is what holds the kid in place.

The shoulder belt must fit diagonally across a kid’s chest. And the lap belt must fit over a kid’s thighs, not their abdomen; otherwise the abdomen could be injured by the seat belt in the event of a crash. (The chest and thighs are stronger parts of the body and are better able to absorb the pressure of a seat belt.) A 2003 study of children ages 4 to 7 found that booster seats are more than twice as effective in reducing risk of injury than seat belts alone. Note that booster seats are not intended for use with lap-only seat belts, which can still be found in some cars manufactured before 2007. And boosters cannot be used on airplanes.

Parents often look forward to transitioning their kids from one stage to the next. But, as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has pointed out , car seats are one area where delaying a transition is the better thing to celebrate. Each transition—from rear-facing to forward-facing, from forward-facing to booster seat, and from booster to seat belt alone—reduces the degree of protection to the child.

Some of us who have worked on Wirecutter’s car seat guides have opted to keep our own kids in a convertible car seat with a five-point harness through kindergarten and beyond. However, there comes a time when a child outgrows the height or weight capacity of a five-point harness seat and develops the emotional maturity to shift to a booster seat.

In addition to meeting the minimum size requirements, to safely ride in a booster, a child must be able to sit still in the seat without slouching or leaning over. Otherwise, the seat belt can’t do its job properly. Kids with special needs who have outgrown convertible seat size limits, but who are not able to maintain proper posture in a booster, will require a special harness seat. (We have not tested any of those for this guide, so please consult with a health-care professional or CPST trained to handle special needs.)

High-back vs. backless booster seats

There are two types of booster seats: backless boosters, which simply raise a kid up so they’re in the correct position for the vehicle’s seat belt, and high-back boosters, which both raise the kid up and offer some support and protection to the head, neck, and upper back. High-back boosters can also help with correctly positioning the shoulder belt, and they are potentially comfier for naps in the car. Because of the additional protection that high-back boosters provide, we recommend them for regular use until a kid outgrows the height limits of the backrest.

Despite the safety advantages of high-back boosters, they may not be ideal for every situation. Since backless boosters are smaller and lighter, many caregivers find them to be more convenient, especially when a seat needs to be moved frequently. And some kids outgrow the height limits of a high-back booster before they’re ready to be out of a booster entirely. That’s why we’re big fans of seats that can convert from high-back to backless, as our picks can.

What about LATCH?

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. This system allows you to install a car seat by attaching a pair of metal hooks or clips, which are built into the seat, to a set of anchors, which are built into the car. With infant, convertible, and forward-facing five-point harness seats, to use LATCH as the sole method of installation, a child must weigh less than 40 pounds; once a child is over 40 pounds, the car seat must be secured using a seat belt. But for booster seats, it’s a different story.

Plenty of booster seats offer LATCH—including our top picks. But LATCH is not required for a booster seat to function safely. (And the 40-pound weight limit doesn’t apply, either, since it’s the seat belt that’s restraining a child.) Booster seats work by enabling your vehicle’s seat belts to do their job. So rest assured, a LATCH-less booster seat is fully equipped to do the task at hand.

With that said, there are potential advantages to getting a booster with LATCH. Attaching the booster to the car will help prevent the seat from shifting around when a child is getting in or out; this will also keep the seat securely in place when it’s unoccupied and prevent it from becoming a projectile in the event of a crash or sudden stop.

There are valid reasons to forego LATCH, too. You may need to use the booster in an area of the car that doesn’t have LATCH anchors (like the middle seat or in a third row). Also, the addition of LATCH to a booster almost always translates to a higher price tag.

We’ve tested boosters both with and without LATCH; you’ll find multiple non-LATCH recommendations in the Other good booster seats section of this guide.

All of our research led us to conclude that the ideal booster seat should be:

Easy to use safely: A booster’s ability to deliver a proper belt fit is what makes it safe, and several factors contribute to achieving that fit. A booster should promote correct posture; a kid should sit up straight and not slouch. If a high-back seat has side wings, they should allow for good sight lines and peripheral vision, so that a kid won’t be tempted to lean forward to see around them. It should be easy for a kid (or the adult who’s helping them) to pull the seat belt through the belt-positioning mechanism and get buckled in. The belt should rest flat against the shoulder and chest, and low on the hips or upper thighs, and it should stay there. If a kid leans forward and then leans back, the seat belt should be routed so that it moves with them. (A belt that does not retract would be too loose in the event of a crash.) The belt should also easily retract when unbuckled, readying it for the next use.

Versatile: Seats that are narrower or have a more-streamlined design will fit better in a wider range of cars. We looked for seats that, though narrow, have generous height and weight limits, as well as for those that can be adjusted or expanded to accommodate older and larger kids. We give preference to high-back boosters because of their added safety advantages, but to meet different needs, we included options that convert from high-back to backless as well as ones that are backless only.

Appealing to kids: Kids in boosters are likely to have strong opinions about how they ride (as well as everything else). So it’s important to have a booster that appeals to them. We gave extra points to seats that were notably comfy and had qualities that kids would find cool or features that would improve their overall experience, such as cupholders and high-quality fabric.

Equipped with a LATCH option: LATCH is a system that allows you to install a car seat with metal clips or hooks, which attach to anchors built into the car. As we explain above, LATCH is optional for booster seats. However, LATCH has some perks, such as helping to keep the seat in position and preventing it from becoming a projectile.

Convenient for adults: A booster seat that’s lighter in weight and designed with handling in mind will be less annoying to move in and out of a car. Intuitive installation is also a big boon. And maintenance matters: The headrest should be easy to adjust, and if a seat converts from high-back to backless, that process shouldn’t be a headache. Finally, the seat should be easy to keep clean.

A good value: We considered seats that cost well over $200. But given how many high-quality options are available for less than that, we couldn’t find a valid reason to spend any more. So we focused on models that were $200 or, in many cases, far less.

Based on these criteria, we’ve tested close to 20 models over the past five years.

I tried out each booster seat with two of my children over the course of six months. We also asked three other families and Wirecutter editors to compare some of the booster seats with kids ranging in age from 4 to 9 years old. We looked at the pros and cons of every seat, including install, fit, child preference, aesthetics, and ease of use.

When we were working on the original version of this guide, in 2018, we hired an independent lab to conduct crash testing on the booster seats that we considered as our top contenders. The results were factored into our final recommendations, which included earlier models of the Chicco, Graco, and Diono high-back seats that we recommend now.

We later decided not to commission further crash testing. Multiple experts told us that as advanced as today’s crash-testing tools are, they aren’t advanced enough to reliably differentiate among a set of well-engineered seats or to tease out an A+ from an A-. Jessica Jermakian, VP of vehicle research at the IIHS said, “I’m not sure that crash testing would give you meaningful results. If you’ve already picked the four best seats from all the other perspectives, then you can feel confident that engineers have spent a lot of time designing those seats for a good and safe user experience.”

After careful consideration and consultation with experts, we decided that field testing alone should dictate our picks within this guide. The most effective strategy for keeping your kids safe on the road is to choose a car seat that works well for your family and then to use it correctly. “The best car seat is the one that fits your kid, fits your car, and is used properly on every trip.” said Matt Maltese , an engineer and crash-testing expert who’s worked for both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia .

The Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus has the best combination of features we’ve found in a high-back booster. It’s user-friendly, our kid testers thought it was comfortable, and the fabric cover is easy to keep clean. We also like that it converts from high-back to backless, requires minimal assembly, and has a sporty, modern look. The KidFit ClearTex Plus is an updated (and improved) version of the Chicco KidFit, our previous runner-up pick in this guide. The old KidFit received a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide proper seat-belt positioning; the new model has not yet received a rating.

It’s a cinch to install. The 10-pound KidFit ClearTex Plus is easy to install and remove, thanks to its alligator-style LATCH connectors, which are equipped with a clever tightening and release mechanism. Chicco calls its installation system SuperCinch; you clip the latches to the vehicle’s anchors; then you pull on a center strap at the front of the seat to tighten and snug the seat into place with one tug. The seat’s quick-release feature detaches the LATCH connectors with a single (one-handed) pull of a front handle—no need to jam your hand between the vehicle’s seat cushions, fishing for a clip to unhook.

The seat-belt threader has been improved. The KidFit ClearTex Plus has an updated seat-belt threader, which is clearly labeled and functions exceptionally well. On the previous KidFit model, the belt threaded into the loop from top to bottom, but now it threads from bottom to top; this configuration is easier to use. The threader also keeps the belt from getting twisted. The KidFit ClearTex Plus was better than any other seat we tested at securely and comfortably positioning the strap on the correct part of a kid’s shoulder.

Kids say it’s comfy. The seat is well padded (according to Chicco, it has two layers of foam and ergonomic support), and kids found it comfortable to sit in. As one kid put it, “It feels fine. Like a regular seat.” Our kid testers enjoyed the removable double cupholders, which are dishwasher-safe and made from a flexible material that can be pushed in and out. The headrest adjusts to 10 positions; the side wings are ample and comfortable, but they aren’t so big that they block kids’ sight lines. The backrest can be adjusted between two positions, to better fit the angle of the vehicle seat. The fabric feels smooth and substantial. And it has Greenguard Gold Certification , which promises low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); the textiles used to make the seat are manufactured without any added chemicals.

It’s easy to put together and to take apart. The KidFit ClearTex Plus is quick and simple to assemble out of the box; you need only to attach the back and armrests to the base. To convert it to a backless booster, you detach the top half from the bottom part by pulling on a lever and lifting up. (When it’s in backless mode, it has a small carrying handle for easy transport, but there are no storage slots for the LATCH connectors.)

Cleaning it is simple. The fabric is easy to wipe down, and crumbs shake off easily enough. For a more-thorough wash, follow the manual instructions for machine washing. It can take a few tries to master putting the cover back on. But once you get the hang of it, it should take only a few minutes.

It’s narrow and will fit a child for years. In high-back mode, the KitFit ClearTex Plus has a narrow, space-saving frame, at 17 inches across at the base and 19 inches at the widest part of the backrest; this should allow for fitting three seats across in many vehicles. The narrow frame also allows kids to easily access the seat-belt buckle, which can be tougher with wider booster seats. The high-back mode fits kids from 40 to 100 pounds and 38 to 57 inches tall; the backless configuration has the same height range but a weight range of 40 to 110 pounds.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s not the best for bigger kids. Although we believe most kids will fit comfortably in the KidFit ClearTex Plus, its slender frame may be less appealing to bigger kids who prefer a wider seat.

You can’t store the LATCH connectors. Our only design complaint is that there’s nowhere to store the LATCH connectors when they’re detached. So if you’re carrying the seat around, they’ll flap, which could be annoying.

It’s a little pricey. We do think this booster seat’s price is reasonable, considering the quality. But you don’t need to pay this much to get a safe booster seat that works well.

The Graco TurboBooster LX is a solid—if slightly basic—high-back booster seat. It has the main features that matter in a high-back booster, and it costs less than our top pick, the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus . But you do sacrifice some conveniences for the lower price. The TurboBooster LX is lightweight, at 9.8 pounds (slightly lighter than the KidFit ClearTex Plus), and it has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

The install is a bit annoying . The biggest compromise with the TurboBooster LX is that it has hook-style LATCH connectors; they’re the least-user-friendly type of LATCH. It’s often tough to see what you’re doing and to maneuver around in the tight space behind the seat, and the TurboBooster LX’s LATCH hooks can be particularly tricky to get on and off your car’s anchors. This could get frustrating if you’re intending to rely on the LATCH and to frequently move the seat to different locations.

Once you’ve clipped the hooks to the anchors, you can snug the seat into position by pulling on the front strap. But unlike the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus, which allows you to release the LATCH hooks with a simple lever, the LATCH connectors on the TurboBooster LX must be manually loosened and detached. (Note: The Graco TurboBooster is the same seat but without LATCH; it costs less than the TurboBooster LX.)

But the seat-belt threader is simple. The seat belt threader on the TurboBooster LX is well designed; the belt slides into the opening smoothly from bottom to top, easily enough for most kids to manage it on their own. The seat-belt threader on the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is similar, but it has more of a diagonal at the entry point, which we prefer.

It fits most kids well. The kids who tested this seat were happy with how it felt. The TurboBooster LX has a standard stationary plastic cupholder on one side, and on the other there’s a cupholder that slides in and out of the seat base. These cupholders cannot be removed for cleaning (as the Chicco’s cupholders can). The TurboBooster LX’s side wings aren’t so big that they block kids from being able to see around them, and the headrest is easily adjustable up and down to six different positions (fewer than the 10 on our top pick).

One tester noted that the headrest had a tendency to slide down after being adjusted; we also saw the same complaint in several online reviews. We reached out to Graco, and a company spokesperson acknowledged that the headrest can slide downward if not properly locked into place. Graco has since included instructions on how to lock the headrest into position, in the user manual and on the seat for all TurboBooster LX models manufactured after March 9, 2022.

It takes a little time to set up. The TurboBooster LX requires a few more minutes of setup out of the box than the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus. The armrests, cupholder, and seat pads need to be attached, and it takes a moment to connect the top and bottom half of the seat.

It’s easy to clean. The seat is covered in a 100% polyester fabric that’s simple to spot-clean. For bigger messes, the entire cover can be removed in two parts for machine washing on the delicate cycle; it must be air-dried.

It has a narrow footprint. The seat is 17 inches across, same as the top pick, and the TurboBooster LX’s backrest is 21 inches across at its widest point; it may be possible to fit three seats across. The seat should accommodate most older kids, but a kid who needs a wider seat may outgrow this early. The narrow footprint makes it fairly easy for most kids to buckle themselves in.

It converts to backless and fits kids up to 100 pounds. In high-back mode, the TurboBooster LX has a weight range of 40 to 100 pounds (the same as the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus) and a height range of 43 to 57 inches (the Chicco seat’s height range is 38 to 57 inches); the backless range is also 40 to 100 pounds (for the Chicco seat it’s 40 to 110 pounds) and 43 to 57 inches (for the Chicco seat it’s 38 to 57 inches).

The Diono Monterey 2XT Latch is similar to our top pick in terms of function, but it’s covered in a plusher fabric and has the option of extending the sides through the shoulders. This makes it a good choice for kids who have a wider frame and parents who want bigger children to stay in a high-back booster seat longer. This seat received a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

The install is easy. The Monterey 2XT is a cinch to put together. Simply attach the seat to the back and then slide in the headrest. Our testers found the install fairly simple. Similar to the Graco TurboBooster LX , the Monterey 2XT comes with simple, hook-style LATCH anchors (unlike the Chicco seat’s alligator-style LATCH system). The Monterey 2XT seat’s anchors are initially challenging to fish out from the seat, but they make the seat easy to install (though it can be a bit tricky to disconnect them). As with our other picks, the Monterey 2XT’s seat-tightening pulls are through the front of the seat, not the side, which makes tightening the LATCH straightforward. And as with our top pick, the seat belt slides into the threader from the bottom up (though one tester found Chicco’s version to be more intuitive).

It expands at the shoulders, which bigger kids may find especially comfy. Unlike our other picks, the Monterey 2XT has shoulder wings that can expand via a knob on the back of the seat, to allow more room widthwise; this is unusual among booster seats. As with our other picks, the Monterey 2XT headrest adjusts easily by notching up to grow with the kid; this seat has an 11-position headrest, compared with the KidFit ClearTex Plus’s 10.

It’s larger than our other picks. The Monterey 2XT is bigger, wider, and heavier than our top and runner-up picks (the Monterey 2XT is 14.3 pounds, versus the KidFit ClearTex Plus’s 10 pounds). So this model is not an ideal choice for those who want a booster seat they can quickly swap in and out of the car. And you may not be able to install three car seats across. One tester found that her 5-year-old couldn’t buckle herself into the seat (which she could do in our top-pick Chicco seat); this was due to the Monterey 2XT’s large armrests and seat base, which partially covered the seat-belt buckle slot.

The add-ons are appealing. Our young testers enjoyed the double cupholders, which push in and out (they are not removable, unlike those on our top pick). And the easy-to-wipe-down, machine-washable, colorful fabric comes in red, blue, yellow, plum, as well as traditional black. One of our testers said her kids all vied to sit in the “fancy blue seat,” as they described the Monterey 2XT.

It should last a long time. Like all of our other high-back picks, this seat converts to a backless booster. Both the high-back and backless modes fit kids between 40 and 120 pounds and 38 to 63 inches; this seat better accommodates heavier and taller kids than our other picks.

The Chicco GoFit Plus backless booster is the best of all the backless-only boosters we tested, thanks to a winning combination of essential features and thoughtful touches. Our top-pick high-back booster, Chicco’s KidFit ClearTex Plus , does convert to a backless version that’s very similar to the GoFit Plus. But for families that want to purchase a standalone backless booster, the GoFit Plus is a quality option. This seat weighs 6 pounds and has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

The LATCH makes for an effortless install. The GoFit Plus has the same user-friendly SuperCinch LATCH system as our high-back Chicco booster pick. The alligator-style LATCH hooks easily attach to, and detach from, the car’s anchors with a one-pull mechanism for tightening and releasing. (The Chicco GoFit is identical to the GoFit Plus, but without LATCH; it normally costs about $15 less.)

Little extras are appreciated. The seat has plenty of padding and feels cushy for the rider. Like the KidFit ClearTex Plus, the GoFit Plus has removable, dishwasher-safe cupholders that expand and collapse. There’s a handle built into the side of the seat that lets you carry the GoFit Plus like a briefcase. (The Chicco KidFit ClearTex also has a handle, which can be used when the seat is in backless mode.) However, there’s no dedicated storage spot to stow the seat’s LATCH connectors when they’re not in use, so when you’re carrying the GoFit Plus around, they flap about.

The basic fabric is washable. The cover on the GoFit Plus is made from a polyester knit fabric that’s different from the material on the KidFit ClearTex Plus (the latter has Greenguard Gold Certification , ensuring low VOCs; the GoFit Plus does not); the fabric still has a nice feel to it. The seat cover can be removed; it’s machine-washable on the delicate cycle and must be air-dried.

Most kids can buckle themselves in. The seat is the same width at the base (17 inches) as our Chicco high-back pick, so it’s possible to fit three across in most cars. This seat is narrow enough for most kids to be able to buckle themselves in. The GoFit Plus weighs 6 pounds, which is more than some of the ultra-lightweight boosters we tested (such as the Cosco Rise , at 2.2 pounds), but its weight is similar to that of other backless boosters with LATCH. It has a weight range of 40 to 110 pounds and a height range of 38 to 57 inches (the same as for our top-pick Chicco in backless mode).

If you want our top-pick high-back booster but with upgrades: The Chicco KidFit Adapt Plus is the same seat as our top pick , except it’s covered in a high-performance fabric that claims to draw away moisture, helping the passenger maintain a comfortable temperature. The Chicco KidFit Zip Plus is also the same seat as our top pick, but it has extra seat and backrest cushions (which zip on and off) and a detachable console compartment (where kids can stash small toys and other treasures). The Chicco KidFit Zip Air Plus also has the extra zip-on and zip-off padding and the console compartment, plus an extended leg rest (which makes it look kind of like a lawn chair); our testers didn’t find this useful when they tried out a previous generation of the seat, but some kids might like it.

If you like our runner-up high-back booster, but you don’t want LATCH: The Graco TurboBooster high-back booster is identical to our runner-up pick, the Graco TurboBooster LX , but without a LATCH option, and it usually costs about $30 less. This seat has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

If you want an inexpensive high-back booster without LATCH: At less than $40, the Evenflo GoTime Sport booster is the lowest-priced high-back booster of the models we tested. It’s lightweight (6 pounds), and it’s a good option for caregivers who want to keep an extra high-back booster on hand. The GoTime Sport converts easily from high-back to backless.

If your kid tends to fall asleep in the car: The UPPAbaby Alta is an expensive high-back booster seat that has a “lap belt positioner” (aka a crotch buckle), which helps keep the lap belt and passenger securely in place. That can be helpful for kids who need additional support to keep the belt in position, as well as for those who are prone to dozing off and then creeping downward in their seat, creating an unsafe posture. But if those cases don’t apply, then the crotch buckle is likely to be a drawback; several older children found it annoying. The Alta weighs 16.6 pounds, has a wide (19-inch) base, and cannot be converted to backless mode.

If aesthetics are a top priority: The Nuna Aace is a beautiful, expensive high-back booster. The Aace has rigid LATCH connectors, the easiest and most secure type of LATCH connectors, and they allow the seat to have a recline feature. The Aace comes with one removable cupholder, which falls off easily. This seat converts from high-back to backless mode and has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

If you want a lightweight five-point harness seat that converts to a booster: The Cosco Finale 2-in-1 , a pick in our guide to the best travel car seats , is a good choice. The forward-facing seat has a five-point harness that holds kids from 30 to 65 pounds and up to 49 inches; you can also remove the harness and switch to a high-back booster (this mode works for kids who are 40 to 100 pounds and 43 to 52 inches). It does not convert to a backless booster.

If you like our favorite backless booster, but you don’t want LATCH: The Chicco GoFit is identical to our backless pick, the Chicco GoFit Plus , but without the LATCH. (Because of that, it weighs 5 pounds instead of 6.) This seat has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

If you want a backless version of our runner-up pick without LATCH: The Graco TurboBooster Backless is the backless-only version of our runner-up Graco high-back booster , minus the LATCH. The TurboBooster Backless weighs just over 5 pounds and has two cupholders; it has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

If you want a cheap, light, zero-frills backless booster without LATCH: The Cosco Rise , our pick for the best backless booster seat for travel , is usually under $20, weighs just 2.2 pounds, and doesn’t have cupholders. It comes with a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

If you want an extra-wide backless booster with LATCH: The Diono Solana 2 XL is a high-end, wide booster that could work well for kids who want or need more space. Just be sure that your vehicle seat is large enough to accommodate its footprint, with room on the side to access the buckle. The hook-style LATCH system can be difficult to maneuver; Diono recently added a rigid LATCH version of the seat as well. The Solana 2 XL has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit.

Most booster seats have an upper size limit for kids—often 100 pounds (or more) and 57 inches in height. The AAP recommends that kids stay in a belt-positioning booster seat until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years old. For specific criteria, see our guide on when to switch car seats .

No matter what type of restraint a kid is in, experts recommend that they sit in the back seat of the car (PDF) until they are at least 13 years old.

Boosters are positioning devices, meaning the car’s seat belt is responsible for restraining the child. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on how a car’s seat belt can impact the risk of injury; in particular, the focus is on the presence or absence of seat-belt pretensioners and force limiters, which are built-in devices that enable seat belts to function more effectively in a crash.

In the first milliseconds of a crash, pretensioners remove several inches of slack from the belt—reducing how far forward the occupant moves, as well as the likelihood of the occupant falling sideways and out of the shoulder belt. The pretensioner activates after the belt is already locked, to take even more slack out of the harness. While pretensioners and force limiters have been standard in the front seats of vehicles since 2008, they are not standard in the back seats of most cars.

Cars either have pretensioners and/or force limiters or they don’t; they can’t be added on. So when considering where to place the booster within your car, find out whether the car has these features and where they’re located. The Car Seat Lady website has a helpful tool that allows you to search for this information by make, model, and year.

The Britax Highpoint is another high-back booster seat with push-button alligator LATCH connectors that can be converted to backless. This pricey seat has an optional crotch buckle, which can help with correct posture and positioning but can also be a nuisance. We were unable to test the Highpoint due to availability issues.

The Britax Skyline is a high-back booster seat with push-button alligator LATCH connectors that can convert to backless. It worked fine, but one of our 8-year-old testers had a hard time getting a proper seat-belt fit.

The Clek Oobr is an astonishingly expensive high-back booster seat. And at 20 pounds, it’s heavy! It has a Best Bet rating for the high-back mode from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat-belt fit. The Oobr features rigid LATCH connectors that quick-release with the pull of a strap. The seat can recline, and it converts from high-back to backless. It has one dishwasher-safe cupholder and a well-designed seat-belt threader. In backless mode, the Oobr has a Check Fit rating from the IIHS, which means the seat-belt fit varied in testing, depending on the child’s size and the vehicle. Because the Oobr is three times as expensive and twice as heavy as other seats that are just as safe and easy to use, we did not test it. But a Wirecutter editor who has had it for nearly three years can attest to its overall quality and that it was easy to use.

The Peg Perego Viaggio HBB 120 is an expensive high-back booster seat with rigid LATCH; it can be converted to backless mode. In 2018, a spokesperson for Peg Perego told us that the company was planning to phase the model out of the product line, so we did not test it. As of this publication, it is still available.

The Clek Olli is a backless booster seat with rigid LATCH that weighs 5 pounds. The LATCH connectors release easily with the pull of a strap. This seat comes in a range of stylish, premium fabrics, and it has a removable carrying strap and dishwasher-safe cupholder. But it costs way too much for a backless booster. Clek makes a less-expensive version called the Ozzi , which does not have the quick-release feature, carrying strap, or cupholder, but it’s still pricey. Both seats were subject to a 2022 safety recall notice related to labeling, which is correct on newer seats.

Maximize your kid’s safety on an ongoing basis by being sure to do the following things:

Observe the seat’s size and weight limits. It is essential that your child ride in the type of car seat that is appropriate for their size and developmental stage . Most kids will hit a high-back seat’s height limit before they reach its weight limit. A child has outgrown a high-back booster when the tops of their ears are at or above the top of the seat’s head restraint at the highest setting. Read the seat’s manual for additional guidance.

Follow the cleaning instructions. The correct method for cleaning your booster seat is detailed in the car seat’s manual. As we explain in this post on how to clean a car seat , it’s important to follow the instructions; failing to do so can compromise the safety of the seat and/or its textiles.

Dispose of your seat when the time comes. Car seats expire; booster seats generally last around 10 years. If your seat has reached its expiration date—or has been the subject of a recall—you should dispose of it . Any car seat that has been involved in a moderate or serious accident should also be thrown away, since the damage or structural changes incurred may compromise its ability to perform safely. You can continue to use a seat after a minor crash if all of the following criteria are met: You’re able to drive away from the crash site; airbags did not deploy; the passengers are uninjured; the car seat has no visible damage; and the vehicle door nearest the car seat is undamaged.

This article was edited by Amy Miller Kravetz and Kalee Thompson.

Julie Mansfield, research engineer with the Injury Biomechanics Research Center, The Ohio State University College of Medicine , phone interview , July 23, 2018

Aditya Belwadi, PhD, biomechanics research scientist, Child Passenger Safety Research team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia , phone interview , May 1, 2018

Lani Harrison, Child Passenger Safety Technician, Car Seats for the Littles , phone interview , May 1, 2018

Mike Kulig, business unit director, and Bill Horn, SLED head engineer and operational manager, Calspan , phone interview , April 24, 2018

Monica Mikan, Graco product development, Casey Anthony, senior manager of Graco product development, William Conway, Graco research and development , phone interview , May 21, 2018

Joshua Dilts, marketing product manager, Chicco USA , phone interview , May 1, 2018

Allana Pinkerton, Child Passenger Safety Technician, Diono , phone interview , April 26, 2018

Alisa Baer, MD, pediatrician and co-founder of car seat safety website The Car Seat Lady , phone interview , February 28, 2022

Kerry Chausmer, program and member services director, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) , phone interview , December 15, 2021

Jessica Jermakian, PhD, vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) , phone interview , January 31, 2022

Meet your guide

Rebecca Gale

Further reading

The Best Convertible and All-in-One Car Seats

by Christina Szalinski

After researching dozens of seats and testing 12, we’ve concluded that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is the best convertible car seat for most families.

Are Rotating Car Seats Worth It?

Rotating car seats are gaining popularity—but for the typical family, they’re not better than simpler options. Here’s what to know before buying one.

The Best Travel Car Seats

by Christina Szalinski and Rebecca Gale

After testing 17 lightweight, portable car seats, we have five good options for infants, toddlers, and big kids to recommend.

When to Switch Car Seats

by Rebecca Gale

Car seats and booster seats are most effective when they’re used for the correct age, stage, and size of kids. We break down when it’s safe to make the switch.

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OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat

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KEY FEATURES

• Comfort fit, 3-PT safety harness with simple one hand latch release
• Frustration free opening/closing
• Lightweight and folds compactly into its own convenient carry bag
• Rigorously quality and safety-tested
• Dishwasher-safe removable swivel tray

DIMENSIONS & SPECS

• Folded Dims in Carry Bag: 7 x 7 x 16 inches
• Weight: 4 Lbs

Rear Storage Pocket

• Duck-feet for Max Stability
• Machine-washable Cover
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Superior Tip-free Stability

Includes removable “duck feet” to increase stability on soft or uneven surfaces such as sand and grass.

Dishwasher Safe Swivel Tray

Convenient attachable and detachable, dishwasher safe and BPA-free tray that swivels for hassle-free in and out.

Machine Washable Cover

Durable fabric, designed to effortlessly wipe clean. Or, remove the cover from frame for machine washing.

Large mesh back pocket provides convenient organization space for bibs, baby utensils, wipes, and more!

Now even safer!

As an additional safeguard, our new locking mechanism ensures each seat stays locked when fully opened.

Now more roomy!

We’ve increased the width of the seating area for greater comfort at meal time.

Even more stable!

The new OmniBoost’s slightly wider stance adds additional stability while still fitting on dining room chairs.

Hooray – bigger tray!

Our newly designed dishwasher safe tray provides more usable surface for meals, drawing and fun!

Turn any chair into a high chair!

OmniBoost keeps even the squirmiest babies and toddlers from 6 months to 3 years fully secured and comfortable in their portable booster seat. When your little one grows older, simply remove the tray and boost him up to the kitchen table to eat with the grownups!

PERFECT FOR: Grandma’s House, Play Dates, Picnics, Restaurants, Camping, Travel and more!

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Way to grow.

It's streamlined, customizable and as beautiful as a booster seat gets.  AACE grows comfortable with your child and even converts to a no back booster. AACE allows you to re-think the way your child rides, with a seat that grows just like they do.

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Features & Design

• 3D growth™ system: grow up, grow out and grow on
• 2-in-1 design. Converts from a high back to a no back booster
• One-hand 9 position height adjustable headrest makes moving on up a breeze
• Shoulder system works simultaneously with the headrest, expanding out while growing up
• Seat sports 3 depths giving growing legs plenty of support and space
• Customizable recline thanks to 8 different UAS positions
• Includes a Dishwasher-safe cup holder
• Sleek and chic micro-knit fabric is easy to remove and is machine washable
• Energy absorbing foam and SIP pods take side impact security to the next level
• Coloured belt path indicators help decrease risk of user error
• ISOFIX attachments easily secure car seat to vehicle seat during use or transport
• Ventilation panels within the shell create a comfy climate for even the longest of trips
• High back booster: for children 4 years+, from 40-110 lbs. and 38""-60"" tall
• No back booster: for children 5 years+, from 50-120 lbs. and 38""-60"" tall
• Product dimensions: 11.8"w x 14"d x 22.4"h
• Product weight: 16.4 lbs.

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