While we all have been living in the perception that traveling with a Car Seat on an Airplane is not allowed, But! do you know that you can only use a portable car seat for travel on an airplane if it has been FAA certified?

It is recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to keep your little one buckled in a car seat rather than keeping them cuddled in your lap during a rough landing or severe turbulence.

Having a car seat with you can help keep your child safe while flying and ensure your baby stays protected during your trip. And if you check your car seat with your luggage, it’s much easier to avoid the risk of it being damaged, considering how the airline staff can treat our bags. Even if your seat doesn’t have obvious signs of wear, the bumpy flight could have weakened the mechanism, making it unsafe for your child in a crash.

Now taking the factors into consideration, we need the best car seat that is lightweight, can be easily carried around without much effort or the hustle and is slim enough to fit on those airplane seats.

Now we all know airplane travel isn’t any common reason that these car seats are made for, but there is always a way around it, and thankfully, we have managed to find the best car seats for airplanes that fits the criteria and are approved by the FAA.

Our selection and review process for the best car seats for airplanes?

Our review process includes a proper flow of queries, questionnaires, forms, and surveys we conduct to choose the best car seats for airplanes.

While these methods are being conducted via emails and other means, our research team grabs the opportunity to research on the internet by thoroughly researching competitors, reading reviews, and more! In case of a mixup, we cross-verify it to ensure our audience gets the most authentic and up-to-date information from us, with love.

We’ve scoured the web and our review process to find the best car seat for babies based on safety, ease of use, price, and other factors.

FAA-approved Car Seats:

All car seats mentioned and reviewed by us in this post are FAA-approved and fall within the airplane’s criteria.

Comparison chart for the best car seats for airplanes:

1. Doona Infant Car Seat

It is FAA approved and perfectly fits the airplane criteria. The best thing about this Doona Infant Car Seat is that it is a car seat plus a stroller, so you can just roll it around from airport to gate instead of carrying it. So if you also intend to buy a baby stroller for your little one in the near future, this one is perfect for you to get your hands on.

And apart from the airplane criteria, this car seat folds to 23.6 x 17.3 x 26 inches and unfolds to 39 x 17.3 x 32.2 inches, making it easy to store in the back of the car, in the overhead compartment, or even in a closet. It offers five attachment points with a removable, washable, breathable fabric canopy with an infant insert that protects the baby’s head from bumping into objects. 

2. Cosco Mighty Fit 65 DX Convertible Car Seat:

This convertible seat is a great option for a dedicated travel car seat. It’s a well-loved seat by families and comes at a great price. It’s super lightweight (eight pounds) and compact. So it’ll be easy getting through all the security processes till onto your plane seat.  Plus, its washable and dryable fabric makes it easy to get all the dirt off the seat even if it gets dirty on the trip.

Equipped with an extra comfortable latch, It accommodates infants from 5 pounds up to toddlers weighing 40 pounds in rear-facing mode and kids up to 65 pounds in forward-facing mode. Its compact design also makes it easier to manage through airport security checks. The 5-point harness adjusts easily from the front of the seat and features 5 heights and 3 buckle locations.

3. Safety 1st Guide 65 Convertible Car Seat:

This is one of the best-selling baby car seats because you can use it straight from birth to 45 lb. It is cheap enough to take a trip without worrying if it got dirty or banged up a bit. It is lightweight (14 lb) and slim (18″) but still offers some cushioning for little babies.

It has 2 side belt attachments for easy conversion to forward-facing positioning and 3 buckle positions for the perfect fit. With harnesses ranging from 22″ to 40″ wide and a weight range of 5-40 lbs, this is the perfect fit for a convertible car seat.

4. Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35

This great travel car seat is comfortable, affordable, and provides children a safe and snug experience. It has a unique closed-belt path design, which means it doesn’t stick out like an airplane seat belt. This makes it much easier for a child to fit into the seat comfortably.

Designed to help protect your rear-facing child from 5-40 pounds and your forward-facing child from 22-65 pounds. Simply Safe Adjust Harness System adjusts the harness and headrest height with one easy motion; no threading is required.

5. Baby Trend Trooper 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat:

The Baby Trend Trooper is a safe and secure car seat with a built-in cup holder. It is 17 inches wide, so it will fit on an airplane without you having to squeeze yourself between the seat in front of you. It can be rear-facing, forward-facing, or in a booster position. This car seat offers lots of comfort and safety features. The Baby Trend Trooper comes with a removable bassinet insert that is included. It also comes with a carrying case. We love that it has a carry bag!

It has 3 modes of use; rear-facing infant mode, rear-facing toddler mode, and forward-facing toddler mode. The built-in bubble level indicator helps find the correct angle. It fits three across: at its widest, the Trooper is 16.75″, allowing it to fit 3 across in most vehicles.

6. Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat:

Although being an FAA-certified car seat, this Graco Extend2Fit convertible car seat is not the best lightweight car seat for travel. It is only approved for planes in the forward-facing position.

It has high safety ratings, but compared to other cheap car seats, it is a bit taller, which means the seat will last that bit longer before your little one hits the height limit.

7. Cosco Finale Dx 2-In-1 Booster Car Seat:

This fabulous seat has extra room for growing kids ages 3-4. The Cosco Finale DX is super lightweight (11.5 lb) and lovely and slim (18″). It is such a great car seat that I would even recommend it for the car at home.

The Cosco Finale DX 2 In 1 Combination Booster Car Seat features a 5-point safety harness that converts to a belt-positioning booster seat as your child grows, IIHS Best Bet rating for use in booster mode. With extended use in both of its 2 modes, this car seat accommodates children from 30 to 65 pounds forward facing with a harness and as a belt-positioning booster for toddlers and older kids 40 to 100 pounds.

8. Diono Monterey 5iST FixSafe High Back Booster Car Seat:

This Monterey 5 is the perfect fit for your growing child! The easy-to-use expandable sides are designed to grow with your child and allow for up to 80% more seat room as your child grows. This seat is small enough to fit in the overhead bin on most aircraft.

This is a risky move! You never know whether your checked car seat will arrive in usable condition, if it arrives at all. That won’t be the case for users of this car seat, who’ll fold it up and carry it right onboard. Upon landing, it’ll be waiting in the overhead bin, safe, sound, and ready to hit the road!

9. Britax Allegiance 3 Stage Convertible Car Seat:

This seat has so many fancy features and comfortable amenities that many parents pick it as their child’s everyday car seat. This Allegiance car seat might be the travel seat for those looking for the easiest possible vehicle installation upon reaching their destination.

This Britax Car Seat is designed to help protect your kiddo. It provides side and top impact protection, keeping your child more secure. Its push button latch connectors and built-in lock-offs make car seat installation a breeze. This car seat is one of the lightest, less expensive ones available, making it an excellent choice for families who frequently travel more.

10. Graco Tranzitions 3 In 1 Harness Booster Seat:

If you’re looking for a safe, comfortable, versatile car seat for your toddler or child, the Tranzitions should grab your attention! It’s narrow, lightweight, and used in three modes (forward-facing harness, high back booster, and backless booster). While the booster modes aren’t plane-approved, you’ll still get lots of mileage out of this car seat!

Its 3-in-1 harness booster helps protect your child from toddler to youth. Grown-up, the adjustable high back booster is the perfect height for back support. Toddler, the lightweight seat is a great way for your child to get comfortable in the backseat.

What factors to look at before buying the best car seats for airplanes?

Safety:

The first step to getting your infant car seat right is to ensure the seat is installed correctly. This can be tricky. Once the seat is installed, it should be secured in a vehicle. While this may seem like it should be easy, you need to pay attention to ensure that the vehicle’s seat belt does the right thing.

To ensure your car seat is installed correctly, it’s important to read the manufacturer’s manual thoroughly and follow the instructions. If you’d like more help, consider getting a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to teach you how to properly install your car seat. Make an appointment for your installation if you’d like some extra help.

Size:

You might be tempted to buy a car seat just because it’s easy to get into, but it’s a mistake to just go out and buy the first one you see. First, consider how big your child is. If you don’t know your child’s exact weight, you can measure him or her to get an idea of what kind of car seat will work best.

Secondly, consider whether car sears comply with FAA approval and the criteria mentioned at the beginning of the post.

Suitability:

You’ll need an Infant Car Seat that’s easy to use, match your main requirements, and suits you best. Is your main usage only to fit it in the car, or do you also want a car seat compatible with your stroller?

Our Best Pick