# Traveling with infant car seat and base... need input.



## Hokulele (Mar 2, 2005)

We'll be traveling by plane soon with a 3.5 yo and a 6 month old. For my six month old, I'm trying to figure out what the safest idea is for her car seat. We are flying and will take her car seat itself (a Graco infant seat). But I can't figure out what to do about the base.

Would you:

- leave the car seat base at home and, at your destination follow the instructions for attaching the seat to the car without the base (it says it can be used this way, just I'm not sure about the safety.)

- take the base - and if so, HOW? I just imagine it getting thrown around and smooshed under luggage and by the time we see it again after the flight it wouldn't be safe to use anyway.

I'd much rather leave the base at home, I guess. But even though the instructions say it is ok to attach the car seat by itself using the seat belts, is that safe?


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I'd leave the base at home. I didn't even have a base for the carseat when DD1 was a baby, and never used the base with DS because it was too bulky in the car with 2 booster seats.

All the base does is make it more convenient to take the seat out and put it back in, if you're in the habit of carrying the baby around in the carseat (and IME, by 6mo they're kind of heavy for that anyway.)

I'd suggest practicing with the carseat sans base a few times before you leave, so you're not scrambling with it in a rental car with fussy kids. Also, if you need a locking clip or similar you'll have time to locate one to pack with you.


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## Hokulele (Mar 2, 2005)

I've been reading some sources that say that as long as it is installed properly, a car seat without the base is safer than with the base. Is this true? Thoughts anyone?


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## grniys (Aug 22, 2006)

We flew and took the car seat and base. We didn't have a ticket for ds, so he was a lap baby and we just checked the car seat and it was just fine when we got it back. We looked it over thoroughly and nothing was wrong with it.

I have friends who don't use their bases a lot, but I don't know that I'd be comfortable with doing that.


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## dziwozony (Aug 27, 2006)

i rented my infant carseat from a public program here in NZ & they don't use bases at all. they're really into informing the public about car safety & pushing carseat use, so i can't imagine they would rent something out that wasn't okay!

when i made my big plane trip, my little man had just moved up to the next seat, which was MUCH bigger than the infant capsule! i wished i had kept it until after the trip =)


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

id never actually used a base until we had ds, and watched tons of kids.... as long as you install in tightly, youre good to go


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## Nikki Christina (Mar 27, 2003)

have you ever WATCHED them do the luggage? I would never let a carseat or base be checked

Id leave the base at home & use the belt to secure it

but. im comfortable using the seat belt anyways.. when we use my husbands jeep i dont switch the base

carseats didnt even have bases when my oldest was born. i think they are more of a convience issue


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## Hokulele (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Nikki Christina* 
have you ever WATCHED them do the luggage? I would never let a carseat or base be checked

well that's just it - i just think that's asking for damage on a carseat base!


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## Equuskia (Dec 16, 2006)

Save your sanity and leave the base at home. Do take extra locking clips just in case.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I hate installing without the base, so I took it with us. It fit very nicely into the basket on the stroller (I took a snap-n-go for the bucket + luggage, and had a luggage rack for DD1's car seat). Then I just put the base in the overhead storage. I don't have any carryons besides the diaper bag + car seats).


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