CARES harness for airplane travel instead of carseat?

[mamica]

Is anyone familiar with a product called CARES? (see www.kidsflysafe.com)

The Dec issue of Parenting has a blurb about this product which is a lightweight, FAA-approved harness for 1-4 years old (22-44 lbs) to use on an airplane instead of a carseat. It's such a pain to drag the carseat through the airport and install it in the planeseat...I'm curious about this product, and I'm wondering if anyone out their has tried it?

Thanks!

[knaidel]

I just used it last week. Do you have specific questions about it? My son is almost 2 and really small for his age, and honestly, I think he would have been more comfy in a carseat (easier to see out the window, for example). However, I was traveling by myself so of course, this was much, much easier to deal with.

Let me know what your specific questions are.

[mamica]

Just wondering if it's secure enough...easy to use...dd will be not quite 14 mos, but she's definitely beyond the 22 lb requirement. Does height factor into comfort/safety level?

[knaidel]

I don't think that there are height requirements, but I do think that it is more comfy for a taller kid. I think that DS would have been a lot more comfy sitting in a car seat than the airplane seat. He didn't seem so happy sitting in it, like I mentioned. I think that as long as your DD meets the weight requirement, then it's defintely SAFE, just a matter of how comfy.

[mamica]

Thanks so much!