Flying to Hawaii in a Month and Need Suggestions for Stroller Frame for Carseat

Updated on August 23, 2010
A.T. asks from Princeton, TX
6 answers

Hello Moms!
We are taking a family vacation to Hawaii in about a month for my sister in law's wedding. I'll be honest, we don't really have the money to take this trip the way we want to (who does these days?) but it's almost mandatory, so we are trying to travel as cheaply as possible. My husband and I only have one child, 4 year old boy and we will be taking his carseat to use on the plane and in the rental car on the island (renting one is out of the question and he will be more comfortable on the plane sleeping in the seat he naps in a lot. I have seen a few stroller frames or similar contraptions used with bigger carseats to make a stroller. Does anyone have a suggestion on an inexpensive stroller frame that they have tried and liked? We have an Evenflo car seat (not sure of the model) but it's too bulky to carry in addition to luggage. Thanks in advance!

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M.H.

answers from Raleigh on

I don't know that this helps, but they make a t-strap that you can buy from amazon.com to attach your car seat to your carry-on. We have used it quite a bit and LOVE it. It means that we don't have to carry the car seat around, but we can still bring the stroller that we love as well. Here is the link for it:

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-Seat-Travel-Acces...

You could probably make something similar yourself if you are really looking to save money!

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E.C.

answers from San Francisco on

the only "official" car-seat-wheely product I know of is the GoGoKidz Travelmate, but other folks have managed to wheel their car seats through the airport easily with a folding luggage cart and bungee cords (probably wouldn't want to actually sit the child in that, though - but if you need a stroller for your 4YO you could get an inexpensive umbrella stroller - might even be able to pick one up from Freecycle or Craigslist for very little $)
And good for you for bringing your son's car seat on the plane - it's the safest way for your son and your son's car seat to travel :-).

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S.H.

answers from Dallas on

You should check with the airlines and see if they allow you to carry on the car seat. Last time I went on a plane, they made the mother check the carseat.

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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

Yea, you don't really want a frame for that kind of a car seat. If you can't manage all that stuff at once, rent a cart at the airport...I think they're about $2-3. If you don't want to do that, then I would also suggest some fancy maneuving with a bungee cord or something, but it's easier and cheaper to just rent the cart! You may want an umbrella stroller for your kiddo, but 4 is pretty old, I would think he would just rather walk. I suppose it depends on how late you arrive...if it's past bedtime and he will be sleepy then maybe.

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H.F.

answers from Dallas on

Another option that you might like is a Ride Safer Travel Vest. It is a little more expensive, but it will fit in your luggage. My sil tried one of the stroller frames, and she was not happy. It was hard to manuever.

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S.R.

answers from Dallas on

I've traveled a lot with a big carseat (britax toddler-size seat or eddie bauer cosco that converts from 5 point harness to booster). Especially on a long trip, I always take my Maclaren stroller until the kid is about 5 or embarassingly over the weight limit for the stroller (45lbs for mine). Buckled in the stroller, they can't run away while you're checking in or climb onto the luggage carousel when you're all exhausted waiting for bags at your destination. They are also far easier to distract with snacks/toys/books when buckled in the stroller. Gate check the stroller. Because I have a sturdy stroller with two separate handles, I can hook the car seat over one handle of the stroller by threading the handle through the interior straps. The top of the car seat points toward the front wheels of the stroller. The base of the car seat is between my legs and the stroller. It's heavy and will fall over if you don't have something heavy in the stroller seat - either the child or your carry-on suitcase. This will not work with a cheap umbrella stroller.
It's easier to manage a single small rolling suitcase than a large heavy backpack. Children miraculously fight over who gets to pull the suitcase. Make sure the little rolling suitcase can clip on to your larger checked bag so your husband can manage both while you deal with the stroller-kid-car seat combo.

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