It's hard to believe it, but 2015 is coming to a close. The year has been filled with lots of travels for my family and lots of new travel gear along the way. As my son entered his toddler years and my 6 year old graduated from a lot of the "little kid" stuff, we've used and previewed quite a few new products for traveling with kids at various ages and stages.
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Here are my top 3 kid travel product picks that were new in 2015:
1. Cosco Scenera NEXT ($44, available at Walmart)
I've called this car seat the "perfect seat for air travel." The Cosco Scenera NEXT is the next generation Cosco Scenera that many family travelers have used for their kids the past several years. It does it even better for just a few dollars more. It's $44 at Walmart, and is so light that I can actually lift it with my single index finger. If you've ever lugged a heavy car seat through an airport or down an airplane aisle, you know how every pound counts. Check out my complete review of the Cosco Scenera NEXT for full analysis of the pros and the (very few) cons of this car seat.
2. mifold Booster Seat ($39)
For older kids who no longer need a car seat but who still need a booster for car rides, help is on the way. In 2015, the "mifold" booster seat launched its fundraising campaign on Indiegogo and parents went crazy. The initial fundraising goal was met in days and now nearly $1 million has been raised.
What's so great about mifold? It's too early for me to have gotten my hands on a sample, but I've watched the product closely and even pre-ordered one for myself. This is going to be a must-have for traveling parents because the mifold is just so tiny. It could fit in a purse or daypack for taking cabs around town while you are traveling. It works differently than other boosters by pulling the seatbelt down to hit younger children in the right spot (rather than raising them up to fit like a booster would). It is also slim enough to fit three across if you have more than one child of safety seat age. I can really see this product being a game changer for those with kids ages 4 and up while traveling. You'll never have to gamble about going without a booster in a cab again.
3. Lugabug ($69 on lugabug.com; also newly available on Amazon)
Don't want to take a stroller on your vacation but fear your child is too young for a long airport walk? Lugabug is the perfect solution for kids in that in-between stage. The product was developed by two parents who traveled a lot with their young kids, and it launched on Kickstarter earlier this year. Lugabug is a nylon seat that attaches over the handle of your suitcase or carryon bag. Your child sits in and you simply pull them along with the bag.
Lugabug is extremely light and compact and really doesn't take up any extra luggage space. It's easy to tuck it in the front pocket of your carryon bag or just attach it on the outside. Plus, it's just darn fun. What kid doesn't want to ride along attached to mom or dad's suitcase? The entertainment value is huge. I can definitely see wheeling my toddler around in it on a long layover or flight delay just to pass the time. And the product serves a super-practical function when your kid just won't walk any more and you are rushing to make a flight.
Lugabug is recommended for kids 2 years and up and up to a weight of 60 pounds.
What do you think about these 3 products? Any others you've seen this year that you are excited about?
Need other travel gear recommendations for taking babies, toddlers, and kids on your next vacation? Here are other gear guides you might enjoy:
Disclosure: Lugabug provided Trips With Tykes with a complimentary sample for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own!
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Kira says
Just want to put it out there that no 4 yr old child has any business being in a booster seat. They should be in a 5 point harness till at least 5, preferably closer to 6 yrs old.
tripswithtykes says
Thanks for coming by to comment. Appreciate your perspective and share the personal preference as a parent of keeping kids in 5 point harnesses for as long as possible (as well as keeping toddlers rear-facing as long as possible, while we're on the subject). But parents are allowed to make those choices for themselves within the range of what the law allows. I know from personal experience that often parents sometimes simply can't choose the most ideal option when traveling. Anything that improves upon the safety experience of what they are already doing (and many are going without a booster entirely for an older child in cabs or on trips) is a welcome development in my book.
Kristen says
Bubble bum (inflatable booster) and the Ride Safe Travel vest are also great options for travel and 3 across. The best can also accommodate smaller children who are NOT booster age.
christine says
My child was too tall to continue in the 5 point car seat at 4. She struggled to fit. I tried to make it work till the limitations. I want her to be as safe as possible and now she is almost 6. I believe that it is different for each child based on weight and height, not just age.
Jenny says
There are 5-point-harness-to-booster convertible seats that you may want to look at for your daughter. My 8-year-old still rides in her 5-point harness Britax Frontier at home, and we just got back from a trip where we just used a little booster for her. Traveling with the little booster is a game-changer after lugging her giant, heavy Britax with us on every trip!
Amanda says
Also depends on the size of the child. My boys out grew the rear-facing car seat at 6 months, And were over 60lbs., and too tall for a regular car seat at age 4. I do agree that they should travel the safest way possible for as long as possible.
Anonymous says
At 6 months? Wow. That was a dangerous move.
Kelly says
There is no way a 6 month old could be too big for a rear facing convertible seat. Also it is illegal for them to face forward at that age. Not intending to judge past actions, but I want parents of babies to know this is not safe or legal.
Rachel says
I understand. My 6 year old girl is the average height and size of a skinny 8 ir 9 year old. She is only about 1/2 shorter than my 8 year old son (who is on the taller side of average,) and she is exactly 50 lbs. She wears what equates to a size 5 1/2 or 6 in women's shoes. My husband is 6'4 and wears a size 14. She started in a high back booster when she was 4 because she outgrew the tallest strap placement in the "tall" 5 point booster. She outgrew the highback booster shortly after (6 months, maybe.) We do use the built in seat belt adjuster with our boosters. The hard part will be keeping her in hers when my son ages out in about a month.
Rachel says
Sorry for the typos. That was supposed to say 8 or 9. Also to clarify, she is about a 1/2 inch shorter than my 8 year old son.
Anonymous says
That depends on the height and weight of your child
christine says
Very interested is manifold booster seat and want one for future travel.
Courtney says
The travelmate is the BEST investment.
Rosey says
Adults should all be wearing helmets as well.
Anonymous says
Well said
Mon says
That literally made me chuckle out loud. A comment I was thinking at Ive been browsing some of these other comments.
Sally says
Looks like the most uncomfortable car seat invented. Going on a long ride? Sure son...sit on this hard piece of plastic. Enjoy.
Lindsay Nieminen says
I can't wait to get my hands on a mifold too! Hoping they certify for Canada aswell!
Anonymous says
As a professional child passenger safety technician- I'd be catious of the mifold,. t doesn't appear to have any "boost" which puts a child's legs closed to a 90 degree angle and potentially reduces the severity of injury in a crash. Certainly something is better than nothing, but do your due dilligence when deciding if this will be a good option for your child.
Anonymous says
*closer to a 90 degree angle, please excuse the typos 😉
Michelle says
I agree and also think this seat should be crash tested before sold on the market!!
Anonymous says
it does not work by boosting the child.....watch the video
Matt R. says
Can you update your post about the mifold? I'm interested in getting the 3-pack, and was interested in your input about it.
S says
Has the mifold been through any safety tests? I very much worry about something that augments the seatbelt. That may cause it to misfire and not lock in an accident. Something claiming to change the seatbelt itself should be crash dummy testing big time before I would ever strap a kid into it.
Anonymous says
Too bad they haven't come up with how to fit three carseats along the back for parents with more than one child that all still need the seat for protection! This would be a real game changer! So the parents can still use a compact cart instead of having to get a van or suv.
Anonymous says
The Diono radian does and also Diono rainier.It also rear faces very large children. My 3 year old is currently rear facing in the ranier. He's 42 inches and over 40lbs.
Anonymous says
check out sunshine kida car seats!! we did 3 in a row with those
Mike @ TabletHookz says
We're trying to bring a new product to market that can help with kids and travelling on flights, we have a 3 & 5 year old and travel a lot, especially on flights with no entertainment, that has led to us launching TabletHookz™ on the crowdfunding site kickstarter. It's a mounting to allow your tablet or smartphone to be mounted out the way on the back of the seat in front (or used as a normal stand) foe hands-free viewing - basically we wanted to recreate those quite moments when they are sat happily infront of the TV at home watching their favourite programme.