A car seat that's perfect for the school run can be a nightmare in an airport. Travel seats need to be light enough to carry, small enough to pack and easy to fit in a car you don't know. This guide explains what to think about for holidays, taxis and transfers, and shows examples from our own comparison table. We haven't tested any of them, and the safety points come from GOV.UK, RoSPA's Child Car Seats website, EASA, the NHS and the Lullaby Trust, linked at the bottom.
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What makes a seat good for travel?
"Travel" can mean a taxi to the airport, a hire car or just the grandparents' car. Whichever you mean, the things that help most are:
- Weight. You may be carrying it through a terminal along with everything else. We list each seat's own weight (without a base, where one is sold separately).
- Folded size. Only a few seats say how small they get. Where a listing gives a folded size, we've included it.
- How it fits. A seat that can be fitted with the seat belt gives you more options than one that needs ISOFIX points.
- Your child's height. The seat has to suit your child now. Check the height range, not just the age.
It's worth knowing that bigger seats are heavier. Every 360 (rotating) seat in our table with a listed weight is over 7 kg. The lightest seats are infant carriers and high-back boosters for older children. You can compare them all in our car seat table.
Taxis, minicabs and airport transfers
This is the part many parents don't know. According to the Child Car Seats website (run with RoSPA), the law doesn't require taxis, private hire vehicles or minicabs to provide child seats, but they must be used if they're available. GOV.UK says that if a taxi doesn't have the right seat, children can travel without one only in the rear seat:
- Children under 3 may travel unrestrained in the back.
- Children aged 3 or older must wear an adult seat belt in the rear seat.
But the legal minimum isn't the same as safe. Child Car Seats' taxi leaflet calls travelling unrestrained "not a safe choice" and says it's better to book a different taxi with seat belts and a child seat. Its advice when booking is:
- Make sure the taxi has seat belts, and ask whether they can supply a suitable child seat or whether you can bring your own.
- If a seat belt can't be used (for example, the buckle is hidden under the seat), ask the driver to fix it. If it can't be fixed, don't use that vehicle and ask for a replacement.
For airport transfers, minibuses and coaches, Child Car Seats adds that the seats and belts are different from a car, so it may not be possible to fit a child seat properly. Ask when you book.
Flying with a car seat
EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) says that on an aircraft you can use a child seat on the aircraft seat, but only if it's approved for use in aircraft. Its advice is:
- Check the label on the seat for "approved for use in aircraft", or similar wording.
- Read the manufacturer's manual, because fitting on a plane may differ from fitting in your car. Bring the instructions so cabin crew can check it's fitted correctly.
- Check the seat's width and height will fit the aircraft seat.
- Booster cushions can't be used on aircraft, because the aircraft restraint system is different from a car's.
- Even an approved seat can only be used if the airline allows it, so check its policy. If your trip has more than one airline, check every one.
- The preferred place is the window seat, and a child seat can't go in an exit row or the rows directly in front of or behind one.
We don't show aircraft approval in our table, because the listings we use don't state it consistently. Check the label on the seat and the maker's information before you rely on any seat for a flight.
ISOFIX or seat belt away from home?
Child Car Seats says ISOFIX has been a legal requirement on all new cars sold in the EU since 2014 and that you'll find the points on many older cars, but also that ISOFIX seats won't fit every car with ISOFIX points. Taxis, minibuses and hire cars vary, so a seat that can be fitted with the seat belt gives you a fallback. The NHS says to check how a seat fits, because some i-Size seats can be fitted with a seat belt.
In our table, these seats are listed as usable without ISOFIX (with the seat belt, or with ISOFIX optional or not needed): the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix i-Size, Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360, Bugaboo Otter by Nuna, Cybex Solution G2 Comfort, Britax Römer Discovery Plus 2, Bebeconfort RoadFix i-Size, Bebeconfort Ride 2-in-1 i-Size and Bebeconfort RoadSafe i-Size. Always follow the maker's instructions for the particular seat. Our i-Size and R129 guide explains the labels in more detail.
Lightweight seats for babies
For newborns and young babies, a rear-facing infant carrier is the lightest option: the infant carriers in our table are the lightest seats listed. These examples are all listed as rear-facing only. If you're planning a travel system, see our pram and pushchair guide.
| Seat | Seat weight | Height | How it fits | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix i-Size | 3.2 kg | 40–75 cm | Fits with the seat belt, or with an ISOFIX base (sold separately) | The lightest seat in our table. Listed for roughly birth to 12 months. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Graco SnugLite 2 i-Size | 3.3 kg | 40–75 cm | Needs a Graco SnugLite or SnugTurn i-Size ISOFIX base (sold separately) | Listed as an i-Size seat when used with the right base, so check the base before you buy. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 | 4.3 kg | 40–83 cm | FamilyFix 360 ISOFIX base (sold separately), or seat belt | Rotates when used on its ISOFIX base. Also listed as fitting with the seat belt. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Bugaboo Otter by Nuna | 4.8 kg | Not listed | Bugaboo 360 ISOFIX base (sold separately), or seat belt | Reclines flat. Its height range isn’t clearly listed. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
Weights and sizes are as listed by the maker or the Amazon.co.uk listing and may vary by version. Check the listing before you buy.
Lighter seats for bigger children
Once a child outgrows a baby carrier, seats get bigger. The lighter options in our table are high-back boosters for children from 100 cm tall, and one toddler-to-booster seat that folds. They're listed here from the lightest. Where a seat is ISOFIX-only, check your destination car has ISOFIX points.
| Seat | Seat weight | Height | How it fits | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bebeconfort Ever & Go i-Size | 5.95 kg | 76–150 cm | ISOFIX connectors and top tether | Folds for travel and has a carry strap. Listed folded size is 51 x 44 x 26.5 cm. Harness from 76 to 105 cm, then booster mode from 100 to 150 cm. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Cybex Solution G2 Comfort | 5.8 kg | 100–150 cm | Fits with or without ISOFIX | Listed as folding down to 59 x 26 x 55 cm. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Britax Römer Discovery Plus 2 | 5.9 kg | 100–150 cm | ISOFIX or 3-point belt | Slim shape, so three seats can fit side by side in many cars, according to the listing. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Bebeconfort RoadFix i-Size | 4.4 kg | 100–150 cm | ISOFIX connectors (optional to use) | Foldable backrest booster. The weight is from the listing title. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Bebeconfort RoadSafe i-Size | Not listed | 100–150 cm | Fitted with the seat belt; ISOFIX is not needed | Foldable backrest booster. The listing’s weight figures didn’t agree, so we haven’t shown one. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Bebeconfort Ride 2-in-1 i-Size | 3.75 kg | 100–150 cm | ISOFIX connectors (optional to use) | The backrest comes off, so it can work as a booster cushion for older children (135 to 150 cm per the listing). | AdCheck price on Amazon |
| Chicco Quizy Lite i-Size | 5.7 kg | 100–150 cm | The listing mentions both ISOFIX and the car's 3-point belt, so check the fitting guide | Listings disagree about how it fits, so check the fitting guide. | AdCheck price on Amazon |
Seat weight is the seat on its own as listed. The Bebeconfort Ever & Go i-Size is a toddler-to-booster seat (76 to 150 cm), so it suits younger children than the high-back boosters, which are listed from 100 cm. Check each seat's label, height range and manual to confirm it's right for your child.
Lighter doesn't automatically mean better. The right travel seat is one that suits your child's height, is approved (look for the R129 label), fits the cars you'll use and is one you can fit correctly every time. If you're unsure, try it in a car before you travel.
Long transfers and sleeping babies
The Lullaby Trust says car seats are designed to keep babies safe while travelling but aren't designed as a main place for sleep, so use them for transport only. It's fine for a baby to fall asleep in the car, but take them out as soon as you arrive. On long journeys the Lullaby Trust suggests regular breaks and taking off hats and outdoor clothes once your baby is in the car, to avoid overheating. See the sleep section of our car seat guide.
A quick checklist
- The seat suits my child's current height and weight
- It has an approval label (E in a circle with "R129" or "ECE R44")
- I've booked taxis with a child seat, or confirmed I can bring mine
- For flights, the seat is labelled for aircraft use and the airline allows it
- I know whether the car at the other end has ISOFIX, or I can fit the seat with the belt
- I've practised fitting it, and I have the manual with me
- It's not on the recalls list
If you're travelling abroad, the rules above are the UK's. Check the rules for your destination and ask any car hire company what seats they provide.
Check for recalls before you buy (and after)
Whatever you choose, check it hasn't been recalled, especially if it's second-hand or a gift. Our baby & child recalls page lists notices from the official GOV.UK feed, and you can use Check my gear to search by brand or model. You can also look at the full list on GOV.UK.
Where this information comes from
We haven't tested any products. Everything above is based on these official and expert sources, which we read and checked for this guide. Guidance can change, so always check the latest version, and follow the instructions that come with your product.
- Child car seats: when a child can travel without a car seat (taxis, minibuses and coaches) — GOV.UK
- Other vehicles (taxis, minibuses, buses and coaches) — Child Car Seats (RoSPA)
- Carrying children safely in taxis (leaflet) — Child Car Seats (RoSPA)
- Flying with children — EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
- ISOFIX seats — Child Car Seats (RoSPA)
- Choosing a baby car seat — NHS
- Car seats and safer sleep — The Lullaby Trust
- Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls — GOV.UK (OPSS)
This guide is general information, not medical, legal or individual safety advice. If you're unsure which product suits your baby, ask a trained retailer, your midwife or health visitor.