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7 Best Travel Booster Seats For Babies & Toddlers (2024 Update)

7 Best Travel Booster Seats For Babies & Toddlers (2024 Update)
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What is a travel booster seat?

A travel booster seat will offer the convenience and comfort of feeding at home, while you’re on the go with your little one. Whether it’s a day trip, or an extended vacation, simplifying mealtime is something that any parent appreciates.

Why do you need one for travel?

Feeding your child while you’re in an unfamiliar environment can be a stressful experience for both you and your little one. The food may be unfamiliar, and the restaurants you’re visiting might not have all the amenities of home, like a comfortable place for your child to sit.

1) Because Your Baby Needs to Eat. Changes in routine can be stressful for baby. If he/she is overwhelmed by new sights, sounds, and tastes, even the smallest detail like an uncomfortable seat (or worse no seat at all for baby), can cause a total disruption in mealtimes. Especially if you have a longer trip planned, you’ll want to make sure that you bring along somewhere comfortable to sit. You can even get baby accustomed to using the booster seat at home before you leave for your trip!

2) Because Baby Proofing Standards Might be Different. Whether it’s a short trip to visit Grandma in a neighbouring town, or an extended trip to an exotic location, the standards for baby equipment might be dated or simply different. Sticking with a familiar seat that you know meets your safety standards, and that you are comfortable installing on a variety of chairs will ensure that you can relax and enjoy your meal, without worrying that the booster seat isn’t safe.

Here are my top 7 picks for the best travel booster seat (and why I love them):

  • 1. Polar Go Anywhere Booster Seat, Blue/Espresso

    (If Convenience is Your Priority)

    Pros: This travel booster seat offers some of the best safety features, packed into a very light and compact package – so small that it won’t be any trouble at all to take it along on vacation, to visit other people’s houses, or restaurants. Its only 1.5 pounds and packs into a convenient messenger bag, but doesn’t sacrifice safety – its one of the only ones I’ve found with a 5 point harness to keep your child fully secured. It also features wipeable material, which makes it easy to clean up inevitable spills. It is suitable for up to 33 pounds, and 3 years of age.

    Cons: One drawback is that this seat is not recommended for children under 12 months, and doesn’t have a tray so you must have a spot at the table or a surface for your child to eat on. This would make it a little less useful for casual adventures like picnics or barbeques where a table might not be available. Another drawback is that the height of the booster seat back requires a higher back chair, which might not be available at all restaurants, so you may not be able to fully secure the chair to the seat, which would also negate the use of the five-point harness.

    Polar Go

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 2. The First Years On-The-Go Booster Seat,Safari

    (if Easy Folding and a Higher Weight Range are important to you)

    Pros: This on-the-go booster seat is like magic – it inflates using a self-inflating valve, and weights just one pound so its easy to pack or take along wherever you go. When you’re ready to set up, just open the valve and it will inflate to a full-size seat with a T-shaped adjustable safety belt. When mealtime is over, just open the valve and the seat will deflate, ready to disappear and get packed up quickly. If only it could make your baby’s meal disappear as quickly! The seat is suitable for ages 9 months and up, and will accommodate up to 50 pounds, so should last your child for a few years of on-the-go feeding.

    Cons: Be sure to allow the cushion to fully inflate and ensure the valve is totally plugged. If not totally inflated and secured, the child’s weight may compress the cushion bottom when the child is seated. Parents should also make sure to shake out the chair before folding, as sometimes crumbs will catch in the fold of the fabric where the back meets the chair’s bottom.

    Booster Seat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 3. Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat, Blue/Green/Gray

    (If Quality is Your Main Concern)

    Pros: In my opinion this booster seat is the gold standard for booster seats. It is easy to clean, thanks to its all-plastic construction. It also grows with your child, as it offers three different seat height configurations, and adjustments to move the tray closer to your child. This booster seat also offers a covered plastic tray, so that the eating surface stays clean, and the removable tray is dishwasher safe. The seat back and tray are fully removable for older children, and it folds conveniently. The straps also make it easy to adjust and strap securely to nearly any chair.

    Cons: The fact that this is hard plastic means that it is not as portable for farther trips that require air travel for example, but when my kids were younger we kept them in the car at all times to have them handy for trips to restaurants.

    Deluxe Booster Seat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 4. Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair, Red

    (If Being Right at the Table is Your Priority)

    Pros: For a totally inventive take on a booster seat, this seat means that your child doesn’t even need a chair to sit on! The innovative seat clamps securely onto the table, bringing your child right up to table height. It folds flat for portability and easy storage, and features a nylon seat that can be wiped in case of any spills, and the seat also fully removes from the frame so it can be thrown into the wash. It has a 3 point harness and protective rubber gripping so it won’t damage the table or pinch little fingers. The weight restriction is up to 37 pounds.

    Cons: While the clamp is a very innovative idea, be aware that depending on the table design, the clamps may not work as intended –it is designed to work with tabletops that are at least ¾ of an inch thick and requires at least 6 inches of clearance. Also, be aware to clamp the seat on as close to the middle of the table if possible, not at one end of a longer table, to minimize the risk of the table tipping. Of all the travel seats, it is also a bit heavier, weighing in at 7 pounds.

    Chicco Caddy Hook

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 5. Guzzie+Guss 201 Perch Table Chair, Black

    (If Style is a Priority)

    Pros: As another (albeit pricier option) for the clamp style chair, Guzzie+Gus have introduced the perch chair. It weighs slightly less, at 5 lbs and will accommodate children up to 37 pounds. It clamps on to tables with 10cm of clearance for the clamp, and a clamp opening of 3.75”.

    Cons: Because of the clamp design, this chair may not clamp properly on tables with a lip under the table. It also leaves a slight gap between the child and the table, allowing food to fall to the floor (which could be a benefit, as the chair would be cleaner) but would be prevented if the chair had a tray option available.

    Perch Table Chair

    View on Amazon.com ➜

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    Get a quote in less than 30 seconds at LadderLife.com ➜

  • 6. Baby HighChair Harness

    (If Portability is Important)

    Pros: This style is super portable and easy to pack – it folds up into a travel pouch, and is as easy to pack as a sweater and just as lightweight. Because its made from premium cotton, its comfortable for your little one, and machine washable. The guidelines state that it can be used for children up to 44 lbs, and the best part is that it is truly universal – it just slips over any chair and will keep baby from wriggling off their seat.

    Cons: This style of travel high chair is really not a booster seat, but rather a harness that keeps your child on their chair. However, if your little one needs the additional height in order to reach their plate and not spill their food, this might not suit your needs.

    Baby High Chair

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 7. My Little Seat Infant Travel High Chair, Hula Loops, 6 Months

    (If You’re Looking for Convenience & Safety)

    Pros: If a five-point harness with ease of packing is a priority to you, this might be the perfect travel feeding solution for you and your little one. This design is a fabric harness designed to fit over the back of a chair, and includes an adjustable five-point buckle harness to keep baby secure. This design folds up into a matching pouch, the same size as a diaper so can fit easily into any luggage and even your daily diaper bag for ease of feeding on the go. As long as your baby can sit unassisted, this seat is suitable for them to use, and will last them until they are 35 pounds.

    Cons: With its one-piece construction, this seat can be a bit restrictive if the chair back Is very high. When it is placed on a higher chair back, the seat portion that baby is meant to sit in actually does not touch the seat of the chair, so you may need to use something to prop baby up – although this might not be a bad thing, as it would also protect the chair from being spilled on.

    Hula Loops

    View on Amazon.com ➜

Best Overall

Polar Go Anywhere Booster Seat, Blue/Espresso

The Polar Go Anywhere Booster Seat, Blue/Espresso is our overall top recommendation. It's the highest quality product we have found with the most affordable price making it the best value on our list..

Polar Go

View on Amazon.com ➜

FAQ’s about Travel Booster Seats

  • 1. What age should my child be to use a travel booster seat?

    For most of these booster seats, your child should be able to sit independently before using them. Different products vary by manufacturer and some of these will adjust to suit a child up to 4 years old.

  • 2. What is the highest weight that a travel booster seat can accommodate?

    The weight limits vary based on the manufacturer, but most will work for a child between 35-44 pounds.

  • 3. What different styles are available?

    There are a few different styles of travel booster seat available:

    – Travel Highchairs/Folding Boosters – imagine a high chair without the legs – this style gets strapped to a regular dining chair, and most can be folded for easier storage. These designs can be either fabric with cushioning or hard plastic seats for a boost.

    – Clamp-On Seats – Rather than attaching to a chair, this style clamps directly onto a table using a metal frame.

    – Fabric Seat Harnesses – This style is a piece of fabric secured to the chair, with straps or fabric that wraps around your little one to keep them in place on their seat. Just note that these won’t give your baby any height to help reach the table.

  • 4. My child is very squirmy, will a travel booster seat help?

    A Travel booster seat can definitely help keep your child seated and on their chair, but be aware that for particularly squirmy babes, you’ll want to make sure that whichever seat you choose has adjustable buckles to tighten and secure the booster to the chair so baby can’t knock the seat off the chair. In addition, for very squirmy little ones, a five-point harness might be something you want to consider.

  • 5. If I am bringing my travel booster on the plane, will I have to pay extra?

    Most of the travel boosters can be packed into a piece of checked luggage (and some will even fit right into a diaper bag), but for the larger seats made of hard plastic, you may get charged as a piece of checked luggage. This varies by airline, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

  • 6. Can I use a travel booster seat on a plane as a safety harness?

    No, we don’t recommend using these travel boosters for airline safety purposes as they are not FAA-approved. For that purpose, we love the CARES Child Aviation Restraint System.

  • 7. Can I use a travel booster seat in a booth at a restaurant?

    Some of these would be suitable to use in booth seating to raise the height of your little one but would not secure to the booth seating. If having it buckled and secured is important to you, you might consider using the clamp style at the end of the booth.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a variety of options for travel booster seats, which allows you to choose the style of booster seat that suits your travel plans, your baby and your family best. Make sure you consider your baby’s age, weight, and how active/squirmy they tend to be at mealtime. Other things to consider are ease of packing, ease of installation/set up, and your budget.

Whatever style of booster and budget you choose, if it keeps your baby happy (not hangry), you can concentrate on making vacation memories instead of stressing.