Customer Reviews

CARES Child Aviation Restraint System

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

We just bought the CARES restraint for our flight from Washington to Texas last month. We have the heaviest car seat ever made, I think, and I just wanted to check it, not struggle with it on the plane. The restraint did keep him in his seat, but I had two complaints.

First, I was disappointed that there was no strap between his legs to keep him from sliding down in his seat. I can see how one mother was concerned about strangulation, though I suspect if left to his own devices, my 2-year-old might have just finally managed to wriggle out of it altogether. In our case, I was frequently boosting him back up in his seat and had to keep a hand on him to keep him from wriggling back down during his fussiest moments. Now that I'm familiar with the problem, I may be able to rig a solution before we use it again.

My second concern was that the strap does go around the back of the child's seat, which means either you have to open the tray of the passenger behind you to install the strap, then close the tray back up, or in some cases (according to the instructions,) install the strap around the tray of the passenger behind you, rendering their tray useless and making it impossible to use the strap during the flight when that passenger would need their tray. Since I have this innate fear of annoying people, that would have really bothered me, but fortunately, since we are a family of five, we took up two rows anyway and I was able to make sure the baby was in front of one of us.

I would probably use it again for a four-hour flight like that one to avoid the hassle of maneuvering that car seat through the narrow aisles of a plane, but for longer flights I will probably stick with the car seat both for his sleeping comfort and my peace of mind.

Edited 11-12-10 to add: I never did use it again. I found it much less stressful to just buy the lightest, easiest-to-carry car seat I could find for traveling. We chose the 12.5 lb Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat from Target for under $50, and it's been fine - it just needs some extra head support for napping.

This is a great product for kids who are too big to travel in a carseat but may be too small to be firmly held by a lap belt alone. Certainly this product is lightweight and portable, a pleasure after lugging carseats onto airplanes. It installs quickly and easily. The only downsides are that when it is fastened firmly, it's hard for the child to lean over and sleep. I loosened it so my son could lean to the side with a couple pillows. Also when it is pulled tight, the main strap pulls away from the seat and may not be comfortable for the child's head. Sometimes you have to play with the installation. Overall, though, it's a great product. While it may seem a little bit like overkill, after one bout of severe turbulence on an airplane, you will appreciate its value to keep your kids safely strapped to their seats.

I bought two of these for my twin daughters (just turned three) for a flight to Jamaica. They certainly are easier to carry through an airport than a car seat, and easy to install, but the way the straps are situated, if you child falls asleep (as mine did) the strap/top buckle hit right around the neck if your child slides down or slumps at all, making the device quite dangerous. Our child literally had an indentation on her neck from this device. Several people sitting around us commented how dangerous the device could be to a sleeping child, including the flight attendant. (And yes, the device was correctly installed.)

If you choose to use the CARES harness, I would suggest only using it for take-off and landings, and use the regular lap belt during the flight.

We bought this for a trip I was taking by myself with my large, 34 inch tall 16 month old. I installed it correctly and put my son in it. It was very easy to install, but the red strap that fits around the seat was directly behind his head, making him keep his head forward. Also, as another reviewer stated, the chest strap was right under his chin, which I feared would decapitate him in an accident. Because there is no middle strap between the child's legs like in a carseat, they do slide down and the chest strap is literally at their neck. I even brought drawer liner with us and put it under my son's bum to keep him from sliding out, but it didn't help.

Lastly, the airplane seatbelt (we flew on American) didn't get tight enough to really keep him in place. He's a large child and at 26 pounds is way over the minimum weight of 20 lbs. I cannot imagine using this with a smaller child.

I ended up bringing his carseat on with us and using that on the flight back. I will be selling my CARES and getting this instead for next time. Go Go Kidz TravelMate - Black/ Orange

After reading reviews we were in two minds whether or not to bother with this - I'm SO glad we did! It worked exactly as we hoped it would.

We have just returned from a visit to UK with our 16-month old son and this worked perfectly for us. J is at the point where he will make short shrift of wriggling right out of my arms if he doesn't want to sit on my lap so we were not looking forward to taking our 'lap child' on an internal flight followed by a transatlantic flight with a long car drive at each end.

A few plus points:

1) J was traveling as a lap child so we did not want to haul his car seat with us only on the off chance of him even having a seat - the CARES harness slipped easily into our hand luggage. (As it happened we talked with the check-in attendant and on both journeys managed to get a whole row of 4 seats all to ourselves - for anyone who doesn't already do this, it's ALWAYS worth a lengthy chat about where they're trying to seat you both at check-in, at the gate and even once you're seated if the plane is clearly not full!).

2) The harness fitted easily and securely over the seat as per the instruction. Passengers behind us were not in the least bit bothered about the few seconds it took to slip it over the chair back and under their table.

3) We strapped J into it without him even batting an eye - I think he thought he was just being strapped in like he would be in his car seat and was very content to sit still.

4) It took only a minute or so to make sure the harness was properly adjusted and J seemed very comfy and content in it. On the long flights He happily remained in it all the way through taxiing and takeoff and the first drinks and meal service. However, since each time we had 2 empty seats between myself and my husband when it was 'bed/nap time' we lay J in between us in his long sleep sack (so I could sit on one end of it for extra security!) and with the normal lap belt wrapped around his middle. He was very happy to go back into the harness once he was up again and for the landing and taxiing.

5) J stayed in the harness for the whole of the last flight from Philly to Detroit and was more content than if he was being made to sit on my lap. We did go through some heavy turbulence and I was very glad to have him so securely strapped in. He barely moved.

No negatives as such but a few points of caution...

1) Despite the stated height and weight range children are supposed to be at least 2 years old to use this item. Since J is tall and heavy for his age we were happy to use it, and thankfully so were North West and US Airways.

2) Check with your airline to make sure they will allow you to use it, esp. if traveling outside the USA. In our experience with it on this one trip, North West were totally fine with it, US Airways were fine but did remind us he was supposed to be 2 even though they were happy for us to do what we preferred (their alternative is holding your child on the lap with no seat belt at all!), Lufthansa did not allow us to use it during taxiing, takeoff or landing (they insisted I hold him and we use an additional lap strap instead) but were okay with it's use during the flight.

3) Like any car seat or restraint, don't presume your child will be comfy enough to sleep whilst using it... more an issue of sitting upright than the harness itself. That said, if they sleep well enough in a car seat I can't see why they wouldn't with this.

4) Even if properly fitted the large adjusters/buckles on the front vertical straps may be uncomfortable for a child depending on how the harness fits them. I preempted this by taking the cosy covers off our stroller straps (JJ Cole velcro fastening ones) and placing them over the buckles. Jack was fine and may even have been fine without these but I felt it was nicer around his shoulder/neck/chin area to have the extra cushiness.

5) We did have to hitch J up a few times in his seat but this was nothing major and certainly no worse than if he was just using the lap belt.

All in all I would highly recommend this product to anyone flying with young children.

I was so happy to have found this product. We were travelling out of country with our 2 year old for the first time, and were told we needed to properly restrain her in case of turbulence. Luckily we had 3 weeks to go before travel when I came across the CARES system. The delivery was speedy, and the DVD demo was easy to understand. We traveled via Delta and there were doubts about whether we could use it or not, but we gave the stewardess the enclose info sheet, she made a call and gave us the go ahead. She was surprised that more people travelling with toddlers don't use the CARES restraint. It was easy to install and did not bother the travellers behind us. There was a review regarding how inappropriate it was for a smaller toddler...and I almost did not get it, cause my little one is 22lbs. But we got it and it fit great, she felt all grown up that she was buckled in as everyone else was. We traveled with her sleep pillow so the straps were not a problem for her. We also reclined the seat and she slept well. The seats were leather, but surprisingly she did not slip down as some other reviewer found. I would highly recommend this product..I mean wee secure everything else, why not our precious little one. It is light weight and the little drawstring bag kept everything together.

I would strongly recommend travelling with the paperwork that's included just in case you meet airline personnel who are unfamiliar with CARES!

I had high hopes that I could stop lugging a heavy car seat through the airport because of this product. However, as far as safety goes, I'm not impressed with it at all. While the shoulder straps may help slightly in a landing if the kid is sitting up properly, the lack of strap between the legs makes it easy for a kid to slouch down and wiggle out. If a kid can wiggle out, you can bet he can slip out the bottom in an emergency situation. So my opinion is: slightly better than just the lap belt, but if you really are looking for safety, I don't think you can beat a car seat.

This nifty device takes the place of your FAA approved car seat for those times when you are flying with a tiny passenger. We've used it on a couple of trips now and it really works great. Here are some main points to consider based on our experience:

Pros:

* Compact and Light: Before getting this device, my wife and I brought along our Britax Marathon carseat Britax Marathon 70 Convertible Car Seat, Onyx (I) onto the plane to secure our daughter, age 2 (at that time). Being the behemoth that it was, we also brought aboard our stroller Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller, Black/Champagne just to hold the carseat. And, of course, the kiddie go bag with toys, books, wipes, etc. All this, and we haven't even gotten to the luggage yet. Laden as we were, we looked for all the world like a Himalayan expedition as we boarded the plane. Enter the CARES system. This little collection of straps weighs about a couple of pounds, stows in its own bag, and easily fits into your carry-on bag. What!? Yes, it's a dream for tiny traveling humans and their parental charges. Most importantly, though, it is...

* Effective: This device is FAA approved but most importantly, it keeps your small loved-one safe. What it does is mimics the harness system found on most carseats: Straps come down over the shoulders, and have a sternum buckle that latches over the chest. The bottom of the straps that come over the shoulders have loops on the bottom to accommodate the airline seat belt straps. For many tiny passengers, this is a huge improvement over wearing a lap belt alone. my little Houdini could wriggle out of her lap belt in about 10 seconds, flat It is adjustable and works well to keep your toddler-sized fellow traveler safe and snug.

* Quality: The materials, from automotive-quality nylon webbing to aircraft-style buckle, are all top notch. The stitching is clean and tight and the whole thing is built to last. Included on the strapping itself are pictogram instructions on how to use it and even a 'belongs to' sticker so it can find its way back to you if you leave it on the plane. A very clear instruction card is also included, which fits into the carry sack along with the strap system. Mine also came with an instructional DVD, which was a super way to orient myself to the system and practice before the craziness of the whole toddler-air-travel thing.

* Value: I think this is reasonably priced. Yes, it could be cheaper, though I don't begrudge the maker a reasonable profit that - given the seeming lack of competing alternatives on the market - doesn't strike me as being overly large.

* Stress Relieving: Yes, I had peace of mind knowing that my daughter was safer in her seat because of this device, but what I am really talking about is not having to wrangle a bulky, heavy carseat onto the plane, attaching and removing it from the cramped coach class cubby that masquerades as a seat, and then hauling it all the way from the plane to baggage claim - all the while keeping track of your overly-excitged toddler. Nightmare. Toddler-traveling-parents, you know what I am talking about. My wife was actually able to travel with my daughter using this harness and didn't need medication after the trip. Priceless!

Cons:

* Limited Capacity: One downside to this device is that it is limited to a relatively narrow range of toddler: under 40 inches in height and between 22 and 44 pounds. How they came to those numbers is a mystery, but that's what the label says. Also, they need to be able to sit upright on their own. So, within that range, you are set, but depending on how fast your child grows, you may not get a lot of use out of this.

* Challenging to Use: Potentially. Given that you need to strap part of this around the entire seat, you will need at least some understanding, if not cooperation, of the passenger behind your child. Depending on the configuration of the seatback tray, that may be impacted by the strap. My take on this is, if you are already a savvy carseat user, you'll have no problems with this apparatus; if your carseat's straps give you fits, so likely will this.

* Not Universally Perfect: This is not a perfect device. With some airline seats that are made of pleather and have the ergonomic values that a piece of granite would admire, your child will be just as likely to slide inexorably toward the floor as without it: Unlike a carseat, this strap system has no crotch strap. there just isn't any way of making it with one So, depending on the seat, what your child is wearing, and his or her wriggle index, this may be an issue.

Final Thoughts:

While this is not the perfect answer to safe air travel with your toddler, it is a very good and effective effort and should work well for most. Even with its limitations - and assuming my child is still within specs - I consider this a vast improvement from dealing with the carseat. I know my wife does, too. This is the best system I've seen and consider it money well spent. It is well thought-out and executed, instructions for use (labels, instruction card, instructional DVD) are outstanding, it is safe and tested, and it remains the best alternative to a full-size carseat I've come across. Five stars from our personal experience.

It is rare that any product is perfect, and the CARES harness certainly has a couple of spots it could be improved upon. However, the ease of use in comparison to a car seat is worth any flaws it might have.

The pros:
-You don't have to lug your car seat through the airport, detach it from something like the Go Go Travelmate or the Traveling Toddler Car Seat Accessory in order to get through security, etc.
- Installing a car seat on an airplane puts your child in kicking range of the seat in front of you, the CARES harness (mostly) prevented my son's feet from reaching the seat in front of him.
-Easy to install on the plane seat. Slip it over the back, run the seat belt through the straps, and strap your child in. I was able to do this in under two minutes, flying alone with a toddler.

The cons:
-As other reviewers described, the chest clip location is not perfect. If you are not careful in installation it ends up aligning with the neck. I was able to get the chest clip in a better location, however.
-The red strap does not lie flush with the curved seat backs.
- Lack of leg straps means the child can slouch, messing with the positioning of the harness and also putting them in range of kicking the seat in front of them.

All in all, this product *is* overpriced for what it consists of, but given that it went through the process of FAA approval, it is worth it to not have to travel with a car seat. Improvements could be made, however.

This is a transcript from Customer Service of Lufthansa Airline about if CARES can be use on Lufthansa Airlines and most likely also on other European airlines:

Thank you for your patience and I have received a reply from Frankfurt headquarters. They have confirmed that the CARES system is currently not allowed on board any Lufthansa aircrafts. This includes both Transatlantic and European flights.

Although Frankfurt is aware of this restraint system and its benefits, unfortunately, there is no indication of any future clearance for its use. Again, thank you for your patience and I would have rather given you a more positive response
Sincerely,
Linda Rullo
Lufthansa Customer Relations
North America