Flying w/ 8 month old, suggestions on strollers?
 

I will be flying with my 8 month old, does anybody have a suggestion for a great stroller to travel with? What about taxi's, do I need a car seat?

Bring the car seat for the plane and make sure you buy a seat for your child.

Umbrella stroller as they are lightweight and fold up easy.

The good thing about the umbrella stroller is that you can take it right up to the plane's door and they will stow it for you. Then on your way out they will have it ready for you. One time the pilot got mine and opened it up for me. He was so nice about it. I think this was Southwest.

A $20 umbrella stroller works best. It's easy to fold up. If the airline destroys it, you just buy a new one. We never bothered with a carseat in taxis but you're going to get other posters who think differently.

I have friends who swear by those car seat/stroller combos that Right Start sells. I have twins and they don't make a double so it never worked for me. Check them out.

We always use our umbrella stroller -- Combi -- and gate check it. We bring car seats to the plane and have found the car seat back packs sold also by Right Start (and others, I am sure) work well and free our hands for our carry-ons and the stroller.

We always buy seats for the kids and my husband boards first and secures the car seats. We stay in the gate area as long as possible to run and play and then board at the last possible moment. Works for us.

In terms of taxis -- can't think of a time we were in a taxi with the guys in the US. Obviously, it is illegal not to have the kid strapped in a car in the US -- just don't know if anyone would pull over a taxi. Good luck with that.

Have fun.
TaiTai

The car seat/cab issue has been discussed several times. Here's a link to a couple. You can easily do a search on this subject.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34784112

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34785360

Safety 1st makes a portable car seat that is sort of a vest that you strap onto the child then attach to the seatbelt. Think it is called the Tote N'Go. It may not work for an 8-month-old, however. Check it out on-line if you are not taking a carseat with you. Check out the weight and height limits to determine whether it is an option. It is not ideal, but I like it for cabs and travel and it is actually approved by whatever governmental agency that does that as a car seat.

As for travel stroller, I am, some may say, a bit obsessed with having the perfect stroller for the right occasion. For travel, my favorite would be the Britax Esprit (it is a discontinued model that you can find on-line for a reasonable price). It folds up compactly (umbrella-type fold), the handles are much higher than the $20 umbrella stroller (I'm 5'3" and I can't stand the height on those things - too much hunching over!, plus they don't look very comfy for baby), weighs something like 9 or 10 pounds, only cost $70-80, so destruction or loss by the airline won't kill you, has a fold-out leg rest (ideal for naps), has relatively big wheels (6" - unlike the cheapos - the wheels on those things can't handle a brick sidewalk) so it handles bumps well, reclines pretty far (not entirely flat, but pretty close), has a canopy, and a little cupholder on the back. Anything else you want to know about it?

I would also recommend the Inglesina Swift (you can get a good deal on an older model). I have a Combi, too, which I bought thinking it was the ideal travel stroller, but the wheels are too small for any sort of bump/pebble/etc. and there is no leg rest.

Good luck with your travels and hope you get to enjoy some time with your little one!

My nephews'and my sons had about 20 flights before their 2nd birthdays, and we A) Never bought seats on the planes, and B)Never took car seats. All rental cars in the US will provide car seats and most taxi vans do as well.

You don't "need" a car seat, but you'll get a lot of lecture about how irresponsible you are if you don't bring one and buy a seat on the plane.

The simple fact is, most people with children under 2 don't buy the seat on the plane(this from a pilot friend), I say leave it up to the parents.

My sister always travels with a GOOD collapsible stroller, it's the kind that lays flat for sleeping. If you're going to have your child in the stroller a lot on your trip, don't skimp with a cheap umbrella stroller that they might be uncomfortable over long periods, you'll regret it in the long-run.

Please use a car seat in taxis. I am a Parent Educator (I teach classes to parents of preschoolers) and we just showed a movie about what happens in a 25 mph crash when you are holding a child in your lap. Let's just say it was very upsetting. Children are too precious to take the chance!!

My fave stroller is the MacLaren Triumph - lightweight, easy collapse, shoulder strap, decent basket area, and a canopy...all around $140.

Steep, I know...but well worth it since your kid is 8 months old, you'll get A LOT of of use - think about manuevering around Pottery Barn, etc...this stroller has made shopping easier, too!!!

We have almost always purchased a seat for our son. He is now 2 and has flown over 50K miles. When he was eight months we used a car seat with a stroller adaptor. If your child is out of his infant seat and you plan on flying quite a bit, I would recommend the Sit 'N Stroll. We used to carry our huge Britax Car Seat and MacLaren Volo Stroller (which is a great light weight stroller), but we now use the Sit 'N Stroll as it converts from stroller to car seat. Its great because we don't have to wake him up if he's sleeping in the seat. One other plus is that the handle slides all the way down and you can push the stroller underneath a table (most strollers you have to have it adjacent to your table). We recently enjoyed an excellent meal at Versaille in Miami with him sleeping the entire time from car to restaurant and back to car.