6 best travel carseats of 2023

Traveling with young kids takes a good deal of planning—and usually involves some heavy-duty packing to ensure you have everything you need while away from home. Whether you are flying somewhere or taking a road trip, your stress levels will hinge on your littles ones being safe and feeling comfortable for long periods of time. For that you’ll need a high quality travel car seat.

My husband and I took our first out-of-state trip with our daughter last fall when she was just over a year old. Our vacation to North Carolina involved a plane ride and then a rental car when we arrived at our destination. Initially, we considered bringing our Nuna Rava car seat, but at 27.2 pounds, we decided it would be too heavy to lug around with us as we navigated the airport and car rental office. So, we bought the Cosco Scenera Next DLX Convertible Car Seat, a lightweight travel car seat that was easy to carry through the airport while also managing our carry-on luggage and our daughter.

SKIP AHEAD The best travel car seats of 2023 | How to shop for the best travel car seats

Travel car seats, compared to regular car seats, are designed to be more portable while on the go. To help you shop for the right travel car seat for your needs, we consulted experts about what to look for and compiled recommendations based on their advice and high ratings.

We interviewed car seat experts to get their tips on what to look for in a travel car seat. Based on their guidance, we kept the following in mind when sourcing highly-rated options:

To help you find the best travel car seat for your child, we considered recommendations from certified child passenger safety technicians and highly rated options from brands like Evenflo, Safety 1st and more.

I bought this lightweight car seat (just over 6 pounds) for my 2-year-old daughter and found it was easy to carry through the airport and its slim profile fit nicely in the narrow plane seat. It can be used for both infants and toddlers and be placed in the car rear-facing (for kids from 5 to 40 pounds) or forward-facing (for kids between 22 and 40 pounds who are at least a year old). This car seat is FAA-approved for use on aircrafts. It has a 5-point, adjustable harness to secure your child safely and the cover is machine washable. You can either use lower anchors to install it or a seatbelt.

Product Weight: 6.4 pounds | Child Size Guidelines: Up to 40 pounds and 43 inches tall | Installation Type: Seatbelt, Latch equipped

If you are looking for an infant car seat (suitable for babies who are up to 35 pounds and 32 inches tall) that is good for everyday use (as well as on trips), this pick is worth considering. Select contributor Jo Piazza says she recommends the Doona car seat and stroller to every expectant parent she knows. It can be installed in your car via its base, or simply secured with a seatbelt. When taking it out of the car, you simply press a button and wheels unfold that allow you to push the seat as a stroller. At 17.2 pounds, this car seat is heavier than other options on this list but makes transitioning to a stroller a breeze. It has been approved by the FAA for use on planes.

Product Weight: 17.2 pounds | Child Size Guidelines: Up to 35 pounds and 32 inches tall | Installation Type: Seatbelt, Base is latch equipped

This car seat costs under $100 and has a 4.5-average star rating from 5,861 reviews on Amazon. It is designed and tested for structural integrity at energy levels approximately twice the Federal crash test standard, according to the brand. It weighs 9.29 pounds, can be used rear or front facing and can be installed using latches or a seatbelt. This seat also has a removable head pillow and the cover is machine washable.

Product Weight: 9.29 pounds | Child Size Guidelines: Up to 40 pounds and 40 inches tall | Installation Type: Seatbelt, Latch equipped

"If you want the most bang for your buck out of your travel car seat, this is a great option," says Michelle Pratt, a certified child passenger safety technician, car seat expert and founder of Safe in the Seat. She likes that the lightweight car seat has a long life span, as it's suitable for children from 5 pounds to 65 pounds. This convertible car seat has a 5-point harness that can be adjusted to 5 different heights to grow with your child and is approved by the FAA.

Product Weight: 14.25 pounds | Child Size Guidelines: Up to 65 pounds | Installation Type: Seatbelt, Latch equipped

This seat was recommended by both Pratt and Amie Durocher, a certified child passenger safety technician and creative director of Safe Ride 4 Kids, an advocacy group that aims to help parents make safe choices when it comes to car seats. It weighs only 8 pounds and is approved by the FAA for use on planes. This car seat can only be installed forward-facing, meaning that it is best for children over the age of 2. When not in use, the WayB Pico can be folded in half for portability or, for an additional cost, you can store it in the brand's padded backpack.

This booster is intended for kids between the ages of 4 and 11 and can be blown up when you need to use it, then deflated to easily store it in your bag. It has a 4.3-average star rating from 5,410 reviews on Amazon and meets both U.S. Federal car seat regulations, as well as those in Europe. One thing to note: It is not approved by the FAA for use on a plane. However, most children old enough to use this should fit comfortably in an airplane seat, anyway.

Product Weight: 1 pound | Child Size Guidelines: 40 to 100 pounds and up to 57 inches tall | Installation Type: Seatbelt

When it comes to purchasing a travel car seat, here are the key factors our experts recommend you keep in mind:

The biggest difference between a car seat you’d use every day and one for travel is size and weight. Most people leave the car seat they use regularly installed in their car, so it doesn't really matter if it's heavier. Heavier, wider car seats can be better for constant use because it usually means they’re a bit more comfortable for your child and may have some nice features—like attached cup holders and extra padding. But those extras weigh more and may mean the seat is not narrow enough for those 18-inch airplane seats, says Pratt. Finally, a normal car seat doesn't need FAA approval, which you will need if you plan to bring a car seat on a plane.

If air travel is part of your trip, you have the option of either checking your car seat (which airlines typically offer for free) or carrying it on the plane and installing it in a seat, so long as it's FAA-approved. "However, the FAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommend flying with your child safely strapped into their car seat," says Pratt. "During severe turbulence or a potential runway collision, your child is not safe in your arms. Your car seat kiddo can safely ride just like they do in the car. Whether they’re rear-facing or front-facing." Plus, they may feel more comfortable:if they fall asleep, they can rest their head against the side of the car seat for support—something that they won't have in a plane seat.

At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers topics like travel, home and lifestyle. She is also a frequent traveler herself and has been to more than 30 countries. For this story, she interviewed two experts to gather their guidance and researched highly-rated travel car seats based on their advice.

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Bethany Heitman has spent over fifteen years creating engaging content. She is the former editor-in-chief of People StyleWatch and has held senior leadership positions at Cosmopolitan, Health, and Seventeen.