Cosco Kids - Scenera Next DLX Convertible Car Seat

I had a Clek Liingo without a base and used it for the first year. It's currently $399, but usually goes on sale... https://clekinc.ca/collections/infant-car-seats/products/liingo Edited to add- I used it with my Bugaboo Fox for everyday (with adapters), and with the Mountain Buggy Nano for travelling (no adapters required). I also flew with it several times, and gate checked it in a carsea bag from Amazon. I now use the Nuna Rava, which is convertible seat and HUGE for everyday, and the Cosco Scenera for flying/travelling

When my first was born we didn't have a car, I bought a Graco snugride bucket seat without a base and used it with an adapter on our uppababy cruz. I used it in Ubers a lot and it was easy and fairly light. We did eventually buy a car when she outgrew the bucket seat and got a Cosco Scenera Next for when we travelled which could be an option for you when baby is a year plus.

We haven’t had to bring a car seat but we travel frequently with a Cosco Scenera. That seat should fit easily under the bed in the room.  Don’t mind the people saying to do a rental or schedule transport, it’s 100% valid to want to bring your own seat. 

I almost always bought a seat for the baby. We used the Cosco Scenera Next as our travel seat. It's light weight, inexpensive and gets good crash ratings, but still fits babies up to 3-ish year olds. You can't rear face on a plane. Bring a towel to pad the buckle, because it ends up under the baby's back. You'll have to tell everyone and their mother that you bought a seat for the baby, because they usually expect lap babies. If the flight is only half full, we would usually roll the dice and bring the car seat even without paying for an extra seat. If you are very nice (chocolates or Starbucks gift cards help) the gate agents and flight attendants will usually allow you to bring the car seat on the plane and keep an empty seat for the baby.

We bought a Cosco Scenera for a trip years ago and it was an awesome light perfect travel seat.  We still keep it around to use for the second car or if a friend needs to borrow it and watch the kid. 

Honestly the best thing you can do is buy a seat and install a car seat (Cosco Scenera is best for air travel) so it's like a car ride to them. I did give my kids unlimited tablet movie time when they were toddlers and flying. Pack more snacks than you think they could possibly need. Bribery.

Definitely look for some sales. Target does an old car seat trade in event a few times a year where you get 40% discount code. At my local target they had the discount code right by the drop off area and anyone could scan it so that’s what we did this year. Also Black Friday is coming up if you can stretch it a few more weeks. I would also consider if you plan on traveling with the kids by plane anytime soon? We ended up buying the Cosco scenera’s as our second set because they are a super light travel car seat (and bonus not crazy expensive) They have way less padding then a higher end car seat but we just keep them in our second car which is mostly used for short local drives. 

Take the seat. We prefer a lightweight seat that’s different than our everyday seat, but any FAA approved is fine. The lightest we’ve found is the cosco scenera next, but it’s not my favorite due to where the belt buckle on a plane seat is, but I don’t know of a better suggestion. Safe in the seat on insta/fb/they have a blog has great suggestions. I strap my kid in, give them a toy and enjoy my flight. No fighting over getting up when the seatbelt sign is on or them sliding out of their seat, etc. I don’t have to worry about my seat being damaged by checking it. It’s safest for my child and everyone around us in the event of turbulence. Usually, my kids fall asleep bc they’re comfy and I get a little vacation on the flight, whereas when they aren’t in a seat I’m sweaty and stressed from wrangling them the whole time.

Yes the scenera is very lightweight and easy to install on a plane. It’s likely outgrown to very close to being outgrown by a typical 3 yr or so I’d get the Costco finale or similar for them.

We used a Cosco Scenera at 14 mo and 24 mo and I have recommended it to others - it's quite light and it's cheap enough (or at least it was, I haven't checked in the tariff era!) that we don't mind if it doesn't get much use. We definitely could not get it installed rear-facing on the plane (economy seating but I forget which airline), but given how compact it is, I'm skeptical there's a different seat out there that WOULD fit rear-facing. We didn't have any trouble installing it front-facing. At 24 mo we used a CARES harness for the plane and brought the Cosco seat (gate checked for less potential rough handling) to use at our destination. I liked that better than lugging the seat onto the plane, and I think my son was more comfortable that way by that age. Only downside is you have to reach a bit into the space of the person behind you to put the strap around the seat back - but if you're boarding early with your small child, you'll probably be done before that person gets there.

I'm not sure of your todders weight, but I've always flown alone with a baby/toddler, and I take the following: - travel stroller (I have the Mountain Buggy Nano) - carseat and backpack style carry bag (I used the Clek Liingo previously, and now use the Cosco Scenera Next) - baby carrier (any brabd suitable for toddler wearing) - diaper bag/hand luggage. Backpack style that also attaches to the stroller handle I use the stroller right as we arrive at the airport and get gate check tags for both stroller and car seat at check-in. If the carseat can be attached to the stroller, then I attach it appropriately and put the child in until security. If the carseat dies fit on the stroller, then I carry it in the backpack At security, everything and everyone comes out and goes through the special line. After security, if there's a lot of time to get to my gate for departure, I do the same setup. If not, I baby wear and use thecstroller to hold the carseat, and when I get to the gate I just get the stroller folded down and ready to be gate checked, and the car seat is ready to take on board. It's quite a cumbersome process, but having the baby carrier works like an extra pair of hands when lugging all of the stuff. Good luck!

Right - the buckle is in the worst spot for the car seat design. It was a breeze in the rental car, but when I was securing it in the airplane I was completely dumbfounded and convinced I was doing it wrong (and even got the manual back out) since it seemed so counter to all the great reviews I’d seen about it being great for air travel

I just flew with my 15 month old. Does the baby have his own seat? If he doesn't, I'd check the car seat with your luggage and either baby wear through the airport or bring an umbrella stroller and check it at the gate. If he does have his own seat, keep the car seat with you. My son had his own seat on our flights. We checked his stroller with the rest of our luggage, and attached his car seat to a dolly system that allowed him to ride in his car seat on the dolly through the airport. He hates being in a carrier, so a stroller or the car seat and dolly combo was our best bet. When we boarded the plane, we folded down the dolly and put it in the overhead compartment. It worked really well for us. The car seat we used was the Cosco Kids Scenera Next. It's lightweight and was easy for us to install on the plane. As for entertainment, we bought smaller cheap toys and kept them away from him till we got on the plane. When he got bored with a toy, we'd give him a snack then present a new toy to him. He also slept for about an hour on the flight, and it was about 4.5 hours long. He did much better than we anticipated. Just as a note, if you plan to have pouches for him in your carry on luggage, baby and toddler food (including pouches) are supposed to be exempt from the liquid requirements for TSA as they are considered medically necessary liquids. We had two that were over 4 oz, and one TSA agent tried to tell us that we weren't allowed to bring them because they weren't considered medically necessary for my son. I had to pull up TSAs website and ask for a supervisor, but we were allowed to keep them. The other time we went through security, we had absolutely no issues whatsoever. Be sure to let them know if you have any food or drinks for your son, and make sure you read have TSA's webpage up for traveling with children.

This happens to my five-year-old as well. Luckily I had overnight diapers in my bag to cushion his back the first time we used it on a plane. That stupid buckle is in the worst spot, and I’m glad it’s not an issue in the car. Recently we have used my husband’s hoodie to soften it. I’m not as concerned about using the seat properly while we fly - we mainly bring it to avoid waiting when we get off the plane or at baggage claim since we prefer late night flights.

I bought a Cosco Scenera for Uber trips. It’s light enough and a quick install.

Most that will be recommended for daily use aren’t the best for travelling (heavy). For example the graco extend2fit is probably the most widely recommended convertible seat but I’d never take it on a plane. We got an evenflo sonus for travel, the cosco scenera is another popular travel seat, both around $100. Convertible seats aren’t like infant seats that can detach from their base, if they do have a base for easier installation/more stability, recline options etc, it’s not removable.

Cosco has been great but now we’ve outgrown it- is there a similar option for bigger kids?

I second this, lightweight and easy install

Are you planning on driving a lot or just need it to get wherever you are going? If you don't plan on driving a lot, there are driver services with car seats. What is your trip itenerary? If it is mostly SF, don't rent a car. If you plan on driving a lot, get a cosco scenera and a backpack bag to make it easier to carry. We cram other stuff into the carseat backpack when we travel so it is less to carry.

I have a Cosco Scenera travel car seat. I can flip it upside down and strap it to the back of the stroller so I don't have to lug it around. The head of the car seat kind of sits in the under basket a little for support and a bungee cord goes through the base to strap it to the top of the stroller above her head. It works out really well for me and I've used this system with Ubers and getting through airports.

We looked into a number of options and now have 2 of the Cosco Scenera Finale carseats. Super lightweight, converts to a booster style when they can use a traditional seatbelt. Bought a couple of Gorilla Grip car seat bags.

Just here to say I HATE Cosco scenera! On the plane the buckle for the seat ends up right in their backs. In the car it’s impossible to secure the seat adequately. It just flops around while I cross my fingers we don’t all crash. I ended up getting the britax poplar, which is VERY heavy, but at least is safe and comfortable. You can always get a dolly for whatever FAA car seat you choose so it’s less of a pain to travel with. I just ended up asking the airport staff to help me, which is part of their job so if you need help don’t feel bad asking!

1) This is allowed under [FAA Regulations](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/about/initiatives/cabin_safety/regs/acob949.pdf), but Southwest flight attendants may not allow it. 2) If both your car seats are 19” wide, I wouldn’t count on both of them fitting correctly side-by-side, even with the arm rests up. If they do, it’s going to be very tight. 3) Be prepared to lift the seats up and possibly overhead going down the aisle, depending on their width. My husband and I have flown with our twins in car seats, and we would always split up and get a window and aisle in two consecutive rows, so we could talk to each other or pass stuff back and forth if needed. If there’s only one adult, I’d try to have just one car seat on the plane. If the second child needs a restraint, I’d look at getting a CARES harness. I’d also consider purchasing lightweight Cosco Scenera car seats for the trip. They weigh <10 lbs and are pretty cheap. They’re sold at Walmart. Also figure out your plan for getting two car seats to the gate and two car seats on the plane with the kids. Many people like the carts that you can strap the car seats to and roll them through the airport. Keep in mind that once you’re on the plane, you can’t get off the plane and then get back on, so have a plan for how all adults, kids, and car seats are getting on at once. We had car seat travel bags that made transporting them easier.

cosco scenera Is relatively easy to buckle in and very light. It fits in the vista stroller basket

We use a cosco scenera seat (60 bucks and very lightweight) and Lyft. We use it on the plane, but car seats can be checked for free, too. Otherwise bus or car service (my friend recommended Tiffany towncar)

Most convertible seats are pretty heavy. We have the Cosco scenera for travel and it’s definitely lightweight and easy to install. You do have to make sure that it’s level after tightening the straps every time, which would be annoying every day, but totally fine for travel.

Depends on the kid I guess. My child is 2 and is pretty active and moves around a lot if not strapped in. We went to Europe at 1.5 years then Mexico at 2 years and we used the Cosco Scenara seat for both. Very lightweight and she was able to nap comfortably and just chill. I got a backpack cover for it. I carry on my back and then roll my carry on with my personal item on top. We decided to carry her in our arms going in the train going from UK to France and she was crawling and tumbling all over us and moving all the time. Strapped in she would just play with her toys, use crayons in her book, etc. Those few hours were tough.

How old is your kiddo? We have just about every version of travel car seats bc we do long haul travel a lot.  For the 0-3 crowd, the Cosco Scenera is perfect. Cheap, light, straps easily to a travel stroller using a luggage strap, so you just strap it on and strap your kiddo in, for getting around the airport. Also cheap enough to be left behind if you only need it in one direction.  For the 2-5 crowd, the WayB Pico (FF only) is really nice. Also light, though you’ll want the backpack that’s another $80+ to store it if you’re going through airports. Kind of a B to install, but really compact and nice.  For the 4+ crowd (we started at 3.5,which is a bit young tbh), the Ride Safer Travel Vest is amazing. They wear it and you clip the seatbelt into it. It also has an optional top tether just like a FF seat’s top tether, for an added layer of security.  For the 6+ crowd, the bubble bum inflatable bum booster is great. 

For my first time traveling w/ my firstborn, we were traveling to another country w/ close family friends and we both checked our carseats. Arrive in said foreign country and all of our bags arrive except the two carseats for both of our kids. Canada Air lost them in the tracking and couldn't tell us when they'd arrive. So they go in the back and pull out two brand new Cosco Scenaros. Absolute garbage but they did the job. Two days into our vacation they say the seats arrived and they're going to send a courier out to deliver them to us. I didn't believe it because we were in a remote part of Canada on a literal island...and of course they didn't come. It took about 5 days until they finally arrived and we were in a different part of Canada but when they arrived we asked "what do we do with these Coscos?" and they told us to trash them. We donated them to a shelter that was happy to receive them so all in all it worked out nicely but I honestly think I'd prefer just getting a ghetto Cosco from a rental agency every time if they sold them new for a slight upcharge. Lugging around my 500lb Nuna just isn't worth it.

Car seat. I use the Cosco Senera travel car seat, and have been successfully taking my kid since he was roughly 18 months old. Note that it's still a good idea to have an additional adult passenger to manage the child, especially for the first few flights, as you won't know how they'll react or take to it. My son loves it, but it took some work initially getting him to keep his headset on.

Cosco scenera rear faces, is cheap, can be used with a seat belt. Likely cheaper than renting one. Fits rear facing on every plane I’ve taken it on. Also took to Europe with no problems.

Cosco scenera is 43 inches and 40 lbs to max out. We used it up until recently

By the time my kid outgrew the cosco scenera, he was 4.5 and we just switched to a booster for travel.

We got one last fall for a cross-country flight (about 6 hours) and I’m seriously considering just bringing our regular car seat along for the next one. With the way the seatbelt buckles are designed on the plane and the strap goes right under the non-existent padding I couldn’t find a way to securely fasten it to the seat without that big buckle either in the middle of my kids back or under his butt (and off center at that!). The airplane buckle has kind of hard edges and there’s not enough padding on the scenera to soften it. I felt especially bad when I had to buckle him in and tighten for liftoff and landing because he looked so uncomfortable. He was already overtired and cranky and scared of flying, so it didn’t make the experience any better. It was lightweight and nice for running around the airport, but I don’t think I’d do it again for a flight that long.

Just get a super light car seat… Costco scenera next is what I got, it weighs 6 lbs and cost like $50-70 depending on when you get it (ie I got it for $50 on sale from Walmart) + get a bag for it and just check it (all airlines check strollers and car seats for free) My kid would definitely not want to be in a car seat on the plane, but every kid is different.

The cosco scerenca (spelling might be off) is usually the go-to convertible travel seat. It's light weight, easy to install, easy seatbelt install. Otherwise... You just memorize the installation instructions and practice doing it quickly.

For our toddler we also did the Costco Scenera. We needed a car seat at our destination anyway. And it was easier having him contained in something he's used to. When he's older I intend to get the safety harness straps you can add to the plane seat. Not sure the bigger car seats will be worth attempting to use on the plane.