CARES Harness

[brwneyedgirl86]

Not really a cruise question-- but has anyone used one of these (FAA approved) while flying with their LO?

[Mom2B&Z]

I haven't personally used them, but I know there are people on this board who have and love them. I have several issues with them: I can't use them in vehicles when in port, they are quite pricey for the amount of use I would get out of them with my boys, and there are many reports of kids sliding out under them, especially smaller stature kids who are on the younger end of the use range. However, I do believe that for the right child and in the right travel situation they are a wonderful option to keep a child safe during turbulence. That being said, at least in my circle of car seat techs, we tend to use our car seats on aircraft versus the CARES harness.

[mitsugirly]

Just so you know...you don't have to buy these. There are several reputable sellers on ebay that rent them for any date you might be needing one. You simply rent it, pay for it (I believe around $13 USD), they ship it to you, you use it and then send it back to them in a prepaid envelope. They do this all the time and have plenty of feed back.

 

Just thought I would save you some $$ if you didn't want to have to purchase one. :)

[B_Mc]

Not personally but my cousin has. She only had good things to say about it!

[mikesteg]

We have them and love them. The cost is really pretty low for a safety device, and they are much easier to deal with lugging around a car seat. We fly 3 -5 times a year so it is well worth checking the seats and only having to deal with 2 or 3 carryons, 2 strollers, and 2 wiggle worms. :D If we flew less, I might not have bought them, but even one flight per year is probably worth it.

 

We had no problem with the kids sliding out when they were right at the minimum size. The buckles were all the way down so the chest strap was very high on the chest, but otherwise OK. I don't see how a child could slide out without trying pretty hard, and of course a motivated toddler could probably get out of a straight jacket!

 

We only negative comment would be that they can move left/right with the harness on, but there isn't much the harness can do about that. A couple of blankets will solve that problem and make them more comfy when they (hopefully) go to sleep. :o

 

BTW, if you check the listing on Amazon, that's our little bubba with the big smile and the Magna-sketch. :D

[mikesteg]

Just so you know...you don't have to buy these. There are several reputable sellers on ebay that rent them for any date you might be needing one. You simply rent it, pay for it (I believe around $13 USD), they ship it to you, you use it and then send it back to them in a prepaid envelope. They do this all the time and have plenty of feed back.

 

Just thought I would save you some $$ if you didn't want to have to purchase one. :)

 

I didn't realize they paid for return shipping. That's a fair deal to check it out and/or if you don't fly terrifically often.

[mitsugirly]

I didn't realize they paid for return shipping. That's a fair deal to check it out and/or if you don't fly terrifically often.

 

I think they send you a pre-paid sticker for returns if you want to use it. Something like that. :) We only cruise once a year and haven't taken our little one with us (but will be this time), so to us, it's not worth actually buying one.

[brwneyedgirl86]

We have them and love them. The cost is really pretty low for a safety device, and they are much easier to deal with lugging around a car seat. We fly 3 -5 times a year so it is well worth checking the seats and only having to deal with 2 or 3 carryons, 2 strollers, and 2 wiggle worms. :D If we flew less, I might not have bought them, but even one flight per year is probably worth it.

 

We had no problem with the kids sliding out when they were right at the minimum size. The buckles were all the way down so the chest strap was very high on the chest, but otherwise OK. I don't see how a child could slide out without trying pretty hard, and of course a motivated toddler could probably get out of a straight jacket!

 

We only negative comment would be that they can move left/right with the harness on, but there isn't much the harness can do about that. A couple of blankets will solve that problem and make them more comfy when they (hopefully) go to sleep. :o

 

BTW, if you check the listing on Amazon, that's our little bubba with the big smile and the Magna-sketch. :D

 

Good to know! We travel frequently and our DD is just above minimum weight so we will definitely get our use out of it.

[mikesteg]

Good to know! We travel frequently and our DD is just above minimum weight so we will definitely get our use out of it.

 

Good deal. I would suggest that you unpack it, familiarize yourself with it, and re-size it before getting on the flight. It takes a little bit of time, and in addition to possible stopping traffic on the plane, your LO will probably only be so patient with the experience.

 

I think they send you a pre-paid sticker for returns if you want to use it. Something like that. :) We only cruise once a year and haven't taken our little one with us (but will be this time), so to us, it's not worth actually buying one.

 

Makes sense. Both our families are out of town and in different states, plus a vacation or two... adds up pretty quickly.

 

~~~

 

One thing I'm not clear on, and would be interested if anyone knows: at what age/weight/height are children no longer required to have a special device?

 

We'll be using ours until they don't fit in them anymore (and maybe awhile after that :eek:) but it seems like there isn't any specific rule over age 2.

[brwneyedgirl86]

One thing I'm not clear on, and would be interested if anyone knows: at what age/weight/height are children no longer required to have a special device?

 

We'll be using ours until they don't fit in them anymore (and maybe awhile after that :eek:) but it seems like there isn't any specific rule over age 2.

 

I believe its 40 lbs and under. So that's what- around 3 years old?

[mitsugirly]

I believe its 40 lbs and under. So that's what- around 3 years old?

 

My youngest is 3 1/2 and she is at 38 pounds. That was another reason why I decided not to buy one. It would only get 1 use out of it. :(

[mikesteg]

Sorry :o, my question was more in regards to the FAA regulations. Are kids required to have any supplemental restraint after age 2, or could they legally use just the standard seat belt at that time? Obviously we'll be using the CARES for awhile, I'm just curious.

[mitsugirly]

Sorry :o, my question was more in regards to the FAA regulations. Are kids required to have any supplemental restraint after age 2, or could they legally use just the standard seat belt at that time? Obviously we'll be using the CARES for awhile, I'm just curious.

 

From the flights we've taken several times, I've never seen a kid around that age and up in anything but the regular seat belt.

[cruisingin2011]

We have just started looking for one of these. I have posted in my mom's group, hoping I can borrow one. The ebay rentals, can only be shipped to an US address(from the ones I emailed) and I am in Canada. If we do get our hands on one, will post how it goes.

[Mom2B&Z]

Sorry :o, my question was more in regards to the FAA regulations. Are kids required to have any supplemental restraint after age 2, or could they legally use just the standard seat belt at that time? Obviously we'll be using the CARES for awhile, I'm just curious.

No kids are not required to use a restraint at any age: kids under two can be "lap children" thus held by the parent, after two they must occupy their own seat. The decision to bring a restraint (or not) is up to the parent. However, I do know every airline I've flown (Air Canada, West Jet and US Air) have all encouraged us to use restraints with our children.

Over the age of 2, the regulation is usually that the restraint is approved for aircraft use, that it can be installed forward facing, and that the child meets the criteria for using the seat. With today's seats, that means technically a 5 or 6 year old could be restrained in a harnessed seat on an aircraft (the example I use is my oldest son at 5 yrs still fit the harness in a Britax Frontier XT).

This being said, our choice has been to restrain our youngest, who has been 2 and 3 on his last flights. This year he will just have turned 4 and will be in his harness again, but this will be the last year. DS1 was almost 5 when he first flew and was not restrained. There are some great YouTube videos on unrestrained children on aircraft going through bad turbulence which better explain the rationale behind using restraints on aircraft, especially for small children.

[LisaT91403]

We flew from CA to FL, and used the CARES Harness for the first time. Previously, we had used the car seat. But this time, with DS being 3 years old, we were concerned about a) him kicking the seat in front of him for 5+ hours, and b) not being able to put the tray table down so that he could use the iPad. DS is very small for his age, but we found CARES to work just great. He was comfortable in it, there was no "sliding down" that other people reported, and he loved sitting in his seat like a big boy.

 

I would say the only down side was when DS decided he wanted to sleep on the way home. In his car seat, he can lean his head over to the side and rest it on the side of the seat. With CARES, there is nothing to lean on. We improvised, and rolled up some very soft pajamas that we had in our carry-on bags. We wedged them between DS and the armrest and it worked like a charm.

[mikesteg]

No kids are not required to use a restraint at any age: kids under two can be "lap children" thus held by the parent' date=' after two they must occupy their own seat. The decision to bring a restraint (or not) is up to the parent. However, I do know every airline I've flown (Air Canada, West Jet and US Air) have all encouraged us to use restraints with our children.

Over the age of 2, the regulation is usually that the restraint is approved for aircraft use, that it can be installed forward facing, and that the child meets the criteria for using the seat. With today's seats, that means technically a 5 or 6 year old could be restrained in a harnessed seat on an aircraft (the example I use is my oldest son at 5 yrs still fit the harness in a Britax Frontier XT).

This being said, our choice has been to restrain our youngest, who has been 2 and 3 on his last flights. This year he will just have turned 4 and will be in his harness again, but this will be the last year. DS1 was almost 5 when he first flew and was not restrained. There are some great YouTube videos on unrestrained children on aircraft going through bad turbulence which better explain the rationale behind using restraints on aircraft, especially for small children.[/quote']

 

Thanks. Sorry, I missed this when it was posted.

 

Yeah, I agree. We have the CARES and will use them until they no longer fit into them.

[Mom2B&Z]

Thanks. Sorry, I missed this when it was posted.

 

Yeah, I agree. We have the CARES and will use them until they no longer fit into them.

Using a restraint until it no longer fits the child (or is expired) is always a good plan :)

[Eclipsepearl]

I fly a lot but have yet to see one!

 

The FAA does not require any additional restraint after age 2 but lap belts don't hold 2 year olds very well.

 

It's a good option if you don't need a car seat at your destination or have a reliable one waiting. Often cruises offer shuttle buses and you may or may not need the car seat in the ports.

 

Don't ever check a car seat as luggage! They get broken and lost by the airlines a lot and compensation wont be offered. If, for some reason, you can't use your car seat on board, be sure to take it to the gate and have it gate-checked. This is safer for the seat and doesn't mean that you'd have to wait 2-3 days to have your car seat returned to you. Less chance of it being lost.

 

The other problem with this device is that it is only useful for a short time. Apparently they are either working on a new design which will have a higher limit or get approval to use the one that exists for longer. This is being promoted by the parents of special-needs children who find this extra security useful.

 

A plus is that it is approved by a number of foreign companies, some of whom may or may not accept using your car seat on board. So this is a good thing to look into if you're flying abroad. If you fly with a U.S. company, and your child has a car seat, it's your right to use it on board (the FAA allows foreign car seats with universal approval). It's usually more comfortable for the baby and better for the car seat.

 

During our cruise, the steward stowed the car seat for us. There wasn't room in the cabin. If you'll need it for any excursions, talk to them about how and when to get it back. I suggest asking for it to be returned and added to your other luggage before arrival. They sent my seat to another stand and I had to walk over to another area to retrieve it (not a big deal but added time).

 

While checking car seats on an airplane is a bad idea, cruises are a different matter. They not under the time restraints and there's less chance of it being lost or broken. Ask them not to pile anything on top of it.

[mikesteg]

The other problem with this device is that it is only useful for a short time. Apparently they are either working on a new design which will have a higher limit or get approval to use the one that exists for longer. This is being promoted by the parents of special-needs children who find this extra security useful.

 

Are you suggesting that the current devices have a limited lifespan of FAA approval, or are somehow going to become un-approved? If so, can you provide some proof of that?

 

The current device: "The current upper limit of the CARES certification is 44 lbs and 40 inches tall." According to the CDC charts, a typical girl will become to tall around age 7 and a boy around age 6.

[nicolen1101]

We rented one of these through ebay last Christmas for our almost 3 year old son when flying to Tx. It worked great. Even though he didn't technically have to have it, we knew he would be able to unbuckle the regular belt easily, and it added peace of mind. We will rent one again through ebay for this coming Christmas flights as well.

[nothriver]

 

The current device: "The current upper limit of the CARES certification is 44 lbs and 40 inches tall." According to the CDC charts, a typical girl will become to tall around age 7 and a boy around age 6.

 

THIS is why I have not used CARES. My daughter reached 40" at age 3!

 

Please be cautious of both the minimun and maximun height and weight limits. I have a tall skinny kid so by the time mine was heavy enough for this product, it seemed to me she was almost instantly too tall to use it.

 

We fly with our Sunshine Kids Radian, a harnessed child restraint which folds flat for relative easy of travel and has handy dandy back pack style straps to more easily haul around the airport and down the aisle of the plane. (It is VERY heavy but as a single mother, I've found it managable to travel with!) The Radian sits low to the seat, and we've always been able to use the plane tray table with this seat, and generally, it is super easy to install on planes. I will continue to use this seat for airline travel until my child outgrows it, probably around age 7. As a harnessed seat, we can use on the plane which for me, is so much easier than transporitng a booster seat, which cannot be used on the plane and has to be stored ... somewhere. Added cruise bonus - because it the Radian folds flat, it stores inside a suitcase under the bed, taking up no additional space in the cabin, unlike a traditional child restraint that would take up floor space somewhere. I've flown with a child restraint even when we don't need it at our destination. My child is comfortable in her own child seat, knows she is expected to stay seated and buckled. I understand that traveling with a bulky child restraint isn't for everyone but I learned to make it work when my child was a toddler and now find it works so well for us, I'm in fact not looking forward to outgrowing the child restraint!