If you’re in search of a car seat travel bag or wondering if you really need one, you’ve navigated to the right place. Our world is full of germs, and checking a car seat into the cargo hold on a plane can evoke fear.
As a Registered Nurse, experienced traveler, and grandma, I know firsthand the uncontrollable need to protect your children. So, I’ve spent countless hours researching and understanding which car seat travel bag will fit your needs.
If you travel, whether by car or by plane, this guide is perfect for you to protect your little one.
I get it! Protecting your child is the #1 priority, and covering the car seat is a must. So, let’s embark on this journey together and find the best car seat travel bag to protect your children.
Quick Overview Of A Car Seat Travel Bag (Updated List)
| Star Rating | Preview | Product | More Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 |   | Simple Being Baby Car Seat Travel Bag With Wheels | More Details |
| 4.8 |  | Chicco Car Seat Travel Bag With Wheels | More Details |
| 4.7 |  | Zohzo Car Seat Travel Bag Backpack Best Travel Bag For Car Seat | More Details |
| 4.7 |  | Disney Baby by J.L. Childress Ultimate Backpack | More Details |
| 4.7 |  | Profaster Airplane Carseat Travel Bag | More Details |
| 4.5 |  | Car Seat Travel Bag Easy Carry Handle and Protective Bumper Feet | More Details |
What Are The Benefits Of A Car Seat Travel Bag?
The first benefit that comes to mind is to protect your car seat from dirt. I know I wouldn’t want to put my baby in a car seat that someone has pitched around and stored under the plane without a cover. No one knows how many hands have touched your car seat.
But sadly to say that may not be the main reason to get a car seat travel bag. A more important reason is to protect your car seat from damage, and a padded car seat bag can help. A valuable car seat is not a cheap item, and I am sure you have already spent a ton of money on baby accessories. With this in mind, a seat bag, especially a padded one, will protect it from breakage.
When the luggage attendants move luggage, they throw it around all over the place. Without the protection of a seat cover, many parts could go missing from your car seat. And if you are taking it on a flight, I am sure you need it in one piece.
Best Car Seat Travel Bag Product Reviews
Without further delay, here are the reviews of the best car seat travel bags.
Simple Being Baby Car Seat Travel Bag
The Simple Being car seat travel bag is a well-padded design to protect your car seat. It boasts easy carrying while traveling with padded adjustable straps, a reinforced handle, and a luggage tag. Not to mention the 4-way rolling wheels that will take the weight off and give you more hands to care for your kiddo.
It will fit most car seats and leave room to pack other baby items. But let’s say you get it and it doesn’t work well; the Simple Being company will give you a full and fast refund in a 48-hour turnaround. A car seat cover such as this is versatile for double use with strollers or booster seats.
In addition, the durable, heavy-duty polyester material is water-resistant and easy to clean. Not to mention it easily folds for storage when not in use.
Benefits
- Made of heavy-duty, polyester durable fabric
- It Will fit most car seats with a list of the car seats here when you scroll down.
- The 4-way rolling swivel wheels, padded backpack adjustable straps, and a handle to carry make it easy to maneuver.
Drawbacks
- Some reviews say the Graco 4Ever car seat is a tight fit.
Chicco Car Seat Travel Bag
The Chicco is beautifully designed to fit all Chicco car seats, not to mention it has an easy wide open area to insert your car seat.
It is a rich grey color with a water-resistant material and strong double zippers. In addition, it has a rubberized base and is reinforced to fight against wear and tear.
For ease of travel, it has padded handles x2, adjustable padded backpack-style straps that have tuck-away pockets, and a 4-wheel rolling spinner set to move in any direction.
Benefits
- Durable, water-resistant fabric with strong double zippers for durability.
- Fits a car seat height of up to 57 inches and fits all Chicco car seats.
- It has 4-way rolling spinner wheels, padded adjustable backpack straps, and 2 more padded handles for hands-free carrying.
Drawbacks
- Too bad a car seat travel bag with this quality is only for a Chicco car seat.
Zohzo Car Seat Travel Bag Backpack
The Zohzo car seat travel bag is a backpack style with premium adjustable shoulder straps, a cinch strap, and a separate handle for easy movement.
It boasts the ability to fit most car seats which you can see a list here. Scroll about halfway down to find the list.
In addition, it is a durable polyester water-resistant material with locking double zippers to protect your car seat from rain, dust, and dirt.
Zohzo offers a one-year manufacturer’s warranty and easy return within 14 days for a complete refund.
Benefits
- The polyester fabric is water-resistant with locking double zippers
- It will fit most car seat brands with room for other baby items
- And it has adjustable padded backpack straps and a sturdy handle to move it around easily.
Drawbacks
- Consequently, some say it is a bit tight for the Evenflo Symphony LX; although it is listed as a car seat, this cover will fit.
Disney Baby by J.L. Childress
For a bit more fun J.L Childress has a Disney Baby car seat cover. Not only is it cute, but highly functional. With this cover, you get a stuff bag to organize and pack extra items with the car seat.
The outer shell is a durable water-proof polyester fabric to resist abrasions and scrapes. In addition. the thick padding will protect your car seat’s interior wings and headrest.
With padded adjustable shoulder straps, this travel bag is a versatile car seat backpack. In addition, the straps are harness-style for the car seat to rest higher on the back for more comfortable carrying and leave your hands free to care for your kiddies.
Benefits
- Water-proof polyester fabric for durability to resist abrasions and scrapes
- Although the dimensions and a list of car seats are not available, most say it is large and will fit most brand-name car seats.
- Backpack style with harness-style padded straps and a handle to carry. The straps allow the backpack to sit higher on your back for added comfort.
Drawbacks
- There is no list stating which car seats this carrier will fit.
Profaster Airplane Carseat Travel Bag
Profaster made a backpack carrier that is lightweight and durable at the same time. The durability comes from an Oxford polyester fabric that is water-resistant.
There are many ways to carry this car seat cover with a front handle, a side one, and ergonomic adjustable harness-style straps. They boast a hands-free experience with the 3 ways to maneuver this cover.
Profaster made this bag with a double-closure buckle flap and drawstring system to keep your car seat safe and clean.
It will fit most brand-name car seats with universal measurements of 38 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches. These large dimensions allow room to pack other items in the cover with your car seat. In addition, it is versatile to use as a cover for booster car seats and travel strollers. Not to mention, it easily folds to store in small spaces when not in use.
They also offer a risk-free purchase commitment. If you have any problems, they will take care of you.
Benefits
- Made with a durable, water-resistant Oxford polyester
- The 38 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches dimensions are large enough to fit most brand-name car seats with room to spare.
- 3 hands-free ways to carry your car seat with a top and side strap and harness-style adjustable car seat backpack straps.
Drawbacks
- A few say the material is not very strong, but the risk-free purchase commitment should take care of these issues.
Car Seat Travel Bag
Protective Bumper Feet
Although this cover is not a backpack style, it is rugged and durable. It is also fully padded to protect your car seat while traveling.
However, this cover is for a Yorepek car seat, but many say it also fits others well.
It has a unique ergonomic design to balance the car seat while you carry it and will lay length-wise when set down. With 4 bumper pads on the bottom for extra protection, it is stable and will protect your car seat from bruises and damage. At the same time, it is lightweight, with paddle handles that connect at the top.
The material is a durable, heavy-duty fabric of polyester with double-locking metal zippers.
Benefits
- Durable polyester fabric
- Made to fit a Yorepek car seat but with padding for protection, it will be an asset to any car seat that will fit in it. The dimensions are 12.8 inches x13.1 inches x18.2 inches x14.8 inches.
- Ergonomic handle design to evenly distribute weight when you carry it with paddle handles on top.
Drawbacks
- However, it will not fit car seats with a swivel base
Is My Car Seat TSA Compliant For Carry On Or To Check It?
Because a car seat is used for a child, it is a TSA car seat. There are different ways to travel with a car seat on a plane. Let’s cover the 3 ways to take a car seat with you for air travel:
- You can take it as a checked bag which means you check it in at the ticket desk with your other checked bags. With this in mind, they may charge a fee, or the airline may consider it one of your free bags. In other words, some airlines allow one or two free checked bags, and your car seat may be one of those.
- Airport gate check is a second way to fly. You can take it through TSA security, and as you board the plane, you can have the gate attendant place it in the cargo hold. It allows you to have your car seat while you wait to board.
- A third way is to carry it on the plane, which is not the ideal way to take a car seat. However, most airlines will require you to purchase an airline seat for your baby if you plan to have a car seat on the plane. Car seats can go in the overhead bin, but they do not tend to fit as needed. With this in mind, the dimensions for a carry on bag are 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches.
In light of this, the TSA.gov website states: you can take a car seat as a carry on or a checked item.
You may transport this item in carry-on or checked bags. For items you wish to carry on, you should check with the airline to ensure that the item will fit in the overhead bin or underneath the seat of the airplane.
What To Look For When Buying A Car Seat Travel Bag?
To choose the right car seat bag, we will need to consider a few things:
Material
The fabric on a car seat bag will need to be a durable material of nylon, polypropylene, or polyester fabric. In addition, is it a scratch-resistant and waterproof material?
Size
Will the bag you choose go over your car seat? Nothing is worse than ordering something at the last minute only to find out it doesn’t fit and you are out of time to order again.
Portability
How will you carry a heavy car seat through the airport? Not to mention, do the car seat covers have handles or straps to carry them, and are the straps padded? These are just a few things a cover may need for easy transport.
FAQs About A Car Seat Travel Bag And Backpack
Here are some commonly asked questions about a car seat travel bag.
Does the airline provide car seat travel bags?
Some airlines may provide a car seat travel bag, but it usually resembles a large trash bag. Also, some airlines have covers for purchase at the ticket counter. However, they are probably not well-padded, which is another good reason to purchase a car seat bag that is well-padded.
What does it mean to gate-check my car seat?
Gate checking happens as you either check in to board the plane or at the end of the connecting tunnel before you enter the plane. The flight personnel will tag your car seat and set it aside for the airport baggage handlers to place it in the aircraft’s cargo hold.
Where do I put my car seat if I carry it onto the plane?
If you carry it onto the plane, it must fit into the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. However, if you purchase a ticket for your child, you can place them in the car seat in the seat next to you for safe flying.
Additional Resources
If you are looking for more tutorials, walkthroughs, and troubleshooting on accessories, here are some additional posts about accessories:
Car Seat Travel Bag – Conclusion
So that concludes our list of Car Seat Travel Bags. A car seat travel bag is not required to fly, but it is a huge protection against damage and dirt. Also, it will make traveling so much easier.
Happy travels, my friends.
