Traveling with a Car seat? Would you try an Inflatable Easy Car Seat?

We all are aware of the new car seat recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The big question is what will you do the next time you have to travel by air or to another country? For most people who have kids under 30lbs you are stuck lugging your carseat with you where ever you travel. Within the United States most car rental agencies have car seats you can rent but you never know what condition they are in till you get there. We have traveled to New Jersey several times and rented a car seat (which is upwards of $30 a day) and some have been pretty gross that we sent them scrambling to find another one. The situation gets even worse when you travel overseas. In Europe, the private buses and motorcoaches we were on did not have seat belts and when I asked about a car seat they laughed. I was so desperate I even broke down and bought the Sit n’ Stroll 5-in-1- Combination Car Seat/Stroller which I have to say did get us through Europe and Alaska but it was over $200. It is really bulky and does not fit in very small cars but it got us through our travels and I felt that my daughter was safe in it. I would not recommend it for everyday use (nope no way) but for a long trip it may give you piece of mind.

Recently, I was searching for information after the new car seat information came out and I ran across this inflatable car seat. Now I know you are thinking the same thing I am (an inflatable carseat how is that safe)? The whole concept of it just does not sound safe but the creators insist that it meets all applicable U.S. and European safety standards. There is even a safety feature built in the form of a pressure release valve that prevents the seat from popping in the event of an accident. The Easycarseat is an inflatable seat that is made for children ages four and older from 33 to 79 pounds. The seat, which inflates in under a minute costs close to $90 and weighs close to two pounds and can be folded for storage until you need it for travel. I don’t think I would be opposed to maybe using this on a plane but I would have to see and read a lot more reviews before I would use it in my car. What are your thoughts – would you ever considering using a seat like this ?