Kids Fly Safe with a CARES Harness

Thank you to CARES for providing a harness for review. Affiliate links are used.

When it comes to air travel, I like to consolidate. My kids flew as lap children until the day they were two years old to save cash, and I walked through the airport either with a stroller or my Baby K’tan Active just have less in my arms. I never wanted to travel with car seats, if I could help it. Most of the time, we were headed to my parent’s house, where they were waiting with car seats, or to Walt Disney World, where Disney’s Magical Express and other lines of transportation do not require car seats. I didn’t want the extra bulk on the plane. As my children grew, I still hesitated to pack car seats for airline travel. When I found out about the CARES Harness to let my kids fly safe, I knew this was my future. A 1 pound, foldable harness that is FAA approved to work with airline seatbelts, specialy made for kids. I’m in! The Cares Harness does it all:

Everything Included

It may sound silly, but you don’t need any tools to install the CARES Harness. Kids fly safe with only the belt and manual in the bag, meaning you pack lighter and move faster. I toss our harness into my carry-on bag or diaper bag and ditch the car seat!

Installs in one minute

If you’re like me, you’re chomping at the bit to board a plane when it’s time. I scan my boarding pass, looking for the chance to hop on board, stow my stuff and pull out my headphones. I’m the one zipping into my seat, making room for other passengers, and complying with the airplane mode on my phone (here’s looking at you, Chase!). Make use of the “boarding with small children” zone and pull out your CARES harness. It installs in less than one minute, allowing you and your children to have some extra time boarding before you start pulling out the crayons and iPad.

Comfort and Stability For Kids 22 – 44lbs.

Luckily, by the time Scarlett was two years old and needed her own airplane seat, I had a CARES Harness in hand and ready to go. Our family trip to Walt Disney World meant that she sat in the window, enjoying snacks and a movie during our short flight, remaining safely in her seat the whole time. She’s over the minimum weight requirement for the harness, hooray!

Safety First!

Scarlett had a little meltdown the last time we flew. She was overtired and didn’t want to sit in a seat by herself if you PAID HER. That meant, she was scratching and pitching a fit to escape, much to my chagrin and embarrassment. As we departed the gate, I tried to calm her down but ended up having to strap her in and distract her (to no avail). Thankfully, the CARES harness prevented her from weaseling out of her seatbelt as the plane took off. She couldn’t Houdini out of it, for which I was glad.

Flight Guests Behind You Not Hindered

If you’re worried about using your harness on a plane, make sure you take note of the directions. Tray tables won’t be a problem if you board early and lower the tray behind your child’s seat. Slip the CARES harness over the seat, secure it, and again raise the tray table. Guests behind you won’t have an issue using their amenities! I had Chase sit behind us to photograph proof of use. Red got to sit with me and watch as much Ben10 as he could stomach in 90 minutes.

 

All in all, I’m super glad to own a CARES Harness. When Red was very young, I borrowed one from a friend to see if I liked it, and I was shocked how easy it was to use! Having one the second kid around has been extremely convenient, so I urge you to try purchasing one from Amazon or other retailer. Scarlett flys safely, even while taking a nap on the way home from Walt Disney World. You might even say she was a Sleeping Beauty!