With 5 kids, it’s essential that we travel pretty minimally or we’d lose our minds. But we still care deeply about safety and want to make sure our kids are properly restrained in any vehicle where we go.
We’ve had a Ride Safer Travel Vest ever since my oldest was 3 years old – nearly 8 years ago! It’s absolutely amazing for keeping kiddos safe while traveling. It is safety tested down to 3 years old and 30 pounds, which means that even a smaller kiddo can travel safely with it without needing to transport a bulky convertible car seat. It works similarly to a booster seat, but is more secure, and works safely for a smaller kiddo (most boosters require kids to be at least 4 years and 40 lbs, and I usually wait until they’re much older and more mature).
The large size vest is also perfect for kiddos who use a booster but in a situation where a booster cannot be used (for instance, where a shoulder belt is not available). This is exactly why we use the large vests for my 10 and 8 year olds in our RV. We only have lap belts available, but the seats are bolted to the floor and have a top tether point, so the vests work perfectly. Even in situations when a top tether point isn’t available, Ride Safer has a solution – the EATAL strap (Energy Absorbing Tether Anchor Loop) creates a tether point by attaching to a bar or leg in the vehicle that is bolted down.
Overall, I highly highly recommend the Ride Safer vest for convenience during air travel (to use at the destination, not on board), for RV travel, for carpools, and more.
