Parent-Approved: The 10 Best Car Seat Bags For Travel [ 2022]

Traveling with small children can be a handful, and having a car seat in tow can literally leave you without free hands. Your need for a car seat when traveling is almost a given if you want enhanced safety and convenience for your little one. While aiming to achieve these goals for your child, however, you should also aim for your own comfort. The best car seat travel bag can help you with that and more.

Car Seat Bag For Travel Review: Features And Pricing

In this product review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about shopping for the best car seat bag. Before giving you a rundown of the ultimate buying guide, we give you the list of 10 must-see car seat bags. The table below lists the top buys you need to check out with a comparison of key features you need to know. Scroll down further for details of each product, to be followed by the buying guide.

Image	Brand	Details
BEST OVERALL	J.L. Childress	Check price
PREMIUM PICK	J.L. Childress	Check price
BEST VALUE	YOREPEK	Check price
	Chicco	Check price
	Slynnar	Check price
	RAIFUJOIE	Check price
	Zohzo	Check price
	J.L. Childress	Check price
	reperkid	Check price
	Munchkin	Check price

1. JL Childress Ultimate Backpack Padded Car Seat Travel Bag

This Best Overall car seat bag for travel will delight you for its medium-range price tag but also because it is suitable for heavy-duty use. The Ultimate will be compatible with most car seats. However, to know exactly if it does, check out the list of compatible car seats that comes with the manual or, key-in your car seat model on the web-based compatibility checker made available by JL Childress.

Dual zipper opening makes it easy to bring out and pack your child’s car seat. Extra space provides you a way of packing and carrying around more of your child’s stuff.

2. JL Childress Spinner Wheelie Deluxe

Undeniably the best car seat bag that comes at a premium price, the Spinner Wheelie gives you the convenience of 360-degree rotating wheels, which you’ve always enjoyed with your luggage, to tow your little one’s car seat more conveniently. No need to bear heavy loads in your bag. The days of struggling with your car seats are now over. In addition, this car seat bag leaves you with a free hand to hold on to your child or reach through your boarding pass with much more ease.

3. YOREPEK Car Seat Travel Bag

This car seat bag for travel makes traveling with your child little less of a hassle while keeping it easy on your pocket as well. Chosen as the Best Value car seat bag, delivers for you an ergonomic design that protects your back and shoulders from unnecessary stress and painful tensions.

Since it comes with a thick material and well-padded interiors, durability is enhanced. Huge size makes it practically possible to store just about any car seat that you own.

4. Chicco Car Seat Travel Bag

Definitely the best car seat travel bag to buy if you own a Chicco, it’s also possible to house any other car seat brand. Just make sure to check your car seat and this bag’s dimensions before you buy.

Ultimate convenience comes with a higher than the average price, which results in ease of maneuvering your car seat around. Glide and slide easily from front to back to sideways and still get a free hand to hold your child. This car seat bag is ideal when traveling solo with one or several little ones.

5. Britax Car Seat Travel Bag

When shopping for a car seat bag for travel, portability should be a prime consideration. As it is, the size of your child’s car seat already limits your movement and comfort. This product can change your situation for the better.

Its top feature? It rolls. Free your hands to hold your child’s hand or to handle other luggage. However, the only downside is you have to tilt before you can drag it. But, if that doesn’t make any difference to you then, you don’t really need to own the best car seat travel bag on Amazon which comes with a hefty price tag..

6. Slynnar Car Seat Bag For Airplane

We have thoroughly assessed and reviewed this product. It is undoubtedly the first choice for everyone who seeks the best car seat bag for airplanes. The bright red color and the big ‘S’ logo make it easily identifiable for gate check-in airplanes while ensuring safe return. It has an ID box where you can write your name too. It’s a drawstring with an adjustable lock that allows you to safely close the bag and ensures protection against any physical damage. Comfort-seekers can enjoy its webbing handle for easy lifting. You can fold and keep it in the attached spandex pouch within seconds. Whether it’s a backpack, carry-on bag, or diaper bag, it can easily fit anywhere. Overall, it’s impressive with its price and worth buying. 

7. RAIFUJOIE Water Resistant Car Seat Bag

The RAIFUJOIE water-resistant car seat bag is one of our best-reviewed products in the car seat bag category. Its exceptional quality fit design, making it accessible for most car seats, strollers, boosters, and infant carriers, is something that we liked the most. This water-resistant, as well as rip-resistant bag, is something you can easily clean. It’s easily identifiable due to the crystal plastic name holder on it. Its large capacity is easy to store but collapsible if not being used in the convenient carrying case pocket.

8. JL Childress Deluxe Gate Check Bag For Car Seats

Yet another car seat bag for travel that aces your basic requirements for this item, this could be all you need for gate check. However, take note that this is not designed for checking in. For that, you may have to look at other products in this review of the best car seat travel bags.

9. Reperkid Car Seat Travel Bag

Another straightforward car seat bag for travel that gives you value for your buck, this bag from Reperkid provides the space you need to store just about any car seat brand or model. If your child has a lightweight car seat then, this should be ideal. The spacious interiors will allow you to install anything from diapers to bottles to carriers too.

The drawstring closure permits easy access whenever you need to store or retrieve anything from the bag. However, the downside is that the locks may not be as durable as the material with which the bag is made of. With that in mind, this product is not suitable for checking in.

10. Munchkin Brica Durable Cover Guard Car Seat Bag

We reviewed this product and recommend it as one of the best combination car seat bags and travel totes. You won’t have to do lugging or stooping as the adjustable padded shoulder straps enable you to carry it like a backpack. It is easy to fill the void at the seat’s center with the large Stuff-n-Go compartment, enabling every inch space available to pack. It ensures a forward tilt design allowing it to easily pull behind you with no stooping or bending. Its wheel slides easily to ensure smooth maneuverability, while padded handles ensure convenience to hold.

Car Seat Bag For Travel: Buying Guide

If it is your first time traveling with a small child, you might be anxiously anticipating the worst. And, you should! If this is your nth time to board the plane with the cute little people in your family then, you know that the trip you are about to take isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

As always, the key to make your travel less of a hassle, and avoid turning what you intend to be an intense family bonding into a disaster movie, is preparation. A car seat not only keeps little miss or little mister comfy and cozy but, more importantly, safe. In which case, a car seat bag for travel becomes a necessity to make sure your child’s car seat stays clean and free of germs, dust, and other small particles.

To shop for the best car seat travel bag, here are the top features to look for that you need to know:

Car Seat Bag Dimensions

The most important factor you need to consider when shopping for a car seat bag for travel is examining the dimensions of the bag and your car seat in detail. This is a factor that you cannot miss or you’ll risk buying something you won’t be able to use anyway.

The most ideal way to shop for the best car seat travel bag for your baby gear is to bring it into the store and physically check if it fits. However, when you prefer the convenience of shopping online, such as through Amazon, the most prudent action you can take is to get that tape measure and compare the dimensions. Getting a little extra space shouldn’t hurt so you can fit other stuff inside.

First things, first, you do have to ace shopping for the most kid-friendly car seats and booster seats that keep parents like you comfy and convenient too.

Load Capacity

Unfortunately, manufacturers of car seat bags do not always specify the recommended weight that can be comfortably fit and carried with the products they sell. In which case, the material and make of the bag will give you an indication of how much load it can take.

Check for details such as “tear-resistant” and “double stitch”. The last thing you want to happen is for your car seat bag for travel to become detached to handles and shoulder straps. This will become extremely inconvenient for you as you hassle from planes to airports and back.

So, make sure that you’re buying only products made of durable material with clean seams and stitches. Choose from any one of the 10 best car seat travel bags from this list and you shouldn’t go wrong with your purchase.

Mobility

Does the car seat bag have straps that you can wear as a backpack? Are there waist straps? Can you easily maneuver it with 360-degree rotating wheels? You need to check what features allow you to move around your car seat hassle-free.

Your choice also depends on the composition of your party. In case you are traveling alone with your child or two or more small children, your priority is to make sure that at least one of your hands is free to hold your child. While a backpack car seat bag may free both hands, it’s unlikely that it will be the only luggage you’ll be tagging along. In which case, consider getting a rolling car seat bag for travel. Moreover, you can store your child’s belongings inside too, such as diapers, baby wipes, extra bottles, etc.

Cushioning

One of the most important functions of a car seat bag is to keep your baby gear protected. So, cushion is a must. After all, car seats don’t come cheap.

In addition, proper cushioning also adds to the ergonomic design of the bag. The best car seat bags are the ones that also cushion your back from the impact of bumping against the weight of the car seat inside.

Another concern you need to address is whether or not you plan on a gate check or checking in your car seat. If you will check-in, you will require thicker cushions on all sides. Less cushion is okay for Gate Check.

Security

Depending on your personal security requirements, check that the security and lock features of the car seat bag meets your expectations. Some products come with just drawstrings while some come with double zippers that you can padlock, a feature that becomes necessary when checking in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it worth it to buy a car seat bag for travel?

A: Yes. A car seat bag adds up to your travel expenses even before you can fly out. True but the added cost goes to protect one of the biggest investments you will ever make for your little one’s essential needs — car seat. In addition, if you start considering that a car seat bag also protects your child from coming into contact with harmful germs, that’s a priceless tradeoff, isn’t it?

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the best car seat travel bag. All you really need is the best car seat bag that suits your specific needs and purpose. Don’t forget that its benefits go beyond protecting your child and his car seat. Your comfort and convenience should be a primary consideration as well.

Check the buying guide in the previous section to learn exactly what you should be looking for when shopping for a car seat bag.

Q: Is a car seat travel bag required by airlines?

A: No. However, it is in your best interest to get a car seat bag for travel to keep your fragile (and often expensive) baby gear properly protected throughout your trip. It also gives you peace of mind that it shields your baby’s car seat from germs.

Q: Are car seats required by the airlines?

A: No. Although, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognizes that a car seat provides safer restraints for small children. Children 2 years old and younger can board a plane for free but the parent is required to keep the baby secure on his lap at all times.

If you intend to gate check your car seat and make your child use it onboard the plane, you will need to buy a seat for your child 2 years old and below. Children older than 2 are already required to have their own seat but, you can still choose to bring along a car seat. For as long as you plan on bringing along a car seat with you, a car seat bag will be necessary.

In case you prefer something that is so much lighter than a car seat then you may find an FAA-approved airplane harness useful instead.

Q: Do airlines have bags for car seats?

A: No. Don’t ever make the mistake of assuming that they will provide one for you or, at least wrap your car seat in plastic if you happen to forget to bring your own car seat bag for travel.

In case you are left with no other choice, however, you can ask the airport crew to at least bubble wrap your child’s car seat for a fee. However, wrapping it in plastic will only protect it against coming into contact with germs and dirty surfaces but not cushion it from bumps or decrease the likelihood of damaging your car seat.

Q: Does car seat count as a carry on?

A: No. Whether you decide to check in or gate check your car seat, the airlines will not count it against your carry on allotment or impose extra charges in case you decide to check in. Whichever option you choose, having a car seat bag for travel remains inevitable for your baby’s safety and your convenience.

Q: Can you check in a car seat?

A: Yes. Take note that, while a car seat bag is not required to check in your car seat, it remains necessary for your own peace of mind. Moreover, keep in mind that not all car seat bags for travel are suitable for check-in. If you plan to check in your car seat, make sure it is placed inside a thickly-cushioned car seat bag with hard structures to better protect your car seat. Airport and airline crews are notorious when handling luggage, and likely not to take extra care even when the words, “fragile” are clearly showing.

Conclusion

At the end of the day (or your trip), what really matters is that you get to optimize the value of your car seat bag. Your baby wouldn’t care if you got it at a cheap or expensive price tag. What really matters is that it serves its purpose, that is, to protect your child and the car seat. Additionally, it should also bring you maximum comfort and convenience. After all, you will be the one who will be handling it throughout your trip — onboard and off airplanes, and across airports.

So, the second you doubt why you need a car seat bag for travel, simply recall these end-goals. That way, you can be properly guided when shopping for the best car seat bag for your next adventure.