CARES Airplane Seat Belts for Kids

Flying Safe With Kids Made Easy

The FAA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and all child safety organizations urge parents to bring certified child restraints for their children when they travel by plane. The airplane seat belt alone does not protect small kids who cannot brace themselves.

Until CARES, the only certified child restraint was a car seat. The bulk and weight of car seats discourage most parents from lugging them through crowded airports and struggling with them on planes—so many children travel without the same level of safety their parents enjoy.

Facts about CARES

CARES stands for Child Aviation Restraint System. Each CARES contains a convenient carrying bag with the CARES restraint, step-by-step installation DVD and instruction card.

CARES is a harness-type safety device designed for children who weigh between 22-44 lbs and are sitting in their own airplane seats. (Generally 1 – 4/5 years old.)

CARES is the first – and only – harness-type aviation child restraint certified by the FAA for use on all U.S. registered aircraft – the only alternative to a car seat.

CARES takes the place of a car seat when traveling by air with young children and provides an equivalent level of safety (ELOS) to a car seat. (Stated in the FAA certification designation.)

CARES only weighs 1 pound (car seats weigh between 15-20 lbs).

CARES comes in a 6 inch stuff sack that fits in a pocket or purse. Car seats are heavy, bulky, and hard to carry.

CARES is designed specifically for air travel: it is portable, light weight, and easy to use.

CARES takes one minute to install on any airplane seat and augments the regular lap belt.

Parents who need the car seat at the other end of the trip can ship it through as luggage and carry their CARES on board.

CARES has been certified by Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Parents Say:

“My daughter loved sitting in her ‘big girl’ seat and best of all—when we hit turbulence and the flight attendants were instructed to take their seats—I knew she was safe.” – Joy, Indiana

“This has got to be one of the greatest travel products I have come across ever. The days of lugging car seats around are over!” –David, California

“It’s a breeze to carry and install and our son was comfortable throughout the flight. We will never travel with a car seat again!”—Ellen, Boston

“"I just wanted to say that CARES is one of the best items I have ever purchased for my child. I wish it came out sooner. I have done lots of traveling with my now three year old son, due to the military. I traveled many times just my son and I, while his dad was on deployment, and every time I had to manage my son, my bags, and my son's car seat. I am so thankful for this new device. I now check his car seat as luggage and put his CARES in my purse. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT."--Michelle, Arizona

"My family recently returned from a trip to Disney World - our 2-year-old daughter's first trip. I can't express how easy it was to set it up on the plane, and the other passengers behind me and flight attendants were extremely interested in CARES. I encountered no problems using it. I gave one mother a card that you included in the bag. My daughter was safe and comfortable, and she fell asleep on both of our flights. I highly recommend CARES and plan on using it on our future flights."--Betsy, Indiana

"The CARES restraint was SO much better than flying with a car seat. We were on a 6 hour flight to Hawaii. After take-off my son Sam (age 2) fell asleep in it. I gave him a neck pillow and he slept that way comfortably for several hours. The biggest bonus for me was that I didn't have to worry about him kicking the seat in front of him. We have taken long flights before (12 hours to Hong Kong) and this was such an issue. In the car seat he was sitting so much further forward that he would constantly bump the seat in front of him with his little feet. Try telling an 18 month old that he needs to hold his feet still. Also with his car seat, his tray table was not usable, again because of the space issue. It really helped that he had his own tray this time around. Another bonus was that it was much more comfortable for me sitting next to him and interacting with him. In his car seat I would constantly have to lean forward to make eye contact and speak to him, since the side of the car seat was a barrier between us. I felt like he very secure in CARES. We took it off for awhile, but because it's so much like his car seat belt, he understood that he needed to put it back on for landing. Thanks for a great product. No more lugging the car seat down the aisle for me!"--Deb, Utah

Experts Say:

“The FAA strongly urges you to secure your child in an appropriate restraint based on weight and size. Turbulence can happen with little or no warning and when it does, the safest place for your child is a certified restraint system.”—US Federal Aviation Administration

““CARES was selected to receive a Good Buy 2008 Award for its innovation and ability to make lives easier and safer.”—Good Housekeeping Research Institute