Baby on Board: Our Favorite Travel Gear for Flying with a One-year-old ✈️
Flying with a one-year-old can be daunting, but having the right gear can make navigating busy airports like we did over the holidays (Denver and Midway!) much easier. We've now taken five roundtrip flights with our baby, and those trips have taught us a lot about what works and what doesn't. Here's what we've used in 2024 and what we'll be bringing on our next trip.
Table of Contents
This post has gotten to be quite long so feel free to skip around! 😅
Car Seats
To make our flights more comfortable for everyone, we've started purchasing a seat for our baby instead of traveling with her as a lap infant. This means bringing her car seat on board rather than gate-checking it. We've flown with two different models of rear facing car seats so far, each with its own pros and cons.
⚠️ Caution: I am not a professional car seat reviewer. I'm just sharing my own first-hand experiences with these two car seats. I recommend checking out other review sites like Baby Gear Lab or Consumer Reports for more thorough analyses and ratings if you're in the market.
Cosco Scenera Next
Our primary travel car seat is the Cosco Scenera Next. I think it's a Walmart exclusive and it's probably one of the cheapest car seats you can buy (MSRP is $59, at the time of writing this post one color is on sale for $44).
Pros
- Weighs under 8 lbs
- Compact and easily fits rear facing in all airline seats that we've flown on¹
- Even fits in some security scanners!
Cons
- Kind of flimsy feeling; plastic can be sharp during installation
- Harness tends to get caught/jammed
- More difficult to install in vehicles using LATCH than other seats I've used
¹ We've flown Southwest and United regular Economy seats on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes. The Cosco Scenera Next fit perfectly on the Southwest flights. On the United flights it wedged up against the seat back display and I couldn't get it to sit at the proper angle. Since our daughter was over one she was fine with it and I wasn't worried, but for a longer flight or if she were younger I would probably have tried to get an Economy Plus seat since it has more room.
The Cosco Scenera Next is not my favorite car seat by any means, but it gets the job done and I love how light it is. It meets all NHTSA safety standards so I'm sure it's safe enough too and we've used it driving to and from the airport for our Vegas and Anaheim trips. That said, on this latest trip to Northwest Indiana we ended up bringing one of our regular car seats, the Graco Contender Slim, since we knew we'd be driving a decent amount in potentially treacherous winter weather.
Graco Contender Slim
Graco Contender Slim car seat on a Southwest flight
Our secondary travel car seat is the Graco Contender Slim. Like the Cosco Scenera, it is FAA certified for use on aircrafts and we've used it on two Southwest trips so far (we haven't used it on any United flights, I'm not sure it would fit in its rear facing configuration in basic economy). It's a bit more expensive at $159 MSRP (I got ours on sale for around $120), but I use it as a primary car seat in one of our vehicles so the cost didn't feel outrageous.
Pros
- Weighs under 16 lbs
- Heavier than the Cosco, but still much lighter weight than our Nuna Rava carseat at that comes in at around 30 lbs
- Compact and fits well rear facing on Southwest flights
- Easy to install in vehicles via LATCH
- Harness has never jammed on me
Cons
- Weighs nearly 16 lbs
- This is lighter than many car seats, but still twice the weight of the Cosco Scenera Next
- I can manage with it in the airport, but my back starts to complain after a while
- May be too long in rear facing configuration for basic economy on other airlines
- I haven't tried it personally on United, but it is longer than the Cosco Scenera Next which gave me some trouble
So long story short, we've had a good experience overall with both of these car seats when used rear facing on a plane. That said, I'm very much looking forward to when it is safe to use them in forward facing mode. Then I might try out something like the ultra-portable WAYB Pico or a CARES Harness.
Car Seat Backpack Carrier
Yorepek Car Seat Travel Backpack
Whether you're gate-checking your car seat or using it on the flight, you'll need some way of lugging it around the airport. I've seen various foldable dolly carts and ways of strapping car seats to a suitcase, but we've just stuck with the backpack approach.
We use the Yorepek (kinda) Padded Car Seat Travel Bag and it's gotten the job done for us. I can't say it is the most comfortable bag and the car seat kind of digs into your low back when using it, but it is definitely sturdy and protects the seat well. There's been times when I've been tempted to upgrade it to a potentially nicer model, but I've always decided to just save our money and live with the one we've got.
Strollers
Summer Infant 3D Lite
We don't always bring a stroller with us (we didn't during our holiday travel this year), but for trips to Disney having a stroller is a must. So far we've primarily flown with our Summer Infant 3D Lite and have used it extensively at Disneyland and even on the Las Vegas strip.
It is relatively inexpensive (at the time of writing this it is on sale for $78, regularly is around $99) and pretty sturdy. We've gate-checked it multiple times and even checked it with our regular luggage without issue (protected by a stroller travel bag of course).
Bugaboo Butterfly
The stroller I'm really excited to blog about is the Bugaboo Butterfly ultra-portable travel stroller that we just bought ourselves for Christmas. It's not cheap, but it folds up small enough to fit in the overhead bins on most planes so we won't have to check it and worry about it getting damaged.
I haven't actually used it yet, so maybe recommending it is premature, but we'll be using this stroller on our upcoming trip to Disney World this Spring!
Baby Carriers
ErgoBaby in the wild
For navigating the airport with ease, we highly recommend a comfortable and lightweight baby carrier – especially if you're not bringing a stroller. The two we've used are the Ergobaby Omni 360 and the venerable TushBaby hip carrier.
Both are excellent, but if we had to pick only baby carrier for the airport we'd pick the TushBaby. It is so convenient to be able to pop them up on it and even use it as a platform for napping or nursing. If you'd like to learn more about the TushBaby, we've blogged about it in extensive detail on our best baby carrier for Disneyland post.
I'm not sure how much we've covered the ErgoBaby, but it also got a lot of use on this latest trip to the Chicago region. It's a more traditional carrier and better suited for longer walks/hikes than the TushBaby. It also keeps the baby much closer to the wearer and allows you to zip your coat around them in colder weather. It was rainy, wet, and cold on our trip, but the ErgoBaby + a wearable travel blanket (more on this later) kept our daughter nice and cozy.
Travel Wallet
I like to wear this Lewis N. Clark travel pouch when in the airport. It's RFID blocking so I keep our passport cards in it and a copy of our daughter's birth certificate – as well as our checked luggage receipts, parking lot ticket, etc.
It's not absolutely necessary to have, but it keeps me organized while going through security and I like to know I have all of the documents we need ready at hand. To keep it from getting lost I like to slip an AirTag in one of its side pockets.
Diaper Bag (Personal Item 1)
Osprey Nebula Backpack with 48oz water bottles
Osprey Nebula
We use an Osprey Nebula Commuter Backpack as our main "diaper bag". It's not actually meant to be a diaper bag and that is what makes it the best diaper bag for traveling in my opinion. Diaper bags tend to be uncomfortable, but the Nebula, made by hiking backpack specialists Osprey, offers the comfort and quality of their outdoor gear in a form-factor suitable for every day life. The straps are supportive (there are both chest and waist supports) and breathable, it can fit two large 48oz wide-mouth Nalgene water bottles, and it's three generously sized main pockets are perfect for a diaper bag.
Meal Bag (front pocket)
In the front pocket we keep a gallon-sized ziplock bag that contains mealtime essentials. In here we toss in a couple bibs (we like Bumkins bibs for travel), some snacks, and a small sippy cup (we've found that Munchkin 360 cups work well for us).
In this pocket we also throw a change of clothes in another ziplock bag for emergencies and some hand sanitizer.
Changing Pad (laptop pocket)
In the laptop sleeve pocket we carry two changing pads:
We use the Ubbi to line the changing table in public restrooms. It is super easy to wipe down and disinfect and very portable. It folds into a square and fits nicely into the laptop section of the Osprey. The KeaBabies mat is slightly thicker, still waterproof and easy to clean (it is machine washable), and we like to use it in hotel rooms to set up a changing station.
Diapers and Baby Wipes (main pocket)
In the large middle pocket we carry a medium-sized package of baby wipes and a packing cube containing diapers.
Water Bottles
As I mentioned earlier, the Osprey Nebula can easily handle the largest of water bottles. We typically bring a large 32 or 48oz wide-mouth Nalgene and an insulated bottle such as a Hydroflask.
Just empty them out before going through security, of course. Most airports these days have water bottle refill stations where you can fill them up afterward. When traveling with a baby having water at hand is especially important for mixing formula or filling a sippy cup.
Travel Backpack (Personal Item 2)
Cotopaxi Allpa 28L
Cotopaxi Allpa 28L
We're no longer bringing the Spectra pump with us on flights, so Jessica recently switched away from her L.L. Bean tote to the Cotopaxi Allpa 28L – and saying I'm jealous would be an understatement. Things we love about it:
- The aesthetics. Particularly the "Del Dia" colorway that uses random leftover fabric colors.
- The top external pocket provides easy access to phone charges, baby snacks, etc.
- The side laptop/tablet pocket is well padded and externally accessible. I also like that there is a little loop to catch the zipper here to make it more difficult to accidentally open (or for someone nefarious to open).
- The clamshell, suitcase-style main zippered compartment has built in dividers.
- Exterior webbing for attaching additional gear (we attached our Rumpl blanket to it)
Here's what we typically pack in it.
Snacks and Snack Accessories
In the external pocket, as well as in one of the smaller internal pockets, we carry plenty of baby snacks as well as some cleaning supplies and other snacking gear.
- Sippy cups for water
- Bottles and nipples for milks/formula
- Spill-proof snack cups
- Easy-to-clean packable bibs
- Disposable stick-on placemats (airport tables can be filthy!)
- Antibacterial baby hand wipes
- Food-safe pacifier / bottle / cup wipes
- Gallon and sandwich baggies for portioning
- Plane-friendly snacks. Our kid likes:
- Cheerios
- Organic Gerber puffs
- Teething wafers (we used HappyBaby from Whole Foods and Target Good&Gather brand)
- Target Good&Gather alphabet biscuits
Basically we carry a subset of the baby snacks/gear that we used at Disneyland on most trips these days in this bag.
Water Bottle
With this bag we pack a smaller insulated water bottle (we carry larger ones in our Osprey Nebula). Like I mentioned earlier, just make sure it's empty before going through security.
⚠️ Caution: If you care about carrying a water bottle around, make sure you get the newer version of the Allpa 28L. The original one lacks a water bottle holder for some reason. And even with this one, the bottle carrier is a little tight – too tight for a wide-mouth 32oz Nalgene, for example. Skinnier water bottles, fit perfectly fine.
Baby Toys
We pack a few small baby toys and board books in the interior pockets of the Allpa. Typically we bring toys that are lightweight, clip on to things, and inexpensive enough that it's OK if they get lost. Toys like Nuby Baby Links and crinkly soft books fit this role nicely. Specific recommendations here are probably not that helpful though since all kids are different. The important thing is that you just bring whatever will keep your baby entertained during the flight.
Kid Tablet and Baby Headphones (for emergencies)
This next item might be the most controversial one on the list – a kid-oriented Fire Tablet. 😳
So far we've managed to keep our child away from tablets at home, but we've found that having one available for the plane has been a life saver. We bought the cheapest kid Fire Tablet available from Amazon, installed Disney+, and downloaded³ a bunch of Bluey episodes before the flight.
Our daughter is mostly content to watch them with the volume muted, but we also bring a pair of headphones that fit a one-year-old. We use these Bandou ones and they basically are a cloth headband with some bluetooth headphones sewn into them. They are pretty quiet which is good because I know I'm not risking her hearing with them. Battery life with them has been fine and I overall don't have any complaints.
³ Warning: Downloaded Disney+ content expires after 30 days. Make sure you refresh it before your trip, lest you find yourself at 30,000 feet with a bunch of unwatchable episodes.
Packable Travel Blanket
We recently purchased a Rumpl travel blanket during the last REI sale and it is the latest addition to our carry-everywhere baby gear. It packs up into its small carrying pouch which we strap to one of the backpacks. We use it with the car seat in the car (supervised of course) and on the plane and even in conjunction with one of the baby carriers. It has a clip that lets you wear it like a cape which works well with these carriers. It's generally easy to care for as well – the blanket is water resistant and can be machine washed so we don't worry about any baby-related accidents with it.
AirTags
If you're in the Apple ecosystem² then I highly recommend tossing AirTags in your luggage and placing them on/in your carry-on bags. AirTags are great for hectic airports, especially when traveling with a baby.
They help you keep track of your carry-on bags and notify you if one gets left behind, making it easy to locate and retrieve it. For checked-luggage they can provide some peace of mind and help you locate your bags if they're misplaced by the airline. In fact some airlines, like United, even let you share a missing bag's airtag location directly with them.
I like to use TagVault AirTag cases on our main backpacks since they're durable, discrete, and waterproof. In our luggage I usually just place them in cheap, silicone cases and toss them in an internal pocket.
² If you use Android I think Tile devices are the equivalent to AirTags, but I have no first-hand experience with them.
TSA PreCheck
Last, but definitely not least, is my favorite travel purchase of all is TSA PreCheck. We enrolled shortly after our kid was born and I don't know why we waited so long. Not only was it only $75 for five years, but several of our credit cards would have reimbursed it anyway!
Anyways, TSA PreCheck is essential when traveling with a young child because it means you don't have to take your shoes and belt off and you can go through a typically shorter line. I know that doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but when you're rushing through the airport and lugging around a car seat this can be really helpful. Even if you plan on traveling just once a year I would say PreCheck is well worth it.
Happy Travels!
Wow, at over 3000 words this post turned out to be a longer journey than expected! Hopefully, you found some useful tips and gear recommendations for your own family adventures. This is the gear that helped us survive our first year of flying with a baby, and I'm curious to see how our needs evolve over the next year. It's only January and we've already got trips planned to Texas, Florida, and even New Jersey! Happy travels everyone! ✈️ 👶
If you enjoyed this post, you may also find some of our other posts useful.
Tim
Tim
Tim