Traveling with little kids is complicated; there are lots of things you need to bring to keep them safe and comfortable. When flying I try to pack light and avoid bringing car seats if possible. Unfortunately, it can’t always be avoided, like on a recent family trip that involved renting a car and driving to an Indiana lake resort. I considered renting car seats, but the logistics just didn’t work.

Turns out, it was a great chance to try out the  RideSafer Travel Vest I was sent to review. The RideSafer Travel Vest is a car seat alternative that works by repositioning the vehicle’s shoulder and lap belt to correctly fit the child. It’s also the only alternative I found that works for kids as young as 3.

We started using the vest at home a few weeks before our trip. We found it very convenient to use when traveling in alternate vehicles, like Grandma’s car. Switching out the large car seat between vehicles is a pain and completely unnecessary with the travel vest.

There is no seat to install; we just buckle my son in the vest and he is ready to go. Once in the car, we simply fasten the seat belt normally, and then insert the seat belt into the lap and shoulder belt guides on the vest. The vest can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of kids, making it perfect for when you have other little ones to transport too. Both of my boys fit in the small size vest (30-60 lbs) and the large size will accommodate kids from 50-80 lbs.

The RideSafer Travel Vest is easy to use and easy to transport. We opted to pack it in a spare suitcase since checking luggage wasn’t an issue on our trip. However, the vest comes with a drawstring bag that could easily fit under the seat in front of you when flying.

RideSafer provided Desert Family Traveling Mom, Karen Heffren with vest for the purpose of reviewing as travel product.