Flying with toddler, do I need a CARES safety harness

[shatteredmama]

I'll be flying with my 18 month old dd in a few weeks. We've booked her a seat of her own even though she could of sat on my lap, she's too wriggly for that though, it would be a nightmare. Easyjet have said I can take either a car seat or CARES harness, I don't want to lug a car seat around on holiday and I've looked into getting a CARES, they're around £100 though, does anyone know of an alternative restraint that is accepted or of a good company which rents CARES out, thanks in advance.

You can hire them on eBay.

We never used one...We booked DD a seat when she was about 29 months as it was a cheap Ryan air flight and we figured it'd be easier for all of us. She still had to sit on our lap for take off and landing though so I'm not sure when we'd have needed a harness.

Little Life do one that is a fraction of that price. It seems good enough for most safety purposes, and they are z reliable make. A quick Google shows that you can rent a CARES harness for about the same price as buying a Little Life one, which you might find useful to have, so I would buy rather than hire.

The harness is only to keep her in the chair, not protect her. During takeoff, landing and turbulence you will have to have her in your lap, strapped to your lap-belt with an airline-issued baby-belt.

Little Life are a reliable make.

I have flied loads with my two and never needed one. Airline ranges from old fashion long haul (BA, Virgin) to the cheap (Thomson and flybe). All of them give us infant belts to buckle into the adult ones.

Could you ask for a harness so she can sit on your lap for take off & landing and in her own seat the rest of the time. Landing /take off were the only time Ryanair cared about buckling in our baby.

I found CAREs very unreliable . We used them on about 20 flights when I had two children under three and more often than not they slipped . If you know the aircraft has chunky retangular older style seats they will be fine but the newer slim contoured seats they absolutely do not stay in place .

I took a car seat on holiday with a 16 month old. Absolute nightmare lugging it around the airport.

They are not allowed to use the seat under 2 years old without a car seat during take off/landing/turbulence.
She ended up having a meltdown anyway and wouldn't go in the car seat so we borrowed an extension belt from the cabin crew and had her on our lap during these times. She was allowed to use her seat to sit and play the rest of the time with no belt on with no problem we just put the car seat on a nearby empty seat.

If she's under 2 she will need to be on your knee for t/o and landing even if she has her own seat. She can sit in her own seat once the seat belt sign is off.

I found a harness a waste of money to be honest.

Lots of replies! Thanks so much all, good to hear everyone's thoughts, looks like having her on my lap for take off and landing is the way to go.