This might be a silly question

[ensure]

...but I'll ask anyway!

If you are going to the mountains with a toddler, are there some resorts with safer chairlifts than others?

Many French ski lifts won't let you on if you are less than 1.25m tall. Expecially button lifts, but you asked about chairs.

I doubt that you can find out which chairs are the safest in which resorts but TBH if you go to a child friendly resort there will be safe chairs or magic carpet in ski-garden.

It's not going up the mountain you have to worry about...

what about a resort with lots of gondelas?

I haven't been skiing since I was 14 so I'm a bit clueless and am trying to remember what happens, and trying to imagine how it would work with a small (potentially wriggly) child!

In one resort we've been to, the 3 to 5 year olds in ESF ski school were put on only the very shortest chair lifts, only every with another adult, which could be another skier, it's expected that adult skiers "help out" the ski school children a little in making sure they are sitting properly on the chair lifts, especially with the older children, the only chair lifts used by the 3 to 5s in this way were ones where the instructor could see the whole lift. But most of the time, the little ones went on the magic carpets and in the bubbles (télécabines) and cable cars (téléphériques), again only with other adults accompanying. Modern chair lifts have restraints between the legs and some have a handle for children too.

The OP probably hasn't seen a magic carpet, they can't have been around more than 10 years. All resorts we've been to have had them, it's only the adults who fall off them!

In the 3 Valleys they have a system where the kids are stuck by magnetic tabards to some of the chairlifts (more of them around the Courcheval 1850 area) Magnestick It used to only be for those on ESF lessons but you can now hire them yourself. Otherwise, when were were in Plan Peissey (Les Arcs) some of the chair lifts there had a wedge type thing attached to the bar that made the space between the bar and leg smaller and therefore a bit safer for children. Not so comfortable for adults mind you . . .

And chances are you won't be going on a chairlift with a toddler - most chairlifts are up-lift only, and so if the toddler isn't skiing down the mountain, then you won't be using them. As Natation said, more likely to be using bubbles or "lobster pot" style lifts.

Would not go on a chairiift with a toddler. The only times I have been injured in many years skiing are two separate occasions when a big heavy adult floundered/slipped getting off the chairlift and knocked me over. When I go on with the DC, alwasy tell DS2, 10, to look slightly incompetent as we approach so that other people steer clear and we get eg a two man or four man chair to ourselves - he is an excellent skiier ( got his esf gold star two years ago and enjoys performing his act...

Thanks all. No, I haven't seen a magic carpet! Must google!

I did say to DH that small children might not go on chair lifts at all, but he thought they did.
Helpful advice anyway!

Obviously you are safer on a gondola or cable car than a chairlift. Some resorts may not allow you to take a toddler on a chairlift. . . .Ski instructors are sometime allowed but then they are trained. I suspect because you are asking you may not be very familiar with ski protocol, so i suggest you probably are safer with little one to not take a chairlift.
However, Supervisors at top and bottom will advise and they are very careful to slow lift right down to let parents with little ones off safely.
Not a silly question at all, , ,how do we know if we dont ask. . .dont worry !!
Good luck. . .Stay safe. !!