I share travel hacks and packing tips to help you save money and get the most out of your weekend breaks. The original version of this guide was written by Rebecca Gale, whose reporting on policy and parenting has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Slate, and The Washington Post.

I have a small car and an enormous pushchair (Suzuki Swift and a Bugaboo Cameleon in case you’re interested). The Cosco Rise has fewer bells and whistles, but it offers a key safety feature: Unlike many other boosters, this seat has a strap that attaches to a car’s shoulder belt to adjust the belt’s position for smaller riders (the shoulder belt should always rest on a child’s collarbone, and not against their neck). K. and Doonas are definitely becoming more popular here – as a soon-to-be first time mom I’ve had them recommended to me already. Installation can be the most time-consuming and frustrating part of using a car seat—and particularly a convertible car seat—and is often the point of failure for using a car seat correctly.By minimizing the number of extra items you bring on the plane, you’ll streamline the boarding and deplaning process.

The frame is also studier than other models—it can hold a total of 100 pounds of car seat and child.It's extremely important to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines for safe usage, including ensuring your child is within the appropriate weight and height limits. The low straps mean that many 3-year-olds with longer torsos may outgrow the seat in forward-facing mode, even though the seat’s height and weight limits indicate that it should fit an average-size kid up to age 4. I’ll also be brutally honest – unfortunately, if you live in a US city and don’t own a car things get tricky with infants. It also has less padding than many seats, though our child testers didn’t complain (however, we didn’t take it on any long road trips).