travel car seat mifold

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Travel Products
• Trends + Deals We Love

This Purse-sized $40 Booster Car Seat Makes Traveling With Kids So Much Easier — but, It's Selling Out Fast

It folds down to the size of a paperback book and easily fits in my travel bag.

Alesandra Dubin is an LA-based lifestyle writer and editor. As a veteran digital journalist, she's covered travel, food, parenting, and more for over 15 years. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy, and countless other online and print outlets. An avid traveler, she often trots the globe with her husband and their twins. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @alicedubin. Alesandra holds a master's degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

You know those people who make traveling with babies look serene and effortless? I was not one of those people. As a new mom to two infants at once, I spent much of the first year of my twins' life simply trying to survive — traveling with them was a next-level aspiration that would have to wait until we all got our bearings.

Eventually, we got there. After the baby phase, we were finally ready to get out on the road as a family. But one of the major obstacles we still faced was the problem of safe ground transportation. Either we had to travel with bulky car seats or we were limited to the type of cloistered resort that would supply them at all times, from the moment of airport pickup. Was there some other solution I was missing?

During one multigenerational trip in Maui , I finally figured out what it was. My then four-year-old daughter made a new Canadian friend at the resort and this girl's family kept leaving the property for more adventurous meals and excursions via Uber. How were they doing this? The Mifold booster seat , her mom explained.

Mifold bills itself as "the world's most compact backless booster," and it's easy to see why. It's approximately the size of a paperback book and fits in my purse or into my kids' backpacks with plenty of room to spare. And (for the triplets parents out there, bless your hearts) it's narrow enough to fit three in a row across the back seat of most cars. It works by pulling down on the adult seat belt to adapt it so it fits a kid safely and securely.

As soon as I got home from that trip, I ordered a pair of the reasonably priced gadgets for my twins — and have never looked back. We have since tossed them in carry-ons and used them in rideshares, taxis, and rental cars all around the world; they've flown with us from Mexico to Marrakech, from Bora Bora to Barcelona.

To buy: walmart.com , $40

Does it sound too good to be true? I wondered that too, but Mifold is actually regulated for use in every US state, as well as by universally accepted global car booster seat regulations in the European Union and Canada. (Note that it's not available for sale or use in Australia, which has its own set of safety standards.)

That said, there are a few caveats. Mainly, the seat is designed for kids age 4 and up, who weigh at least 40 pounds (up to 100 pounds), and who are at least 40 inches tall (up to 59 inches). So this won't substitute for a forward-facing infant car seat, and it's not regulated for babies or smaller toddlers. But it's something parents will want to bookmark for when the time is right. What's more, Mifold is compact but dense — it weighs about 10 pounds. So plan for that added weight if not much additional bulk.

Last, my kids tell me it's not the most comfortable thing to sit on for long stretches. And even though this model is called Comfort because of its extra padding, I'd say their assessment is feasible given its rigidity. I'd estimate you could cushion it with a sweater, say. Or just encourage the kids to buck up and tolerate a minimally inconvenienced backside — it's a small price to pay for their travel adventures .

Our Mifold seats are gray, which goes with everything (as if that matters — and it doesn't). They have red accents so they conveniently stand out when your Uber driver is one minute away and you're digging in your bag under the snacks and sunscreens and toys. Right now, you can score my exact Mifold seats in gray at Walmart, but you'll want to act fast since the blue and purple colorways are already sold out. (In fact, this Mifold booster seat is so popular, it's also out of stock at Amazon and on the Mifold website.)

This summer, my kids will turn 8. And on that milestone birthday, they will no longer be legally required to use booster seats at all. While the upcoming transition comes as a logistical relief, it's also bittersweet: It signals the end of the days when our travel boosters took us around the globe with our wide-eyed little ones, a great pleasure and privilege I suspect none of us will ever forget.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

See More T+L Shopping Deals

Gear Review: MiFold Portable Car Seat

The MiFold Portable Car Seat is the smallest travel booster seat on the market. It’s tiny size and excellent safety record make it a popular car seat option. But does it live up to the hype? We run it through the tests to see if the MiFold is the best car seat for families on the go.

Traveling with young children can present a unique set of challenges that other travelers may not face. One of the top concerns of parents traveling with young children is understanding car seat laws. Along with this comes the challenge of lugging a travel booster seat around from destination to destination. Until recently, this was a struggle that had no viable solutions. However, with the introduction of the smallest, safety-certified portable travel booster car seat on the market the MiFold Portable Car Seat has completely changed that family travel scene.

These portable car seats have been a game-changer for our adventure family travel lifestyle. The small packing size and high-rated safety mean that these small car seats for kids can fit easily into a large purse. Now we can have them on hand wherever we go. And we no longer have the stress of carrying around large booster seats, or the worry that a car rental provider may not have rentals in stock.

This post may contain compensated links. Find more info in our disclaimer

What is the MiFold Portable Car Seat?

The MiFold booster is a small, ultra-compact portable booster seat. And by small, I mean that this foldable car seat can fit inside an adult’s back pocket. The MiFold car seat is marketed as a grab-and-go booster seat for children, and on all accounts, it is a perfectly accurate statement. It is tiny, lightweight, and quick to install. And all of these things put together to make it attractive as an ideal booster seat for travel. But does this foldable car seat live up to the hype?

MiFold Travel Booster Seat Features

• Weight range: 40-120 lbs (18-54.4 kg)
• Age range : 4 years and up
• Height Range : 40″-57″ (101 – 145 cm
• Folded Size: 10.5″ x 5″ x 2″ (26.6 x 11.4 x 5 cm)
• Weight: 1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)

Using Car Seats For Travel

Using car seats for travel can be a frustrating experience. Oftentimes they are large, bulky, heavy, and just plain awkward. Because of this, many parents simply leave them at home. This can be even more common when traveling to countries with no, or lax seatbelt laws. We have traveled with car seats to Mexico , Portugal , and Iceland , and throughout South America . And while it was incredible having our car seats available, the stress of traveling internationally with something so large in addition to all the other family travel gear that we carry can be difficult.

There have been times abroad when we have been on the road and haven’t had car seats available. In both Colombia and Grenada, we were in situations where we didn’t have a car seat available to us, and we had to travel without car seats. While this can be part of travel, it also ups the risk and stress of travel with children.

How Does the MiFold Work?

The design of the MiFold foldable booster car seat is clean, tight, and well thought out. But the real ingenuity of the product lies in it’s unique approach to the child’s position. Because most car seat belts are designed with adults in mind, most car seats focus on raising the child up to the safe height of the seatbelt. This creates the connection necessary to keep the child safe when the belt locks. The MiFold portable car seat, however, takes a different approach to car seat safety. The MiFold is designed to lock the seatbelt height down at the level of the child. Essentially pulling the seat belt into the place of the child rather than lifting the child up. This allows the seat belt to be adjusted to the size of the child without affecting its functionality.

The MiFold can be set up in about a minute. There are two buttons on either side of the bottom-front of the unit that unlock the two sliding latches on each side of the MiFold booster. This allows the foldable car seat to be adjusted to the width of the user.

At the back of the foldable booster seat for travel is a long strap that can be hooked onto the shoulder belt of the seat belt. There is a small latch on the shoulder hook that allows the strap length to be adjusted so that the shoulder belt can be pulled down to the proper height for the child.

There have been comments that the MiFold can latch the belt too low on the legs or hip of the child. The lap belt should fit flat and snugly across the hip and upper legs. While we haven’t experienced this ourselves, it is important to make sure that the car seat is positioned properly for maximum safety and comfort.

What We Love About The MiFold Travel Booster Seat

The MiFold eliminates the risk of not traveling with a car seat. The unit is so small, that our children can easily carry it themselves in their day pack . The only time we have ever been in a situation where we haven’t been able to use the foldable booster seat was when the cars just didn’t have seatbelts. And having that kind of security in such a small, easy to manage package is amazing. The most direct competitor to the MiFold is the Bubblebum, which is an inflatable car seat. However, even when the Bubblebum car seat is deflated, the MiFold still looks small in comparison.

Where We Think The MiFold Foldable Booster Seat Can Improve

The MiFold booster seat eliminates the stress of bringing a car seat on a plane. However, it isn’t perfect. The portable car seat doesn’t have the side impact protection that larger, more robust car seats have. There is no head protection , no cup holders, no pockets. This unit is a no-frills car seat with one thing in mind. Portability. And the MiFold does portability like no other car seat on the market.

The MiFold is also not the most comfortable car seat on the market. It does have padding, which is appreciated. But for long road trips , the MiFold could leave bums a little numb. The MiFold might be the best car seat for travel, however, it doesn’t replace a standard, full-back car seat for everyday use.

Can the MiFold Booster Seat Be Used for Travel?

Car seat laws vary from country to country. They can even vary between provinces and states within any given country as well. While the MiFold car seat is designed to comply with the laws in most countries, it is important to read the car seat laws before you travel to a destination. You can read the AAA guide on car seats in the United States here and the Canadian car seat guide here . It is also important to note that proper installation is just as important as choosing the right car seat. If a travel booster isn’t installed correctly, it may not be safe.

You can find the price and availability of the MiFold Grab and Go Booster Seat here.

Do We Recommend that families travel with a MiFold grab and go booster seat?

For families that love to travel, whether it be for day trips, taxi rides into the city, or international travel, the MiFold grab and go booster seat is a valuable tool. The size and convenience of this fold-up car seat make added safety accessible where it might not otherwise be convenient or available. With a foldable car seat, there is simply no excuse to not execute proper vehicle safety with children. You can read more about child seat safety on the MiFold website here . The MiFold booster seat might not be the best car seat for everyday use, but it is, in our opinion, the best car seat for travel.

Disclosure: Elfe Juvenile Products sent us two complimentary MiFold travel booster seats for our review. As always, our views remain our own. Wandering Wagars is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

You May Also Like To Read:

Crysta M Parkinson

Saturday 28th of April 2018

Great review. We recently spent 10 weeks in Spain and wanted to have an easy car seat to use with our daughter. We chose the Bubble Bum, but I think we'll get a Mifold, as well, so we have options.

Privacy Overview

Mifold booster seat review

Compact and collapsable, this booster seat skimps on safety for some kids

Updated August 8, 2022

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Mifold Original

Lightweight

Highly portable

Uncomfortable

Seatbelt positioning is erratic

Fit isn't for everyone

If you’ve ever traveled with a bulky car seat or booster, you have probably searched far and wide for a lighter, less cumbersome, and more portable alternative.

About the Milfold booster seat

The Mifold makes it easy to adjust the shoulder belt, making it safer for kids to ride.

The grab-and-go booster is available in five different booster options, including two “luxury” models, which offer more padding and comfort than the original model, a high-back foldable model, and a baseline model that sits flat but doesn’t fold.

The Mifold Original is the one that first gained the brand its fame and is the model we tried. It has a simple design that allows it to fold up to be 9-inches long and 4-inches wide, making it smaller and lighter than a typical kids’ tablet—to give you a baseline item to compare its size to.

How does the Mifold work?

Far smaller than a regular booster, rather than raising a child up, the Mifold booster aims to properly align and fit both a car’s lap belt and shoulder belt so that they are safe and secure for children ages 4 and older, 40 pounds to 100 pounds, and 40 inches to 57 inches tall.

The Mifold booster meets or exceeds U.S.’s NHTSA standards FMVSS 213 and is regulated for use in every state and all countries except for Australia. It’s also narrow enough to fit three in a row across the back seat of most cars.

What we like about the Mifold car seat

The size of the Mifold booster is certainly an upgrade from a typical booster.

It’s convenient

Our son’s impromptu play dates increased exponentially since we started testing out the Mifold booster. The thing that we liked best about the Mifold car seat is that there really is no reason not to always have it in your car. We kept ours in the seat-back pocket of our Prius; whenever a child floated the idea of hanging out, we had the means to take them along with us on our adventures.

Suddenly my kid and his friends can socialize with the carefree ease similar to that of my 80s childhood, back when we didn’t have to worry about car seats and boosters. Only, with the Mifold booster, they are much safer than we were back then.

It’s fairly easy to use

The lap belt is held in place with a typical hook closure.

To use the Mifold, simply unfold it, squeeze the red tabs on the underside to extend the belt guides, and position the booster to rest securely in your car’s seat bight (where the horizontal and vertical parts of your car’s seat come together). Then pull the lap belt through the guides and then clip the positioning strap so the clip sits approximately 1 inch above your child’s shoulder.

We like that the shoulder belt positioning strap quickly clips around the seat belt for a secure fit and is easily adjustable. This sets the Mifold apart from other boosters and car seats that require the seat belt be threaded through a guide, which can be cumbersome and opens things up to user error when you’re moving it from one car to another.

It’s compliant

The Mifold is compliant with the U.S.’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards FMVSS 213, which governs the performance and design criteria of child restraint systems for kids up to 80 pounds, and it meets or exceeds regulatory standards worldwide (excluding Australia).

What that means is you can take the Mifold just about anywhere and can confidently know that you are using a product that is compliant with safety standards in any city and in just about any country you travel to.

It’s perfect for travel

Because the Mifold is so lightweight and compact, it’s a traveler’s dream. It’s perfect for city travel when you’re hopping in and out of cab rides and car rentals.

We traveled all over town with our Mifold. A friend of ours even borrowed the Mifold we tested, as well as two others, for a trip to Mexico with her three children. All three boosters they traveled with were able to fit in their carry-on luggage and, when it was time to hop into a car, all three lined up easily in the back of a sedan.

It’s affordable

Prices range anywhere from $29.99 to $129.99 depending on the model you purchase. By and large, the Mifold is an affordable and accessible option for most families. We like that it’s sold at a price point that is within reach of just about anyone.

What we didn’t like about the Mifold booster

It’s not very comfortable.

We tested the Mifold Original on six children overall and most complained that it was not comfortable to sit on. The seat itself is hard and stiff and elicited complaints for trips longer than a quick jaunt from a park to home. Unless your nerves are impervious to whining children, we don’t recommend the Mifold Original for long car rides.

It’s not great for all cars

While the Mifold booster fits on most cars, if you have a curved-back seat, it’s going to be problematic. This issue tends to be the case with most car seats and boosters and isn’t a problem that’s unique to the Mifold booster—however, seeing as part of the appeal of the Mifold is that you can throw it in your backpack and pop it into any car anywhere you go, this is a problem worth noting.

It’s challenging for kids to use

While the adults were able to use the Mifold with relative ease, it wasn’t so easy for kids. Adult supervision and, in almost all cases, assistance were required to accurately line things up. We found kids struggled with getting their lap belt into the guides and, when they were successful, the lap belt wasn’t actually where it was supposed to be on their hips—rendering the Mifold unsafe in those instances.

Our children testers, ages 5 to 9, all struggled to get out of the Mifold on their own (one even yelled at me that I "trapped him"). The collapsible seat belt guides do a good job of holding the seat belt in place, but it’s difficult to remove the seat belt when you’re ready to get out of the car. For adults it’s challenging and takes a lot of patience; for kids, however, it seems near impossible.

Each of the six children testers struggled with the seat belt guides. None were able to get out of the Milfold booster independently, even with repeated tries.

Safety is questionable for smaller kids

We found that the lap belt positioned itself too low on the lap of smaller kids. This can be remedied with some adjustments, but it's something to be aware of.

While some booster seats have fancy extras, a booster really only has one function and that’s to properly position an adult seat belt so that it safely secures a child’s smaller body. They should position seat belts so they lie across the strong bones of the chest and pelvis instead of the belly and the neck, where they could severely hurt a child in a crash.

What this means is, in the possibility of a crash, your child’s pelvis isn’t secure, which can result in serious injury.

Should you buy the Mifold booster seat?

The Mifold Original booster seat is 10 times smaller than your regular booster, it’s easy to use, and it makes traveling a breeze, but while the Mifold does make travel easier, it isn’t for everyone.

Its selling points are attractive, but the drawback of the erratic seat belt fit is significant. Because the issues that we take with the Mifold are ones of safety, we think the cons of the Mifold outweigh pros. Unfortunately, we cannot unequivocally recommend it.

If you are looking for a travel booster and your child has a more sturdy body build, the Mifold may work well for you. Some of our testers love it and our Parenting editor says she found it incredibly useful when in cab-centric cities like New York.

For my family, however, the fit just isn’t one we consider safe. It looks like we’ll be lugging around our bulky booster for a couple more years.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Enter your email:

Thanks for signing up.

Redefining Traveling with Booster Seats: Mifold Grab and Go Booster Seat Review

Several years ago, I saw a video for a start-up company for a product they dubbed as “the most advanced, compact and portable booster seats – EVER”. At the time both my girls were still in booster seats so this definitely peeked my interest. To have a grab-in-go booster that fits inside my purse or the kid’s backpacks sounded awesome! But, I couldn’t buy one yet since they were still in development…so I clicked off and moved on to something I could buy – that day. For the next few years, the RideSafer Travel Safety Vest became our go-to for portable booster seats.

Fast forward to 2017. The product – mifold – has officially launched and is ready to use. When I was asked to review the product earlier this summer my interest was peeked yet again.

While Princess One is now out of a booster seat, Princess Two isn’t and has a VERY difficult time using the Travel Safety Vest. Her little fingers are just not strong or nimble enough to get the seat belts into and out of the small, metal attachments; this was never an issue for Princess One. Every child is different but for Princess Two this “difference” has meant transporting the HUGE booster seat to and from school, birthday parties and other events when we’re carpooling. We’ve still relied on the vest when traveling since I’m there to manage the process.

When I showed Princess Two the mifold even she was excited to test it out. Not only was it tiny – 10x smaller than a regular booster seat – but her little fingers could easily slip and snap the seat belt into place. She’s now retired our Travel Safety Vest and is loving the mifold. (See the video below and she’ll show you just how easy it is!)

How the mifold Works

The mifold is completely different than other car seats, especially in the routing of the seat belt and size of the seat. Unlike other booster seats that lift the child to position the seat belt around their lap and their chest, the mifold adapts the belt to fit the child. The lap belt is designed to be low on the hips and contacting the top of the thighs, which has been shown to be a very safe and effective positioning. It’s so simple, kids can do it themselves. See for yourself…

The mifold is fully tested around the world and meets or exceeds the United States NHTSA standard FMVSS 213, the Canadian RSSR CMVSS 213 and the European standard ECE R44.04.

The Bottom-line

Somethings are worth waiting for, including the launch of the mifold. I’m so happy the mifold has launched and is available! It’s perfect for traveling, carpooling and everyday use. My kids can EASILY do it without any help and can simply keep it in their backpacks for those last-minute playdates/carpools. And, for Princess Two, who’s eight now and thinks booster seats are for babies, it’s the perfect thing to stash for her use. For me, it’s tiny size makes it easy to toss in my purse when we’re traveling and cabbing or Ubering our way around town.

The Princess Rating: TWO THUMBS UP

Hifold Booster Seat Review: Does It Live Up To The Hype?

Want to get more personal advice? Join our  new Facebook group !

Sharing is caring!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It feels like we’re living in the golden age of innovative baby and kid gear. Brands are realizing that parents are willing to pony up for game-changing products that make life easier, and parents with ideas and know-how are getting involved in design as well. 

The parents at the mifold company started with their groundbreaking folding backless booster seat a few years ago, and they’re back at it again with a new innovation: the mifold hifold fit-and-fold highback booster car seat . In this in-depth hifold review, you’ll find out what it is, who it’s for and my honest impressions of the hifold booster seat after testing it out.

February 2024 update: After being out of stock for more than a year, a few hifolds have reappeared for sale! Get one here before they run out.

What is the hifold by mifold?

Hifold the fit-and-fold booster seat is a high back booster seat that folds small enough to fit under an airplane seat. Yep, that’s small .

When it’s unfolded it can shrink and expand every which way to fit a huge size range of kids – hence, the “hifold fit-and-fold” name.

The hifold does not have the option to use it as a harnessed car seat nor does it turn into a backless booster; what you see is what you get. If you’re looking for a folding car seat with a 5-point harness, check out our review of the Wayb Pico .

Just like all booster seats, you can’t use the hifold on an airplane. However, it’s one of the only highback booster seats that’s small enough to take as a carry-on. There’s even an integrated carry strap to take it along with you and an optional protective carry bag!

Read more: Best foldable booster seat car seat for travel

In a stroke of genius, the hi fold booster seat creators decided to make this a travel booster seat for true globetrotters: the same model is certified for use in the US, Canada and EU (under the UN regulations). That means you can legally use it in any country in the world except Australia – but they’re working on that one too.

Want to know all my best secrets? Click here to learn how to travel with your car seat like a pro!

Find out more about car seat rules around the world: – Europe – Australia – Mexico – Costa Rica

Who is the hifold fit-and-fold for?

The stated minimum to use the hifold booster car seat is 4 years old, 40 pounds and 40” tall; all of those have to be true to be within manufacturer guidelines.

But let’s have a moment of honesty… most four year olds don’t belong in a booster seat. Not only are their bodies still developing the strength to withstand crash forces, but their minds are still developing the maturity to follow directions. If a four year old drops her toy or her water bottle, she’s almost certainly going to reach down to grab it. If he wants to bother his baby sister in the next seat over, a pesky seatbelt won’t stop him!

Need an ultra-portable solution for your 4 or 5 year old? Check out the WAYB Pico ( in-depth review here ).

So on the young end, who should be using the hifold? I’d put it at 5 years old. That’s when most kids are truly ready to ride in a booster seat. In an era when many child safety experts recommend keeping kids rear-facing until 4 years old, it’s reasonable to use a forward-facing harness for a year or two after that.

If you happen to have a very petite 5 year old, the hifold will fit your child really well! I’m impressed by how narrow it gets through the seat and torso and how low the back goes. It can be a struggle to fit small 5 (and even 6) year olds in some booster seats; for example, one of our seats at home has a minimum size of 44″ to use in high back booster seat mode – which our mature son didn’t hit until he was almost 8 years old!

What about at the top of the size range? The hifold is designed to fit kids up to 100 pounds and 59” tall! Wowza. I don’t have a kid that big to test it with, but it gets mighty tall as you’ll see below. 

Read more: Choosing the best portable booster car seat

I suspect that true big kids – let’s say over 9+ years old – wouldn’t find it comfortable enough for more than a short ride. My son is 8.5 and small and the seat wasn’t deep enough to support him all the way through his thighs. Fortunately the boost isn’t very high so it was manageable, but I really can’t see a kid who’s 59” riding comfortably for long. So while the width may be ample for kids up to 100 pounds, I doubt the depth is.

Realistically, I’d say the useful timeframe for the hifold is 5 to 8 years old. That’s when most kids are riding in a high back booster seat at home too!

hifold booster seat install details

Before you can get to installing the hifold booster seat in your car, there is some preliminary set up. The manufacturer advertises 243 unique combinations thanks to the wide variety of adjustments, so it’s helpful to do a preliminary try with your kid before you’re in a high-pressure travel situation. 

At the very least, you’ll want to know the correct width settings for your kid, which is easy enough. My petite 5.5 year old needed the narrowest widths for everything and my small 8.5 year old was on the medium widths for the seat and torso, but narrowest for the headrest.

Once you have the widths set, place the hifold on the car seat and thread the shoulder belt through the built-in belt guide. That’s the only real step to hifold installation!

You’ll need to set the seat height once you place it in the car. The manual says to start with it at its highest setting, but that’s probably overkill. Just start with it higher than you think you need it, have your child hop in and then start tweaking. Your kid will need to bend his head forward to grant you access to the lever, so it might take a few tries to get the height right.

There are a few important things to note before using the hifold in the car. First, only the lap portion of the seatbelt goes under the belt guides. We have some booster seats that require the shoulder belt to go under as well, but this isn’t one of them. Second, the hifold requires a headrest behind it . If you’re using it on a really tall setting, raise the headrest accordingly. Be sure to check your car manual to be sure you’re allowed to leave the headrest installed.

For this hi fold car seat review, I installed in my 2007 Honda CR-V; it may be old, but it’s a pretty representative family car. I had no issues with hifold fit, and the seat is narrow enough to fit nicely even in cars with high side bolsters on the seats.

One more thing… if you’re driving around without the kid, try to remember to buckle the hifold into place since it doesn’t have LATCH. Otherwise it’ll become a projectile in an accident.

The hifold is impressively narrow no matter which setting you have it on. At its narrowest setting, the torso section is around 16.5″ wide; at its widest it’s around 18.5″. For comparison, the pretty average sized Chicco KidFit is about 20″ wide and the narrow Clek Oobr is almost 18″. Especially if you’re transporting kids who don’t need the full width of the hifold, it’ll be a snap to fit three across in many cars since this is such a compact booster seat.

How do you fold the hifold?

Folding the hifold is a combination of oragami, magic and practice. Reading the manual helps too! But I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could do it just using the stickers on the seat, since most parents don’t read manuals (#honesty).

It took me a few minutes to figure it out on my own, but I did get it basically right in the end. Do yourself a favor and check out the manual for guidance. The long and short is the make all the parts as narrow as possible, then start folding the side parts in, then start folding vertically.

When you’re done you’ll have a nice compact package that’s ready to go, whether under your child’s seat on an airplane or in the trunk of your car for the inevitable last-minute carpool.

Check out the official hifold video to see it in action:

Flying with hifold folding booster seat

We finally had an opportunity to test out flying with hifold on our recent family trip to Alaska. The quick summary: it was perfect . Apart from occasionally sliding off to the side (remedied by wrapping the shoulder strap around the suitcase handle), hifold sat nicely on top of our carry-on suitcase as we walked miles and miles through airports.

Once on board our flights, the hifold easily fit in luggage storage areas. If the plane had been full, I could have turned it sideways to take up less space or put it in front of our daughter’s seat. Thankfully the folded size is extremely compact, so even on a tiny regional flight it stows away.

Obviously hifold isn’t nearly as compact as a backless booster seat, even one that doesn’t fold. However, on our first full day in Alaska I felt vindicated in my decision to bring hifold for our trip rather than one of our many other travel booster seat options: our 7 year old was able to buckle her self as we hopped in and out of the car all day, but when she fell asleep on an unexpectedly late drive she stayed in position safely.

And there’s the rub. Even kids who are normally perfect booster riders may wind up exhausted on vacation due to busy days and time changes (in our case, both). While our daughter was safely positioned in her booster seat, our 9 year old son was drowsy too and I had to continuously push him back in position (from the front seat, which is obviously not safe) in his backless booster. Honestly I wish that I had a hifold for both kids!

How does the hifold car seat compare to other travel booster seats?

Read more: Bringing your booster seat on an airplane

If you’re in the market for a highback booster, the hifold is definitely the most travel-worthy option! Others like the Graco Turbobooster Take Along Highback booster (which needs a shorter name) and the Baby Trend Yumi are too long when folded to work as carry-ons. And they’re way too big to consider taking with you for a day in the city that might involve hopping in an Uber. You can throw the hifold in a backpack or its well-designed travel bag and be on your way.

hifold vs Ride Safer travel vest

If you’re shopping for a 3-5 year old, you’re probably also considering the Ride Safer Travel Vest ( full review here ). The Ride Safer has the advantage that the top tether keeps even wiggly/sleepy kids from bending or slouching out of place. The vest is also a fraction of the size.

On the other hand, the vest can be tiresome to buckle over and over. If you’re doing a road trip that involves lots of stops, like a national park, you won’t want to bother getting your little one out of the vest every other minute. With the hifold, it’s no big deal.

I happened to be writing this review while on a cross-country flight. The minute we landed I had a terrible “ oh shit ” moment when I realized that we left the top tether for our Ride Safer back home. Since our daughter is still a car sleeper, I don’t feel confident using the vest without its top tether but unfortunately that’s just one more part to remember. One time my better half left it in a rental car and had to run back to get it! So the fact that the hifold doesn’t have any detachable-but-critical pieces is a huge saving grace.

The hifold also gives a little boost – not much, but every little bit helps when you have a small kid who’s eager to see out the window.

If you’re traveling overseas, the current Ride Safer travel vest may not be legal under the latest regulations even though older versions were. That’s a real shame, and I’ll be honest that we’ve always brought our own car seats to Europe including the vest. But if you want to feel confident that you won’t run into any legal issues, the hifold is a good choice.

Read more: In-depth Ride Safer travel vest review

hifold vs Bubblebum

We love our Bubblebum ( full review here ) and travel with it all the time for our older child. But we didn’t start using it until he was 6 years old, very mature and rarely slept in the car.

The Bubblebum clearly wins on portability – it only weighs about a pound and rolls up to the size of a side bottle. It also provides a great fit in every car we’ve tried, which is a lot.

But the Bubblebum has absolutely zero support for car sleepers. There were a few times during our gap year when our son fell asleep and slumped forward; I would reach back from the front seat and shove him back into place. Not exactly glamorous, or safe. If he’d been riding in the hifold he would have most likely just leaned on one of the headwings to sleep.

Read more: In-depth Bubblebum review

hifold vs mifold

How does the hi fold car seat compare to its older-but-smaller sibling, the mifold grab and go booster seat ?

Well, there’s obviously a huge difference in size. They just don’t even compare. The mifold is the smallest booster seat on the market.

But when it comes to fit and safety, I feel much more comfortable with my kids in the hifold than I would in the mifold. One big issue many car seat safety advocates and CPSTs have with mifold is that the lap belt guides sit really far forward, sometimes mid-thigh rather than at the top of the thighs – see my 7 year old daughter below. Some owners have also reported that the width-adjustable belt guides can sometimes adjust themselves unexpectedly.

Read more: Hands-on with the mifold comfort

There are two important differences: first, the hifold belt guides are positioned such that both of my kids had the lap belt in the right place. Not too far forward, not too far back. Second, the belt guides adjust with the rest of the seat base – and even when you want to adjust that width, it’s not a smooth movement that can happen on its own. There’s a lever you have to pull with one hand while you adjust the width with the other.

On the comfort side, many kids complain that the mifold lacks padding for long rides. The hifold seat has a little more padding to it fortunately. It’s still nothing like what our kids are used to in their usual booster seat and combination seat, but an improvement over mifold nonetheless. 

Hifold review: my impressions

Overall, my kids and I like the hifold fit & fold booster seat . As you can see in the photos here, we had no issue getting a safe seatbelt fit on both of them thanks to all of the adjustments.

Advantages of the hifold fit and fold booster

• Excellent choice for kids 5+ who are mature (including petite riders)
• If you’re traveling out of the US, it’s legal almost everywhere!
• Offers better sleeping support than Bubblebum or mifold
• Easier in-and-out than Ride Safer travel vest
• Compact enough to take as a carry-on on a plane 
• Fits a huge range of kids
• No extra parts to remember
• Doesn’t require a top tether, so it can be used anywhere there’s a lap-shoulder belt
• Shoulder belt guide is more secure than some other booster seats we’ve used
• Easy for kids to buckle on their own

Disadvantages of the hifold by mifold

• It’s much bigger and heavier than the Ride Safer travel vest or the Bubblebum , so families are less likely to have it for unexpected Uber rides
• Folding it can take some practice
• Needs to be re-adjusted every time you unfold it
• Shallow seating area may not be comfortable for bigger kids or longer rides
• The price tag can feel hard for families to justify for such a specialized product (though it’s easier to swallow if you can pass it down to a younger sibling in a few years)
• “Where’s the cup holder ?” says my 8 year old; you can buy one for an extra $10, but I think it should be included at this price point

Suggestions for hifold version 2

My biggest knock in this mifold hifold review is that it’s heavier and bulkier than other folding car seats that target the same age group. There’s one easy way to address that issue: make it fit fewer kids. 

Crazy, right? Shouldn’t you want to fit as wide a range of riders as possible?

In reality, there shouldn’t be tiny 4 year old riding in a booster seat. Right there on the website it says “We recommend that children stay in a 5 point harness for as long as possible”.

On the upper end of the range, most 10-12 year olds wouldn’t find the shallow seat especially comfortable and they’re usually mature enough to move into a much smaller backless booster (especially for travel). In the photo above you can see that the hifold gets really tall – so tall that I had to lean it against the wall to keep it from falling over. I measured the top belt guide at 20″ – that’s taller than many traditional boosters.

While I haven’t done a deep dive into the hifold schematics, I suspect that narrowing the focus to 5-8 year old sizes could allow the designers to drop some weight (and maybe even a little size when folded). That would make the hifold more practical for travel and also give parents a more realistic impression of the useful lifespan. 

Conclusion: Is the hifold worth buying?

As with all of the innovative, travel-specific gadgets on the market today, the hifold is meant for a specific niche. It’s not going to be the right product for every family, and that’s ok.

If you have a kid who is 5-8 years old and you’ll be traveling, the hifold is an excellent choice . It’s safe, it’s legal almost everywhere, it’s comfortable and it’s relatively portable. There’s truly a lot to love here for globetrotting families!

I also highly recommend it for families with mature 5 or 6 year olds who are on the smaller end of the growth curve. It’ll fit your peanuts really well, even when they don’t meet the minimum requirements for other popular booster seats. Update: We’ve been using it around town for several months now and my son still likes it!

Where to get your hifold

Key stats: -Weight 10lbs -Highback booster size limit 4yo, 40-100lbs, 40-59″ -Belt guide 14-20″

Pros: ✔ Tons of size adjustments for great fit ✔ Folds down small ✔ Legal to use everywhere except Australia (in progress) ✔ Extremely narrow ✔ 7 year expiration

Cons: ✘ Expensive if you will only use for a few years ✘ No cup holders included ✘ Bigger than some of the other travel-specific car seats

Thanks to mifold for providing a hifold for review. All opinions are my own.

11 thoughts on “Hifold Booster Seat Review: Does It Live Up To The Hype?”

I have a tall and skinny 4.5 year old, and we need an easy travel solution. She is already 45″, so at the max Wayb height. And, you’re right! I am looking at the hifold as well as the Ride Safer vest. Based on the above review, I am inclined to choose the Ride Safer vest, however, one of its “cons” is no side impact protection. Does the hifold provide that side impact protection? And, if she isn’t a squirmy rider and listens well, is the hifold a better option? We would only be using this for one way trips from the airport when traveling – so not very worried about the time it takes fo buckle with the Ride Safer…. what do you think??

The US doesn’t have side impact testing standards yet, and the version of EU certification that the hifold has doesn’t require side impact testing either. That said, hifold does have impact-absorbing layers in the head and side wings.

Usually we like kids to be at least 5 to ride in a booster, as that’s generally how long it takes to them to reach the maturity to sit properly all the time. Some kids are ready for that responsibility at 4.5. If she’s over 40lbs and you’re confident she’ll sit properly 100% of the time, the hifold could be an appropriate choice.

As you probably realize, we own both (along with dozens of other travel-worthy car seats!). The “right one” depends on the circumstances for us. If we’re renting a car and driving around on our own for a week, I prefer a traditional booster for easy in and out. If we’ll be doing a mix of car/Uber/public transportation I prefer the vest for portability. The vest also gives you the option to use the top tether and potentially even lock the seatbelt if you think your daughter will be sleepy (though my daughter has no issue sleeping in hifold).

I’m sorry there isn’t a more clear-cut answer but hopefully this helps!

Safe travels,

Thanks for the detailed review including the hifold vs vest comparison. My youngest is almost 5 but only sometimes weighs 40 pounds or more. Typically he weights in around 39.5. I’m leaning toward the ride safer vest (we had an evenflo for travel before but he maxed out the height), but would welcome any thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by. I’d probably stick to the Ride Safer Travel Vest and use that while he’s 5 and 6, then switch to the Bubblebum down the line if he’s ready for it. That said, if he’s truly close to 5 and mature enough to sit properly 100% of the time the hifold could be a very nice option with lots of longevity.

I I saw that you listed the hifold as being suitable for kids as small as 33 lbs, if they can sit properly. I wasn’t able to find any other online sources that say a child can be less than 40lbs to use the hifold. Im hoping it’s okay to use for my 5 year old who weighs 37-38 lbs. I’m wondering, was that the weight requirement for European standards and in the U.S. they have to say only 40 lbs and up?

Thank you so much for your comment! mifold recently updated the minimum requirements, in line with all other US manufacturers, which I’m very pleased to see. That said, it’s still physically the same seat and in Europe it’s still sold with a 15kg (33lb) minimum.

Another option you can consider is the Ride Safer Travel Vest . It has a different set of pros and cons that you can read about in my review , though if you’re traveling to Europe one con is that the current version isn’t legal there. My kids are also quite small and they used the vest for travel at ages 5 and 6.

Safe travels, Melissa

What do you recommend for Europe for a 3 year old and 8 year old for travel

Thanks for stopping by! It depends on your needs, particularly public transit vs renting a car. Here are some unique considerations for bringing a car seat to Europe .

The 8 year old is fairly easy, assuming kiddo is mature enough to sit properly at all times. You can grab one of these portable booster seats .

For your 3yo, one of these travel car seats should work well. Be sure to pay attention to heights and weights.

Hola Donde puedo conseguir una silla de estas?

Lo siento pero creo que hay problemas de producción. Hifold no es disponible en este momento 🙁

Buen viaje,

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

mifold Comfort, grab-and-go car seat REVIEW for family travel

Posted on Last updated: 21 March 2024

TraveLynn Family were gifted two mifold Comforts for our Morocco travels in exchange for this honest review and social media promotion. As always, these are 100% my opinions. Also, this post contains affiliate links. Should you click to purchase, it is at no additional cost to you, but I receive a small commission.

Our 4 months in Morocco , travelling around with just backpacks containing everything we need, meant that lugging around full-sized car seats wasn’t really an option. But we did need car seats. We planned to hire a car for road trips, use taxis for short trips, and perhaps hire a driver to get between towns (which isn’t much more in cost to 4x bus tickets).

It’s not just a case that we want our kids to be safe in the car. Car seats are actually a legal requirement in Morocco with kids once you’re out of the towns.

On a previous Morocco road trip we had brought our car seats from home as we hired a car at Marrakech airport and had the car for the entire trip. So there was no lugging around from place to place. We just had to get the car seats from home to the UK airport, and then from Marrakech airport to the hire car. This really wasn’t too much of a faff at all. But for longer term travels where we wouldn’t always have our own car, lugging our main car seats around is just not feasible.

We have previously reviewed mifold’s hifold car seat . This is a full sized car seat that is collapsible, so it’s easy for storage. It has been a total gamechanger for our Mazda Bongo camper travels in France and Spain, and is the best option as there are no head rests where the boys’ car seats go. But again, this is just too bulky to carry around with our backpacks in Morocco.

So what is the ideal car seat for backpacking with kids?

Let me introduce you to the mifold Comfort, grab-and-go car seat . When folded, it measures 25 x 23 x 6.6 cm. It’s so small that the boys carry them inside their own kids travel backpacks . Us parents don’t even need to carry them! #winningatparenting

How does the mifold Comfort, grab-and-go car seat work?

mifold Comfort uses patented technology that ensures optimal seatbelt fit.

There are adjustable belt guides on either side of the child’s hips routing the lap belt over the child’s upper thighs, away from the stomach. There’s also a clip on a strap connected to the back of the seat that pulls the seatbelt chest strap down at a custom height for the child in the seat, keeping the seatbelt away from the face and neck.

But it’s not a one-size-fits-all. The mifold Comfort car seats not only grow with your child but also adjust to your child’s unique size and shape. The belt guides on either side of the child’s hips are adjustable to three sizes to make sure the seatbelt is always held snugly in place.

This all means that the seatbelt fits correctly around your child to keep them safe in the car.

Who can use it?

mifold Compact is classified as a Group 2/3  weight-based seat , suitable for children aged 4 and up, weighing between 15kg and 36kg, and up to 150cm tall.

And there are no problems at all if you have three kids, as three mifold Compacts fit easily across three seats in the back.

Is the mifold Comfort car seat safe?

You can legally use the UK version of mifold Comfort car seat everywhere in the world! Well, almost everywhere (except Australia and Taiwan).

The mifold Comfort complies or exceeds the following safety standards: ECE R44.04 in the UK and Europe, NHTSA FMVSS 213 in the US, the CCC in China and the RSSR in Canada.

To fit correctly, you need to make sure:

• The car seats are completely flat on the vehicle’s seat
• The shoulder clip is adjusted to the child’s height (2 cm above child’s shoulder)
• The lap belt guides are adjusted to the position nearest to, but not touching the child’s thigh
• The seat belt is not twisted.

Click here to watch a video to how to safely install. This is also shown below.

Head over to the mifold website for more information and to check the product specifications.

Is the mifold Comfort as good as a normal car seat?

Despite being called the ‘ mifold Comfort ‘, I wouldn’t say that it is as comfortable as a normal car seat. There is a soft pad to sit on, but there are no sides and head rest. So if children are tired and want to sleep, they won’t be comfortable.

Furthermore, whilst mifold Comfort car seat is compliant or exceeds the majority of international safety standards, in comparison to a full sized car seat that provides back, sides, and head support, it doesn’t provide as much protection.

But this isn’t a car seat to be used as your main car seat day in day out. This is compact and portable car seat option to take with you anywhere; whether it’s backpacking across the globe, or as a spare car seat in the boot of your car for ferrying around extra kids on playdates. It’s a car seat of convenience.

Our personal experience of the mifold Comfort car seat

mifold have once again provided us with another game changer for our travels. The hifold is perfect for our Bongo camper travels . But the mifold Comfort is now our go-to choice for backpacking, principally because they fit into the kids’ travel backpacks so that they carry them themselves. For jumping in taxis and short-term car hire, the mifold Comfort is absolutely perfect.

It’s super easy to set up and then fold away. Just pull out the red sliders on the seat to fit the size of your child’s bottom, and slip in the seat belt straps, ensuring there are no twists. The boys (aged 6 and 8) can even fix the seatbelt themselves.

Where can I buy the mifold Comfort and how much is it?

Head over to the  mifold website  to purchase. Current retail price is £49.95. There is a choice of two colours:

• Charcoal Grey

However, you can also  purchase through Amazon , where it is sometimes cheaper.

• GROUP 2/3 CAR SEAT: designed for kids aged 4-12, weighing between 15-36kg and up to 150cm in height.
• GREAT FOR FAMILIES: ideal for middle seating, fits 3 in-a-row in most cars thanks to its narrow and…
• ADJUSTABLE TO KEEP CHILD SECURE: mifold can adjust to securely restrain children of all sizes – the…
• COMPACT & TRAVEL FRIENDLY: easily packs to take with you on school runs, days out, holidays, taxis…
• EXTRA PADDED “COMPACT COMFORT” SEAT CUSHION: includes a super comfortable padded seat, updated…

Please note, the mifold Comfort shouldn’t be confused with the mifold Original Grab-and-Go car seat , which is an earlier version of the mifold Comfort . The mifold Comfort seat is 3x thicker than the mifold Original , and hence more ‘comfortable’.

Final thoughts on the mifold Comfort

The mifold Comfort isn’t to replace full sized car seats. It is a car seat that’s convenient and compact for family travel, and also complies or exceeds international safety standards (except Taiwan and Australia).

For our current travels around Morocco is it a total gamechanger. Lugging around our car seats from home, or even the foldable hifolds we use in the Mazda Bongo, was just not feasible. The mifold Comfort car seats mean that our boys are still safe when were hiring a car or jumping in taxis, but they’re not a nuisance as they fit in the boys’ backpacks.

For anyone backpacking with kids , or needing a compact car seat for car hire, the mifold Comfort gets a big thumbs up from us. But I know that we’ll still be using them at home, as they’ll definitely come in handy when ferrying extra friends in the car to football training and play dates.

You may also like to read: What to pack for Morocco: an essential guide for families Should you hire a car in Morocco? Everything you need to know Essential tips for driving in Morocco like a pro

Consider these available items

• Baby Products
• Car Seats & Accessories

Sorry, there was a problem.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

mifold Original Grab-and-go Car Booster Seat, Perfect Pink – Compact and Portable Booster for Travel, Carpooling and More – Foldable Child Booster Seat Fits into Glove Box and Backpack

About this item.

• COMPACT BOOSTER SEAT – the world’s most compact, backless booster. Designed for kids, aged 4 and up, 40 to 100 lbs, and 40 to 57 inches tall, mifold is more than 10x smaller than a traditional booster, and just as safe.
• PORTABLE BOOSTER SEAT IDEAL FOR TRAVEL – mifold foldable booster fits into a child’s backpack, glove box or parent’s handbag, making it perfect for carpooling, as a travel booster, for ride sharing and much more.
• KEEPS CHILD SECURE – mifold ensures optimal seatbelt fit. Instead of lifting the child up, the grab-and-go car seat adjusts the adult seatbelt by pulling it down to fit the child safely and securely. Easy to clean by washing the surfaces with a mild solution of soap and water, rinsing, and then air dry.
• SAFETY TESTED – This kids booster seat meets or exceeds NHTSA standard FMVSS 213 in the USA.(THIS PRODUCT IS ONLY FOR USE IN THE USA and is not the International version, regulated under ECE R44/04)
• CONVENIENT– This travel car seat is easy to use and has won many awards, including a Mom’s Choice and Parents’ Picks Awards. It’s a great choice for older kids, grandparents or for fitting three children in a row.

Similar items that may ship from close to you

From the manufacturer

compact safety for every adventure

mifold the grab-and-go booster is the world’s most compact and portable booster ever invented. mifold protects your child by adjusting the adult’s seatbelt to fit properly. mifold is 10x smaller than a regular booster and is just as safe*. It is so small mifold folds down to fit into your child’s backpack so they can always be safe no matter whose car they are in.

• mifold is compact, safe and portable
• Designed for kids aged 4+ 40 to 100 lbs, and 40 to 57 inches tall
• Fully regulated in the USA*
• mifold is perfect for all your adventures!

10x smaller just as safe*

mifold is 10x smaller than a regular booster and is just as safe*. mifold is so compact it can fit in the glove box of a car and bigger kids love it because it is so discreet

Founder, CEO

Jonathan Album

CMO and VP Sales

Robert Morris

Describe your products in 3 words..

compact, safe, portable

How did you come up with the idea for this product?

In 2001, I had a vision to create a child car safety seat that was so compact and portable that my children could keep one with them all the time and be safe, no matter whose car they were in. This vision came from my own need. Our children were often in other people’s cars without safety seats: especially when we were carpooling with local families for the school run. Fast forward a few years and we are now delighted that other parents and caregivers are benefiting from the invention.

What makes your product special?

mifold is the leader in the new ultra-compact car seat category. We have disrupted the market with an innovative and unique product enabling children to be safe in every car, on every journey, every time.

What has been the best part of your experience?

The most rewarding moments come when children, parents and other caregivers tells how much the love and appreciate mifold. Today, hundreds of thousands of children are riding more safely in cars than before they received their mifold grab-and-go booster seat. The best part of the experience is working with such a wonderful, motivated and dedicated team. The mifold employees, our industrial designers, mechanical engineers, material scientists, manufacturing partners, supply chain and logistic experts and sales people, retailers and distributors, are all focused on the same vision. The knowledge that together we are improving the safety of children in cars, and can help reduce the number of injuries and deaths worldwide, is wonderful. This is why we all come to work in the morning.

- Project Number FMVSS 213

- Valid from:2019/04/07

Safety Information

Product description.

Looking for an on the go booster that won’t take up too much room? mifold the grab-and-go car booster is the ideal choice. mifold is the world’s most compact and portable booster seat. It is designed for kids 4 and up, 40 to 100 lbs, and 40 to 59 inches tall. This grab and go car seat is more than 10x smaller than a regular booster seat and just as safe. mifold foldable booster seat folds down to fit into a child’s backpack, glove box or a parent’s hand bag, making it perfect for carpooling, travel , for car sharing rides and much more. Keep one in your glove box for unexpected carpool visitors, bring one on your next travel adventure and give one to your children’s grandparents or other relatives and caregivers. With a booster seat for car this convenient, there’s no reason a child should not be restrained safely on every single car ride! mifold is safety tested and meets or exceeds NHTSA standard FMVSS 213 in the USA.* mifold foldable booster seat works in the exact opposite way to a traditional child booster seat. Instead of lifting the child up, mifold brings the seatbelt down. It does this at three points: there are belt guides on either side of the child's hips, to hold the lap belt correctly against the bones and off the soft stomach. These belt guides are adjustable to three sizes to make sure that the belt is always held snugly in place. There is a third clip on a strap that pulls the seatbelt chest strap down correctly onto the bones of the shoulder; away from the face and neck. So like a regular booster seat for kids, mifold holds the seat belt in exactly the correct position on the bones of the hips and the bones of the shoulder, without needing a big, bulky seat to lift the child. In a collision, the child is protected in the same way. mifold simply works to hold the adult seatbelt correctly on a child.

From the Manufacturer

Product information, technical details, additional information, warranty & support, compare with similar items, videos for this product.

Click to play video

Customer Review: Hope the next version is called "miflat" not "mifold"

Adam Balinski

Mifold installation and removal

Merchant Video

mifold Grab-and-Go Car Booster Seat

Great Product-Mifold Grab-n-Go Car Booster Seat

The Quiet Grove all Primed to Shop

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the portability and size of the infant toddler car seat. They mention it's handy for travel, easy to install, and fits better than a normal booster. Customers are also happy with appearance. However, some customers find the seat uncomfortable and hard to sit on. They also have issues with stability. Opinions are mixed on ease of use, performance, and thickness.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the infant toddler car seat handy for travel. They say it's easy to bring on the plane, move around for carpooling, and pack. Customers also say it goes every where and is the best purchase for quick access and portability. They mention it'll easily switch from vehicle to vehicle.

"...Once we got home we found that it was so easy to swap from vehicle to vehicle as well and if we had a babysitter for the day we could leave it with..." Read more

"...Pros: it’s so tiny, and handy ! I bought them because we were travelling to mexico and needed two car seats for my kids (8 and under)...." Read more

"...They've been a lifesaver for traveling, transferring between cars , and general use without the bulk...." Read more

"...BUT this Mifold car booster is most certainly great for travel/occasional purposes and has saved us many times when our daughter is going home with..." Read more

Customers like the size of the infant toddler car seat. They say it's very compact, easy to install, and fits better than a normal booster. Customers also mention that it folds up really small and is a solution for portability and ease. They also like that the lap belts both fit very well over their laps.

"... They both fit fine , and it hits their hips where it should..." Read more

"...Pros: it’s so tiny , and handy! I bought them because we were travelling to mexico and needed two car seats for my kids (8 and under)...." Read more

"...Our longest car ride was 1.5 hours. Overall, these fit our needs perfect as far as positioning the seat belt and being compact for travel!!!..." Read more

"...Overall, I LOVE how versatile, compact , light, and easy this is for travel...." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the infant toddler car seat. For example, they mention it has a great concept, design, and functionality. Some say that it's practical and useful for when they don't have other car seats. That said, some are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.

"...It's a fantastic idea , perfect size and in it's current design fine for the short unplanned trips with friends, family or avacation...." Read more

"...she hit the weight max for that seat, but this booster was perfect for what we needed !..." Read more

" These are just fantastic . They keep the seat belt in the right positioning no matter how much the kids wiggle...." Read more

"...seat after seeing the promotional videos about it, and it's a wonderful concept ...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the thickness of the infant toddler car seat. Some find it light, simple to use, and portable, while others say it's slightly heavy and non-bulky. The padding is pretty thin, and it'd not be suitable for a heavier child.

"...a lifesaver for traveling, transferring between cars, and general use without the bulk ...." Read more

"...Overall, I LOVE how versatile, compact, light , and easy this is for travel...." Read more

"...Cons: heavy con ! My kids couldnt stay seated upright in it...." Read more

"...It is super light , unlike other car seats that are heavy and bulky...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the infant toddler car seat. Some mention that it's easy to install and use, while others say that it takes time to learn the new item and is cumbersome.

"... Easy to use once you set it up (took two times of using it before finally getting the hang of it)...." Read more

"...it, but it still takes up more room than I'd like and the set up is a little longer than I'd like, especially when I've got a taxi sitting at the..." Read more

"These have been ultra convenient , especially with 3 kids...." Read more

"...They’re also not that easy to put on and take off. My 5 year old was unable to strap or un strap herself without the belt getting stuck...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the performance of the infant toddler car seat. Some mention that it works well, is easy to setup, and is a great space saver. However, others say that it's not practical, hard to use, and not a good substitute for a special chair.

"...I purchased two of these and they worked great in our rental car ! We used them daily...." Read more

"...It does exactly what it says it will and functions exactly as advertised , however it’s not really something I would use regularly...." Read more

"...plan extra time at airport. good for occasional travel, not for regular use . way expensive." Read more

"...This would also work great for carpooling or even traveling when you need a safety seat "to go." We just traveled out of state a few months..." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the comfort of the infant toddler car seat. They mention that it's uncomfortable, painful to sit on, and hard to use consistently. Some say that the seat isn't cushioned much and that their butts are sore after road trips.

"...in my bag and move them easily, my kids complained of them being very uncomfortable ...." Read more

"...is that my children all complain about the seat pad hurting and being uncomfortable . It has little bumps on it and that Texture really bothers them...." Read more

"...says that it's comfortable and she's happy with it...." Read more

"...My daughters both found it uncomfortable over a 3 minute ride home from school.Another gripe is the sides don't lock in...." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the stability of the infant toddler car seat. They mention that it keeps sliding out of position when they are buckled in, it slips back and forth while driving, and the mifold slides around on the car seat, making it uncomfortable. Some customers also say that the seat does not stay locked and the mufold moves around on it. Overall, customers find it impossible to keep it in its proper position while buckling in their children.

"...Cons: heavy con! My kids couldnt stay seated upright in it ...." Read more

"...I also noticed that the seat itself slid around while in the car, and would fold when my kids sat down if I didn’t hold it flat for them...." Read more

"...The belt always got stuck and they couldn’t get out without adult assistance. (Same goes for strapping in. Needs adult assistance.)..." Read more

"...I found it impossible to keep it in its proper position while buckling in my children...." Read more

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Baby and kid

The Best Travel Car Seats

Let’s face it: Traveling with little kids can be a slog. But a lightweight, compact, easy-to-install travel car seat is one tool that can make trips a bit easier.

We’ve tested 17 travel car seats for infants and up, and we examined how they performed in various circumstances, including during air travel and in rental cars. The Chicco KeyFit 35 , one of our picks for the best infant car seats , is an excellent choice for both travel and everyday use. For an affordable and easy-to-use convertible car seat for toddlers and preschoolers, we recommend traveling with the Cosco Scenera Next , which fits kids up to 40 inches tall for rear-facing or 43 inches for forward-facing. For kids bigger than that who still need a seat with a five-point harness, we recommend the Cosco Finale 2-in-1 , which also converts to a high-back booster. The backless, lightweight Cosco Rise is great for booster-age kids.

If you’ll be hopping in and out of taxis or ride shares with a baby, the Doona is a unique but expensive infant car seat that converts to a stroller. And instead of purchasing a dedicated convertible car seat for travel, another option is to bring yours along with the Britax Travel Cart .

Everything we recommend

Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex

The best infant car seat for travel.

If you’re a frequent traveler, the Chicco KeyFit 35 is easier than most infant car seats to install securely without its base.

Buying Options

An infant car seat and stroller in one

This unusual car seat has integrated wheels that pop out to turn it into a stroller. It’s best for parents who frequently need to move their car seat in and out of different vehicles.

Cosco Scenera Next

The best convertible car seat for travel.

This affordable and easy-to-use car seat weighs 6.8 pounds and can be used rear- and forward-facing. But kids can outgrow it quickly.

Cosco Finale 2-in-1 Booster Car Seat

The best harness booster car seat for travel.

This no-frills seat converts from a forward-facing five-point harness to a high-back booster. It weighs just 12 pounds.

Britax Travel Cart

A travel cart for lugging your own seat through the airport.

This sturdy, smooth-rolling travel cart helps you transport your own convertible car seat—and avoid buying a standalone travel seat. You can even strap your child into their seat and use it like a stroller.

The best backless booster seat for travel

This basic booster seat weighs only 2.2 pounds and can work for children as small as 40 pounds. But it has a rather large footprint and will be too big to fit in most carry-ons.

How we picked

A seat that’s lightweight is more manageable to carry between multiple locations. A more compact seat is also easier to pack.

We considered the seat’s comfort and ability to adjust straps and buckles.

Ease of installation is paramount, as the easier it is to do, the more likely it will be done properly.

We looked at crash-testing scores and ease-of-use ratings. Our infant, convertible, and harness booster picks are FAA-approved for use on a plane.

The Chicco KeyFit 35 is a great all-around infant car seat—and one of the ones we recommend for everyday use. But for travel it stands out: It has a European belt path that makes it easier to get a secure install without the base than for many car seats, and it’s cheaper than other seats that have this belt routing option.

Weight of seat: 10 pounds Orientation: rear-facing only Weight range: 4 to 35 pounds Height limit: 32 inches

Parents who can’t leave their infant seat base installed in a specific car but instead need to travel by taxi or rideshare frequently may find the innovative Doona to be a convenient option. This sleek infant car seat has integrated wheels and converts to a stroller that maneuvers easily, plus the seat is FAA-approved for use on an airplane. But the versatile Doona is much heavier and more expensive than a regular infant car seat.

Weight of seat: 14.3 pounds Orientation: rear-facing only Weight range: 4 to 35 pounds Height limit: 32 inches

The Cosco Scenera Next is a notably lightweight, affordable convertible car seat that is simple to install and carry on an airplane. It receives strong safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is FAA-approved for use on a plane. But many kids will outgrow it before they reach the height or weight limit because of the low position of the shoulder straps.

Weight of seat: 6.8 pounds Orientation: rear- or forward-facing Weight range: 5 to 40 pounds rear-facing; 22-40 pounds forward-facing Height range: 19-40 inches rear-facing; 29-43 inches forward-facing

For children using a forward-facing five-point harness, the Cosco Finale 2-in-1 is a lightweight and affordable travel option that is FAA-approved for use on a plane (in harness mode only). It also converts to a high-back booster. However, it has lower height limits than some boosters, so kids may not get as many years of use from it, in comparison with pricier options.

Weight of seat: 12 pounds Orientation: forward-facing only Weight range: 30 to 65 pounds for harness mode; 40 to 100 pounds for high-back mode Height range: 32 to 49 inches for harness mode; 43 to 52 inches for high-back mode

Bringing your own car seat to the airport has one big advantage—you don’t have to learn how to install yet another seat. But your own convertible car seat is likely to be heavy (our picks in our guide to convertible car seats range from 19 to 33 pounds). The Britax Travel Cart is compatible with most convertible seats, and when your car seat is secured to it with LATCH, you can use it like a stroller to push your toddler through the airport. The cart can then be stored in an overhead bin during your flight.

Weight of cart: 7.6 pounds

If you need a cheap, no-frills booster seat, we recommend the Cosco Rise . It’s a bit too large to fit into a carry-on suitcase or backpack, but it’s easy to attach with a bungee cord to a carry-on for plane travel. It’s also a great option if you just need a spare booster for carpools or to order ahead for use at the grandparents' house.

Weight of seat: 2.2 pounds Weight range: 40 to 100 pounds Height range: 43 to 57 inches

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, the best infant car seat for travel: chicco keyfit 35, an infant seat and stroller in one: doona, the best convertible car seat for travel: cosco scenera next, the best harness booster seat for travel: cosco finale 2-in-1, a great car seat caddy: britax travel cart, the best booster seat for travel: cosco rise, other good travel car seats, should a kid sit in a car seat on the airplane, what about checking a car seat, the competition, care, use, and maintenance.

The authors of this guide have collectively interviewed 40 industry experts, safety authorities, and physicians. Among them were certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) such as Lani Harrison, who installs more than 300 car seats each year; Dr. Aditya Belwadi, a biomechanics research scientist who previously led the child passenger safety research team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and now works at Tesla in Crash, Safety, and Occupant Protection/Biomechanics; and Bill Horn, head sled testing engineer at Calspan , one of the country’s top crash-testing facilities. The authors also talked with dozens of parents and representatives from leading car seat manufacturers.

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. Rebecca has also been certified as a CPST, completing a 40-hour training program through the Safe Kids Worldwide organization.

In 2022 and 2023, this guide was updated by Christina Szalinski, a science writer whose reporting on health and parenting has appeared in The Atlantic and Kaiser Health News . In addition to writing the most recent versions of Wirecutter’s infant and convertible car seat guides, Christina is responsible for Wirecutter’s guides to the Best Baby Formula and kids face masks .

Few people strictly need a separate car seat for travel as you can gate- or baggage-check any car seat for free with most airlines. But lugging your regular (likely heavy and bulky) seat in and out of the car and through the airport can be a major hassle. Investing in a smaller, lighter-weight option may be worthwhile, especially if you fly or use ridesharing services or taxis frequently.

Infant car seats for travel

If you’re traveling with an infant or baby, bringing along your usual infant car seat without its base (to cut down on weight and heft) is typically the best option. Our top infant car seat pick, the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX , is relatively lightweight and, like other infant car seats, can be safely strapped in with a seatbelt only and no base.

There are two possible ways to install an infant car seat without a base: either with the belt directly across the top, called “American routing,” or with the shoulder belt placed around the back of the seat in addition to the top, called “European routing.” It’s easier to get a secure fit with European routing, and two seats we recommend in our guide to infant car seats, the Chicco KeyFit 35 and the Clek Liing , are designed to allow for that type of install. If you know you’ll be traveling with your infant often, it may be worthwhile to choose one of these as your baby’s first car seat.

Many infant car seats are compatible with easy-to-fold stroller frames, such as the Chicco KeyFit Caddy , which turns an infant car seat into a stroller and can be convenient for travel. Most infant seats are FAA-approved for airplane use, should you decide to purchase an airplane seat for your infant.

Convertible car seats for travel

When your child has outgrown their infant car seat, deciding on a car seat for travel can be trickier. Alisa Baer, a pediatrician, CPST, and co-founder of the website The Car Seat Lady , recommends bringing your own convertible car seat and using a travel cart . That way you have a seat that you’re already comfortable installing. But some people will prefer a dedicated travel car seat, as they can be significantly lighter than regular seats—as little as 7 pounds versus 20 to 30 pounds.

If you do buy a dedicated travel seat, it’s a good idea to practice installing it before your trip—you don’t want to be figuring it out for the first time when you, and your kid, are potentially jet lagged and feeling extra cranky. 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.

Booster seats for travel

If your everyday booster seat has a removable back (as with our top pick and runner-up pick, the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus and the Graco TurboBooster LX ), you may prefer to simply bring that seat for travel, leaving the bulky back at home. But like with convertible seats, it’s also an option to get a dedicated travel booster that may be significantly lighter and smaller than the one you rely on every day.

Jessica Jermakian, vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, offered several tips for bringing along a backless booster, especially if it’s not one that’s compact: “I bungee cord them to my luggage while traversing the airport. On most flights, my kids could shove them under the seat in front of them and still have room to throw their backpack on top. On some flights, I’ve put them in a tote in the overhead compartment.”

Travel car seat alternatives

If you’re headed to a familiar destination, you could look into borrowing a seat from friends or relatives. Or, you may be able to rent one through a baby equipment rental service.

Many car rental companies also offer car seats for a daily fee, but it can cost up to $15 a day—adding up to much more than the cost of a travel car seat, which can be less than $50. And though you can reserve one in advance, rental car seats are subject to availability, so there’s no guarantee that one will be available when you arrive. The car seat provided may also be difficult to install properly, especially in an unfamiliar car. That said, you may be able to find discounts or other benefits through programs such as AAA, which offers one free car seat rental for members when they book a car through Hertz, Dollar, or Thrifty. Ridesharing and airport and town car services may also provide a car seat with advance reservations.

There are hundreds of travel car seat options for infants, toddlers, and older kids. We began the whittling down process by examining online customer reviews and existing media coverage, which included going to Car Seats for the Littles , Lucie’s List , and the Car Seat Lady . We found the travel car seat category to be sorely lacking in an abundance of great options, so we also considered some “regular” car seats and alternatives.

We knew from our expert interviews that proper installation is generally a far bigger problem than the level of protection that a seat inherently provides, so we searched the NHTSA ease-of-use installation database to help determine which seats offer easy installation and come with clear instructions. We also relied on the personal experience of Wirecutter staffers, volunteer testers, and car seat techs who had used the car seats in the past.

Our research led us to conclude that the ideal travel car seat should be:

Lightweight and compact: A travel car seat will likely need to be carried between multiple locations, sometimes with a baby inside (if we’re talking about an infant). The less the seat weighs, the easier it is to deal with when combined with children and carry-on items. A more compact seat can also fit more readily in a wide variety of vehicles.

FAA approved: For parents who want to use their infant seat, convertible car seat, or harness booster on a plane, FAA certification is crucial.

Easy to install: As with all of our car seat recommendations, ease of installation is paramount, as the easier it is to do, the more likely it is to be done properly.

Easy to use: Straps should be simple to adjust to get a snug but comfortable fit in a five-point harness. The buckles should be easy for parents to clip and unclip but difficult to impossible for children to mess with. We considered the experience of both parents and kids in using the seats, as well as how easy each seat was to clean.

Safe: When it comes to travel, convenience can trump a minor safety advantage; a seat that you can bring along with you is vastly superior to no seat at all. Still, we did take the relevant government safety data from NHTSA into consideration.

Over the past five years we’ve tested 17 car seats with travel specifically in mind.

If you’re shopping for an infant car seat with travel in mind, we recommend the FAA-approved Chicco KeyFit 35 , one of our picks in our guide to infant car seats . It is lightweight and easy to use, and it can be installed securely without its base using the European belt path, a method that generally provides a superior install. (Any infant seat can be installed without its base, so if you already have an infant seat, using what you already own is likely the easiest choice.)

You can save on weight and bulk by leaving a car seat base at home when traveling. There are two ways to install an infant seat without its base. The most common is American belt routing, in which the seat belt goes over the top of the infant seat and the baby’s knees. We’ve found that it can be very difficult to secure an infant seat in the car securely using this method.

A few seats also offer the option to rely on the European belt path, the method we prefer, in which the lap belt goes over the top of the infant seat and the shoulder belt goes around the back. It’s easier to get a secure install with the European belt path, but it’s only found on a few car seat models. Of the four infant car seats we recommend, only the Chicco KeyFit 35 and Clek Liing offer the option of using the European belt path.

Beyond the advantage of the European belt bath, the Chicco KeyFit 35 has everything we love about the more popular Chicco KeyFit 30 with a few bonus features, such as an anti-rebound base as an added safety option. The KeyFit 35 can also accommodate a slightly larger baby (up to 35 pounds) than the KeyFit 30.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The KeyFit 35 is about $50 more than our top infant car seat choice, the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX . It probably doesn’t make sense to buy this seat just for travel if you already own a similar infant car seat. But if you plan to be jet-setting with your baby, it may be worth the additional $50 or so to get a better on-the-go install from the start.

The Doona is an FAA-approved infant car seat (rear-facing only) with built-in wheels that allow it to convert to a stroller. For travel, this is about as convenient as it gets, allowing caregivers to rely on a single piece of equipment to accomplish two goals: avoid gate-checking a stroller—assuming an airline seat is purchased for the infant—and hop in and out of cabs without having to stow anything in the trunk.

Compared with a regular infant car seat, the Doona has some drawbacks. For one thing, it did not perform particularly well in Baby Gear Lab’s crash testing (there are no government crash tests available yet for this seat). For this reason, and because it’s tricky to install without its base (as most infant seats are), one of our car seat experts does not recommend this seat. At 14.3 pounds, it’s heavy and bulky to carry and maneuver when in car seat mode. The Doona also has the steepest price of any of the car seats (including infant, convertible, and boosters) that we’ve reviewed. It does come with a traditional infant car seat base that allows for an easy click in and out of a car, but the extra width means it could be impossible to fit three across in a backseat. And it would defeat the point to use that base for travel.

Switching the Doona from car seat mode to stroller mode and back requires “both hands and concentration,” said one tester, as well as “quite a bit of practice for me. It takes a rather specific, subtle motion to collapse it back and tuck the wheels.” It’s harder than taking a regular infant car seat off of a stroller with an infant seat attachment. Plus, once your child outgrows this seat, you’ll have to buy another stroller.

As a stroller, the Doona maneuvers easily, and the brake is intuitive and easy to use. But though it comes with an attached storage bag, the Doona lacks a storage basket.

The inexpensive Cosco Scenera Next weighs just 6.8 pounds, is relatively easy to carry and install, and can be used rear-facing from 5 to 40 pounds and forward-facing from 22 to 40 pounds. It’s FAA-certified and easy to install on an airplane (using the plane’s seatbelt).

The Cosco sells for $60, which is a bargain compared with many convertible car seats (the Graco Extend2Fit , our favorite convertible seat for everyday use, is a little over $200). The seat gets strong safety ratings from NHTSA, and given its low weight and heft and easy-enough install, we think it’s the best option available for an on-the-go or backup car seat. We strongly prefer the (heftier) Graco Extend2Fit for everyday use. That’s because it’s easier to get a safe, secure install with that seat and to adjust it to fit the child. Plus, it can be used forward-facing until a kid is 65 pounds and 49 inches tall—a much longer usable life than the Scenera Next.

Several Wirecutter staffers use or have used the Cosco Scenera Next, appreciating its low cost, low weight, and small size. They’ve found that the seat’s slim profile makes it a great option for smaller cars (specifically, a Prius or Renault Scenic). Senior editor Courtney Schley found that the Cosco allowed her to get three seats (two Coscos and one infant car seat) across in her family’s car.

The Scenera Next’s low shoulder straps mean that a child may outgrow this seat well before they are ready for a booster. ( Shoulder straps should hit at or below the shoulders when a child is rear-facing; when forward-facing the straps should hit at or above the shoulders.) 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. With a long torso, the straps end up hitting below the shoulders, a situation that can compromise safety.

Though the Scenera Next is simple to install compared with other lightweight convertible car seats we tested, some of our testers still found it difficult to get a tight, secure install. It has hook LATCH straps that aren’t particularly easy to use—you really have to tug on the LATCH straps to get a tight fit, and getting them off can be an even bigger challenge. We preferred installing the seat with a seat belt in unfamiliar cars, which was an easier way to get a tight install (try the inside/outside trick with the shoulder belt), and made it much easier to uninstall.

Our testers also found that the chest clip on the harness wasn’t as responsive or easy to use as those on more expensive seats. The Scenera Next also has less padding than many seats, though Baer points out that the padding on most seats is highly compressible, meaning that just because a seat looks fluffier doesn’t mean it provides much more cushion.

This seat also has a few downsides if you bring it on a plane. Like most convertible car seats, it’s wider than the aisle, so you have to carry it awkwardly down the plane to get to your seat, which can be quite a challenge if you’re on your own and have other carry-on items (plus your child). Additionally, the plane’s seat belt buckle is going to be pushing into your child’s back if the seat is oriented forward-facing. Alisa Baer, co-founder of The Car Seat Lady, recommends installing any seat with this issue rear-facing, even if a kid is used to forward-facing. Or you can put a diaper or other soft item over the buckle to make it a bit more comfortable.

The Cosco Finale 2-in-1 is a solid option for kids who are no longer rear-facing but still benefit from a five-point harness. It’s affordable, weighs just 12 pounds, and is relatively easy to install using the car’s seat belt while in harness mode (it also comes with LATCH straps, though we didn’t find these as easy to use). In booster mode Like other boosters, in booster mode this seat relies on the car’s seat belt to secure the child, so there’s no need to install it.

This bigger-kid seat can see a growing child through years of travel: It can be used as a forward-facing five-point harness booster seat from 30 to 65 pounds and then as a regular (harness-free) booster from 40 to 100 pounds (up until a child is 52 inches tall).

As a five-point harness, it’s FAA-certified and easy to install on an airplane using the plane’s seatbelt. However, when it’s in booster mode, like all boosters, it cannot be used on an airplane.

In harness mode, the Cosco Finale 2-in-1 performed well in an NHTSA crash test. And several Wirecutter staffers use or have used the Cosco Finale 2-in-1 while traveling after their child outgrew the Cosco Scenera Next—they liked the price and straightforward install. Converting the seat to a booster is fairly straightforward , and the seat has storage for the harness, crotch buckle, and chest clip. Once the seat is in booster mode, your child can’t use it on an airplane, but many airlines will allow you to check a booster seat for free (you may wish to check with your airline in advance).

A more expensive version of the Cosco Finale 2-in-1, the Cosco Finale DX 2-in-1 , is also available. The only difference between the two is the fabric—the DX has a tiny bit more cushion and a slightly less slippery texture. We asked several children to try each seat and then report their favorite (they wore blindfolds, to remove color preference as a factor). There was no clear winner between the two seats, and our adult testers could hardly distinguish a difference in the cushioning. For this reason, we don’t think it’s worth the extra $20 for the DX.

When using the Finale 2-in-1 in harness mode, you first have to install it in the car, which you can do either with the seat’s LATCH straps or with the car’s seat belt. We found the Finale 2-in-1’s hook LATCH straps difficult to use—it’s hard to get a tight fit in the car, and getting them off can be a big challenge. As we did with the Cosco Scenera Next, we preferred installing the harnessed seat with a seat belt; this was an easier way to get a tight install (try the inside/outside trick with the shoulder belt) and also made it much easier to uninstall. (When the harness is removed and the seat is in booster mode, you do not need to install it in the car, since the car’s seat belt holds it in place and secures the child.)

Our testers also found that the chest clip on the harness was a bit more difficult to open compared to those on more expensive seats like the Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 . The straps have to be manually threaded through the car seat, which isn’t particularly difficult or time consuming, but you have to remember to do it before you install the seat. 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).

This seat won’t have as many years of use as other travel options, like the Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1, because the Cosco has a maximum height of 52 inches (most boosters go to 57 inches) and does not convert to a backless booster.

If you need to travel with a convertible car seat, you can bring the one you already have to the airport and onto the airplane with the Britax Travel Cart . The main benefit of bringing your own is that you’ll have a seat that you (and your child) are comfortable with, and that you know how to install confidently.

There are a number of similar travel carts out there, but we think this one offers the most for the price. We like that when the car seat is strapped onto the cart using the car seat’s LATCH clips, you can use the whole thing like a stroller and push (or pull) your child through the airport. The frame is also studier than other models—it can hold a total of 100 pounds of car seat and child. Plus, when it’s time to get on the plane you can fold the cart to stow it in an overhead bin.

At about $100 for the cart, it is cheaper to purchase a budget convertible car seat like the Cosco Scenera Next. However, depending on your circumstances, the Britax Travel Cart may outlive the expiration of many car seats (which are between six and 10 years), and could be used for future car seats, or passed along without as much consideration as a used car seat.

For a cheap, no-frills booster seat, the Cosco Rise is a reliable option that weighs only 2.2 pounds. It’s simple to use: Like other backless booster seats, it does not need to be physically attached to the vehicle; a child simply sits in it and fastens the car’s lap belt over their knees (under the seat’s sides).

The Chicco GoFit Plus is our overall top pick for the best backless booster seat because it’s cushy, made with easy-to-clean materials, and includes two cup holders and a LATCH system to anchor the seat to the car. But it’s bulky, heavy, and not great for travel. 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).

The Cosco Rise can accommodate children as small as 40 pounds, as long as they are also 43 inches tall, meaning it will work for most kids 5 and up but may not accommodate some 4-year-olds.

This seat is a bit too large to fit easily into a carry-on suitcase or backpack (it takes up almost all the room top-to-bottom in a standard-sized carry-on, with only a little room left on the side). There is also almost no padding on this seat, merely a polyester cover, but for short rides, our testers didn’t complain.

If you want an upgraded infant seat that’s great for travel : We recommend the Clek Liing , one of our favorite infant seats . Like the Chicco KeyFit 35, the Clek Liing can be installed without its base using a European belt path, which is much easier to get secure than the standard American belt routing found on most infant car seats. And when you’re at home, we love how easy it is to install the Liing’s base, which includes an added safety feature: a load leg .

If you want a high-end infant seat and don’t own a car: The lightweight, easy-to-clean Clek Liingo is similar to the Clek Liing but without the base. In general, we think installing a seat with the base is an easier and more secure option with infant car seats. But if you don’t own a car, the Liingo can be installed without a base in several ways. It has the same European belt path that the Liing has, which routes the lap belt over the top and the shoulder belt around the back for more security than an install that just goes over the top of the seat. The Liingo also comes with a LATCH strap that routes in the same spot as the lap belt—though we found this was not nearly as secure as the European belt path routing.

If you want a longer-lasting five-point harness seat for older kids: The Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 is a good choice. This forward-facing-only seat has a five-point harness that holds kids from 22 to 65 pounds and up to 49 inches tall, and it can be adjusted without rethreading it, so it is easier to modify as your child grows. When your child is ready for a regular booster, you can remove the harness and crotch buckle, converting the seat to a high-back booster that can hold a child from 40 to 100 pounds and up to 57 inches tall. Finally, you can remove the back and convert the seat to a lightweight backless booster that can also be used from 40 to 100 pounds and up to 57 inches tall.

First off, a car seat must be FAA-approved—as all of our recommended infant and convertible seats are—for a kid to ride in one on an airplane. (Booster seats are reserved for older children and not intended for use on airplane seats.)

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and CPSTs believe it is safer for kids under 2 to ride in a car seat aboard a plane rather than in their parents’ arms. In the event of turbulence or rough air, a child is much safer if strapped in. Being injured in turbulence , though very unlikely, does affect a handful of American flyers each year, and recent research indicates that turbulence is on the rise due to climate change.

Many parents find that air travel is easier when their child has their own seat (though of course you have to pay for that additional seat). Children are allowed to sit on caregivers’ laps on planes until age 2, but few toddlers can sit still for a long period of time, and that extra harness and recline (as well as familiarity) provided by the car seat may keep a child seated comfortably longer, especially once they are mobile but still too young to fully understand how to sit still in a lap belt.

There are a number of challenges to bringing a car seat, especially a convertible seat designed for a toddler, onto a plane. Some smaller planes may have seats that aren’t wide enough for many convertible car seats. And even if the car seat is narrow enough for the plane, not many seats are narrow enough to easily fit down the aisle. The Clek Foonf , one of our convertible car seat picks, is one of them, but it is pricey and heavy. (The Clek Fllo , Graco SlimFit3 LX , and Graco True3Fit also fit on an airplane seat, but we did not test them.) You’ll generally have to lift a car seat above the seats to carry it to the rear of a plane.

Finally, unlike a car seat buckle, which sits on your hip, a plane’s seat buckle sits right in the middle of your lap. That means for many car seats, once you install them on the plane, there’s going to be a large metal buckle below your child’s legs or behind their back (the Clek seats are among the few without this issue). Alisa Baer, co-founder of The Car Seat Lady, recommends using convertible seats with buckle-in-the-back issues rear-facing, even with a larger child—they’ll likely be more comfortable if their feet have a place to rest, plus they won’t be trying to rest their feet on the passenger’s seat in front of them. You can also put a diaper or spare T-shirt over the buckle to make it a bit more comfortable.

Some parents may find it simpler to use a CARES harness (Child Aviation Restraint System) to help keep kids in their seats on a plane (and their kids may prefer sitting in an airplane seat over a car seat); you install this four-point harness around the child’s seatback and under the tray behind it.

Most airlines allow at least one car seat to be checked for free but doing so has several potential problems . The luggage can be handled roughly and tossed, damaging the car seat in the process. Seats, like any piece of luggage, can also be lost or misplaced in transit. Ultimately, the main reason you may want to have your child use a car seat on the plane is so that you are absolutely confident you’ll have the car seat when you arrive at your destination.

For people who do check in their car seats, Harrison recommends—ideally—using the original box and styrofoam that the seat came with if they are available or using Bubble Wrap and a garbage bag if not. Examine the seat for visible damage when it comes out at baggage claim, and be prepared to replace the seat if it’s broken or bent.

Infant travel seats

The Chicco Fit2 can accommodate infants as small as 4 pounds and toddlers as large as 35 pounds or 35 inches. Like the Chicco KeyFit 35 we recommend as the best infant car seat for travel, it can be installed with a European belt path. But because of this seat’s large size, some seat belts are too short to route over the car seat securely.

Convertible travel seats

We previously recommended the lightweight, foldable, forward-facing WAYB Pico (rhymes with “baby”) as a good travel car seat for kids who are too big for the Cosco Scenera Next but still need a five-point harness. Its adjustable seat back allows it to accommodate taller kids, and its slim design means it takes up less room in the backseat than other car seats. The 8-pound seat is exceptionally convenient to install, uninstall, and carry around, including through airports and onto a plane. In September 2019, however, WAYB announced it was recalling 4,558 Pico car seats manufactured between March 1 and May 12, 2019, due to reports of breakage in the aluminum tube connecting the headrest to the seat. You can read NHSTA’s report (PDF)  for details about the recall, how to identify your car seat’s date of manufacture, and how to inspect your car seat for damage. Since the recall, there have not been further reports of problems. Like all car seats sold in the US, the Pico was self-certified by WAYB to pass NHTSA standards (PDF) for safety testing.

The EvenFlo Tribute is a lightweight seat (9 pounds) similar to the Cosco Scenera Next and also has a weight limit of 40 pounds, but as our convertible car seat guide testing showed us, it’s not as easy to get a good install with this seat. CPSTs like Harrison recommend using a towel or pool noodle when using the Tribute to address this. It’s also more expensive than the Cosco Scenera Next.

Booster travel seats

We previously recommended the BubbleBum , an inflatable, portable backless booster seat for older kids. However, in February 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety raised concerns about the safety of inflatable boosters. A study using a computerized model determined that an inflatable booster may not have the stiffness required to keep a child from sliding out from under the lap belt upon impact in a car crash.

The backless Cosco Topside is too large to fit into a carry-on or a backpack. Unlike the Cosco Rise , our favorite backless booster for travel, this booster seat also doesn’t have a belt-positioning clip, which can help the shoulder belt fit better on a smaller rider.

We liked the Graco RightGuide booster seat because it was small enough to fit inside a carry-on or backpack. But it was recently discontinued.

The Immi Go is a booster car seat with a five-point harness that folds conveniently into its own carrying bag. Due to low sales, it is no longer for sale in the US, but you may see this seat if you travel abroad.

The MiFold backless booster seat (currently unavailable) is small enough to fit into the back pocket of some pants and weighs less than 2 pounds. It works by moving the seat belt down to fit the kid (as opposed to raising the kid to fit the belt, as other boosters do). However, our testers found its hard plastic shell uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time and said that the seat was complicated and unintuitive to set up. Also, a car seat safety expert we consulted noted that the design of the seat may encourage a child to use bad posture while they’re sitting in it—in an effort to find a more comfortable position, the child may tend to scoot forward, moving the slick-bottomed seat along with them, which could pose a safety concern.

Travel carts

The Torevsior Car Seat Travel Cart is about $25 less than the Britax Travel Cart we recommend, but it’s also less robust—the frame just doesn’t feel as sturdy. The weight limit is also lower than the Britax’s, at 70 pounds versus Britax’s 100 pounds. Like the Britax travel cart, the Torevsior cart has hooks for LATCH straps, to secure a car seat onto the cart so that your child can ride in it as you’re moving through the airport. It’s 6.4 pounds (Britax is 7.6 pounds), and extends up to 46 inches (Britax to 42 inches).

All of the guidelines for car seat care, use, and maintenance in our other car seat guides apply to travel car seats as well.

This guide was edited by Ellen Lee, Amy Miller Kravetz and Kalee Thompson.

Jessica Jermakian, vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , email exchange , August 1, 2022

Alisa Baer, pediatrician, nationally certified child passenger safety instructor, and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady , phone interview, July 15, 2022 and January 9, 2023

Lani Harrison, CPST, Car Seats for the Littles , email interview , January 28, 2019

Meet your guides

Christina Szalinski

Christina Szalinski is a freelance science writer with a PhD in cell biology.

Rebecca Gale

Further reading

The Best Booster Car Seats

by Rebecca Gale

After researching over 50 booster car seats and testing 13, we’ve concluded that the convenient Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is the best overall choice.

Traveling With Little Kids Can Be Tough. The Right Gear Can Help.

by Kerry Davis McGuinness

From compact car seats and cribs to portable blackout shades and white noise machines, the right tools for travel can lead to less fuss—and more fun.

The Best Travel Strollers

by Elise Czajkowski

After testing seven travel strollers on various trips and excursions, we’re confident that the Uppababy Minu V2 is the one to get.

The Best Infant Car Seats

by Christina Szalinski

After extensive research and field testing, we found that the Graco SnugRide SnugFit 35 DLX is the best infant car seat for most families.

• Register your booster
• mifold -Instruction videos and manuals
• hifold - Instruction Videos and manuals
• FAQ - mifold
• FAQ - hifold
• Shipping Policy
• Accessibility statement
• Regulatory approval
• Testimonials
• cps techs and instructors
• mifold and hifold awards
• Influencer Affiliate Program
• Mifold Worldwide

Your Cart is Empty

• $0.00 Subtotal

• mifold Comfort

mifold hifold

mifold Original

• mifold Basic
• mifold Sport
• Accessories

mifold Comfort 

mifold Basic 

mifold hifold fit-and-fold booster

The world's most adjustable highback booster seat. designed f or children aged 4 and up, weighing 40-100 lbs and 40”-59” tall. t he unique "multi-fit ™ " technology will grow with your child keeping them safe & comfortable. .

O rders will be  dispatched within 3-4 days 

Shipping to US only

compact safety for every adventure

hifold features the unique “Multi-Fit™” technology. hifold is the only booster seat that can be adjusted separately in 4 areas including, the seat width (3 settings), the body width (3 settings), the head width (3 settings) and the height (9 settings).

This means that hifold not only grows with the child but also ensures optimal seatbelt fit and comfort, no matter the size or shape of the child

The advanced “MultiFold™ “ system quickly folds down into a compact and convenient size making it ideal for storage.

hifold comes with a convenient carry strap which ensures ease of portability whether for taking on vacation, moving from car to car or for carpooling and taxis.

hifold is regulated for global use. (except Australia) 

The 6 advanced impact-protection zones and 4 layer design ensure optimum comfort and protection.  hifold uses advanced lightweight materials including a polyproylene shell,  EPE, a PU foam and fabric layer. 

Expedia Rewards is now One Key™

Car Rental Elektrostal

Search and compare from car companies in elektrostal.

Include AARP member rates

Membership is required and verified at pick-up.

Featured car rental suppliers

Compare from agencies.

Compare car suppliers to unlock big savings, and package your flight, hotel, and car to save even more.

One Key members save 10% or more on select hotels, cars, activities and vacation rentals.

Enjoy maximum flexibility with penalty-free cancellation on most car rentals.

Top Car Deals in Elektrostal

Don't see what you're looking for?

Frequently asked questions.

• You’ll feel the lively spirit of bustling city life the minute you pull into Moscow. Some 35 mi from Elektrostal, it has loads of fantastic spots to visit, like Red Square.
• About 35 mi away, Ryazan is another location worth putting on your travel itinerary. Don’t forget to stop by Monument to Evpatiy Kolovrat during your visit.
• After all that time behind the wheel, treat yourself to a dose of nature at Nikola-Lenivets Art Park. It’s roughly 130 mi from Elektrostal.

Car Rental Information

Finding the cheapest car rentals in elektrostal, using our search wizard.

If the deals that are available on our page do not suit your needs, then enter Elektrostal into the search wizard at the top of the page. We will compare all the best deals available for your car rental in Elektrostal and provide you with a list of the cheapest options, with no added fees.

Renting a car in Elektrostal

Pay at pickup is available, so you don’t have to worry about spending your money until you arrive at your vehicle in Elektrostal . We partner with reliable partners that guarantee an enjoyable experience for solo travelers, couples, and families. Package your car with a flight or hotel to unlock even more savings from Expedia.

Expected prices in Elektrostal

Prices are subject to seasonal change depending on when you decide to arrange your car rental but right now you can book .

Flexibility & Cancellation

Most car suppliers offer penalty-free cancellations, so you don’t have to worry about losing money if your plans change. To cancel your booking log into your account through the Trips portal. Click manage booking and cancel this car. If you needed to alter your booking, then you can create a new one once you have canceled.

We all love being rewarded

One Key members save 10% or more on select hotels, cars, activities and vacation rentals. Not only that, earn OneKeyCash for every dollar spent on eligible hotels, vacation rentals, flights, car rentals, and more when you book across our family of brands: Expedia, Hotels.com and VRBO. Learn more and join today.

Car classes available from Expedia in 2024

The classes of vehicles available will change depending on your chosen location.

• Compact car rentals    
• Convertible car rentals    
• Economy car rentals    
• Fullsize car rentals    
• Luxury car rentals
• Midsize car rentals    
• Mini car rentals    
• Minivan rentals    
• Pickup car rentals    
• Premium car rentals
• Sportscar rentals    
• Standard car rentals    
• SUV rentals    
• Van rentals

Popular Airports close to Elektrostal

• Experience new places with Expedia
• Car rentals at Vnukovo Intl. Airport (VKO)
• Car rentals at Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO)
• Car rentals at Domodedovo Intl. Airport (DME)
• Car rentals at Zhukovsky Airport (ZIA)

Cities near Elektrostal

• Car rentals in Northern Europe
• Car rentals in Eastern Europe
• Car rentals in Lyubertsy
• Car rentals in Balashikha
• Car rentals in Zhukovsky
• Car rentals in Kosherovo
• Car rentals in Losino-Petrovsky
• Car rentals in Ramenskoye
• Car rentals in Zheleznodorozhny
• Car rentals in Shchelkovo

Car Rental Deals in Top Destinations

• Car rentals in Las Vegas
• Car rentals in New York
• Car rentals in Orlando
• Car rentals in London
• Car rentals in Paris
• Car rentals in Cancun
• Car rentals in Miami
• Car rentals in Los Angeles
• Car rentals in Rome
• Car rentals in Punta Cana
• Car rentals in Riviera Maya
• Car rentals in Barcelona
• Car rentals in San Francisco
• Car rentals in San Diego County
• Car rentals in Oahu
• Car rentals in Chicago

Expedia's Latest Trends

Additional information about expedia group.