The Ride Safer 3 Travel Vest is the continuation in the line of travel vests from Safe Traffic System, Inc. It’s an alternative form of child restraint for situations where traditional carseats or belt positioning boosters may not work, such as narrow 3-across situations, air travel, grandparents’ vehicles, or infrequent carpools. The travel vest is lightweight and highly portable, which makes it popular as a vacation “seat.”
Sizes:
Small: 30-60 lbs., 34-52”, and at least 3 years of age
Large: 50-80 lbs., 45-57”
Features:
- Adjustable height straps on back for better fit
- Adjustable buckle
- Easy to take with you on trips with the CARES harness
- Weighs just
- Highly Portable
Ride Safer 2 vs. Ride Safer 3
There are two versions of the Ride Safer Travel Vest: version 2 and version 3. The main difference between the two is that ver. 3 is for vehicles with lap/shoulder belts only. Essentially, you will only be using the Ride Safer (RS) with newer vehicles, so it makes a great vest for traveling with if you’ll be using rental cars since they turn their fleets over so quickly. The RS2 can also be used with a lap-only belt and when used with one, requires the use of a tether. The RS3 takes all the guesswork out of how to use the vest: you use it with a lap/shoulder belt only. No muss, no fuss with tethers or crotch belts. As usual, a picture explains things better.
Why might you need a Ride Safer Travel Vest?
There are lots of everyday situations where a vest like this would be handy for a parent to throw into a backpack for a child or into a backseat for another parent to use during carpools. It’s very lightweight and small enough not to take up precious amounts of luggage space; since it’s just 1.2 pounds, those parents who travel internationally won’t have to worry as much about carry-on weight limit issues. To give a little perspective, it weighs less than a typical plastic bottle of water you’d buy at the airport.
Is it easy to use?
Check out the video. It takes less than a minute for a child to put the vest on and thread the seatbelt through the belt guides. It’s not as fast as a booster, but this is a specialty item most likely being used in special circumstances where taking a few extra seconds won’t be a problem.
What do kids think?
They don’t seem to mind the design of the vest. My 57″ dd thought the vest was comfortable but at age 10.5, she’s a true tween and very image conscious. I’m quite sure a year ago she wouldn’t have minded the look. My 13 yr old ds, who is a space geek, thinks it’s not so bad.
Is it safe?
I never thought you’d ask. Vests fall under the same federal regulations as carseats do, FMVSS 213. So yes, the RS3 is certified to meet FMVSS 213. And because the child sits on the vehicle seat itself, the child has a lower center of gravity so head excursion is reduced, as is knee excursion because there’s no carseat behind the child pushing her forward.
Is it FAA-approved?
No. Since airplanes have lap-only belts and since the RS3 can only be installed using a lap/shoulder belt, it should be stowed in your carryon luggage on an airplane. If you want a restraint for the airplane, the CARES harness is also highly portable and works well in conjunction with the RS3.
Can I wash it?
The soft fabric is spot wash only, no machine washing.
Pros
- So portable!
- Only 1.2 lbs.
- Adjustable both in width and in length
- Spreads crash forces over a wide area
- Kids like it
- Great for narrow situations
Cons
- Lack of side impact protection
- Stiff buckle difficult for independent kids to unbuckle themselves
- Not made in USA
The Ride Safer Travel Vest is available in various sizes at Amazon.com
I remember when the original Ride Safer Travel Vest came on the market years ago. Everyone, CPS professionals and parents alike, wondered if Safe Traffic System, Inc. and its product were for real. They’ve persevered in a very tough field and continued to make improvements to their products bringing us to the Ride Safer 3. Kids love the design of the vest and are comfortable in it. Parents love the vest because it’s so highly portable and easy to travel with, not to mention easy to fit in a tight 3-across situation where nothing else will work.
Thank you to Safe Traffic System, Inc. for providing the Ride Safer 3 for our review.
@Amanda, the Ride Safer is a good choice for your 4 yr old, but I don’t think it will be good for your almost 3 yr old. Since you’ll be doing so much driving, B will be much more comfortable in the Roundabout and you won’t have to listen to a whiny child. I definitely wouldn’t check B’s carseat, though, since it can be damaged in the plane’s cargo hold. Use it on the plane and B will be comfy on the plane (and contained!).
We will be flying soon with three kids: “A” is 4 yrs, 9 months old and weighs Bout 32 lbs. not sure how tall — pretty average. “B” is 2 yrs, 11 months old, also about 30 lbs, and tall for his age (but shorter than A). Baby “C” will be in an infang seat. For A and B, is a Safe Rider vest a safer alternative than a booster seat, for when we reach our destination and need to drive? If we must, we will check their Britax Roundabouts but I would really rather not. We will be doing a lot of driving during our vacation, though. What would you recommend?
@Colleen, the Ride Safer 3 Travel Vest reviewed here doesn’t have tethering capability. However, the Ride Safer 2 does and yes, you can tether it when using it with a lap/shoulder belt. There are 3 configurations for the Ride Safer 2:
Lap-only belt with tether
Lap/shoulder belt without tether
Lap/shoulder belt with tether
There is only ONE configuration for the Ride Safer 3:
Lap/shoulder belt
Can you use the tethers while using a shoulder belt?
@e, RideSafer is coming out with a booster this summer, I believe, that should help with her problem. We’ll hopefully have an ETA on the booster at the beginning of next week.
Heather, your comment about USA coming out with a RS and booster combination is almost a year old and I haven’t seen that combination yet. Any idea when it will come out? thanks.
Also, if I buy the European version for Europe, but in USA I use the RS3 without the booster, is that OK since the RS3 is USA compliant?
thanks, PP
The latest word is within the next month or so for the booster. I know, I know ;). But that was announced at the Lifesavers Conference, which was last month. As for your 2nd question, it’s my understanding that you can do that, but I’d give them a call to see if you can use the booster here. It’s likely to be the same one that’s being held up in U.S. testing.
Im trying to figure out if the ride safer 3 is the same as the ride safer eu just simply the ride safer eu comes with the booster. I don’t want the booster I want to use an inflatable booster with this product on my trip to Europe. its not simply he $30 difference either I can get the regular version for cheaper online but cant’ find the European version only through their site. im hoping ic an buy the US version ride safer 3 and use it in Europe.
Nicole, let me see if I can get an answer for you.
I have the RS2 and am happy with it. However, the one downside is that my daughter (sitting on the car seat) can’t see out of the car windows. Sad for her in not being able to enjoy the scenery, but even more troubling is her tendency to get carsick when she can’t see out the windows.
Do you think using the RS2 with the BubbleBum to get her up off a little would be OK?
tnx.
@Jen, no, neither the RS2 nor the RS3 can be used on airplanes. They aren’t FAA-approved because they cannot be used with lap belts alone. The RS2 requires the use of a tether when used with a lap-only belt and there’s no way to attach a tether on an airplane, so if you have the CARES harness, you’ll have to use just that. The RS3 doesn’t come with a pillow, but I have a vague memory of being told you may be able to call and order one as an accessory. Doesn’t hurt to try!
Can the RS2 be used on planes since it can be used with lap only belts? How does the CARES harness work with the RS3 and/or RS2? Would it be overkill to have both the RS and CARES? Does the RS3 come with the head pillow? The head pillow seems nice, so I’m wondering why it wouldn’t have it on the newer version?
@johnnylizd, I think the 2 is more flexible in terms of which vehicles you can use it in. If you think you’ll ever need to use the vest with a lap-only belt where you’ll need the tether, like in a school van, then version 2 would be a better buy. Otherwise version 3 would be fine.
So which version would you buy if given the choice – the 2 or the 3? I have 3,5,7, and 9 year olds.
Helen, when they test carseats and vests to the FMVSS 213 standard, they are required to use a lap-only belt. It’s an outdated test using a 70’s bench seat. So that’s why tethers are not required on most carseats (for instance, the Britax Frontiers require the top tethers be used above a certain weight limit)–because of this darn test. So, since the RS-3 is only to be used with a lap-shoulder belt, they can’t officially certify that it’s passed 213. Hooey. It’s the same design as the RS-2 except that there’s no attachment place for a tether on the vest (for use in a position where there’s a lap-only seat belt).
I’m confused. The RS-3 is not certified but can it still be used with a 3 point seatbelt in the US?
Per Vera Fullaway with Safe Traffic System, Inc.,
“We test both vests using the same test procedures as required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. The RS-2 is fully compliant with the requirements and is Certified to the Standard. The RS-3 cannot be tested with the lap-only belt since it does not have the capability of being used with the top tether so we cannot fully certify it.”
@ciada, I’m not aware of any problems with the older version. There are no recalls on them and they don’t expire.
Hi, The Car Seat Lady says, “The vest was redesigned in 2009; please make sure to get the newer version.” (See here: http://www.thecarseatlady.com/booster_seats/booster_seats_6.html) Any one know why? It seems to suggest there is a problem with the older version, which is the one we have!
I like your rule, Jools :).
In the old first version, I put my barely-minimum kids in it and never used the crotch strap. It rode way up, but still positioned the belts properly (even fooled me into thinking my kid must be close to 5-stepping in one car, but a quick test without the vest showed I was WAY wrong! Even what seemed like a poor fit of the vest did a great job of keeping the belts in the right place: on the lap and shoulder).
Anyway, I just thought of a quick rule to remember the product… Version “3” requires a “3” point belt.
Thanks for this. And for noting it isn’t made in the USA–seeing our flag on it, I’d inferred it was. I should know better by now. I didn’t see cost mentioned. Easy enough to hit the link, just mentioning in case it’s an oversight.
I do think the crotch strap helps with keeping the vest down. It’s pretty stiff and wants to ride up when the child sits on the vehicle seat. But I didn’t have a problem with fit on my dd, though she’s at the top of the height limit. I don’t know how a small vest would fit on a smaller child.
Hi. We have a version 2 and it’s interesting to see the differences. I’m no expert, but I felt like the crotch strap helped with fit, especially with keeping the lap belt low and touching their thighs. How do you feel about this change with regards to lap belt fit?
Yikes! Thanks for catching that. The video is now public.
It is telling me the video is private.
I *can’t wait* until my son is old enough to use this on trips. Lugging his convertible through European train stations and airports leaves much to be desired.
did you use this in Europe? which version did you by? I am traveling in Europe and don’t want to purchase the European model as I plant o use this product with an inflatable booster. I prefer to buy the US version because its cheaper- especially on other sides. the Europe version seesmt o be only available on their website for significantly more. for example tis $169 on their site and ic an get he US version for $110.
We have the Ride Safer Travel Vest 3 and used it on our last family vacation in which we flew, rented a car that we could not have possibly gotten three in a row in car seats with. My children loved their vests, and even fell asleep while wearing them. We took their coats and made a pillow against their sister’s car seat (in the center) so that they stayed in position and were super comfortable. When not in use the vests stowed away in their backpacks and to make getting into the rental car easier went on as soon as we arrived and had to wait in line–much better than having to install 3 car seats while everyone whines about how cold/tired they are! Now we use the vests for our babysitter and in my husband’s car. They have been absolutely worth it!