Editors Note: The NHTSA has issued their own warning as of November, 2019 – Also, be sure to check out our list of Recommended Portable Car Seats, ideal for carpools and travel and our Recommended Carseats for Airplane Travel. Also see our more recent guide about Cheap Portable Carseats.
Parents – if you see something for sale online that claims to be a “child safety seat” or “booster” or “car seat” but it comes from a manufacturer that you have never heard of and it doesn’t say that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) please be suspicious and do some research. It may be a legitimate product (e.g., IMMI Go, Ride Safer Travel Vest, EZ-ON harness – all of which meet or exceed all federal safety standards), but it may also be an illegal death trap.
Currently Amazon is FLOODED with products from China claiming to be child restraints that are being sold by 3rd party sellers. Please don’t be mislead into thinking these are a safe alternative to a car seat or booster seat that meets FMVSS 213 standards. As much as the seller wants you to believe that this product is “Compact and reasonable design make it enjoy the safety of traditional child seat”, it is neither safe nor reasonable.
A few examples of the type of products available through 3rd party sellers on Amazon:
Seat Cover Car Portable Child Safety Seat Baby Car Seat to Baby Seat 1-6 Years Old
CdyBox Portable Car Safety Seat Cover Travel Vest Harness Cushion for Baby Kids Infant Children (Blue)
Adjustable Portable Babies Child Infant Car seat safety Belt Harness Blue
Multi-functional Child Safety Seat Cushion for Dining Chair / Car Seat
BESTINTHEBOX Portable Child Baby Safety Car Seat Seats Carrier Brown
FEITONG® New Car Child Safety Cover Shoulder Seat belt holder Adjuster Resistant Protect
I could keep going because there are more products like this for sale on the internet but hopefully I’ve made my point.
A few years ago Jennie got her hands on one of these types of products and did a lovely “review” of it:
YIREN-Trouble: A Review of an Illegal Chinese Car Seat
I know most of our readers don’t need any further convincing that putting a child in one of these contraptions in a moving car is a really, really, bad idea. But just to highlight how bad the outcome really could be – check out this video courtesy of Surrey County Council & Britax.
It is wonderful for all those that live in Suburia can have huge extra safe car seats but us city moms and grandmas who are out and about and then the MTA is suspended are stuck in a taxi with a one year old on our lap. They make this legal in my city but the small car seats illegal!?!?! I had a Tote and Go that for in my diaper bag and was in an accident and it saved my son’s life. Wish they would bring those back!!! Anyone know of a similar alternative?
Yes, the Ride Safer Travel Vest is a good alternative. It’s bigger than the Tote and Go was, but much safer.
Sure they’re cute & space saving. But a regular carseat is impact tested. There’s no way this little thing can take on impact. Sure the straps and what not will keep them in their place. If you were tboned & your child was in a regular carseat her chances of survival are much greater than a child in one of whatever these things are called, the child would practically have no means of protection.
Okay so this is my thought. Booze Chinese seeds work for one reason only comma to be use as a movie theater feet to keep your toddler sitting in a show.. that is the only thing I would use it for as you would be sitting next to your child the entire time. Plastic buckles will break interacts and velcro will not hold up. You deserve her placing your child In a Bubble Bum or regular booster, then pulling the seat belt all the way out in the newer vehicles does should lock the seat belt so your child cannot sit forward. If you are in a car that the seat belt does not lock when you pull it out and retract it back in but I would suggest using a locking clip buy at the shoulder portion if possible. Just keeps the child from sitting forward and keeps them in a better position for crash. How to do this once that’s my older child was taken to hospital and had to call somebody to pick me up. Placed my 35 lb 3 year old in a booster seat, pulled the seat belt all the way out retracted it back in wait at nicest nuff across your lap and shoulder. She could not sit forward turn or squirm of forward out of the booster. I also sat next to her just to make sure she stays in the proper position but with this heat not walk she couldn’t move not something I would do all the time but it worked in this emergency. Now I’m looking into a Ride Safer travel vest and a Bubble Bum to keep in a backpack at all times with me as we will probably have more emergency trips to ER with older children I have special medical needs. I don’t care I like public transportation so I never know where I may be at when I have to drop everything call somebody and head to the hospital. I do have 3 nautiluses and family members cars but if I can’t get ahold of him quickly I need a backup.
Isn’t this basically a ride safer vest that just straps to the seat? All a ride safer vest is, is a bunch of straps and padding. The seat belt is the actual restraint. The ride safer vest just positions the seat belt at the right height. Same with the cheap brands, the cheap ones just have an extra strap to hold in in place, that small strap is not interested to keep the child secure, the seat belt keeps the child secure. It’s pure robbery that ride safer vest want to charge up to $200 for a few straps that do nothing but position the seatbelt.
Much of the cost of legitimate car seats is related to the significant investment in design, simulation and federally mandated crash testing to make certain that they can protect the occupant in a crash. Unregulated import seats go through none of these processes and therefore are much cheaper to make and sell because they have none of those huge costs to recover. The lower the volume of sales of the carseat, the more these costs contribute to the price of an individual unit. The short answer is that no one knows how different similar looking knockoffs are in actual safety, because these cheap imports are simply not tested at all. Your child would be the crash test dummy if you use one:-(
Lisa, the biggest difference between the Ride Safer Vest and the cheap Chinese knockoffs is that the Ride Safer works only by the child being seat belted into the vehicle. As technicians, we are all too familiar with caregivers who skip steps in securing their children and the Chinese “seats” are “installed” with straps and plastic buckles which will lead some parents to think they all they have to do is strap their kids into them and go without securing the seat belt across them. The Chinese “seats” also have horrendous seat belt fit which could lead to serious, if not fatal, internal injuries.
The Ride Safer also has energy management features built-in such as tether loops that deform in a crash and energy absorbing foam in the vest. Chinese “seats” are merely puffy pillows designed to rid uninformed consumers of their money.
Does any know if these seats are legal in pennslvania
Brenda, they’re all illegal because they don’t meet basic federal safety standards (FMVSS 213).
Hi, I plan to travel by train with a 1 year old and so far have not found any good car seat alternatives to keep him seated…until I saw this! These cheap seat restraints are clearly not good for car travel but what about for train seats, which don’t even have seatbelts for me to install the baby’s regular car seat? Seems like this could do the trick… any thoughts or advice? Thanks in advance
I am loathe to recommend these products for any purpose, if only because they are from an unknown manufacturer with unknown quality issues. As for safety, that wouldn’t be a concern for a train ride like you said. I don’t know how well they would attach or secure a child in general on a train seat.
Hello!
I actually am in the same situation only we are traveling by plane with my 2 yo and the plane seat belts just won’t do and don’t even feel safe and don’t want to go through the trouble of taking the full car seat as it’s too inconvenient, so thought these were the next best thing. Only now they’re not even on Amazon anymore :/ any suggestions?
@Fatine – there is a safe travel vest for children that is made specifically for the airplane but it’s ONLY for the airplane – it cannot be used in a car. It’s called the CARES harness. Here is a link: http://amzn.to/2DBudyK
A cheaper option would be a small, very light carseat, like the Cosco Scenera NEXT or Evenflo Tribute. We have a list of our favorite seats for airplane travel here: https://carseatblog.com/25408/
Pfff…whatever. I’m sure plenty of these are safe as long as the construction is sturdy and they’re used as intended – some may be, some may not be. But it’s not because they’re not approved in the U.S. that they’re no good. And that biased review from the cluck who was already predetermined to hate it, along with a video from Britax, showing the “dangers” of unapproved car seats (besides, I’ve never seen a 30-foot seatbelt in a backseat, and on top of it, why didn’t it lock?), you might as well completely discount that. The baby industry in this country is out of control – they must have a powerful lobby. Paying 10x what you should and brainwashing people into believing they always need the latest most expensive of everything for their kids has become the new normal. Even car seat expirations I think are a scam. Let’s get real – if you get in wreck strong enough to destroy a car seat, I’m sure the baby inside of it probably won’t survive that wreck either. Wake up, people. Keep drinkin’ the Koolaid if that’s what makes you happy. I’ll be using common sense to keep my kids safe.
Sure, it’s possible that cheap, uncertified imported carseats are “sturdy” in construction. As you say, maybe some are, maybe some aren’t. The problem is that not even the sturdiest looking ones undergo any required crash testing to see if they are designed correctly to perform well in a crash. Neither the standardized testing required by federal standards, nor the independent testing by a consumer agency like Consumer Reports is going to determine if they are unsafe. These no-name companies also skimp on manuals, labels and customer service, often essential to help parents make sure they are “used as intended.” That’s exactly how fly-by-night companies save hundreds of thousands of dollars and sell their products for so little. Personally, I do not think it is common sense to use your own baby as the crash test dummy. That’s essentially what you are doing if you purchase one of these untested seats from an unknown third party Amazon seller. If there is a tragedy and your child is injured because it turns out it looked sturdy, but performed poorly, good luck tracking them down and trying to reclaim damages for medical payments.
If you want to buy electronics or accessories from these types of companies, great. I have. Some are junk. Sometimes you get lucky, especially if you can find good reviews on Amazon or elsewhere and believe they aren’t shill reviews. But none of those reviews can tell you anything about crash performance, even on something that looks sturdy in photos. Sure, federal standards and the threat of litigation for negligent design drives up costs of things like carseats and especially automobiles. If it was easy to import cheap cars that used the lowest quality steel, lacked modern computerized designs and had zero advanced safety features, I’m sure people would. And then of course they’d cry foul that there was no government protection when it didn’t protect their family in a crash and sue the government for failing to keep them safe…
EXACTLY!!!! Car seat expirations are a scam so plastic and metal and styrofoam expires like food now? If that’s true then your vehicle should expire during the same time.
So Lew, you haven’t seen old plastic that’s brittle? Or styrofoam that crumbles like a stale cookie? If you’re willing to risk your child’s life, that’s your prerogative. We’ve talked to engineers at the carseat manufacturers who deal with plastics and they assure us there is most definitely an expiration date. Of course, you’re not going to believe me so why bother.
Hi, I was seriously considering this until I saw ur post. What do u suggest when traveling via car with minimal room?
Beth, the Ride Safer Travel Vests are safe and FMVSS 213 approved. http://amzn.to/2vTMTpd
How old is your child? The Ride Safer is more like a booster because the child still has a lot of freedom of movement. Another option for booster age riders is the BubbleBum booster: http://amzn.to/2uMAgMD.
Cant this be use with high back car seat booster?
No, absolutely not. The high back booster is crash tested and designed to work exactly as is. You should never add any third party parts to any car seat or booster. That includes shoulder pads, covers, etc.
I have one of these that is in the front passenger seat with stuffed animal buckled in when small is in a real car seat heading to daycare. We took a marker and wrote stuffed ànimall only on it
I think its stupid of the video to be so dramatic seriously what cars seatbelts extend that far even in a crash the cars seatbelt will lock and prevent a child from flying out that the video shows
what you see stretching are the “car seat” straps. at about 12 seconds you can see the silver shiny buckle clearly unused dangling in front of the backrest, where itwould normally be if you wouldn’t use it.
So, yes, what you see is bad performance, but it the “child seat”that failing. If only the child would have used the vehicle belt (appropriatly)….
These “car seats” are installed according to their manufacturer instructions before being tested, just as parents who read those instructions would use them. Crash tests are far too expensive to run to just make a point about shoddy illegal Chinese carseats being sold.
All seats need to be tested regardless if you don’t like it. If it’s such an issue, then there would be more incidents with them. But we have plenty of “approved” ones that have caused injury. Remember what happened when VW did their own testing only to submit significantly false emission tests for their vehicles because the U.S., Canada, etc took their word for it.
Id like to purchase this portable car seat.we only have 1 car and my hubby needs it to go to work.i ride taxi or call uber.its very incovenient to carry a real carseat with me since i take my baby’s stroller too….i feel like this kind of invention is made for people like me or my baby’s nanny who doesnt own a car
Death is also inconvenient 0.o
I’m in the same boat so I was looking for something more portable to use on an Uber. But we could just take a bus and not use any form of restraint legally. That’s still so unsafe, tho!
Try the mifold that’s a more trusted brand but it is just a booster seat not a car seat
The RideSafer travel vest is designed for children ages 3 and up and meets or exceeds all crash test requirements and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for harness restraints (FMVSS213). In fact, the RideSafer consistently tests well below—sometimes by half or more!— the standard safety allowances.
FMVSS 213 is the federal standard which sets the performance criteria for child restraints. It requires that manufacturers measure crash energy at several different locations on an instrumented crash test dummy.
The RideSafer is tested as a harness as prescribed by FMVSS 213.
I would look into the ridesafer travel vest. Good luck
I get why these are illegal but if the straps were beefed up and the clasps were made of metal and it utilized the ancir pints in my back seat would it still be illegal? I love how little space they take
There is a similar option that is legal – the Ride Safer vest. It doesn’t use straps, it positions the regular seatbelt on a child, similar to what a booster does. It is approved for use in the US and CPST’s have given it a good rating. Its a bit inconvenient for everyday use but great for travel, especially for older kids who are not ready for a backless booster yet.
Hopefully there will be more SAFE and TESTED options like that on the market.
The Ride Safer is illegal in the US at least in California despite the company claims. The child also requires a booster.
w, carseats are regulated nationally, not by state. Which CA statute does the Ride Safer violate?
The Ride Safer works by distributing crash forces over the child AND by adjusting the lap belt down low, thereby eliminating the need for a booster. The company does have a booster, called the Delighter, coming out soon to be used with the vest.
Hello W: The RideSafer Travel Vest is fully certified under FMVSS 213 as a harness. If you need further information about the certification categories, requirements and testing requirements, please refer to FMVSS 213 S. 5.3.2.
CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE SECTION 27360-27368, states: (c) of Section 27315, shall properly secure that child in a rear seat in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The RideSafer Travel Vests do meet that requirement. Unfortunately, I think your misunderstanding is a result of an encounter with an uninformed individual. Although we try to provide as much education as we can, we cannot reach everyone. The mandated certification statement that must be present on all child restraints that meet FMVSS 213 requirements is “This child restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles.” Child restraints that do not comply with FMVSS requirements do not contain the statement. The RideSafer Travel Vest does. Please feel free to contact me off-list if you would like further information.
I have a Big car seat i dnt want Carrie it for my vacation and my Grandaughter she is 21 month are u. recommended the potable car seat ??
Hi Maggie. Since your granddaughter is still young, she still needs the safety and security of her carseat. We have suggestions here: https://carseatblog.com/25408/recommended-carseats-for-airplane-travel/ and here: https://carseatblog.com/32940/travel-carseats-the-ultimate-guide-to-what-you-want-to-take-on-a-plane/.
yes please more information because I bought four. They are amazing to me and want all the information I can get on them to keep them. Thank you Kathi
Kathi-Jo, you can get more information on the Ride Safer Travel Vest at their website: http://safetrafficsystem.com/vol5/.
These seats are not illegal according to federal and safety standards in the US.
I think the only child safety it would be good for is to replace the padding on my son’s high chair. IF it isn’t a strangulation risk or some other danger that could come from using it.
I have a preference for the death by bunnies seat. And the fact that it is “High Quality Thick Auto Car Portable Baby Car Seat Child Car Safety Seats Safety Car Seat for Baby of 9-36kg and 2-12 Years Old” makes it a steal for only $52.40!
I need that docooler one, now THAT’s a brand name I can’t wait to mispronounce at work!
Darn, I really need a new veheinlar seat.
I love that there are people out there like us. “Sweet, an illegal seat. Let’s crash it!!!”