Have you ever looked at toddler who’s squirming in his airplane seat pulling the lap belt over his head with ease? My 2 year old son is never one to sit quietly on the plane and stay strapped in without a 5-point restraint system, but what airline has that? NONE.

Well, luckily the folks behind the CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint know just what parents need for their little jet set. The CARES harness is designed specifically to keep children 1 year of age or older (weighing between 22 and 44 pounds) safe on an airplane. Between routine turbulence when flying over those Rocky Mountains to emergency situations, your toddler will be a lot safer traveling on an airplane with a CARES aviation restraint.

Pros:

• Only FAA certified alternative to a car seat
• 4-point harness that’s similar to your child’s car seat configuration
• Durable material that’s made by the same company who makes airplane safety belts
• Light (1 pound) and portable
• You can check-in your 50 pound car seat instead of lugging it on board

Cons:

• Simple to install, but requires an awkward moment when you ask the passenger behind your child to put their tray table down.
• No straps between the legs (the 5th safety point), so the straps have to be very snug or else smaller kids may slide down or wiggle out
• Red strap sometimes doesn’t align flush for curved back seats
• A big price tag if you don’t fly often

Here’s our full review of the Kids Fly Safe CARES Harness.

The Steal – Win a CARES Harness

We’ll be giving away 1 CARES harness.

Number of Winners: One (1)

Prize: 1 CARES Harness (Value $70)

To enter:

Share which is your FAVORITE airline when traveling with kids and why.

For additional entries, feel free to do any or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra entry but be sure to leave a separate comment for each one.

• Share which airline you think is the WORST when traveling with kids and why
• Tweet a link to this Monday Mad Steal via @Trekaroo
• Post this on your Facebook Wall using the Facebook Share link above
• Post this on your blog

Rules and guidelines:

• 18 years of age or older
• US Residents only
• One entry per person

Deadline to enter: Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 11:59PM PST

If you don’t want to register, but would like to purchase a CARES harness, it’s available on Amazon for $70. Go here to buy your child a CARES child aviation harness.

What is Monday Madness?

Every Monday, Trekaroo announces on our blog, either a fantastic giveaway or an incredible deal.  It could be a green water bottle or Broadway tickets. Return every Monday to the Talking Trekaroo Blog for the details. Want a reminder? Become a Trekaroo member or follow us on facebook or twitter.

Related articles:

• 10 Fun Travel Activities for Kids
• Travel Toys for Baby/Toddler
• Top 5 Travel Toys for Preschooler
• Best Portable Travel Cribs

Thanks to Contest for Moms, Online Sweepstakes, CashNet Sweepstakes, and Sweepstakes Advantage.

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Esther Lee is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA