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A comfy fit from head
rest through leg rest, even going on the maximum height of 32".
Plenty of leg room for the
rear-facing tot, and a respectable shade canopy to boot.
Belt lock in the car seat base
keeps LATCH belt or seat belt firmly in place.
See also:
Car Seat Alternatives
Car Seat Accessories
Car Seat Travel Bags & Carriers
FAQs & Popular Topics
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Overview
of the
Safety 1st onBoard Air 35:
- Rear-facing from 4 lbs. to 35
lbs. or 32" tall
- "Air protect" side impact
protection
- 4 harness slot heights
- Weighs 9 lbs. without base, 15
lbs. with base
With a name like "Onboard Air," you
might assume this car seat has special features designed
specifically for air travel--especially when you see it featured on
the Travels with Baby site. However, the name relates
to the "Air Protect" side impact protection built in to
this car seat. Nevertheless, as far as infant carrier car seats are
concerned, I did find the onBoard Air 35 to be well-suited to
travel.
Travel-friendly features of the
onBoard Air 35:
- It can travel without its base.
- The belt-path is easy to use
with seatbelts.
- "Air Protect" shields offer
superior side impact protection (and cushion) without weighing
down the seat--a big plus when you plan on toting around this
seat up to its maximum capacity.
- The longer leg rest makes longer
drives and flights more comfortable for rear-facing young
toddlers.
- The sun canopy provides more
coverage than many others on the market.
- At 9 lbs., it's still manageable
to actually carry with a 1-year-old strapped in (even for me).
Travel
considerations:
As with any of the rear-facing infant
car seats with higher height limits (30+ inches), installation in
compact rental cars may be a tight squeeze. If you are planning
travel with a young toddler and still prefer to keep him
rear-facing, you may do better in a very compact car with a 40 lbs.
max convertible car seat (such as the
Scenera or
Roundabout,
more
suggestions here) that can be installed rear-facing with less of a
recline. If the cars you'll be traveling in are mid-size and larger,
this should not be an issue.
Bottom line and my suggestions for future enhancements:
I like this car seat, and I'm
impressed at how comfortably it fits my child even at 1.5 years old.
There are times when traveling that it's great to still have the
convenience of an infant carrier car seat--such as when you want to
transfer him still sleeping out of the taxi or use the sun canopy to
keep airplane lights off his face--but one that fits a small
toddler. One wish: I keep asking for seatbelt lock-offs on the infant car
seats themselves. Someday, somebody's going to grant my wish...
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Others to
consider:
Sit N Stroll Convertible Car Seat:
If you want a portable car seat that can be used
rear-facing for infants from 5 lbs. and also forward-facing up to 40
lbs., you might prefer the Sit N Stroll, which also provides
wheels when needed for ease of transport through the airport and on
other smooth terrain.
Read
the
full review of the Sit N Stroll.
Safety
1st Go Hybrid Booster: If your child is already 22 lbs. or more and can
ride forward-facing in a car seat (and you are comfortable with that),
you might prefer the Safety 1st Go Hybrid Booster / Car Seat. It
requires a top tether for use, but it provides a 5-point safety harness
for use up to 65 lbs. and folds into its own travel bag.
Read the full review of the Go
Hybrid.
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