CARES Airplane Harness Review: FAA-Approved Restraint Without a Car Seat

The CARES harness is the one FAA-approved restraint for a child on a plane that is not a car seat. The FAA certifies it for children who weigh 22 to 44 pounds, are up to 40 inches tall, can sit upright facing forward on their own, and have their own seat. If your child fits that range and you don't need a car seat at your destination, it replaces a 10–25 lb seat with a harness that weighs under a pound. If your child is under 22 lb, or you need a car seat once you land, bring an FAA-approved car seat instead.

CARES Child Airplane Travel Harness, FAA Approved Safety Restraint System

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AmSafe

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The only FAA-approved harness-type child restraint, per AmSafe. Weighs under 1 lb and fits in a carry-on or diaper bag.

weight:Under 1 lb

age Range:22–44 lb and up to 40 in tall

type:FAA-certified airplane harness (aircraft use only)

design:Wraps around airplane seat back

Pros

• ✓Only FAA-approved harness-type child restraint, per AmSafe
• ✓Weighs under 1 lb
• ✓Fits easily in a carry-on, backpack or diaper bag
• ✓Fits virtually all economy, business and first-class airline seats

Cons

• ×Only forward-facing
• ×Limited to 22–44 lb and up to 40 in tall
• ×Expensive for a harness
• ×Some flight attendants unfamiliar with it

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This product is featured in our Best Airplane Comfort & Entertainment roundup.

Quick verdict

Buy the CARES harness if your child weighs 22–44 lb, flies in a purchased seat, and has a car seat waiting at the other end (family, rental, or a ride you have arranged). It weighs under a pound, fits easily in a carry-on or diaper bag, and the FAA approves it for taxi, takeoff, landing and turbulence. Skip it if your child is still rear-facing or under 22 lb, or if you need a car seat for the drive from the airport, because the harness cannot be used in a car. It costs a lot for webbing and a buckle. What you pay for is the certification.

How we assessed this

We have not tested this harness. This page is built from the FAA's published rules for child restraints on aircraft, the manufacturer's specification, and comparison with the alternatives. Full methodology: How We Research.

Is the CARES harness FAA-approved?

Yes. The FAA's Flying with Children page states that AmSafe's Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES) is FAA-certified for children up to 40 inches tall who weigh 22 to 44 pounds. It is approved for every phase of flight, including taxi, takeoff, landing and turbulence. It is approved only for aircraft, not for motor vehicles.

It is the only harness-type device with that approval. Vest harnesses, belly belts and inflatable "airplane beds" are not approved restraints, and the FAA says passengers may not use them, or booster seats, during ground movement, takeoff or landing.

What should the label say?

The FAA says a genuine CARES device carries one of these statements:

• "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only", or
• "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only"

Find the label before you fly and keep it where you can show it. Some crew rarely see the device, and pointing to the printed approval is the quickest way to settle a question at the seat.

How do you spot a counterfeit?

The FAA warns that reproduction devices that look like CARES are sold online and have not been engineered to the same standard, and it advises buying direct from the manufacturer (FAA Kids' Corner). AmSafe, the maker, warns on KidsFlySafe.com about counterfeits sold on eBay and Amazon. Buy from AmSafe or a seller it authorizes, and when the harness arrives, check that the label carries the FAA approval text quoted above. Treat these as red flags: a price well below the real device, an unfamiliar brand on the listing, or no approval statement on the webbing. When the genuine device is out of stock, use an FAA-approved car seat until it is back. A cheaper harness is not a substitute.

How does it install?

The loop slides over the seat back of your child's own seat; the FAA says it fits virtually all economy-, business- and first-class airline seats. The two shoulder straps come down over the child, and the aircraft lap belt threads through the lower loops and buckles as normal, so the harness adds shoulder restraint to the lap belt you already have. Expect your first install to be slow while you follow the instruction card. Practice on a dining chair at home rather than in the boarding line. The webbing adjusts like a backpack strap, so one harness can be moved between siblings who are both within the weight range.

The loop sits around the seat back, so it can get in the way of the tray table for the passenger behind. If that row is yours too, the problem goes away.

CARES vs car seat vs lap child: which one?

Under 22 lb: The CARES harness is not an option. Children under 2 may legally fly on a parent's lap, but the FAA strongly discourages it and recommends an approved car seat in a purchased seat. For a baby, that means a rear-facing seat that carries the aircraft certification label. See our FAA-approved car seat picks.

22–44 lb, and a car seat is waiting at your destination: Choose the CARES harness. You carry under a pound instead of a seat, and your child is still in an FAA-approved restraint.

22–44 lb, and you need a car seat when you land: Bring the car seat on board. You have to carry it through the airport either way, and using it in the cabin keeps your child in a seat they already know. For a forward-facing child of at least 26.5 lb and 33.5 in, the WAYB Pico folds to about 8 lb, which narrows the weight gap with CARES. It costs far more, though.

Over 44 lb or over 40 in: Your child has outgrown the CARES harness and uses the aircraft seat belt, as adults do.

Who should skip it

• Rear-facing children. CARES is forward-facing only. If your child still rides rear-facing, keep them in a rear-facing car seat on the plane.
• Families on lap-infant tickets. The device needs a seat of its own.
• Anyone who needs a car seat at the destination. You would carry the seat anyway, so the harness saves little.
• Bargain hunters searching "airplane harness." Most cheap results are not CARES and are not approved.

Final verdict

The CARES harness does a narrow job, and nothing else on the market is approved to do it: it restrains a 22–44 lb child in an airplane seat without a car seat. If someone has a car seat ready for you on the ground, it is the lightest approved way to fly. If you are driving away from the airport in your own car seat, take that seat on board and leave the harness at home.