Is WayB Pico the Best Travel Car Seat? We Tested It On 2 Kids
Flying with a car seat is a pain. They’re large and heavy and as airlines don’t treat most items well and keep breaking strollers, many parents understandably don’t want to check their car seats.
With an infant bucket-like car seat it’s easy – you can take it with you on board if there’s an empty seat (although personally, I don’t like doing that), but once your baby outgrows it the question is: what to do now when traveling? Is there a car seat that’s small, and lightweight, but safe and comfortable for a toddler?
Travel Car Seat for a Toddler
As frequent travelers, we struggled with the idea of having to bring a car seat. While we considered Doona, ultimately we decided it was not worth the price and not so great for the baby (a story for another time). Plus, my kids were too big for it before their first birthdays.
The US is definitely lacking options for lightweight car seats for travel. In Europe you have awesome foldable Maxi Cosi Nomad or Nachfolger, with the latter being rear-facing and portable.
For older kids, age 5 and above, things are easier as there are many options for foldable booster seats (eg. Mifold) or inflatable ones like BubbleBum. But, for little toddlers the options are limited.
Cosco Scenera Next is a lightweight and cheap car seat many parents opt for, but it doesn’t fold so it’s not like I can carry it with me here or there (also, it doesn’t work everywhere – read more under adaptability).
Renting a car seat at the destination is an option, but it’s costly and you can never know what you’re getting – or if it’s even very clean.
In some places, you legally cannot take your baby or toddler on a short Uber ride without a car seat and if you’re roaming the city you don’t want to drag a giant car seat with you (it frequently happens in Spain, Italy, or Sweden).
WayB Pico Car Seat Review
Once our older son Dylan was old and tall enough to hop into a standard car seat we got the recommended WayB Pico foldable car seat and we used it for various trips with him and then his brother inherited it as well.
Is this car seat ideal? Absolutely not, but it does the job for us. Below it’s my honest review of Wayb Pico car seat and whether it’s worth the price tag.
Disclaimer: This review is NOT sponsored in any way. I didn’t receive this product for free in exchange for this review. All opinions are entirely my own (well, and my husband’s).
Wayb Pico Car Seat Review
WAYB PICO HIGHLIGHTS
- Forward-facing only
- For children 1 and older (WAYB recommends you wait until age 2); 22-50 pounds, 30-45 inches
- Seat is made with ASTROKNIT™ mesh, which takes the place of foam
- Pico is eco-friendly, with the majority of the seat being recyclable and made of aerospace-grade aluminum
- Width of seat: 14.75 inches at the widest point (middle of the torso)
- Height of seat with headrest in lowest position: 22.75 inches
- Height of seat headrest fully extended: 27.75 inches
- Depth of seat: 15.25 inches
- Harness (torso) height: 16.5 inches
- Weight of seat: 8 pounds
Pros
- Easy install
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Works everywhere
Cons
- Price
- Not great for naps
- Short crotch strap
Where to buy WayB Pico car seat?
Wayb Pico car seat is on the American Academy of Pediatrics list of approved forward-facing car seats, and works in a front-facing mode for kids between 22 and 50 pounds, who are 30 to 45 inches tall.
It is, however, a forward-facing car seat only, but most US European regulations require a toddler to stay in a rear-facing seat only until 12 months with 2 or 3 years being a recommendation.
So it’s allowed to use it on your travels with a 1.5-year-old for example, if they’re within the height and weight limit, but it’s entirely your decision and level of comfort.
It is a lifesaver when you’re flying standby solo with two children and cannot check the car seats – it’s better to have a car seat or no car seat, if you ask me.
Note: We encourage you to check your state’s laws. Some states, such as California, require children to remain rear-facing in most cases until age 2.
Is It Actually Worth Buying?
WayB Pico car seat is the best on the US market and realistically, the only one that can be used when you need to hop onto a taxi somewhere or bring yourself.
You can think it’s a great idea to just bring a big car seat on your trip, even with these nice rolling trolleys for the airport, but in reality – it’s not possible with multiple children and luggage, and in all situations. Plus, not every airline will let you bring it to the gate outside of the US.
Not to mention, you won’t be dragging a car seat in a trolley across the city in case you might need a taxi. It’s just not a realistic option.
Pico also wins on airplanes for a simple reason. If you want to bring a car seat, it works and the seatbelt isn’t in the child’s back like on various models, but more importantly if your child is freaking out or wants to lie down, you can quickly fold the car seat and put it in the overhead bin. If you bring any other car seat you will be stuck with it blocking the seat, because it won’t fit in the overhead bin (we had such situations with infant seats and Cosco Scenera as well).
Can you fly with WayB Pico?
Pico is also FAA-approved for in-flight use, so if you wish to keep your child contained on board you can bring it with you.
Important reminder here (as many aren’t aware) – car seats on board can only be placed on a window seat, so make sure you book a window seat if you wish to install it for your flight.
Pros of Wayb Pico Carseat
Size and portability
The Pico will fit just pretty much anywhere you could put it in terms of width and height. It’s that small you can just bring it on the plane and put it in the overhead or under the seat. You can keep it under the stroller. It folds in seconds.
When you buy it comes with a travel bag, but my husband lost it instantly so can’t talk about the bag in much detail because I never got to see it, haha 😀
Easy installation
The LATCH system and the top rope on either side make it easier to strap and place the car seat into the motor vehicle. The seat belt installation is also possible; however, the process is a little more complex. But, by no means I mean long or complicated.
Unlike in full-size car seats, on Pico you don’t have to pull on a single strap between your kiddos’ legs when you place them in.
While I didn’t get a chance to install the Pico on a plane, because we’re not fans of using car seats on planes for both babies and toddlers (kids aren’t fans either), from what I saw when others were doing it, it’s not hard.
Adaptability
Many parents will tell you that they used their car seats all around the world. While I say that you CAN you might need to take some things into consideration. Europe is problematic and not just in a legal sense.
US car seats are illegal in Europe and vice versa, because they have a chest clip. While you can technically bring it, if you get stopped and the police know the laws they might fine you and if (knock on wood) you get into an accident insurance has the right to refuse the payout if you don’t have the correct car seat.
I know for a fact that if you take a US car seat to Australia and the police see it they will fine you as they have much higher standards for child restraining devices.
In most other places you should be just fine. Many countries don’t require kids to be rear-facing for long (eg. Australia only does for the first 6 months, but in most countries, by 12 months they can be front-facing).
You can use it in Africa or Asia as it has a LATCH system, but it can be used without it.
WayB Pico doesn’t require the top tether which makes it easier in different cars or vans.
Breathability
This seat seems to allow the airflow that our other car seats lack. It was very handy in Mexico in high temperatures, because Dylan was never sweaty.
WAYB recommends spot cleaning whenever possible, with a mild, wool-safe detergent, but you can remove the fabric and hand wash everything with warm water and wool-safe detergent.
Cons of Wayb Pico Carseat
Like I said before, Wayb Pico is great overall, but it does have some flaws. I don’t think any stroller, crib, or other baby item is ideal and without flaws. Everyone should weigh pros and cons and decide what’s important for them and for their child.
Price
The biggest real con of this car seat is naturally its price as it’s not a cheap seat. If you travel a lot or live in the city where you need occasional cab rides, it’s worth it.
Especially if you have multiple kids, you can pass it to younger siblings.
Crotch Buckle is short
The crotch buckle is a bit short, and shorter than on other car seats. The crotch buckle sits approximately 4.5 inches from the back of the seat.
Dylan is a skinny dude, so he has no issues, but I wouldn’t be so sure how would it work on a chunkier child.
Not great for naps
As Pico is meant for older kids, it’s not an ideal car seat for road trips or during nap times. As it looks and feels like a fancy office chair, the head support is more upright than a regular car seat though. If your toddler falls asleep in the car his head will be sort of hanging.
Dylan doesn’t mind, if he wants to sleep he sleeps but some parents might get upset by this. We tried to adjust it with a neck pillow, but he’s not a fan of it.
Straps are not as soft
Apparently, some kids might complain that the padded straps irritate their necks as they’re not that soft. Both of my kids removed them and prefer to ride without them for some reason.
Is Wayb car seat safe?
The Pico meets all U. S. federal safety standards and crash test requirements for forward-facing harnessed safety seats for use in passenger vehicles and the FAA requirements for use on commercial airplanes.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive crash test ratings for car seats like there are for new vehicles. Manufacturers generally self-certify to the minimum required government crash test standard.
