Our tried and true products that made traveling with our 11-month old so much easier!
When it comes to traveling with a baby, there are certain essentials that make the journey much smoother. These 3 things have become indispensable for us while traveling.
For us, the absolute hardest part about traveling with our baby has been the planning. Thinking about everything you need to plan, pack, the things that could go wrong, is by far more stressful than actually doing it. As with everything in parenting, once we’re actually DOING the thing we worried about, we realize it’s really not that bad and, in most cases, actually really awesome!
That being said, traveling with a wriggly baby can be quite challenging. Babies are naturally curious and active, and they may not understand the need to stay still or quiet during travel. We’ve been on countless international flights with our little one and have discovered what works (and what doesn’t!) when it comes to those popular “influencer” items that people say you absolutely need.
I’m not here to tell you that you need these items, and I’m not earning any sort of commission for promoting them. I’m just sharing what has worked for us in hopes it points you in the right direction and releases you from any fear you may have about traveling with your baby.
Besides the obvious things, like a baby carrier, stroller, bibs, and bottles–these are the three things we use ALL the time when traveling with a baby. They’re the things I don’t think we could live without when it comes to airplane travel with our little one, and they make life easier for us and for baby!
So here are our top 3 baby products for traveling!
#3: Busy Board
I’ll put this on the list with the caveat that if your baby is less than 10 months old, you can probably just skip past this one.
A busy board, also known as a sensory board or activity board, is a small, lightweight, binder-type book that has loads of interesting little things inside to keep baby, well, BUSY! We found that our 11-month-old was probably on the youngest end of being able to start enjoying one of these, and she will likely be able to use it a lot more effectively when she is a toddler. That being said, it was really great to have this on the plane and around the hotel room when we were getting ready in the morning and baby was bored!
A busy board provides a variety of tactile and sensory experiences, such as buttons to press, zippers to pull, knobs to turn, and textures to touch. These interactive elements really keep baby engaged and entertained during long flights, at least 20-30 minutes at a time. We really like that it is quiet, lightweight, develops some new skills for her, and is something we can play with her to teach her shapes, colors, and other important things.
The one we got is designed to be portable and lightweight, with a cute little button to secure it closed and a handle for her to carry it herself one day. It easily fit in our carry-on cinch bag, which we kept under the seat on the plane.
#2: Plane seat extender
We’ve done flights with baby every way you can think of: trying to get a bassinet, asking for any empty seats to bring our car seat on board, laying baby down between us on an extra seat (or two extra seats), holding baby in our arms, wearing baby in a front pack, and purchasing her own seat.
By far my favorite so far has been using a seat extender. Whether you purchase an extra seat or count on having an empty seat next to you, this is the best way to get baby to take a solid nap on the flight and let you get some rest, too!
It’s a game-changer for several reasons.
The extra space it provides is a lifesaver. Babies can get fussy and restless when confined to a small area for too long, and having that bit of extra room allows my little one to move around comfortably and play without feeling cramped. The extender creates a safe and designated space for my baby to play and explore. It’s like having a mini play area right beside me, which not only keeps my baby entertained but also allows me to have a bit of hands-free time to relax.
Not to mention, it gives us an entire legroom area to put our personal items! As opposed to the inflatable baby seat extenders, this one gives us WAY more space to store our things, freeing up the legroom for mom and dad! I can keep all the essentials within easy reach–diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, they’re all right under baby’s hammock.
Additionally, having my baby in their own seat with the extender reduces the chances of disturbing fellow passengers. It’s less likely for my little one to kick or reach out to neighboring seats, making the flight more comfortable for everyone around us. Especially at the end of our trip on the way home, baby is DONE being touched all the time and just wants some space of her own.
#1: Baby Chair Strap Adapter
I’m not entirely sure what to call this. Portable high chair, travel high chair, baby harness seat, baby char strap… whatever it is, GAME-CHANGER.
It can turn any chair into a high chair. When you’re traveling, or even just eating away from home, you know how hard it can be to find places that have high chairs. Sometimes, even when they do have one, it’s taken by another family. We learned the hard way that holding a hungry baby throughout an entire meal is a recipe for spills, messes, and your plate of food ending up on the floor.
This high chair strap provides a secure and stable seating option for baby. Whether we’re traveling, dining at a restaurant, or even just visiting friends, I can easily transform any regular chair into a safe high chair for my little one. This gives me peace of mind knowing that my baby is comfortably seated and less likely to slip or fall while eating. It looks like any wiggly baby would be able to escape, but ours has tested it enough times for us to have some serious faith in this thing!
The harness strap is incredibly versatile and portable. It’s compact and lightweight, making it easy to pack in my diaper bag or carry-on luggage. This means that wherever we go, I can quickly set up a high chair for my baby without having to rely on finding one at our destination. We can set it up in less than 30 seconds, and we have yet to find a chair it doesn’t work with. Even benches, open back chairs, and barstools worked for us!
Using the harness strap allows us to maintain our baby’s routine and mealtime habits, even when we’re away from home. She has always been a very independent eater and lover of food, and so are we so we love being able to all eat together. When she’s in the harness, she can enjoy her meal at the same time as us while staying out of reach of the breakable and dangerous things on the tables (all Guatemalan restaurants put candles on the tables after dark!)
If you want to take it one step further, this strap eliminates the need to carry bulky or heavy high chairs or booster seats when traveling. It’s a space-saving solution that doesn’t compromise on safety and convenience, making it a practical choice for families on the go.
Bonus: if you don’t want to spend the money on this (it’s only $25, but still) we discovered that you could also use the ergo baby carrier as a makeshift harness, too. Just strap the carrier to any chair and put baby in as you would if you were wearing it rather than the chair. Downsides: it doesn’t fit every chair, especially ones that don’t have a back, and your carrier gets covered in food!
When traveling with a baby, certain essentials make the journey smoother, and for me, these three items are indispensable. The busy board, or sensory board, provides tactile and sensory experiences to keep the baby engaged and entertained during long flights. The plane seat extender allows the baby to move around comfortably, creating a designated play area and providing an entire legroom area for personal items. The baby chair strap adapter turns any chair into a high chair, ensuring a secure and stable seating option for the baby while being compact and lightweight for easy portability. I really hope these items can be a blessing to you and your little one as you explore the world, and I hope you’ll let me know if you have success with them on your travels (or if you find something else you want to share!)
