List Price: $89.00
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Most the negative reviews I see are due to people complaining that it doesn't fit through the security xray machines. Do some research before you travel, here is the link to the TSA website that says you can ask for a hand check:
I have traveled over 20 times with my GoGo Kidz and never taken the wheels off. I did print out and highlight the web page that says you can hand check in case somene wants to fight me over it though.
This is a lifesaver for people who fly with carseats!
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I have the newest version of the gogokidz travelmate, and it now has a quick release strap along with quick release wheels. So, there are NO screws to deal with (except when you first set it up but those screws become a permanent attachment on the product).The handle also goes from very short to VERY long nobody should have a problem getting the handle to a comfortable position. The handle also locks into place at all levels, so the handle does NOT slip out when you don't want it to.
The company did a great job of listening to customers and making improvements. Great buy and very easy to use.
The easiest thing is to have security check it with a wand, BUT if you need/want to put your carseat on the security belt, you can easily detach the wheels and/or just undo the quick release strap and take the carseat off of the gogokidz altogether.
This will fit down most airplane aisles, BUT some car seats are too big, so you may have to carry the car seat but using the gogokidz, you now at least have a handle with which to lift the seat. Safe Travels!
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EDIT 11/29/09: The product description now mentions a strap that sounds like it might solve the attachment/detachment problem. I haven't seen the strap in action, but check more recent reviews to see if it's working well.ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I really love the idea of this gadget. We've used on several plane trips, and it's definitely easier and more practical than bringing the carseat AND a stroller. Many people have stopped us in the airport to check it out, and our son loves riding around in it. It has great polyurethane wheels that roll over just about anything with ease, and the telescoping handle can be made long enough for the tallest parent. It's light, easy to steer, and streamlined. Our Britax Marathon fits on it beautifully and attaches securely.
However, it needs a couple of major improvements to make it worth the effort and the price. First of all, there simply MUST be a way to attach and detach the device to/from the carseat more quickly. Currently, you must attach it by twisting two long screws into their guideholes. This takes WAY too long. On just one trip, we screwed the TravelMate onto the carseat in the parking lot, then unscrewed it in the security line, screwed it back on, unscrewed it on the plane, and then screwed it back on in the jetway. This means we spent WAY too much time screwing and unscrewing those very long screws. It's even harder when the kid is asleep in the carseat. There simply MUST be a method to snap the carseat securely onto the TravelMate without frantically twisting screws on and off. It's ridiculous. Until this company comes up with a better method for attaching the carseat to the TravelMate, I would not recommend purchasing it.
Secondly, the telescoping handle is great but it feels quite flimsy. I am pretty comfortable pulling my kid along behind me, but pushing him in front of me seems risky because it feels like I'm going to snap the rails of the handle. It would be worth the extra weight to strengthen the telescoping rails and make the handle more sturdy.
In summary, this is a great idea, but wait to buy it until the company comes up with a simple snap-in to replace the screw-in attachment.
Honest reviews on GoGo Babyz Kidz Travelmate
Once my baby moved out of her infant seat and into a "bigger" seat (Britax Marathon 70), I panicked about how I was going to transport her all by myself thru the airport. At this time, I was still keeping her in the carseat while on the plane. How was I going to lug a huge carseat and a squirming 1 year old through the airport? I bought this and it fit the bill. Is it perfect? No. Did it break on me? Yes. Will I buy another one? The order is already placed.Pros:
--It serves it's main function--it converts your "big" carseat into a stroller for ease of transporting your child through the airport.
--Allows easy transport of your car seat down to the the plane. If you do not plan on using your carseat ON the plane, just ask the gate agent for a gate-check tag and you can leave the whole thing strapped together at the bottom of the jetway and pick up there when you get off the plane.
--Alleviates the need to pack a stand-alone stroller if your only purpose for needing a stroller is to travel through the airport.
--The handle bar adjusts to 2 different heights to accommodate the height of the parent.
--Easy to store when not in use.
--Once you get it strapped to the carseat properly, it rolls quite smoothly.
--It allows the child to be secured and not running loose through the airport.
Cons:
--I bought a "refurbished" unit and it wasn't packed with 4 necessary screws that secure the handle bar unit to the back plate. It was an easy fix to find screws at Home Depot that fit the holes though. It also came with no instructions and I couldn't find any online either.
--Keeping the car seat attached to the GO GO Kidz won't fit through the x-ray machines at most airports. I've only encountered 1 airport that had tall enough entrances into the machine where the whole thing fit. Just expect that it won't fit! (See my "Tips" section for more info)
--The ratchet part of the GO GO Kidz mysteriously fell off on a trip to the airport. You need that part in order to secure the strap that feeds through your car seat to attach it to the GO GO Kidz. Thankfully, we were able to jimmy rig the GO GO Kidz on the car seat with an extra car seat strap we had.
--Obviously, there's no "kick stand" on this thing. But it may not be a bad idea for them to include a little one on it. It's just a piece of plastic balanced on two slippery wheels and when your car seat is not on it, you have to lay it flat on the ground or the wheels will slide and make it crash to the ground. So, when you have your hands full wrangling a baby and keeping up with your luggage, etc. while in the process of taking it apart or putting it back on your car seat, you can't just prop it up somewhere. I guarantee if you buy this thing, you'll have this experience of it falling over when you try to prop it up against something and you'll know what I'm talking about! ;)
--You can't roll your carseat down the aisle of the plane. This is not a fault of the GO GO Kidz, but of the fact that "big" carseats are too wide for the aisles.
--If you gate check your carseat with it strapped to the GO GO Kidz, 9 times out of 10, when you pick it back up after you de-plane on the jetway, it will have been tossed around and come loose. Not a fault of the product, just something to be aware of.
Tips:
--Practice putting it on your carseat and taking it apart with your child present before you go on your first trip. At first, it can be challenging to strap it to the car seat and take it apart WITH your child sitting strapped into the carseat (so they aren't roaming about while you're trying to do this), but it can be done!
You will get into a flow with some practice.
--Figure, you will have to assemble or de-assemble this thing once you get out of your car at the airport, possibly going through security (if they won't hand-check it), possibly if you are using your car seat on the plane, and once you get into the car at your destination. So PRACTICE doing all this with your child in the seat. It will make your life easier, UNLESS, your child is old enough/willing to stand nicely next to you while you do this without them in the seat.
--Ask the TSAs to hand-check your car seat with the GO GO Kidz attached so you don't have to hassle with taking it apart from the carseat and putting it back together after you go through security. I just stand there at the x-ray machine staring at any TSA in close vicinity until they make eye contact and I ask them to hand-check it. Some TSAs will scoff and take it apart anyway to try and get the carseat and GO GO Kidz through the machine separately and there's not much you can do about that. But it never hurts to ask! And the nicer TSAs will help you put it back together after it goes through the machine. Others could care less about your dilemma if you are traveling alone....but Karma will get them in the end anyway, so don't stress!
--Gate check the car seat/GO GO Kidz at the end of the jetway before you get on the plane. Get a gate check tag from the gate agent before you go down to the plane. You can leave it (whether it's just the GO GO Kidz unit itself if baby will sit in their car seat on the plane, or the two strapped together if baby won't use the car seat on the plane). I wait to be the last off the plane (if I'm not in a rush to make a connecting flight) so that my stuff is already there waiting for me when I de-plane.)
--Use the help of others!! It doesn't matter who these people are! Whether it's TSA agents, other passengers, airline employees, etc. Accept help and ASK for help when you need it! When the baby used to use her carseat on the plane, I learned very quickly to ask the flight attendent who greets you on the plane if I could get help carrying the carseat to my seat. There's no way you can carry a baby and the big carseat at the same time without causing injury to people already seated on the plane!
Instructions:
#1--Sit the base of the carseat onto the two little "pegs" of plastic at the bottom of the GO GO Kidz so the car seat is evenly centered on the pegs, with the back of your car seat butting up against the big plastic square of the GO GO Kidz.
#2--Take the plastic strap on the right side of GO GO Kidz unit and feed it through the back of your carseat (behind the padding), so it's between the padding of the car seat and the plastic back of the car seat.
#3--Feed the plastic strap out the other opening on the opposite side of the carseat and feed the plastic strap into the silver ratchet mechanism that's attached to the left side of the GO GO Kidz unit. NOTE: As far as I can tell, you don't need to latch the GO GO Kidz strap into any of the safety mechanisms (snaps or latches) that you may have behind the padding of your carseat.
#4--Pull up on the silver wratchet several time and it will automatically tighten the strap securly around the car seat. Keep ratcheting until you can ratchet no more! That will give you a secure fit.
#5--When you need to take the thing apart from the carseat, push the black release plastic tab on the wratchet and pull the plastic strap out while keeping the release depressed.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for GoGo Babyz Kidz Travelmate
This is a great gadget if you want to bring your child's carseat on the plane but think it would be too much hassle to have a carseat and a stroller. My almost-2-year-old daughter LOVED being wheeled through the airport in her seat -she thought it was an amusement park ride. It's lightweight and very maneuverable, even when you're pulling a suitcase with your other hand and have various carry-on bags draped across your body!The only problems we had were:
1 Most airplane aisles are not wide enough to allow the child to ride down the aisle in the seat. That leaves you with a carseat, carry-on bags, and a small child to wrangle onto the plane. Not a problem if you have more than one adult per child, but a hassle for a parent traveling solo. Other passengers (or in one case the flight attendant) had to help me. (Of course, this would be a problem if you had a stroller too, since you'd need to gate-check it.)
2 The instructions say you can use the seat on the plane with the wheels still attached, but while this is technically possible, I preferred to take them off. As the other reviewer said, the wheels tip the seat so far forward that the child doesn't recline at all, which seems uncomfortable. It's also more cumbersome to install the seat with the wheels on it than to carry them separately.
3 It won't fit through most baggage scanners with the wheels attached, so be prepared to take them off at security and reattach them afterwards. If your child is a bolter, you may want to have a safety harness for this phase.
The wheels are pretty quick to attach and remove, though it helps a lot to practice several times at home.
We've only used this once so far, but even for that, it was worth the purchase price.
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