This article about taking a taxi with a car seat is written by certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Melissa Conn and may contain affiliate links.
Even if you’re planning a car-free vacation for your family, there’s a decent chance you’ll need to take a taxi at some point. So you’re probably wondering: what’s the deal with car seats and taxis?
In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about taking a car seat in a taxi. You’ll find out:
- Why you should take a car seat in a taxi
- What’s the best car seat for taxi rides?
- How to arrange a cab with a car seat
Why you should take a car seat in a taxi
In most places in the US, taxis are exempt from car seat laws. But there’s no magical protective bubble around taxis – even in NYC, there are critical or fatal accidents every month.
Many parents who live in or visit big cities don’t give a lot of thought to their option or to the potential dangers of taking kids in a cab without a car seat. What are some common unsafe mistakes?
- When taking a taxi with an infant, parents strap the baby into a carrier
- When taking a taxi with a toddler, parents put the baby on their lap and “double belt”, running the seatbelt around both of them
- When taking a taxi with preschool or elementary school kids, parents let them use the regular seatbelt without a booster seat
None of those is a safe option. The consequences can be dire and could potentially range from serious injury or death. Babies can be crushed by their parents or slammed against the seat in front, kids who are too young for seatbelts can suffer from “seat belt syndrome” that damages their internal organs and spines.
In some European countries, children are required to use a car seat in a taxi (sometimes it depends on the distance of the trip). You may even get lucky and encounter taxis that carry car seats with them! If available, they can be arranged via the taxi company apps. I recommend doing research before you go. Search for “[city or country] taxi app” and download it to look at the options before your trip.
What’s the best car seat for taxi rides?
Fortunately there are plenty of awesome lightweight car seats for travel and even folding car seats that are easy to bring with you for flights or a day in the city. If you are riding in a taxi with a baby, it’s hard to beat the Doona infant car seat as the perfect baby seat for a taxi! Whatever you end up choosing, it’s always prudent to bring a portable car seat for taxi rides to keep your child safe.
Taxi drivers can get impatient with parents installing their car seats. One trick is to leave the car door open until you’re done installing the car seat and buckling your child in. You can be pretty sure no one is going to drive off until all of the doors are closed! Learn how to install your car seat quickly.
Make sure you have practiced multiple ways to install your car seat. While LATCH might be most convenient, sometimes it’s not available in every seating position (or at all in some countries). Get comfortable installing your car seat with a seatbelt as well, just in case. If you’re leaving the US you may encounter seatbelts that don’t lock when you pull them all the way out, so bring a locking clip and learn how to use it (read more about seatbelt locking clips).
If you have multiple kids in car seats and the driver’s seat is all the way back, don’t be sheepish about asking him to slide forward if possible. Whether you’re installing a car seat or not, everyone deserves leg room!
What’s the best portable car seat for a taxi?
- Doona infant car seat (birth – 1 year old)
- Cosco Scenera NEXT DLX convertible car seats (1 – 2 years old)
- Wayb Pico (2 – 4 years old, in-depth review here)
- Ride Safer Travel Vest (4 – 6+ years old, in-depth review here)
- Bubblebum Inflatable Booster Seat (6+ years old, in-depth review here)
Especially for families with older kids, the Ride Safer travel vest and Bubblebum are lightweight and easy to throw in a day backpack! There’s no reason not to bring one of those with you to have for spur-of-the-moment rides.
DEAL ALERT! Save $11 off the Ride Safer Travel Vest with coupon ‘VOYAGE‘
How to arrange a cab with a car seat
Ok, so what if you really don’t want to bring a car seat with you? You do have a few options.
Uber Car Seat: If you’ll be in New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia or Orlando you may be able to order a car with a forward-facing car seat! These are really meant for kids who are 2+ years old (particularly in New York and Pennsylvania, which mandate rear-facing until 2).
Welcome Pickups: Welcome Pickups is a world-wide car service that will provide age-appropriate car seats upon request. They offer service on every continent except Antarctica!
Local taxi companies and car services: There are lots of great independent car services and local taxi companies around the world that offer taxis with car seats. For example, you can order a taxi with car seat options from G7 in Paris and Shebah in Australia.
Taxi car seat FAQs
While it’s legal in some places to take children in a taxi without a car seat, it is extremely unsafe. Taxi accidents happen and the physics are the same as in any other car.
You’ll sometimes find cabs with car seats (especially in northern Europe), but that’s the exception rather than the rule unless you’ve pre-arranged a taxi child seat when you booked your ride.
Every family has unique needs, but here are some of the best car seats for taxis by age:
–Doona infant car seat (birth – 1 year old)
–Combi Coccoro or Cosco Scenera NEXT DLX convertible car seats (1 – 2 years old)
–Wayb Pico (2 – 4 years old, in-depth review here)
–Ride Safer Travel Vest (4 – 6 years old, in-depth review here)
–Bubblebum Inflatable Booster Seat (6+ years old, in-depth review here)
Every infant seat (except this one) can be installed using the seatbelt alone, sometimes with a locking clip if you’re traveling outside of the United States and Canada. It’s very convenient to travel with a lightweight infant car seat and a compatible stroller.
Thank you so much for all this info! It is so helpful. I was wondering if the Ride Safer travel vest can be used on the airplane as well? I will be traveling to Europe with my 4 year old and we will be in and out of a lot of Taxi’s. Thank you!
Hi Marie,
Unfortunately at this time the vest is not FAA approved. FAA approval has been “coming soon” for several years, but hopefully they really mean it this time.
If your kiddo is at least ~40lbs you should be able to get away with the airplane seatbelt on its own.
Safe travels,
Melissa