Best FAA approved car seat for 15 month old

We have a 9 hour flight next month. Trying to see which is the best choice for a car seat our son can use on the flight. He'll be 15 months, we have his infant car seat but I'm afraid he'll be too big by then. I also bought our flight seats to economy so we have extra room, United airlines. Anyone have suggestions? Something that isn't rock hard!

Hello

Child car seats have no proven benefit, not in a car and certainly not in a plane. I know the law says you have to have them, but try searching for tests where children are in ordinary seatbelts. You won't find any. You will find good and bad seat comparisons and no seatbelt videos, but none with ordinary seatbelts. This is because the few tests that have been conducted show no difference in safety, just a different pattern of injury. A point that child safety seat manufacturers would prefer you don't know.

If your 15 month old might be too big for the seat in a month, then you need to get a new seat and should not get one just for the flight but one that you can use on an every day basis.

Most car seats sold today are going to be FAA Approved and it all depends on how much you want to spend. The less expensive basic seats can start at under $75 and you can go up to the Super-Fancy designer seats for $300+ without even blinking.

If you like the one you have now, look at the same company for one that will work for your child growing up. Some of the less expensive brands are ones like Cosco and Safety 1st. Some of the higher end ones include Britax and Combi.

One other item about the flight, if you purchased a seat with Extra leg room be sure it is NOT an exit row. With an Infant you will NOT be allowed to sit in those seats and if it is a full flight they may have issues moving you to other equivalent seats.

15 month old Wonderful
This 15 month old is how tall? How much does he weigh?

we have his infant car seat GOOD FOR YOU over time you get bigger ones as needed. That is NORMAL. NO ONE can guess the exact size of your child at a particular age.

Something that isn't rock hard! You want the BEST and the Safest just as long as it is soft?
Car seats are the way they are for many reasons. One is the safety of the child in it.

It appears you have a long travel day and will need something at destination for your continued travel after you land.
Something that could serve as a "Bassinet" temporary sleeping place while you wait along your travel day and at destination.

FAA is not in the car seat approval business.

The CARES Child Safety Device is the only FAA-approved harness-type restraint for children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds. This type of device provides an alternative to using a hard-backed seat and is approved only for use on aircraft. The CARES Child Safety Device is not approved for use in motor vehicles.

https://www.faa.gov/travelers/fly_children/