Yes, most major rental companies offer child car seats for an extra daily fee, but availability, fit, and safety checks are still your responsibility.
Parents who rent a car for a trip often wonder what to do about a child seat. Flying with bulky gear can be awkward, yet skipping a proper restraint is also not an option if you want your child protected and you want to follow local law.
Quick Answer To Can You Rent A Car Seat With Rental Car?
Yes, you can add a child seat to most rental bookings. The agency lists it as an extra, charges a daily fee, and hands you the seat when you pick up the car.
- Seats are limited, so reserve in advance.
- Daily fees on long trips can match the cost of a basic travel seat.
- The exact model is often unknown until pickup.
- You, not the clerk, are responsible for setup and checks.
So the answer to can you rent a car seat with rental car? is yes, yet you still need to confirm stock, price, and fit for your child before you rely on that option.
Typical Car Seat Rental Options By Brand
Most household rental names have some form of child restraint available. The table below shows what you can expect from major companies in many U.S. locations; exact offerings and prices still vary by country and branch.
| Rental Brand | Seat Types Offered | Typical Cost Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avis | Infant, convertible, booster | Around $14 per day with a weekly cap, varies by location. |
| Hertz | Infant, child, booster | Per day fee; some auto club plans may include one seat at no charge. |
| Enterprise | Infant, child, booster | Several seat types at many branches for a daily fee, charged per seat. |
| Alamo | Infant, convertible, booster | Seats that meet government standards; fee per day and sometimes a weekly maximum. |
| National | Convertible, booster | Often focuses on convertible seats that can be rear facing or forward facing for toddlers. |
| Budget | Infant, convertible, booster | Daily fee with advance reservation recommended for airport pickups. |
| Regional Or Local Firms | Varies widely | Some stock only boosters, others partner with baby gear rental services; always confirm before you book. |
Across brands, a common price range for a rental car seat in the United States runs from about $10 to $15 per day, often with a weekly cap, based on travel and consumer reporting sources that track rental add on fees.
Renting A Car Seat With Your Rental Car: Pros And Downsides
Renting a child seat gives benefits. You skip hauling a bulky seat through the airport, avoid gate checking or baggage claim delays, and walk to a car that already has the restraint waiting or ready to install. It works well on short city breaks, on trips where you juggle a stroller and several bags, or when you visit relatives who do not own a suitable seat and live far from major stores.
Where Rental Car Seats Fall Short
The flip side is that rented child restraints come with real limits. You have less control over the seat’s history. You do not know whether it has been dropped, checked roughly, or involved in a crash. Staff should remove damaged seats, but procedures differ from company to company.
The seat may not match your child as well as your own. Harness height, weight limits, and head padding can vary. Safety agencies such as the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stress that children should ride in a seat that suits their size and stage, and that they should stay rear facing as long as the seat allows. NHTSA car seat guidance describes these stages clearly.
Rental car seats also cost money that does not leave you with anything once you return the car. For a week long trip the per day fee can approach the price of a mid range travel car seat you could keep. If you travel with kids often, buying a dedicated travel model may save money after just a few trips.
Safety Basics To Check When You Use A Rental Car Seat
Whether you bring your own seat or use one supplied by the rental counter, the safety checks are the same. The car seat must be in good condition, suitable for your child, and installed tightly in the correct seating position. That keeps everyone safer.
Inspect The Car Seat Before You Accept It
Before you leave the lot, check the seat for cracks, stress marks, shredded stitching, missing labels, loose parts, and a sticky buckle or chest clip. Check the manufacture date and expiry label as well; if the seat is past its limit or the labels are unreadable, ask the agent for a different unit.
Install The Seat Correctly In The Rental Car
Next, install the seat following both the car seat manual and the rental car manual. Look for either LATCH style anchors or the correct belt path for your seat. A well installed seat does not move more than an inch side to side or front to back at the belt path when you tug on it firmly with your non dominant hand.
Place children under age thirteen in the back seat. Health and safety bodies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, advise that infants and toddlers ride rear facing for as long as their seat allows, then move to a forward facing harnessed seat, and later to a booster until the adult belt fits correctly. AAP car seat recommendations explain these stages with age and size ranges.
Fit The Harness To Your Child
Once the seat is tight in the vehicle, adjust the harness to your child. For rear facing seats the harness should sit at or just below the shoulders; for forward facing seats it should sit at or just above. Remove bulky coats so the harness rests close to the body, then tighten until you cannot pinch slack at the collarbone.
Alternatives To Renting A Car Seat
For many families, rented car seats are only one option among several. Depending on your route, budget, and luggage limits, another approach may match your needs more closely.
Bringing Your Own Car Seat
Bringing your own seat gives you full control over model, condition, and fit. Many airlines allow car seats to be checked without extra charge, and some parents choose to use a rear facing seat on board so their baby can ride harnessed during the flight. A lightweight travel seat or a folding booster can be easier to move through airports than your everyday seat, even though you still have to carry it, protect it from rough handling, and reinstall it in every vehicle.
Booking Through A Baby Gear Rental Service
In many tourist areas, baby gear rental companies deliver car seats to hotels or private rentals. They list the exact model you will receive and often replace seats more often than standard car rental fleets, so this route can help when the agency has no suitable seats left.
Comparing Your Car Seat Options For A Trip
To help weigh the options side by side, the table below lays out common choices with typical strengths and tradeoffs.
| Option | Main Strengths | Main Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Rental Car Seat From The Agency | No need to carry a seat through the airport; ready with the car. | Extra daily fee; limited choice of brand; unknown history. |
| Your Own Everyday Car Seat | Known history and fit; your child is already used to it. | Bulky to move; risk of damage during air travel. |
| Lightweight Travel Car Seat | Easier to carry; often designed with travel in mind. | An extra purchase; may feel less padded than your home seat. |
| Folding Or Compact Booster | Tiny in a backpack; handy for older children in taxis. | Only for kids who meet booster age and size limits. |
| Baby Gear Rental Company | Often lists exact models; can deliver to hotel or rental home. | Separate booking to manage; availability varies by city. |
| Public Transport Only | No installation needed; avoids rental and parking costs. | Less flexible with luggage and nap schedules; may not suit rural areas. |
| Taxi Or Rideshare With Portable Seat | Flexible point to point travel while keeping a child restrained. | You still carry the seat all day and must install it for each ride. |
Planning Steps Before You Reserve Your Rental Car
Before you click the book button on a rental site, take a few minutes for car seat planning.
Match The Seat Type To Your Child
Start by writing down your child’s age, weight, and height. Check those numbers against your current seat and guidance from safety bodies so you know which stage your child is in before you rent.
Check Laws At Your Destination
Child restraint rules differ by state and country. Some places require boosters until age twelve, while others set the bar by height or weight. Look up official government guidance for your destination and save a copy on your phone.
Decide Whether Renting Or Bringing Makes More Sense
Compare the total cost of renting a seat for the length of your trip with the price of buying a suitable travel seat at home. For a short weekend visit, renting from the agency may win. For a long stay, owning a travel seat that you can use on more than one trip works out better.
When you understand the tradeoffs, the question can you rent a car seat with rental car? turns from a source of stress into one part of your trip planning that you handle with confidence.