WAYB Pico Car Seat Review: The Portable Travel Car Seat I Won’t Go Anywhere Without
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updated: July 28, 2024
Going anywhere with children means hauling a lot of things, from diapers, wipes and snacks to water, a change of clothes, toys, a tablet to entertain—and of course, a travel car seat. While you can make do with your everyday seat for road trips, trying to lug a heavy convertible car seat and base on a plane, or worse, checking it and risking damage, isn’t practical when you already have your hands full.
As a minimalist mom who likes to be prepared and cares deeply about her kids’ safety, I can’t say enough good things about the WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat. It’s safe, ultra-compact (folding in half), lightweight, and easy to use with a little practice. Is it worth the hefty price tag for your family? I put this popular travel car seat to the test with my two-year-old on a recent trip across the country to find out.
WAYB Pico Forward Facing Car Seat in Jet at Nordstrom
Unboxing and first impressions
When I first unboxed the WAYB Pico I was shocked at just how compact and lightweight it is, especially compared to the big, bulky convertible car seats I own and can barely carry from my car to the garage. Even my older children (ages five and seven) can tote the WAYB Pico, which is nice if you’ll be traveling solo and might need a helping hand at the airport.
I was a bit intimidated at first that this seat was going to be a pain to install, much less figure out how to fold, unfold and adjust, but honestly the manual was super clear, and I like that the brand has videos with step-by-step instructions (there are even QR codes to scan in the manual) if you’re a visual learner like me. I would highly recommend getting comfortable using it at home first, practicing installing and taking it out of your car, adjusting the straps, and folding it up, before using it with your child so you’re not sweating trying to figure out all the features or frantically googling how-to videos when you’ve just spent five hours on a plane entertaining a tired toddler.
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
Another thing I was impressed with right off the bat is the seat’s modern design and sleek look—it’s so stylish and luxe. I also liked the clever built-in storage pocket on the back of the seat for the tether and how the lower anchor connectors clip right onto little pull-out bars on each side of the seat when not in use.
Specifications
- Dimensions:
- Storage position: 11.6 x 14.5 x 18.9 inches
- Lowest-use position: 15.2 x 14.5 x 22.8 inches
- Highest-use position: 15.2 x 14.5 x 27.8 inches
- Weight: Eight pounds
- Age recommendation: Two years+
- Forward-facing weight and height limit: 22-50 pounds and 30-45 inches
- Colors available: Five
- Machine-washable padding: No, spot clean or hand wash only
- FAA approved: Yes
- Price on publish: $380
WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat pros and cons
Pros:
- It’s super lightweight at only eight pounds, making it easy to carry, especially if you purchase the Pico Carry Bag to go with it
- It folds in half and is super compact, unlike a big and bulky convertible car seat
- It’s fairly simple to install via LATCH or the seatbelt, taking only a minute or two once you get the hang of it
- Uninstalling and folding it back up for storage is quick and easy
- Thoughtful design details, like a handy and spacious storage pocket on the back of the seat for the tether strap and clips on the side for the lower anchor connectors to attach to when not in use
- It’s FAA-approved so it can be used safely on an airplane, and it fits in the overhead bin so you don’t have to stress about damage
- The design is sleek and stylish with five modern colorways to choose from
- The overall convenience can’t be matched
- The tether is very long so it should be able to reach a tether anchor in any vehicle
- This seat can be installed without the tether (though it’s always recommended if available), but this can be handy if you find yourself in a taxi that doesn’t have a tether anchor, which was the case for us a couple of times when traveling
- The brand’s YouTube videos and instruction manual for installation and use are easy to follow
- This seat is safe, solid, and the quality is excellent
Cons:
- It’s a forward-facing only seat designed for kids two and older, so younger kids won’t be able to use it and some parents may not feel comfortable forward-facing their two- or even three-year-old toddler
- It has a relatively low max height limit of 45 inches
- It’s expensive, which is worth it if you travel frequently or live in the city and take frequent Ubers/taxis but probably not worth the expense for infrequent travelers unless you have younger children to pass it down to
- Older children may find the short crotch buckle and its position uncomfortable, limiting its usage time even more
- There’s not much head support if your kid still naps, which isn’t an issue for short trips but some parents may find this an issue for long journeys
- The fabric is spot-clean and hand-wash only
- It’s only approved for use in the USA, so this is something to consider if you frequently travel internationally or are looking to purchase for international travel
WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat price
The WAYB Pico is expensive, retailing at $380, pricier than some of the best toddler car seats with full features. However, if you’re willing to pay for the convenience it brings when you travel, I find it’s well worth it. It only weighs eight pounds and unlike any other popular forward-facing travel seat, it folds in half, so it’s super compact and can fit right into the overhead bin on an airplane. You don’t have to check it and stress about it being tossed around and damaged by baggage handlers or beneath the plane. It’s a luxury, for sure, when traveling with small children, and the price certainly reflects this. I’d recommend it for frequent fliers (it can even be used on the airplane to contain your child) or if you live in an urban area and don’t own a car but ride-share often, as it’s quick to install and you don’t have to lug a massive convertible car seat around the city.
WAYB Pico Forward Facing Car Seat in Jet at Nordstrom
WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat design
The design of the Pico car seat, other than the crotch buckle perhaps (which we’ll get to), is so well thought out it’s worth highlighting. WAYB has made a fully functional and perfectly safe travel car seat that looks great, is incredibly lightweight, and folds in half to save space. The seat passes all U.S. safety standards for cars and planes and can be installed (without the tether if absolutely necessary) using the LATCH system, seatbelt, or airplane seatbelt so you’re covered in practically any installation scenario — this reduces so much stress when you have no clue if you’re hopping into an old-school taxi without a tether anchor in sight, trust me.
One design feature that may take some getting used to is the harness adjustments. Instead of a little strap by the crotch buckle you pull up to tighten the harness straps or a button you push to loosen them, there are two straps (one on each side of the seat by the hip area) that you’ll pull to get everything nice and snug. To loosen, you push in on a gray tab on each side and while holding it down you pull the straps forward. It’s slightly more time consuming, but really, it’s just different than what I’m used to.
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
ELIZABETH KADAR
Another clever design feature I appreciate is the built-in LATCH storage bars that pull out to clip the connectors onto when you’re not using them. And when you are using them, the little storage bars disappear back into the seat out of sight. The big back pocket to store the tether when not in use is nice too. It’s plenty spacious, so it’s easy to shove it all down in there quickly when you’re in a rush.
The crotch buckle is the only design feature I’d like to see changed in a future model or update of the WAYB Pico. While my two-year-old has no issue strapping in comfortably, I asked my five-year-old who is near the max height limit to test it out and there’s no way she could ride comfortably. She was basically sitting on top of half of the crotch buckle and immediately complained she was uncomfortable (I would have been to). I think extending the length slightly, moving it forward, or somehow figuring out two different crotch strap positions could be a possible fix.
WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat safety and testing
I’m a stickler for safety, especially when it comes to car seats, and while I wouldn’t necessarily use this as my everyday seat for my toddler (mainly because I like a little more padding and will keep him rear-facing until at least age three), I felt confident with him riding in it while on vacation. As mentioned, the seat meets all U.S. safety standards regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It’s not approved for use in Europe or internationally (at least not yet) though.
To test, I installed (and uninstalled) this seat in multiple ride-share vehicles over a long weekend using both the latch and seatbelt installation methods. I also folded and unfolded it multiple times between car rides. While I didn’t use it on the plane, I did store it in the overhead compartment with the WAYB storage bag and found it easy to carry and take along—and a lot less of a hassle than bringing a convertible car seat, even a lightweight one, simply due to its compact size. My two-year-old son was my tester on our trip. Though I did have my five-year-old daughter test at home, the fit was uncomfortable for her so she never used it in a vehicle.
My experience with the WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat
I found the WAYB Pico a delight to use and a welcome change from the gigantic Cosco Scenera I used to bring along for travel with my older two kiddos—I don’t even want to know what that seat went through when I gate-checked it! With the WAYB Pico, I love that I can bring it on the plane where my toddler can sit in it, or I can safely stow it in the overhead department so I don’t have to worry about what’s happening to it when it’s out of my sight or if there’s damage being done I can’t see with the naked eye.
I found it fairly straightforward to install in an Uber in a couple of minutes and get my toddler all buckled in. You will need to use some strength to get a secure and tight installation, but again, I didn’t find this to be an issue overall. I think it also helped that I read the manual and practiced both installation methods (seatbelt and latch) prior to travel so I knew exactly what to do and how to use it when we were on vacation. I wouldn’t recommend trying to figure it out for the first time on a trip or you’ll likely feel flustered and frustrated.
There are a lot of straps on this seat. While the WAYB manual advises rolling up the free ends of the harness straps (by your child’s hips) and securing with the webbing loops once you’ve tightened and buckled your child in, I usually just left these undone to save time, as we were switching ride-share vehicles fairly frequently so the seat was never installed in a vehicle for longer than 20 or 30 minutes and I never wanted to hold up the driver any longer than necessary.
Uninstalling the seat takes all of 30 seconds (with either install method), and I can fold it up or open it in about the same amount of time. While a lot of reviews I read complained about their child’s head falling forward or the seat being uncomfortable for naps, my toddler took several short naps in this seat quite comfortably and his head never fell forward. That said, the headrest is pretty bare bones to keep the seat compact/lightweight so it’s not going to be nice and cushy like an everyday convertible seat. I’m okay with that for short, hour-or-less car trips, but it’s something to consider if you plan on purchasing for much longer rides.
Another thing to consider is, when installing via the seatbelt-only method in my Jeep at home, the seatbelt energy management loop (thicker loop section on the lap belt), wanted to sit right in the WAYB Pico’s vehicle belt guide, which eliminated the ability to get a tight install. Fortunately for me, my bucket seats slide back and forth, so I just moved the seat back, shortening the distance between the seat belt and the car seat, which allowed the energy management loop to sit between the two belt guides on the Pico so I could get a tight install.
For me, the biggest selling factor of this seat is how convenient it is. I used it with the WAYB Carry Bag, which has a luggage sleeve or can be worn like a travel backpack — so you’re hands-free either way. Since we didn’t have to lug around a giant seat, we could easily grab an Uber to go to lunch or stroll the city and bring the Pico with us. The backpack slipped right onto the back of our travel stroller, and because the seat isn’t heavy it didn’t weigh it down when pushing.
WAYB Pico Carry Bag
If you’re going to splurge on the WAYB Pico, I recommend getting the Carry Bag ($95) too, solely to make your travel experience easier and even more convenient. The bag is spacious so you can fit the WAYB Pico car seat and even a small kids backpack, clothing changes, or diapering essentials. There’s also a luggage sleeve so it can slide right on top of your bag at the airport, or you can wear it like a backpack with the ergonomic and comfortable straps. A side slip pocket is the perfect place to stow diapers, wipes, a snack, or any other random toy or tiny essentials you want to keep within reach or just don’t fit anywhere else. And if you need to chase your toddler at the airport, the backpack and car seat are so light you’ll still be able to run at top speed.
ELIZABETH KADAR
WAYB Pico Portable Car Seat use and comfort
With practice, the WAYB Pico is very easy to use, and my two-year-old happily climbed in to get buckled up each time on our vacation. To unfold and set up, you simply release the black fold retention loop (with a light blue tab on the end) by pulling up. Then rotate the seat bottom to the use position, and lock it in place by closing the red fold release. The headrest adjusts up by pushing a little red button on the back of the seat. To fold back up, you reverse the steps, and it’s quick and easy.
ELIZABETH KADAR
Because this seat is so lightweight and compact, its biggest selling points, this isn’t going to be the most comfortable car seat you’ve ever used, but that’s also not top priority in a travel car seat, at least not in my opinion. It’s comfortable enough, and my two-year-old never complained, even taking a few short naps on our journeys. For older children or those near the top of the height and weight limits, however, the short crotch buckle may limit comfort drastically.
Final verdict
This forward-facing and compact portable travel car seat may be pricey, but it’s worth every penny for the convenience and the peace of mind it provides me and my family. It’s the ultimate game changer for parents who like to travel light and, like me, are stressed out by the thought of renting a car seat that may or may not have been properly stored, handled, cared for or that you just have no clue how to install, which trust me (from experience) can be a real headache after a long flight with a moody toddler in an unfamiliar rental car. Bonus: It fits right in the overhead bin so it won’t get banged up en route and is FAA-approved so it can also be used to contain your kid during a flight. I also appreciate that it can be used without a tether if absolutely necessary, which was an issue we ran into on vacation in some older taxis that weren't equipped with lower anchors. I’d highly recommend this seat for city dwellers who ride-share often too, as it’s so much easier than lugging a big convertible seat around town and much safer than putting your little one in a booster seat too soon (or going without anything at all).
On the other hand, if you’re looking to buy a travel car seat for vacation once or twice a year, you may be better off spending your money on something more affordable unless you have younger children you’ll eventually pass it down to so you can get your money’s worth.
WAYB Pico Forward Facing Car Seat in Jet at Nordstrom
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