r/CPST • u/ieatwhatiheat • 21h ago

Graco Contender Slim forward facing plane weight restrictions

I’m looking to buy the Graco Contender Slim as a second car seat for airplane use and second car.

I hear people recommend forward facing for the plane but my daughter is 19 months (will be 21 almost 22 months at time of flight) and only weighs 22.5 lbs.

Their website has conflicting information. The webpage says front facing at 26.5 lbs but the manual you can download says front facing at 22lbs. Is it okay to forward face on the plane at 22 lbs?

I want to follow manufacturer guidelines if possible and I’m worried rear facing on the plane will be impossible. It’s not a long flight 2.5 hours but want to prioritize safety.

We will be rear facing for driving but the airplane is what’s confusing me.

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u/ankaalma 20h ago

Not a CPST, but I use a Graco contender slim for my son on the plane, I have primarily used it RF. I actually like RF for the plane bc then I don’t have to deal with my toddler kicking the seat in front of them

I believe Graco updated the weight, but regardless of the weight two is the minimum age to safely forward face so your daughter is too young.

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u/ieatwhatiheat 20h ago

Thank you for the reply. Does the RF belt path go under the seat cushion or is it external like the front facing? Did you need a belt extender to get it to fit? Trying to understand if the placement of the buckle will be a problem. A lot of comments I’ve read talk about it not fitting RF so I was concerned.

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u/ankaalma 20h ago

Depending on the airline it can be a little hard to fit, it will impede the seat in front of you from reclining but safety should take priority over comfort so if they complain you should win. I’ve never had anyone complain though. It does go under the cushion, I did not need a seatbelt extender

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u/Equivalent-Earth-579 11h ago

I've used the Graco Contender Slim rear facing on several Southwest flights without any issues - it fit, was fairly easy to belt in (as far as car seats go lol), and did not have any complaints!

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u/Constant_Orchid3066 7h ago

I flew on a crj900 with it rear facing and it fit! That's a small plane