As very frequent (often long-distance) travelers, we routinely purchase airline tickets for our daughter so that she can travel safely and comfortably in her car seat on plane trips. We really pushed the size limits of the car seat that integrated into a stroller (the Graco travel system) for ease of use, but once she had finally made the dreaded transition into a larger seat, we tried practically every method for moving the seat, toddler, diaper bag, collapsible stroller, carry-on, etc., from our home to and through the airport without ending up completely exhausted and frustrated. Of all of the options that we tried, the Pac Back was the most consistently comfortable and convenient. I'm not very tall (5'5"), and find that I can manage to wear the Pac Back, stow loose and light objects (such as coats or stuffed animals) in the car seat itself, sling a diaper bag over one shoulder and a purse on the other, and still have enough mobility/agility to bend down and pick my daughter up or hold her hand. (Granted, I look like a Pac Animal, but that's a small price to pay for having free hands at key moments.) The strap system is intuitive to use and seems well-constructed. Compared to a car seat bag, the Pac Back is much more easily removed from the car seat once on the plane, and I have never had any trouble replacing the straps in a minute or two -- plenty of time to have the seat on my back by the time people start exiting the plane. The straps adjust easily enough that my taller husband and I can take turns carrying the seat when we travel together without spending a lot of time situating ourselves. The only drawbacks: you really have to pay attention while wearing what amounts to a giant rigid backpack that you don't bash someone or something while turning, and the straps may have to be removed to go through security IF the x-ray machine has an extremely small opening (only happened once or twice at regional airports). Overall, an amazingly simple but incredibly helpful product.

We're getting ready to travel back to the UK with our son his car seat this summer (07). Having taken a closer look at the alternatives (car seat carrier, bag etc.) we thought we would give this one a try.
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br /We have a Britax Boulevard seat - certainly not the smallest seat around. It fits well into this carrier. The back padding is reasonable - the most important part being the hard board liner - does a great job of hiding the sharp and irregular edges of the seat.
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br /The shoulder straps are quite nicely padded, plenty of slack on the straps to adjust them.
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br /The waist/hip supports are not bad either.
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br /The seat itself is held in place by one strap top to bottom, one side to side, once the seat is cinched in, the whole thing is reassuringly secure.
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br /Once the seat is secured and you hoist the thing on your back, it feels solid. I get the impression this will NOT be sliding around my back or off my shoulder... which is what it's all about.
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br /The fabric used in construction is also quite thick, the seams are strongly stitched - I would not worry about this falling apart in the middle of the airport. Will it last forever? I doubt it, but at this price I would not expect it to. It has a good few trips in it though.
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br /Comes with a neat stowaway bag, which will make it a lot easier to deal with once we arrive.
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br /UPDATE!
br /This worked like a charm... the security people were OK with it - because it is so simple, they had no questions.
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br /it carried our britax boulevard seat with ease, the straps adjusted nicely, we even managed to pack in a blanket and diaper bag (which is very handy given the onboard bag allowance).
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br /i did pop a seam on the shoulder strap when i picked the thing up - not a problem at the time because it's double stitched, but i will repair it before we use it again.
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br /once onboard the plane, just dump the car seat in the plane seat and pop the buckle, the straps will tuck into whatever fold is free. This made it worth buying on its own! no need to unpack, or repack the seat - just untuck and buckle.
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br /overall, I would say well worth it. For the first time (with child) traveler I really found this useful.

First, I found this product to be well-constructed and light weight.
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br /Overall, a useful tool when traveling alone with my 2 year old girl. Compared with lugging our Brittax marathon monster of car seat around the airport- this product was highly helpful and worth its weight in gold.
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br /I previously used the Go-go babyz travelmate stroller which I had borrowed. I will compare it below.
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br /Here are my critical observations:
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br /1) Carrying a heavy car seat on your back gets old no matter how well designed the instrument. The Go-go babyz stroller attachment is more useful in this regard- nothing to strap on your back.
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br /2) Using the pac back means you will likely want to bring a stroller- one more piece of equipment to haul around. It also has to be checked immediately before before bordering the plane, so it may also be subject to damage by uncaring airline personnel. With the Go-go babyz, no checking. Also the Go-go babyz is the stoller.
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br /3) The pack back is one piece, while the Go-go babz does have several parts which are loose when detached for installation into the airline seat. Here the pac back is definitely favorable.
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br /4) Both the pack back and Go-go babyz must be detached from car seat. A big inconvience. It takes several minutes to attach both.
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br /The biggest improvement to either device would be designing a way to leave it attached while in the air craft seat. The task of attaching either requires full attention to the task. This may make is difficult to keep track of a toddler if traveling alone, as I was with a 2 year old.
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br /Final analysis Pac Back vs. Go-go babyz:Quite comparable, although I would prefer the Go-go babyz. My wife prefers the pac bak, although she has not traveled with it, or alone with an energetic toddler!

I used this on my recent trip from Alaska to New Zealand. The pack was extremely helpful in navigating through the airport as well as boarding the plane.

If you're flying with a car set this is the best product. You just snap it up and swing it onto your back. Your hands are free and the seat is up out of the way.
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br /I used this on a long trip with multiple flights - I was alone with my young baby and this saved my having to lug, drag and fight my way down the aisles. I was stopped several times by parents, grandparents and flight attendants marveling at this smart design.
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br /As long as we have a car seat, we'll travel with this. Finally one Monkey you don't mind being on your back!

We've used this product once and it's already falling apart and ripping at the seams. My husband said it worked great for the first leg of the trip but by the time he got to his layover, it was no longer useful. We have the Britax Marathon car seat which weighs 17lbs and not the 45lb stated. The idea is fantastic and well worth it...if it works. If my mother-in-law cannot repair it before they return, I plan on seeking a refund.

The idea of tugging my daughter's car seat through an airport, especially with one stop along the way, led me to buy the Pac Back. I was truly excited about the product and on our trip out, had decided that it was well worth the money. However, at the beginning of our trip back, when I initially strapped the car seat back in, one of the waist straps wripped from the seam. I was able to fix the problem temporarily so that it still served its purpose. However, toward the end of our trip, the nylon shoulder straps literally ripped apart at the seams, and another waist strap ripped out making it unusable -- and this was from just picking it up to put it on my back (it's a very average-sized car seat.) Not only did we have to tote around the car seat, but we now had to carry with us the ripped pac back too.
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br /I returned the item to Amazon without any problems, but was truly diappointed with the product. I probably would have tried to return it for a new one but my husband insisted on the refund. The concept really is a great one and hopefully I just received a defective product.

This is a fabulous product and seems well made. It however does not work on ALL CAR SEATS. It does not work on the Maxi Cosi car seats.

The Cheeky Monkey Pac Back is a simple but well-designed and constructed product, but just as an FYI, the vertical strap that goes around the car seat is not long enough when fully extended for the buckles to come together. This is true for the Britax Wizard which has a very high back. It would be great if the company would offer an extension strap that uses their buckles.
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br /I would like to mention how excellent is the Amazon customer service, though, because it was so easy to return the item and Amazon paid for the return shipping!

We purchased this to help us transport our Evenflo Triumph car seat for a flight. It attached easily to the car seat, even though the seat is very large and bulky, and fit well for both my husband and me (although the straps were a little difficult to adjust--but it probably ensures that it won't loosen while you are wearing it). It even fit behind the car seat in the airplane seat so that we didn't have to take it off completely or store it on the plane. The only problem we had was that it was under the suitcases in the car on the way back to the airport and one of the strap clips cracked and wouldn't buckle again. However, I attribute most of the blame to us rather than the manufacturer since we put entirely too much weight on it. Great product!

We have a very large Britax car seat and it worked great. Comfortable. Easy to get going and packs up well. Saw a mother with one while traveling last year, and told myself I had to get one before my next trip. Did so and was glad.

First day I used this product it was great. Then I used it on my return trip home and the shoulder straps began to tear. Great for one use only! Hoping amazon will give me my money back.

The idea of towing the car seat in your back rather than in your arms makes this product very attractive. So, we got it for our Evenflo Triumph a couple of weeks ago. On the good side, it has waist straps and a lumbar pad, so you're not towing the whole awkward weight of the seat in your shoulders. However, the materials and construction are not the best. The first thing we noticed is that the straps that go around your shoulders and waist do not adjust easily, they are made of a coarse material that does not slide through the buckles, so you better take your time to adjust them before leaving home.
br /Durability is a serious concern. Both straps were ripped by the end of the trip. The first one broke when we were leaving the first flight, the second one by the end of the first return flight.
br /In my opinion this "pac back" is not worth the trouble. Maybe with better construction... but I'm returning mine and getting a luggage cart for our next trip.

I purchased this Pac Back for a trip to see my husband, who is in the army, in Oklahoma. It worked great and my son's car seat was a convertible seat so I was worried that it wouldn't fit right, but it did. Then I had to go to San Antonio on yet another trip. The stitching all along the shoulder/arm straps became undone. After 2 round trip flights, the Pac Back still works, but it is unsightly.... very poor quality I'd say.

Was useful when traveling solo with my 2 kids and 2 carseats. One carseat was for an infant and could be placed in the stroller. I used the pac back for the second, larger carseat. So one baby and carseat in the stroller and the second carseat on my back while my 2.5 year old toddler walked. Made the airport experience easier. Downside was that it started tearing slightly after 4 flights.
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br /No reflection on the product, but if you're carrying a large car seat in the pac back, like I was, you had to walk a very straight line to get down the aisle of the airplane without bumping the seated passengers.

This product is very easy to use. It made traveling with my daughter and her car seat so easy. My only complaint is that one of the shoulder straps ripped at the seam on the first use! I was able to fix it myself, but they quality should have been better.

The Pac Back worked really well when we used it with our Britax Boulevard and really saved me life when I was traveling alone with my toddler. BUT, the strap buckles eventually broke. Granted we took the Pac Back on half a dozen or so flights before it broke, but a more durable product would be nice.

I chose to purchase this item for a trip that I was making with my toddler to Spain. I would be flying to Spain alone with my Daughter (my Husband was meeting us there a couple of weeks later). The Pac Back was perfect for keeping my hands free to push the stroller, pull luggage and on occasion keep a hold of my Daughter.
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br /When I returned home, I noticed that the Pac Back had a couple of places that looked pulled. I e-mailed the company. They had me send the item back and replaced it immediately. They were efficient and helpful. I am very impressed with both the item and the customer service that they provide directly.
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br /Great Product!!

This was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I frequently have to travel alone with my child overseas and this has been indispensible. People always stop me in the airport to ask about it.

We recently went on a airplane to see Nana and Pop Pop with our 2 1/2 yr old and 8 month old. We debated whether to bring the car seats being that we had all the other things that we needed to bring. It was the best decision that we made to bring the car seats. It was so easy with the Pac Back. My husband carried one seat and I carried the other seat. The Pac Back made it possible to carry the car seats and still have both hands free. Unlike other products, we did not have to take the Pac Backs off the car seats when we got to the security check. As for the car seats on the plane....both kids were able to sleep comfortably which made the trip a success.

The Pac Back is a great product! It is very easy to use and a life saver in the airport. I got many an envious look from other moms who were hauling their children, their stroller, their carry ons, their husbands and their car seats while our car seat rested comfortably on one of our backs. The Pac Back adjusted fine for both me and my husband, who is 6'2". It was very easily and quickly removed when we got to our plane seats and was quite handy for maneuvering the car seat through the plane aisles. A very good investment.

I had to travel alone with my son, and opted to get him a seat...this product allowed my hands to remain free while I navigated my way through security and onto the plane. I had the baby in the Bjorn, and the pac back (with a britax roundabout) on my back and while my shoulders got tired, it was so easy to use. I was able to keep the straps on through security, and left them behind the seat, once we boarded. I was worried about getting them back on in a crowded plane, but it was so easy. I've recommended this product to many people since I've used it!

We needed two of these for Britax marathon seats (which are large) for a recent trip - on and off of planes 4 times.
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br /Works best to leave the seat strapped up until attached to the plane seat, then unhook and leave the straps loose. Then when it's time to deplane and re-strap just grab and straps, reattach and go.
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br /The only problem with the trip was the cramped airplane and boarding procedures that didn't allow kids to board first - so that when we did finally board we bumped each person seated in an aisle seat with our car seat ... "sorry, sorry, sorry ..."

I purchased this pac back for my recent trip to Florida with my 2 1/2 year old and me. It made everything so much easier. I put the carseat on my back, my daughter in the stroller, hung the diaper bag from the back of the stroller and pulled my small carry on bag. It was perfect... People kept offering help but it really disrupted my system.
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br /I love my pac back, it is comfortable, convinient and good looking too.

I bought this when traveling alone with my 16 month old. It made it very easy to cary throughout the airport and easily down the aircraft aisle. I was going to buy one of the rolling carseat adapters, but this was much cheaper and worked great. I'd highly recommend it!

i bought this to travel with my 2 and 3 year olds from boston to iowa by myself. it was a God-send. i had the 2 kids in the double stroller, one carseat draped over the top of the stroller, carryon in the stroller and the 2nd carseat on my back. aside from not being used to the wide clearance i needed behind me, it worked great. the pack is comfortable and distributes weight better than almost any other backpack i've used for anything. i did need help getting everything on the plane, but the flight staff was always more than willing to help. great product!!

This product was worth every dime. Super easy to use and comfortable to wear. Recently traveled with my one year old without my husband and do not know how I would have survived without this carrier. A must have product for traveling with a carseat.

This is by far the easiest way we have found to transport the car seat at the airport. It was easy to set up, left our hands free to carry other bags and keep our hands on two small children, made going through security and loading the airplane easier (even when airline didn't allow parents with small children to board first, arrgh!). We did not leave the straps in place when we used the seat on the flight as didn't seem to work for us, but it was still very easy to detach for the flight and reattach when we were deboarding. A huge plus is that it avoids having to unzip a bag or even take it off to board the plane. It is just some straps and buckles so it takes up very little space once it is detached and can be stowed easily. Would definitely recommend to any traveling parent(s)!

Awesome product!!! I traveled with my son, by myself, and this was a life saver. I was able to carry it on my back and push his stroller - perfect. It's very easy to take on and off and not uncomfortable at all.

We used the car seat backpack traveling to the airport for Thanksgiving, and we had to take two trains to the airplane. I wouldn't have been able to manage without the car seat backpack freeing up my hands! It is easy to strap in the car seat and does a great job evenly distributing the weight on your back. The only thing it took me a little while to get used to is turning and not hitting people around me, because you have a wider turning radius!

I've never written a review before, but felt compelled to write about this product. After much researching, I felt this car seat backpack was the best of the bunch, so we purchased it for our airplane trip. My husband and I were traveling with a 4-year-old and her car seat, a baby and his car seat, the stroller, diaper bag, carry-on bags, and 2 large suitcases. We have traveled a lot with one child and had it down to a science, but now with two we wondered if we needed to grow more arms to transport everything. The Pac Back was the answer! I'm only 5 foot and my 4-year-old's car seat is quite large... but it was so easy to carry with the Pac Back. The shoulder straps are very padded and the buckle around my belly made carrying it an ease. It was never uncomfortable. And I was still able to carry the baby when the time arose. Ordering it online, I was under the impression that the straps would fit into the slot in the car seat where the vehicle's seatbelt goes, but actually it just consists of 2 straps that go over and under the seat and then 2 straps that go around the width of the seat. They were extremely easy to buckle and unbuckle. Can't sing enough praises for this product! We will use it over and over again.

Once my toddler grew out of her infant carseat and snap and go stroller setup I didn't know how I would travel cross country alone with her (something I do frequently) given that I purchase her a ticket of her own and that she's too big to sit and sleep on my lap for five or six hours. Add to that the fact that her Britax Marathon carseat is not a compact (or light) contraption and I was at a loss and stressed out about how I was going to manage the situation. Voila... the Cheeky Monkey Pac Back. It's a no brainer if you need to take the seat on the airplane and/or don't want to pay extra checked baggage fees and check it at the gate. It's extremely easy to use and you don't need to detach it from the seat going through security... plus it's surprisingly comfortable. And like others, I'm constantly asked, "where did you get that?!"

I traveled from the East Coast to Spain (with a layover of two hours in Madrid), and this product made my trips extremely manageable.
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br /Mind you, I traveled on my own with my 2-year old son, so I had a stroller, his diaper bag, and the car seat. This product was a lifesaver!
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br /It was really easy to use (just two quick buckles and you're off!), and since I didn't check my son's car seat (I used it on both flights as his seat for the flights), I used the Pac Back many times. I found it to be sturdy, easy to use, and really comfortable. I used it with a full-size car seat, too. I loved it, and recommend it to all of my friends who travel with their little ones.
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br /A great buy!

I bought the Pac Back on a recommendation from a friend and it worked exactly as advertised. I was very happy with how it strapped easily to the car seat, and it was more comfortable to wear than I had expected. I've only used it once, but it was worth every penny!

A good idea for carrying car sets in airport. The concept is good and they worked well before falling apart. After 1 use (short flight with no connections) the 2 we bought were both falling apart. One had straps pulling out of the body after the frst use, the other had a broken buckle and the shoulder straps were falling apart.
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br /Product is very cheaply made and uses inferior components to save $$$. Could be made for about $10 more wither better stitching and buckles to prevent failure after early use.
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br /For a single time use this is a good way to carry seats - I would not recommend if you plan on using them more than once.