several car companies in Chicago have car seats, just google it

37 lbs is close enough to 40 lbs,

Anonymous wrote:Bring a real seat and rent a car.

OP. DH thinks that after spending $325 a night at the hotel for 5 nights, I am trying to be cheap because I don't want to pay $70 a day for parking at the park hyatt or $60 a day for car rental. We should have waited to do this one till my 37lb kid is at least 40 lbs. I guess not my best planned trip. And I thought I had it all figured out (except the transportation!).

OP. The rider vest and bubble bum need child to be 40lbs. Mine is a string bean so doesn't qualify yet. We are staying at the Park Hyatt on the Magnificent Mile and the last time I stayed there sans kid they drove us to places nearby which was great. This trip I can't even use that service without a car seat. Sucks! I really wanted to be able to use uber.

I am so dreading carrying that Diono on one more flight though. So I guess public transportation it is to Adler, Field, Shedd, Children's museum and possibly MOSI.

Thanks for all comments.

midway to downtown is on a highway for several miles -- I would bring the car seat.

You will spend a fortune on parking and won't be able to find it. Bring your car seat for the plane and for the car ride from the airport to the hotel. And then walk everywhere else. Bring a stroller. Carry a seat belt adjuster for any short rides you may need to take.

We used the vest and it was ok for short trips. It was better positioning for our 5yo than the bubble bum.

Bring a real seat and rent a car.

I just bought a bubble bum for my 5yo based on recommendations on here. The key is to use the seatbelt positioner with it and it's fine.

We did this and used a $15 stroller and a bubble bum for cabs/Ubers. Worked out great.

Has anyone used the ridesafer vest? I have a similar problem and am thinking of getting one, but it’s expensive.

Bubblebum? Not ideal, but if it’s just for a short ride, I think it would do.

This is in summer? (Could be different with snow on the ground.) Midway to the Loop on public transportation is very easy (assuming downtown means the Loop). Where else are you headed? CTA buses are pretty good and there are buses from the Loop to the Museum Campus and to the Museum of Science & Industry (although the latter is a longer bus ride so you may want to take Metra, which you can also catch in the Loop).

You can't take an uber if you are not carrying a car seat. You are stuck with public transportation OP.

We were hoping to not take the heavy stroller or car seat. But the ubers there don't have car seat or it's unreliable. WWYD? Public transportation? Packed 5 day itinerary.

Hotel is in downtown, arriving at midway airport and hoping not to rent a car.