Travels systems and car seats, no matter how well designed or streamlined, still take up major real estate in the car. When your kid gets big enough, get a backless booster seat like clek’s olli booster seat.

After a couple years of fumbling with 5-point harnesses and struggling to make sure baby car seats were secure, I was ready for the relative ease of the booster. They’re small enough for an adult to comfortably sit next to and you can quickly switch it from car to car.

Droolicious has written about the olli before, but I gotta rave again. At $89, you can find cheaper boosters, but the olli’s LATCH compatibility makes it worth the extra dough. It basically plugs into your car and can be released by pulling a loop on the front. It keeps both the seat and your kid snuggly in place. (Read: extra safe.) If your car doesn’t have LATCH, the olli can be buckled in like any other booster: seat belt goes over kid, under the booster’s arms, and click. 

Ready to leave the big ol’ car seat behind? It varies according to state law, but most consider kids who are 4 years old, weigh 40 pounds and stand at least 40 inches tall are ready for backless boosters. Oh, and by the way, kids have to ride in boosters till they’re 8, so the cushy, washable, replaceable seat pads will come in handy. In case camo isn’t your thing, you can purchase various colors and patterns of clekjackets for $29.