Herding cats, achieving world peace, and traveling long distances with children are all tasks best left to the professionals. The trouble is, to my knowledge there are no professionals in these highly specialized fields.
Every parent knows that keeping their offspring fed, hydrated, and entertained is the only way to prevent tears or worse. The usual solution is the old-fashioned and formidable “mom bag” containing everything from a change of clothes to a small pharmacy, but this isn’t ideal in a car. It generally takes up a seat of its own and is difficult to get to from the front seat. This means that you will probably have to stop every time your child needs something, further extending a trip that’s probably already on the frustrating side.
If you don’t want to keep an eye on your children all the time and plan on having a moment to yourself while you drive, it pays to give your kids a self-service option. This is where this storage organizer comes in: it hangs from the back of the driver’s or front passenger’s seat, making it easily accessible from the rear of the car.
The tablet holder is especially useful, as it doesn’t require the child to hold it in their tiny hands for the whole trip and might actually – heaven forbid – encourage two or more children to share a device.
Below and to the sides of this, you’ll find mesh pouches to display their favorite toys to comfort them, or hold items they might need to find by themselves without tossing every other object on the car floor first. There’s an insulated bottle holder on either side, while a large rear compartment can accommodate a magazine or picture book.
Although, depending on the seat’s design, sitting against the straps holding the contraption up can take some getting used to, and it might not fit well on smaller cars, this remains our favorite. Compared to others in this price range, it’s really well designed and well built. It has a rigid backing that stops it from drooping in the middle, it’s easy to clean, and it is an all-around great way to keep you from having to chase down lost stuffed animals, sippy cups, and errant crayons after every road trip.
