Video: Inflatable car seat is cheap, convenient... but is it safe?

Just about every time we go through airport security, we notice there is at least one family that has to lug their bulky car seat through the airport, dropping a trail of Cheerio crumbs as they go. And then there is the coworker in your lunch carpool that has a kid, which means everyone must stand outside the car, rain or shine, while he or she removes the seat and jams it in the trunk.

A company has invented an inflatable seat that should theoretically relieve some of these problems. The Easycarseat is inflatable seat that can handle children ages four and older from 33 to 79 pounds. The seat, which inflates in under a minute, only costs about $90, weighs about two pounds and can be folded for storage whenever a mom or dad needs it for travel.

An inflatable car seat just doesn't sound safe, but the company insists it has already met all applicable U.S. and European safety standards. The seat also features a pressure release valve that prevents the seat from popping in the event of an accident.

We're not so sure we'd opt for a blowup car seat for everyday use, but for anyone doing a lot of air travel or car hopping, this seat seems like a real luggage-saver. Hit the jump to view a one-minute demo, and stay for the crash test footage.

[Sources: The Stir, Easycarseat]