The BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat Makes Summer Travel Easier

California law mandates that all kids under 8 must use a booster seat when riding in a car. While it's easy to make sure your kids use a booster seat when you're driving them around, it's harder to make sure they're safe when they're carpooling to school, riding in a friend's or grandparent's car.

This being summer travel season, you also need a booster in rental cars and even taxis, and who wants to haul one of those around? Regular booster seats, with their armrests and cup holders, take up a lot of room, too, as anyone who's had to ride in the back seat with two kids' booster seats will attest to.

Enter the BubbleBum! Before BubbleBum gave me a sample to try out, I had no idea that an inflatable booster seat existed, and in fact the BubbleBum is the first one on the market. Upon unpacking, the BubbleBum doesn't look like much, but free it from its restraining zip ties and unroll it and it begins to take form.

To use it, just unscrew the valve, inflate (it doesn't take all that much air), and thread a seat belt through one of the belt positioning clips on the side. That's it!

The BubbleBum is made using the same advanced inflatable technology used in life jackets and air bags, and uses memory foam for structural integrity. It also meets all US safety testing standards, of course.

At less than a pound in weight, easily deflatable, and foldable into a compact size, the BubbleBum is easy to stash in the back of the car, a purse, carry-on bag, or in a child's backpack, so there's no excuse not to have a booster seat when it's needed.

My seven-year-old daughter loves to use it in the back of our car instead of her regular booster seat, and claims it's a lot more comfortable. It's been a life-saver (not literally, thankfully) for us a more than a few occasions when we had to fit extra kids in the back of the car.

It's also been great to send with her on rides to birthday parties and playdates, and we know she'll actually be using a booster seat instead of making do without. It's also perfect for taking on vacation and using in the rental car. It's really a must-have for the family the on the go.

The BubbleBum retails for $39.99, and is available online at www.bubblebum.co/us and at numerous retailers, including select Target stores. For a list of retailers, check their website.

You can also like Bubble Bum on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter and Pinterest.

Win a BubbleBum!

Win your own BubbleBum inflatable booster seat from Marin Mommies and BubbleBum! To enter to win, send an email to contests@marinmommies.com with "BubbleBum" in the subject line by 11:59 pm PDT on Saturday, June 22. We'll choose a winner at random.