You can fly with a car seat and a stroller and not pay a cent in airline fees. So why would anyone rent baby gear in Costa Rica?
Because the cost of bringing your own is not on the ticket. It is the carrying, the gate-check, the hope that everything comes off the plane in one piece, and the walk through two airports with a toddler. Sometimes that is worth it. Sometimes it is not. This guide gives you the facts so you can decide for your family.
We are Beach Baby (formerly Mango Baby Beach), a local family business renting baby and beach gear in Guanacaste. We have a stake in this answer, so we will tell you plainly when bringing your own is the better choice.
What the airlines say (and what they charge)
Good news first. Every major airline we checked lets you check a car seat and a stroller for free. Here is what each airline's own page says, checked Oct 27, 2026.
| Airline | Car seat | Stroller | Gate check | Limits and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American | 1 per ticketed customer traveling with a child, free | 1, free | Yes. You can check both at the counter, or one at the gate and one at the counter | Strollers over 20 lbs, non-collapsible strollers and large strollers go to the ticket counter. Playpens and pack 'n plays count as regular bags. |
| Delta | Free, does not count toward your baggage allowance | Free, does not count toward your baggage allowance | Yes. Curbside, ticket counter or gate | Pack 'n plays and playpens count as checked baggage. |
| United | 1 per child, free | 1 stroller or folding wagon per child, free | Yes. Gate or ticket counter | Large or non-collapsible strollers must be checked at the counter, still free. Pack 'n play and collapsible cribs are charged at the bag rate for your ticket. |
| Southwest | 1 per ticketed customer traveling with a child, free | 1, free | Yes. Curb, ticket counter or gate | Checked with a limited release of liability. Pack 'n plays count as regular bags. |
| JetBlue | 1 per child, free, no fee | 1 per child, free | Gate check is not mentioned on the page | The page says strollers are not covered for damage if checked. Playpens and other infant beds count as a checked bag. |
| Alaska | Free as checked baggage | Free as checked baggage | Yes. Check with your other bags or at the gate | Collapsible stroller-wagons built to carry children are free under 90 linear inches and 35 lbs. |
| Air Canada | 1 car or booster seat free for a child 11 or younger, in addition to your baggage allowance. It cannot contain other items. | 1 per child, free | Small strollers (collapsed 25.5 cm across and 92 cm long or less) at the gate or counter. Larger strollers at the counter only | Large strollers are free but may not fit on the aircraft. |
Sources for every row are listed at the end of this post.
A few things worth knowing:
- Weight limits are rare. The only stroller weight number we found is American's 20 lbs, and it decides where you check the stroller, not whether it flies. Alaska names 35 lbs for stroller-wagons.
- A pack 'n play is not treated like a car seat. On American, Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue it counts as one of your checked bags.
- Damage is the airline's call. JetBlue's page says it assumes no liability for a damaged stroller, and Southwest says strollers and car seats travel with a limited release of liability. Check your airline's contract before you put a stroller you love in the hold.
- On the plane is a different story. Several airlines let a child use an FAA-approved car seat in their own purchased seat. If your child has their own seat and rides in their car seat on the flight, you are carrying it anyway. That changes the math, and we get to it below.
Costa Rica car seat rules in one paragraph
Costa Rica's rule covers children under 12 who are shorter than 1.45 meters (about 4 feet 9 inches). They need a child restraint that fits their age, weight and height. Taxis and regular route buses are exempt, so a driver does not have to carry a seat. Our honest advice is to plan on a proper seat for every ride, including the one from the airport. The full breakdown is in our car seat guide. Rules can change, so check the latest from Costa Rica's road safety authorities before you travel.
What we rent, and what it costs
Prices below are our listed daily rates. Delivery to your villa in the Nosara and Coco areas and our Liberia airport (LIR) handoff come first. Scheduled pickup is the other option, in Sardinal for the Coco area and Rayos del Sol for the Nosara area.
- Diono Radian 3R 3-in-1 car seat: $7 a day. Rear-facing from 5 to 50 lbs, forward-facing with a harness from 22 to 65 lbs, high-back booster up to 120 lbs. The seat itself weighs about 25.9 lbs.
- BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Single Jogging Stroller: $15 a day
- BOB Gear Revolution Flex 3.0 Double Jogging Stroller: $17 a day
- Nest Dream on Me Portable Playard: $12 a day
- Graco High Chair: $7 a day
- Beach gear: Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrella $7 a day, Rio folding beach chair $7 a day, Coleman 60 Quart Wheeled Cooler $7 a day, Mac Sports Collapsible Beach Wagon $10 a day
Delivery and handoff
- Liberia airport (LIR) handoff: $40 one way, or $35 one way on orders of $300 or more. A return at the airport is a second trip at the same rate.
- Delivery to your villa: Playas del Coco and Playa Hermosa are $15 each way on orders under $300 and free at $300 or more. Nosara is $20 each way.
- Scheduled pickup: Sardinal (Coco area) or Rayos del Sol (Nosara area), set up in advance. We list no fee for pickup on our delivery page.
Every car seat is wiped down with disinfectant after each rental and washed if it needs it. We check the straps and buckles before it goes out again.
Most strollers do not work here
This is the one most families do not expect. Unless you are in a city like San Jose, most strollers are close to useless in Guanacaste. The roads to the beaches are dirt and gravel, the sidewalks in town are broken or missing, and the beach itself is sand. A compact travel stroller with small wheels gets stuck, rattles, or just will not roll.
What does work is a jogging stroller or a stroller with big, air-filled wheels. That is why the stroller we rent is a BOB jogging stroller, and why we think twice before telling a family to haul a travel stroller across the world.
So the stroller question has a simple answer:
- You own a jogging stroller or a big-wheel stroller: bringing it is a good choice, and it flies free on the airlines above.
- You own a compact travel stroller: it is fine for the airport, but plan on a carrier or a rental for everything else.
- You do not own either: do not buy one for this trip. Rent one and have it waiting.
A 7-day example, with real numbers
Take a family with one toddler for seven days in Playas del Coco. They want a car seat, a stroller that handles dirt roads and sand, and a playard for the room.
| Item | 7 days |
|---|---|
| Diono Radian 3R car seat | $49 |
| BOB single jogging stroller | $105 |
| Playard | $84 |
| Gear total | $238 |
| Delivery to Coco, $15 each way | $30 |
| Total with delivery and return | $268 |
Want the seat waiting at Liberia airport instead? Swap the delivery for a $40 arrival handoff, and pick up in Sardinal on the way out. That is $278.
These totals multiply our listed daily rates by seven. Your cart shows the final number for your dates.
Now the honest comparison. Bringing the car seat and the stroller costs $0 in airline fees on every airline in the table. So on cash alone, bringing wins for those two items. What you are paying us for is the 25.9 lb car seat you do not carry through the airport, the stroller that never goes in the hold, and a playard you do not have to spend a checked bag on. Whether that is worth $238 is a real question, and the answer depends on your family.
Bring or rent: a quick comparison
| Gear | Bring from home | Rent in Guanacaste |
|---|---|---|
| Car seat | Free to check on the airlines above. Heavy, and it can get damaged in the hold. If your child has their own plane seat, you can use it on the flight. | Diono Radian 3R, $7 a day. Delivered to your villa or handed to you at LIR. |
| Stroller | A compact travel stroller is easy to gate-check, but it will not do much outside a city. Bring a jogging stroller or one with big wheels if you want it to work here. | A BOB jogging stroller ($15 a day single, $17 double) that handles dirt roads and sand. |
| Playard or travel crib | Counts as a checked bag on most airlines. | Playard, $12 a day. Ready on your first night. |
| High chair | Rarely worth the suitcase space. | Graco High Chair, $7 a day. |
| Beach chair, umbrella, cooler | Takes up room and is awkward to pack. | Rentable by the day, delivered with the rest. |
| Diapers, wipes, sunscreen, favorite toys, comfort items | Bring these. | Not something we rent. |
When bringing your own is the better choice
We would rather you make the right call than the one that helps us. Bring your own if:
- Your child only sleeps in their own seat or their own travel bed. A familiar setup at nap time is worth more than $7 a day.
- Your child has their own seat on the plane and will ride in their car seat. Delta, United, Southwest and others allow an FAA-approved car seat in a purchased seat. If it is already on the plane with you, it can ride with you to the car.
- You use an infant carrier that clicks into your stroller. That system is simplest when it stays together.
- It is a short trip and your airline checks car seats and strollers free. For a weekend, the rental math gets thinner.
- You want one specific stroller or seat you trust. That is a good reason on its own.
When renting is the better choice
- You are flying with more than one small child. Two kids, two hands. A car seat and a stroller on top is a lot to manage.
- You have a connection. Every extra leg is another chance for a delay, a gate change or a damaged seat.
- You want to know what you are getting. A rental car counter may not have the seat you need, and you will not know the model or age until you are standing there. Ours is the same Diono Radian 3R every time, cleaned and checked.
- You are landing tired. At LIR we meet you at the airport with the seat, so you can buckle in and drive.
- You want a playard or high chair at the villa. Renting saves you a checked bag, and you hand them back at the end.
- The roads are not paved. Most strollers do not work here outside a city like San Jose. A jogging stroller or a stroller with big wheels is the only kind that rolls on dirt, gravel and sand.
How to rent from us
- Choose your gear and dates on our website, or send us a message.
- Tell us your flight time, where you are staying and each child's age, height and weight.
- Pay online with PayPal, or choose Pay Later and pay cash in USD or colones.
- We confirm your order by WhatsApp or email within 24 hours.
A 25% refundable security deposit applies. You can read the details in our rental agreement.
FAQ
Do airlines charge to check a car seat or stroller to Costa Rica? The airlines in the table above list car seats and strollers as free to check. A pack 'n play, playpen or portable crib counts as a regular checked bag on most of them. Policies change, so confirm with your airline before you fly.
Will a regular stroller work in Guanacaste? Usually not. Outside a city like San Jose, the roads are dirt and gravel, the sidewalks are limited and the beaches are sand. A jogging stroller or a stroller with big wheels works. A compact travel stroller with small wheels is mostly useless here.
Can I gate-check my stroller? On American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska and Air Canada, yes, with some limits. American takes strollers over 20 lbs at the ticket counter only. United and Air Canada send large or non-collapsible strollers to the counter. Ask at check-in if you are not sure.
Do I need a car seat in Costa Rica? Yes, for children under 12 who are shorter than 1.45 meters (about 4 feet 9 inches). Taxis and route buses are exempt, but we recommend a seat for every ride. Our car seat guide covers the details.
Are your car seats clean? Yes. After every rental each seat is wiped down with disinfectant, washed if needed, and its straps and buckles are checked before it goes out again.
Can you meet us at Liberia airport with the gear? Yes. The handoff is always available, timed around your flight. It costs $40 one way, or $35 one way on orders of $300 or more. We can also coordinate with your car rental company, taxi or shuttle. If your flight runs late, send us a WhatsApp message and we will work with your new arrival time.
Ready to land lighter?
Tell us your dates and where you are staying, and we will help you work out what is worth renting and what is worth bringing. Even if the answer is "bring it all."
WhatsApp +506 8658 7960 or email info@beachbabycr.com.
Beach Baby. Rentals and Essentials. Travel light, arrive ready.