I have two toddlers who don't love being in the car, but we do take them on a few roadtrips per year. I am so excited to have these travel trays on our next trip, and not have to reach back every five minutes to pick up dropped toys/books/snacks! The tray is not entirely flat since many carseats are intentionally angled up for safety, and the tray sits on the child's lap. But it's large and fairly stable once the strap is latched around the child's waist, and it does hold a lot of things. We got one and my second kid immediately demanded their own, which seems only fair ;)