Carseats - very confused

[Vishenka69]

I'm totally confused as to what kind of car seat to get. And I'm not even talking about brands, but just options. Here's why I'm having problems. We got hand-me-down stroller (in great condition) that's not a travel system. I can however get an infant car set by the same company that can be attached on top. The reviews aren't stellar though - too heavy, latch system too complicated, etc. So then I thought I'd look into convertible car seats but none of those obviously have a handle for carrying around. So now I'm torn.

Should I get an infant car seat that hooks up to the stroller (hence ignoring that it's heavy)?

Should I get a lighter infant car seat and just carry it around (how much carrying is there really?)

Should I just go for a convertible and always transfer her to a stroller or Baby Bjorn?

Majority of our time will be spent in our deep suburbia/sticks but there will be frequent outings to see grandparents and Philly/NY. I really need to get something (or at least finalize my pick) in the next week or so. Please help.

[scrub-jay]

After spending my day today looking at car seats (online and in stores), I was going to come home and post just about the same question...I will be watching this thread oh-so-closely. (Congrats on the hand-me-down stroller btw)!

[SuzySunshine]

My two cents...

If you live in a climate where the child will go through a winter before the age of 9 months to a year get one that you can take in and out of the car without removing the child. The average infant seat weighs about 9 pounds (I think) so you can add that to your child's weight and that is what you'll be carrying. I usually carry mine in at my elbow with my arm at a 90 degree, or so, angle.

I am using a Baby Bjorn more with R then I did with A but really only because there isn't room for a toddler and a car seat in shopping carts so I usually wear R when we're grocery shopping. With that said it is currently to cold to be taking R in and out of the car seat, like below zero wind chills. So it is better to just take the whole seat in to wherever I'm going or snap it into a stroller. I have the Snap N Go stroller for my Graco car seat, my car seat also fits into my Phil & Ted stroller.

I know the infant seats are usually good to around a year but A outgrew hers around 9 months not because of her size but because the straps were to short and I was having to turn her arm into a pretzel to get her in it.

We have the Graco SafeSeat and have never had any issues with it other then the short strap issue. After A outgrew that then we went to a Britax Roundabout which she used rear facing for a while and is now front facing.

[rockgirl]

hmmmm, a little complicated depending on what type of person you are. I'll give you my story.

We used a travel system (gracco safeseat/quattro tour) for our first. Great for transporting baby if all you have is a diaper bag and the baby, not so great when you have 2 flights of stairs plus a parking lot between a car full of groceries and your apartment. So I stopped lugging the infant carrier around and used the bjorn between the car and house or whatever errands I had to do. For going out for walks or the mall the travel system is nice since you don't have to remove the baby,especailly if they are sleeping.

After the baby can sit up better in a stroller, around 6 months, you may not want to lug the infant carrier around and will likely be interested in the convertible car seat. Really, there is a lot of lugging the car seat around just in pedi visits alone. Your arms will definitely get stronger!

hope this helps.

[Chrisada]

We also have the Graco Safe Seat infant carrier and then moved to the Britax Roundabout. In a cold climate I agree that you will need the carrier. Since the super cold has hit I keep our nine-month-old in the carrier when shopping and just put it in the cart. When it is warmer, I strap him onto me. When in the mall I put the carrier in the stroller. We have a different name brand stroller and the carrier still fits fine.

[Vishenka69]

More clarifications, garage is in the house and while we do have real winter with snow, I don't think it ever hit negative digits. So far the coldest it's been during the day is mid to high 20s. I'm guessing there'll be at least a month of such temps right after her birth and then again when she's 9-12 months. I don't have a problem sitting out the coldest days at home during the first month (aside from pedi visits but have bought a snowsuit for such occasions).

I just don't know how badly I need a separate infant car seat for $250 if we're not definitely planning on a 2nd. I've also searched ebay and craigslist and can't find the brand I need (to fit the stroller) on either.

[SuzySunshine]

The Graco seats are about $150 though I know there are brands that are more. Are you sure another brand wouldn't fit on the stroller you were given? I also didn't think about the sleeping part that rockgirl brought up. Several times I've brought the car seat in the house and let R & A continue to sleep in it. If I had tried to carry them in the house and put them in the crib I guarantee they wouldn't have stayed asleep.

I can see the pros of not having to buy another seat later though too.

Several times I've brought the car seat in the house and let R & A continue to sleep in it. If I had tried to carry them in the house and put them in the crib I guarantee they wouldn't have stayed asleep.

I can see the pros of not having to buy another seat later though too.

This. The factor of not having to disturb/wake the baby is worth an extra outlay of cash -- no question. You'll be able to take her in to restaurants in the carrier -- many have "slings" that you just set the carrier in. Otherwise you're stuck trying to have the stroller tableside, which is not convenient and/or restaurants won't allow b/c of traffic issues.

You need a carrier -- preferably one that will fit in that stroller, or you could pick up a snap 'n go (around $60) and a Graco carrier to use until she's big enough for the hand-me-down stroller. It's worth it.

[alison]

What everyone else has said. Do NOT disturb a sleeping baby!

I can only tell you which car seat not to get: Maxi Cosi Mico.

Holy f-ing crap. It's like putting a puzzle together each time. WHO NEEDS THAT?! Grumble.

[MrsK]

I'm using the Graco snugride infant carseat all the time w/ a snap n' go for longer trips. The carseat is heavy for me to carry and post-section, I was really not supposed to lift that much. However, DrK made a good point when i asked about taking the baby to/fro without the seat when the car is in the garage --- the baby is tiny and we could accidentally twist/hurt his limbs if we tried removing him from the carseat when it was attached to the car (i.e. with the baby at a 90 degree angle to us instead of in front of us).

[Flynn]

I hate 99% of the strollers that allow a travel system attachment. They are big, plastic, and don't "drive" very well. I used a Maclaren Techno XT for all three kids in small shopping or airport situations with an added kiddopotomus "pillow" when they were really small.



In contrast to where I lived with our first two kids, we now live in a frozen hades 9 months of the year now and completely see how snapping kiddo into stroller without getting him/her out of the carseat would have been a nice perk when it was 2 degrees. I still didn't get one (stubborn) but in our town I didn't use the stroller that often because there weren't too many places to go.

Good luck shopping!

[Pollyanna]

I would get the infant seat and a snap and go like Jenn suggested. Easily the cheapest and best way to go when you have an infant. I cannot even imagine waking baby all the time just to get them out of the car seat. We bought our Graco Snug ride seat for around $70-$80 (it was an old pattern and on sale). The snap and go is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...4HWHQ4J3N363C8 around $60.00. All in all I think you will be happy to have the infant seat. Happy shopping!

[madeintaiwan]

With our first, we had travel systems. It was nice to just snap him in and go. All carrier car seats are heavy (7.5 to 11 lbs). Especially considering that J was 10.5 lbs when he was born. We switched him to a convertible seat by the time he was six months old. Also, the travel system strollers are HUGE and HEAVY and depending on your vehicle take up ALL of your cargo space.
DD was born in Dec in STL, we had an infant car seat but no travel system. We either carried her in the car seat (which was one of the heaviest carriers I have ever picked up) or in the bjorn. I had a lightweight combi (which now after having a Maclaren, I hate) for our stroller, which since it was winter and cold, we didn't use a stroller until the spring and she was big enough to ride in it comfortably. She stayed in her infant seat (we stopped taking it out and in when she was about 6 months) until she was one and we got one of those forward facing convertible car seat booster seats.
With Eó we did the infant car seat again but still no travel system. I REALLY wish I would have gotten one of those snap and go's like Jenn mentioned (and in those first few months I was a bit jealous of her) but I really wanted a Maclaren stroller which was expensive for us, so we were only able to get that. I love my Maclaren and if given the choice again to only buy one stroller, I would buy it every time. It's a great stroller. Not having a stroller for the newborn stage worked for us because I mostly carried him in my sling, mei tai, or beco depending on how old he was. When he was about 5 months old we switched him to a convertible car seat.

So in short, we have always purchased AT LEAST 2 car seats with all 3 of our children. An infant carrier, a car seat, and a booster. This last time purchased and infant carrier and the Radian 65 that goes from birth to 65 lbs harnessed. Our 5 year old also has one of these too. I'm a bit of a car seat nut and strongly believe that a good quality, properly fitted, properly installed car seat for your child is one of the greatest investments any parent can make.

In regards to the weight of the carrier and postpartum limitations, obviously, everyone is different and heals differently thus having different experiences, but I had c-sections with all 3 of my children (the first one after laboring for 21 hours and pushing for 3) and had pretty good recoveries with all of them (even with the crazy post op bleeding with the last one) and carrying around the carriers (even with my 10 pound newborn) was never an issue for me. I drove myself 4-7 days after having each of them. Dentist appointments, grocery shopping, taking kids to school. But we live thousands of miles from any family so there really isn't any other option. I understand that some people do have a hard go at it. Plan to take it easy, but having a c-section does not mean that you have to be laid up in the house and not able to do anything or go anywhere. Happy shopping, hope you're able to find something that you'll be happy with.

[Vishenka69]

Ok, so an infant seat that can be carried is a must. Got it. Another follow up question though. If I get a seat that comes with a base would a convertible or regular car seat fit in the same base or would I need a different base? Obviously both seat would have to be made by same manufacturer.

[migirl]

If I understand your question correctly, a regular or convertible car seat does not require a separate base. The base is only needed for the infant car seat.