What kind of car seat to get?

jenn43

My LO is 6 months old on Sunday, and he's getting really heavy to carry in his car seat.  We currently have the Chicco key fit 30.  I'm thinking we'll move up to the next type of seat- the one that stays in the car, and then converts to a booster- but I'm totally overwhelmed looking at all the options.  Does anyone have a carseat that they really love?

jenn43

LalaMama81 said:

Just b/c he's getting heavy doesn't mean you have to get a new seat. Just stop taking it out of the car - no different than any other seat. 

When you do need a seat, you need a convertible that will rear face for at least another 2 years. We have a chicco next fit and love it. 

Both DH and I do DC pick up and drop off, so we'd still have to drag the carseat into DC and just make two trips.  My thought was to move to a convertible car seat early- if we ask for it for Christmas from both our parents we can get one for each car and save some time by leaving it installed.  Thanks for the info on the Chicco!

ASmallWonder

Hi there  I'm a car seat tech so your post caught my eye.  Your next seat will be a convertible or a three in 1 that becomes a booster.  The only 3 in 1 currently on the market that fits kids well in all the stages is the Graco 4Ever.  It's pricey though.  You can absolutely get a good, long lasting convertible and later, a dedicated booster, for less.  Let me know if you need any recommendations based on budget and your child's current stats (some seats work better for tall kids, for example)

jenn43

ASmallWonder said:

Hi there  I'm a car seat tech so your post caught my eye.  Your next seat will be a convertible or a three in 1 that becomes a booster.  The only 3 in 1 currently on the market that fits kids well in all the stages is the Graco 4Ever.  It's pricey though.  You can absolutely get a good, long lasting convertible and later, a dedicated booster, for less.  Let me know if you need any recommendations based on budget and your child's current stats (some seats work better for tall kids, for example)

Thanks for the advice!  I think my biggest issue is the size of my car.  With the Chicco key fit I have to keep my seat up a little farther forward than is comfortable.   My LO is right in the middle on his growth curves.  Any recs for small cars?

ASmallWonder

The 4Ever is one of the most compact seats available but again, pricey  Other compact seats are the Graco MySize, Chicco NextFit or, if your little one is over 22 pounds, the Safety 1st Guide 65.  Before they reach 22 pounds the seat requires a very extreme recline.