Car Seats

zseirecarg

FTM here and I can't be the only one with car seat questions. Thought having one place to house them all would be nice. 

zseirecarg

My Questions:

1. For STM's what car seats for infants have you purchased in the past and would recommend? Any to stay away from? I am thinking the Chicco Keyfit 30

2. What are the cons for using a used one? I ask because my mom just texted me excited she got one for free from someone she knows and this scares me. I want to educate myself so I can tell her why I am not comfortable using it. I know some of the things are: you don't know if it was in an accident, check the recall lists (both used and new)... am I missing something?

alm52386

graceriesz said:

My Questions:

1. For STM's what car seats for infants have you purchased in the past and would recommend? Any to stay away from? I am thinking the Chicco Keyfit 30

2. What are the cons for using a used one? I ask because my mom just texted me excited she got one for free from someone she knows and this scares me. I want to educate myself so I can tell her why I am not comfortable using it. I know some of the things are: you don't know if it was in an accident, check the recall lists (both used and new)... am I missing something?

  Car seats have an expiration date! Also need to know if the straps have been washed. That makes them not as strong or something. 

Im getting the baby trend car seat because the people I nanny for have it and I love the triangle part on the handle. I just need to confirm that it will fit in our cars! 

awillis13

We used the Chicco keyfit 30 last time, and snagged that awesome target deal for a new one this time (ours expired).  It's also got the shortest base which we needed for the shorter seats in DH's truck.

zseirecarg

@alm52386 an expiration date! I remember hearing that now. Any idea where to find it? Forgive me for my ignorance but is it as simple as like a date stamp on a gallon of milk? 

awillis13

It's usually on the sticker on the bottom.  It will either say a manufactured date (and then the expiration is 5-6 years after that I believe) or an expiration date

halfthetree

I have used the Peg Perego SIP 30/30 and enjoyed it. It was pretty heavy though, and my babies get big quickly (20lbs by 5-6 months), so it didn't last long. 

We just bought two Maxi Cosi Mico Max 30 's for the twins, specifically because they fit our Bumbleride and also because the minimum weight is 4lbs, just incase these babies are on the really small side.

For us ease of use is crucial. We also look for: Easy connecting to the base, no hassle straps tightening/adjusting every time you put baby in it, easy to adjust the height on the straps, and a nice large canopy.

zseirecarg

@awillis13 thank you! 

ladylolly89

We used/are still using the Britax B-Safe 35 infant seat for DS. I love it! Very user-friendly and he seems very comfortable in it. The only negatives I hear about it are how heavy it is. It IS heavy, but it stays in the car for the most part. I don't carry him around in it, so the weight is not a problem for me. 

This spring we will switch DS over to the Britax Advocate convertible, and LO will use the B-Safe when he/she is born. We love Britax here! 

AvidVertigo

We used a Graco infant seat with our first 2 and ended up getting a double stroller that was Graco so I wanted to make sure our new seat can snap into our double stroller.  Our other seat expired and it worked well for us. 

Another thing to keep in mind with used is you don't know if the seat has been in an accident.  Even minor fender benders can break down the plastic.  

ellie111227

I have a Chico keyfit 30 and the stroller it clicks into. I like them, but I haven't tried anything else.  i found wearing dd in a wrap to be more convenient than carrying the car seat around, so I don't know about pros/cons of out of car use for it. When she moved up to a convertible, we got the diono Rainer, which is great. It is really skinny, so if you think you may ever have to do three across in your vehicle, it is a good choice. 

I definitely would not accept a used seat from anyone i don't know extremely well and really trust, even if it wasn't expired. I just wouldn't be confident that their definition of an "accident" is the same as mine even if they said nothing had happened. And there is no way to know how they cleaned the straps, which I think can wear out some from washing. A carseat is pretty much the only thing I feel strongly needs to be brand new for me to be ok with.

Stankonia2014

We used the Chicco Keyfit 30 because we saw one on clearance at Target. I'll probably snag another one since I sold ours.

We also graduated to a Diono Radian which I believe can be used in infancy, but I like the bucket seats for transport purposes.

mrt

I went straight to convertible with my 2 boys, but that one expired, and my sister gave me her infant seat. I think it's a Graco. I'm only okay with this used because it's my sister. Any further out than that and I probably wouldn't feel comfortable. I have 2 Graco Nautilus seats for my forward facing boys, and I really like them. They have cupholders, and I can adjust the straps without taking the seats out of the car. They can turn into booster seats too.

Edit to add:
I liked the convertible, I just used the Moby or ergo carrier if I was going somewhere I didn't want to carry them. As soon as they could sit up I had an umbrella stroller in the car that I could put them in too.

wifeinraleigh28

I'm a FTM but we have already made our car seat and stroller purchase after doing a LOT of research. We ended up getting the Nuna Pipa because of the load leg base (common in Europe but only available in a few seats in the US) which significantly reduces the forces on a baby's head and neck in a crash. This website is what really sold me on it: https://thecarseatlady.com/loadleg/

Although Nuna makes 2 great strollers that the Pipa will click right into to make a travel system, I had my heart set on the City Mini GT so I was very happy to learn (through a lot of deep research) that the two are compatible with the right adapter. Baby Jogger doesn't say that their adapter will work with the Pipa, but it does. It's the same adapter that's made for Cybex and Maxi Cosi car seats.

I now have my perfect "make your own" travel system and I can't wait to use it!

BellaO21

I've been going back and forth about which type of car seat to get.... infant or convertible. I think it would be more of a hassle when the baby is an infant to take her out of the convertible and into a wrap or something... but I like the longevity of the convertible seats. Plus the infant one comes with the stroller we registered for. Has anyone ever gotten the travel system AND a convertible seat? 

I should add add that one of the seats would stay in my car while the other would be in my DH's

zseirecarg

@wifeinraleigh28 hadn't heard/learned about the load leg base. Thank you!

wifeinraleigh28

@graceriesz Definitely think it's worth looking into! The Pipa is sold at Nordstrom and select retailers, but Cybex (which also has the load leg) is available at Buy Buy Baby. That one seems to be more popular in the US than Nuna currently, but I just loved the Nuna design so much and the fabric inside the seat is nice and cushy soft I was seconds away from getting the Cybex Cloud Q when I learned that a little boutique shop near me carried Nuna, so I decided to check it out in the flesh!

JaneShops

I can only go by experience, & find no reason to switch our infant car seat, we have the chicco keyfit 30, & the leg perego as our second/ grandparents car since we only have the chicco stroller adapter.  Great safety ratings, easy to use, & mid range pricing.  Would have loved to splurge on nuna, but glad we didn't since our first grew out (by height) pretty early on

for onvertible, we have peg perego primo viaggo. Actually one in each car, & picked up the grace 4 ever for g-mas car.  It's pricey, but was my fav in terms of extended rear facing.  We looked into the cleks, Britax clicktights, & maxicosi.  For this second baby, I'll probably stick with peg perego but may jump on the new nuna Rava if we like it/ & we can score a friends Nordstrom discount :)

doodleoodle

My mom bought DD's infant seat as a gift. It was a Graco Snug Ride 30. It got the job done, but adjusting the straps were a hassle. She recently grew out of that car seat and we bought the Graco 4Ever All in One. It can be used rear facing, forward facing, as a booster, and then as a backless booster. It says it's good up to 120 pounds so technically, I could use it prepregnancy lol I love that seat! The straps are so easy to adjust and the seat can be reclined for long trips. I'm so happy with it. 

ETA the link https://www.target.com/p/graco-4ever-all-in-one-convertible-car-seat/-/A-17267152?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9014435&gclid=Cj0KEQiAh4fEBRCZhriIjLfArrQBEiQArzzDAX8wN4wh33-TxlJt4QfurEWw2z0UvajVFdkwPXvHA3MaArjC8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

onaed

I have the Cybex Aton Q and loved it. I was able to use it with the City Mini GT stroller. I liked the load leg option (kept one base per car for convenience) and the canopy was pretty generous.  My son is on the taller side, so he grew out of it early (plus it got annoying to carry as he got bigger). Luckily I'll get to use it again! 

For convertible seats, I have the Britax Boulevard clicktight. It is kind of wide, but since I'll only have two in the backrow, I should be good for awhile.

gabadoo

For infant seat, I'm borrowing my cousin's Uppababy Mesa again, since I have the Vista stroller. Since I only used it for 7-8mo last time (my son would start waking up at the end of car rides and got tired of lugging it PLUS baby, so lost most of it's purpose), I'm okay borrowing it since it's not expired and there have been NO car accidents. I actually borrowed the same exact seat the first go around, so this will be the 4th baby to use it (got lucky and my cousin had each of her kiddos the year before mine)! One of the easiest bases to install and very highly rated on Car Seat Lady. I think it's worth the convenience of getting an infant seat that's compatible with your stroller system.

For convertible, my 2yo son is still rear-facing in his Diono Ranier. I'll probably stick with Diono or try the Clek Flio or Foonf (want prolonged extended rear facing). Also have a Chicco Nextfit in grandma's car that I can always use too.

vixey

We used the britax B-safe when until DD turned about 1.5 years old. It was so easy to pop in and out of the car. It was also really easy to put into the britax b-agile stroller. We still use the stroller (without the car seat attachment) to this day and I love it. 

Now DD is in the britax marathon and I also really like it. So we're totally a britax family!

mombod

We used a Chicco Key Fit 30. Very easy to install, light weight, clicked into the stroller. We have a Chicco Liteway Plus which is a beefed up umbrella stroller but can be used with car seat. So much lighter and less bulky than other travel symptoms. I wore him for the most part. We now use the Chicco Nextfit zip which I got on clearance bc its pricey but I liked that they can stay rear facing longer. DS will be 2 in April and still fits very comfortably rear facing. Recommend both.

kmd0501

@graceriesz the other thing to keep in mind when using a used car seat is the accident history. Is the seat from someone you know who can let you know if the car seat was ever involved in an accident?  Some companies will recommend you return the seat for inspection to be sure nothing was damaged. Just another thought to keep in mind. 

silliegirlie143

I wouldn't trust a car seat from Mom's friend... just no.
like a pp, I got our previous infant seat from my BIL right after their LO outgrew it. I also wouldn't trust it coming from anyone other than a sibling. Now it's expired, so we just replaced it with the new model since we have the bases for it already.

Our infant seat is the Chicco Keyfit 30. Love that it fits on our strollers! I would not have wanted to fuss with a newborn/infant into and out of a convertible seat.

DD is in the Britax Blvd Clicktight. Also love these as our convertibles. We're hoping DD will last in these until LO is ready for them. At that point we will buy two boosters for DD. I am NOT looking to replace my Britax's... so damn expensive!

mrt

@BellaO21 you will likely need a convertible, even if you decide on the infant seat for the beginning. I believe the recommendation now is to not use the infant seats after 1 year old, but to rear face until at least 2. I will need to get a new one at that point.

semicolon

We used a graco click connect 30, I believe, with DD. Loved it, and bought a Graco Click Connect for DS (stillbirth). It's still new in box, so I'm sure we'll use it for this one.

jesselayne8

Love the maxi cosi mico because it is soo light weight.  

mamaelle27

One thing to keep in mind if you're a FTM planning to have more kids, is how soon you'd like to have another child. We had the Graco Click Connect Travel System for our daughter, and we loved it. She was on the small side and stayed in the infant carseat for a year, which was so convenient, both for carrying around on its own and strapping into the stroller. However, now that I'm going to have 2 under 2 I'm wishing I had gotten a carseat that's compatible with a higher end double stroller (b/c they have better features and are lighter). Our carseat is too new to justify the cost of replacing it, so we got a Graco Click Connect Double Stroller but I'm not super thrilled with it.

hopeful808

I had a graco click connect 35 last time. I liked it well enough. I need to check the expiration date to see if I need to get a new one. The advantage oI found was that anyone's who needed the car seat only needed the base s o it was nice for my ILs who baby sit while I'm at work and for my DHs car. 

zseirecarg

@kmd0501 I don't know all the details yet (who she got it from) we just exchanged a few texts and ended with we would talk about it. I will be sure to ask all these question, look for the expiration, etc. when I see her and the seat next weekend.

My mom said this would be the one she would use - but I had been thinking we would just get another base for her car for the seat we get. Even if it's not the primary seat used, I am still not comfortable. I'm sure my mom will understand, just want to know what I am talking about when I explain my concerns. My mom is very excited (and all her friends are too) since this is her first grand child. 

ladylolly89

graceriesz said:

@kmd0501 I don't know all the details yet (who she got it from) we just exchanged a few texts and ended with we would talk about it. I will be sure to ask all these question, look for the expiration, etc. when I see her and the seat next weekend.

My mom said this would be the one she would use - but I had been thinking we would just get another base for her car for the seat we get. Even if it's not the primary seat used, I am still not comfortable. I'm sure my mom will understand, just want to know what I am talking about when I explain my concerns. My mom is very excited (and all her friends are too) since this is her first grand child. 

I made it very clear to my mom (before we had even looked at car seats) that under no circumstances was DS going in a used seat. She knew I wouldn't back down and that if she had a used seat she wouldn't get to babysit him, so ended up just buying an extra base to go in her car. It ended up working out great, because my brother and SIL bought the same car seat that we have, so she can transport either baby and seat with the same base. 

michaela0704

We used the Peg Perego SIP 30/30 as I wanted a seat that went down to 4 lbs in case our twins were preemies as well as they were one of the top rated seats at the time.  Carseats were one item I splurged on...

https://m.buybuybaby.com/m/product/peg-perego-reg-primo-viaggio-reg-sip-30-30-south-pole/1018796767

Now mine are in the Radian Diono RXT seats (FYI 10 year expiration) and we love them!  We actually travel with them and wear them like backpacks in the airport, super convenient (but heavy).

https://us.diono.com/product/radian-rxt/

I would say both are heavier compared to the avg seats but very safe.  We have 2 of the infant seats and they expire December 2017 so we will use 1 for this baby and switch to another Radian Diono RXT when the baby is ~ 6 months when we will be less dependent on an infant carrier seat.

kfry22

I had a Graco Click Connect 35 with my son as an infant and we liked it. This little one will use it as well. 

I would like to recomend getting your car seats inspected once you have them installed. We did this at the hospital I delivered at. Most fire stations and/or police stations will do this as well. Read the manual for both your car and the seat to find out the best way to attach. It isn't always the latch system. Also, if you use the belt, make sure to pull it out all the way first so that it makes the ratcheting sound when it goes back in. This ensures that it is locked. 

ama7165

We had the graco click connect also for the infant and liked it. We used it in the travel system. We have a graco convertible also and now that looking at other. Convertibles I wish we would have gotten a britax. That is the convertible seat we will get for this LO. I agree with having your installation inspected. When we switched the convertible to forward facing we installed it wrong and they picked up on it.

ashleyl31

We are big Britax fans. Had the infant car seat, and will get a new one for this baby (it was 4 years old, and I'm paranoid about car seats). We have two convertible seats for him in our cars. I have the Britax Advocate he has used since about 13-14 months (he is almost 4), and DH has the Marathon that has been used since 5 months. 

Car seats are one thing that I would never skimp on. If something were to ever happen to my child in a car seat, I would want to know I did all I could to keep them safe. Spending an extra $100 is nothing compared to what I would feel if we were in a bad accident. 

wifeinraleigh28

ashleyl31 said:

Car seats are one thing that I would never skimp on. If something were to ever happen to my child in a car seat, I would want to know I did all I could to keep them safe. Spending an extra $100 is nothing compared to what I would feel if we were in a bad accident. 

This. Exactly. I feel the same way. Even though we were lucky and my in laws bought our Nuna Pipa for us, we would have splurged ourselves if needed because I want all those extra safety features for my baby!

ladylolly89

ashleyl31 said:

We are big Britax fans. Had the infant car seat, and will get a new one for this baby (it was 4 years old, and I'm paranoid about car seats). We have two convertible seats for him in our cars. I have the Britax Advocate he has used since about 13-14 months (he is almost 4), and DH has the Marathon that has been used since 5 months. 

Car seats are one thing that I would never skimp on. If something were to ever happen to my child in a car seat, I would want to know I did all I could to keep them safe. Spending an extra $100 is nothing compared to what I would feel if we were in a bad accident. 

Yes! Many would consider the Advocate to be overkill, but our car seats have to go in the outboard positions in my car, which is not ideal. Spending the extra $$ for the extra protection is absolutely worth it to me. We are on a tight budget, but that's not the place to go cheap.

I'm assuming you also have the Clicktight models since your DS is still in it at 4? I'm so excited to start using ours! We are going to keep DS in his infant seat through the winter. He still has plenty of room. 

ashleyl31

ladylolly89 said:

ashleyl31 said:

We are big Britax fans. Had the infant car seat, and will get a new one for this baby (it was 4 years old, and I'm paranoid about car seats). We have two convertible seats for him in our cars. I have the Britax Advocate he has used since about 13-14 months (he is almost 4), and DH has the Marathon that has been used since 5 months. 

Car seats are one thing that I would never skimp on. If something were to ever happen to my child in a car seat, I would want to know I did all I could to keep them safe. Spending an extra $100 is nothing compared to what I would feel if we were in a bad accident. 

Yes! Many would consider the Advocate to be overkill, but our car seats have to go in the outboard positions in my car, which is not ideal. Spending the extra $$ for the extra protection is absolutely worth it to me. We are on a tight budget, but that's not the place to go cheap.

I'm assuming you also have the Clicktight models since your DS is still in it at 4? I'm so excited to start using ours! We are going to keep DS in his infant seat through the winter. He still has plenty of room. 

We don't have the clicktight. He can be in it until he reaches 65 pounds or 49 inches, and he hasn't reached either. 

ladylolly89

ashleyl31 said:

ladylolly89 said:

ashleyl31 said:

We are big Britax fans. Had the infant car seat, and will get a new one for this baby (it was 4 years old, and I'm paranoid about car seats). We have two convertible seats for him in our cars. I have the Britax Advocate he has used since about 13-14 months (he is almost 4), and DH has the Marathon that has been used since 5 months. 

Car seats are one thing that I would never skimp on. If something were to ever happen to my child in a car seat, I would want to know I did all I could to keep them safe. Spending an extra $100 is nothing compared to what I would feel if we were in a bad accident. 

Yes! Many would consider the Advocate to be overkill, but our car seats have to go in the outboard positions in my car, which is not ideal. Spending the extra $$ for the extra protection is absolutely worth it to me. We are on a tight budget, but that's not the place to go cheap.

I'm assuming you also have the Clicktight models since your DS is still in it at 4? I'm so excited to start using ours! We are going to keep DS in his infant seat through the winter. He still has plenty of room. 

We don't have the clicktight. He can be in it until he reaches 65 pounds or 49 inches, and he hasn't reached either. 

Mine is going to be in it forever then. haha

helloaustin123

With my first, we went with the Chicco Keyfit 30. I loved it. It was so nice to be able to take the car seat in and out without waking a sleeping baby. I highly recommend an infant car seat + a snap and go type stroller. They are so light and make it really easy to just click the car seat in. We went with the Chicco Bravo travel system initially but I ended up not using the Bravo stroller until I ditched the infant car seat (which was around 5.5 months because she was so heavy in it). For convertible we went with the Chicco Nextfit which we love. For this time around, I plan on using my keyfit again and will probably wear baby in carrier in most outings until she fits in the double stroller we purchased. I'll probably switch her to a convertible around the 6 month mark too, if she is as big as my first. We will probably get another nextfit convertible or the graco 4ever