Should we get a new infant bucket seat?

Moneypenny424

Hi ladies, I know I haven't posted in a while, but my work computer hates this website .  Now that we're in the home stretch (and really, baby could be here any day now), I'm going back and forth on this one. 

We have our bucket seat from DD.  It is 5 years old and will expire in November.  It's just been in a box since she was 9 months old, was purchased new.  Would you just use this seat for a few months and then move to a convertible?  Or should I just buy a new bucket seat?  I'm torn.

Good luck everyone and I'm enjoying seeing the pics of the babies who are ready here!

Wino0920

That's a tough one. I'm a stickler about car seats, so I would probably would buy a new one (only because I wouldn't be done with it by November.) 

neludelu

As long as it is in good condition I would use it until November then get the convertible. I would check all thecar seat rules to make sure that it is still in good condition. 

shmarpler

I would check it over, and then use it. 

ashleyl31

My DS is 4, and we bought a new one. The car seat was an area I was willing to spend money. They have already changed so much in that short time.

Kylieslip24

Check the condition, no mold, never submerged straps in water, never been in an accident, then I would use it or just start off with a convertible. How long did your other child last in it is another consideration. If your child grew out of it quickly then just use it for the short time again. 
Personally I don't like bucket seats because I'm small and carrying them hurts my back, dd was too tall for it by 9 months so it was kind of a waste for us. We got this little guy the same convertible seat his sister is in and plan on baby wearing. 

lovesclimbing

I'd use it as long as I needed or wanted to, even if that's going a little past the expiration date, and not feel one bit bad. If it's in good condition, I see no reason not to. 

doodleoodle

I would use it until November and then make a decision about purchasing another infant seat or just going to a convertible. You may find LO is too heavy to carry in their infant seat at that point, or you may decide that as the weather gets colder you prefer the convenience of the infant seat. You don't have to make a decision just yet. 

sejica

I'm planning on using mine until it expires in March 2018 at least, maybe until this LO is 2/outgrows it in 2019.

huzzahuzza

I would use it till it expires as well but I also break the rules and use hand-me-down car seats that haven't been in an accident. 
They really need to come up with a better system for recycling car seats IMO! The closest place for us to recycle is Spokane which is 3 hours away... Or we wait for Target to do a promo.

shmarpler

shmarpler said:

I would check it over, and then use it. 

I view expiration dates on carseats the same as I would a gallon of milk. It is there because there is always some fool who will ignore all indications that the seat is no longer safe (dry rot, frayed straps, broken buckles, the list goes on and on) but practically speaking, as long as the seat hasn't been stored in extreme temperatures, or been in an accident, it is likely just fine. There are many, probably even a majority of moms, who would strongly disagree, but they just might be the ones who also throw their milk out without smelling it first. 

kdanjou

This was our situation exactly and I decided to buy a mid-range new bucket seat for our main car and use the old one in our secondary car that the kids won't be in very much.

delujm0

sejica said:

I'm planning on using mine until it expires in March 2018 at least, maybe until this LO is 2/outgrows it in 2019.

Wait, you have a kid that didn't outgrow their infant bucket seat until they were 2??? Jealous.  DD outgrew hers in the height limit at 8 months!  She was off the top of the height and weight charts at the time, but still!  I mean she was 20+lbs by then anyway so we couldn't really drag her around in it anymore regardless.  I'm hoping this baby gets more use out of it.  It's only 2 years old, so no expiration concerns.

 

Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what size normal babies are because DD got SO BIG so fast.  She was 20lbs at 6 months after being born a completely average 7.5lbs.

huzzahuzza

delujm0 said

sejica said:

I'm planning on using mine until it expires in March 2018 at least, maybe until this LO is 2/outgrows it in 2019.

Wait, you have a kid that didn't outgrow their infant bucket seat until they were 2??? Jealous.  DD outgrew hers in the height limit at 8 months!  She was off the top of the height and weight charts at the time, but still!  I mean she was 20+lbs by then anyway so we couldn't really drag her around in it anymore regardless.  I'm hoping this baby gets more use out of it.  It's only 2 years old, so no expiration concerns.

 

Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what size normal babies are because DD got SO BIG so fast.  She was 20lbs at 6 months after being born a completely average 7.5lbs.

Actually, they're suggesting now that even if the kiddo fits the weight/height requirements for a bucket seat, they're not supposed to be in there past 1. 

Kylieslip24

huzzahuzza said:

delujm0 said

sejica said:

I'm planning on using mine until it expires in March 2018 at least, maybe until this LO is 2/outgrows it in 2019.

Wait, you have a kid that didn't outgrow their infant bucket seat until they were 2??? Jealous.  DD outgrew hers in the height limit at 8 months!  She was off the top of the height and weight charts at the time, but still!  I mean she was 20+lbs by then anyway so we couldn't really drag her around in it anymore regardless.  I'm hoping this baby gets more use out of it.  It's only 2 years old, so no expiration concerns.

 

Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what size normal babies are because DD got SO BIG so fast.  She was 20lbs at 6 months after being born a completely average 7.5lbs.

Actually, they're suggesting now that even if the kiddo fits the weight/height requirements for a bucket seat, they're not supposed to be in there past 1. 

Really? That's interesting. 

I feel like babies are often left in buckets too long because people tend to think weight limits only. But really there are height limits and their head has to have an inch of seat above it and the straps need to stay below the shoulders. All babies bodies are different so you need to watch for all these things. That's why I tend to think they are a waste of money. Unless you live in snow with a newborn or something. 
I only thought of weight limits until dds 9 month check up and the dr pointed out that she was about to outgrow it. She was and still is very tall, but weighs nothing. She probably still hasn't hit the weight limit for her bucket seat now at 4 years old! That's when I started learning about carseat safety and there was so much to learn! Lol

Moneypenny424

Thanks, ladies!

We used it with DD for just under 9 months when she outgrew it by height (I'm 5'11, DH is 6'3 so our kids are big).  It was definitely very heavy by the end, but always convenient.  I guess I feel that if I buy a new one, it should be now, or I really will only get a few months out of it. 

In some states (and I imagine it varies by carrier), insurance companies will not pay for accident claims where the car seat is expired, so I always pay attention to them. 

I'll do a very thorough check on it this weekend (I saw that it has some cobwebs on it, but I'll look more closely at the padding) and then make a call.  Thanks for all of your input!

glitterfish-2

Someone recently told me that the hospital I'm delivering at will not allow the baby to go home without a bucket seat. 
I haven't verified that because I have one anyway, but maybe something to check!

Xath

huzzahuzza said:

delujm0 said

sejica said:

I'm planning on using mine until it expires in March 2018 at least, maybe until this LO is 2/outgrows it in 2019.

Wait, you have a kid that didn't outgrow their infant bucket seat until they were 2??? Jealous.  DD outgrew hers in the height limit at 8 months!  She was off the top of the height and weight charts at the time, but still!  I mean she was 20+lbs by then anyway so we couldn't really drag her around in it anymore regardless.  I'm hoping this baby gets more use out of it.  It's only 2 years old, so no expiration concerns.

 

Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what size normal babies are because DD got SO BIG so fast.  She was 20lbs at 6 months after being born a completely average 7.5lbs.

Actually, they're suggesting now that even if the kiddo fits the weight/height requirements for a bucket seat, they're not supposed to be in there past 1. 

From the scuttle in the CPST groups, that finding is based on a very poorly performed Consumer Reports test; as long as the child fits within the height/weight limits of the bucket, they're still safe past 1 year.

ellie111227

glitterfish-2 said:

Someone recently told me that the hospital I'm delivering at will not allow the baby to go home without a bucket seat. 
I haven't verified that because I have one anyway, but maybe something to check!

I've heard people say stuff like this before too, but it makes no sense to me. Like, what if I live across the street from the hospital and am walking home? What if I have a convertible seat that my child is within the height/weight guidelines for? I get hospitals making discharge plans for people, but there is no way they are holding people because they don't have a specific type of carseat. I don't actually think they can hold the baby there against the parents will even for a legitimate reason. I mean, they can call cps if you are endangering the child, obviously, but I don't think cps cares about which style of safety-tested carseat you use our whether your lifestyle doesn't include driving so you don't need one at all. Plus I don't know why a hospital would want to take on liability for carseat safety. It just doesn't make sense to me, so I'm skeptical.

Kylieslip24

glitterfish-2 said:

Someone recently told me that the hospital I'm delivering at will not allow the baby to go home without a bucket seat. 
I haven't verified that because I have one anyway, but maybe something to check!

I think they have to let you leave legally. But you can walk down to the car with a nurse and show them your convertible seat. 
I asked our hospital and 2 people didn't know what a convertible car seat was. We spent $500 on his seat and we're not buying a bucket just to make the hospital happy. I'm planning on having dh pull the car up to the door and show the nurse, they may not like it, but I'll show them the manual and how it's 5 lbs and up if I have to. 

Moneypenny424

I hear that as long as you pull the car up and the nurse can see the convertible seat, it is fine.  They might even wheel the baby to the exit in the crib, rather than allow you to hold him/her.

shmarpler

My hospital won't check car seats, so it seems odd to me that yours would check for a specific seat. They don't want the liability. They just want to make sure you and your baby make it to the car without falling.

mrsla0512

shmarpler said:

My hospital won't check car seats, so it seems odd to me that yours would check for a specific seat. They don't want the liability. They just want to make sure you and your baby make it to the car without falling.

There are 2 hospitals in my city, the private owned hospital will not check car seats at all, because it's a liability. They can look in the vehicle to make sure you have one but can't lay a finger on it. The state owned hospital does a thourogh car seat check. They make sure it's installed properly and baby is in the seat properly. 

huzzahuzza

There are some kiddos that may have had breathing issues or something that need to pass the carseat test before leavin the hospital... I think it's like 30 min in the carseat without setting off alarms or something. I'm sure that's easier to do in a bucket seat but I can't imagine than a bucket seat would be mandatory! 

Moneypenny424

We had that test for sure. 

The hospital won't install a car seat, but they want to knownyou have one! Of course, I don't know what happens if you don't (we were driving, sonwe certainly had one).

jesselayne8

I never use the bucket more than 3-4 months so I would use it until November then switch to a convertible.