The Great Carseat Dilemma

JustJanie

Option 1:  Get an infant carrier now and graduate to a convertible later.  This allows us to use a snap-n-go stroller.

Option 2:  Get one of the convertible carseats and make it last and last.  This will mean that need to buy an infant-appropriate stroller. 

I do want to carry Baby as much as possible, so maybe we don't need a stroller in the beginning?

Also - we have 2 cars and would like a seat for each car... is that being greedy?  If we do this, then option one would mean that we need four total carseats for one baby.

What are you doing?

MommyMar2010

Infant seat with the base.  We will buy 2 bases, one for each car --which makes sense financiall or else you are buying WAY too many car seats.  The infant carriers are easier when the baby is little, you dont have to disturb them to take them in and out of the car which is nice and it's so easy to put them in and snap it into the base!!!!!!!!!

Will upgrade to a convertible car seat when the time comes, but the Graco SafeSeat 32 goes to 32lbs!!!!!!!!!!!  So we are good for a while

Good luck!

Autumn_bride2b

Similar dilemma here.

We also have 2 cars. We have to register for 1 seat for each car. It looks a bit odd on the registry, but oh well. We need it. BTW, you only need a second BASE for the infant seat, not a second seat. So you only need 3.

Also, we were told that some hospitals do not let you leave without an infant carrier (not just a car seat). So check with your hospital. You don't want to be discharged only to find out that you can't go home because you only have a convertible.

Many strollers are infant-appropriate. I can give you some ideas if you tell me more of what you are looking for.

We are going with:

Chicco KeyFit30 with an extra base

First Years True Fit (up to 65 lbs!) for DH's car

Britax Roundabout (not the 50) or Combi Coccoro for my car, which is smaller than DH's car and I am worried about the shell height of the car seat.

MFalor

I plan to carry LO in a sling until s/he can hold his/her head up, then use the stroller more.  I think the convertible car seat is a better value, personally.

tnpjuly04

I'll tell you from personal experience:

Infant carrier with separate bases for each car (cheaper, and if your child happens to be a biggie - like mine - you won't use them for too long), b/c the carrier is very convenient for going about-town and for them to sleep in when traveling.

Convertable with high weight/height limit like a Britax.  Super safe, and last a long time.  Get the same one for both cars.

Now, DD is too tall for her convertable, so she's in a 5 point harness "booster" that goes up to 100 pounds.  But, her new little brother will get to use her convertible once he reaches 28 inches! (and is born).

Carseats, to me, are worth the money and expense to get the safest and best out there.

tzolk

We're doing your option #1. We are getting the infant carrier and a convertible carseat for when they grow out of the carrier.

Anna&Matt

we're doing an infant seat with 2 bases and then 2 convertibles that go up to 80 lbs.

wedonabudget

MommyMar2010:

Infant seat with the base.  We will buy 2 bases, one for each car --which makes sense financiall or else you are buying WAY too many car seats.  The infant carriers are easier when the baby is little, you dont have to disturb them to take them in and out of the car which is nice and it's so easy to put them in and snap it into the base!!!!!!!!!

Will upgrade to a convertible car seat when the time comes, but the Graco SafeSeat 32 goes to 32lbs!!!!!!!!!!!  So we are good for a while

Good luck!

 This for us.  Loved just being able to pop the seat out and carry her in somewhere w/o disturbing her sleep (with DD#1).  I just watched the sales for the first year and bought the Britax during their sale so I wasn't rushed and we had a convertible when she was ready for one.  I'll do an infant seat for LO#2 also - no question.  Also, the snap n go strollers are so easy to manuever, I loved mine. 

Kathy02912

We did option 1 with our daughter, and were thrilled.  I LOVE our stroller frame.  (And I'm a big babywearer, but sometimes you really need a stroller.  You can't try on post-baby clothes or nursing bras while babywearing, for example!)

A second base is inexpensive.  And we used our infant carrier long after it wasn't safe in the car as a comforting rocking chair.

Now we have a really nice convertible car seat and stroller--much nicer and lighter than we would've gotten if they had had to work for a newborn.  We have two cars, but we only have one car seat.  We call the newer (safer!) car "Claire's car" and whichever of us is going to work or an appointment or wherever without her takes the other car.

If ever the family car had to go into the shop or something, we'd just move the car seat.  It doesn't take that long to install.

jrlandrigan

We got a travel system with the infant seat and registered for an extra base to keep in DH's car. I'm not sure what the plan is when LO outgrows the infant seat. We will probably have to take the convertible car seat out of my car daily unless we can find a hand me down or something from a friend or family.

Temp785382312506150

We've decided to go with a travel system stroller, so we'll have an infant carseat from the beginning. We just plan on getting an extra base so that we can each keep one in our vehicle.

getnmarried910

With an infant seat, you only need one carseat but two bases.  You could use the carseat without the base as it has a place for the seatbelt to go through, but I feel safer using the base.  I, personally, like the convenience of the infant seat.  When baby is sleeping, you don't have to worry about waking them to move the seat.  It's much easier in restaurants with the infant seat.  None of hte restaurants by us allow strollers past a certain point (they have a place to fold and park them), so the carrier allows us a little more freedom when they are tiny.  I don't think convertibles fit a new baby or infant as snugly as I'd like since they go up to at least 40 or 45lbs, some even higher.

If you go with a convertible from the start, you will want two if the baby is switching back and forth between cars all the time.

naflmj

You do not need to buy 2 infant seats, you can just buy an extra base. We decided to get both an infant and convertable seat and will likely get a 2nd convertable seat down the road.

babyluv617

I agree with pp about buying 2 bases. It was REALLY nice to have DS in the infant carrier because when he fell asleep in it you could move him, take him in the store, bring him inside... I really liked our travel system because I could stick him in the carrier and the carrier in the stroller and pull both sun shades. Then, no one could reach in and touch him. I hated random people reaching at him.

ETA - Also, and this is a big one, when you go out somewhere (to eat, to visit) you have some place to lay the baby if you have an infant carrier. 

monksmama

You can have the best of both worlds and do it economically.

BRU carries the baby trend flex loc in Jet. (soft black fabric with a boot!) The BT is one of only two seats that passed the 'faulty' CR side impact crash test that accidentally tested the seats at 70MPH instead of the government mandated 35MPH. (The Graco Snugride is the other.)

Anyway it is a great seat, has a really bad-ass triangular handle and has the higher limits of 30lbs.

The retail is $99.99 and an extra base goes for $39.99.

If you hold out for coupons you can use both a 15% off any car seat and a 15% off any item together and get the seat and one base for $72.25. Then you can use another 15% off any item or 10% registry completion coupon (AFAIK you can't combine the completion coupon with anything) and get the second base for as little as $33.99.

$106.25 for a great infant seat with a 30lb limit and two bases is a great price! And don't forget to have them properly installed for free by searching for a car seat tech in your area.

AFA the convertable - you have a bunch of really great options at reasonable prices - especially if you get an infant seat with high limits and have the extra months to bargain shop.

Britax seats are amazing - but they aren't cheap, unless you keep your eyes open and hop on a great deal.

I bought a Marathon for J (retail at BRU $279.99) at a great amazon sale back in Feb/Mar  for $149.00 shipped. The same sale had the smaller Roundabout available (retail $219.99) for $109.00 shipped. That is the price of a pretty basic Evenflo or ComfortSport.

For new baby, I managed to snag a Roundabout at Target's clearance sale two weeks ago for $114.00.

DH and I shared a seat between our two cars for a few months until we bought a Cosco Scenera for lesser used DH's car. They are bare bones convertables with great saftey ratings and we were able to find one with a previous year DOM clearanced for $35. When I found another Marathon steal, we upgraded DH's seat and gave the scenera to my mom.

Our plan is to get a snugride for new baby, and share the Roundabout until I find another super bargain and get a second.

Basically if you shop smart you can get really great seats for really small prices and end up spending the same as a full price infant seat and convertable for the three seats and two bases you need.