Universal Car Seat Bases?

Telly21182

So, I just got an email from my MIL this afternoon that an old coworker of hers has 3 car seat bases that she is wanting to get rid of for free.  She told MIL that they're universal so both SIL (another June momma) and I could each use them.  I wasn't aware that there are universal car seat bases and couldn't find anything through a google search.  Has anyone seen or heard of universal car seat bases?

I mean, if they exist and we get one for free that'd be awesome, but I'm thinking that's too good to be true.  SIL is going to pick them up next week and try it out with her car seat to let me know (we both registered for the same travel system and she got hers at her shower and I know I'm getting ours at my shower at the end of the month.) 

klv

Some bases will accomidate multiple seats, but for the most part no.  It can be very dangerous to use a base that is not designed to work with your seat.  Most infant seats can be installed without a base if you are talking about a second car, especially if you are not going to use it often.

I would also wonder about the expiration dates on the base as well, since these expire after 5-7 years just like car seats.

Telly21182

klv:

Some bases will accomidate multiple seats, but for the most part no.  It can be very dangerous to use a base that is not designed to work with your seat.  Most infant seats can be installed without a base if you are talking about a second car, especially if you are not going to use it often.

I would also wonder about the expiration dates on the base as well, since these expire after 5-7 years just like car seats.

Yeah, I kinda figured it's not ideal.  

I do know that this womans kid is like 2 so it's still a pretty new car seat (she had a complicated birth and needed a hystarectamy (which I clearly can't spell) afterwards so they won't be having more kids.

klv

Infant seats are all different lengths and widths.  The place where they attach to the base can be in different spots, widths and depths as well.  A Graco base may fit a few Graco seats, but again for the most part there is no compatibility between seats and bases between companies. 

I would just buy a new base, or install the infant seat without the base.  If you have a second car that will just be doing daycare pick up/drop off then you may consider purchasing a convertable seat for that car.  It may not be used often, but with that you could get a few years of use out of it and you will need a second seat eventually when he grows out of the infant seat.

luvbeingmom

uh, there aren't universal car seat bases that i know of.

she may be using the term universal, but they may only be universal to a certain brand like graco or something. and even then i found that some made in different years do not fit newer car seats

don't bother with it...