Car Seat - 22 lbs or 30?

JCM052707 · February 2009

Ok this is totally silly, but I planned on doing the Chicco 30 lb cars seat travel system since it would hold the baby for long. But then everything I read made it seem like after 20 lbs or so the baby doesn't even really use an infant car seat anymore, so getting to 30 could be a waste... is that true?

Now the silly part, normally I'd pick the 30 lb one just to be safe and have that extra if I needed it, but I like the colors of the 22 lbs one better.... Embarrassed

I figure if it doesn't really make a difference, I might as well go w/ the color stroller and seat I like best, right? Or is there something I'm missing here?

kiki-W · February 2009

some kids get bigger faster. my friend had a boy the same week as sophia and he was over 20lbs when sophia was just 12lbs.

she was glad to have a carseat that could accommodate a chubby baby.

Pecas13 · February 2009

We got a 22. They are lighter and we figure we'll have to get a new carseat eventually. Whether it's at 6 months or 9 months or whenever.

I liked the colors on the 22 better, too!

Nelliep32507 · February 2009

Mine goes up to 22 pounds. (chicco). However, pounds don't mean anything if your DC is LONG. The chicco doesn't have high enough shoulder straps so we had to buy a new one 5-100 pounds rear facing, front facing and booster seat type seat to acomodate her length before she was 22 lbs.

In conclusion... I'd say go with the one you like since most babies these days are born bigger and longer than usual and will probably not use the infant seat until 30 lbs.

MKE6115 · February 2009

You need an infant seat or at least a set that can be rear facing until DC is 20lbs AND 1 year so getting the up to 30lb car seat is not a waste because many kids get to 20lbs before they are a year. Also many kids get to be longer than what some of the average car seats go up to.

JARbaby · February 2009

Once your kids gets beyond 15-18 pound they are HEAVY to lug in the carrier. My 21m old just hit 24 pounds, she could have been in the carrier for weight well after a year but no way I could carry her in it!

Get what you like best, I was excited to put C in her conv seat!

JCM052707 · February 2009

MKE6115:
You need an infant seat or at least a set that can be rear facing until DC is 20lbs AND 1 year so getting the up to 30lb car seat is not a waste because many kids get to 20lbs before they are a year. Also many kids get to be longer than what some of the average car seats go up to.

What if your kid is over 30 lbs before 1 year (is that even possible?) What if you got a 22 since that seems to be popular and have to switch to a non infant seat before 1 year?

ENMRH · February 2009

I really don't have an answer here, I just wanted to thank you for asking this because DH and I are debating this exact same thing right now. I love the Chicco but I want the travelsystem and BRU doesn't have the Keyfit 30 as part of the travel system, we would need to order it from the internet. I also agree that the 22 has better colors!

Nelliep32507 · February 2009

MKE6115:

You need an infant seat or at least a set that can be rear facing until DC is 20lbs AND 1 year so getting the up to 30lb car seat is not a waste because many kids get to 20lbs before they are a year. Also many kids get to be longer than what some of the average car seats go up to.

I'm sorry ... what? I don't think you even answered her question. 30 lbs would have been a complete waste for me and half the people at my work that just had babies. we've all switched to 5-100 lb seats to accomodate our DC's length- my poor dd would be squished if I kept her in her carrier

Aliliv · February 2009

Get the pattern you like and don't worry about the lbs. In all likelyhood, you'll be done carrying the baby around in the infant seat before he/she even reaches 22 lbs. So, you'll probably switch over to a convertible in rear facing position before 22 lbs. A good friend of mine has an incredibly large child (he's 40lbs and 2 years old), she spent the extra $ a bought the kind that goes to 30 lbs. and she tells me that it was a waste. They moved him to a convertible LONG before that point.

kyra&jp · February 2009

I had the same question & asked a couple of my friends with young kids. They all seemed to agree that they made the switch to a convertible before their kids reached 30 lbs. due to length (& none of their kids are particularly long/tall). So, I didn't worry about getting those extra few pounds--I figure we'll probably switch before then!

Mama Jan · February 2009

We bought our carseat based on the extended weight limit and that was dumb, I would never do that again. DS stopped using his infant seat at 6mo and he was only 18lbs (80th %ile).

If you like the 22lb carseat better, go with that one.

Mama Jan · February 2009

JCM052707:
MKE6115:

You need an infant seat or at least a set that can be rear facing until DC is 20lbs AND 1 year so getting the up to 30lb car seat is not a waste because many kids get to 20lbs before they are a year. Also many kids get to be longer than what some of the average car seats go up to.

What if your kid is over 30 lbs before 1 year (is that even possible?) What if you got a 22 since that seems to be popular and have to switch to a non infant seat before 1 year?

Yeah, that won't happen. That would be a monster child. If your child outgrows the 22lb weight limit, you switch to a convertible seat which is also made for infants AND toddlers.

maiziejenga · February 2009

Also check www.carseatdata.com to see which ones fit best in your car. That narrowed it down to only 2 seats for us. There's a good discussion about car seats fitting in your car in baby bargains...it also talks about how much most of the popular brands weigh.

I'd just go for the 22 lb. Some times extras are just overkill.

julygal · February 2009

I would only consider getting the 30 lb weight limit if it length limit was longer than the 22 lb one. As many people mentioned most kids I hear of outgrow the length before the weight (my DD did), and your child must meet BOTH requirements.

robynlesley · February 2009

I think the Graco Snugride32 has a longer length limit than the regular one (for 22 lbs) and that's why I'm leaning towards that one?not for the weight limit. My husband is tall and I wouldn't be surprised if our baby is long.

Plus the travel system stroller (Quattro, is the one I'm looking at) holds a larger child once out of the car seat. So I figure the stroller will last longer.

From the spec sheets, the weight difference isn't too much between the Snugride and Snugride32, but I'm going to visit a Baby's R Us in a month or so to be sure.

RugbyBride · February 2009

My kids were both too long for the carseat by 5 or 6 months, but I agree with the PP who posted that once baby hits a certain weight, the carseat + baby is extremely heavy... to the point where I almost them to a rear facing convertible just for that reason.

LoveEeyore · February 2009

I think it just doesn't matter. You will most likely go to the convertable car seat next (unless there are FF booster seats for kids as small as 1 yr and 30 lbs). What's the height difference? My DD was 30 inches at 7 months, but even now, at nearly 15 months, she is just 18 lbs. I would go with the seat you like.

Geekchick921 · February 2009

Pecas13:

We got a 22. They are lighter and we figure we'll have to get a new carseat eventually. Whether it's at 6 months or 9 months or whenever.

I liked the colors on the 22 better, too!

This. Also, by the time the kid weighs more than 22 pounds, you won't want to carry them around in the car seat anyway. DD is only 11 1/2 and getting heavy!

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Car Seat - 22 lbs or 30?

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