Infant vs. convertible car seat for newborn: pros & cons

desmarais1 · July 2009

If you actually used an infant car seat or a convertible car seat with your newborn, what did you like or dislike about it? What model did you have? Is it easy to get baby in-and-out? Is it less stress on your back? Did you need a stroller too? Thanks,

*Bee* · July 2009

We have an infant carseat that is part of a travel system (comes with a stroller that the carseat can snap into). I love that I don't have to take LO out of the carseat when we get somewhere. I think that would be a huge con to having a convertible carseat when they're so little and fall asleep everytime you put them in the car.

MissesRootbeer · July 2009

I have a Graco Snugride infant carseat. It came with a matching stroller. I could not imagine having a newborn and not being able to carry her around in her carseat. She was so tiny and had no control over her body I would have been afraid to move her around so much. She also slept a lot as a newborn so it was nice to just leave her in her seat when we went somewhere. Sometimes if she would start to get fussy we could gently rock her while in her seat to soothe her. Definitely worth the money to get an infant seat IMO.

desmerelda317 · July 2009

I think they say that the infant carrier is actually safer for newborns and infants than the convertible car seats are. ?That said, we have the Britax Companion infant seat. ?We originally registered for a Graco Snugride, but the Britax happened to be on sale for $100 one day at Babies R Us.com and so we went for it since Britax is one of the best brands in the industry. ?It is heavy now that DS is close to 16 lbs but still fine for carrying small distances. ?It fits in our Bumbleride stroller just fine with the infant seat adapter. ?Often times though, I put DS in a mei tei when going out with him, so I don't carry him around in the carseat too often. ?And pp is correct, being able to keep DS in the seat when he falls asleep in it is a huge bonus

njkitty · July 2009

i would go for the infant seat and snap n go, then another stroller, rather than the travel system... usually travel systems are pretty bulky.

the advantage to using the infant seat is that you don't have to wake LO to go in and out of the car/stroller. also, if you go to a restaurant with LO without a carseat, you have to hold him/her.

kenandlaura06 · July 2009

We have the Graco SafeSeat infant seat and will be moving to the Evenflo Triumph Advance in a few months. It would have been PITA to have a convertible for the last 4 months because he falls asleep so often in the car/on the go and I would have hated to have to wake him to move him.

lzbflogrl · July 2009

the carrier is nice when they are little, for all of the reasons below. we use the snap and go for quick trips out, and it is especially nice for restaurants. even though ds can stay in the carrier til 22 lbs, I dont see that happening, he is getting heavier by the day!!!