Convertible car seat question

cndmexbaby · May 2010

I am pretty clueless about baby gear! I just signed up for Consumer Reports and am doing some online research and shopping.

Here is my question. Can a convertible car seat be used for newborns?

TIA!

TexasLadyBug · May 2010

I want to say that yes some can. It needs to have a low weight limit. I think I have seen some CCS with 5 pound min.

However, having already gone through the infant seat and now on a convertible I would highly suggest getting an infant carrier. With the convertible it stays in the car, no moving it in and out. Infants sleep about 98% of the day, lol. Having them in the infant carrier makes life much easier when you need to run into a store and they are sleeping, or even if they are awake.

Because they have no head control for a while if you take them in a store you will either need a body carrier or a infant seat, the baby cant sit in the shopping cart. Same goes with the stroller. The infant carrier snaps into place in a stroller. Having a newborn/small infant in a stroller can be tricky since they do not have head control, but I am sure you could do it in a very reclined position at the same angel that a infant seat would be ate.

slwprincess · May 2010

TexasLadyBug:

I want to say that yes some can. It needs to have a low weight limit. I think I have seen some CCS with 5 pound min.

However, having already gone through the infant seat and now on a convertible I would highly suggest getting an infant carrier. With the convertible it stays in the car, no moving it in and out. Infants sleep about 98% of the day, lol. Having them in the infant carrier makes life much easier when you need to run into a store and they are sleeping, or even if they are awake.

Because they have no head control for a while if you take them in a store you will either need a body carrier or a infant seat, the baby cant sit in the shopping cart. Same goes with the stroller. The infant carrier snaps into place in a stroller. Having a newborn/small infant in a stroller can be tricky since they do not have head control, but I am sure you could do it in a very reclined position at the same angel that a infant seat would be ate.

Ditto this. Yes, there are some convertible carseats that can be used for newborns but no, I would not reccomend this as your primary seat. It would probably be fine in a second car, but like the pp said, newborns sleep A LOT and trust me there will be times when you will do ANYTHING to keep that baby asleep- infant seats make that so much easier. Also, I can't tell you how nice it was to be able to take my sleeping infant into a restaurant and enjoy my meal in peace. I seriously cried when he outgrew that infant seat! I'm actually considering buying a new one this time around just so that I can get one with a higher weight limit so we can use it longer!

mlc92404 · May 2010

A lot of them start a 5 lbs (babies weight) but you are probably going to want an infant seat. The convertible stays in the car so you have to take the baby out any time you get out of the car and you risk waking a sleeping baby. If you get the infant seat, that is the one you can carry around, snap into a stroller and never have to take the baby out if its sleeping.

jc80606 · May 2010

ours said that you could use it for babies starting at 5 lbs! I wouldn't have been comfortable putting my 7 lb newborn in it though...the infant seat cradles a newborn much better and I feel like it was more secure for her floppy neck as well since it reclines much further than our convertible...

PunkyBooster · May 2010

Yes.

However, I will not be getting one because you can't carry the baby around in it to go to the store or to a restaurant. They seem practical from a long-term standpoint, but not from a usage standpoint in those early days.

Fulbri05 · May 2010

Yes you can but I have read numerous places that infant seats are MUCH safer than convertable seats when babies are that young. Mostly because they are designed specifically for newborns and their needs.

Coleslawcat · May 2010

A lot of convertible seats are rated for small babies but don't actually fit them. Britax seats don't have low enough bottom slots to safely fit a newborn, despite saying they are rated for 5lbs and up. The First Years True Fit, Sunshine Kids Radian, and Graco Myride are convertibles that are known for fitting newborns well. I absolutely would not be comfortable putting my newborn in a Britax seat or most other convertibles, though I'd feel ok about putting my newborn in one of the three I mentioned.

The infant seats are a lot more convenient though, since newborns fall asleep a lot and it's nice not to have to wake them up. Plus you can strap them in inside in the nice warm house and then cover them in blankets before taking them out to the cold car in the winter.

jenwoodhouse · May 2010

They can, depending on weight. We chose to go ahead and buy an infant carrier and then upgrade to a convertible one once Baby outgrows it (maybe in 6 months or so) because the infant seats are the only ones that can detach from its base. This means, you don't have to wake Baby up when it's time to go into the restaurant, or wherever. You just detach the car seat from its base and voila! It magically becomes a carrier and both Baby and parents are happier for it.

If you need more info on car seats/carrier/stroller/travel systems, I just tackled that issue, did a TON of research and blogged about it.

Hope it helps!

xo

TexasLadyBug · May 2010

Coleslawcat:
A lot of convertible seats are rated for small babies but don't actually fit them. Britax seats don't have low enough bottom slots to safely fit a newborn, despite saying they are rated for 5lbs and up. The First Years True Fit, Sunshine Kids Radian, and Graco Myride are convertibles that are known for fitting newborns well. I absolutely would not be comfortable putting my newborn in a Britax seat or most other convertibles, though I'd feel ok about putting my newborn in one of the three I mentioned.
The infant seats are a lot more convenient though, since newborns fall asleep a lot and it's nice not to have to wake them up. Plus you can strap them in inside in the nice warm house and then cover them in blankets before taking them out to the cold car in the winter.

I have both the MyRide and the Radian and I have to say I would not be ok putting my infant in them. As another poster stated the infant carrier does a much better job of cradling a newborn. And as I already stated the conv carseats have to stay in the car, no carrying them around in and out of stores etc.....

quidditchcapn1120 · May 2010

I am glad you asked this, I was wondering the same thing!

Coleslawcat · May 2010

Well I would only be ok with any of the convertibles I've mentioned so long as they had the appropriate infant inserts, which they are all sold with as options. I would never put my infant in any of those seats without the inserts. You can get an excellent fit of a newborn in the Radian with the inserts, I've seen it firsthand, and I've heard of certified techs that the other 2 provide good fits with inserts. I still think the infant seats are better because of convenience. I always use a Chicco Keyfit 30 with my newborns.

cndmexbaby · May 2010

Thanks everyone! We are going to start with an infant car seat.

Convertible car seat question

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