Clicky Poll: Which type of car seat?

curlydoglover · June 2010

So, DH's 6'5", I'm 6'. The rest of our families are all on the tall side. I know I was 23" long when I was born and I think DH was right there with me at 22" or 23".

So, odds are Zombaby is going to be, well, tall to start with and grow like a weed.

Given that most infant car seats don't accommodate infants longer than 30", it has me wondering which is our best choice.

[Poll]

lilmgirl · June 2010

I voted convertible, but I really don't know. I'm clueless as to how fast babies grow Tongue Tied

cc605 · June 2010

DS was in a convertible carseat by the time he was 5 months...but I still am glad we got the infant seat for when he was younger to tote him around in. We are using the same infant seat this time around

blf722 · June 2010

If you plan on going out and about with your LO anytime in the 1st six months, I highly recommend the infant seat. Even if your baby is going to be long, he or she is going to fit in there for a few months. You do not want to have to grab a sleeping baby out of the convertible and risk waking them. The infant seat is so convenient, just click it out and put it in your stroller. Sure, you have to get the convertible later, but it's worth the money to me for the convenience and sleep factors!

ETA: My hubs and I were able to go out to eat or shop a lot using the infant seat. Baby would fall asleep on the ride and stay nice and cozy wherever we went. Those were the days!

lulu8109 · June 2010

I voted infant car seat. I think it will be really convenient to be able to carry LO in the car seat, especially if s/he has fallen asleep in the car. Also, I plan on using the car seat with the stroller. I'm definitely trying not to buy too much baby gear, but I'll have to suck it up and have an infant seat for the first several months, then buy a convertible once LO has outgrown the infant seat.

heyitsme · June 2010

cc605:
DS was in a convertible carseat by the time he was 5 months...but I still am glad we got the infant seat for when he was younger to tote him around in.

This exactly. And I just want to note (as a car seat safety advocate), that the Britax convertibles that a PP mentioned DO NOT fit babies from birth. The harness slots have to be "at or below" the baby's shoulders, and the Britax slots are too high, even the lowest ones. That being said, Britax is coming out with a new line of convertibles this fall, and rumor has it that they will have bottom slots low enough to fit newborns!

Some other convertible car seats that fit newborns well (and would last you a while for a tall child, since they have very high top slots) are the Sunshine Kids Radian (any model with the infant insert) and the First Years True Fit.

Another thing to think about when considering convertible vs. infant seat is if you don't have an infant seat, what will you do with baby when, say, grocery shopping or something where you need a free hand or two? Will you babywear? have a stroller that reclines flat for baby to lay in? etc.

mayanut · June 2010

"Another thing to think about when considering convertible vs. infant seat is if you don't have an infant seat, what will you do with baby when, say, grocery shopping or something where you need a free hand or two? Will you babywear? have a stroller that reclines flat for baby to lay in? etc. "

This is exactly what I was going to ask about. For those with kids who got a convertible, what did you do to take the baby with you? I'm not worried about shopping but more like going to restaurants and visiting people. Any great suggestions?

curlydoglover · June 2010

heyitsme:
Another thing to think about when considering convertible vs. infant seat is if you don't have an infant seat, what will you do with baby when, say, grocery shopping or something where you need a free hand or two? Will you babywear? have a stroller that reclines flat for baby to lay in? etc.

I had actually planned to baby wear in large measure. Even if you're out grocery shopping with an infant car seat, the car seat's gotta go somewhere - usually in the cart taking up room (somehow I can't picture it fitting in the little basket). Babywearing just seemed a hell of a lot easier.

However, this kinda brings up a good question - are jogging strollers "ok" for infants? I'd never thought about that, really.

I just hate to get a $300 car seat and then only use it for 3-4 months. Especially since there's not exactly a re-sale market for them. There's no guarantee we'll have a 2nd kid, so....

heyitsme · June 2010

(sorry, I can NOT get the bold to turn off!)

$300 for an infant seat? What kind are you considering? We will only be using an infant seat for about that same amount of time (4 or 5 months), because we have seats from DD waiting to be passed down, but I want the convenience of a bucket seat for a few months. The Safety 1st OnBoard35 is a larger bucket seat, but is as cheap as $100 and comes highly recommended. You can get a Graco Snugride for as cheap as $80. I'm looking at a Snugride model that is front-adjust (personal preference) for $100. There's also the BabyTrend Flex-Loc which is well-rated and runs about $100.

I don't think you have to spend $300 on an infant seat. In fact, I KNOW you don't have to.

Taken from Joggingstroller.com:

What's the skinny on reclining seats?
Reclining seats in jogging strollers were new back in 2000, and they've become a much desired feature. There are very few brands today that don't offer a reclining seat. But just because a seat "reclines" does not necessarily mean it goes completely flat. A few strollers offer a fully flat position for a newborn, but many only go back to a position that allows for easy resting and prevents head bobbing (even so, we recommend using a head support of some sort, as featured in our accessories sections, until your child is able to support his or her head and neck independently). All of the doubles and triples we sell that have seats that will recline individually.

What's your advice on strolling with infants?
There are a couple options if you're anxious to get out there with your newborn in a Jogging Stroller. It may seem obvious, but we should point out that actually running with an infant very early is not recommended. Proper head support is certainly an issue. But another thing to point out is that babies cannot regulate their own body temperature until they are 6-8 weeks old, so until then it's best to keep them bundled or close to your body. That being said, let's look at the options if you need to get the littlest member of your family into Jogging Stroller:

Flat Bed: Some Jogging Strollers offer seats that recline fully flat? See Valco, Phil & Teds, or Zooper.
Carry Cot or Bassinet: See Mountain Buggy or Valco. The Carry Cot or Bassinet looks like a mini-crib, and it's a great accessory option. You can detach it and carry it right indoors, making the easy transfer without waking the sleeping baby.
Car Seat Adaptor: Many Jogging Strollers are now car seat compatible with the use of an adaptor accessory. This basically turns your Jogging Stroller into a convenient Travel System Stroller. There's a lot of discussion out there on how much time spent in an infant car seat is safe, and a lot of talk about issues that are arising from too much time in them. That's just a note to be aware and do some homework; there are plenty of websites.

curlydoglover · June 2010

heyitsme:

$300 for an infant seat? What kind are you considering? We will only be using an infant seat for about that same amount of time (4 or 5 months), because we have seats from DD waiting to be passed down, but I want the convenience of a bucket seat for a few months. The Safety 1st OnBoard35 is a larger bucket seat, but is as cheap as $100 and comes highly recommended. You can get a Graco Snugride for as cheap as $80. I'm looking at a Snugride model that is front-adjust (personal preference) for $100. There's also the BabyTrend Flex-Loc which is well-rated and runs about $100.

I don't think you have to spend $300 on an infant seat. In fact, I KNOW you don't have to.

I was pulling prices from BRU on the car seats on CR. I know you can get them for cheaper than that.

We're getting the jogger as a hand-me-down, so I've no idea if it has any of those features they're talking about. Obviously we won't be running with the kid outside in the dead of winter, but I was just wondering if it was safe for "general stroller" use (i.e. do I have to buy a separate massive stroller or can I just use this thing instead). But thanks for the info. I'll have to take another look once we've seen the stroller.

ETA: Oh. But, at first glance, I think we'd go with the Graco SnugRide 35 if we picked an infant car seat (retail: $150) or the Maxi-Cosi Priori if we picked a convertible (retail: $200). Both got good reviews on CR and I have a thing for red and grey/black. Stick out tongue But DH hasn't weighed in yet.

slwprincess · June 2010

My little man is super tall too but I wouldn't have traded those infant seat days for the world! In fact, this time we bought a bigger infant seat just so that we can use it longer. Here's why I loved the infant seat- SLEEPING BABY. The car is a magical thing with newborns and for most (not all) they go to sleep in the car. The last thing you want to do is wake a sleeping baby. Infant seat lets you move them in the house without waking. Also, do you like to eat out? Because you can forget that if you don't have an infant seat. This is our primary reason for wanting the baby in that thing as long as possible. We could eat our dinner in peace when he was in his infant seat. Dinners have never been the same peaceful event since then!

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