Infant car seat question

jayellekay · October 2010

Ok, we already have our convertible seat (Britax), but now I'm on the hunt for an infant seat. I have a gift card to Wal-Mart, so I just want to get it there, and keep it under $140. I've narrowed my choices down to a Graco Snugride 22 in Platinum...the most expensive Snugride 22, but it comes with the strap covers, boot, and is supposedly more padded. OR...the Graco Snugride 32 in Zurich. It's not as padded as the other one, but the higher weight limit is appealing. Any suggestions??

weelass24 · October 2010

Get the bigger one.

bootsnbananas · October 2010

Since you already have the convertible that can be used rear-facing I would get the smaller one. The bigger one is heavier and you will stop using it even sooner. (by stop using it I mean stop carryng your baby in it, you will just take the baby in and out of the carseat)

Ciaram22 · October 2010

Get the one for the higher weight limit. I wouldn't want to have to get to 22 pounds and have to go buy a new one, I would prefer it to last longer.

LucyGoosey81 · October 2010

Get the bigger one. We also had our convertible seat, but I wanted him in an infant seat for as long as possible...it just seemed safer for some reason- not that it is, just that it seemed that way to me. DS was in it until he was 15 months old and it was a 30/30. He didn't gain much weight, though, so he would have fit in a 22/30 as well until that point. Most kids aren't as tiny as mine, though, which is why I suggest the bigger one. Another thing- once you reach a certain weight, you're not going to want to carry the thing anyway. Just leave it in the base all the time and take the baby in and out of it. It works no differently than a convertible then.

M&D06 · October 2010

We have the smaller snugride (22) and I'm glad we didn't get the bigger one. Ds was never very big but we still put him in a convertible around 9 months. At that point, he could sit up well on his own so he was sitting in shopping carts and strollers on his own. He hated always being reclined in the carrier..he wanted to look around. Plus, it was easier for me to get him in and out once he was in the convertible. Ds is only 23lbs and 32in so he could have been in the carrier longer but it just didn't work that way for us.

kg_08 · October 2010

Since you already have a convertible, the higher weight limit wouldn't be as appealing. Also you shouldn't get it just for strap covers... I got some cute ones with puppies for $4.

I'd say go for the cheaper one as long as the safety rating is still good.

Edit: I just realized I totally got them mixed up. I rock at life. lol

ANYWAY, get something lightweight with a good safety rating. As I said, since you have a convertible already weight limit shouldn't matter much.

c446784 · October 2010

My daughter is still in her Snugride 32. she is almost 14 months. My pedi says to keep them rear facing until 2 years. we just keep it in the car now that she is getting big. Will keep her in there until our next baby come in April. so if you have 2 cars I would get the 32lbs so you have both car seats for rear facing..

alli&pat · October 2010

i would get the bigger one - not so much for the weight limit but because with the higher weight limit comes a higher height limit. my DS would have been out of the smaller one in no time, and although you have the convertible, we loved the infant seat because he was so much more reclined and slept better that way in the car.

ncbelle · October 2010

I don't think having the higher weight limit on the bucket is important. We had the smaller snugride and kiddo was out of it well before he hit the limits - we switched to a rear facing convertible. By 5 months or so, he hated the position of the bucket and did much better in the more upright convertible.

FemmeNat01 · October 2010

The bigger one.

I love that my twins are still in the infant seat because we have the SnugRide 32. It'll last a good while longer since they're both still under 16lbs.

ReeseM · October 2010

s446784:
My daughter is still in her Snugride 32. she is almost 14 months. My pedi says to keep them rear facing until 2 years. we just keep it in the car now that she is getting big. Will keep her in there until our next baby come in April. so if you have 2 cars I would get the 32lbs so you have both car seats for rear facing..

Is she not far beyond the height limit? I can't think that having a 14 month old in an infant seat is very comfy for her, nor safe. Maybe I mis-read this

jbd1020 · October 2010

I would get the bigger one, not because it's bigger, but because it has additional features that make it easier to use. It has the strap in front to adjust the harness easily and the base has a built in lock-off for the seat belt which can give you a more secure installation.

hf08 · October 2010

ReeseM:

s446784:
My daughter is still in her Snugride 32. she is almost 14 months. My pedi says to keep them rear facing until 2 years. we just keep it in the car now that she is getting big. Will keep her in there until our next baby come in April. so if you have 2 cars I would get the 32lbs so you have both car seats for rear facing..

Is she not far beyond the height limit? I can't think that having a 14 month old in an infant seat is very comfy for her, nor safe. Maybe I mis-read this

We moved DD from the Snugride22 at 14 mos. She still hadn't hit the weight limit and was close, but still under, the height limit.

OP, I don't think you can go wrong with your options. We've been really happy with the Snugride22. I liked that it came with a boot on it, but it was a little useless. We ended up getting a BundleMe, because the one with ours didn't go up very far.

Think Positive · October 2010

Get the smaller one!!! You will want to stop carrying a carseat around asap. I watch a little girl who's parents have a chicco key fit 30 and it is so heavy, I just leave it in the car and carry her in everywhere. Don't spend the extra money on the higher weight limit when you already have the step 2 car seat. Thats my 2 cents worth:)

jayellekay · October 2010

Thanks, everyone, for your input! I think I will go with the 32 because of the height limit, which I hadn't thought about before. DH and I are both fairly tall, so it may be an issue. Also, the difference in price in the two models I'm looking at is $1.

juliane2004 · October 2010

bootsnbananas:
Since you already have the convertible that can be used rear-facing I would get the smaller one. The bigger one is heavier and you will stop using it even sooner. (by stop using it I mean stop carryng your baby in it, you will just take the baby in and out of the carseat)

If you didn't have a convertible seat or money was tight, I'd say get the bigger one, but because you already have the convertible seat, then get the smaller one. Or neither...

It's definitely convenient to carry the baby in the infant seat in and out of the car, but if you don't want to buy an infant seat, you don't have to. A lot of convertible seats are fine for babies 5lbs and larger.

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