How long could u/did u remove the infant seat from the base?

StefandTodd · April 2011

I just learned that in our primary vehicle, we'll be unable to load/unload a RFing child without physically removing the seat from the base. Observe:

That's with the doors open all the way, the rear seats cannot move forward, so to load/unload RFing baby, entire seat has to be pulled out.

There's a great convertible option seat that swivels (it's $$$, but cheaper than a new car, I suppose), but I'm still thinking it might be worthwhile to have the infant seat for a little while since there will be a time I'm able (and prefer actually) to pull it in and out of the base. But, how long will that realistically be? All the way to the 22 lb weight limit? So is it worthwhile to buy the infant seat if I know it can only be used until I physically cannot remove it?

Also, we'll have two bases for the infant seat (for this car, and my civic)...when we switch to the convertible seat, will I want to get a convertible seat for the civic too most likely? Do people generally have two convertible seats (one for each car)?

I'm so lost in car seat land right now... thanks in advance for any advice/tips re: infant vs convertible, etc...

LV2006 · April 2011

I pulled out the infant seat for as long as physically possible, and it seemed like it was a LONG time. It was just more convenient to carry the seat with her in it than to try to get her in and out rear facing (plus I used the seat in the stroller and grocery carts too).

We do not have a convertible in both cars and it hasn't been a problem since it is easy to move when we do need it in P's car. But if one of you will be dropping off and the other picking up you would probably want a convertible in both.

KellyMRocks · April 2011

I have the same car. I lifted the seat out of the base until she was stable and could hold her head well. Now I just lift her over and put her in. I can still physically pull it out. I just choose not to. It isn't the easiest but it works. She is still in the infant seat and turns a year old in a couple of weeks, just to give a reference. She is pretty average, so unless you have a really big baby, you would get at least a year use out of an infant seat.

ladipale · April 2011

we still mostly take out the whole seat, esp. when she's sleeping.. unless i want to carry her, in which case, I climb into the back seat and take her out, put her in moby and then climb out of car. She is currently ~14 lbs, and getting heavy to carry long distances, but for the most part, still doable. I don't see us not taking out whole seat until she's close to the limit of our seat (30 lbs). John is strong and, since she won't go from 14 to 30 lbs in a day, the gradual increase in weight is fine.

Most people do have 2 bases and/or 2 convertible seats. we will b/c of daycare. Don't want to remove convertible seat and reinstall everytime, although some parents do. Ellie has actually never been in John's car, but will be soon.

Goores is your friend!

futrkingsley · April 2011

I didn't remove our infant seat from the car for long or that often. DS was a heavy baby (17 lbs at 4 months) and it was a lot to physically twist with the infant seat in my arms and get out of the car. No thanks. He rarely slept in the car so there was also no reason to move the seat versus moving him. I preferred to wear him anyway.

So when I was home on maternity leave (until 4 months), I left the seat in the base in the car about 50% of the time. After that, it was more like 80% and we moved to a convertible seat at 6 months as he outgrew his infant seat at that point.

We ended up getting a convertible seat for each car. My mom took care of him 3 days a week so she had one, I had one in our primary car and DH had one in the back up car. Two were Britax, and the other was a COsco SCenera. The cheapest seat (the Scenera) turned out to be the seat we used longest!

SJBride05 · April 2011

We're still using the infant car seat at 6mo old. I'm hoping to continue using it at least another 3 months. If you need to get baby in/out of the car seat (to wear or put in stroller) it looks like there is enough room to put the car seat on the floor of the car and then take baby out. We actually do this when I want to wear DS. I pull the seat off the base onto the seat facing me. It's just easier to get him in and out that way.

When we transfer him to a convertible seat, we'll most likely get one for my car and one for my mom's (DCP.)

HTH!

danandkelly · April 2011

I still pull the infant seat out with Add in it. She is almost 21 lbs and 30 inches tall. She's about at the height limit for the seat but I can lift and carry it fine still. Often I take it out of the base and turn it so I can more easily get her in or out while it's sitting on the seat. But then pop it back into the base.

I think NorCalLinds had a car like that and also KellyM, so they may have more insight for you.

StefandTodd · April 2011

Great information!! Thank you all!!

KM, do you have a lot of trouble finding spots or running into an issue with being able to actually open both doors at the same time? I've been worried about that too. Our plan has been to get a different car when/if we have baby #2, but I love our Element so I'm excited to know you're making it work well

risysmama · April 2011

We used the infant seat with #1 until she was about a year old. She outgrew it in height before she did in weight (she's 2 and could still technically fit it by weight!) With #2, I anticipate switching to a convertible seat a lot sooner because she'll probably outgrow it in weight before she does in height.

We have a carseat installed in each car since we drive #1 around an equal amount of time. DH does not have the infant base installed in his car.

KellyMRocks · April 2011

StefandTodd:
Great information!! Thank you all!!
KM, do you have a lot of trouble finding spots or running into an issue with being able to actually open both doors at the same time? I've been worried about that too. Our plan has been to get a different car when/if we have baby #2, but I love our Element so I'm excited to know you're making it work well

It is much easier in lots that have slanted spaces than straight ones. I just always try to park to give baby's side more room.

Also, Char is correct there is plenty of floor room if you want to pull the seat out then wear babe. Also, I would pull the seat up and turn it around so it is sitting in the base facing forward. Then unbuckle and stick her her in the Beco. Also doing this, I don;t have to open the damn doors all the way.

We make it work, but I would love a car with more seats so we can take people with us instead of caravaning.

SarahCee · April 2011

I only took out the infant carseat for about maybe 4 months. I never mastered carrying that thing around, it was much easier for me just to take him in/out. I basically waited until he had decent head/neck control. Our infant seat only held up to 20lbs (maybe 17), so when we went to buy the convertable we were wondering why we even bought the infant to begin with (especially since we both hated carrying it). We bought 2 bases for the infant seat, but only one convertable seat with the plan to see how having just one worked out. We were later given a basically brand new- used bigger seat, not a convertable but the one up. It is much easier having 2 seats for him now, especially with gas prices we can take his Accord vs my 4 Runner. Baby gear is so overwhelming, good luck!

p2p91507 · April 2011

We pulled the infant seat out of the car until we just switched it out last month. Z was in an infant seat for the whole first year. He outgrew the length of the seat before he outgrew the weight of the seat. We also have 2 convertible seats, also for day care reasons. And each of our parents have convertible car seats in their car so none of us have to remove the seats.

Mrs.Wubbin · April 2011

We rarely removed the infant seat from the base- for us it was just easier to carry her. I also never used my stroller and I don't carry a diaper bag. I think I am the exception though.

Mrs.BoomBoom · April 2011

We have the snugride 32 and I'm interested to know if Q would still fit. By the time he was 6 months and started daycare, we weren't lifting the whole seat out very often (only when we were going to restaurants and keeping him in the seat) and we only had one base (because up to that time, my car=baby car) we decided that rather than buying a 2nd base, we'd buy convertibles instead. DH installed the infant seat without the base for a few weeks until we got the stroller and convertibles. Since he's no longer doing drop offs, there's no longer a convertible in his car...it's in the nanny's car instead.

m&m818 · April 2011

We mostly pulled the seat in and out of the car. Most of the time she was asleep and it was just easier to not have to move her.

By 5 months DD was almost 20 lbs. I found it was too heavy for me to lift DD in and out. We ended up using a convertable in my car, it was easier to lift her in and out of. And my husband used the seat with the base in the other car for a few months. I found that situation awkward for me to put her in/out of too, but he didn't seem to mind.

oceanangelbeauty · April 2011

I love our infant seat. We have a convertible too but do not use it unless we have to. She will be a year next month and has 3 lbs left to reach the weight limit. I will miss it when she no longer fits. We did not have use for a second base for our purposes. Dh just uses the seat belt in function when he does not have the base.

pink.dutch.tulips · April 2011

we snapped out the seat until she outgrew it (height wise). it was so easy just to snap her seat in & out.

secretkeeper321 · April 2011

We pulled the seat in and out of the car every time, until he outgrew the seat. I wish I could still use it. Did it get heavy? YES. Did I manage? YES. We had the one seat and two bases. Although, legally or safety wise, you don't need the base at all, it is purely for convenience.

We have two convertibles. I can't imagine un-installing and re-installing those things all the time. Since we both drive H around all the time, there isn't any other reasonable option for us. If I were home with him primarily, I could see where we could do one, but not while both of us work full time and trade off on pick up/drop off duty to school.

Oh, and as for how long will the infant seat last....totally depends on the kid. I believe (and Goore's said the same thing) that the baby will outgrow the length waaayyyyy before the weight. You know how big H is, and weight wise he could still be in the baby seat (we had the Chicco 30). Height wise he was out at 7 months...but he's long, so it will last you.

This might sound shallow, but the infant seat made my social life eaiser. I could still go out to eat and he would just sleep. No problem shopping or having somewhere to sleep him at friend's and family. If we were there a bit late...I'd put him in the infant sleep and voila. I seriously wish he could have been in it longer. I wore him quite a bit too, but there were times when the infant seat was the best option and wearing him wouldn't have worked.

Our car isn't that big and it is much much much harder for me to get him in and out of the RF convertible than it ever was in the infant carrier. I'm counting the months until I can turn him around and stop killing my back.

StefandTodd · April 2011

MrsJulieT:

I'm pretty sure I was still pulling Ryan's in and out at 10 months and he stayed in it until a year old so just the last two months was I putting him in while in the car and Taylor was in hers until 10 months too.

what will you do when you're in a rear facing covertible? Won't that be the same issue because the seat will still be backwards? maybe if it was in the middle you could climb in the car with the child to put them in and take them out.

That was my point b/c the convertible that will work in our car is really expensive, but it gets raaaaaves from Element owners. It swivels 360* on a base so I can FF it for loading, RF for riding, FF for unloading. Just wanted to make sure I'd be able to actually lift the infant seat out for long enough to warrant getting both it AND a swiveling convertible. All still cheaper than buying a new car, I suppose

...also, there is no middle seat in the Element.

Here's the convertible I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Combi-Zeus-Convertible-Seat-Licorice/dp/B002ITIXJQ

AnyaBella · April 2011

Keep in mind that with car seats there are height limits too. Many kiddos reach the height limit for the infant seat way before they reach the weight limit. If we had been able to go by weight G could still be in his infant seat probably for a long time. I think the limit was 23lbs and he's still only 17lbs. But... he reached the height limit quite a while ago. We switched over to the convertible around 5 or 6 months because he was getting pretty close to the max height.

That said, I loved the convenience of the infant carrier and would definitely get one if I had to do it all over again. Then if I were you I would maybe invest in the swiveling convertible seat or just resign myself to having to also get in the car while getting the LO in and out of the seat.

DandaLion · April 2011

We lifted the seat out until DS was about 9 months old and 22lbs. We have the Chicco Keyfit 30 infant seat. It was just easier to load and unload him from the infant seat in the house (especially if he was sleeping). If we went shopping I either used the snap n go stroller or I wore him in the ergo if I took him out of the seat. Most of the time (especially early on) he would instantly fall asleep in the car seat and I just hated waking him up (especially since otherwise he would not nap). We actually had 3 car seat bases (helped my SIL used the same car seat and gave us her bases, so we had one for my car, one for SO's truck, and one for my mom- even though it wasn't used much).

At about 9-9.5 months he had completely outgrown the infant seat in height, so we switched over to the convertible car seat. We spent the most money on the one for my car (sunshine kids Radian) since that is the car he is in the most and especially for long trips. , and got a good slightly less expensive one for SO's car (for pick ups from babysitter 2X a week plus any errands he needs to run while I am at work) and a spare to use when he is with my mom or the babysitters (we got the cosco scenera for that). Honestly, we could have gotten away with getting just 2 convertible seats (having to take it in and out of one car and re-installing in another would drive me crazy) for my and SO's vehicles.

Want a personalized experience?

How long could u/did u remove the infant seat from the base?

Re: How long could u/did u remove the infant seat from the base?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards