Newborn Carseat v. Convertible Carseat?

mommypixie · July 2012

So I am highly confused by reading reviews about car seats and what's good and what's not. So I'm hoping to get some opinions of some of you on this subject.

Are there any pros and cons of getting a convertible seat? My instinct is that it would be more cost-effective to get a convertible seat. But are there some significant drawbacks to it?

Any input would be awesome. My aunt wants to buy the carseat for us while she's here visiting and we're going shopping next week. Thanks!

LisaSF11 · July 2012

I have been wondering the same thing. All I know is with an infant seat, you can take it out of the car like a basket and therefore not wake the baby.

You should post this question to the Babies: 0-3 months board or similar because then you'll get answers from moms who are actually dealing with the car seat.

Good luck!

pghctwife · July 2012

There was a post about this a few days ago... On my phone but maybe someone else can link you. In a nutshell... Newborn shells are more convenient and safer.

akating · July 2012

This question was asked just a few days ago. This should answer all your questions.

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/67119870.aspx

EmmyLou423 · July 2012

I'm a first time mom so I have no first hand experience with this. I did have a conversation with my sister about this very thing, so I thought I'd share her thoughts. A definate plus for her was when the baby fell asleep in the car it was much easier to bring her inside in the infant seat without waking her up. Also, my niece was born in Decemeber and she loved the fact that the carseat could be covered up in transition from the house to the car keeping the baby warm. We will be starting out with an infant carseat and then transitioning to a convertible carseat.

SPK926 · July 2012

Yes, look at the post from a few days ago. It's a better idea to get an infant carrier.

Also, I would really NOT get the carseat when your aunt is here next week. Carseats have expiration dates that are based on their manufacture date, NOT the date you started using them. Buying a seat this early is going to have an earlier expiration than if you wait. Now you won't use the infant seat for 5 years for this baby obviously but if you're hoping to save it and use it for child #2 or #3 and it's within the 5 year expiration window you want it to last as long as possible. Make sense?

eb1113 · July 2012

A big con to just getting the convertible carseat is that you always have to carry the baby to and from the car/store/wherever you are. The nice convenience of the infant seat is you can carry the seat, cover the baby no matter the weather, and not worry about waking him/her up.

I know many times with DD the infant seat was a lifesaver because I'd bring her in from the car, leave her in the carseat and let her sleep.

Personally, I highly recommend doing both seats. While it isn't the most cost effective, it is certainly easier on you! (Plus, when you're ready for a convertible, the Cosco Scerena is a good seat and doesn't cost much at all.)

Just my opinions...

stardust317 · July 2012

Infant seat. Period.

MrsCarroll.6-10-07 · July 2012

Definitely an infant carrier for now and get a convertible when they out grow it. You don't even need to get a whole travel system, which costs a lot of money. If I could have done it again for my 1st I would have gotten the infant carrier and base and a Snap N Go stroller to use with the carrier. Then when baby out grew the carrier and moved up to a convertible (which was 9 months for my 1st and 11 months for my 2nd) then get a nice umbrella type stroller with a basket underneath. The travel systems are so bulky and hard to navigate around stores.

Glarification · July 2012

Unless you give birth to a baby who is under 5lbs, which you wouldn't be able to bring home until the baby was 5lbs anyway (this is the weight that I hear from most hospitals as being the acceptable weight for a baby to be considered healthy enough to leave,) a convertible is perfectly fine.

Your best choice is to find one with a very high rear facing weight capacity, but also with good height to it (in case you have a tall child.) That way you can keep them in the safest position possible for much longer. It's safest to keep them rear facing to the maximum weight or until they have less than one inch of shell around their head.

If you have a facebook I can give you a link to a carseat group, filled with very humble car seat techs, who will be happy to give you great information, even help you find a good car seat match for you car. Cool

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarSeatsForTheLittles/

Glarification · July 2012

If carrying the baby around is an issue, baby wearing is much better than the infant carrier.

It's a choice that doesn't have negative outcomes either way except that you're buying two car seats when you could have bought one, or if carrying a baby around in a car seat is convenient to you.

mommypixie · July 2012

I totally missed it! Thanks all and the info in the other thread is really useful too

courtneybrooke921 · July 2012

HIGHLY recommend the infant carseat. I used the Chicco Keyfit travel system and loved it - the baby could sleep while in the stroller and transfer to the car no problem. It's easy and great.

We switched to the convertiable around 10 months (britax).

jobiann · July 2012

We are getting an infant car seat first because we don't want to risk waking the baby every time we get in and out of the car and then we will switch to a convertible when they grow out of the infant car seat.

BigFoot80 · July 2012

I'd go with the infant carseat first, then upgrade to the convertible. It's very convenient to have the infant seat that you can remove from the car. I still did a ton of babywearing, but sometimes she just wanted to be in the carseat and nap. It's also a lifesaver at restaurants in the beginning!

betheppert · July 2012

Get a travel system that included the newborn car seat and stroller. It's really convenient because the car seat clips to the stroller. Then when baby is older get the convertible carseat.

My DS was in the infant carrier only till about 5 months, but it's nice to be able to take it in and out of the car without having to carry the baby everywhere.

We got the convertible car seat on clearance at BRU and got 2 for the price of 1. He is almost 2 and is still using that car seat and will probably stay in it till this baby needs it.

nycbride2011 · July 2012

I read in the Baby Bargains book how much a life saver the infant seat can be simply because you don't have to remove the baby from it when getting in the car. If you're running to the store or coming home the baby just stays in the car seat and locks into the base.

eSynergy · July 2012

Definitely get the newborn/bucket carseat to start. You'll use it a lot, and it can attach to a lot of strollers. We liked our Graco Snugride.

My advice is to also register for a convertible carseat. We didn't register for one, and I wish we would have (even if someone didn't buy it for us, we would have had the 10-15% discount off our registry plus the 20% from buy buy baby). We ended up with the Britax Roundabout 55.

Wild_flower25 · July 2012

Infant seat all the way. You can't carry the baby every where, you might need a break now and then when you're not at home. And plus it is not worth waking them up when you get somewhere just to get them out of the carseat. Plus, the incline of the carseat helps some babies sleep better, especially if they have reflux. I think a newborn looks silly in a convertible seat.

chelseakopperud · July 2012

For DS we had a newborn carseat until he was about 6 months old.... then we switche him to a britax which he was in until he turned 4 and could move to a booster seat. We will do the same for this LO. I cant imagine not doing the newborn carseat.

janecanadian · July 2012

betheppert:

Get a travel system that included the newborn car seat and stroller. It's really convenient because the car seat clips to the stroller. Then when baby is older get the convertible carseat.

My DS was in the infant carrier only till about 5 months, but it's nice to be able to take it in and out of the car without having to carry the baby everywhere.

We got the convertible car seat on clearance at BRU and got 2 for the price of 1. He is almost 2 and is still using that car seat and will probably stay in it till this baby needs it.

QUESTIONABLE ADVICE ALERT!! Skip the travel system...the stollers are terrible, most people end up replacing them with something that works better. explore your options, there are so many more choices than the old fashioned travel system. you can get infant seat adapters for most strollers so that you can create your own "travel system" if you want to call it that.

pghctwife · July 2012

OP: baby bargains is a great resource for this and SO many other gear questions also. They recommend getting the infant bucket seat - and generally they do try to recommend the most cost effective best options. Many $$$ brands get docked in BB for being overpriced, so I trusted that they weren't just pushing extras.

All carseats meet minimum standards for the weight ranges given. THat said, the convertibles are NOT as safe in the event of an accident for newborns.

For PP - baby wearing and using the infant carseats are not mutually exclusive. I baby wore and plan to again, and also found the infant carseat to be very convenient. I don't know if you have a child already, but baby wearing does not solve the issue of waking a sleeping infant for a quick run into the store, or in the house, etc. Taking a baby out of their carseat and putting them into a baby carrier = waking them up. And there are many times where you do NOT want to wake the baby. My son for example HATED the car and screamed and screamed. If he was sleepy sometimes Id put him down in the carseat inside if I knew we were heading out that way he was already sleeping for the car ride. And for wintertime, putting the baby in and out of the carseat INSIDE where it is warm is a nice option over doing it out in the freezing weather.

Also, the convertible we got is RF now and also becomes a 5-point harness booster etc. Henry will use it probably for at least 5 years, the life of the seat. If we used it for him as an infant too we would probably have to replace it before he was done with it.

bearkatjen · July 2012

I had a two door car when my son was born, and taking an infants seat in and out would not have been convenient. That, plus being a SAHM, I knew my January baby and I would not be running around in the car much for the first couple of months. For us, it made a lot of sense to get a convertible seat that offered a decent fit for newborns, so we got a Britax Decathlon. Its like the Marathon, but with extra padding. My son was 5 lbs and 9 oz when he was born, and down to 5 lbs when we left the hospital and he fit the seat fine.

This time our situation is different. I will be working, so the baby will be traveling a lot more early on, and we have a four door car. Oh, my dh and I will be picking up the baby and dropping it off in different cars too, so the convience of one seat and two bases is helpful. Since the baby will be traveling around a lot as a newborn, I think the better fit of an infant seat is worth the extra money, so we will be getting an infant seat from the get go and then buying a convertible later in the year.

So, it's not really a black and white choice. Look at your situation and needs, and make a decision based on that.

themrsbird · July 2012

I had the same thought initially: get a convertable and save the money

However, when looking at the convertable seats with my mom (who is a labor & delivery nurse and spends tons of time working with carseats making sure they fit the baby correctly & are fastened correctly) she pointed out that a lot of them technically will work for 5+ lbs but they can be rather difficult to ensure a proper fit-that and they are not as safe for newborns should you get into an accident compared to the infant seats(let's not forget their true purpose)...looking them over (and playing with them in the store) has really changed my mind!

Now: I'm getting both! I may cost a bit more, but it will be safer for my baby and make it much easier to shop for the convertable/2nd carseat later since it won't have to fit a newborn.

BabyHernandez03 · July 2012

I think the infant seat is better for toting LO around but you only use it will they are little vs a conv car seat where you use it for quite a while (thus getting your $$ worth) but i don't think it has the same portability for toting LO. That's me though.

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