Pros & Cons, convertible vs bucket?

whoisit · October 2012

I'm curious as to some pros and cons of using a convertible vs a bucket, and which one you preferred and why.

ebp913 · October 2012

I personally cannot fathom not having had the bucket seat. We used the Chicco Keyfit 30 and just stopped using it last week.

Some people will tell you that you don't need it because the bucket seat shouldn't be used as a carrier all the time. While this is true, think about your life. Do you really want to get your newborn out of the car seat everytime you run into the grocery store or have to stop somewhere quickly? I feel like I wouldn't have gotten any errands done ever if I had to carry my newborn in and out of the car all the time. Not to mention that once you get them to sleep you don't want to wake them. We didn't use our bucket seat as a crib or a carrier but if she was asleep we didn't have to wake her when we got in and out of the car.

I cannot say enough positive things about having the bucket, especially in the beginning!

kagwiz · October 2012

We were pretty torn on this topic too... I think we are just getting both right off the bat.... and will use the convertible seat in one car - and the infant seat in the other car (obviously decide which car to take based on if we will want to take the baby out of the seat or not)...

katieh1017 · October 2012

For us it ended up being great to have the infant seat because she is such a crappy sleeper that I couldn't imagine waking her up to just get her out of the seat. Also I am in FL so being able to transport her in that in the rain was good, especially when she was really little.

drpayne · October 2012

Estwd2:
The big pro to using the infant seat was being able to take it in and out of the car when she was little without waking her. DD is also nowhere near the height limit of it yet, so we haven't had to buy the convertible yet. We're getting a ton of use out of the infant seat.

This (except for us, we had to switch at 6 months because DS is a chunk).

MrsJetSet · October 2012

The biggest pro is already stated above, however, if I had it to do over I would buy a seat with lower limits. We bought the keyfit 30 because I wanted the magic with the added boot. We only used the seat for 4 mos. At 7 mos, dd is 15 lbs nowhere near 30 lbs. she hated being hot and scrunched into the seat so we quit using it. And it gets darn heavy as they get bigger. The keyfit 22 is cheaper and would have met our needs just fine.

gimmietimmies · October 2012

I've done both, and far prefer the convertible. Infant seats weren't common when I had my oldest and were constantly getting recalled, so we started off with a convertible. I baby wore or used the stroller. Even in restaurants. Transferring got easy because he got used to it. Same with dd1 and 2, and 2 was a horrible napper. But they adjusted.

We got very short use out of the infant seat for dd3, she hit the weight limit by 4 months (no high limit seats at that time). Dd4 had hers until 8 months, she outgrew it by height (Snugride 35), but it spent most of the time in the car. I ended up carrying or wearing her more than she was in it, so the convenience factor wasn't there for me.

Both methods are legit and fine, for whatever works for your lifestyle.

Klikina · October 2012

Ditto all the PP's responses on why to get an infant seat. I can't remember where, but somewhere I read that an infant seat is safer for a younger baby because of the center of gravity on the seat (so theoretically, even though a younger baby can fit into a convertible, he/she would be better protected in a crash if they were in an infant seat.) Again, I cannot remember where I read that info; it could have been from another poster on this site once upon a time.

We got the the Graco Snugride 35 and were able to use it with my super-tall DS until after his first birthday. Obviously at that point I didn't use it as a carrier anymore, but it was definitely nice not to have to switch seats at 4-5 months.

chardonnay24 · October 2012

I like the infant seat for the first couple months when fell asleep in the car and I could cart him anywhere. We switched to a convertible at 5 months when he was hitting up well in shopping carts and high chairs.

kateraid · October 2012

Estwd2:
The big pro to using the infant seat was being able to take it in and out of the car when she was little without waking her. DD is also nowhere near the height limit of it yet, so we haven't had to buy the convertible yet. We're getting a ton of use out of the infant seat.

This plus I love that it snaps into our stroller for easier outings

jess9802 · October 2012

We skipped the bucket and went straight to the convertible. There have been very few occasions in the last four months where I wish we had the bucket. DS transfers well from the seat to his stroller or inside the house (might as well get him used to it early!) I haven't found it a terrible inconvenience to pop him in the Moby or to just hold him in my arms. I know so many people who had the infant seats but quickly left them in the car all the time because baby got too heavy, or whose babies outgrew the seat quickly, that I decided I'd rather spend more money on a high quality convertible instead and find other ways to transport DS out of the car.

eyenigh · October 2012

We had to stop using our infant seat at 6 months because our super tall baby grew out of it. I hate the convertible in our car (Honda Element). It's impossible to get him into it without crawling in through the other side and it's just a massive pain. With the infant seat, even if you NEVER use it as a carrier, it's so much easier to just strap the baby into the seat in a convenient place and the just snap him in to the base in the car. It was well worth the money for us to have the infant seat. I wish there was a big kid version!

nicole0066 · October 2012

I have a child who hated her infant seat. She would never stay asleep in it so we ended up just leaving the bucket in the car after the first couple months. The straps also seemed to dig into her and she was really fussy in it, plus it was so heavy lugging it around and I have a tiny baby. We switched to a convertable around 3 months and we both love it! It seems so much more comfortable, is easier to use, and she doesn't fuss. My opinion would probably be different if she would have slept in it (while out) like most babies do.

karelaorange · October 2012

If you live in a cold climate, the bucket is indispensable. When it's 20 outside, I certainly don't like strapping my tiny infant in an ice cold seat. It really helps keep them warmer in those early months. Not to mention I love the snap and go stroller, so compact and convenient. And if you ever plan to fly with them, much easier to lug an infant seat than a convertible one

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