Convertible seat or booster seat?

I'mGonnaMarryYou · November 2012

DH and I went looking for a new car seat for LO for Christmas. She's getting heavier and lugging around her plus our Graco sung ride 35 is killing me with my double hernias. So while we were there we saw both convertible sears and booster seats. DH thinks we should do a booster seat because it will last longer goes up to 100 lbs but I thought convertibles are the next step? I saw a lot of posts about convertible seats on here's month or so ago. What do you mammas think? Help! FTM!! :

lancyjo · November 2012

You need to get a convertible seat. It's best to keep baby rear facing as long as possible, and no booster seat will rear face. Most convertibles will read face until around 40lbs. The boosters are for much older children, so most of them won't even accommodate a child that's the average size of an 8 or 9 month old.

We have a Britax Boulevard 70G3 and really like it. We also use a Safety First Guide 65 Sport in hubs truck and like it well too.

Cardashseat.org is a great place for references.

Use an actual dash in the web address above. Stupid mobile site keeps taking it out!

kristin172429 · November 2012

I'm pretty sure our LOs are too small for booster seats.

E.T.A. Quick search says min weight is 30-33 lbs, but 40 is recommended for boosters. Plus, yeah, the rear-facing thing.

MrsLindinger0905 · November 2012

Convertible is the next step! Boosters are made to be front facing only, and it is not safe for babies our LO's ages to be front facing. Convertible seats start out rear facing, and then you can turn them around when your LO reaches the specific height/weight/age requirements and suggestions. Some of the convertible seats that I've seen have max weights of 65 pounds, look for one of those!

jja0812 · November 2012

Ok so I've read similar statements on here before about LO being too heavy to lug around in the carrier. Do y'all take it out every single time? Julian was "too heavy" to carry in the seat long before he actually outgrew it. We just took him in and out of the seat and left it in the car... Just like we do now with our convertible seat. I guess I am just confused because even when he was tiny, we didn't take the infant carrier out of the car every single time. Is this not normal?

I'mGonnaMarryYou · November 2012

Thank you ladies! Ok so which one do I get? What's safest?!

Jen0204 · November 2012

I'mGonnaMarryYou:
Thank you ladies! Ok so which one do I get? What's safest?!

You can get a convertible car seat that converts to a booster seat down the line, but you definitely can't move to a booster now.

All seats have passed the minimum safety guidelines but some car seats and bare bones and others have lots of bells and whistles. What you should get depends on your car size and what you're willing to spend. We have the Safety First Air 65 seats in my car because that's the car we use the most with the girls and they have lots of padding and seem very comfortable. In H's car we have the Evenflo DLX's, which do the job but don't have nearly as much padding and aren't as nice the Safety First seats would never fit in H's car rear facing.

kristin172429 · November 2012

Jessicameron:
Ok so I've read similar statements on here before about LO being too heavy to lug around in the carrier. Do y'all take it out every single time? Julian was "too heavy" to carry in the seat long before he actually outgrew it. We just took him in and out of the seat and left it in the car... Just like we do now with our convertible seat. I guess I am just confused because even when he was tiny, we didn't take the infant carrier out of the car every single time. Is this not normal?

I'm with you on this! We just leave the seat in the car and buckle him in there. I will bring it in the house if he fell asleep in the car, but I am super strong, so it's not too heavy for me. Wink I don't know why others don't just leave it in the car. If a second car seat is needed (convertible or otherwise), just get one extra seat until they outgrow the infant one. When we finally buy our convertible seat, if he hasn't outgrown the infant seat, we'll just keep that in DH's car. Our infant seat is long and rated up to 30 lbs and Ben is small, so we've got plenty of time!

heymommy · November 2012

Booster seats are for preschool age kids.

nickert2000 · November 2012

You may also want to let him know that carseats do expire. The plastic degrades and becomes more brittle from the extreme temperatures in the car so there is an expiration date on the seat. So you will have to get a booster eventually any ways.

lancyjo · November 2012

kristin172429:
Jessicameron:
Ok so I've read similar statements on here before about LO being too heavy to lug around in the carrier. Do y'all take it out every single time? Julian was "too heavy" to carry in the seat long before he actually outgrew it. We just took him in and out of the seat and left it in the car... Just like we do now with our convertible seat. I guess I am just confused because even when he was tiny, we didn't take the infant carrier out of the car every single time. Is this not normal?
I'm with you on this!  We just leave the seat in the car and buckle him in there.  I will bring it in the house if he fell asleep in the car, but I am super strong, so it's not too heavy for me.  I don't know why others don't just leave it in the car.  If a second car seat is needed (convertible or otherwise), just get one extra seat until they outgrow the infant one.  When we finally buy our convertible seat, if he hasn't outgrown the infant seat, we'll just keep that in DH's car.  Our infant seat is long and rated up to 30 lbs and Ben is small, so we've got plenty of time! 

Aria would scream any time her butt was in the infant seat. We tried using just the infant in hubs truck and the convertible in my car, and it made her scream even worse when in the infant seat.

I guess she felt even more confined in the infant seat once she'd tried the convertible?

FTR, she still screams most of the time she's in the car. It makes going anywhere that's not immediately in town a chore.

sunnyday016 · November 2012

Check out the Safety 1st Air or the Graco MyRide or MySize. All are great seats that will last your LO RF for a long time, and then will FF for a long time. You definitely need a convertible seat. Boosters are for much older children. Even though the weight minimums on them may not look too far off (I think some are as low as 30lbs) that means it's ok for a 30lb 5 year old, not a 30lb baby.

first=time=mom2012 · November 2012

Ainslie325:
Convertible is the next step. Boosters are for older toddlers who can front face. Ours are too small for them (and will be for some time).
Our son was too tall for his infant seat between 6 1/2 and 7 months, but he was too heavy to comfortable carry even before that. While it was convenient, I never found the infant seat very comfortable to carry in the crook of my arm. It's kind of amazing to me that no one has come up with a better, more comfortable design (I never carried it low, in my hand, because that was equally uncomfortable).

yes, so uncomfy.

We just got the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio and our LO loves it. We had the Britax B Safe and she hated every second of it for the past month or so. This seat sits up nice and high and she feels like a big girl.

I'mGonnaMarryYou · November 2012

Thanks for all of the help ladies! Time to go shopping. :

Want a personalized experience?

Convertible seat or booster seat?

Re: Convertible seat or booster seat?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards