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July 2013 Moms
sigmaurse
member
Car seat size
sigmaurse
member
So I've decided on which car seat I want and it comes in a 22 pound and a 30 pound. I originally picked the 30 and I'm just curious how many mom's had babies that lasted in their infant seat past 22 pounds. I've heard a few mention their baby outgrew the infant seats before 1 yr of age and needed to get a convertible seat.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Car seat size
DS right now is only 25 lbs and he is 2. I want to say that we switched at bit after he turned 1, still rear facing.
For example...my son out grew his infant seat because he was so tall. I actually switched him to his forward facing seat at 10 months. Yes...I know this is an extremely controversal subject. I did a TON of research. The now 2 year rear facing seat thing is a recommendation...not a law. As long as your child meets the minimum weight and height requirements per that manufacturer it is perfectly fine. My son far exceeded the manufacturers recommendations for his forward facing seat.
Go with the 22lb model. You'll switch to a rear-facing convertible seat long before they're 30lb, and have spent months/a year carrying around a bigger, heavier carseat than necessary.
From Lucie's List:
Infant Seat "sizes"
The default maximum weight for an infant seat is 22 lbs. However, many of them go up to 30 or even 35 lbs. The book Baby Bargains recommends the larger seat: I disagree. As a practical matter, everyone I know who bought a heavier, expensive 35lb seat ended up switching to a convertible car seat around the same time as those of us with the 22 or 30lb seat (yes, I took a poll).
Reasons: a) your baby will outgrow the infant seat height-wise before he exceeds the max weight (pinky swear), b) the whole point of having an infant seat is so you can carry it around, but when your baby reaches about 15lbs or so... you're NOT going to be carrying it around anymore (so, you will have been carrying around an unnecessarily heavy seat in the early months) c) don't kid yourself, ain't no way on planet earth that a 30 or 35 lb child (which is like... a 2 or 3 year old) is still going to sit in an infant bucket. No way. So, if you are choosing between a 30lb seat and a 35lb seat, I'd get the 30. Just sayin.
https://www.lucieslist.com/1-car-seats-and-rtollers/
Again maybe it's different where you live but this seems pretty standard from what I've seen.
Anyways, DD was only 19.5 lbs at a yr and is only 26 lbs now at 2 yrs so if it were just weight being the issue, we could technically still have her in her infant car seat. But like others have said, it's more likely your kid will outgrow the height limitations first, so check what those are for the ones with the lower weight limit. And like others have said, you probably won't be carrying them around that long in the infant seat and will switch to a rear facing convertible before they reach the weight limit.
D 2.20.2011 & Z 7.16.2013
That's really hard to believe because the 30 model seat can fit to 30" in height or 30 lbs (and they reach the height limit first). My daughter has been very average in her growth curve and she was just shy of 30" at her 1 yr appt.
You'll probably want to stop lugging that infant car seat around after the baby get over 15 + lbs, but that depends on your comfort level and strength.
I don't think the larger capacity models are that much heavier than the 22 lb versions, but you might want to investigate whether they are wider. We had the chicco keyfit 30 and found it to be a bit narrow and tight, especially compared to the Graco versions.
He went forward at 11 months, but I did have it cleared through our CHP office
He's always in the top percentile for height, but the reason he outgrew the infant seat so early had more to do with proportions. His torso is very long. His head was resting above the recommended limit for his seat, so the pedi told us to go ahead and switch to a rear facing convertible seat.
We registered for a 22lb infant seat. I don't see myself carrying a 30lb child in the infant seat. We then plan on moving to a rear-facing convertible seat, and keeping him rear-facing as long as possible (hopefully well past 2 years, if not until he's 3). Rear-facing is much safer - please do not turn your child around too soon (crunched up legs are much safer than a crunched up skull!)
DD just now weighs 24lbs at 20 months. No way would I have considered carrying her around in that infant seat past 22lbs, or even long before!
ETA - We switched her to a rear facing convertible at about 7 months, mostly bc she wanted to sit up and was getting mad laying down in the infant seat. We'll keep her rear facing until 2, I can't fathom turning her sooner. (Would prefer to keep her rear facing until 3 or 4, but I don't think we can fit 2 seats rear facing in either of our cars.)
I'm flaming the hell out of you. If you really did any research or if your ped was worth their salt, you'd know that it has nothing to do with weight or height, and everything to do with their bone density and the fact that their heads are so big they can very easily be internally decapitated. Sure, 2 years is not the law, but it's 1 everywhere. You should have bought a convertible carseat that could rf with the height and weight of your child.
I really hope it gets to the point where manufacturers are pressured into putting 20lb/1year MINIMUMS on FF only seats like the Graco Nautilus. If I have to hear one more person say "They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't safe..." Sigh.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
I will flame you for this. Its dangerous and irresponsible.
I knew I didn't like you in the baby shower post and now my opinion is solidified. I don't believe any kid at 10 months should be forward facing. You can still get a seat that rear faces that can meet his needs.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
I love you so hard right now Mrs.JillB.
It makes me sick that this woman endangers her child. Just sick.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
Oh I'm sorry must I clarify 11 months...2 weeks...3 days...7 hours...and 23 minutes
Why doesn't it surprise me that you missed my point entirely? Please point out in your OP where you said that you, "Had turned him to be FF at 10 months, but you changed your mind and turned him back around because its safer." You won't find it, because you never said it. That is endangering your kid and putting them at risk for internal decapitation during a car accident. It is not recommended for very good reasons. Its not law, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a really really good idea for your kid to be RF until 2. I'd rather have some broken legs than a dead kid in the event of an accident. Again, you and I don't seem to share the same priorities. Sad.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
I guess I didn't...sorry...by habit I call his car seat FF because until he is 8 yrs old or 4 ft 9....it is his FF seat.
But yes we are obviously ones who don't seem to agree on much....ill get on with my life, doesn't bother me.
FF = Forward Facing. You realize this, right? Its not a brand of car seat.
Good to know you are ok with serious injury or death to your kid in the event of a car accident. That is acceptable to you? Really?
I don't let our disagreements keep me up at night, please don't flatter yourself.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
I'm aware it's not a brand...
If I was endangering my child...which I wasn't by turning him around early...my state would be at fault for clearing my seat before my sons first birthday.
I don't even know why I'm trying to prove myself to you. You're just going to find something about this post to banter about. You obviously need to have the last word, so go ahead...
I'm aware it's not a brand...
If I was endangering my child...which I wasn't by turning him around early...my state would be at fault for clearing my seat before my sons first birthday.
I don't even know why I'm trying to prove myself to you. You're just going to find something about this post to banter about. You obviously need to have the last word, so go ahead...
Actually the state would not be at fault. Are you serious? You have the final word on which way your kid sits in the car. You are their parent and legal guardian. I think its really laughable and kind of sick that you want to fob off responsibility of your kid's safety on the state. Do you hear yourself? You are the only one responsible for the welfare and safety of your kid. You. The end.
I'm not bantering. Banter would imply that this is a subject for levity. Its not, are you insane?
I find it disturbing that you are so relaxed about this. I'm truly concerned for the welfare of your kid in the event of an accident and you seem to be perfectly ok with allowing serious harm to come to him. Its not about me having to have "the last word" its about the welfare of a kid that is in a dangerous situation. I find it absolutely sickening that you are more focused on taking jabs at me on a message board than seriously evaluating your own safety choices for your child.
That's alright, I can't talk sense into someone who has their head so far up their own butt that they see nothing wrong with endangering their kid. I can see that compassion and true discussion of a serious issue is beyond your abilities. So I am talking to a brick wall.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
Nope, the state and CPST's assume absolutely no liability when inspecting and offering advice for how to best put your carseat in a car. This is why after then install a seat for you they take it out and make you put it in yourself, it's on YOU. If you were told by a Ped or CPST that it was ok to turn a child that young, they were sadly misinformed. Obviously you are grasping at straws to try and prove that the bad decision you made before was actually a good one, and you're not doing a good job of it at all. The fact of the matter is that a child that young does not have a well enough developed skeletomuscular system for their body to be able to withstand a crash while Forward Facing. Please do not make this mistake again with your 2nd child.
ETA: The correct solution when your child outgrows their seat's height/weight recommendations, if they are still under 2 years old, is to buy a better/bigger seat, NOT to turn them around. It's expensive, but a couple hundred bucks is way less than what you'd pay in medical bills for an internal decapitation, or the grief you'd feel if your child was gravely injured or killed. There are programs available to help people get the appropriate seat for their child if they are unable to afford the cost of a new one.
Thank you. Thank you! Thank you! Bravo! Though sadly I think this will be lost on this poster.
LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:
We're going with a newer carseat that has a huge weight/height limit while still being an infant seat for this reason
The Graco Click Connect 40 is an infant seat for up to 40 lbs/40 inches (I think)/2 years. Obviously we won't be using it as a carrier for that long, but we figure that seat will last us a bit longer.