infant car seat question

amy11401 · May 2013

I noticed that the Chicco Keyfit has 2 differnt versions. One with a 30 lb limit and one with a 22 lb limit. My husband seems to think that the 22 lb one would be fine to use because by that point we really would not probably be wanting to carry him in an infant carrier so we could just get a convertible seat at that point. I disagree and think we should go with the one that hold up to 30 lbs. What do you all think?

emsrdh03 · May 2013

I tend to agree with your husband. We went with the higher weight infant seat and in hind site didn't need it. My almost 3 year old just now weighs 30lbs but outgrew his infant seat in height around 9-10 months. Now some times the higher weight seats also have higher height limits. If that's the case, I'd be more tempted to get the 30 lb one. Otherwise the 22 lb one is sufficient.

klyann · May 2013

I would go with the higher weight limit. I have a couple mom friends that had to switch to a convertible because their LO reached the weight limit, but wasn't at the height limit yet. And LO wasn't even 9 months yet.

If your LO gets too heavy in the carseat then just leave it in the car and take them out. Just like you would have to do with a convertible. I had to start leaving the infant seat in the car when DD was 7 months because I wrenched my back, but we didn't switch her to a convertible until almost 12 months. Just starting to reach the height limit, but still even today is only 29 pounds at 2 yrs 8 mo.

azzyberry · May 2013

I agree with your DH.

Most babies outgrow the height limit long before they ever reach the weight limit. If you happen to have one of the few babies that reaches the weight limit first, you are not going to want to carry them around in the infant seat. It will be way too heavy.

My DD just hit 24 lbs and she is 2 years old. My DS was a bigger baby and he hit 20 lbs right around 12 months and I switched him to a convertible seat at that point because it was difficult to carry him in the infant seat.

ETA: I think the height limit is far more important than the weight limit. Go with the seat that has a higher height limit.

NoelBird · May 2013

I would go for the higher weight limit so you at least have the option of using it for a longer period of time. My DS is large, in the 90% for weight/height and was 20 lbs at his 6 month appointment. Luckily his infant car seat goes to 30 lbs. He is young enough that he falls asleep a lot in the car and I hate to have to take him out of the car seat when running errands. His car seat is getting heavy so we don't carry him around the store in it but we do carry him into the house and use it with the snap and go.

ellewoodsSC · May 2013

Is there a discernible advantage in the weight or dimensions of the two models? I didn't really think there was. It seems like the Keyfit30 (we have one) is easier to find in stores and the price is about the same, so I'd get the 30 regardless of whether you'll actually need that extra weight. DD hit 30" at about a year (height limit of seat) but she only weighed 19 lbs. With a 6 year lifespan, you can re-use the seat for a sibling or pass it on to a friend, so I'd go for the max versatility possible.

cast920 · May 2013

The key fit 30 has a seated height that is nearly 2 inches taller than the 22. The 30 will last longer for both height and weight.

LittleApple · May 2013

Just because the infant seat has a handle doesn't mean you need to carry it in and out of the car. Once baby gets too heavy, treat it like any other car seat and just leave it in the car.

The heavier weight limit seats also have higher height limits. You will get a few more months out of the seat for sure.

FmrAFBrat · May 2013

LittleApple:
Just because the infant seat has a handle doesn't mean you need to carry it in and out of the car. nbsp;Once baby gets too heavy, treat it like any other car seat and just leave it in the car.The heavier weight limit seats also have higher height limits. nbsp;You will get a few more months out of the seat for sure.

This. By the time they are close to 20 lbs you won't use that seat as a carrier anymore. FWIW my son was 30 inches only 19 lbs at 9 months. Fortunately, his seat went to 32 inches.... but if we went with a seat with a lower weight limit he would have outgrown it after 6 months because it has a lower length limit as well. He still is way under the 35 lbs limit for the infant seat.....even though he hit the length limit long ago.

We're reusing it with DS 2.

MrsJetSet · May 2013

I got the 30 only because I wanted the magic. I wish I bought the 22. Dd HATED her bucket seat. We switched to a convertible at 4 mos and were all much happier. I regret spending the extra money for such a short use.

tracy41 · May 2013

I had the Keyfit 22 with DS1 and now have a Keyfit 30 with DS2. Based on my experience with both I would say unless you expect a larger than average baby just get the 22. Most people buy a convertible by the time LO is 1 anyway.

SarahKate31 · May 2013

We had the Chicco Keyfit 30 (which I love). The high weight limit was such a selling point, but in retrospect, 22lbs would be plenty. DS is turning 2 years old this week, he weighs 26lbs, and has been OUT of the infant seat for well over a year (since he was around 18lbs).

=Lee=B · May 2013

I agree with your husband unless you all are really, really short.

The higher weight seats don't usually accommodate higher heights making them short-lived.

My 11week old is currently 24inches and I expect she will reach her seat's 28inch limit by 6 months...she will be nowhere near the weight limit at that age.

penguingrrl · May 2013

It's hard to know what will work best for your family until you're there. My girls both hated the infant seat and screamed nonstop in it so we stopped using it as a carrier by the time they were a few weeks old and switched to a convertible long before they hit the height or weight limits on the seat.

Based on that I strongly considered skipping the infant seat for my son because my old one was expiring so it needed replacing. In the end I ended up getting a keyfit 30 and I'm so glad I did. He loves his seat and sleeps really well in it. He's 3.5 months and 15 lbs so it's getting heavy to carry, but I'll be keeping it out for a long time. I can still pop it in the stroller easily. Being able to keep him asleep in it while moving to place to place has been a lifesaver. Today he feel asleep when we went to pick up his sister from preschool. We ended up picking her up (which meant going into the building), dropping my oldest off at kindergarten (half day afternoons), going home for lunch, going out to the library for story time and getting home and folding some laundry all while he napped in his seat. I have a feeling he'll weigh over 22 lbs before he hits the height limit and I'll continue using this seat until the minute he outgrows it.

I would not let him nap that long in it daily since it's not an ideal sleeping place for infants, but on a day like today where we were in and out all day long (this is only once a week) it's really nice that he can take an uninterrupted nap.

amy11401 · May 2013

Thanks everyone for all the feedback!

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