Infant Bucket Car Seats

ThisisNumber3 · January 2016

So, this is one piece of "gear" that we need to replace for this baby. Has anyone started to look at options and how do you select? I know all car seats meet requirements and all that matters is a good fit in your car. We have a minivan so most seats should fit really well. I felt the car seats at Walmart and they just felt SO cheap and flimsy. Our last bucket seat was really heavy though and I can't imagine trying to hold hands with a 2 year old and carry the seat.

Any suggestions? How are you going to choose?

texasmama2014 · January 2016

I have the chicco keyfit 30, its a bit pricey but we loved it! Graco is a good brand thats not too expensive. I always recommend "car seats for the littles" facebook group as an excellent resource.

lalalorelai · January 2016

I know nothing about gear for babies, but this website (lucieslist.com) lays out what you need and the top models pretty clearly.

I have also heard great things about the car seats for the littles facebook group, especially their info on safety.

amccul20 · January 2016

we have the Britax B-Safe and loved for our son and will use it for this child too. I agree that you should check out the Car Seats for Littles fb page/blog and also lucies list.

ThePax89 · January 2016

Chicco keyfit 30. But it is one of the heavier ones.

ThisisNumber3 · January 2016

amccul20 said:

we have the Britax B-Safe and loved for our son and will use it for this child too. I agree that you should check out the Car Seats for Littles fb page/blog and also lucies list.

@amccul20 - How do you like it? We had the old Chaperone before. We were very happy with how sturdy it was but that also meant it was heavy. How does it release from the base (where is the button)?

I think we would consider the B-Safe Elite for the No-Rethred adjusting and the extra side impact protection.

cm716 · January 2016

I hate Wal-Mart and wouldn't buy anything they sell for kids. We have gotten most of our carseats from Target. They have several on display that you can test out.

texasmama2014 · January 2016

I also forgot to add, there should be an event at Babies R Us fairly soon (within the next few months) where you turn in an old carseat and get a discount on a new one, I think like 25% off maybe.

mmclark10 · January 2016

We had a Graco SnugRide Click Connect with our first and purchased a Britax for our convertible size. I would highly recommend Britax for the infant seat! The ease of install alone would convince me to not use the Graco for baby #2 if I can convince my husband we need a new seat!

amandam925 · January 2016

For the people who have the Chicco keyfit, do you use the stroller frame for it? (And if so, what do you think of it?)

charmedlifex3 · January 2016

We have a Britax, and bought the car seat adaptor for our stroller (A joovy). They work well together!

I love how solid the Britax feels, but it is BIG. Luckily it is going in a CRV so NBD.

We're also going to buy a Diono convertible. DH was super long as a baby (23 inches at birth! OMG) and that runs in his family, so we want something we can safely rear face well beyond the normal height, but within the normal weight.

Consumer reports has shown you should only use the carseats with bases until the child is well below the "1 inch below the top" level - so planning on a tall baby, we're thinking those super convenient bucket seats will only be good for 4-6 months. *sigh*

Luckily the convertible seats are good all the way from birth to when the child ages out of car seats - so worth the money! (Even if a bit more of a PITA)

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/12/29/consumer-reports-safest-child-safety-seats/

Cosupi4 · January 2016

We bought a Graco Snug Ride for DS, but he grew so fast that we had to move him to a convertible at 4 months. I now wish we would have just done the convertible to begin with. We are using the Snug Ride again this time because it's in perfect condition and isn't expired. Might as well get our moneys worth from it!

tisunge602 · January 2016

amandam925 said:

For the people who have the Chicco keyfit, do you use the stroller frame for it? (And if so, what do you think of it?)

We didn't want to have to buy multiple strollers, so instead of the caddy frame, we got the Chicco Liteway Plus stroller. The Keyfit snaps into it, and then when baby gets bigger it converts into a regular stroller. But the best thing about it is it's not super bulky like most "travel systems." It's almost as small as an umbrella stroller. Our son is 2 now and we still use it as our one and only stroller -- it has even gone on half a dozen plane trips with us. Highly recommend!

https://www.chiccoshop.com/gear/strollers/lightweight/liteway-plus-stroller---polaris/04079317810070.html?cgid=gear_strollers_lightweight_strollers#selected=bcMssiaagYsJoaaadh20g9YX9e&start=5&cgid=gear_strollers_lightweight_strollers

ETA: I actually have a friend who has the caddy and likes it, but she told me she wishes she had known about the Liteway Plus because she would have gone that route instead!

amandam925 · January 2016

@tisunge602Thank you!! I had no idea those went together -- that's so helpful!

blond1230 · January 2016

I had the britax b-safe for my son and loved it. I always felt like it as secure and safe. We had a flood in our basement and it got moldy unfortunately so I have to purchase another for this baby. Will likely buy another britax but also plan to check out the chicco keyfit- I heard its a little bit lighter in weight.

jjang27 · January 2016

DH and I read reviews online for car seats (Amazon, Baby Gear Lab, etc.) and had a few picked out. We went into Target and BuyBuy Baby to look at the available ones on display, too. The number of options can be a little overwhelming.

In the end, Buy Buy Baby sent me a 20% off coupon when I signed up for an online account, so we went in and bought a Chicco Keyfit 30. It was on our list and was eligible to use the coupon with! (Several other brands were excluded from the coupon, unfortunately.)

jmknox · January 2016

We went with the Chicco key fit 30

cgondek1 · January 2016

Follow up/add on question.
So, this is our first baby and we plan on having 2 kids. So, I would love some advice and guidance on the following.
I would love to get a convertible car seat to get the most out of it. Definitely would like the stroller to be able to hold the infant carrier as well.
Do they make this with a stroller that can hold 2 kids (infant carrier plus the older child) that you know of and would you recommend getting that one to start?
Thoughts/advice?

Thanks in advance!!

mrsodonnell12 · January 2016

We have the Britax B Safe. It is well made, comfy for baby and Britax has a great reputation. I highly recommend.

WinnieLou82 · January 2016

lalalorelai said:

I know nothing about gear for babies, but this website (lucieslist.com) lays out what you need and the top models pretty clearly.

I have also heard great things about the car seats for the littles facebook group, especially their info on safety.

Thank you for this recommendation - I am completely clueless and all the explanations on Lucie's List were extremely helpful!

texasmama2014 · January 2016

cgondek1 said:
Follow up/add on question.
So, this is our first baby and we plan on having 2 kids. So, I would love some advice and guidance on the following.
I would love to get a convertible car seat to get the most out of it. Definitely would like the stroller to be able to hold the infant carrier as well.
Do they make this with a stroller that can hold 2 kids (infant carrier plus the older child) that you know of and would you recommend getting that one to start?
Thoughts/advice?

Thanks in advance!!

Many brands (I know for sure graco) have double strollers that hold can hold an older baby and an infant car seat. Some have adapter kits. I was able to use a Chicco keyfit in a graco stroller. I don't know that I'd start with one tho, they're pretty bulky!

We love our convertible seats, rear facing until 2 is recommended and there are several that can move up with your kid until they're ready for a booster (around 5).

smilormarie · January 2016

We loved the graco snug ride click connect 35 for our first. It's almost the lightest in the market at 7.5 lbs and it takes babies up to 32 inches. He would have outgrown it at his 15 month checkup then but we moved him to a rear facing convertible at 13.5 months for safety reasons anyway. Good luck!

ThisisNumber3 · January 2016

@cgondek1 we have the Britax B Ready stroller that can be made into a double. Which is why we are considering another Britax infant bucket.

What do you mean about getting a convertible too? We plan on using the infant seat for now and then a convertible.

smilormarie · January 2016

cgondek1 said:
Follow up/add on question.
So, this is our first baby and we plan on having 2 kids. So, I would love some advice and guidance on the following.
I would love to get a convertible car seat to get the most out of it. Definitely would like the stroller to be able to hold the infant carrier as well.
Do they make this with a stroller that can hold 2 kids (infant carrier plus the older child) that you know of and would you recommend getting that one to start?
Thoughts/advice?

Thanks in advance!!

So just remember, car seats have expiration dates so if you purchase a convertible now while you're pregnant, it may have a 5 year Exp and expire by the time the kiddo is 4.5 year old. I'd suggest you research the convertible car seats you like now, and when baby is about 6 months old be on the lookout for the best deals for those seats so you can purchase before their first birthday. Good luck!

PeachGal23 · January 2016

@tisunge602 and have been using the Chicco Liteway Plus stroller for the past 16mos. First we used it with the infant seat, and now I keep it in my car as a toddler stroller for use out and about running errands, shopping, etc. I'm so glad I bought this stroller and not a carseat caddy since we've been able to use it long since outgrowing the infant carseat.

cgondek1, I believe these 3 strollers all allow an infant seat with a toddler seat: Britax B-Ready, Baby Jogger City Select, and UppaBaby Vista. You may need to buy infant seat adapters for them, though.

texasmama2014 · January 2016

@smilormarie thats a good point. I think most made now are about 7 years, and a *few* go longer. Some are actually sold when they're a year old too, so that takes a year off the use-life. Either way, both at once doesn't make a whole lot of sense if you're going to use the bucket seat for transporting the baby around outside the car (if you don't it doesn't make sense to have one...)

NYGirl02 · January 2016

I like the chicco key fit a whole lot. I did have the snap and go with my first and used it a handful of times, but not much. I passed it off to my MIL who actually does love it. I do a lot of babywearing though so that's probably why. The britax strollers come with britax adapters for their car seats that are really low profile, so I've been tempted to try out a britax infant seat but ultimately decided against it since I was happy with the chic.

tisunge602 · January 2016

WinnieLou82 said:

lalalorelai said:

I know nothing about gear for babies, but this website (lucieslist.com) lays out what you need and the top models pretty clearly.

I have also heard great things about the car seats for the littles facebook group, especially their info on safety.

Thank you for this recommendation - I am completely clueless and all the explanations on Lucie's List were extremely helpful!

Lucie's List is FABULOUS. I still refer to her when I'm looking for a new piece of kid gear. Highly recommend everyone (especially FTMs) check her out and sign up for her emails!

amccul20 · January 2016

@ThisisNumber3 we really loved it. I don't think it's very heavy at all. not any heavier than the Chicco one my sister used. the release was easy and on the back of the seat...I haven't used it in a year and change, but I don't regret my decision at all to go with the Britax. we have Britax convertible carseats too and love them. Britax is IMO a well made, safe, and comfortable seat. some of the other seats I pick up or feel are indeed lighter but don't have any extra padding or cushion.

ThisisNumber3 · January 2016

@amccul20 thanks! That's just what I needed to hear. The B Safe Elite is like $200 but I may be able to get it for like $175.

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