@jellybelly114 check out the link I posted above and find the review of the car seats you’re looking at. They usually will mention if it fits newborns well or not. Sometimes it mentions small newborns too.
My husband led me to this site called wire cutter. This site has tons of helpful reviews for baby items. They test out the items, then give you a best pick and a budget pick. Then if you scroll down further they have a more detailed article about how they got their conclusion and why they might not have included a certain item on their list. Highly recommend it!
I'm a FTM and live in NYC. Obviously, we're getting a stroller, but I was wondering if it's worth it to also get a car seat even though neither DH nor I have a car?
@macheno - check with the place you plan to deliver. I’m in a totally different situation (public transportation is a poor option), but my understanding is that many hospitals won’t discharge baby if you don’t have a car seat.
I’m sure that in a place like NYC, they make allowances for the fact that many people don’t drive, but you should definitely check into it.
@macheno The hospital my friend delivered at (NY Pres I believe) required they have a car seat. So effing dumb. I would contact your hospital AND pediatrician you choose just to be safe. She ended up buying the cheapest used one she could find (again, since she doesn't own a car and doesn't take cabs/ubers, she didn't really care about how it does in a car) and used that and sold it like 2 weeks later. Her kid is now 3 and she has never used a car seat.
Has anyone had any experience with the Nuna Pipas? I changed my mind about strollers so now it is unlikely we will be going with the UppaBaby Mesa.
@BLyn627 In general I think it's more accurate to say all car seats, when installed and used properly, are safe. Your kid will not be less safe in any seat on the market compared to being unrestrained, duh! That said, many seats have extra comfort and/or safety bells and whistles. One I can think of off hand is the Clek anti rebound bar for convertible seats, which prevents excessive side to side movement in a side crash and rearward rotation in a front or back collision. This obviously has a safety implications but seats aren't required to have it, meaning all seats are safe and provide protection but theoretically some may have features that offer extra protection.
All of that said I don't think car seat choice should contribute to any sort of guilt or shaming of a parent regardless of their choice because yes, they all offer safety and protection.
....but if your kids chest buckle is at their belly button and the straps are twisted and loose I'm willing to be awkward and explain how to do it right because my conscience just can't handle seeing kids restrained improperly.
@macheno we got a car seat that clicked into our stroller for when my daughter was an infant since we do take cabs/Ubers sort of often. Now we have like a rolly/dolly thing for her big girl seat, but we see take the subway more now bc it is such a pain!
@mariek312 unfortunately, most people (one study says 95%) do not install and use a car seat properly. Not that they do it on purpose, but most don't understand all that goes into installing and properly restraining. The thing is with the extra "safety" bells and whistles, there is no proven benefit. There is no data that shows these added bits are beneficial or by how much. Anti-Rebound Bars are a different way of managing crash forces. Cocooning is another way. In the US, the Clek Fllo can be installed with or without the ARB, meaning it is safe and will protect in a crash both ways. It's most important to focus on installing the car seat and the child the correct way.
Thanks for all the responses! I totally didn't think about the hospital thing, I'll have to ask my OB. We'll probably end up getting one since we don't have family that live here and do fly a bit.
Infant Seat: Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Car Seat https://a.co/fNbWlUL (this one a close friend is giving us after her son outgrows it. I know that it hasn't been in an accident and been well cared for) Convertible Seat: Graco Size4Me https://a.co/eQzIgcw and Evenflo Tribute https://a.co/c1duuBb (we will need one in both cars, so I registered for a cheaper one too)
So the graco 4ever has a very strange recline for forward facing under 40lbs. DS is 3.5 and has been around 35-37lbs for awhile now. In fact, the forever forward facing doesn't even fit in my car at this angle (it has to be at recline 4 while forward facing). So I put it in MH Audi A4, and although it fits better, it takes up so much space front to back, we have to move the passenger seat up... again this is for forward facing! Now, if you're going to rearface until 40lbs, then you'll be fine (and I really thought I would rearface longer! But I guess I didn't realize that most kids don't reach that weight for awhile).
(Snip)
also stuck in the box
For reference, my boys are 5 and still not quite 40 lbs. At 4, they were in the 50% for weight and were 36 lbs. They dropped down to 25% for weight at 5, so most average sized 5 year olds should hit 40 lbs, but it is something to consider if you’re looking at this seat.
If anyone was going to get the Graco Extend2Fit, the "Spire" colored one went on mega sale this week on Amazon. I bought it on Monday and got an additional 15% off because I moved my due date up before Prime Day was announced. Totaled at a cool $105, with tax!
Great deal! If anyone is going to get this through amazon it says usually ships within 1-2 months so don’t wait too long to order! October is just around the corner.
ETA: the Gotham color (black/gray) is the same deal and in stock.
Question for STMs. Do I want a carseat that can eventually be a booster seat, or will the car seat likely be so gross by that pt that I just want something new anyway?
@chopchop25 I have one that becomes a booster and it's pretty wide. I think I'll actually have to get rid of it when I do 3 across. From what I've read boosters aren't very expensive, so I wouldn't make it a priority.
@chopchop25 I bought nice, expensive convertible seats for both my kids (Chicco NextFit and something else). They're currently in <$100 Graco car seats. These are not rear/front facing convertible. They are only front facing and convert to a booster seat. So much lighter and slimmer.
Some people have short commutes and have no eating/drinking in cars - your car seats can probably last a long time. We had pretty long drives when they were younger and snacks/drinks were a must - so I was not overly attached to the seats when I went to replace them. Not to say I wouldn't get expensive seats again knowing this - just because of comfort. Those nicer seats are great for long drives.
@chopchop25 we have my 4 year old in a Graco 4ever. It’s a pretty comfortable seat. We do car rides to places over 1 hour away pretty regularly. It’s pretty wide, but two of them would fit fine in my RAV right now. We’ve had it for 3 years, and I do a full wash once a year. It’s not too bad overall. We do snacks/food/drinks in the car pretty regularly and I don’t feel the need to toss it yet. Or anytime soon. We’re getting our 18 month old one and then eventually one for the new baby.
@jemmerjams I asked him! He says he likes it it a lot. In fact, my daughter is currently in his other car seat from Daddy’s car and I gave him a choice of which one he wanted to use (both seats are convertible . He said he wanted to stay in the seat in my car because it’s “three comfy”, which is what he uses to describe our bed.
That's the other one we had. Graco 4Ever - I actually liked that seat better and would have probably done better with two of those instead of the Nextfit. I still have mine in decent shape - we would still be using those but when I switched cars I was trying to get two slimmer seats next to each other to have access to the 3rd row. Still didn't happen but I preferred the less bulky seats in my car and kept the others in our 3rd car which get occasional use. I've got 2 kids and no less than 8 car seats - between all of our cars and I bought some for grandma's car (caretaker), plus now some mifold for intl travel. Two kids close in age and trying to figure out what works best for your family, cost and convenience.
I was half tempted to skip the bucket seat just to not deal with another item but it's so darn convenient. After this kid I can just give stuff away once it's not needed....whew!
Is it worth investing too much into a car seat/carrier style? It seems like they must grow out of them so fast, but I obviously don’t want to wake the baby by picking them up to get them out of the car. I inherited an uppababy stroller so I’m considering getting the car seat that is compatible, but it’s like $300.
Is it worth investing too much into a car seat/carrier style? It seems like they must grow out of them so fast, but I obviously don’t want to wake the baby by picking them up to get them out of the car. I inherited an uppababy stroller so I’m considering getting the car seat that is compatible, but it’s like $300.
My kids used their infant seats until they were about 6-7 months old, then they just got too heavy and we switched them to convertible seats. I personally wouldn’t buy a super expensive infant seat (we used Graco) but that’s just me.
@rabtaido1214 It really depends on your child’s growth. So my son fully outgrew it at around 14 months and my daughter fully outgrew it at 18 months and we’re using it for this baby as well. Both kids were too heavy long before they outgrew for me lug around with them in it, but it was used so that we didn’t have to get a car seat for each car. The fact that we have it is nice though because we’re definitely getting a lot of use out of it. If you’re planning on more kids, and planning to have them semi close together, then it’s definitely something to think about.
@rabtaido1214 I think $300 is an awful lot for a seat they will likely grow out of quickly. Does uppababy have adapters for different brands of car seats to be compatible with their strollers?? We ended up skipping the infant seat all together and will just baby wear.
me 32 | dh 45
married 11.11.17 mama. epicurean. plant lover. wine enthusiast.
@mommy_myers it’s a 2011 stroller so the adapters are extremely limited. The only one I’m certain of is for the uppababy Mesa car seat ($299). If I scratch the uppababy all together it looks like I’d probably be looking at about $300 anyway for a new stroller/car seat combo system so I’m torn. Plus we also inherited the uppababy bassinet and rumble seat attachment so I’d hate to waste it. But $300 for one item seems so steep.
We registered for the chicco key fit 30 and I was considering an all in one instead since you cant put the bucket seat in the grocery cart and I guess the angle of the bucket seat out of the car is not a good angle. Well Amazon prime day came and the key fit was I think $160. We bought it but not sure if I should keep it, return it, or sell it.
@rabtaido1214 I have an uppababy vista and you don’t have to buy the $400 uppababy car seat. They are compatible with lots of other seats with an affordable adapter. I bought a chicco keyfit 30 zip air and am excited to try it out with my vista. The chicco keyfit actually had better consumer reviews than the uppababy Mesa.
@lrlybbert from the research I’ve done I’m super limited on available adapters since it’s a 2011. I think anything newer than 2014 has plenty of adapter options. Is yours a 2015+?
My friend was able to get a used adapter for her vista (2011 as well I believe, definitely the older version) so her Chicco can fit. Have you check fb marketplace and Craigslist?
Re: Product Spotlight: Car Seats
https://thewirecutter.com/baby-kid/
I’m sure that in a place like NYC, they make allowances for the fact that many people don’t drive, but you should definitely check into it.
Has anyone had any experience with the Nuna Pipas? I changed my mind about strollers so now it is unlikely we will be going with the UppaBaby Mesa.
All of that said I don't think car seat choice should contribute to any sort of guilt or shaming of a parent regardless of their choice because yes, they all offer safety and protection.
....but if your kids chest buckle is at their belly button and the straps are twisted and loose I'm willing to be awkward and explain how to do it right because my conscience just can't handle seeing kids restrained improperly.
Infant Seat: Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Car Seat https://a.co/fNbWlUL (this one a close friend is giving us after her son outgrows it. I know that it hasn't been in an accident and been well cared for)
Convertible Seat: Graco Size4Me https://a.co/eQzIgcw and Evenflo Tribute https://a.co/c1duuBb (we will need one in both cars, so I registered for a cheaper one too)
If anyone was going to get the Graco Extend2Fit, the "Spire" colored one went on mega sale this week on Amazon. I bought it on Monday and got an additional 15% off because I moved my due date up before Prime Day was announced. Totaled at a cool $105, with tax!
ETA: the Gotham color (black/gray) is the same deal and in stock.
Some people have short commutes and have no eating/drinking in cars - your car seats can probably last a long time. We had pretty long drives when they were younger and snacks/drinks were a must - so I was not overly attached to the seats when I went to replace them. Not to say I wouldn't get expensive seats again knowing this - just because of comfort. Those nicer seats are great for long drives.
I was half tempted to skip the bucket seat just to not deal with another item but it's so darn convenient. After this kid I can just give stuff away once it's not needed....whew!
mama. epicurean. plant lover. wine enthusiast.
https://uppababy.com/product/maxi-cosi-infant-car-seat-adapter/
https://uppababy.com/product/infant-car-seat-adapter-chicco/
ETA: i think those other models are also $$$, so maybe not so helpful.