How many car seats?
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at
8:37 pm
I am so confused.
I want to buy the Graco travel system that has a stroller/carrier/car seat attachment, so I can use it rear facing infant up to 20lbs. After that I need to get a car seat that is front facing for 20lbs and up. Are there car seat for that wieght that can also turn into a booster seat later on, or am I going to have to buy another booster seat too? (thats 3 seats in a kids life!)
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Well, there is a convertable car seat that you can use rear facing after they are past the weight and height limit on the infant one. most babies outgrow the infant ones before the turn one year old and you still have to have them rear facing till they are one year old AND 20 lbs. then there is a car seat for front facing thats 20 lbs and up that yes, you can use as a booster seat. It will just have a back on it but thats fine. I know its confusing. You probably will have to end up buying 3 different car seats but you may be able to get away with just 2 if your baby does not outgrow the infant one before they are one year. Some of the infant ones have 26" height limit and some are like 29" height limit. Get the one with the biggest height limit you can find and you might get buy without buying that convertable one that you turn rear facing and forward facing. You can always sell the old ones when your done and get a little of your money back
Yes that would be 3 seats in a kids life. That’s why I don’t recommend the stroller, infant travel system things. A regular car seat til they are old enough for a booster is plenty. I’m mom to 3.
well you must be a first time parent, huh. welcome to car seat funness. first of all the car seats that fit in the stroller are convienent but freaking heavy!! your child will be about hmmm15lbs and you’ll be buying the next car seat. they are so awkward to carry around. the next car seat you can get is the forward facing one (though they make plenty that are rear facing to from infant to 40lbs. those are your best ones. then when you’re child reaches about 5yrs old 40lbs, or if you have a big 4yr old you’re going to want to start using a high back booster seat that just uses the seat belt.
i have 4 kids all under 6 and i must have gone through about 10 different car seats from them growing or ruining them.
We have an Eddie Bauer car seat that can be used as an infant seat (although its not a carrier). My two year old uses it now. Buy whatever infant seat and car seat you choose new, but you can definitely get a used booster from a consignment store or Ebay (although you’ll have shipping on the internet), because boosters have no working parts so there is nothing to become defective on them. The consignment store I frequent normally sells the Graco brand for $5-10.
With our first two we just used one car seat from infant until ready for booster. We didn’t get the little infant seat.
With #3 we used an infant seat (for about 6 mo), then he graduated to a bigger car seat and then at 3 yrs old we got a "booster".
Honestly, I’d just go with the bigger seat that can be used from infant until 40 lbs. Then get a booster.
It’s worth it to know they are safe! Make sure you fully understand how to buckle them in properly. If not, go to a local police station and someone there will check your seat and show you how to do it properly.
I don’t think they offer anything to accommodate a child over 20 lbs. I suggest you call Babies R Us.
My second car seat (front facing) will hold my child up to 90 pounds. That way you really never have to get the booster. I like it better anyway. The booster is really hard for the little one to fall asleep in. The car seat tilts back a bit. However, you still might end up purchasing that third seat just because they get so nasty. Good luck!
You can buy ones that are for all ages. See this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3132488
A seat like the one shown goes from 5lbs infant, all the way to 100lbs child, in one seat.
Dear confused, you would probably want to upgrade your child’s car seat every few years since safety features improve over time and recall’s are never ending. Good luck.
I have a now 7 year old. Yes, we have had 3 seats. They just can’t be one size fits all. You buy what fits your kid.
No, you can get the ones that are booster seats but have a back section with its own individual seatbelt and also the side impact bits and such like. I went for this cos I thought the same as you, this way I get the safety features of the individual seat belt and fits them in cosier and also when they get bigger just take off the back section for the booster seat and useing the seat belt in the car. Shop around.
I had the carseat the attached to my stroller, it is handy because if the baby is sleeping you can just take the seat out and put it on the stroller, then I bought one that goes all they way from 22lbs to 80lb. It is a forward facing carseat until they are 40 lbs then it turns into a booster seat. It was pretty expensive, but cheaper than 2 seats. Also, DON’T buy a used car seat, it could have been damaged somehow and not be safe anymore.
Three seats is the winner. I know it seems like a lot, but yes the safety standards keep changing so you should update anyway. If you plan on having more kids, you can always re-use them…I did.
The second car seat, can go front or rear facing and can hold up to 40ish pounds- they will be inthat one the longest. My 3 year old is still in his. But once my infant grows out of her carrier, then he gets the booster seat which will last another six years…of course if they keep changing the law, he will have to be in a booster seat until he gets can drive himself!
Well this last booster is a fairly new development…we used to expect just TWO car seats…the little rear facing one….this one is fairly neccessary…the convenience of attaching to the stroller…they are so little, they flop over in a larger one….the second one they will be in for a few years….so you can save up for the booster seat…lol in NY the latest word was 4’7" and under must be in a booster seat… as a reference point….my 8 yr. old is 4’6"
Ok, first off, infant seats that attach to the stroller are the same ones that you can buy seperately. Newborns fit better in these than in the ones that are do it all. Most infant seats do not go to just 20lbs anymore. Most go to 22lbs and some go to 30lbs. The Graco Safe Seat 1 comes with a stroller and you can use it to 30lbs. Most people will not use it as a carrier all the way to 30lbs, but you can still leave it in the car and just use it as a regualr car seat. Most babies fit in this until around age 1. After the infant seat, you will need a convertible seat that rearfaces and forward faces. Your child should stay rearfacing until at least one year and 20lbs, but much longer is better. Children under two that are forward facing are 4x more likely to die in a crash. After the convertible, depending on if it goes to 40lbs or 65lbs, you will need a booster. Boosters are cheap, as little as $40. Buying the Cosco 3 n 1 seats are a waste of money. They do not fit newborns, despite starting at 5lbs. They also have very short top slots(the very top notch is not for use with the harness) so kids outgrow them way before being ready for a booster. Then as a booster, it is again too short, so they need yet another seat. Buying the infant, convertible and booster seperately will probably save you money in the long run. If you want to get just two seats, the Safety 1st Uptown convertible is about the only one that fits a newborn well. It goes to 40lbs and is fairly tall, so most kids would make it to about age 4, the minimum for going into a booster(not 3yrs, like the boxes say).