Car Seats!

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a car seat.  Here are some that come to mind:

- Will you be using both an infant seat and convertible car seat, or will you be using a convertible one right from the start?  We used an infant seat (I call it 'the bucket') from the time my daughter was born to the time she outgrew the weight limit at 7 months.  Check the weight limits on the car seats you're buying - for us the 22 lb limit was not enough to last past 7 months.  I do like the ease of use with an infant seat, though.  It's simple to click in and out of the car, the stroller, most shopping carts, and even some restaurants have holders for them.  If your baby doesn't mind being in it, it's a very convenient way to carry baby around, especially when they're really tiny.  It's also a great option for winter babies because you can do the bundling/buckling inside before taking them outside to a cold car.  That way you're not buckling them into a cold car seat, and they can stay bundled the whole time to and from the car.


- How much room do you have between your front and back seats for a rear-facing car seat?  All car seats are not created equally when it comes to measurement.  Some car seats (especially convertible ones) don't fit compatibly with certain car models.  Do your homework here before purchasing.  My convertible car seat did not fit rear-facing in my husband's truck.  *facepalm*

- How long do you plan to have your child rear-facing?  In PA where I live, the regulation currently states that a child must be rear-facing in a car seat until they reach one year old.  However, most resources are suggesting that children be rear-faced to at least 2 years old, and many states are changing their regulations to reflect that, so keep weight limits and this timeframe in mind when choosing a car seat.  Chances are that you will need to have a convertible car seat that suits your car while rear-facing, so be prepared for that scenario.


- Will baby be riding in multiple cars on a regular basis?  If so, I definitely recommend having an infant seat with multiple bases.  That way the child can be buckled in and snapped into whichever car is applicable at the time with no switching car seats back and forth between cars.  Depending on your financial situation you could always buy more than one convertible, but for us that hasn't been necessary.  Usually whoever is driving the child just takes the car with the seat already in it. 

- Do you plan to have multiple children? If so, do yourself a favor and choose a gender neutral pattern and color scheme.  The pink car seats are really adorable for little girls, but most dads wouldn't be happy to have their son riding around in one, and most people can't afford to purchase a new one on account of color.

Now on to the seats I personally have:

A friend allowed us to purchase her used Grace Snugride car seat for a great price, and it was such a blessing!  The link is not the actual seat that I have, as the pattern we have is no longer sold, but that's the same seat.  Be careful about buying used seats!  If a car seat has been in a car accident, it needs to be replaced and cannot be used anymore.  There's no way to know for sure if the pieces have been weakened or compromised.  Now, I trusted my friend and knew she had not been in any accidents, but if you don't personally know and trust the person who used the seat, I would strongly suggest buying new.  There are a lot of ways to save money in baby products, but compromising something as important as a car seat is not the place to be doing that. 

I liked this car seat as it functioned well, cleaned easily and everything like that.  My one complaint was the weight limit.  Many infant seats now have weight limits much higher, like 30-35 lbs, but this one is only up to 22 lbs.  As I already said, my daughter outgrew the weight limit earlier than I would have liked, so we were forced to buy a new seat earlier than I had planned.  For this reason, I will be purchasing a different bucket seat on the next time around.  (My used Graco will have expired by the time any subsequent children come around, so I won't be using it again.)  For my next infant seat I am currently considering the Chicco Keyfit 30 and the Baby Trend Flex Loc.

As for the convertible car seat, we purchased the Safety 1st Complete Air 65.   Our daughter has ridden in this seat both rear-facing and forward-facing and I absolutely love it.  I wouldn't buy any other seat when/if I would need a new one.  Its straps are easily adjustable, its latch/tether system are very easy to install (easier than the infant seat!), the 'wings' around the child's head make me feel safe about her head being secure, it's padded for comfort, and it even comes with a cup holder.  One online review I saw complained that their child can't see past the 'wings' that stick out around the child's head, but I'm okay with that.  I really appreciate the extra head support!  When the little ones fall asleep in the car, as they are wont to do, their heads won't bob and bounce around nearly as much with these supports in place. 

My one complaint about this car seat: If your child happens to have the flu in the car, and vomits all over themselves to the point of it soaking behind them into the back piece of the car seat, this is very hard to clean.  The outer pad on the car seat is removable and machine washable, but there is a piece on the back that does not come off and must be only spot-cleaned.  The same is true for the wonderful 'wings' I've been so in love with.  I was very frustrated to find that I could not take those off to wash the vomit out of them when this happened to us a few months ago.  I pray that doesn't happen to you, but it's something to note.