Carseat Issues

[bendmom]

Is everyone here using an infant carseat, the kind you can remove from the base? I am having horrible luck finding one, and the ones at the resale shops make me a bit nervous. I'm afraid I'll get it home and realize it's missing a piece, or something. Target and all the other box retailers are no longer carring them unless they attach to a stroller, etc, making me spend more money on stuff I dont' need. I'm at a loss. It's been about 5.5 years since I've used one, has everyone switched to just using a stay in place infant/toddler seat?

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

Idk. But we got one as a gift and I was going to tell you Target carries the removable infant car seat with stroller... but you already know. Wish I could be more helpfull! Best of luck to you!

[graciegal]

Graco Snugride comes out - you can carry it around - $80-$90. Don't have to buy the stroller and such.

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Snugride...1396354&sr=8-2

Just got and installed this one the other day - really nice, lightweight.

[MissMorgan]

We are doing a stay in car seat but yeah I noticed the thing with Target. We got ours at Toys R Us but unless you feel like driving to Eugene then I'd just buy one online if I were you. (Amazon would be my first choice to buy from online too.. best deals and free shipping on the larger items.) Good luck!

[umsami]

Wal-Mart has them for about $50.00... maybe a little less. No need to buy the stroller.

[lunarlady]

We have one, but it did come with the stroller. I would reccomend you hit up your friends if you have any with small children. The bucket seats really arn't all that useful past about the 6-8 month mark, when most people switch to a convertable. You might find a friend with one in the closet. If that fails, I like Amazon.com or Walmart.com. Both do free shipping and have good deals.

[osker]

Do you have a Burlington Coat Factory near you? Their Burlington Baby Depot area seems to have a ton of car seats just like that (we call them "baby buckets"). We got ours gently used from a friend, know any friends that are upgrading?

[lisalulu]

That's weird. Our Target has the Snugride sold separately from the stroller. Maybe it changed since I looked a couple months ago though. But they were the cheaper ones that don't have the adjustment strap on the front.

I've bought from babyuniverse.com, babyage.com and babycatalog.com for bigger seats and never had problems. I've heard raves about diapers.com-like they match prices and have cheap or free return shipping-but I've never used them.

[amyrobynne]

Originally Posted by lunarlady

I would reccomend you hit up your friends if you have any with small children. The bucket seats really arn't all that useful past about the 6-8 month mark, when most people switch to a convertable. You might find a friend with one in the closet. If that fails, I like Amazon.com or Walmart.com. Both do free shipping and have good deals.

I'm borrowing a bucket seat from a friend until Tim hits 12ish pounds and fits better into the Roundabout. I plan on leaving the bucket clicked into the car. He just hit 7 lbs today and all the buckles/straps are as small as they go. I have no idea how 5 lb babies fit safely. I used the Roundabout from day 1 with baby #2 at 9 lbs 5 oz and thought it seemed too big.

[somegirl99]

We have a bucket seat and I'm glad I got it because DS was 6 lbs 3 oz when he was born and down to 5 lbs 9 oz a few days later. He's up above his birth weight now but we still have to put padding in to bring the infant insert in enough to support his head. I'm not sure how well he would fit in a convertible.

We have a Chicco Keyfit 30 and I ordered it online (amazon).

[BlackSheepPDX]

My understanding is that virtually all convertible seats have slot heights that are too high for most newborns (slots need to be BELOW shoulders rear facing), despite weight limits that suggest a newborn would be ok.

That said, we got our Graco Safeseat 1 (the one with the 30 pound limit rather than the lower Snugride limit) from BabiesRUs...in 2007....and didn't have to buy it in a package with a stroller. That's the seat we're using for #2. I'm not a big fan of the bucket, and don't use it for baby transport other than in the car except for brief errand stops when baby is OUT COLD and transfer to a carrier seems like begging for trouble. Particularly because of the data about hypoxia in infants with extended periods in buckets, I really don't like to be in the car too long either. However, the benefits of keeping the seat temperature regulated both in heat and cold, by being able to bring it in the house and put the baby in a neutral temp seat before installing in car rather than having to face a searing hot or freezing cold seat make it a valuable option to have. On top of the whole convertibles don't fit newborns thing.

I would be reluctant to get a used seat from anywhere I didn't know the seat's actual history. Seats that have been in accidents, despite no obvious damage, are technically considered unsafe and to be replaced. You don't know where a seat has been and how it has been treated (harsh cleaning is also bad on straps) unless you know who you're getting it from (and you trust them to tell you the truth)

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by BlackSheepPDX

My understanding is that virtually all convertible seats have slot heights that are too high for most newborns (slots need to be BELOW shoulders rear facing), despite weight limits that suggest a newborn would be ok.

DDC crashing, but I saw this in 'new posts'.

There are several that do fit newborns well: the Graco MyRide, First Years True Fit, Radians, Evenflo Triumph Advance, and the Combi Coccoro all fit newborns very well. Others with high bottom slots (like the Britaxes, Recaros, Alpha Omega/all 3-in-1 seats, and Complete Air) won't work, though.

[gunnarsmama77]

I just got a Safety 1st OnBoard 35 (not OnBoard 35 Air, which is about 70 dollars more) at my local Target, not attached to a stroller, for 99 dollars. The extra bases are available on Target's website for 35 apiece (we'll need 2 more) but are eligible for free shipping. I didn't really want to use a convertible yet, the one we have for my older son just looks huge for an infant. I bought it at Target because I got a giftcard at my shower, but amazon.com also had the same seat for 99 dollars and eligible for free shipping, so if not available locally I would have gotten it from there.
The seat we got is rear-facing to 35 pounds, so judging by my older son should work until 2.5 or 3, depending on how tall this little one is. HTH!

[dannic]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

DDC crashing, but I saw this in 'new posts'.

There are several that do fit newborns well: the Graco MyRide, First Years True Fit, Radians, Evenflo Triumph Advance, and the Combi Coccoro all fit newborns very well. Others with high bottom slots (like the Britaxes, Recaros, Alpha Omega/all 3-in-1 seats, and Complete Air) won't work, though.

Yup. When I did all my research, this is what I was told by carseat techs too. Britax, ect do not properly fit NB, but the above list and a few others do. I went with the First Years True Fit. One seat to last all those years, yay! (and no carrying heavy bucket, yay!)

[BlackSheepPDX]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

DDC crashing, but I saw this in 'new posts'.

There are several that do fit newborns well: the Graco MyRide, First Years True Fit, Radians, Evenflo Triumph Advance, and the Combi Coccoro all fit newborns very well. Others with high bottom slots (like the Britaxes, Recaros, Alpha Omega/all 3-in-1 seats, and Complete Air) won't work, though.

Thanks!

[Dahlea]

We were using a peg perego bucket seat but I can't stand it and ordered a radian convertible seat that has an infant insert. We use the base for bucket seats but we always leave the seat in the car.

[kimkim]

i'm doing a stay in the car seat so i can't be too helpful but i love the idea of convertibles. i got this one http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Tr.../dp/B001O0F5H8
and it goes from infant to 65 lbs. i'm happy to not need to buy another one! but good luck with your search if this is not the avenue you are considering.