Which car seats are the best for an infant?
I am 11 wks pregnant today. I am completely overwhelmed and confused of all the baby stuff that is out there. This will be our first child so we don't have any experience to draw from. Are the infant car seats that are sold at Wal-Mart or Target any different (better/worse) than the pricey ones at Babies-R-Us? Will I be compromising the safety of my child if I go with one of the less expensive seats? Also, what kind of accessories do I need for the car seat? I have been seeing a lot of adapters or wedges. I am not sure if I need that or not. Please help. I am getting pretty freaked out.
Comments
9 Responses to “Which car seats are the best for an infant?”-
infant car seat Guides
Right Now On eBay
Baby Car Seat Ratings
Loading ...
Custom Search
I was in the same position as you!
What I found (after lots of questions & research) was the "travel systems" are an all-in-one for infants. It comes with a stroller, infant car seat/carrier, and a base for the car seat.
The base is something you don’t have to have but it makes life much easier. You install that portion in your car and then you just set the car seat in that when you’re going places. It saves you from always adjusting & buckling in the car seat.
The infant car seat will work until your little one is 22lbs or 29in. Then you will need to get a bigger seat.
You should get a graco carseat and stroller tavel system. they are great for infants, and they grow with your baby
i am a first time mommy, and i didnt know what to get either… my fiances mother bought a travel system from graco and its fantastic
http://www.gracobaby.com/products/category.asp?N=400+10417
All car seats are safe. Not all car seats fit all cars. The ones at Target and Walmart are no different than the ones at Babies R Us other than Babies R Us may have a wider selection. Contact your local car seat installer (the fire dept. can often tip you off where to call) to find out if there are any car seats that won’t work with your car. You will also find out what extras are unsafe. There’s a lot of 3rd party stuff sold that could endanger your baby in an actual crash (car seat covers that go under the baby are an example).
Perhaps someone on here will have a link to the places that list what car seats won’t work with which cars. The one I had has not been updated in more than a year, so I don’t give it out any longer.
Also, decide if you want the convenience of an infant seat that clips in and out of a car vs. a convertible that stays in the car. If you plan to have a couple of children close in age, it may be worth every penny to get that infant seat. If you don’t, remember that you will be buying a second car seat within a year.
I too, wanted the best for my daughter but found out most of the time they sell the same car seats at Target and Walmart as they do at Babies-R-Us. Babies-R-Us just has a bigger selection. I bought the Chicco which you can get at either store, and is not the most expensive. Believe it or not Babies-R-Us is cheaper on many products than Target.
Here is a link to the consumers reports rankings for car seats. This will help you choose one. Not all the expense ones are better.
All child safety seats meet the same federal standards, so you can rest easy knowing that they will all protect your child. The most important thing is to make sure it fits well in your vehicle, as they don’t all fit the same on every seat. The wedges are used to place under the car seat so that it sits at the proper angle for your baby’s head and neck. There is a level indicator on the side of the car seat (a little rolling ball) to tell you when it’s at the proper angle. You’ll only need said wedge if your car seat doesn’t put it at the proper angle on its own. Other than that you shouldn’t need any accessories, though there is a handy seat belt tightener. A properly installed car seat should only move one inch in any direction. The tighter the better when it comes to installation. Install the seat ahead of time and get it inspected to make sure it’s done properly. You can go to a local hospital or fire station ususally to get this done.
We bought a Graco carseat and matching stroller. It was a highly rated carseat that holds up to 30 lbs baby. Its a great carseat and it pops out to fit in the stroller.
After my daughter hit the one year and 20 lbs mark we spent the money and bought a Britax carseat that was $300. TOTALLY WORTH EVERY CENT we paid for it. You can actually use it from 0-60 lbs, so a newborn would fit in it, but you can’t take it out of the car, so when they are newborns its nice to have the ones that snap out.
Anyways, ideally my daughter should be able to use this carseat until she is like 5 years old or so. Plus Britax carseats are the highest rated for safety you can buy.
Relax, take a deep breath.
I have a lot of trust in the Graco brand, because all the babies in my family have used this brand of car seat and had nothing but good things to say. There are many varieties of car seats made by Graco (sold at Wal-Mart and Target) that are not too expensive. They have 2 different seat sizes: Snugride and Safeseat. The Safeseat is a little larger and can fit a baby up to 30 lbs, which can save you having to buy one of those inbetween car seats before they make the jump to a toddler/booster seat. The Snugride only fits a baby to 20 lbs.
I would go online and check feedback from parents. I know they have feedback listed with different carseats (from real parents) on babies r us website. I got a lot of good advice from there. They sell some inexpensive seats at babies r us too, I wouldn’t discount them completely.
Good luck!
Car-seat.org is a GREAT place for new moms-to-be! I wish I had found it when I was pregnant. I found it when my daughter was 1 and it has and continues to be a great source of information and sharing.
To answer a few of your questions:
1. all carseats have to meet the same minimum safety standards, but some are easier to use than others and some have better features than others – just make sure to get a 5 point harness seat, NOT a 3 point harness seat
2. you don’t want to add anything to a carseat that doesn’t come in the box with the seat or directly from the manufacturer for your model. The other accessories (mirrors, toys, strap covers, inserts, head rests, etc) are considered aftermarket products and NOT allowed to be used with seats
Congrats! And you can take a breather – all infant seats are pretty similar so if you want one, just pick one that appeals to you. However, there is a bigger decision to make. Infant carrier seats are NOT a required stage in car seats. Babies can actually start out from day one in rear facing convertible car seats. Realize that if you choose to get an infant carrier, it will only last an average of 5-7 months before baby outgrows it and then you will be out car seat shopping. Again.
It is really completely up to your preference, but, here’s my 2cents. Personally, I’d pick out an awesome stroller (since the ones that come in a travel system often aren’t all that great!) b/c the stroller is the part that you will be using for the next 3-4 years. You really need to like it, and have it be quality so you don’t find yourself with a busted stroller in a year. Also, you can save money by purchasing a high quality used stroller, whereas if you buy a travel system, you can’t get it used b/c it is not safe to get a used car seat. You could however, get a used stroller and check its compatibility, and get a car seat new that would work with it. That’s what I did.
All that said – as a single parent on a seriously limited income, I now realize I should’ve completely skipped the infant carrier stage. Its not a ‘needed’ stage in car seats, its just a convenience thing, and a recent – as in the last 15 years or so – invention to have a stay in car base and separate carrier. Here’s why I think its a waste: doesn’t last babies very long at all. You spend $60 and up on this carrier that is only going to last 5-8 months! And then you have to purchase a convertible car seat, and somewhere down the line a booster seat. If you skip the carrier phase, you just eliminated one seat. There is now one carrier on the market that promises to fit 99% of babies up to at least their first birthday – Graco SafeSeat1, goes to 30lbs. However, there are limitations to this awesome seat. It really will fit most kids that long, but that’s a catch-22. You really going to carry your 25lbs baby in a carrier?! And, the recline can not be adjusted when its installed in the car. Newborns have to be rear facing and reclined 45 degrees. Older babies who can hold their heads up well can be 30-45 degrees, and most want to so they can see more. So your baby may come to hate the SafeSeat at some point b/c he can’t sit up any straighter, but then again, maybe not. You never know. Also – b/c it is a bigger seat to last longer, it doesn’t always fit well in smaller vehicles. Try before you buy. And – it costs significantly mroe than its regular weight (22lbs) counterparts, at least double. My son was a BIG baby (still is a BIG kid!) and outgrew his carrier at 4 months. And, after baby gets above 10lbs or so, they are a pain in the butt to carry – quite awkward. So its not as convenient as it may at first seem. And some of the ‘convenient’ ways people use them aren’t good.
Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don’t lock on, they’re just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I’ve seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet – not a good idea for digestion or spit up.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. "Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby’s car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. "
Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats…) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically ‘for use in cars and strollers only’! But we all seem to miss that part.
So I highly recommend skipping the carrier phase. I think they are more a pain than a blessing, and a wasted of money if you don’t have a lot to throw around. Instead, get a convertible car seat that will fit a newborn (more on that later) and a sling, pouch, or wrap. Not one of those silly snugli or infantino carriers, but something like a ringsling, moby, or maya wrap. Wearing your baby gives everybody what they need. Babies get much needed closeness to mom (or dad, or anyone else for that matter!) and you get your hands free to do what you need to do, as well as you can even breastfeed in one! They offer many different positions to use them in, too, and go higher than carrier car seat weights (20-22lbs). Most go to at least 35lbs, so you will get much more use out of it for your money.
OK – so if you choose to skip the carrier phase, be careful about the convertible car seat you choose, b/c not all will fit newborns well. You want it to have low bottom slots.
Perfect options:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn’t have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don’t have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It’s one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.
Cosco Scenera – $50 at Walmart/Kmart/Target. Great seat for the price. Goes up to 35lbs rear facing, 40lbs forward facing. Great rear facing seat, but is outgrown very quickly forward facing b/c of short top slots and short shell. You’ll still get you’re $50 worth out of it, though, as it will last most kids to at least 2 years, quadruple the amount of time of an infant seat!
As you’re shopping, remember these rules about seats:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you’re more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child’s vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 – 3 – 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer. Here, we turn them as soon as we get to, seeing it as a right of passage thing or something. Ridiculous. Most convertible seats have a 30lbs rear facing limit, Cosco/Dorel/Safety1st/Eddie Bauer seats rear face to 35lbs, Britax rear faces to 33lbs.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can’t sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs. My son just turned 3, and is in the 95th% for height and weight – 40" tall and weighs 41lbs. He outgrew the 40lbs seats shortly after his 2nd birthday. It was a total waste of money. He now has a Britax Marathon, which goes to 65lbs, and will be able to fit it for some time yet. If I’d have bought it when he was born, I could have had one car seat this whole time instead of the 3 I wasted money on. They are more expensive for many reasons, this is one.