car seats

I'm still new to how car seats work so I have a couple of questions.
-I am split between the Graco duo glider/combi twin stroller but does anyone know if the infant car seats for these fit the double snap and go?
-Are the 3 stage car seats good to get? Is this the next stage after the infant carrier?
-What brands do you recommend?

 

The Graco Duo Glider fits the Graco infant seats.

How is your budget? If you don't have a big budget, and are not getting many shower gifts, I would get the convertible seats instead of the infant carriers. My boys grew out of the carriers at 5 1/2 months! Luckily we were given carriers and didn't have to buy them. They were very conveinent, but if money is an issue, I would seriously look into the convertibles (because you will end up buying them after the carriers anyway).

We bought the Evenflo Triumph convertible seats and had evenflo infant carriers (DH liked the s shaped handle).

I hope this helps! I seem to have baby brain pretty badly this morning!

 

A lot of experts will advise you not to get the 3 in 1s. The manufacturers make you belief this is all you ever need since they go up to 100lbs. However, the harnass is only up to 40lbs in most cases and the top slots low, so it's highly likely that your child will outgrow the convertible step way before age 4 and 40lbs (the minimum recommendation by experts and AAP).

So then you end up buying another seat anyway. A lot of experts agree that 3 yo should not be in boosters even though they meet the manufacturers requirements (my oldest did). They're not developmentally ready to sit in a belt and the belt doesn't provide the right protection to very young children (there are plenty of videos on Youtube about this). A harnass is safer and there are more and more seats out there that harnass up to 65 or 80lbs and have high top slots making them suitable for children up to age 5-8 (please note that most children grow out their seats heightwise first, not weight), before switching to a booster. However, since boosters are cheaper than those newer generation convertible and/or forward facing seats, children move into boosters too soon. I think a good and proper car seat for your children should be your number 1 priority ... there are lots of other baby / toddler things on which you can save.

In terms of brands. Britax is very good. The Radian 65 or 80 are long lasting seats (rf and ff), Evenflo Triumph Advance is a good seat, fairly long lasting and a little more affordable than the first 2 I mentioned.

 

QUOTE(mommymeg @ Mar 18 2008, 08:28 AM) [snapback]674274[/snapback]
The Graco Duo Glider fits the Graco infant seats.

How is your budget? If you don't have a big budget, and are not getting many shower gifts, I would get the convertible seats instead of the infant carriers. My boys grew out of the carriers at 5 1/2 months! Luckily we were given carriers and didn't have to buy them. They were very conveinent, but if money is an issue, I would seriously look into the convertibles (because you will end up buying them after the carriers anyway).

We bought the Evenflo Triumph convertible seats and had evenflo infant carriers (DH liked the s shaped handle).

I hope this helps! I seem to have baby brain pretty badly this morning!


I thought you had to get the infant carrier?

 

QUOTE(Mom2SofieAndTwins @ Mar 18 2008, 08:33 AM) [snapback]674279[/snapback]
A lot of experts will advise you not to get the 3 in 1s. The manufacturers make you belief this is all you ever need since they go up to 100lbs. However, the harnass is only up to 40lbs in most cases and the top slots low, so it's highly likely that your child will outgrow the convertible step way before age 4 and 40lbs (the minimum recommendation by experts and AAP).

So then you end up buying another seat anyway. A lot of experts agree that 3 yo should not be in boosters even though they meet the manufacturers requirements (my oldest did). They're not developmentally ready to sit in a belt and the belt doesn't provide the right protection to very young children (there are plenty of videos on Youtube about this). A harnass is safer and there are more and more seats out there that harnass up to 65 or 80lbs and have high top slots making them suitable for children up to age 5-8 (please note that most children grow out their seats heightwise first, not weight), before switching to a booster. However, since boosters are cheaper than those newer generation convertible and/or forward facing seats, children move into boosters too soon. I think a good and proper car seat for your children should be your number 1 priority ... there are lots of other baby / toddler things on which you can save.

In terms of brands. Britax is very good. The Radian 65 or 80 are long lasting seats (rf and ff), Evenflo Triumph Advance is a good seat, fairly long lasting and a little more affordable than the first 2 I mentioned.

So if I went this way I would need to get the infant carrier, next stage car seat, and booster down the road? Thanks for the advice. It's hard to know what they'll really need!

 

QUOTE(Audra Leigh522 @ Mar 18 2008, 08:37 AM) [snapback]674286[/snapback]
So if I went this way I would need to get the infant carrier, next stage car seat, and booster down the road? Thanks for the advice. It's hard to know what they'll really need!



I would never get an infant carrier again. I would go straight to a convertible. Sure it is not quite as convenient, but it sure saves a lot of money in the long run!

 

I believe the Radians both are forward facing and rear facing. expensive, but go up to 65 and 80 lbs. there is a new one out called the graco nautilus only 149 at walmart. you would need the baby car seat and then this one does the 5 pt harness until 65 lbs and then converts to a booster... about time graco realized 40 lbs is too low of a limit. maybe other manufacturers will catch on.

 

QUOTE(Audra Leigh522 @ Mar 18 2008, 01:37 PM) [snapback]674286[/snapback]
So if I went this way I would need to get the infant carrier, next stage car seat, and booster down the road? Thanks for the advice. It's hard to know what they'll really need!

I think the majority of people do. I can't imagine not having an infant carrier, especially with twins (and in my cause an older child). However you can buy a convertible that's really long lasting, and then get a pretty cheap booster at the end. The Radian 65 or 80 are rf and ff, go up to 65 or 80lbs, don't expire until 7-8 years after production and have high top slots. It will last you until age 6-7 or so, maybe even longer if you're children are fairly small.

Not all kids can go straight into convertibles. Their shoulders cannot be more than 1" below the lowest slots. And a lot of infants don't make that, especially not in the long lasting seats like Britax and Radians. Maybe in the cheaper seats with lower slots, but then they'll grow out of them before they're ready for a booster and you'll end up buying another seat anyway.

Hope that makes sense. Personally I think about $200-250 for a Radian which lasts 6-7 years isn't a bad investment at all, not when it comes to your child's safety.

 

QUOTE(Tammy Fine @ Mar 18 2008, 01:51 PM) [snapback]674300[/snapback]
I would never get an infant carrier again. I would go straight to a convertible. Sure it is not quite as convenient, but it sure saves a lot of money in the long run!

Don't really agree. I think you'll be able to get 2 carriers for about $100, maybe $150, and you can easily resell them. The most expensive purchase will be your convertible (and they'll be in that one for the longest time as well) so you better make sure you have a good long lasting seat for that.

 

QUOTE(Mom2SofieAndTwins @ Mar 18 2008, 09:32 AM) [snapback]674375[/snapback]
Don't really agree. I think you'll be able to get 2 carriers for about $100, maybe $150, and you can easily resell them. The most expensive purchase will be your convertible (and they'll be in that one for the longest time as well) so you better make sure you have a good long lasting seat for that.



At 4 months we had to get rid of them as DS was too big for it. From 2 months on DD screamed whenever we put her in it. Once we got the convertible she stopped crying in the car. It was so nice.

I would not resell them, just as I would not buy them used.

We love the convertible seat we have. The kids are comfy and we got a decent deal on them. They will be in them until the can use the built in seats in our van which are also 5 point harness!

 

I have a Britax for DD#2, and when the babies outgrow the Graco infant seats, that's what they will be getting.

 

Tammy, I agree that most children are way more comfortable and happy in a convertible. But not all infants are big enough for a convertible from the start (the not more than 1" below the bottom slots which I mentioned earlier and a lot of parents don't know). Even my oldest stayed in her carrier until 8 months (and she was 16lbs10ozlbs at 4 months and almost 19lbs7oz at 6 months, 95% for height and weight since birth).

 

I wouldn't get an infant carrier next time either. Mainly because they hit the 26 inch limit too quickly. They are not even 15 lbs yet, but hit the length limit early. I'm not sure how low the straps go on the Evenflo Triumph, but they are so easy to adjust and I would think they would go lower. My premiees however, would not have been safe in them. We brought the boys home at around 4.5 lbs and were so fragile.

Like I said earlier, if you have the money, get the carriers, if not, go for the convertibles, but be prepared for small babies that will need a carrier. It's so hard to decide what to do! Good luck!

 

Another thought.... most of the convertible seats are for 5 pounds and up. A friend of mine who just had twins, purchased the Britax carseats, but the hospital would not allow her to put her babies at 4 pounds in them, they had to get some interim infant seats.

 

You can find the slot heights of most seats here: http://www.carseatdata.org/cnt/resources/c...at-measurements.

Some of the low slots may be too high in order to get a proper fit, independant of whether they're 5, 6, 7 or close to 9lbs. It's not just weight but mainly torso.

Especially Britax seats are known for their high slots, which doesn't make them the perfect seats for tiny newborns even when they're over 5lbs.

 

QUOTE(Shelly @ Mar 18 2008, 10:31 AM) [snapback]674481[/snapback]
Another thought.... most of the convertible seats are for 5 pounds and up. A friend of mine who just had twins, purchased the Britax carseats, but the hospital would not allow her to put her babies at 4 pounds in them, they had to get some interim infant seats.



Our carriers started at 5 pounds as well. Elizabeth came home at 4-12 or so and she passed the challenge in the carrier just fine. Another baby was having one done at the same time and she was born at 5-11. My DD was 5-2 and DS was 6-6. When I saw her in the convertible for the challenge I realized I had wasted 200 bucks!

If they are too small for the seat, our hospital lends you a carbed!

 

QUOTE(Mom2SofieAndTwins @ Mar 18 2008, 10:44 AM) [snapback]674499[/snapback]
You can find the slot heights of most seats here: http://www.carseatdata.org/cnt/resources/c...at-measurements.

Some of the low slots may be too high in order to get a proper fit, independant of whether they're 5, 6, 7 or close to 9lbs. It's not just weight but mainly torso.

Especially Britax seats are known for their high slots, which doesn't make them the perfect seats for tiny newborns even when they're over 5lbs.



I just checked both my infant carrier and my convertible and the harness slot heights are the same. The crotch strap on my convertible is 1/2" further away. Not sure if that would have made a difference though as we had to stuff blankets between the crotch strap and the baby anyways. The hospital specialist did that for us!

I agree you need to be careful what you buy, but if you are smart you coudl make a good decision!

 

We bought infant carriers again. My DS was in his until he was a year. (He was 8 lbs at birth but after that was always in the under 10% in both height and weight.) It was well worth the money we spent on it.

I LOVED the carriers they were so convient that I can't imagine NOT using them again.

 

Check with your local hospitals. Some hospitals give away infant seats when you have your baby there.

 

Can't imagine not having infant seats. Mine were 5lb 14oz at birth and they looked so tiny in the infant seat. We got a good amount of use out of it and it was definitely convenient to be able to strap them in while in the house and just pop them in the base. When it's raining, cold, etc, you can just go out and snap the seat in or into your stroller and you don't have wake baby.

At 9 months, when my boys reached the height limit (not the weight) on their infant carrier, we switched them to the Evenflo Titan and they seem to like it but I can't imagine having a "tiny" one in them.

 

i personally loved the infant seats so much easier to move them around while he was sleeping, i'm planning on getting infant seats for the twins as well. I have 3 convertable car seats to choose from from my son and my requirement of a seat in every car. But now with the twins we'll be starting out in infant carriers then moving on to convertables.

The convertables are nice, if you are looking at them, make sure you get one that is rear facing and forward facing because your child will grow out of the baby carseat 6 months plus.. I just liked the convience of the carriers for car trips and dr appts and other reasons i'd have to leave the house