What's your carseat?

[Christina]

Are you a bucket seat or straight to a convertible kinda person??

Do you already have your seat or are you waiting to buy?

[andyoly82]

We have a bucket for the first year then I will convert over. I loved having the bucket with DS. hooks right onto my stroller and well I just like it. DS is only 2 so it's the same one we used with him.

[pkaskaggs]

i am not a huge fan of bucket seats...i have some friends whose babies LIVE in those things. i am, however, going to borrow a chicco keyfit to use for probably the 1st 6 months or so. they do come in handy for restaurants and running those quick errands during naptime :)

mostly, i'm planning to just wear the baby in either a woven wrap, sleepy wrap, or a ring sling. i'm waiting on the ring sling till we find out what we're having which is THIS WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!

[Christina]

I am a car seat fanatic, I own 7 seats right now and that's not even the infant seat I still need to get.

We will probably go with the Chicco Keyfit again but the 22lb limit not the higher one because we won't use it for that long.
I had a Combi Coccoro for my last baby and it's a small convertible seat that I LOVED so I might get one of those too for this baby. My kids are rarely in their seats since I tend to wear them as well. I also have 2 here that are good for newborns too that are convertibles. We'll see, I tend to play carseat roulette and change them often. I love shopping for car seats. :)

[tazzae]

I am a carseat fanatic too! Dd has had many many seats in her 8 years. We are starting over with this babe; any infant seat we might have had would be expired anyways.

I've thought of skipping the infant seat--likely for a coccoro--since dd was never one to sit happily in it outside of the car. Poor thing woke up as soon as the seat left the car. Plus, I'm a babywearer and wouldn't leave baby in the seat for long periods. We don't do strollers, so that's not a consideration. But I wonder if the infant seat would be nice through the winter. Hmm, I'm undecided!

If I do go for an infant seat, I'm thinking chicco keyfit or cybex Aton, or a new seat coming out this month called the prezi by maxi cosi.

[Kelpagan]

We had the Chicco Keyfit for DD and loved it. She is in a Britax Marathon now and it is wonderful! We will use the Chicco for the newbie, then buy another Britax when he/she is ready to move up.

[marthathecakelady]

We will rear face till at least 2 yr. but with our chunkers we need a good infant seat that can go to at least 30. Mine usually pass the 22 lbs before they are ready to sit up. lol.

[Christina]

Martha - they have a new Graco Snugride that goes to 35lbs. It's really cute too!

I tend to have tiny babies and tiny toddlers. My almost 4yr old can still rear face, she only weighs 33lbs.

[marthathecakelady]

We borrowed a graco seat for Lizzie that was great it went to 35 pounds but it would be about 4 years old now. I think that was the brand it was. We pretty much had to turn her around at 2 because it was hard for my DH to be comfortable in the car with her seat blocking the seats from scooting all the way back! She was in a big alpha/omega and rear facing.... major space hog! LOL

[1healthylady]

I'm going car seat shopping with my mom next week. I think we'll start with an infant seat, but one of the higher weight/height limits, giving us more time before having to buy a convertible. We plan to babywear, but it will be nice to have the option of taking the seat with us to say, a restaurant.

[bohemianxchaos]

I have my graco bucket seat already, and then I'm pretty sure we'll be buying another Britax Marathon. I love the one we got for DS2.

[tibeca]

When DD2 outgrew her bucket seat at 4 mo, we decided that buckets just weren't for us. We have a britax marathon for DD2 now and will be buying another as we get closer to our due date. They are big bulky things, but since we have a minivan, it doesn't matter.

[girlichick]

We have a combi shuttle 33 bucket seat for the newbie, and then we have our older 3 in the first years true fit convertible seats. DD2 was in the combi until about 15 months when she outgrew it in height, then we switched her to the true fit. We will prob buy another true fit for baby when she is around a year.

[babyGmommy]

I have to buy one, I really wanted the Chicco but I'll have to pass because I have a Phil &ted stroller and I'll have to lay the seat back to get the bucket in and Micah won't be able to sit in the jump seat...

So my other options are a graco snugride 35 (I'm goig to get the tario 35 because I'm a freak about the colors)

I'm going to buy buy baby and try a few different car seats on the stroller and see what I like

Sent from my iPod touch using DS Forum

[AmarilloMommy]

We had a bucket with DS and we ditched it when he was about 5 months. It was such a pain to tote everywhere we went and we usually wound up carrying DS and an empty seat because he wouldn't just sit in it.

Now he's in a Britax Boulevard and this baby will getting one too. No point in getting an infant seat that we hate lol

[eguisgirl]

With my 4 year old he used a Britax Companion and then transitioned into a Britax Marathon rear facing until over 2 years old. He is 4 1/2 and still fits perfectly in the Marathon.

I have 2 Chicco Keyfits for baby V and will transition him into a Marathon.

[MommyKeller0107]

We will be using our Keyfit 30 from YDS, then transition to a convertible.

[Jessi621]

We'll be skipping the bucket. The one we have from our older kids expired when ydd was a few months old. For the short time she was in it it almost never left the car. The baby was always worn, I hate lugging the bulky seats around. So for this one we'll just skip the bucket all together. But I haven't decided what I'm going to get. I should really start shopping around.

[Charrey]

I like the buckets, mostly just for winter time so I can get them all snug and bundled up while we are indoors instead of dealing with taking coats on and off. I don't really use them in the stroller, but they were nice for DS when he fell asleep in the car (DD doesn't stay asleep once we stop). I HATE carrying them though!
We are getting a Graco because we just bought two new bases when DD was born but the seat is expiring in December.

[Bentley'sMomma]

We are going to use the chicco keyfit that we used with ds. He was in it for 15 months. I liked having it in the winter so I could bundle him up and then just take the blanket off when we got into the car. And I liked it in the summer so his seat wouldn't be hot... He'd always be sweaty when I put him in the carseat when I left it in the car. Ds is in a britax boulevard and I plan on getting another for the new baby when the time comes. Dh can only fit 1 rearfacing carseat in his car so we have a britax in there so either baby can use it. And on the off chance I go somewhere without a child, i'll just take dh car and leave him with my car with 2 carseats incase of emergencies.

[jc12551]

We didn't have an infant seat with DS1 and I wanted one bad! I got one with DS2 (plus a lot of carriers). But I am not able to carry it around due to my shoulder. It was useful when shopping, eating out, and naps at church. DS2 did NOT like to be worn, which broke my heart. He would scream until I would take him out of any type of carrier after the first month.

[girlichick]

I have to buy one, I really wanted the Chicco but I'll have to pass because I have a Phil &ted stroller and I'll have to lay the seat back to get the bucket in and Micah won't be able to sit in the jump seat...

So my other options are a graco snugride 35 (I'm goig to get the tario 35 because I'm a freak about the colors)

I'm going to buy buy baby and try a few different car seats on the stroller and see what I like

Sent from my iPod touch using DS Forum

I have a P & T stroller too... Let me know what you find that works. Our bucket al out NEVER leaves the car, except for going into restaurants when baby is itty bitty. :). Otherwise I wear them. But, I didn't think about not being able to fit DS in the jump seat if the top seat is reclined... Hmmmm...although I guess I could wear baby and keep DS and DD2 in the stroller if they want to ride instead of walk.

[BLargy]

I hated the bucket with my son .It was so akwea for me to carry .Only liked it because of making it easy for changing vehicles. I'll probably just get two convertables one for my husbands truck and one for my suv . Every seat I have will be expired for this baby .I was able to use my ds's convertible it's entire lifespan.Talk about getting my moneys worth.

[babyGmommy]

I have a P & T stroller too... Let me know what you find that works. Our bucket al out NEVER leaves the car, except for going into restaurants when baby is itty bitty. :). Otherwise I wear them. But, I didn't think about not being able to fit DS in the jump seat if the top seat is reclined... Hmmmm...although I guess I could wear baby and keep DS and DD2 in the stroller if they want to ride instead of walk.

Ya I'll let you know I tote the bucket around I have graco snap&go type thing I got for free so that's another reason I'm leaning to a graco/tario 35s. I'll be checking places out this week. I'm suppose to take my sister inlaw out to 'look at baby stuff' cuz she needs to buy all her stuff and she has no clues what things/prices go for... I'm trying to talk her into buying everything but car seats on craigslist because there's no way she's going to get everything she needs for her 'shower' that's a joke coming from her family...

Sent from my iPod touch using DS Forum

[mmbreb]

I did not do a bucket with DS. I didn't see the point. I hate carrying them and knew I wouldn't use it much that way. This time however I am doing the bucket. Likely the Birtax Chaperone. My reasoning here is that it is cheaper then a convertible and there were a few times I had wished we had the bucket seat. We ate out a lot and I always ended up holding DS in one arm and trying to eat with the other. That was not ideal. Also When this LO is ready to move to a convertible DS can be moved to a 5 point harness booster since he will be over 3 years old. At least that is what I am thinking at the moment. If someone sees a flaw in that logic please point it out. I tried to talk it over with DH and he is lost on what I am talking about! :)

[monkey29]

we're going to get just a convertible, mainly because we live overseas and i don't want to have to bring two carseats here for the same child! DH and I don't trust the locally-made carseats, and the prices are just to high to justify buying one. this is our 1st, so we'll see how we do with just a convertible

[SAHM2Seven]

Well Im really glad I got a Chicco Keyfit..since it seems like everyone likes them so much! With my last we bought a Graco Snugride 35 but she was TINY since she was early, and was 4 lbs 10 oz when we came home..so a couple weeks after she was born, I bought a Peg Perego infant seat bc it fit from 4 pounds and the seat and insert just "fit" a smaller baby better.

It also looks really comfy :)

[Haleybailey]

DDC to say that Britax marathons and Boulevards will NOT fit a newborn from birth! The shoulder straps need to be below their shoulders and wont properly fit until at the earliest 5ish months. There are lots of convertible seats that do fit a newborn. Look in the carseat section for a list of newborn appropriate convertibles. (My favorite is the Evenflo Symphony!)

Congratulations and good luck!

[tazzae]

DDC to say that Britax marathons and Boulevards will NOT fit a newborn from birth! The shoulder straps need to be below their shoulders and wont properly fit until at the earliest 5ish months. There are lots of convertible seats that do fit a newborn. Look in the carseat section for a list of newborn appropriate convertibles. (My favorite is the Evenflo Symphony!)

Congratulations and good luck!

The new generation Britax convertibles (Marathon 70, etc) will fit newbies with the available infant insert. The older version do not fit newborns.

[LittleTadpoleDesigns]

We went with convertibles with our first baby and never regretted it. The infant seats are nice for the first month or two but (IMO) they then just get too heavy and awkward to carry! I consider myself short at 5'4" so unless I carry it in the crook of my arm it is either dragging on the ground or banging against my ankles, and I'm a weakling and can't carry it that way for long! :)

We got the First Years True Fit and I LOVE it. Our kids are little (my daughter at 17 months is only 21lbs and son is about 35lbs). It rear-faces to 35lbs and has a removable headrest which makes it fit better in the car until they are over 20lbs or the height limit for that part.

Unfortunately, with baby number three on the way and only a Pontiac Vibe... we'll be buying TWO new car seats this year in order to fit three across in the backseat. We'll be getting two Radians (just waiting for a sale!) and I've read that they and the True Fits puzzle together well so that will be a good fit. My good friend needs a new seat for her son as she is expecting baby number 4 in Sept so she'll get our second True Fit. :)

My sis-in-law just bought a Britax to replace her Peg Perego infant seat for her six month old son... he's 17.5 lbs and almost at the height limit so he'll need it this spring for sure! :) Her friends really like the Britax so that's what they are going with.

[1healthylady]

I liked having it in the winter so I could bundle him up and then just take the blanket off when we got into the car. And I liked it in the summer so his seat wouldn't be hot... He'd always be sweaty when I put him in the carseat when I left it in the car.

I'm so glad you mentioned the heat. Living in FL that's a bigger factor than the cold, and one I hadn't really thought about. I was leaning toward an infant seat anyway, but this just solidified the decision!

[amandajiggles]

We're borrowing a travel system from my SIL for the first little while. Then DD1 is getting a bigger seat and the new babe is getting her Britax Boulevard? I think that's what it is.. basically the roundabout with extra padding. That way we can get the best use of the seats before they expire and we will only need to buy a good HBB for DD1 to pass down. With a 3 year age gap it seems like the best option for us. We have two vehicles so I will get an affordable extra seat for the new baby for DH's truck when the time comes. The bucket seat has an extra base, but it will be cramped in the truck so until we're in a convertible seat we'll just be driving my van with the two kiddies.

[challmeyeralways]

We have the bucket for the first few months (While he is still really little and sleeping all the time) so that we can keep him asleep when we have to go somewhere (so far all of my kids sleep better in the car than in the beds). I will get one of those front and rear as soon as I get tired of carting the bucket around... once he starts being awake for longer than half an hour at a time, they never stay in the buckets anyway... although, it is a handy place to put all the stuff... bag, blanket, pacifier, baby, and other misc baby items. Keeps it all contained while baby is being passed around :-P

[mama2seth&trey]

We are planning on getting a bucket to use for the first few months, but I found with my 3 year old (his birthday is today) that we rarely actally used the bucket and almost always pulled him out and put him into a sling. I don't even know if it will be worth it for us to get a bucket. I love our Cow-mo-flaug Britax and may get another one for this baby.