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I suggest reading up on car seat safety and use on csftl.org or checking out their page on Facebook (Car Seats for the Littles). There's a lot of information out there and not all of it is accurate (there are no "safety ratings", for example- if they're on the shelf in the US, they passed testing and that's all we know. When used properly, ALL seats are safe.). Car Seats for the Littles is run by several CPSTs (child passenger safety technicians) and has lots of helpful information on picking the best seat for your situation and using it correctly.
I'd also recommend taking a look at their recommended list- Recommended Seats - Car Seats For The Littles . If you really want a seat that *should* be the only seat you'll need, you'll want to look at the "multimode" section of that list. There are very few seats that "do it all" and actually do it all well. The Graco Milestone and 4Ever are 2 seats that do.
Personally, we've used infant seats (Graco and Chicco) followed by convertibles (Britax, Graco and Safety First- rear faced our oldest to just over 3 and our 2.5 year old is still happily rear facing and will be for quite awhile) and our oldest (5.5) is now harnessed in combination seats (Graco and Harmony). But there are people who start out using convertibles (rear facing, obviously!) from birth and are happy doing so. Just remember that kids need to rear face until AT LEAST 2 (preferably as close to 4 as possible), need to be harnessed until 5 or 6 and *most* kids need a booster until around 10-12 before the seat belt fits properly without one.
We used the Britax B-Agile with a three wheeled stroller for our first. As the others have said, great reviews, and the stroller is actually fun to push!
Our 1 year old has just outgrown the Britax infant seat though (there's a reason why you see parents with young children keeping them in the infant seats for as long as possible). I'm a little bummed, since it's so convenient to use the handle for carrying, there's a built-in weather hood (for rain or snow), and the seat can rock back and forth for soothing.
An all-in-one couldn't do those things. Jack of all trades, master of none kind of thing. Like the combination shampoo and conditioner -- it doesn't do either very well.
For the next size up, we went with a Maxi Cosi Pria 70. In fact, I just ordered a pair of them yesterday, since our 3 year old daughter is still well within the height/weight limits. The material is soft and breathable, and very easy to wipe off spills or messes. No major nooks and crannies either, so vacuuming out the crumbs is a breeze.
Oh, I forgot to mention -- if you're the deal hunting type, there are some tricks to save money. Here's one of my favorites:
1. If you have a Babies R Us nearby, they accept competitor coupons like BuyBuy Baby.
2. BuyBuy Baby will email you a 20% off one item coupon if you sign up with your email address. You can use a temporary email address from 10minutemail.com to sign up (the email address self-destructs after 10 minutes, just long enough for you to get your coupon)
3. You can get 5% off Toys R Us gift cards (redeemable at Babies R us) for a limited time through different places like retailmenot.com
For example, a $250 carseat:
-$50 (20% off coupon)
-$10 (5% off gift card)
-whatever credit card bonuses you get (I use Discover for the double cash back, and 5% rotating categories to get another 10% off)
Not too shabby, right? And you can use that 10minutemail trick for other big ticket items (cribs, nursery chairs, furniture, etc). Essentially, you make your own sales.
Just be careful if you're looking at used carseats. If the carseat was involved in an auto accident, some sellers don't know or don't care that the carseat isn't safe anymore. The carseat might LOOK fine, but there can be tiny cracks or warps in the plastic or anchor points that would break off if you were in an accident! The only way to be 100% sure is buying brand new.
We were shopping for car seats a little while ago and we got a Graco lightweight something something infant seat. It sounds like you may want a convertible car seat? Be careful, when they face rearward they only fit in the largest of backseats. That's why we went with an infant seat and will just buy a bigger one when needed.
We definitely wanted the undockable infant seat. It was a pro tip we got from our friends. Installing and removing your infant from the car without waking it is supposedly a lifesaver.
All-in-ones are great in theory, but simply not practical for an infant. Echoing other posters, your best bet is to buy an infant seat and a convertible seat with a high weight and height limit.
Oh, I forgot to mention -- if you're the deal hunting type, there are some tricks to save money. Here's one of my favorites:
1. If you have a Babies R Us nearby, they accept competitor coupons like BuyBuy Baby.
2. BuyBuy Baby will email you a 20% off one item coupon if you sign up with your email address. You can use a temporary email address from [URL="http://10minutemail.com"]10minutemail.com[/URL] to sign up (the email address self-destructs after 10 minutes, just long enough for you to get your coupon)
3. You can get 5% off Toys R Us gift cards (redeemable at Babies R us) for a limited time through different places like [URL="http://www.retailmenot.com/view/toysrus.com"]retailmenot.com[/URL]
For example, a $250 carseat:
-$50 (20% off coupon)
-$10 (5% off gift card)
-whatever credit card bonuses you get (I use Discover for the double cash back, and 5% rotating categories to get another 10% off)
Not too shabby, right? And you can use that 10minutemail trick for other big ticket items (cribs, nursery chairs, furniture, etc). Essentially, you make your own sales.
Just be careful if you're looking at used carseats. If the carseat was involved in an auto accident, some sellers don't know or don't care that the carseat isn't safe anymore. The carseat might LOOK fine, but there can be tiny cracks or warps in the plastic or anchor points that would break off if you were in an accident! The only way to be 100% sure is buying brand new.
My dorky confession: whenever I see a used car seat for sale at an thrift store or yard sale, I buy it because I worry about someone not knowing any better and buying a potential death-trap for their baby. To recoup the cost, if it's a model that is still in production, I sell the cover and accessories in my Ebay store.
Hello,
We are soon to be parents and wanted recommendations on the best all-in-one car seats. From the baby being an infant to a toddler. We want to avoid buying multiple different car seats since there are infant car seats out there.
The important things for us are quality, ease of use, and durability.
Thanks for the suggestions.
This is what we did for #1, and will likely do it again for #2.
We bought the Chico Key Fit 30 as an infant seat. It (was at the time, not sure about now) highly rated and I like the "basket" like feature where the baby can remain sleeping and you can click the seat in. We bought a city mini stroller and the adapter for the Chico.
When he outgrew the Chico, we bought a 3 in 1 seat and used it as a rear facing seat and then forward facing. We'll probably keep him in that until he's the size to switch to a cheap booster (he's small, so probably around 6 or 7).
Many years ago, when I was first pregnant, I thought like you and just bought an all-in-1.
Then I had the baby. I made hubby go out and buy the infant carrier with the dock within the first week. The ability to take your sleeping baby in and out of the car and carry them around without waking them up is absolutely invaluable.
I'm a grandma, not a mom, but I agree with the infant car seat with the base. My granddaughter's parents and both sets of grandparents each had a base in their car, so whoever happened to be taking the baby simply had to click her car seat into the base.
Now that she's older and it's easier and more feasible to take her out of the car than lift her AND the seat out (she's getting heavy!), I bought a car seat to leave in my car.
Kids are messy and things get dirty. I can't imagine having a kid in the same car seat for 7 years. I'd rather get a less expensive one and change it every few years than buy one that she's going to sit in until she's 7 or 8 or 9 or 10.
I suggest reading up on car seat safety and use on csftl.org or checking out their page on Facebook (Car Seats for the Littles). There's a lot of information out there and not all of it is accurate (there are no "safety ratings", for example- if they're on the shelf in the US, they passed testing and that's all we know. When used properly, ALL seats are safe.). Car Seats for the Littles is run by several CPSTs (child passenger safety technicians) and has lots of helpful information on picking the best seat for your situation and using it correctly.
I'd also recommend taking a look at their recommended list- Recommended Seats - Car Seats For The Littles . If you really want a seat that *should* be the only seat you'll need, you'll want to look at the "multimode" section of that list. There are very few seats that "do it all" and actually do it all well. The Graco Milestone and 4Ever are 2 seats that do.
Personally, we've used infant seats (Graco and Chicco) followed by convertibles (Britax, Graco and Safety First- rear faced our oldest to just over 3 and our 2.5 year old is still happily rear facing and will be for quite awhile) and our oldest (5.5) is now harnessed in combination seats (Graco and Harmony). But there are people who start out using convertibles (rear facing, obviously!) from birth and are happy doing so. Just remember that kids need to rear face until AT LEAST 2 (preferably as close to 4 as possible), need to be harnessed until 5 or 6 and *most* kids need a booster until around 10-12 before the seat belt fits properly without one.
^^GREAT info. And the techs on CSFTL can help you find a seat that fits your vehicle, kid, and budget-- they'll even help troubleshoot your install.
Additionally, please know that car seat weight/height limits can be deceiving-- two seats might have the same limits, but if one has a harness height that's 2" lower and/or a shell that's 2" shorter, it might be outgrown 2-3 years before your kiddo hits the height OR weight limit (once either limit has been hit, it's OUTGROWN)-- additionally, for most rearfacing seats, it's outgrown once your kiddo's noggin is less than an inch from the top of the shell-- and for most forward facing seats, it's outgrown once your kiddo's shoulders are above the top harness slot OR once the tips of their ears are above the shell (and those rules apply even if they're within the stated height/weight limits-- check the manual of your seat to check, as each seat has their own rules).
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