Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

DS is nearly out of his infant seat. Anyway, we both have small cars. My car will be upgraded to a 'mom-suv' sometime around the summer.

Do we both need to get car seats now? Are there bigger infant seats (meaning for bigger babies) that still have car seat bases? (This way we still only need one car seat.) DS is only 3 1/2 months and still doesn't have good head control. I just would hate having to get two new car seats when I will be getting a bigger vehicle. If I get a car seat that fits into our small cars, will it be okay for an SUV? Or am I looking at having to buy a car seat to use for about 6 months?

Can you suggest car seats for our situation? TIA!!!!!!

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Which car seat do you have now?

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Both my kids were out of their infant car seat at about 4 months old and we moved them right into a rear facing Britax MArathon. While it is rather large, if you only have one child, it should be ok in a smaller car. IT really makes no sense to buy another infant seat. My son is 3.5 now and is still in his Marathon that he went into at 4 months old.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

I would go with the Britax Marathon. We have this one in DH's car. You can put the head thingy in there to stabilize him a little. (I can't think of the name offhand right now).

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Posted by waterspout4

Posted by chmlengr

Both my kids were out of their infant car seat at about 4 months old and we moved them right into a rear facing Britax MArathon. While it is rather large, if you only have one child, it should be ok in a smaller car. IT really makes no sense to buy another infant seat. My son is 3.5 now and is still in his Marathon that he went into at 4 months old.

I heard they didn't fit into a small car. SO confused.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Posted by Marcie

Posted by waterspout4

Posted by chmlengr

Both my kids were out of their infant car seat at about 4 months old and we moved them right into a rear facing Britax MArathon. While it is rather large, if you only have one child, it should be ok in a smaller car. IT really makes no sense to buy another infant seat. My son is 3.5 now and is still in his Marathon that he went into at 4 months old.

I heard they didn't fit into a small car. SO confused.

You can always go to BRU and they let you take the display out to your car to see if it fits in the car you have.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Usually, parents ditch the infant seat because it's too heavy to carry, often long before DC hits the infant seat maximum. Even if you got a seat that goes up to 30 lbs, I doubt you'd be able to carry it.

We have two Britax Boulevards, arguably the largest convertible seat around, and they both fit fine in a PT Cruiser, which is not a very big car.

Car seats are car seats. If it fits in your car, it will be fine for any larger vehicle.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

kelly the SAFESEAT has the lowest ratings on consumer reports dont get it!

If i go to the store i take my DH and we both go foodshopping one pushes cart one pushes snapngo.. if thats a help try that

let me know how you m ake out.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

thats true you can always keep the infant carseat in your trunk and put him in that... how much is he weighing now?

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

I have a Toyota Prius (pretty small) and the Britax Roundabout fits well. I didn't get the Marathon because I was afraid it wouldn't fit.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

I had to take Jack out of his carseat when he was about 2 months old. He would scream bloody murder - I think it was because he was so big - so I can only imagine how your little man must be fitting in there.

We had the Marathon and installed it in my car. My cousin gave me the Roundabout so we'll put that in DH's car. I would imagine that those carseats will fit into your smaller car. They also can be used starting at 5lbs so weight is not an issue. Sometimes Jack's head would flop a little to the side since he didn't have neck control - but I bought a noggin nest and that controlled it.

I just saw your concern about taking him into stores. It was a huge pain in the butt to be able to just snap the carseat in - but, depending on where I am - I will push the stroller and roll a cart behind me. This is one reason why I starting doing food shopping on Peapod. It was just too much of a PIA to go to the supermarket with him. I do Target and the Baby stores like I said above though!

Message edited 12/2/2007 9:23:39 PM.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

If you're going to move to a convertible carseat (which we did at 4 months), you can buy a sling to carry him in when you're in the store. Ava had good head control, so I would just stick her in the cart with some blankets to prop her, but I still carry my sling in the car incase she's fussy and doesn't want anything to do with the cart. THey have the ones that sit on your hip, or you can just get a cloth sling like I have and it can hold them in all different positions.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

I have a 2-door Accord and with the big carseat (the Roundabout, or the Graco one we bought), with it rearfacing, the passenger seat has to be up so far that nobody can sit in it. The seat does fit fine, but I can't have a front-seat passenger. If that is not an issue for you, you will be fine.

Remember too that you need a gap of 1-2 inches between the back of the carseat and the seat in front of it so that if there is an accident, the carseat can "move" downward to absorb the crash.

As far as when you get a bigger car, it doesn't matter if you have a smaller seat, it will still fit into any bigger car/SUV that you get.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Kelly the Graco Safe Seat Stinks!!!!

Caden is 18lbs and a lttle over 26 inches as of yesterday..and let me tell you he seems to be almost out of it..I purposely bought the "larger" infant carrier b/c I kind of thought he'd be on the big side..I wanted this one so I'd get plenty of use of it and that he could sit in it while I went to the supermarket etc..BUT It doesnt fit in alot of shopping carts so it defeats the purpose of why I bought it in the first place. I basically have to use the snap and go anyway..Im planning on keeping him in it until I basically just cant any more and then moving to a regular car seat.

Re: Car seat dilemma-numerous questions-need suggestions

Since DS will be out of his carseat soon, I did not want to keep buying carseats that he will outgrows.

I was looking at the Evenfly Triumph but it did not look tall enough and the weight max is 40 Lbs.

I decided to get the Britax Decathlon. That's one of they biggest and that's the only one with a croch adjustment (2 positions).

Message edited 12/4/2007 9:35:55 PM.