[rd200]

I have been trying to decide which infant seat i should buy. i want a travel system actually but i'm not too concerned with the stroller part, just the infant seat. i have been looking into the Graco Snugride 32. they are new. they are neat because they fit babies from 5-30lbs and 30" long. so they can stay rear facing for longer, which is safer. most of the other ones are from5-22lbs. I am having trouble deciding cuz if a baby does grow out of their infant seat before a year then i could also get a convertible seat which they can stay in rear facing for up to a year also and then use it till they are out of a carseat all together. so i was wondering what other people have and what you do and dont like about yours. i dont really want a convertible one for a newborn though they look too big and clunky to be safe for a 5lb baby. Any thoughts would be appreciated. and is $250 alot to pay for a stroller, infant seat, and base?? its been such a long time (7years) since i've had to buy baby stuff. Thanks Rach

[JustCourtney]

I can only speak what I have, which is the Britax Companion. I love it! He has been super comfy, and lots of people have commented on the extra head support. I also bought the Britax Preview stroller to go with it, and it is great! It folds up much smaller then most of the travel systems, and is lightweight. I imagine it will fit in any car's backseat, and I have even folded it down and slipped it under my feet in a booth at a restaurant - not something most sytem strollers could do! It doesn't have a tray or cup holder, but I don't miss it. It is smaller then most and easy to maneuver - nice in crowded places! The two can be bought together as a "system," but I scoured the internet and found them separate in "last year's" color combo for a great deal (saved close to $100)!

I should also disclose that I also got a non-jogging 3 wheeled stroller for going to the park, long walks outside (curbs, etc), and anywhere that has grass. I didn't expect any one stroller to fit all the needs I have, and I don't think one can!

Best of luck, and let us know what you decide! I am always glad to hear about good products I can pass on to someone else!

[mommamarci]

I personally would not worry about the higher weight limits. Those puppies get heavy when you add a 20+ pound baby to them. I know I would never have been able to carry a 30 pound baby in a carrier. (Unless you plan to just leave it clicked in the car.) Plus, 30 inches may not last until one year. At my younger son's 9 month check up, he was 30 3/4 inches long.

For my older son we had a travel system. It was okay. The stroller was heavy and I did not care for the car seat. (You could not adjust the straps without taking it apart form the rear.) We bought a new car seat when my younger son was born and did not get a travel system. (With 2 little ones, I knew I would never use a single stroller.)

My advice, get a seat that has a button of some kind that loosens the straps from the front. That way the child will fit snugly regardless of the thickness of clothing.

Good luck!

[mommamarci]

I forgot to add, most people feel the child should stay rear facing much longer than a year anyway. We switched both of our kids to a convertible before 6 months old. My older son stayed rear facing until almost 2. My younger will as well.

[rd200]

I think almost all of them i looked at have a strap coming right out of the front to adjust them. I know what you mean about being apain to adjust from the back and they finally are making them better. I cant believe they suggest being rear facing for 2 years!! i guess i have been out of the loop for quite a few years. 7 years ago, by like 11 or 12 months my son was in a regular car seat. i dont even think they had convertible car seat then, just infant carriers, regular car seats, and boosters. My son is old enough that he will walk everywhere but i really do want a stroller. we are very active and i want to keep that up even with a newborn. There are soooo many to choose from and then some of the reviews are bad and you just dont know which one is acutally the best bet. Everyone likes and dislikes different atributes about their carriers. i will keep looking. thanks for the advice. Rach

[aclee]

We have the Chicco which is AMAZING. it is a 30/30 car seat like you mentioned. Ty is still in it when he rides in his Dad's car, or my MIL. I have th convertible in my car. The stroller on it is amazing and I can't say enough wonderful things about the whole system. I've worked with a lot of systems as a Nanny, and this is by far the #1 system that I've ever worked with.

We'll keep Ty rear face up to the limit of all his car seats which is 35 pounds. I do think we'll move him out of the carrier soon, cause it is a lot to carry around. I like using it but we leave it in the car most of the time, but it's really nice when he's in it, and he's fallen asleep, or we're running into a store that has no carriages, like Blockbuster or whatever.

[Amber76]

We have a Graco safe seat system, and we LOVE it. I like the newborn aspect because it was nice to be able to take it in to restaurants, church dinners, etc when he was too little for a highchair. I also like that we have a cover for it that unzips over him so that we don't have to mess with putting a coat on and off when it's cold. It is one with a heavier weight limit and longer length as well. We don't usually lug it in anymore, but he still uses it in the car. Good luck choosing!

[mrskt]

We did a standard snugride with the snugrider stroller (just for the carseat to snap in, no actual seat), and then switched to a convertible seat when she was 5 months old (Britax Marathon). Looking back, I'd do it exactly the same way - I was very pleased with how it performed, and was very sad to have to leave my snugrider behind - it steers very well for a $50 stroller and has *perfect* accessories and function!

[slugbug0930]

We had the Graco Snugride. Loved it! DD just outgrew it at 8 months though.....she is just a big & tall baby!

My suggestion if you go this route is to buy a second base. We did.....that way DH could have one in his car and I could have one in mine. The carseat just snaps right in and you are ready to go.

The stroller is great for really long trips or trips to the park where you want to take drinks and lots of stuff with you but is a hassel for short ones as it is big and bulky and takes up pretty much all the trunk space in my VW Passat.

[Fran27]

I hate the snugride. Every time a buckle was getting stuck in the back when we strapped the babies in. Drove me insane! Not sure if it's us to blame or the seat though... We had the problem with both seats when we changed the straps to the higher point...

I'm with everyone though, I wouldn't worry about getting an infant seat that lasts to 30lb, at 17lb it was already hard to lift the babies as it is. Plus, as someone mentioned, it's much safer for toddlers to be rear facing as long as possible, so it's safer to just switch to a convertible seat that can go RF until 35lb when they outgrow the infant seat.

For the stroller, I'd go with something more compact and lighter than most travel system strollers. I know the Peg Perego Aria worked with most car seats as of 3 years ago, and it's a light and compact one.

[skilack]

We had the Graco safe seat. 30 pounds 32 inches. Loved it. I think little guy was in it until he was 15 months. I stopped lugging the seat around when he learned to sit up. Like Marci we had a car seat you could only adjust the straps from the front. I hated it and the stroller that went with it. I bought the Safe Seat and a Peg Perego Pliko stroller and have been so happy ever since.

[mommieof2cuties]

We have the peg perego SIPS love them!!! We also have all britax carseats, we have the boosters, the CON etc. LOVE BRITAX!!!! I would spend the money on the britax and a good stroller! We have the aria twin, single and single combi. Love them all light weight!

[rd200]

Amber76- is your higher weight limit seat really big? one of the customer reviews said that it was so big they could barely fit it in their car without jamming it between the front and back seats.

Maybe a stupid question, but what is a SIPS car seat? i still cant figure it out!! my SIL has a britax for their son, he's 7 months old and she really likes hers but i'm just not sure i have the money to spend on it. i would like to think that we will be adopting again maybe in the future, but i'm just working on this adoption first. i dont want to buy something for a ton of money to get 6 months use out of it.

Yes i am definetly getting two bases. i dont know how we lived with only one base with our first son. definetly worth the extra $40. my dh and i both work, so we will be picking up the baby on opposite days so i want to have one in each vehicle. Thanks for the opinions. i guess the money part will make my decision for me.

Just curious, has anyone put a newborn in a convertible car seat right away? seems too big for a newborn! rach

[Amber76]

Originally Posted by rd200

Amber76- is your higher weight limit seat really big? one of the customer reviews said that it was so big they could barely fit it in their car without jamming it between the front and back seats.

Maybe a stupid question, but what is a SIPS car seat? i still cant figure it out!! my SIL has a britax for their son, he's 7 months old and she really likes hers but i'm just not sure i have the money to spend on it. i would like to think that we will be adopting again maybe in the future, but i'm just working on this adoption first. i dont want to buy something for a ton of money to get 6 months use out of it.

Yes i am definetly getting two bases. i dont know how we lived with only one base with our first son. definetly worth the extra $40. my dh and i both work, so we will be picking up the baby on opposite days so i want to have one in each vehicle. Thanks for the opinions. i guess the money part will make my decision for me.

Just curious, has anyone put a newborn in a convertible car seat right away? seems too big for a newborn! rach

Ours fits fine in the back seat of our Expedition and in the back of my sister's Pontiac Vibe. Don't know how it would do if you have a really tall person in front in the Vibe, though, because I'm only 5'3 and I'm who sits in front of him if we ride with my sister. HTH.

[aclee]

Originally Posted by rd200

Just curious, has anyone put a newborn in a convertible car seat right away? seems too big for a newborn! rach

I know a lot of people that skip the infant carrier and go right to a convertable, and then buy a stroller they like. Just be aware that you'll still want a good stroller than lays flat, offers back support, and has a 5 point harness. Umbrella strollers and lower end strollers won't work on the tiny babies.

Convertibles are usually good for 5 pounds and up with the inserts for the head and but, which make them a little cozier for the little babies. For me personally though, I find getting a little tiny baby into a seat that I am perpendicular to and making sure they are all adjusted just right, a lot harder than being face on to the baby and making sure shoulders and strap etc are tightened correctly. Plus I couldn't have imagined bring Ty out of the house in the winter, as a little tiny baby, and just carrying him, and then spending a few minutes with him exposed to the cold wind while I strapped him in. I liked strapping him in while we were in the warm house, covering him with a blanket and then taking him out of the house, snapping him in about 2 seconds and jumping in myself...his exposure to the cold wind was so much less, and my frustration level was better because I wasn't trying to fuss with strap and him crying cause he was cold etc etc...you know? If you live in a warm climate or your baby will be several months old before your cold time hits, then it might be a good option though