Traveling and taking his carseat???

Smiles365

Senior Community Member
I'm getting ready to fly to Dallas for a few days at the end of the month for a conference. We are not renting a car, we will just take a cab, bus, or shuttle when we need to go somewhere that we can't walk to. My question is, do I use a car seat in those situations? :confused: DS has a Roundabout, which I would think would be a pain to haul around town when we are out walking around. He just outgrew (lengthwise) his infant carrier that fits on his stroller, should I just take that and use it? I'm not really sure what my options are. I also don't want something to accidentaly happen to his RA, we spent a lot of money on it and I don't want to have to replace already. TIA, I really appreciate it!
 
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bazanna

Senior Community Member
You'll need a carseat in the cab. Buses and shuttles are all different...some have seatbelts, some don't. If there is a seatbelt available, it makes sense to install a carseat and use it.

It wouldn't be a good idea to bring a seat that is outgrown to use, no matter how much easier it may be....especially since your baby is still so young and small that s/he needs to stay rearfacing I'm assuming that based on the fact that the infant carrier seat was just outgrown).

It wouldn't be any easier to drag around town on foot but an option would be to by a cheap seat, like a Cosco Touriva, and use that on your vacation...since you are concerned about your RA being damaged.

Hmmm....I'm thinking back to your infant carrier seat. Did he truly outgrow it by height based on his total length in inches? Or does he have an inch or more of room between the top of his head and the top of the seat's shell when he's sitting in it?
 

Smiles365

Senior Community Member
He was 27 1/2 inches about a month ago, and his seat said to replace it when he is 26 in, 20 lbs. I know he is not 20 lbs yet, he's just a long baby. His head wasn't to the top of his carrier yet, but his feet were at the end. I replaced it and left his infant carrier at my mom's house in Washington because I didn't want to haul around 2 carseats here in Alaska, we don't have anywhere to store an extra one that he doesn't use. I'll have to put him in it next week when we are back in WA before we go to Dallas to see if he still fits. He'll be six months old next week, so I just want to make sure he's safe. It would be great if he still had room in his infant carrier, that would solve a lot a problems for me. Thanks!
 

bazanna

Senior Community Member
Using it beyond the manufacturer's recommendation of 26 inches overall would be going against their usage guidelines BUT in general, for most rearfacing seats, if there is at least an inch between the top of the child's head and the top of the seat shell (underneath the fabric cover), AND if the child is not at the weight limit for the seat, it's OK to continue to use. To do so would be making an educated/informed parental decision.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Graco is pretty strict about their 26" height limit. Other manufacturers are not. For example, Evenflo's FAQ says:
Question:
My baby is under 20 pounds but is 26 inches (or longer), do I need to place him in a larger car seat forward facing?
Answer:
A larger car seat is needed; however, weight is more important than length and your baby should stay rear facing if under 20 pounds.

When it doubt, you should contact the manufacturer and ask. If you need to know how, just post which brand the seat is, and we can get their phone numer &/or e-mail for you.
 

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