is there any advantage to using an infant seat over a convertible for an older baby?

lincolnparkafterdark · Jan 18, 2007

I'm trying to decide now between the Graco Safeseat and the Chicco Keyfit. Biggest difference seems to be that the SS goes up to 30lb. I tend to have smaller babies (but then again each baby is different so......).

Anyways, assuming my child stays 9-12 months in an infant seat, is there an advantage to stay in that infant seat til say 18 months instead of going to a rear facing convertable at the 22lb mark (assuming that comes by 12months old).

Are infant seats inherently safer?

any other comments on SS vs keyfit?

mominabigtruck · Jan 18, 2007

The one big advantage that I see is if you live someplace where it gets cold in the winter you don't have to worry about the whole coat thing because you buckle them in and throw a blanket over them. Also I think that if you ride in alot of different vehicles its easier to get an install with just an infant seat or even the ss1 base then it is to do a whole rfing installation on most convertible seats anyways. Just my personal experience I have a ss1 and I can install the base in under 2 minutes in my car with a seatbelt. The only problem I have is uninstalling because I have long nails and I don't want to break them so I have to use a butter knife to flip the lock open.

mom2pjs · Jan 18, 2007

advantage to using an infant seat over a convertible for an older baby?

I'd say:
convenience:
base install is easier DH can do it alone, but it pretty much takes both of us to get a good install on the RF convertible.
When baby falls asleep you can take the whole "bucket" out and don't have to wake her up.
You can use that silly travel system longer

As the other person said if it's cold you aren't undressing/ redressing coats in the back of the car, just covering over.
comfort:
DD is much happier and more comfortable in the convertible than our Snugride.
cost:
Much longer time that you can use one seat and 2 bases instead of 2 new convertibles. Or you could buy one new convertible at 18-20 pounds and leave the SS in the other car and then defray thet 2nd convertible for another 10 pounds....

granolamama · Jan 18, 2007

Re: advantage to using an infant seat over a convertible for an older baby?

This doesn't apply to you or any of the other informed people on this forum, but I think that the biggest advantage of having an infant bucket seat available that goes to 30 lbs. is that babies in general will be much more likely to be left RF longer. Because hey, why would most people replace a perfectly good RF only seat if their child still fits in it? So, for that reason, I hope that the mainstream infant seat market share will shift toward the Safeseat 1.

emandbri · Jan 18, 2007

I bought one because I have big babies and I wanted to make sure she wouldn't outgrow the seat before she could sit in a shopping cart or a high chair. I'm glad I got it she is 6 months and around 18 lbs and fits fine in the safe seat. I also wanted it for winter, much easier to use the safe seat with the cover over it then keep her warm in a convertible. .

I agree about the safe seat locking clip being hard to undo, I use a ice scraper!

joolsplus3 · Jan 18, 2007

is there any advantage to using an infant seat over a convertible for an older ba

It depends on your situation

. I have to haul my baby out several evenings a week to the big kids' extracurricular things, so if she's sleeping I don't want to have to wake her. We also are in the middle of winter, and I like to take the time to get her harness snugged up while inside, and just snap the seat into the base when it's really cold out (not put her in a cold seat and muck with the harness for that extra 30 seconds). And... we are going to grandma's this summer, and I think an infant seat is easier to bring from Virginia to Hawaii than even a Radian or Roundabout.

is there any advantage to using an infant seat over a convertible for an older baby?

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