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Q. I am very confused shall buy an infant car seat now and a convertible when the baby is an year old or shall I get a convertible which can be used both for a newborn and a todller?
Answer
Many convertible seats have a minimum weight of 5 lbs or "birth". The problem is that most newborns do not fit well in a convertible seat. In order to fit correctly, the child's shoulders must be at or above the lowest set of harness slots. Many parents purchase a convertible seat before their child is born, thinking that it is the ONLY seat they'll ever need. Most babies will need an infant seat.
Many people don't realize that not every car seat fits in every car. Many vehicles have humps, sloped seats and buckle configurations that are completely INCOMPATIBLE with some car seats. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if a seat will fit is to try it out. Many baby specialty stores and places like Toys R Us/Babies R Us will allow the customer to leave a drivers license at the front desk and take seats out of the store to try them out in the car. When installing the seat, you need to be sure that it is locked into place. Check your car's owner's manual to find out how to lock your child restraint in. There should be less than 1 inch of movement side to side and from back to front. To check for seat movement, grab the seat where the seat belt threads through on either side and pull from side to side and from the back of the seat toward the front. Use gentle tugs - any forceful movement can dislodge even the tightest installation. A rear-facing seat will have normal movement back and forth and side to side at the TOP of the seat - this is the way it's designed to protect baby.
Please check out this page http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
Many convertible seats have a minimum weight of 5 lbs or "birth". The problem is that most newborns do not fit well in a convertible seat. In order to fit correctly, the child's shoulders must be at or above the lowest set of harness slots. Many parents purchase a convertible seat before their child is born, thinking that it is the ONLY seat they'll ever need. Most babies will need an infant seat.
Many people don't realize that not every car seat fits in every car. Many vehicles have humps, sloped seats and buckle configurations that are completely INCOMPATIBLE with some car seats. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if a seat will fit is to try it out. Many baby specialty stores and places like Toys R Us/Babies R Us will allow the customer to leave a drivers license at the front desk and take seats out of the store to try them out in the car. When installing the seat, you need to be sure that it is locked into place. Check your car's owner's manual to find out how to lock your child restraint in. There should be less than 1 inch of movement side to side and from back to front. To check for seat movement, grab the seat where the seat belt threads through on either side and pull from side to side and from the back of the seat toward the front. Use gentle tugs - any forceful movement can dislodge even the tightest installation. A rear-facing seat will have normal movement back and forth and side to side at the TOP of the seat - this is the way it's designed to protect baby.
Please check out this page http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
What car seat(s) work best in these two vehicles?
p1nkp1nkp1
I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee and my boyfriend is in the process of getting a late 2000's Ford Focus. Any suggestions on a car seat (infant &/or convertible) that fits well in both of these vehicles and functions easily but also safely?
Answer
Well, if the Ford Focus is a 4 door then from what it looks like it should have plenty of room for a convertible. The Graco My-Ride is one I'd try, you might need to put it in the middle of the backseat between the front seats to get it to lay back but it should be fine. I've actually heard a lot of good things about the Radian XTSL and that it seems taller but because it's actually shorter in the base it fits some cars better. The Grand Cherokee shouldn't give you any sort of trouble, so much room in that one in the backseat that I remember.
I did find this site, and they say that the Graco My-Ride doesn't fit well in their Ford Explorer. But what I'd do there is take the car to Babies R Us or a Toys R Us and try their 'model' in your car to see if it'll fit. You have to make sure it reclines fully for a newborn though. But that gives you the freedom to try them out. People list several of the Britax fitting.
Keep in mind you want to be able to keep them rear-facing at least to 2 years and 30lbs according to the AAP's more recent recommendation (though 4 years is the safest.) So a convertible may be wiser if you want to spend less money in the long run. I remember doing a comparison and since the Radian lasts 8 years it's basically the only seat you'd buy (no infant, convertible, then booster seats, just the one) and it starts to be close to the same price as if you went with having to replace them as the baby grows and goes from 5lbs up. Second link is the importance of keeping them rearfacing.
I was able to keep a Britax Decathlon and Graco My-Ride rearfacing in my old Dodge Reliant which had a very small backseat by putting them in the middle between the front seats until my daughter didn't need the recline as badly. The My-Ride was a bit harder to get to recline better without being between the two though, so I would look at the Britax line at Toys or Babies R Us and see if that will work. You sort of nest it between the front seats.
Add: Fourth link, I found this person complaining that safewise the Ford Focus has the hardest time fitting car seats safety wise, so you'll want to make sure you try it out before buying the seat. Of course they're talking European car seats, so maybe that will make a difference, but it's something I'd be warned about. Fifth link is from someone else asking a similar question and the Radian being recommended because of it's thinner width making it fit 3 to the backseat better (which to me again would make it easier to nest between the two front seats so that it reclines fully, but if your focus has a sort of lump in the middle back seat that might not even be a good place to put the car seat. :(0
Last link, promise. It's the carseatdata car seat search engine. Maybe that will help as well. It's not updated though and doesn't have some of the newer car seats (like the Graco My-Ride, Radian XTSL, or the Britax 70 line) but it should give you an idea of how it will fit and where. Looks like most folks haven't had problems putting them in the middle.
Well, if the Ford Focus is a 4 door then from what it looks like it should have plenty of room for a convertible. The Graco My-Ride is one I'd try, you might need to put it in the middle of the backseat between the front seats to get it to lay back but it should be fine. I've actually heard a lot of good things about the Radian XTSL and that it seems taller but because it's actually shorter in the base it fits some cars better. The Grand Cherokee shouldn't give you any sort of trouble, so much room in that one in the backseat that I remember.
I did find this site, and they say that the Graco My-Ride doesn't fit well in their Ford Explorer. But what I'd do there is take the car to Babies R Us or a Toys R Us and try their 'model' in your car to see if it'll fit. You have to make sure it reclines fully for a newborn though. But that gives you the freedom to try them out. People list several of the Britax fitting.
Keep in mind you want to be able to keep them rear-facing at least to 2 years and 30lbs according to the AAP's more recent recommendation (though 4 years is the safest.) So a convertible may be wiser if you want to spend less money in the long run. I remember doing a comparison and since the Radian lasts 8 years it's basically the only seat you'd buy (no infant, convertible, then booster seats, just the one) and it starts to be close to the same price as if you went with having to replace them as the baby grows and goes from 5lbs up. Second link is the importance of keeping them rearfacing.
I was able to keep a Britax Decathlon and Graco My-Ride rearfacing in my old Dodge Reliant which had a very small backseat by putting them in the middle between the front seats until my daughter didn't need the recline as badly. The My-Ride was a bit harder to get to recline better without being between the two though, so I would look at the Britax line at Toys or Babies R Us and see if that will work. You sort of nest it between the front seats.
Add: Fourth link, I found this person complaining that safewise the Ford Focus has the hardest time fitting car seats safety wise, so you'll want to make sure you try it out before buying the seat. Of course they're talking European car seats, so maybe that will make a difference, but it's something I'd be warned about. Fifth link is from someone else asking a similar question and the Radian being recommended because of it's thinner width making it fit 3 to the backseat better (which to me again would make it easier to nest between the two front seats so that it reclines fully, but if your focus has a sort of lump in the middle back seat that might not even be a good place to put the car seat. :(0
Last link, promise. It's the carseatdata car seat search engine. Maybe that will help as well. It's not updated though and doesn't have some of the newer car seats (like the Graco My-Ride, Radian XTSL, or the Britax 70 line) but it should give you an idea of how it will fit and where. Looks like most folks haven't had problems putting them in the middle.
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