This might be a stupid question and seeing as we're TTC and not even pregnant yet, totally jumping the gun... But, I've seen a lot of posts lately about infant car seats and convertible car seats. What's the difference?!
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An infant car seat can be used as part of a travel system, so you can just take it out of the car and click it into your stroller (this way you don't have to actually take the baby out of the seat). Or you can take the infant seat out and just carry it. The convertible stays in the car.
ETA: Babies usually outgrow the infant seat by 1. Convertibles usually last 3-4 years (I think).
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Infant car seats generally have bases that you keep in the car, so you can click the seat in and take it out (handy if your LO is napping, for instance). Most are only good up until 30 pounds or so and they only rear-face.
Convertible seats rear-face and forward-face (once your LO is bigger). Most can be used for infants but you don't have the convenience of taking the seat out of the car because they don't come with bases. They're generally bigger and bulkier, too, because they are supposed to accommodate your LO until he or she is big enough for a booster.
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An infant car seat you can carry around and a convertible car seat stays in your car but can be used for all ages.
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Here's a chart showing Britax's different car seats, from infant to convertible to booster.
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An infant seat usually comes with a base that allows easy click in/out of the car, can usually attach to a stroller (travel system), has smaller height/weight limits (usually 25-30" & 30ish lbs"), and is only for rear-facing.
Convertible seats are made to be installed & stay in the car, don't attach to a stroller, are made for rear-facing & forward facings, and have ranges from birth to adolescence (4lb-100+lb & up to 60 inches depending on rear/forward facing).
I think those are the main differences.
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So a convertible is essentially permanent in a car? You put it in and, for the most part, leave it. We have one car so it wouldn't switch cars or anything.
Now, when you talk about the higher end strollers - UppaBaby, Bugaboo, etc. are those equipped for infant car seats or something beyond infant age too?
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@LindsayInNY: Yea, you basically just keep it in the car unless you need to switch cars! I do believe most strollers come with an adapter that works for more infant seats & then the child would just sit in the regular seat.
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@LindsayInNY: We have the Uppababy Cruz and the Maxi Cosi Mico. We did have to buy the adapter separately, but it was only $30. I know Uppababy is compatible with Graco and Chicco also (with an adapter) and there is a new Uppababy Mesa infant seat coming out that is compatible without an adapter. I am not sure about Bugaboo...
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@lawbee11: Is the Maxi Cosi Mico compatible with the Uppababy Cruz? Is the Cruz essentially just the stroller frame? Trying to figure out how all this works
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@LindsayInNY: No worries--it took me awhile to figure it out, too! Yes, the Mico is compatible with the use of the adapter. When used with the infant seat, you just use the Cruz frame. We also have the Cruz infant insert, so we can use the Cruz seat for a newborn, but this would require us to remove her from her car seat. So, if we're going out somewhere in the car, we'll probably just use the frame + infant seat so that we don't have to take her out of the car seat (especially if she's sleeping). If we are just going on a walk around the neighborhood, we'll put her in the Cruz seat with the infant insert. I hope that makes sense!
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@lawbee11: Okay, it 's starting to make sense now! So, using the ones you have, you'll have the Mico with Cruz frame as an infant and then will need to have a different car seat and different insert with the Cruz frame after? I didn't realize you had to buy so many things!!
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@LindsayInNY: Once she outgrows the infant seat she will just sit in the Cruz seat. We won't need anymore adapters/inserts at that point. The infant insert is used with the Cruz seat and at the full recline position because babies don't have the head/neck control at that point to sit upright without it. Here is a pic of the Cruz with the Mico and another of the Cruz with the seat it comes with (this is the same for the Vista, too).
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@lawbee11: So the infant seat is essentially temporary? Will you use the convertible car seat after then?
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@LindsayInNY: Yep, exactly!
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