R is at 100th percentile for height and if she keeps at this rate, she'll grow out of her infant car seat in the next two months, at 6 months!
we have two bases (one for each of our cars) for the infant seat for ease of use, but do we get two convertible car seats so we don't have to reinstall each time we use a different car? that seems like a big investment. sorry if that's a dumb question.
62 votes
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
We only have one seat per child. We always take my car when we go out. At $300ish a seat, it wasnt worth getting one for each car.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I voted one per car but I did want to throw out the option of one seat and whoever has the baby takes that car. I know one family who did that and it worked well for them but it would drive my husband bonkers 
.
The more frequently you install a seat the more likely it is to wind up installed incorrectly is the reason I voted one per car.
pineapple / 12053 posts
shameless bump as my 4.5 month old's toes are creeping toward the end of the seat! need to figure this out soonish.
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
LO isn't here yet but we got two convertible carseats for down the road. DH and I work opposite schedules so he will drop LO off at daycare and I will pick LO up. It makes life easier.
pomelo / 5178 posts
We have a carseat for each kid in both cars. 90% of the time we use my car, but it's really nice to not have to reinstall the carseat every time DD wants to ride with her daddy.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
We only take my car when we're going somewhere with Liam. Even when my mom babysits, I trade cars with her because she doesn't have the latch system and we never have time to install it properly with just the seat belt.
pear / 1723 posts
I stay home, so the kids seats just stay in the mini (my car). We take hubbys suv when we go camping or need 4wd but thats only 1-2x per month. Buying another $500 worth of carseats wasn't worth the occasional convenience in our house. Plus, our Radians are crazy easy to pop in and out with the superlatch.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
I think it depends on your situation. When the time comes, we will probably have to get 2 because there will be days where DH drops off at daycare and I pick up or vice versa. But if she will be riding almost exclusively in one car and rarely in another, it might be better just to get one. (I'm also planning to buy ours from NBD, so hopefully I'll score 2 for close to the price of 1.)
coconut / 8279 posts
We have one per car.
I don't even have to think about it when DH drops DS off at my work, etc.
It was a bitch to install and I'm sure would drive me crazy if I had to remove/reinstall every time we switched up.
pomegranate / 3008 posts
Because as much as we pre-plan, there are still occasions more frequently than we'd like that stuff happens and the person that dropped C off at daycare isn't the one picking him up so we need one seat per car. Also, DH does the majority of the driving to and from daycare and on the weekends we drive my car so if we don't want to move the seat every few days, we needed two.
GOLD / grapefruit / 4007 posts
We are having the same problem. I am kicking myself for buying the infant seat and bases !
grapefruit / 4278 posts
We had to get one for each car because DH drops off at daycare and I pick up. A convertible car seat doesn't have to cost $300. there are less expensive seats that have many of the same safety features as the more expensive ones. Our seats were $170 apiece, bought during a sale where we got $30 off each seat and they'll fit him until he's ready for a booster.
squash / 13199 posts
we have one per car. we bought a more expensive one for my car since she usually rides with me and then we bought a cheaper Graco one for DH's car just in case
coconut / 8498 posts
We have just one. We are a year in and have yet to have a reason to need the seat in our second car.
pineapple / 12053 posts
@kiddosc: i know! i think we'll get the combi coccoro and i've seen it for $170. still pricey though!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
My friend uses the one from Sams Club for $80 as her less frequently used convertible seat
coconut / 8475 posts
@birdofafeather: we DO need to find seats on sale! I'm planning on buying one ASAP and then waiting to buy #2 for DH's car only , if and only, the seat goes on sale.
The lovely ladies of h. Keep finding my seat on NBD for super cheap but I keep missing it. I suggest nbd!
pineapple / 12053 posts
@TurtleDoves: i keep searching nbd too, but i haven't seen the combi on there!
kiwi / 658 posts
I voted one per car only because our work schedules. If you can get away with just having one, then I'd say just stick with just one.
coconut / 8475 posts
@birdofafeather: people always see the combi on there (which is what I'm searching for) but by the time I get there, of course it's gone:(
coconut / 8475 posts
@birdofafeather: that is a question for mrs.bird! I have no idea. I feel like just buying the one that I. *need* right now and seeing how easy/hard it is to switch from car to car. If it is a PITA, then I'll keep searching for the same 2nd seat on sale. I have time though because I dont o back to school until Aug so DH won't be picking up or dropping LO off anywhere til then. Maybe you could buy just one and see if you need the 2nd based on your level of comfort? Do you have LATCH? Makes things much easier! Either way: I doubt you'll be able to get 2 from nbd because they usually come 1 by 1 
so you're have to get the 1, and then stake out the 2nd.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
We have 2. One Britax that is in my car and our long trip regular use seat, then we got a less expensive less comfortable seat for DH's car becuase he often does daycare pickups and its a total PITA to swap the car seat from car to car.
nectarine / 2274 posts
We only have 1 convertible carseat, we usually take my car when we go out since I have a mommy car.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
We have one per car, but we have a nice one (Britax Marathon) for our main car, and a cheaper one ($60 from Costco) for DH's car, mostly for him to use when he needs to drop off or pick up DD from preschool. We don't usually drive anywhere far in that car.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
i bought a britax advocate and a britax pavilion for $350 total from NBD, (and also had $150 from a shower gift), so it was well worth the $200 for both, to have one in both cars!
pear / 1946 posts
Three days a week, I drop LO off at daycare and DH picks her up so we have to have one in each car. We got a Britax Marathon for my car since she spends more time in my car, and we'll take any longer trips in my car. We're going to get an inexpensive seat for DH's car.
eggplant / 11287 posts
@birdofafeather: you don't have to get two of the same.
What we did is buy the nice seat we really wanted for my car. I drive her the most and when we go places as a family, we take my car. We got a cheaper seat for DHs car, as he drives her while I'm at work about 2-3 days a week. So she has the recaro seat in my car and a safety 1st seat in his car. We couldn't afford two $240 seats!!
grapefruit / 4800 posts
We just have one. When we do take the other car I haven't found it to be too much of a hassle to switch it around. But if she was in both cars regularly I'd probably at least get a cheap convertible seat for the one.
pomegranate / 3388 posts
We use both cars w/ DD enough that it was worth it to get a carseat for each car. We have 2 Britax seats, which cost an arm and a leg, but given the amount of high-speed highway driving that we have to do, I feel much safer doing it this way.
pineapple / 12053 posts
@Rainbow Sprinkles: is it weird that it didn't occur to me until you said that that i don't have to?! ha. i think we'll still look for a sale on the combi seat for the 2nd as i'm foreseeing that we might need to fit three car seats across at some point in the future. but definitely going to research cheaper options as well!
pineapple / 12053 posts
@Rainbow Sprinkles: i just looked! i only saw the zeus model. we're looking for the coccoro. i guess i need to stalk that site daily!
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
We have two sets so that the nanny has a set in her car. It was just too hard to pull the carseat at school every day.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
We have one in each of our cars, and my MIL has a spare one for emergency pick ups.
squash / 13764 posts
@birdofafeather: just wanted to say that if your LO is tall, the combi coccorro probably isn't the best choice for her...it's one of the smaller convertible seats, which makes it great for using from newborn, but means that it won't last very long with older tall babies, especially if you want to keep her rear facing past 1 or 2 years old. This site has GREAT info on recommended carseats for all types of situations (tall babies, 3 across, small cars, tall drivers, etc etc): http://www.car-seat.org/
ETA I would also vote for two seats--the more they are moved around, the higher chance that they will be installed incorrectly.
pomegranate / 3414 posts
I voted one per car but that really depends upon how you use your cars. We have one seat for each child in each car but I drop off at the sitter and DH picks up; this also allows us to use either car whenever we got out as a family. If you predominantly use one car or only one does drop off/pick up having only one seat would make sense. You can also buy seats that grow with your child so you don't have to buy additional ones as they get bigger/older.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
Definitely one per car. We found a good deal on Britax seats so we bought two of those. We drive a lot and have long commutes. Both of us need to have a seat in our cars in case one has to do pick up when the other gets stuck at work.
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