Travel System VS Convertible Car Seat?
This is DH & I baby #1. I'm not very far along with my pregnancy but I feel super overwhelmed at everything that has to be done before baby arrives. So I'm researching early as usual. lol With that being said I've had many friends that have used those traveling systems and said they loved them however when the baby got a little heavier they would complain the entire time carrying it saying it was too heavy and that their shoulders, back, etc. were starting to hurt frequently. So my thought was to get one of those convertible car seats and then buy a stroller with no traveling system but now those same ladies are saying 'no no no you are being silly.' My Mom is with me and says to get a convertible car seat and save the money in the long run.
I just want to know the opinions of others.
And if you used a convertible car seat what did you do with the baby when you went to a restaurant because as of right now thats the only way I think the travel system would be better.
Thanks everyone! :-)
Comments
Skip the travel system. This isn't a popular answer, but it's the truth. Travel systems encourage unsafe use of the car seat.
According to studies done, until babies are 3-6 months old they should be laying flat or being carried upright in someone's arms (or a baby carrier.) When they are put in a car seat, bouncer, stroller with an incline, swing, etc, their oxygen levels dip. The more premature they are the more danger they are in, and if they have any breathing issues the more danger they're in. The recommendation is that car seats are used for travel in cars, not for sitting, riding, being carried in, going in the stroller, being put on shopping carts, as a feeding chair, etc. And most dangerous of all, don't let the baby SLEEP in them. That's also why they are so adamant about a 45degree angle recline in car seats for infants, it helps them breathe. Some of the best strollers for newborns (like the Chicco, it lays fully flat and puts their feet up too so it's like a little bed) come with car seats to hook into them, basically negating the safest way for the baby to ride, and encouraging the parent to leave them in the seat.
Basically when you see a baby riding in an infant seat, sitting in one during dinner in a restaurant, that baby is in danger for the parent's convenience. I never felt comfortable leaving my daughter in a car seat in a restaurant... we actually bought a travel-high chair that reclined very well and used that, or just held her. Oh, the travel-high chair was so much better than a normal one as well. Perfect to take to a friend's house, or to a BBQ, and didn't take up as much room for us to use every day. See the second link, that's basically what we have.
So for safety reasons it's better not to use a travel system.
Add: Never, never, never under any circumstances put a infant carseat on a shopping cart! Not only is it bad for their breathing, it's not how shopping carts are designed and has been consistently warned against doing for years now because of the number of infants injured or killed from having their carseat put on the cart.
Convertible Car Seat Travel System
Convertible Car Seat For Travel
Our travel system carrier got way to heavy to lug around, about the time my son turned 4 months. When he was 5 months, it flat out broke! Not in a dangerous way, it just got seriously stuck in the base. My husband had to saw it out. So we took our warranty money and got a Britax Boulevard (a convertible seat that goes from 5-65 lbs). I had a baby carrier that I would wear my son around in everywhere we went (ie the grocery store, shopping, restaurants, the park, wherever!).
I'm now expecting baby #2 in August. I've decided to skip the infant seat completely. I got our son upgraded to a Britax Frontier booster seat, and we're passing the convertible seat to the baby. I just ordered an insert, for the seat, to make the baby a little more comfy and secure until s/he's a little older. And I'm planning to invest in a better baby carrier this time - one that puts the baby's weight on my hips, and not my shoulders. And one that I can use until they're a toddler. I'm planning to order a lillebaby everywear carrier on Monday.
Having said that, I think you would get along fine without a travel system! It's not long before you want to ditch that baby seat anyway - and then you'll have to pay more money for another car seat.
Good luck to you! and congratulations!
My first baby is 10 months old now, and we've used a travel system since she was born. I just bought her a convertible car seat but I don't think we'll use it until she can sit forward facing, since it turned out to be bigger than I expected.
I've LOVED the travel system!!! Especially when she was very little...I can't imagine trying to go shopping without it! Those car seats fit into almost any shopping cart, and I always keep my stroller in the trunk of my car so if I go to the mall or some place without carts, I pull it out, pop in the car seat, and away we go. It's been especially handy when she was sleeping, because we could just carry in the whole seat and many times I actually did my shopping and got her back to the car without her waking up! Can't do that with a convertible! However, now that she's getting bigger and we don't take her car seat in everywhere, I think the convertible is more what we need...as soon as she's big/old enough to switch that's what we'll be using. Sorry this is kinda long, but to sum it up, my advise would be to definitely start out with a travel system, and then switch to a convertible once the baby get's bigger. 
Enjoy your pregnancy!!
I personally find more pro's with the travel system. Yes, baby can get pretty heavy- BUT here are my thoughts.
With the convertible carseat: More expensive carseat, but baby can use it longer. Not easilly moved from one vehicle to another (travel system carriers usually have seatbelt attachment avaliable along with a click base OR you can buy multiple bases), and you have to take baby out every place you go- which can be frustrating if baby just fell asleep (think gas stations, post office, general errands too!) Plus, if you go to a resturaunt, you will have to hold your baby the whole time until baby is old enough to sit in a highchair. (baby Slings can help with this, but I didn't like mine.) Also with the carrier, you can attach toys to entertain baby on the go as well. When my first daughter outgrew her carrier, I bought an inexpensive carseat to replace it, but by then, she could easilly sit on her own and she had just started to walk. So in the end, it cost me probably about the same to buy the travel system and the additional carseat that it would have cost me to buy 2 carseats (one for each vehicle) and a nice stroller.
My travel system was an eddie bauer one I found at biglots for $120. The car seat was a nice, inexpensive one I also found there for around $30. Total spent: $150. A lot of Infant carseats cost around $100 and up. I did find a Costco convertable seat for $55 though. Good luck with your descision!
EDIT: I totally understand people's feelings about babies spending too much time in carriers and not being held- just because you use one doesn't mean baby has to stay in it the whole time. We constantly took our baby out at resturaunts when she was up and happy, but it was very nice to have the option to set her down so we could eat hands free! It totally agree that some people let their baby spend way too much time in the carrier! Neither daughter had a flat head BTW
Get a convertible seat that has a high weight AND height limit. Then research babywearing. I NEVER carried the infant 'bucket' seat anywhere. Back in my babies' day, they outgrew the bucket seat weight/height by 7 months, LOL. Who wants to lug 15lb of babe and 10lb of carseat? Since those combo's came about, there's been an increased in flat head problems. I see babies spending hours in their carseat while at the library or rec center. Babies should be held by people, not things.
Really, babywearing was the BEST thing I did as a parent. And, by using a convertible seat, I could keep baby rear facing till 35lbs!!
And hon, going to restaurants will be pretty far down on the list of things to do once the baby is born
(Some people borrow/get a cheap bucket seat just for running into stores, etc...it can even be 'expired' if you're just using it for carrying baby--but again, that's such a nuisance, LOL).
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RE:
Travel System VS Convertible Car Seat?
This is DH & I baby #1. I'm not very far along with my pregnancy but I feel super overwhelmed at everything that has to be done before baby arrives. So I'm researching early as usual. lol With that being said I've had many friends that have used those traveling systems and said they...
My suggestion is to skip the travel system, get the convertible seat and a realistic stroller if you think you'll use one, but also get a really good sling or wrap. This way you can wear your baby when you don't want to mess with the stroller. It's totally possible to eat comfortably with Baby napping on your chest or being held in your lap and passed back and forth with whoever is out to eat with you.
I know all of the different options with slings and wraps are overwhelming too, but go with your gut on those. Snugglies and Bjorns and similar products really suck, but other fabric carriers are great; pick the one that you think you'll be most comfortable with.
I used a travel system with infant car seat. It was a great help when my daughter fell asleep in the car. Once she hit 15 or 16lbs I just stopped taking the seat out of the car. It is just too heavy to lug around outside the car. She now either sits in cart, highchair or baby carrier while we are out and about.
Do what works best for your situation, not what everyone tells you to do.