Integrated isofix car seat base - should we?

[otterbaby]

We're looking at the Maxi-Cosi Mica I-Size car seat. It has an integrated isofix base meaning the car seat doesn't really leave the car.

Gets great reviews but wondering how practical this is? We live in a terraced house so no issues with trying to bring baby up the stairs or anything. Bought quite a compact pram (Bugaboo Bee) so that will easily come in the car with us for going shopping etc. Also hoping to use a sling quite a bit.

I've read that babies shouldn't stay in car seats for too long anyway but is it a massive mistake to not get one that we can carry into the house/shops?? If she falls asleep in the car, it's really a difference of getting her out of the seat in the car or getting her out once we're back in the house, right?

Any advice appreciated!

I had a travel system but once that car seat was in the car it never left. I didn't want DS in the seat for too long (the supermarket is a 45 minute drive away) so I'd just take him out and carry him. He'd usually stay asleep on my shoulder. Or I'd pop in him the sling to carry him wherever I was going, or just transfer him to the pram.

I couldn't imagine dragging a great big car seat around, and I must admit it didn't even occur to me for a very long time that I could take the car seat out of the car. So I'd think that a car seat that remains in the car would be absolutely fine.

Bump, in case anyone else could share their experiences!

I think there are two different types of people. Even though it was 16 years ago and pretty much all infant carriers came out the car easily I always took DD out of it and popped her in the pushchair, I got skilled at sleeping baby transfer and could do it without waking her. I knew of other people who always took it out the car and carried it into the house and it lived in their hall. Though my cats would have then slept in it so that may have been what deterred me.

I spent £ on the adaptors to place our car seat onto the pram.

I have done so precisely zero times. Admittedly a large chunk of her life we weren’t able to leave the house but it just hasn’t been something I’ve found necessary.

Once or twice we have brought her inside in the car seat It she wakes up quickly.

I had both, a fixed seat for DD1, and one which would pop on and off the base for DD2. I LOVED the one I could pop off the base with DD2. There is nothing more disheartening than waking a sleeping baby by trying to take them out of the pushchair into the car of out of the car into the house. It's one of the things I would definitely have if I were having any more.

We had one that popped off the base and onto the pram frame because it came as a bundle.

Between two children I put the car seat on the pram frame a grand total of once. That was only because I had to go to the dentist which was on the 2nd floor with no lift so I needed the car seat with me as a safe place for DS to sit while I was in the chair.

I had no other occassion ever to do it and I hated the one time I did. Hated having them in the car seat too long, and found using a sling or the seat of a trolley far more convenient.

Our car seat ended up coming out off the base only ever when were moving the base and seat between cars.

It depends how you plan to shop; I used to put DDs car seat in the trolley or those special trolleys with a car seat part. Other than that I never put had adaptors for me buggy and just left the car seat in the car as they can’t stay asleep in them for long.
Just another thought though - does it spin otherwise would be awkward to get a small baby into

Thanks all, some really helpful points here!

@user1493413286 yes, it has 360 degree rotation so it's been described as being simple to strap them in (in a perfect world!).

Have you checked the Mica in your car and measured the angle of it with all the newborn inserts in? I'd also see if you can measure the distance between the crotch strap and shoulder straps on smallest setting.

The 360 seats are great but not always as suitable from birth as they sound. In some cars they can be absolutely fine, and I would use one from birth. The carry convenience is nice but as others say, you get used to transferring them quick so that they stay asleep.

Mind you it's worth checking the angle and minimum strap size of the infant-only carry seats too because they don't fit perfectly into every car!

My two were completely shit at transferring from/to anything while sleeping. Absolutely appalling. Apart from going from boob to bed (50%), which clearly doesn’t help...

We were very conscious of safe time limits in the group 0 (baby, detachable) seat and used the carrycot and then pushchair seat mostly. But like PPs, the times when we could just lift a sleeping baby off the seat base or pram was an absolute godsend and totally worth it.

Personally I always felt safer putting them into the seat in the house and carrying it out to the car, as well. Just a few fewer moments carrying the baby directly when you’re trying to juggle keys / open and close doors / hurry in shit weather. Also means that in winter or wet weather, they’re in the seat ready to ride, and you’re not messing about with removing layers or blankets when strapping them in outside or getting a hacked off baby in the rain.

On that note, I can’t recommend Morrck blankets enough to wrap them up easily in car seats. There are a lot of similar ones on the market but certainly when I had my kids, these were the only ones that met recognised safety standards. They were a total game changer - friends who then got one said the same. Have a look on eBay or FB Marketplace where they come up cheaper (obviously).

If you’ve got cats and want to keep a seat indoors, putting a bit of tin foil in the seat should keep them out of it.

With my first I couldn't drive. If often walk several miles to meet with friends, and one would give me a lift home, or get a taxi. Car seat on pram wheels was invaluable.

With second I could drive... But had a toddler. Couldn't take the pram into toddler groups, could take car seat. So she would finish her nap with a member of staff watching while I did the activities with toddler, or the car seat followed us about. When she woke, she came out.