First baby- car seat/pushchair help

[holiday1nn]

Hi All, only just joined but I've been using this site for the past few months for reasons you can probably guess why! Loads of fab info.

We are expecting our first child mid-November and I'm stuck on the infant carrier car seat/pushchairs.

I've been thinking of getting the Britax Affinity pushchair with the babysafe SHR infant carrier, main advantage being the compatibility of car seat and pushchair…I don’t know if this is a great advantage or a just nice to have, any opinion?

Before I spend the £600 (inc isofix base) or so on this, I just wanted to check there isn't something 'better' I could be getting for the money?

I want baby to be rear-facing (car seat) for as long as possible, and not sure whether there is anything out there for 0-4 years old.

How practical is it to have a cybex-sirona type seat where the seat stays in the car and we’d have to move baby in/out of the car seat to the pushchair/carrycot?

Am I better off going for the above and then thinking of a next stage car seat at a later stage? (when baby outgrows the infant carrier seat).

We've yet to start using our sirona yet as we're adopting and not yet home. However it never entered my head to have the removable car seat as I have always absolutely loathed seeing babies in car seats on pushchair wheels. It's not good for them to be in too long so I'd rather have them all lovely and snug in a carrycot. I have quite a few friends with the same opinion and they've said they don't find it a hassle you just get used to it.

on the one hand, it was quite practical to simply lift the baby out together with the seat. But then again, that baby seat didn't last us long, as DS was a 95th percentile, and as velvet says, car seats are not suitable for long walks anyway. If I was buying now, would just get the Sirona from birth.

I'm with Velvet1973, I never had a 'travel system' and always used a car seat that stayed in the car for my three babies.

There are plenty that do birth to 4 years. Broadly they fall into two categories - 1). Something like the Britax First Class or Maxi Cosi Opal that do birth to 13kgs (the same weight limit as an infant carrier) rear facing but then you have to turn them forward to use them up to 18kgs. Or 2). Seats that stay rear facing all the way to 18kgs - this is by far the safest option, see www.rearfacing.co.uk for more info. Seats like this include the Britax DualFix, the Britax MaxFix II and the Klippan Kiss II. www.securatot.co.uk has info on all these seats.

Or you could go for an infant carrier that you can use in the pram, and then there are loads of choices of seat that do 6 months to 4 years or even 6 years rear facing. If you are buying a rear facing seat for a toddler or older child the ISOFIX ones can be used up to 18kgs but the seatbelted ones can go right up to 25kgs. I bought this seat www.securatot.co.uk/britax-multi-tech-II?category_id=61 for my daughter when she was 11 months old.

I also dont like the pushchair with car seat combo, but practically speaking if one of us (my wife or I) need to make a quick trip to post office, supermarket etc, Id rather keep the baby in their infant carrier car seat then constantly be moving them around. We live in a first floor flat and are expecting this November, so practicality is a necessity especially during the winter months which leads me towards an infant carrier.

A sirona type seat although is what Id really prefer to start with but I think this might be more practical when the baby is slightly older.

Thanks all, I think I know what direction to head in for us and thats basically an infant carrier for now and then look into rear facing car seats for 6/12 months +.

Klippan kiss. Best of both worlds. You can remove the infant part from the car whilst the baby is small. It even has wheels! But the seat unit is suitable till age 3-4 (18kg) it doesn't go on pushchair chassis but I can live without that, I use a sling for quick trips rather than putting up the pram.

If you are hoping to have another child in the next 2 to 3 years, I would seriously think about getting a pushchair that can convert to a double, e.g. a Phil & Teds Dot or Navigator. That way you are not spending on a single buggy now, then shelling out again in 2 years time. You just buy the doubles kit, which clicks onto the back of the buggy, and you're away.

I never took the carseat out of the car really, bloody things are heavy! FAr easier to take baby out and pop in to sling/pushchair.

You need to buy what suits your needs. So a pushchair to suit your needs (city or country? Pavements or offroad? Parent facing? Public transport friendly? How small does it need to fold for your house or car boot? Can it fit through your door?) and then the best car seat you can afford to fit your car. If the two things happen to fit together as a pushchair/carseat combo then great.

Extended rear facing is undoubtedly best however most extended rear facing seats are not great for newborns and are best used from when they outgrow an infant carrier so in reality you are best buying an infant carrier anyway.

Living in a flat I'd suggest you look at slings. See if you have a sling library or sling meet near you where you can go and try some out, they are so much more practical than having to lug a pushchair up and down all the time.

I totally love my joie pram carseat travel system www.mothercare.com/Joie-Gemm-Baby-0-Car-Seat---Black-Ink/650703,default,pd.html
and have now bought the joie anchor now hes grown out of the gemm(which stays rear facing to 4). I got the travel system for only £100 originally and im so glad we chose it - super lightweight-can get in and out of the boot and up to go one handed, he still uses the pram to nap all the time and go round in-it has done him from new born (I added a maxicosi muff to be extra cosy as he was born in winter as yours will be) and will be a pushchair in the future for him. its really awesome and so much cheaper. it goes from completely flat for newborn/napping etc to sitting upright really easily. the baby does face away from you but there is a window to look at him all the time and i find that quite good for when im wanting him to nap, and when the car seat is on it (it locks in really easily) he faces towards you so if your out shopping etc its good.

the joie gemm car seat can go on the anchor base so you can always get the anchor base and the baby car seat gemm and then go up to the anchor seat later on. the anchor seat does do newborns but you wouldnt lift it out and i would say that that is a massive help, having a car seat that lifts out with the baby sleeping.

so dont know anything about the ones youve mentioned - sorry -but wanted to say how awesome the joie is especially since its so much cheaper - but would say its so so helpful to have a seat that lifts in and h=out of the car easily with a sleeping baby in and that clicks in easily to the base etc.its soo hard to choose as theres soo many options, but i do really love the joie.

ah if your in a flat the joie pram (of travel system) is great as it is small and super lightweight!

The Babysafe is a great infant seat as it has a long back so will last longer than many standard 0+ seats and it gets great safety ratings.

Like you I dislike the car seat on chassis but it has came in handy a few times for quick trips so I'd say get one if its something you'll use (sensibly of course) and then get a separate group 1 rear facing seat when baby has outgrown it.

If you are set on the Britax affinity, its on offer at www.preciouslittleone.com, so for £450 you get the pushchair and the car seat :)

I'm not affiliated with the company in anyway but I have ordered from them a few times without issue.