Help!

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We’re currently expect our last baby and I’m in a real dilemma over car seats. We’ve not bought one in a while so would appreciate some thoughts. Safety is TOP for us, but as always, we’ve got to balance cost and convenience.

Option A - we get a Maxi-Cosi infant seat plus base and use the existing adapters for our Quincy Buzz. On the downside, we then have to buy a new car seat in a year’s time and if we don’t want a Maxi-Cosi Pearl, and therefore reuse the base, we’ve spent around £350 for a years worth of travel.

Option B - we go straight for a birth-4 years car seat (£350-450)

BUT
We sacrifice being able to put it onto the buggy, which means I’ll have to get baby out and into the Pram bit of the Quinny, or a sling every time. While I used a sling a lot before, there are always situations where is easier to just get the car seat out and pop it on the buggy.
AND
Am I right in thinking the hospital force you to carry baby out in a car seat and won’t let you leave otherwise? Presumably more people are getting these 0-4 year seats now, so what do they do then, as you can’t carry baby in them?

Option C- The Recaro Zero. Elite looks like the best of both worlds. A pricey £400-£450 BUT can be used with travel systems and up to 4 so that would be it. Not sure yet whether it would fit our buggy.

Any thoughts would be really appreciated!

I'd use your Maxi Cosi and see where you are in a year. The birth to 18kg seats are only worth the money if your child is less than 18kg by the time they're 4 (or isn't too tall!). If your child is predicted to be heavier or tall by the time they're 4, a 25kg seat bought at 12-18mo is better value and also better for the child to rear face for as long as possible.

You don't have to spend £350+ on an ERF seat. The Britax Two Way Elite is a very good 25kg rear facing seat that fits any car and costs about £180.

Could you borrow an infant seat for the first few months? You might find you don’t use it on the pram too much and are happy to buy something suitable from 6mths-18kg/25kg then. I have the Britax TWE and altjpughuts a great seat, I probably wouldn’t put a baby 12 months in it.

You often find that people are happy to lend the infant seat bases out too, as they don’t need up with much wear and tear.

“I have the Britax TWE and altjpughuts a great seat, I probably wouldn’t put a baby 12 months in it.”...SHOULD say...:

I have the Britax TWE and although it’s a great seat, I probably wouldn’t put a baby under 12 months in it.

The infant seats aren't too spendy so get one of those. Then at 9m get a Britax 2way Elite.

Both are belted so save money on the base too.

If safety is top then I agree you'll probably want an ERF to 25kg later down the line. That's the safest solution, hands down can't get any better kind of thing. List here, prices are pretty up to date (disregard final two as these are only forward facing.) Downside is you can't use these seats from birth. Anyway this type of seat will cost in the region of £200-400, depending on which features you go for. Personally I wouldn't bother with the Two Way Elite unless you need a very lightweight seat or need to avoid the support leg. It's fine, but it's a very old design now, and newer seats on the market have better features for not very much more money.

So then you'll need an infant seat (and base, if you want one) to do you until then.

Cybex, Joie, Maxi Cosi, Recaro and BeSafe will all fit onto the current set of pushchair adaptors you have. Although they are called Maxi-Cosi adaptors, all of these companies use them. The exception is the very cheapest Joie model (Juva) and Recaro Zero 1Elite - ironically! There is also one Cosatto car seat which fits them, the newest/i-size one.

If your overall budget is about £350-400, then you could either go for the cheapest possible infant carrier which will work with your pram (Joie Gemm, I believe) without a base and get a top spec 25kg ERF like the Axkid Minikid, or you could budget for something like the Akxid Move at about £225 and have £150-200 to play around with for combinations of infant seat and base. The highest rated infant carrier for safety currently is the Cybex Aton 5 (going by ADAC testing) though they rate it slightly higher without the base. You can get seat and belted base combo for under £200 or isofix base about £210 for the pair.

Hope this helps :)

Am I right in thinking the hospital force you to carry baby out in a car seat and won’t let you leave otherwise?

No. They can't stop you. Once you have been discharged you can leave as and how you please. They can't refuse to discharge you because your baby seat is in the car either.

Lots of people will be along to tell you otherwise though!

Thanks everyone, lots to think about but you’ve broken me out of my mental block on it!

Oops sorry - just read back over my reply and I forgot to post the list I promised

csftl.org/european-car-seats-25-kg-weight-limit-seats/