What's the benefit of a recling car seat?

[Butterflyfern]

Hi, expecting our first and getting very confused about car seat requirements. Particularly the benefit or otherwise of "lie flat".

They've been quite heavily pushed when we've been to look at travel systems, but as far as I can tell most (all?) don't actually lie flat enough to keep baby in for any longer than the standard car seat guidance anyway. So are they just a fad?

A little bit yeah.

As you rightly point out, none of them actually recline to the full 180 degrees flat. Only car carrycots do this, and they generally have to be placed sideways in the car which is a pain and it's likely that a sideways seat does not provide as good crash protection.

Any normal car seat, provided it is not from 1980 or one of the most basic, cheap, bare-bones ones which come with some of the cheaper travel systems, will have some kind of insert to flatten out the seat for younger babies. Granted, some work better than others. All infant type car seats, even the very basic and even old fashioned ones, have a reclined position - something between 30-40 degrees is typical.

Keeping them in their seat for up to 2 hours is not an issue (after the first 4 weeks or so, before this you should minimise car seat use where possible). You can take them out after the 2 hours and then they can go back in for another 2 hours etc, e.g. if you have a long journey. I would not recommend doing this every day.

Car seats are designed primarily for crash protection, so they are snug. They have to be snug to do that job. That means they can't give babies the freedom of movement that they have in things like a flat carrycot/bassinet, or a lie flat pushchair seat. If you're likely to have the baby in the pushchair for any length of time, it is much better for them to be in one of these seats rather than the car seat. OTOH if you're going to nip into the post office or to do the school run for another child, or some other shorter trip, it's not a problem for them to be in a car seat which has a semi-reclined position (e.g. 30-40 degree angle) for that short stretch of time.

The ones which recline or lie flat do go flatter than this - somewhere between 10-20 degrees usually. It is a nicer position for babies. If you are in a situation where you are likely to use the car seat a lot more than average, for example you do a lot of driving, or you travel often and it's easier to travel with than the main pram seat, or you are a non-driver and take a lot of taxis/combine public transport and lifts frequently, then it might be worth opting for it, simply because it does look more comfortable than the squished up position that a standard car seat has. And in those cases, you want the Cybex for sure because it is the largest/longest-lasting.

The other benefit is that if you have very sloping seats in your car, the recline can be one way to help counteract that slope and prevent the baby's head from flopping forward, which can happen sometimes with a standard infant car seat and sloping rear seats. (There are other solutions to this e.g. a base which has an opposite tilt).

But whether it's worth the £300 or so extra that those car seats (plus base) cost compared to a standard one? Honestly, I don't know that it is for most people. Especially when most people switch to a bigger car seat before the end of the first year. I think the benefits are overhyped. There is enough of a recline in standard infant car seats to cover your everyday use scenarios, remembering that car seats should not be used as a replacement for a bed/cot. It's OK to let them finish a nap which started in the car, provided they aren't pushing the 2 hour total limit.

If you have the money to spend, and you want total luxury for your baby then go for it. But don't be conned into thinking it's a must have - it's an optional extra, and generally a very expensive one (probably because the techical implications of getting it to pass crash testing with a hinge in it must be very difficult).

@BertieBotts Thankyou for giving such a comprehensive answer!

We've decided to prioritise a 360 base rather than reclining as a result (ie spend the money in that direction instead). We will be doing occasional long car journeys to see family, but not at first, and can easily plan a break after a few hours. I imagine there will probably be a need to stop to feed / change at points anyway

Main thing is to ensure you extended rear face to age 6. It is 4/5 times safer than forward facing

More important than any of this is that it can be installed into your car correctly, I've seen so many badly installed seats, £100 or £500 doesn't matter if it isn't installed correctly

Honestly, the 360 bases are a bit of a con for infant seats as well, personally.

A swivel function is useful when the seat is fixed in the car, too heavy to move frequently, and you want to be able to turn it towards you so you can get the child in straight and the straps all adjusted properly (which is important, especially as they grow). But with the carry type seat this isn't really relevant because you would usually put the child into the seat in your house where you can place the car seat on the floor, or the buggy, or the changing table, bed etc (don't walk away from it on a raised surface, but it's useful if you can't bend much). Then you carry the seat, with the baby strapped in, to the car. When you get to the car it doesn't matter if you're clicking the seat into a 360 base or a fixed one - it's just as easy either way.

The next stage, where the seats are larger and less portable, it is nice to have the swivel option, though there are other considerations such as if you want the longer lasting rear facing seats, most of them don't swivel. But unless you're keen on the Besafe Beyond system, which is unique, having a base for the next stage up isn't really a benefit at this stage either. For the vast majority of the next-stage swivel seats, the version that you can click onto the corresponding baby seat base cost around £300, whereas the version which is swivel seat up to age 4 + base all in one, often from the exact same company, those cost about £230-270, and the seats are often basically identical. It doesn't make any sense from a consumer perspective. It makes brilliant sense from the company's perspective, because they know that people typically, when they have bought a base knowing that it will take a toddler seat too, will just go ahead and buy the compatible seat because they feel invested in it, the research stresses them out and they assume it will save them money.

There is one scenario IMO where the 360 base is useful for an infant carrier seat and it's this: If you plan to mostly keep the car seat in the car, and put the baby in and out of it in the car, but once in a blue moon you want the option to take the seat off the base with the baby in it and take it with you, then the 360 base is helpful because it is slightly annoying to get the baby into the seat when it's installed and get the straps done, because infant seats are so small and close to the back seat.

Essentially if you want to know where to spend money on a car seat, spend it on the next stage up. You can get a very good infant seat for about £250 for seat and base/£120ish for just the seat, and even the cheapest £60 infant carriers have good safety and work pretty much the same - you won't have pushchair compatibility, or such a well-designed insert or sun shade, or nice quality fabrics. But it does the job. Or, funnel your money into shopping at a local, independent nursery specialist or car seat specialist. These retailers generally have a passion for their work and a genuine interest. They get visited regularly by car seat reps so they know their stuff in terms of differences between models and installation tips etc. It's nice to support local businesses, rather than online warehouses, and it's helpful to have that input for the next stage seat, too.

The difference at the next stage between a £60 seat and a £250 seat is incredible, and if you have £400-500 to spend on the next stage you can get some really bonkers stuff with flashy, but genuinely useful features. (It is not necessary to spend this much. You can get something that does a decent job for under £200. You'll struggle for under £100.) The problem with the next stage is the really cheapo seats or the ones which promise a million keywords in a tiny price tag - this is a complicated stage to get right and some of the cheaper seats don't do it well.

Then when you get to high back boosters it's back to cost not mattering so much again. There is not a huge amount of difference between an £80 seat and a £250 one, and even at the high end you don't really gain much in the way of special features. £200 is enough to get you the best of what matters, and you can go sub-£150 easily with no issues at all. (Obviously this might change over the next 5 years or so - but that's the case now).