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Car seats

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Carry car seat or fixed?

5 replies

Cosycomfortable · Yesterday 13:19

Hi, I’m 23 weeks pregnant with first baby and I am unsure if I really need a carry style car seat or if it is safe to put newborn in the one in the picture?

I like the idea of the 360 spin base and that the seat will last longer than a carry seat, but not sure on which seat is best/safest for newborn. Advice appreciated 🙂

Carry car seat or fixed?
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Goldeng00se · Yesterday 13:25

100% get a newborn seat first. Get the maxi cosi pebble with the 360 family fix base, and then move up to having the bigger pearl seat. Safety sure but more because you can’t carry the larger ones in and out of the car - absolutely essential when they’re tiny. If they fall asleep you can bring the whole seat in and they’ll stay asleep. It’s also so so useful to have pram adapters that you can just click the car seat onto, so you can zoom around the supermarket without having the swap them into the bassinet. It’s also very useful having the retractable shade to keep it dark while they sleep. Our son did noooot like to sleep in the bassinet for weeks on end, but would stay asleep in the car seat when transferred into the pram base . Our son is only just moved up into the maxi cosi pearl and he is just turned 1 and he is massive for his age 90+ percentile, would have lasted longer in the pebble if smaller. The pearl fits on the same family fix base.

hope that helps!

BertieBotts · Yesterday 20:36

It's really up to you and what you think will suit your lifestyle best. Newborns can get a reasonable fit in multi-stage seats, although this is easier in some seats than others and can also depend on your car. In general, infant carriers tend to give a better fit for newborns than multi-stage seats but it's not 100% clear cut - there are some infant carriers which are tricky to get a good fit in, and some multi-stage seats which are better. But if you picked a random infant carrier and a random multi-stage seat, the infant carrier will usually be easier to get a good fit for a newborn (and some of them are excellent).

They soon fit better in any seat from about 6-8 weeks old, so if you're unlikely to use the car much in the first few weeks and have a short journey back from hospital, then arguably the newborn fit doesn't matter too much. OTOH if you'll have a long drive back from hospital, baby is predicted to be early/small, or it's likely you'll need/want to be out and about a lot in the car, then you might want to prioritise having the best possible fit for a newborn. If they don't fit well then the angle the seat has to be for crash safety can affect their breathing, so it's something you want to avoid if possible.

The other thing to bear in mind is weather, babies can't wear bulky outdoor clothing like pramsuits in car seats because it makes the straps too loose, so with the fixed/multi-stage seats you'll have to carry the baby to the car and fit them into the seat while standing there in the hot sun/freezing wind/rain and when they are very little it can take a few mins to get them sorted into the straps and comfy. Whereas with a carry seat you can get them into the seat at home and then set them up with any sunshade, blankets etc (over the top of the straps) and carry the seat to the car and just clip it in. And while you need to bear in mind time limits for them staying in the seat with any kind of seat, it can be more convenient to be able to carry them around in the seat if they are still sleeping. When they are little they often sleep on and off all day, and taking them in and out of things often wakes them up. This just depends on the baby - DS1 we could transfer him anywhere and he wouldn't care. The other thing which is useful about having a carry seat is that before babies can sit/stand on their own, it's helpful to be able to put the seat down on the ground for a moment to use your hands, which you can't easily do when you're holding a baby, and you don't always want to get the pram/pushchair out.

Besafe izi Turn/Twist B, Axkid One+ and Avionaut Stardust are the multi-stage seats which tend to fit newborns best. Joie can be better than some others but aren't quite as good as the others mentioned, although they are budget friendly, so can be a good option if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Avionaut Stardust is more money than Joie but for the amount of time it lasts, the price is very good.

Bear in mind for some of the more premium seats like Besafe/Axkid, if you want to use it from birth (which is usually from 40cm - the 61cm+ seats are for 3/4 months+) you will need to purchase the version which comes with the newborn insert. These newborn inserts are very well made and do usually give an excellent fit, but they are about £100 extra and so for the £100 you could consider buying an infant carrier, the cheaper ones are available for under £100 and do not need to be used with a base. However infant carriers have really increased in price in recent years, especially if you do want a base with it and for the premium models, so I do also see the point of not wanting to spend out on something which will be used for a relatively short period of time. Certainly I personally would not spend £400+ on this stage although a lot of people do.

If you have very sloped seats in your car, and the isofix points are right down low at the join between the seat cushions so the edge of the back seat is higher than the isofix points, this does often tip the child seat backwards which will counteract the recline designed to support newborns and sometimes tips them too far forward so their head falls down which is not good for their breathing. If this is the case then you might find that most of the multistage seats don't work very well. The Besafe/Axkid one probably would, but since they are expensive you might be better off with an infant carrier in that case and then a seat which works well with the sloped vehicle seats, either belt fitted or one with a recline or angle adjustable base.

With some of the newer cars they have started raising the isofix points up to have them more level with the edge of the seat, which is better, and tends to mean you have more choice of seats.

Best thing to do if you can is to find a baby store near you where you can take your car and try out some different seats to see what will work best and what the angle is like etc. They often have a weighted doll which you can try fitting in the different seats, although it's not usually as small as a newborn - if you have a soft-bodied doll or a teddy which fits into a newborn or first size bodysuit, that can give you a rough idea if you take it with you to try the different seats to see if the straps even adjust small enough for this body size. Look on the brand page (e.g. Joie) for stockists and see if there are any independent names, if not, John Lewis or Mamas and Papas tend to be better than other chain stores.

gheantoantr · Today 09:18

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Carry car seat or fixed?
gheantoantr · Today 09:19

When owning a car, the first things we often think about are comfort and memorable family journeys. However, if there are young children in the car, safety must always come first. Many parents still mistakenly believe that simply holding the child in their arms or fastening the vehicle’s built-in seat belt is enough. In reality, the original safety systems in cars are designed specifically for adult body sizes. For a child’s fragile and developing body, a dedicated car seat is the true protective shield.
So, what types of child safety seats are currently available on the market? And how can you know which type is suitable for your vehicle as well as your child’s body size? This article, compiled by gheantoantreem.com — a trusted platform specializing in providing and consulting on child protection solutions for cars — will help you understand the details and make the most accurate investment decision.

  1. The Nature of Child Safety Seats for Cars
To understand their structure and make the right choice, we first need to clearly classify the main groups of child protection products currently available. In general, child car safety equipment is divided into several key categories based on age, weight, and height. Infant car seat / infant safety carrier: This is a specialized product line designed specifically for babies from birth to around 1 year old. This device is always installed in a rear-facing position to provide maximum protection for the baby’s still-fragile head, neck, and spine against inertial forces during sudden braking. Convertible car seat: This is a versatile type of seat with flexible conversion capabilities. It can be installed rear-facing for younger children and switched to forward-facing when the child grows older. Many premium models today also include a 360-degree rotation feature to optimize convenience. Booster seat / child safety booster cushion: When children are older, usually from 4 to 12 years old, their pelvis and shoulders are strong enough, but their height may still not be sufficient for the vehicle’s seat belt to fit properly. At this stage, a child safety booster cushion or high-back booster seat helps raise the child’s body to the correct height, allowing the seat belt to lie properly across the shoulder and hips instead of pressing against the neck or abdomen. ghế an toàn trẻ em
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