Where can I rent a baby car seat/carrier in Bristol?

[fozmeadows]

Hi all,

Hoping someone can help me with this. My husband and I don't have a car, and so have been planning to take a taxi home from the hospital after the kidlet is born (I'm currently 37 weeks). However, we don't own a baby car seat or carrier, and apparently the hospital we're using in Bristol doesn't rent them out. Does anyone know where I can rent one affordable for a single trip, or of a taxi company that has its own in the Bristol area?

I'm with QT. Won't you ever use a taxi or accept a lift after DC is born? I don't know about renting, but I would think you only need to do it a few times before it would have been cheaper to buy one and really inconvenient to have to rent or decline every time you're offered a lift

I'm in the same boat and in Bristol. I just bought a reasonably priced one because of things like outings with parents etc

Do you have any friends that would let you borrow it for the day? You could buy one from somewhere like Asda baby offer that starts I think online thurs. if you really would not ever use it again you get one that way?

We don't have anyone to borrow from, and know nobody with a car. It's quite rare we get a taxi anywhere; we either walk or take public transport, as everything is quite closeto where we live. While having a child might change that in the future, I don't want to rush into a purchase just yet, and simply want to be prepared for getting home from hospital.

Hire cars companies often rent them out. Not sure if they would without you hiring a car, but you could ring and ask.

There is a baby equipment rental site. www.rentabuggy.co.uk. Car seats start at 25 pounds. HTH.

If rental starts at £25, bear in mind that even high end newborn seats are generally under £100. I just looked on Kiddicare and they have own brand ones at £35 (though no idea how good they are).

I don't know of any hospitals who would rent out a car seat. It is simply too high risk an activity for them.

If you can find a taxi company with a car seat you could use that. Personally I wouldn't feel that comfortable putting a brand new newborn in one of those though. They are often missing the cushioning pads, head hugger, etc. We've used a hired seat for a 12 month old, but that's a bit different.

Freecycle? Advert in Post Office/local school?

eBay. I live in Bristol and have put my postcode in and a few have come up around £10.

I was going to say put an ad in the window of shop to see if anyone has one, either that catch a bus home.

They are around £30 from Asda. They probably cost that to rent.

Are you looking for one for free to borrow?

One for £19.99 at kiddicare...probably basic, but will have to be of a certain safety standard...don't think you could rent one for that price...and then will have one for the next 9months just in case you do go any where in a car hth

That's a good idea. Are you doing any form of antenatal classes? You may well find someone from the group who lives close and could lend you a seat for a couple of hours.

And I also agree- far better a new cheap seat than a second hand 'posh brand' one.

If you get a black cab you can attach the baby in its pushchair, facing backwards, using the wheelchair seatbelt. I've done this with my dd on several occasions, and i am very precious about this kind of thing!

Thanks all! Have done the cost/benefit analysis and ponied up for a cheap, new car seat for about £30 - there's too much faffing about involved otherwise, it seems. Easier all round just to have one on hand on the offchance, even if we only ever use it once or twice, because when we do need it, we'll probably need it quickly! :)

Some of the car rental companies provide you this facility, you don't have to buy it. Some of the car rental companies provide you cars in which there is no seat for baby carrier. car rentals www.car-rental-luton.co.uk/ also provides you with this facility.