Newborn car seats

[theheatherjane1]

Hello

I need to buy a car seat but I'm finding it fairly confusing (easily confused).
Am I wrong to think that there's a car seat I can buy that will last a few years from newborn, or do I buy one for a newborn and then have to buy another in a year?
I haven't bought a pram yet either (cue lots more head scratching) as I found the whole travel system concept so baffling that I'm tempted to just invest in a decent wheelbarrow.

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Hi there,

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MNHQ

I don't think there are many (any) that are suitable from newborn to four.

It is pretty much a first year one then change as I understand it

We were stunned/ horrified by how much some of them cost and plumped for the mothercare journey as it was £300 all in, car seat included and seemed sturdy enough/ easy to fold etc

It probably won't be used masses day to day as the dog walks I'll need to do are all off road and I have two beasties so baby will be in a sling/ carrier (when we buy one of those, still on to do list!)

I have the Joie spin 360, it's suitable from birth to 18kgs, that's around 4 years for the average child, my son is on the 98th centile so we'll probably get to use it until he's about 3

There are plenty of car seats that will last birth to 18kg but they aren't comparable with travel systems so it's one or the other.

Joie stages does newborn to 7.

Downside is it doesn't come out of cat/ clip to pram

It is all horribly confusing at the moment, because there are new regulations coming in called "i-size" which are running alongside the old rules for at least the next couple of years. Which magazine have a good explanation here:

www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-car-seats/article/which-car-seat/i-size-child-car-seats-explained?gclid=CO_Zh6uWp9MCFVAQ0wodF94Cow&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMqJmauWp9MCFdUYGwodJXQIBQ

So if you're buying a new seat, and have isofix in your car, then you should buy an i-size seat, which goes from birth to 105cm tall (around aged 4). Some i-size seats only go from birth to 75cm (around 12 months), which are fine but obviously don't last as long.

I have the Brittax dualfix (£340) which does from birth until 4. It does a complete 360 swivel which is very useful. It has a newborn insert and you have it on different settings according to their age/weight. It stays in the car and you would have to remove your little one instead of taking them out of the car in a carrier.

Alternatively you can buy infant carriers which usually come as part of a travel system. The carrier fits onto the pushchair so you can take the baby out of the car and straight onto the pushchair without disturbing baby. You'll either have to fit this each and every time with the seat belt or you can buy a base which stays in the car and you slot the carrier into the base.

Do remember that babies shouldn't be left in a car seat to sleep and no longer than 2 hours at a time.

Just to add being i size does not make a seat safer. There are many belted car seats that are just as safe if installed correctly. There is no requirement to buy i size if you don't want to. Rear facing till 4 is safest but many non isize seats also allow this.

We have a Joie stages that dc4 went in to fairly early on as we have a drive so couldn't be faffed with taking the bucket seat (a mother care one that came with the travel system) to & from the car. We're planning on buying a 2nd one for dc5 due in August (reusing the mothercare bucket seat for the hospital as it'll only be just over 2 yo & has been stored away from temperature extremes). It's easily the best car seat we've owned.

We've just (as in arrived this week) bought the Joie stages for DS2. He's 9 months now but my back is breaking hauling him around in the car seat as well as 2 year old DS1. It's rear and forward facing and from new born. So far we're very pleased 👍🏻

We used a Silver Cross car seat that came free with the pram when DD was a newborn but she started to look uncomfortable in it at about 12 weeks (she's a bit of a chunk), so we bought a Joie Every Stage car seat which is suitable from birth to 12 years.

This is the pram we bought with dc4, he's still fitting in it comfortably now at 22 months. I have it in a turquoise colour so it was only £250 as it wasn't the 'special edition' design. I've been very pleased with it but I mainly walk & don't have any issues re boot space, I have taken it in smaller cars (Seat Leon, Peugeot 307, Vauxhall Astra) without too many issues. For the budget we had it was worth it.

Would help if I added the link www.mothercare.com/prams-and-pushchairs/mothercare-xpedior-pram-and-pushchair-travel-system---tusk-special-edition/634264.html#q=Xpedior&start=2

www.johnlewis.com/joie-every-stage-group-0-1-2-3-car-seat-red/p2487369?s_kwcid=1dx39700018918415230&tmad=c&tmcampid=1&gclid=CI6Thqmwp9MCFbQW0wodhrILOw&gclsrc=aw.ds

Not sure I'd want to put a newborn in it though, seems too upright to me.

Also I've heard that plastic deteriorates in 5 year so how this works with a seat that lasts 12 years

Eeeeek2 - in the newborn stage the Joie Every Stage reclines to almost horizontal. From memory, I think it has 5 or 6 different recline positions.

Every stage has 6 recline positions, 2 for rear facing and actually has a very good recline.

Thanks so much for your time, everyone.
It's all really helpful information