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Baby car seat

18 replies

SLiath · 15/02/2024 18:25

Hello all, I hope I have chosen the right topic for this. I couldn't find "newborn" or "baby." I am having twins in March/ April and am VERY confused on the car seat and pram situation. Can anyone lay it out simply; what are the essentials that I need? ie. what kind of car seat and what kind of pram/travel system. I wont have them out and about a lot as I am a single mum, just enough to get a healthy amount of fresh air.

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tealandteal · 15/02/2024 18:30

There are a lot of different options.I’m not an expert on what double prams are good but you don’t necessarily need a travel system although I have to say I did have them with both of mine. You need a safe car seat that fits well in your car (or two in your case) that you know how to correctly fit and secure. You can get ones that go from birth up to a large range, I had a baby car seat that went from birth to about 1. This could clip onto the pram frame, which also had a carry cot attachment and then I used the actual pram bit once they were older. Personally I found a sling easier but I’m not sure if the details of carry twins but I have seen it done.

lochmaree · 15/02/2024 18:47

We had the bugaboo donkey for siblings and it was fab but big. then the out n about 360 and that's great. also heard the mountain buggies are good. not sure car seats can attach on the latter two though. I think they can onto the bugaboo.

car seat wise you could get a infant carriers, maybe worth for twins (could be smaller or prem?) getting ones that give that really good position for their airway / chin position. I believe the avionaut pixel Pro is good for this. Then once outgrown getting ERF seats lasting till approx age 6. Or you could go for the Axkid one + or BeSafe stretch B which are suitable from birth and last all the way till approx age 6 but they cannot be take out of the car and carried around or attached on a pram.

SLiath · 15/02/2024 19:21

Thank you @lochmaree. This is very helpful. Yes they are going to be very premature due to some complications. Are carrycots a waste of time? I’m a single mum so I can’t see myself being able to lug these around. The donkey looks very big so I was thinking i candy peach but i’ll look into the others you suggested. So I can get a baby seat for 0- 12/15 months which will attach to pram frame or a car seat from 0- approximately 3/4 years and all seats need a base as an addition. Is this correct? I started to read about car seat regs etc last night but it just got a bit overwhelming so I decided best to post here

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Caspianberg · 15/02/2024 19:33

Look at uppa baby vista if you thing you want a narrow tandem type pram. The seats are bigger than I candy so will last longer. It has a large basket underneath

With twins you probably want a first stage maxi cosi type baby seat x2. They will clip onto uppababy vista frame if you need to transport both seats easily ie into doctors for vaccinations

Donimo · 15/02/2024 21:10

I have twins. In terms of car seats you can do 1 of the following

  1. Get a newborn size 0 car seat. These are the type which can be attached onto pushchairs and be carried. But these only last until about 15 months. My twins are small and would of just about fitted in them till 18 months.
  2. Get car seats which fix into the car and can not be carried out of the car or fitted onto a pram. These can go from newborn up to age 4 ish.

There are lots of double pram options. I suggest going to a baby shop to try a few different options to see what works for you. I prefered side by side pram but yes they are wide (although I manage to get in virtually all places).

In terms of putting a car seat onto a pram. This should only be done for short trips (I.e going to shops). As its not good to leave a baby in a car seat for long periods. So if out for any period of time it's better to put the baby in a carrycot. When you buy a pram, most come with a carrycot which is used from newborn to approx 6 months and pushchair seats. So you convert the carrycot into a pushchairs seat. Then you can also buy adapters to clip a newborn size 0 car seats on to the frame instead of the carrycots or seats.

I would suggest to go to local baby store or John Lewis etc to talk through options so it makes a little more sense. Or you could look up if there are any local twin groups and pop along to a group as I'm sure the mums there will be happy to show you what they have and talk though what works or not.

A couple of points to make about car seats and twins is that in the early days it was useful to carry the babies in their car seats... although this got very heavy from 4-6 months having to carry 2. So I then used the car seats on the pushchair frame to get from the carpark into a building. As its not easy to carry 2 babies at the same time! Also what car do you have as 2 car seats take up a lot of room and a double pram needs a large boot!

Donimo · 15/02/2024 21:20

Just one more point re car seats. You mentioned you think they will be premature so just check the minimum weights they can take. As my twins were early so they had to do a car seat assessment whilst in hospital to check they sat ok for a length of time in the car seat before they were allowed to go home out of special care due to being small.

Lavender2021 · 15/02/2024 21:23

Avionaut Pixel Pro is great for smaller babies as it has great inserts and it's lightweight too!

SLiath · 15/02/2024 21:44

Exactly the info I needed. Thanks @Donimo

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skkyelark · 16/02/2024 09:01

Very few of the 0-3 or 0-4 car seats actually give a good, safe fit for a newborn (I believe a few do, though generally at a cost), and even fewer for prem twins who might be really tiny. If it were me, I would definitely be looking to buy two infant carriers – try asking on some of the car seat groups on Facebook which ones are good for tinies. I've also heard the Avionaut Pixel Pro recommended, but there will be others.

lochmaree · 16/02/2024 09:25

SLiath · 15/02/2024 19:21

Thank you @lochmaree. This is very helpful. Yes they are going to be very premature due to some complications. Are carrycots a waste of time? I’m a single mum so I can’t see myself being able to lug these around. The donkey looks very big so I was thinking i candy peach but i’ll look into the others you suggested. So I can get a baby seat for 0- 12/15 months which will attach to pram frame or a car seat from 0- approximately 3/4 years and all seats need a base as an addition. Is this correct? I started to read about car seat regs etc last night but it just got a bit overwhelming so I decided best to post here

I cant say re car seat carrycots (lie flat car seats) but for the carrycot to go on the pram, then these are really useful and usually come with prams anyway.

Not all car seats need a base but some do. the avionaut pixel Pro (which would likely be a good option for you) can go in with just a seatbelt iirc. The base can be really useful to just slot them in, but equally a belt fit is just as safe as long as correctly fitted. another option is to go and see a car seat advisor type person who can show you different seats and advise and also help with correct fitting etc. they can also advise on next stage seats / the most efficient/cost effective way to do car seats. go for someone who encourages or specialises in extended rear facing. (not halfords haha)

if money is easily available then I'd get two infant stage 0 car seats, a double pram that you can slot them onto, and isofix bases. with the double pram you'd also get carrycots so if you're out for a while then the babies can lie/nap in them but if you're just popping into the doctors or whatever then the car seats on the pram is so so so useful. (but as pp said shouldn't be used for long periods)

After the infant stage 0 seat, the safest option is an extended rear facing seat (ERF) which takes them to 25-36kg/ approx age 6 rear facing and then they'd go into a high back booster.

sorry - another thing you might want to consider is with the pram - are the carrycots suitable for overnight sleeping as then if you go away overnight they can sleep in there. might not be relevant if you don't go away and they'd only be napping (supervised) but could be. 😊

lochmaree · 16/02/2024 09:28

skkyelark · 16/02/2024 09:01

Very few of the 0-3 or 0-4 car seats actually give a good, safe fit for a newborn (I believe a few do, though generally at a cost), and even fewer for prem twins who might be really tiny. If it were me, I would definitely be looking to buy two infant carriers – try asking on some of the car seat groups on Facebook which ones are good for tinies. I've also heard the Avionaut Pixel Pro recommended, but there will be others.

I think the only two would be the Axkid One + and the besafe stretch B? though not sure of minimum weights for these. I believe they do give good fits for newborns though. but obviously with limitations in not being able to remove the car seat / go on a pram.

BertieBotts · 16/02/2024 09:49

Yes a few different options.

I agree with others that if your baby is likely to be premature, the multi stage car seats are not likely to give you a good fit. You'd be best off with either one of the carry seats which has a good fit for smaller babies - agree with the avionaut seats there, and Britax Baby-Safe series may be good and maxi Cosi pebble. But avionaut really is the top player in this category. I'd actually have a look at their website and see whether you have a stockist anywhere near that you can go and have a look at the seats because they are best demoed in person. All of these seats go into the standard "maxi Cosi" pram adapters.

The other option you might want to look at for the car is car carrycots such as maxi Cosi jade, Joie calmi, the Jané one etc. I think maybe Nuna also do one. The downside of these is that it's not really clear whether the safety of a side lying seat is as good as the rear facing seat (the companies all claim it is, but in reality, the crash test dummies are designed to measure forces on a rear facing seat, not so much for the sideways ones, so it's actually not that clear). Plus, these take up two seats in your car rather than one, and must be used with a base whereas many infant car seats can be fitted with seatbelt if you want to save money by not buying a base, or want to use the seat in another car. They are heavy and not as portable as the carry seats, for example you can't easily put them on a supermarket trolley, which might make shopping as a single parent tricky (supermarket deliveries are great).

The benefit of them is that they lie much flatter than any car seat and are better for breathing etc for newborn babies, especially premature babies. They can also often be used as your main carrycot on your pram.

In terms of the pram choice again lots of options which can be boiled down to really three categories.

Lightweight, quick fold, ultra compact. These are good if you live in an urban environment with lots of going between car and walking or public transport, if you want to travel a lot, if you have a small car boot, small house, flat etc. However they don't handle rough paths very well and they won't stand up to a lot of heavy use such as hanging shopping on the handles etc. They also tend to be less protective for a newborn so you might prefer to use a car seat or carrycot attachment or even a sling for the first few weeks. They tend to be facing out only. Some are two way but these might be a bit more gimmicky and prone to wear and tear. Not all of these buggies lie flat or take a car seat/carrycot so if you want this you'll want to look specifically for models that do.

Two way 3 in 1 type pushchair - this is probably the most common type spanning the widest range. They usually consist of a frame onto which you can insert a seat unit either parent facing or world facing, a carrycot or a car seat. Sometimes different adapters are needed for either. They have a bigger shopping basket than the compact ones. Sometimes they have two sets of adapters so that you can potentially add a second seat to convert it to a "double decker type" sibling pushchair. You can go cheap here and get a decent one for around £3-400 such as Joie versatrax (this might be an older model now) or Cybex balios S Lux, or you can veer into premium and look at things like the uppababy vista which will probably cost over £1000. There are also lots of fashion or budget models in between these of varying quality. Sometimes the seat unit itself cleverly converts to the carrycot. Other times it's a separate item and you may be able to save by not buying it if you don't want it. These prams are often sold as bundles with loads of things thrown in but that can artificially inflate the price. If you want this type, be sure to know what extras you actually want and whether it's cheaper to buy things separately. If you go into a baby shop to look at prams you'll absolutely be taken to this section.

The benefit of the 3 in 1 types are that they claim to be one pram for all the way through to preschool where you usually stop using it. In reality, they can be bulky and awkward compared to a compact one, and the seat is often not as roomy as a workhorse type. They are worth looking at buying second hand because you can find them in quite good condition. I have had one of these I used all the way through and one that was too annoying so I ditched it.

The last type is what I think of as a workhorse pram. I'm on a bus and about to get off so I'll post in case I lose this and come back.

BertieBotts · 16/02/2024 10:12

OK so workhorse type pram - these tend to be bigger and bulkier and heavier (though, not always - there are some which are lighter than some of the bigger 3 in 1 types). They have bigger wheels and handle all terrains well. Brands to look at are Mountain Buggy, Baby Jogger, Phil & Ted's, TFK. They are usually only world facing but they have much bigger, roomy comfortable seats. Many of them have a carrycot option, either a soft carrycot which is almost like a bag that you place in it and can pick up and carry out, or a rigid one which can be more versatile e.g. used for sleep. They might be marketed as all-terrain pushchairs or sport pushchairs. These really do last you all the way and you can subject them to a lot of abuse e.g. loads of shopping piled on, older kid standing on the back etc and they just keep going. They tend to look a bit less fashionable than the 3-in-1 or compact types, which can sometimes be quite a design statement. But if you're not bothered about looks the practicality of this type can be excellent.

The main downside of them is the bulk and the fact that they really benefit from being left up in the house and they can be a pain to fit into smaller cars. You also tend to lose the parent-facing seat mode - they go straight from carrycot to outward facing, and there can be a bit of an awkward stage in the middle depending on the size of the carrycot relative to the size of the seat, where younger babies are too big for the carrycot but not supported enough by the main seat.

You can get them second hand though they might be more battered looking. Again, car seat compatability is a bit more variable. Some only take their own brand whereas some will have the Maxi cosi/multi brand adapters and some don't take one at all.

This is a great option if you do a lot of walking and want your pram to basically be your "cart" which you can throw everything in from a picnic to a four year old.

The Stroller Workshop on Youtube is great for looking at pram reviews.

BertieBotts · 16/02/2024 10:13

Well, I'm such an idiot I totally skipped over the "twins" point in the first post. Apologies. Many of my points will be totally irrelevant. I will leave it up in case it's helpful as a starting point anyway!

Caspianberg · 16/02/2024 11:20

Twins and premature change what people might suggest

ie the 0-4 swivel seats are great. I never had baby removable option. But with twins I would get that as it’s harder to take two babies out and in arms or sling. So two baby seats and a pram they can connect to. Again with 1 baby you can just walk into doctors in arm, but with two for vaccinations you need somewhere to put second one down

carrycot are worth getting. It’s much better for small babies, especially premature to lay flat where possible. And they will fit better than main seat when tiny. Better for naps if you need to walk babies to nap

olderthanyouthink · 16/02/2024 20:12

There's a helpful FB group called car seat safety uk t hey have a graphic that has good infant car seats but I can't attach it on the app atm

For twins/small babies I think the avionaut pixel is the best option and the isize maxi cosi cabriofix is a cheaper option that seems to fit smaller babies ok. There's lots of photos in the group. Both use the same maxi cosi adapters which are basically universal

BertieBotts · 16/02/2024 23:14

YY one of the huge benefits of the carry seats is that they allow you to put the baby down before they are reliably standing up. So you can have a hand free for a moment. Whereas when they are of pre-standing age if you're carrying them you just have to carry them, you can't generally lie/sit them on the floor!

SLiath · 17/02/2024 14:10

Thank you @BertieBotts and @olderthanyouthink. They will be in NICU for at least 6/7 weeks at which point they should be close to the size of full term babies so I don’t think I need to worry about fitting them in. It’s more so just navigating the colossal amount of choices and specifications when choosing a car seat.

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