Do car seats normally only last for the first 9 months?

[OompaLumpa]

Hello I am a confused newbie!
I have been looking at potential travel systems and today made a visit to Mamas and Papas to look at the Sola buggy. I was told that the car seat, and base, will only last till baby is about 9 months old. At which stage you have to buy a bigger car seat and a base for it. Each car seat and base is about £135 each and I'm wondering if this is 'normal' to have to spend £270 for something you only use for 9 months?

Any ideas?

Car seats need replaced regularly as your baby grows.

You don't have to buy a car seat that will fit onto your pram if you don't want to. The only benefit of them is that you can pop the car seat onto the base when out so you don;t have to wake the baby.

You can buy car seats that last from birth until the child is ready for a booster seat, usually 5 years old.

God no.

It should go on the baby's weight, not their age at all. The first seats are normally good until 13kg, which my DD (8mo) won't be until about 18 months at this rate. They probably wouldn't last that long as they would get too tall and their head would stick out the top, but it's the weight you want to look for, not the size or age.

There aren't that many 9-month-olds who exceed 13kg I don't think. What poor advice the shop gave you.

I'm using an extended RF seat, so DD will stay in it until 20kg, which is going to be at least 4 years.

Please check Which? before you buy a car seat, they do great work on testing seats and IIRC M&Ps got very bad ratings when I last looked.

We have a good one from Britax which lasts 12 months, I think.

A first seat will only last until 13kg max. Most babies can be in them longer than 9 motnhs as others have said.

You also don't need to buy a seat with a base, and there are better places to buy a car seat than mamas and papas.

Also you really don't necessarily need one that goes onto the pushchair. A baby should not be in a car seat for more than 3 hours at a time without a break. It is much better for them to be lying flat.

The first size usually lasts for just over a year, the next size until they're about 4, and then the next size lasts until they're 12ish I think (depending on height).
The ones which claim to cover more than one age range are (according to Which) not as safe as the age-specific ones.
Think about whether you really need a travel system, it depends on your lifestyle.

The baby seat will last until around 9 months, taking into consideration length and weight of baby.

You then get the next stage which lasts until around 4 years.

Then a high back booster, which lasts until 12 so long as you get one with a removable back.

Really although the first seat seems pricey, babies safety is so important. As for a base, it's not needed, just nice and you may find the next stage seat will go on the same base. I think this applies in the case of some maxi cosi, I'm not positive which ones.

Nice cross post there I feel like a parrot haha

The first stage car seat will usually take your baby up to 13kg in weight or when their heads are poking out of the top. This can be as long as 15 months, but they will need to weigh at least 9kg to come from that seat into the next stage.

It is not recommended that you move your baby from the first stage to the next until they have actually outgrown it.

Bases are not compulsory, but if you have isofix fitted to your car and go for an isofix base, it means you are less likely to fit the car seat incorrectly.

DD's first car seat lasted her 15 months, she has always been 50th centile or thereabouts. Then she went into a rear facing toddler seat. This site has some good safety info- www.rearfacing.co.uk/

Hi Ladies thank you all for your more helpful responses than the advice given to me in Mamas and Papas - and i spoke to the Manager! I understand the car seat needs to change but i was rather surprised about the need to change the base as well but i am not goign to go ahead with that option for now and look at other car seats and possibly a base like the FamilyFix that will last a while longer.
I would like to offer you all jobs at Mamas and Papas

If it's not too late to recommond that you check what serviuces your local council offer.

My council has an amazing service where they have all the car seats on the market. You book a slot and you drive up the person then tests them all and gives you a recommendation of which one is the best to buy. they also do accredited training for shops in our borough. So you know the advice in shop is correct.
It saved my partner and I hours of shopping.

I would not buy a m&p car seat.

Maxi cosi are good and can be used with lots of travel systems.

My DD is still in hers at 12 months and has loads of room.

I bought a car seat with a base. They were brilliant for the first seat when I could clip the car seat to the pram wheels with ease but not necessary. You don't need to take the second car seat out of the car. Don't understand why they would tell you to buy a second base, apart from to tap you for more money! I would also get another brand. Everyone I know who got a Mamas and Papas seat hated it! (they might have changed though- this was 3 years ago)

Nope mamas and papas stuff is pretty but usually rubbish, they don't refund at all even if the goods are faulty i've over heard them breaking the law on more than one occassion.

I have the Sola and matching Cybex car seat. Very happy with it and the Cybex has won safety awards across Europe so maybe M&P have upped their game on car seats.

Has it won any awards from Which ? European saefty tests if i remember rightly are either better than ours or not as good, can't remember which way round, so I always looked at the Which report.

We had a maxi cosi ISOfix one, it lasted until around 9months & we were very happy with it. We got another maxi cosi ISOfix one (no separate base for ours) and this should last her until she's about 4.