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Pushchairs

Join our Pram forum for pram advice. Plus read our round up of the best pushchairs currently available.

Original poster

Do we need an infant car seat for pram?

29 replies

toastedcat · 06/05/2022 10:09

Hi all!

I'm due in June.

We've just bought the iCandy Orange 3 (ex-display model) which comes with both bassinet and pushchair.

We are both quite tall and the pram shop lady advised us to skip the infant car seat and just go straight for the one up, which means we wouldn't be able to use the pram as a travel system.

How helpful did you find it to have the infant car seat clip on to the pram? I think I still would find it useful for nipping to the shops but she seemed to be quite keen to dissuade us from using it as lots of people keep their baby in the car seat too long like this.

Please let me know thoughts!

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OP posts:
Mumto7moboy · 06/05/2022 10:13

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

MrsPear · 06/05/2022 10:19

If you bother to read the warnings that come with car seats you will see that even the manufacturers warn you not to use them as a pushchair for newborns - spinal issues and breathing. They need to lie flat at newborn. We had a car seat that stayed in the car. Got to destination and got out a proper pram where baby was completely flat - think bed on wheels - and put baby in. Not difficult. Then again my brother died of SIDS so I worried more than average. My pram was £350 and was used for 5 children.

Lilbunnyfufu · 06/05/2022 10:22

I don't drive so having a car seat that clips onto the buggy has been a life saver for me on shopping days I clip on the car seat and then I can get a cab home.

Original poster
toastedcat · 06/05/2022 10:22

Thanks @MrsPear, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. I can see why you would feel strongly about this! Thanks for sharing.

Okay, it does seem as though we should take heed of what feedback/guidelines are and indeed keep car seat in the car, going straight for one that will last til baby is a bit older.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/05/2022 10:43

I think it depends. If you don't park your car next to your house, it's handy for getting the carseat and pushchair to the car and back in one go. Additionally if you do really short drives to the shop, quick nip around then a quick drive home it's handy.

But they aren't suitable for any real length of time, so if you did a day out somewhere you would probably use the bassinet or a lie flat seat more than an infant seat.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/05/2022 10:44

Lilbunnyfufu · 06/05/2022 10:22

I don't drive so having a car seat that clips onto the buggy has been a life saver for me on shopping days I clip on the car seat and then I can get a cab home.

This is another benefit - most taxis are general cars (rather than the big wheel on ones) so you would need a car seat handy if used often.

IVFdreams2021 · 06/05/2022 10:49

We've got the icandy peach and don't have car seat attached. It's been no issue at all.

roosnunlilei · 06/05/2022 10:54

I never used mine on on the pram, I used the carrycot and left the seat in the car.

mummyh2016 · 06/05/2022 10:56

See I'm the opposite, I think I would really struggle without being able to use the car seat on the pram.

Lockdownmummy · 06/05/2022 10:57

I have found it really useful to have one tbh, it makes a quick pop to the shops much easier.

Also if you are thinking of having a second the carrier is quite helpful when getting both of them to the car when I'm on my own - baby in the car seat, take toddler to the car and strap in, go and grab the baby.

But my two are on the smaller side and the older would have still been in his infant carrier if the younger one hadn't come so soon (15 months apart) so we are getting a
lot of use out of it.

Madwomanuptheroad29 · 06/05/2022 10:59

I have five children, so spent quite a few years with prams and car seats.
My first child was before travel systems were a thing - so it never came up. I had a car seat and I had a pram..... When I had my second child, travel systems were hugely fashionable but I never thought a car seat looked particularly confortable or appropriate for a very young baby so never felt the need to leave the baby in the car seat any longer than absolutely necessary.
With my last child I did end up having a car seat that could clip on the buggy but I have to admit I hardly ever used that option as I still felt babies look uncomfortable in car seats and should lie flat. Also while the baby weakens and may protest a bit when transferred from car to pram, they usually settle agaib fairly quickly.
Also as others pointed out, car seats should never be used for any length of time - sitting upright has been linked to breathing issues and the lie flat car seats tend to do poorly in safety statistics.
My advice is to get a really good extended rear facing car seat that will do from newborn (best ones I ever had were a Finnish make called Klippan (seat was called kiss)).
That actually had a bit you could lift out while your baby was very tiny if there was a situation where the car seat had to double up as a carrier. And it fitted in my tiny Renault Clio.
I car safety centre is the best place for car seats as not all seats fit all cars.

SmallElephants · 06/05/2022 11:04

This is one of those decisions that utterly depends on your lifestyle! If u can say a bit more about how much you use your car/ how far from home you park/ any carrying difficulties then people might be able to advise.

Hugasauras · 06/05/2022 11:09

I used ours all the time but it was a lie-flat seat both in car and on pram. I found it super useful as we did a lot of trips when she was little and it was much easier just sticking the car seat on pram with her still asleep than faffing about at the side of the road trying to transfer her.

yikesanotherbooboo · 06/05/2022 11:13

It's easy to justify what you have but if you don't need it, don't get it is my advice.
Children become expensive with time ; babies don't need to be until you need child care.

ShadowPuppets · 06/05/2022 11:14

We had the Lime and did get a car seat that would fit an icandy adaptor (Maxi Cosi Cabriofix). Great car seat but yep I think I transferred the car seat to the pram about twice in the year she was in it! Total waste really. Either I didn’t want her in the car seat that long or it was just going to be too much faff to move the seat in and out. DD never stayed asleep in the car seat once the car had stopped so it wasn’t like I could park the car, transfer it out and she’d stay sleeping anyway.

We’re expecting DC2 any day, still using the Icandy but needed to replace the car seat due to damage - we’ve gone for a cheaper car seat this time that doesn’t fit the icandy frame, specifically because we never bothered clipping the seat onto the frame first time! So personally I wouldn’t bother.

Hugasauras · 06/05/2022 11:15

Ours was a Kiddy Evoluna. Fantastic seat with great safety results too but alas the company went under so they don't make them anymore which is a shame. There are still some in shops - we picked up one for DC2 recently as our first one got damaged and I wanted the exact same seat again.

Spudlet · 06/05/2022 11:15

I didn’t bother getting the attachments for DS - his car seat stayed in the car. I think I took it out once, when I had a postnatal physio appointment very soon after he was born, and carried him in it - I don’t know what I was thinking, it weighed a tonne, and was a pita to get out of my little car! So after that I just either used a sling or the actual pram, which was far more comfy anyway, and no more bother to fold and unfold than the car seat one would have been.

I also never bothered with those trolleys you can sit the car seats in - well, I tried it once and I couldn’t see a thing around it and was nearly mowing people down 😂

bluesky45 · 06/05/2022 11:25

Honestly it's so much easier. Well worth having the car seat clip onto the pram. Used it for 9/10 months with both DC. So do most other mums at baby groups etc.
Think the guidelines are 30mins max for first few weeks, which for us was enough time to get to the supermarket, quick whizz round for a few bits and get home. But we live only a 5min drive from supermarket. After the newborn phase, the guidelines are 2hrs max. But if I was going round town or for an walk, I'd use the actual pram. But when your screaming baby has finally dropped off in the car, you don't want to wake them to put them in the pram or carry them into the house. Just bring the car seat in, so much easier and means they can stay asleep.

Ribeebie · 06/05/2022 11:40

I agree with madwoman. Babies are not supposed to be in car seats for a long period of time. Also lots of the 0/1/2/3 and spin seats are not a good fit at all for newborns. Extended rear facing car seats are so much safer. There are extended rear facing groups on Facebook that explain all this really well

www.facebook.com/groups/1376541652674823/?ref=share

If you want a good long lasting seat that is safe and will give a great fit from newborn the avionaut sky is a great choice and will last them until they are old enough to go into a high back booster

20viona · 06/05/2022 11:45

I absolutely loved being able to put the car seat on the pram, ideal for if baby was already asleep or needing to go to sleep whilst out and about. I have a joie I level which reclines almost flat too.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/05/2022 11:47

What does you and dh being tall have anything to do with? Why did the staff member say that?

Original poster
toastedcat · 06/05/2022 11:48

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/05/2022 11:47

What does you and dh being tall have anything to do with? Why did the staff member say that?

She seemed to think that we would have a long baby (tbf my recent midwife appointment came to same conclusion) and he would grow out of the infant car seat quite quickly!

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/05/2022 11:49

But then you just get one with the highest shell.

Sillystripytail · 06/05/2022 11:51

Totally depends on your lifestyle. I found it so useful if I needed to nip to the shops in the car and DS fell asleep, I could just put him on the wheels without disturbing him and go in the shop. Obviously, he was never in it longer than he should be but when you're just nipping in for a couple of bits, you're not gonna be longer than 10 minutes.