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There are a few basic differences between car seats. Some of them go by different names so let’s first start with some of the types of car seats and a brief description. Our main focus is going to be comparing starting out with an infant car seat or a convertible car seat. I do want to touch on the all-in-one as well as the booster seat for in the future.
1. Infant Car Seat
The infant car seat is the one that clips into a base. The car seat can be removed from the car very easily. Some people call this a bucket seat.
2. Convertible Car Seat
This is a car seat that you can typically use from birth to about 50 pounds. This car seat can be used for newborns. It remains in the car during outings. This car seat will often be described as a 4-in-1 or convertible.
As I mentioned this seat can be used from birth, but is also frequently used as the next step after outgrowing the infant car seat.
3. Booster Seats
I am primarily focusing on actual car seats and particularly the newborn stage. Just to be clear booster seats do not have any buckles on them. They are used with the seat belt. Therefore they do not apply to the newborn stage. You will not need this items for years depending on your child’s height and weight.
4. All-in-One
These car seats are designed to be the only seat you eve purchase they go from a rear facing infant seat, to forward facing car seat all the way to a booster. They typically can go from about 5 pounds to 120 pounds.
Ok so now that we know what we are talking about let’s jump into the pros and cons and help you figure out what would be the best option for you and your family.
Infant Car Seat
Let’s quickly jump into the pros that come with the infant car seat. First off, it is easy to get in and out of a vehicle. You simply release it from the base.
A major pro that comes with this easy is the speed in poor weather. If it is raining buckets you can quickly release your baby from the car and hurry inside. You aren’t fumbling with all the buckles and latches at the car.
The same could be said when you are leaving a location. Say you are at a doctor appointment. It could be raining or snowing outside. You can have your baby all buckled in while you are in the building. Then you go out to your car a quickly lock them into the base.
The infant car seat is great if your baby rides in multiple vehicles. Both parents can have a base as well as other caretakers like grandparents.
The bases are also super easy to remove and place into another vehicle.
The price for extra bases will vary greatly based on your car seat. You need to make sure the base is appropriate and compatible with the car seat.
Our infant car seat allowed us to use our jogger stroller from day 1. Newborn babies typically cannot start out in a jogger. They are not usually safe or supported. However, we bought a jogger that came with the infant car seat. This guaranteed it fit the stroller. We then could keep the baby in the car seat in the jogger. They were buckled in safely and supported fully. If you want to check it out it was the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Travel System.
For my full review of the stroller you can check out Is the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Travel System Worth the Investment?
The final pro I have for the infant car seat is it gives you a place to keep your baby out in public. Without this car seat you are going to have to rely heavily on wraps, carriers, and strollers.
Imagine trying to do certain tasks with your baby in your arms. Going into a restaurant without an infant stroller means you are holding your baby the entire meal. This is until they are strong enough to use a high chair.
There are a few cons to the infant car seat.
The first and most significant cons would be that this car seat on average only lasts for the first year.
It is all dependent on weight and height. Some babies can outgrow it at 9 or 10 months if they are on the large size, while others may make it closer to 14 or 15 months if they are small. 12 months though is a pretty standard average.
Then you will need to buy another car seat. If you need car seats for multiple vehicles you will have even more to purchase.
Another minor con is that you will need a place to store the infant car seat. When you get home from outing you could either bring it in your house or leave it in the car. We always brought it in our house, but found it to be a large cluttery object in our entry way.
When you get the infant car seat it is much easier to leave your baby in the car seat for long period of time. For example you may drive to the store, shop, and drive home leaving your baby in the car seat the entire time.
Some people have strong feeling about their baby being in that position too long. I am not an expert on the subject and will not pretend to be.
I have heard though that the car seat is designed for accident safety and is not the ideal position for sleep.
An infant car seat is almost too convenient at times.
Convertible Car Seat
Let’s jump right into the convertible car seat. This can be used on average from 5 pounds to 50 pounds. Check your specific car seat safety standards of course!
You can start with the convertible car seat from birth or upgrade to it when your baby outgrows the infant car seat.
The biggest positive of buying the convertible car seat from day 1 is eliminating the cost of the infant car seat completely. This one seat will not last you forever but it could last you around 3 to 4 years, depending on your child. That is a great amount of time to get your money’s worth.
You likely won’t need to upgrade until the booster seat.
If you go with the convertible car seat from birth it will result in you getting your infant out of the car every time you make a stop. It will prevent you from carrying them around for extended period of time in the car seat.
Some negatives of starting with the convertible car seat are minor overall, but should be addressed.
If you go with convertible car seats from birth and need to get multiple car seats you are going to have a larger initial invest typically. If you do the infant car seat with multiple bases you will be postponing the cost.
If you start with the convertible car seat you have the negatives of having to carry your infant in your arms, carrier, or stroller at every stop. You take longer get them buckled in which can be a bummer in poor weather.
If you have multiple children you can feel like your hands are quite full. Having that infant car seat as a place to keep the baby can be quite helpful if you are juggling a toddler.
Booster Seats
I don’t have much to say about booster seats because I am not there yet with my toddler.
Unless you go the all-in-one route you are going to end up needing a booster seat.
These are the most affordable. They are easy to move from car to car.
The booster seat phase is not a big deal at all.
It is the final stage before your child sits completely independently in the car.
All-in-One
I did not get an all-in-one car seat so I am not an expert on them.
I would say a huge pro is that one purchase can literally get your through ten years of use. You do not constantly have to spend money investing in new car seats.
A couple of cons would be that you are stuck with the same car seat for a very long time and that they seem quite cumbersome.
This car seat can go all the way from a newborn baby to a child in a booster seat. I find that crazy.
It makes me think this car seat would be quite large and complicated.
Things to Consider
The most important things to consider, other than simply lifestyle in general, are how many cars will your child frequently ride in as well as how many children are you going to have an how close together.
Let’s take an example of a two parent family. Each parent has a vehicle and wants a car seat at all times. You then have 2 children that are about 2-3 years apart.
Example A
Baby #1 arrives-you buy an infant car seat plus 2 bases
Baby #1 hits their first birthday-you buy 2 convertible car seats
Baby # 2 arrives and uses the old infant car seat plus 2 bases
Baby #2 hits their first birthday-done with infant car seat
At this point if Baby #1 is old enough they could move on to a booster seat and baby #2 would inherit the two convertible car seats.
If Baby #1 is not ready to move on from their convertible car seat then now you are in the pickle of needing to buy 2 more convertible car seats.
Example B
Baby #1 arrives-you buy 2 convertible car seats
Baby #2 arrives-you buy 2 more convertible car seats
You will be set until you are ready to move on to booster sets.
Example C
Baby #1 arrives-you buy 2 all-in-one car seats
Baby #2 arrives-you buy 2 more all-in-one car seats
You should be set until they are sitting in seats without any restraints or assistance.
Final Thoughts
You may consider having one car as the family car. You use it on the weekends and that parent is responsible for daycare pick-ups and drop offs. This is a great way to save money, but it does put a lot of responsibility on one parent.
When it comes to multiple children depending on your spacing you could consistently pass down the old car seat to the next child.
One thing to keep in mind is that car seats do have expiration dates.
They should also be replaced after any car accident occurs.
Conclusion
There is no one-size-fits-all for car seats. That is why the market caters to so many needs.
Talk to some of your mom friends. If you know someone that has a similar age gap or lifestyle find out what worked well for them and what did not.
You can also make adjustments to fit different phases in life. For one season maybe mom does daycare pick up and drop off due to the car seat situation. In another phase maybe the responsibilities are more evenly split.
Evolve and adapt and find what works best for you!
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