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I'm in the same boat as you. Not sure if I want to buy an infant car seat then a toddler. Seems more cost efficient to just buy a convertible.
I've only just starting researching but the two I like thus far are the Safety 1st (supposingly the new Complete Air 65LX model has 3 recline positions) and First Years True Fit Premier. Both under $200.
http://www.babble.com/products/baby-products/best-car-seats-infant-baby-booster-graco-britax-first-years-true-fit-premier
I was at Target today looking at the Complete Air, but I read reviews on 3-4 different sites where people said their babies heads fell forward. It worked better once babies can sit up by themselves.
So far the best model I've found is the True Fit Converitble Car Seat. I've read reviews on amazon, babies r us and a couple blogs and several people used it with their newborn, looking at some user-uploaded pictures it looks like it reclines to the same angle as infant seats!
Here is a good review: http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2008/06/truefit.html
and another: http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/the-first-years-true-fit-convertible-car-seat-reviews/
We had a Graco Snugride and I hated it. Not only did it not fit well in my car (Audi A4) I found it horribly cumbersome and I hated carrying it around.
Due to that we just purchased the Recaro ProRide. Recaro is the same company that makes the seats for many Audi and VW cars so the seat fits incredibly well and while he's only a month old he loves it and has no issues with holding his neck up. That's really what I would worry about at least for the first month with a baby.
My advice is finding a seat that fits in the car well and then figure out whether or not you want something that goes until they're around a year old and then changing to a convertible seat, or just going straight to a convertible.
We are using our infant carrier until 6 months or so and then will purchase a convertible to use as a second seat in my husbands vehicle. They have started to make some of the convertibles with a recline but be careful because that can end up making the seat so long that it doesn't fit in a lot of back seats.
@SecretName: That's what I've been reading, we have a fairly roomy backseat (ford fusion '08). We could always put it in the middle seat though. I wish that stores like babies r us let you try the car seats in the your car before buying them haha that would be awesome!
i heard that you almost ALWAYS need an infant carseat, and then a convertable will last you a good three years after that. i heard the safety 1st alpha omega elite is a great convertible at a great price.
a girlfriend of mine just got an infant carseat that was for some reason marked down (made by graco) for only 40 bucks and it is great! she plans to use the convertible at like 6 months.
i might also add, she uses the infant carseat with a stroller frame as well. she just keeps it in the back of her car and then moves the infant seat onto the frame, and doesn't have to wake up baby!
I don't know anyone who didn't use an infant car seat first. I love having the infant car seat- DS falls asleep in the car a lot, and I love that I can just move the car seat into the Snap and Go while we're out and let him continue sleeping. I also like using the infant seat with the Snap and Go since I can put it in rear-facing and see DS and replace pacifiers and such while we're out.
Also, while it's always best to use the infant seat with a base, you can actually use it without one and use the seat belt to strap it in, which has come in handy many times when, for example, my mom has wanted to take him somewhere in her car, or if we've needed to ask a friend to pick up DS from daycare.
i registered for both but only got the infant car seat, so we're planning to get the convertible once DS meets the weight limit of the infant seat (~25 lbs). I also have the graco snugride but i actually like it - it fits well in my car (toyota camry), was easy to install, easy to snap in and out, and isn't too heavy (compared to my mommy friend's britax....that thing is like 15 lbs on its own!). i haven't done a huge amount of research on convertible seats yet, but i know the safety 1st models have the highest consumer ratings.
You might do some research (e.g. ask you pediatrician, ask your local certificed car seat tech, etc...) before completely ruling out an infant seat for the newborn stage. Although I recently heard that it's personal preference, all of my research from credible sources says that infant seats are still safer for most newborns.
We have the Britax Advocate 70 convertible seat; we made the switch at about a year, even though Addie could still fit in her Graco Snugride 35 up until maybe 2 months ago. The Britax Advocate is really big and heavy, but it has a metal framework and built-in side impact cushions, which improve it's safety. It also has higher weight limits for both rear (45 pounds) and forward facing (70 pounds), which is great considering we're trying to keep Addie rear-facing for as long as possible (beyond 2 years old, if we can swing it). We bought it during an Amazon sale, with an Amazon coupon, so we paid less than $200 for it.
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I love the idea of purchasing a convertible car seat, as they say they will fit children from 5lbs-100lbs. I had found a few I liked, and I bought one from Safety 1st for my sister's baby. After he was born, we realized they're not actually conducive to newborns, even though it says 5lbs+. They tend to be very upright without the option to recline to an angle comfortable for a newborn.
My sister had to purchase a separate infant car seat, and will use the convertible one once her son is 6 mos.
I had originally registered for the same one, but now I'm not sure what to do. Is it typical to have to register for TWO car seats, an infant seat and a convertible one?
Has anyone found a convertible car seat that will actually recline to the angle (I think they say 45 degrees is needed for NB's) for newborns?
Any recommendations would be helpful! Thanks!!