More and more parents are choosing to buy convertible car seats over infant car seats these days, and there are two main reasons why; lifespan and money savings.
The reason to choose a convertible car seat over an Infant car seat should not be based purely on price alone, however given that you will need to purchase a number of car-seats, it is an option with pro’s and cons to be considered before making a final decision.
Infant Car SeatsInfant car seats (sometimes called baby capsules/carriers) tend to be more convenient when transporting a newborn baby around. The car seat easily clicks into a base, making it much easier and quicker to get the baby in and out of your car. Another seemingly convenient aspect to infant car seats is the fact that they can be carried. One of the main reasons in choosing a baby capsule over a convertible child restraint is that many of the infant car seats can easily snap into prams with the use of a suitable capsule adaptors.
Advantages of a Baby Capsule
Despite the fact that most mums only use a baby capsule for a maximum of 6 months, though low birth weight babies may use one for up to 9 months. The number of mums moving to use a baby capsule for the initial period after bubs gets home is increasing. The reasons being
- You Do not need for bubs to wake up to go to your appointments
- You Do not wake bubs up when putting hubs into the capsule or taking bubs out
- a Second base in your partners car or your parents car makes it easier for everyone
- Let bubs wake up naturally at home in the capsule
- Environmentally friendly (re-use- re-cycle)
- Cost Effective (only $180 for 6 months)
- When combined with rear facing car seat hire it is easy transition to Forward facing
A huge advantage of a Baby Capsule is that you only need a second base and your parents can easily pick up the children from day care. Check out our reviews of Child restraints and baby capsules. A second base means that grand parents can easily and safely take the grand children on a drive or pick them up from day care.
Rear Facing CategoriesSome parents may consider it a problem, but baby capsules can only face rearwards.
An A1 type child restraint can be rear facing to approximately 6 months of age.
An A2 type child restraint can be rear facing until 12 months of age.
An A4 Convertible car seat can be rear facing to 30 months
Many parents also find that as their baby gets bigger, it becomes much more difficult to carry them around. This leaves a lot of parents only using their infant car seat for the first six or seven months.
Save Money Hire your Baby Capsule
Helping you on the way to being parents, Travelsafe offer baby capsule hire of maxi cosi and britax capsule for 3, 4 or 6 month hires. The cost for a 3 month baby capsule hire starting at $110 for a non isofix capsule hire. We have the Britax Unity Neos, Britax B-pod and the Maxi Cosi Mico Plus, plus adaptors for the more popular prams.
Baby Car Seat InstallationWhen you have doubt about your ability to install your convertible car seat, please contact the experienced fitters at Travelsafe who have been installing baby car seats and booster seats along the bayside and the south east suburbs. Call 0420 516 587
Advantages Convertible Car SeatConvertible car seats on the other hand are designed to rear-face and forward-face. They can be used from birth to approximately four years of age (50th percentile), so they are much more practical and cost-effective. A convertible car seat can rear-face until your child is 12 months of age, however the Infa Kompressor height markers are that of a 24 month child.
The downside to using a convertible child restraint, is that they must stay secured in the car at all times and you can’t remove the child restraint and carry the child around in the child restraint.
All things considers, the long-term benefits of convertible child restraints far exceed the benefits and convenience of infant car seats.