carseat for newborn

hope71012 · #1 January 8th, 2012, 03:57 PM

Kids will be 6 years apart, which means our infant seat is expired.

We have two convertible car seats (Alpha Omega) that are good for a few more years. Is it safe to put a newborn into those seats? Or should we invest in a cheap infant carrier (graco or something).

We switched #1 when she was 6 months old b/c she was just not comfortable in the infant seat. I would only plan to use the infant seat for 6 months at the most again.

.:fearless:. · #2 January 8th, 2012, 07:11 PM

Many infant seats are a lot more accommodating now. They have higher height and weight limits as well. The harness slots on the Alpha Omega aren't low enough to properly and safely restrain a newborn. There are many infant seats out there for less than $100

hope71012 · #3 January 9th, 2012, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:fearless:.

Many infant seats are a lot more accommodating now. They have higher height and weight limits as well. The harness slots on the Alpha Omega aren't low enough to properly and safely restrain a newborn. There are many infant seats out there for less than $100

The seats I have seen have the same height and weight as our current expired one. We will really only get 6 months use if that. Our dd actually outgrew the height on the seat at that time.

What are the pros/cons to a used or borrowed seat? $100 for 6 months use seems really expensive. Saftey is worth it, but I usually see seats posted locally on my moms group for $30-40.

amylynne01 · #4 January 9th, 2012, 04:12 AM

The lowest harness height on the Alpha Omega is 10", which will only fit long torsosed full term kiddos, which are the exception, not the norm. You want a seat that has a lowest harness height somewhere around 7", which is more reasonable for a full term kiddo.

We never recommend buying a used seat unless you trust the seller with your child's life. You simply don't know how the seat has been treated, if it was in an accident, and if it is was cleaned and maintained according to manufacturer directions. It may seem trivial, but you're putting your child in 3000lbs of steel and plastic moving at speeds of 25-65mph. You want to make sure that you've done everything you can to protect your kids during drives, and using a used car seat leaves the door open for "what if". If you have a friend or family member that you trust and they have a seat that you can borrow, then do that.

You could also spend that $100 on a new convertible to use from birth to safe booster age (age 5-6) since the Alpha Omega is typically outgrown by age 3-4 before a child is truly ready to be in a booster. The Graco MyRide 65 and Evenflo Triumph 65 will both last to age 5, maybe longer, and both are just over $100. Here is a list of convertibles that are safe for newborns.

Graco MyRide 65
Evenflo Triumph 65
Diono Radians (any model)
Britax new generation convertibles
Cosco Scenera
First Years True Fit/True Fit Premier

.:fearless:. · #5 January 9th, 2012, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amylynne01

Graco MyRide 65
Evenflo Triumph 65
Diono Radians (any model)
Britax new generation convertibles
Cosco Scenera
First Years True Fit/True Fit Premier

I have a graco my ride and I adore it. They are cheaper priced too. I have also had an evenflo triumph 65 and I like that seat as well. Andddd I own a cosco scenera, that is a decent seat as well for price and harnessing limits. I had a rough time getting a good RF install on it though.
Here is a myride for only $159, they also have a girly pattern on there for $129.

Walmart.com: Graco - MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat, Prentis: Car Seats

hope71012 · #6 January 9th, 2012, 11:19 AM

I appreciate the convertible suggestions, but no way am I buying another one!! I have a frontier for when dc 2 outgrows the alpha omega (exp in 2017 i think, kiddo should be ready for a booster at that point legally). I need to use the seats I have lol! Hubby would flip if we bought another convertible when we have 2 perfectly good ones!

Dd was 20 inches at birth. All torso, but never measured her seated height. doubt 10"

I do have friends with trusted driving records who have seats that are not expired. It sounds like the best option, but I still trust our expired seat a lot more because I know it has been used and stored properly.

Era: it's a lot to think about really. And overwhelming. Saftey is number one and don't wantto neglect saftey, yet don't want to throw away money either :/

amylynne01 · #7 January 9th, 2012, 11:47 AM

Buying a car seat is not throwing money away. Your infant seat is expired, i.e., CANNOT be used again. If you do, you are making your kiddo a crash test dummy. The manufacturer knows how the seat will perform up to the expiration. After that, they make no claims on the safety of the seat. The plastic can break down over time, the harness can become stretched from repeated use, and there can be microscopic cracks in the seat itself from extreme temperatures. You do not have 2 perfectly good convertibles for a newborn. You have 2 perfectly good convertibles for an older infant who has head control and can sit up on his/her own. From the seats you have, you have no seat suitable for a newborn.

I'm sorry if my post comes across as harsh and rude. However, this is an issue that cannot be fixed with the seats you already own. Sometimes kids cost money that we didn't plan on, but that doesn't mean you should put them at risk because of $100. If you save $5 a week until baby is born, you'll have $135 for a new seat which is more than enough to get a seat that will last until age 5-6.

Daffodil · #8 January 9th, 2012, 12:12 PM

I have to agree, you don't want to risk your kids life in order to save money! They are worth more than anything in the world.

hope71012 · #9 January 9th, 2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amylynne01

Buying a car seat is not throwing money away. Your infant seat is expired, i.e., CANNOT be used again. If you do, you are making your kiddo a crash test dummy. The manufacturer knows how the seat will perform up to the expiration. After that, they make no claims on the safety of the seat. The plastic can break down over time, the harness can become stretched from repeated use, and there can be microscopic cracks in the seat itself from extreme temperatures. You do not have 2 perfectly good convertibles for a newborn. You have 2 perfectly good convertibles for an older infant who has head control and can sit up on his/her own. From the seats you have, you have no seat suitable for a newborn.

I'm sorry if my post comes across as harsh and rude. However, this is an issue that cannot be fixed with the seats you already own. Sometimes kids cost money that we didn't plan on, but that doesn't mean you should put them at risk because of $100. If you save $5 a week until baby is born, you'll have $135 for a new seat which is more than enough to get a seat that will last until age 5-6.

Sorry, did not clarify throwing away money. For the relative use of the brand new convertable seat to get maybe two years use out of, the cost per day/week/month is EXPENSIVE. I will do what we have to do, in the name of saftey. I bought a $200+ seat to keep my dd harnessed another year and half until she legally could be in a booster. I'm not some crazy lady who wants to make my kid a crash dummy or is unaware that children cost money. I am frugal in the sense that I already have spent at least $1,000 on car seats in the last 6 years and am trying to find some reasonable alternative until the baby can sit in the convertible we already have.

Which all of those seats listed would not fit my 5-6 year old now. Tried because I didn't want to move her to a booster. A radian only one I could justify buying for height reasons and might last til that migt last til 5-6, doesn't fit in my car.

It's hard to see my infant seat, stored with car, looks brand new, barely used be unsafe. I won't put a baby in the seat, but I do know we need an alternative until baby is big enough.

starryeyedme04 · #10 January 10th, 2012, 12:36 PM

What 2 convertibles do you have? I saw the AoE, and i saw you mentioned a frontier, which isn't a covertible, it's a FF only seat.

If you want an infant carrier, im sure you can find a cheaper 22-25lb one somewhere online brand new..otherwise, other than suggesting buying a seat for the child, there isn't much more that we can offer. The AoE will be too high harness height right away for the new baby and britax can't be used til 2yrs and 25lbs i think it is..def 2years though.. soooooo ... the scenara might work for you, they are around 60ishm, more or less... i dont htink you can get much cheaper than that unless you buy 2nd hand which isn't recommended.

ETA- How tall is your oldest kiddo?

KMH · #11 January 10th, 2012, 12:47 PM

Walmart has the Evenflo Discovery on Clearance for $49 if you need an infant seat...that would be a relatively inexpensive option until the baby is big enough for the convertibles you have.

Evenflo - Discovery 5 Infant Car Seat - Walmart.com

Also you could look into trading in your expired seat at the Babies R Us trade-in event to save money on a seat from there. Just some ideas...hope you find a plan that works for you and your budget!

starryeyedme04 · #12 January 10th, 2012, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMH

Walmart has the Evenflo Discovery on Clearance for $49 if you need an infant seat...that would be a relatively inexpensive option until the baby is big enough for the convertibles you have.

Evenflo - Discovery 5 Infant Car Seat - Walmart.com

Also you could look into trading in your expired seat at the Babies R Us trade-in event to save money on a seat from there. Just some ideas...hope you find a plan that works for you and your budget!

I was just going to link this! Where's the like button?

hope71012 · #13 January 19th, 2012, 02:30 PM

I forgot about the babies R us trade in. When do they typically do that?

A friend is giving us an infant seat. So I hope we are set. Don't know the date on the seat yet!

We have 2 Alpha Omegas

Frontier wont be used until kiddo is at least 2.

My oldest is 48 inches I think.

Off Topic - Anyone know if you can get replacement covers for any of those 2 seats?

starryeyedme04 · #14 January 19th, 2012, 02:50 PM

Youd have to contact the manufacturer I think. I think theres a trade in next month but i've heard it's crap bc they jack up the prices.. ive never been, just what i saw some people saying on some other boards.