Is Your Baby Ready for the Convertible Car Seat? (video)

Your baby is creeping towards their first birthday and you're thinking, "Holly heck, it feels like they were born yesterday!" and maybe you're also thinking "We have to get a new car seat, already!?".    

So, when is a good time to upgrade from the infant car seat ("the bucket") to a convertible car seat?  Well, I can help you decide!  Check out our video here!

There's two reasons to switch; 

1) They outgrow the seat (yeah, I know....mind-blowing, right?)

2) Parents decide that it's easier in the convertible (I'll explain the pros & cons)

A baby outgrows the seat in 3 ways; they reached the maximum weight, the maximum height or the top of their head is within an inch of the top of the seat (most babies outgrow the seat this way). It's actually very rare that a baby outgrows the seat due to weight.  For example, the maximum weight for a Graco Snugride 35 is 35lbs, which is the typical weight of a 3-4 year old!

So, why would parents transition to a convertible seat if they haven't outgrown "the bucket"?  It's HEAVY!  If you have a 15lb car seat and a 20lb baby, thats one heck of an arm workout every time you head out the door.  The pro to keeping the bucket?  If the baby falls asleep in the car seat, you don't have to unbuckle them (& risk waking them up) to take them inside.  

For myself, I switched to a convertible car seat when my kids were able to walk comfortably.