Question for moms about infant carriers?

Question

I have twins that are rather tall for their age. They are 6 months and are outgrowing their carriers. Do you have any suggestions on a type of seat I can use for them considering they still need to be facing to the rear? Thanks

Answer 1

you should purchase a convertible car seat. this is one that is able to be positioned rear facing as well as forward facing (which you should not do until 1 yr and 20lbs) here is a link to the walmart site showing some options for convertible seats

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=91368

things to look for are atleast a 5 point harness and safety..also if you look at some of the ones on the walmart site they also become booster seats...which will be nice once the twins are able to sit in a booster...have fun shopping :)

the carrier car seats are only safe up to a certain hight and /or weight. you do not want to exceed that because you could put the babies at risk in the event that an accident should occur.

if you have questions concerning the installation of the car seats, you can always goto the state police station and they should gladly install them for you

here is a good site about car seat safety and what to look for :)

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Answer 2

Your current carriers should tell you the maximum height (and weight) that it is safe to use for your babies, so I recommend you check the manual first. (Our son looked like he was outgrowing his, but actually had a little room left per the manufacturer.) When your twins do outgrow their current seats, you'll likely want to look for what is called a "convertible" seat. They are usually rear facing for a longer period than a traditional infant carrier, but then can become forward facing after one year. Be sure to think about how long the forward facing seat will last, based on the maximum height and weight allowances; some go to 40 pounds, others to 60 or so. Another consideration is how long your state requires child/booster seats, as it varies. Here is a link to the Consumer Reports page on "how to choose a car seat." Hope this all helps!

Answer 3

I bought a convertible seat that goes rear facing then at age one and 20 pounds you can turn it forward facing. Granted it's not a carrier seat so you won't have that convenience but those kids are probably getting heavy in those carriers anyway. My oldest daughter was in the convertible seat that goes up to 40 pounds until just recently and she is almost 4. My youngest is still in the carrier and she is she months but i am looking forward to moving her soon to the convertible seat when it warms up a bit more outside. I moved my oldest 2 out of the carrier car seat when they got too long rather than to heavy for the seat when they were about 6 months old.

Answer 4

They have the "in between" seat that are not an infant carrier but are not really a booster and they can go fromt ways and back ways. They are about $70 a piece. You can use them for a long time too. My son was about 6 months when I HAD to buy a new seat for the same reason and he ios now two and still using it and will be for a long time. Here is an example on Target.com.

Answer 5

Its pricey, but I LOVE LOVE the Britax Marathon. Its good rear-facing up to 33 lbs (I think most seats only go to 25 or 30 lbs) and forward facing to 65 lbs (most only go to 40 or 45). If your twins keep growing that fast when they hit 40 lbs you'll need yet another...it makes the extra cost of the Britax worth it since you can use it longer.

Also, Britax is very comfy, easy to install, easy to adjust, has several extra safety features (like built-in locking clips and a tether you can use either forward or rear facing), and is rated pretty darn high in crash tests.

Check albeebaby.com, I got my Marathon for $230 instead of the $280 at Babies R Us.

On a separate note...I had the Evenflo Triumph and it sucked, don't buy it!!

Answer 6

Almost all carseats are rear facing also. I kept my twins in their infant carriers for a LONG time. Almost 1 year old. They are now 18 months, and in big kid carseats, that can face backward. They are inconvienent though, so I could leave the babies in their carriers as long as you can, good luck!

Answer 7

From one mom to another (I did this too) Put them in a toddler sit but have it facing the rear...that would work as long as it is facing the rear--also you could ask a pediatrician on what they think....

Answer 8

Look for the Britax brand... they are the best out there by far. You can contact your local fire or police station if you're concerned about the proper way to put one in.

Answer 9

you need to be careful when receiving advice about child car seats. talk to your local ambulance company or fire department before making any changes.