How Many Car Seats Do I Need?

How many car seats do I need for just one baby?!  Ahh, a common question among new parents.  Since there are numerous different types of car seats - infant car seats, convertible car seats, combination car seats, booster car seats, etc. - each catering to a different weight, length, size, shape, and age of baby, it's very confusing at first to determine what you'll need and how many to buy. 

I recommend starting out with one basic infant car seat and two bases.  The infant car seat is portable, which means you can take the whole shebang - car seat and baby - out of the car and into your stroller or shopping cart or house without having to disturb - or God forbid, wake up - your sleeping baby!  I liked having two bases however, because we kept one base in my car and one base in my husband's car.  That way, we could use either car without having to re-install the car seat itself.  This saved us a lot of time and hassle.  (Installing a car seat isn't difficult, but it is kind of a pain, especially when you have a million other things you need to be doing and your baby is crying...) 

Once your baby outgrows the length/weight restrictions on his or her infant car seat, then it's time to move on to a convertible car seat.  Purchase seat #2.  Although a newborn baby can technically ride safely in a rear-facing convertible car seat from the beginning (assuming he or she is not a preemie), I like the convenience of the infant car seat so much, it's totally worth using it until your baby's at least one year old.  So, it's on to the convertible car seat.  This seat will last you longer...usually until your child is about four years old or at least 40 pounds.  We wound up buying one really nice, comfortable convertible car seat for our son to use in my car - and one, cheaper "travel car seat" to use in Dad's car or to take with us on vacation.  That way, if it was damaged at all in transit, no big deal. 

After the convertible car seat comes the real big-kid seat - the booster car seat!  Booster seats should be used from about the ages of 4 to 8, but it all depends on the model of your booster car seat and the height and weight of your child.  Depending on what kind you get, booster seats are relatively small and easy to install, so you could get by with just buying one. 

Yep, all-in-all, you'll probably average buying at least four car seats for your one child over the course of eight years.  It sounds crazy, but it's obviously in your child's best interest.  As alway, safety first!