There are many resources for car seat research online, my friend Karen Hamilton (@tinybites) has been kind enough to pass along the tools she’s discovered as she preps for baby #1 in the new year (right around the same time we’ll be escorting Chuck in to the world).
Infant or Convertible
The first thing to choose is something we’ve tackled before in Car Seat 101: do you want a convertible car seat or an infant only to bring your bundle home from the hospital?
Karen is going with the latter.
“Definitely going with an infant carrier based on what practically every car seat rep has said about convertibles – they’re often too large at shoulder height to accommodate a newborn even if your baby meets the weight requirement,” she said.
The decision is tough for some since infant seats are used only for the first few months when your infant is unable to support their head.
Buy New vs Buy Used vs Rent
“Still haven’t decided whether we’re buying or renting. If we buy, we’re buying new and buying an infant carrier with a higher upper weight limit, like the Peg Perego,” she says. “We have plans for a second child in a few years so for us it’s worth it to have something we can re-use. Peg Perego is on our shortlist because of its fit with the B.O.B. sports stroller that we have.”
When it comes to buying a used car seat, Karen echoes the warning I’ve heard from many professionals:
“The safety rating may have held back when it was purchased but what assurances would you have that nothing major happened to the car seat since it left the store?”
We were lucky that we were able to borrow an infant seat from a friend when Zacharie was born. Unfortunately the seat has since expired. (The plastic does have a shelf life. The expiry date of your car seat will be clearly printed on the seat bottom.)
The rental option is not something I was not familiar with, and Karen explained that some hospitals used to rent them back in the day, so it might be worth checking at the hospital you’re delivering with.
Karen added a PS:
“Also found an article about the Mico infant car seat, which is undergoing a safety review by Transport Canada. It’s sold under several brands so you may want to share this article with DadCAMP readers.”
What research resources have been helpful for you in picking a car seat and deciding between infant and convertible? 
Flickr photo from Joe Shlabotnik
Check out these other related DadCAMP posts:
- Car Seat 101: Infant Seat Choices Chuck is due in January and we need another car seat. Choices: 1. convertible seat...
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Buzz is married to Jennifer and has 2 sons. Zacharie was born in May 2007 and Charles in January 2010. Buzz is a radio guy who enjoys building bridges between old and new media.
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Hi Buzz,
Learned a few things since our initial conversation about car seats that I'd like to add:
1) It is *illegal* to use a car seat purchased outside of Canada in BC – so my mother can't buy us a model from where she lives in Seattle and we can't indulge in cross-border carseat shopping (even if the brand is also found in Canada). According to a rep at ICBC's Child Car Seat Information Line, 1-877-247-5551, if you're found in violation, you're fined $109 on the spot. So whether you're buying new or used, make sure the Canadian safety stickers are found on your chosen car seat.
Forgot to ask about insurance coverage implications but I suspect it wouldn't bode well. Here's the summary of parents' legal obligations regarding car seats in BC: http://childseatinfo.ca/72.aspx
2) If you deliver your child and do not have a way to transport your baby home in your car, the hospital will most likely connect you with a local rental company that they'd recommend for infant carriers. Here are three that service the Greater Vancouver area:
Baby’s On The Go
http://www.babysonthego.com/equipment_vancouver...
Petite Passengers
http://www.petitepassengers.com/catalog/index.p...
Wee Travel
http://www.weetravel.ca/products/carseats.shtml
Inchirieri de masini Bucuresti, Inchirieri Auto Baneasa si Otopeni. Parcul nostru auto detine cele mai bune solutii la preturi imbatabile. Daca doriti sa inchiriati o masina de la aeroportul Baneasa sau otopeni va sugeram sa folositi rent a car baneasa.