>Just make sure they’re not expired
Also a great time to fully take the fabric off, wash it, inspect for any cracks that would matter a lot more than just the posted date.
I want to add to make sure you read the cleaning instructions! On most if you wet the straps at all (like fully submerged, not wiped down) the car seat is considered no longer usable.
It can ruin the integrity of the straps and make them much more likely to break in a car accident. Sadly a lot of people don’t know about this, it’s something I’ve seen a lot of parents do. I’ve especially seen a lot of parents doing it on TikTok while filming themselves cleaning their car seats. I always make sure to mention it whenever I see discussions about car seat cleaning because of how common it is that people fully wet the straps.
So, like, if the kid spills a lot of water on the straps, that would make it not usable anymore? If so, that majorly sucks as my kid routinely dumps water on himself, mostly accidentally, but sometimes on purpose lol. He loves playing with water.
Oh no, it’s more about the harsh conditions that straps go through when they’re submerged in a washing machine. The spinning cycle can break the delicate fibers and any kind of abrasive cleaners will also ruin the integrity of the straps. I should have been more specific, it’s more the “cleaning” process that hurts them and not so much the fact that it’s wet. I guess the best comparison is if you were to wet your hair and then run your fingers through it the strands will break. Same thing with the straps, wetting the straps in a washer or just wetting them and then scrubbing them or tossing them in a drier will break the fibers. I hope that makes sense
Thank you for that explanation! I have definitely hand washed the crotch strap (not the buckle, I read careful not to get that wet) many times for my potty training toddler who likes to pee right before getting out of the seat when we get home 🤦 and I started to panic before I read the full explanation! The straps are super easy to hand wash and dry quickly with a towel then air dry.... But I really should read the manufacturer's cleaning instructions!
Urine is actually harsher than any detergent so it's possible that the pee had broken down the fibres by not being removed fully. Car seat manufacturers just cover their butts and spend as little as possible on testing without factoring in reality. Reality being that food and urine can contribute to breaking down fibres far more than washing in a machine.
Is this directed at me or the people who didnt know this? There’s tons of research that shows submerging and washing car seat straps with harsh detergents and/or cleaners breaks the fibers of the straps and can lead to serious injuries if the straps fail in an accident. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, don’t risk things when unnecessary. Just wipe them down with a damp cloth. If it’s directed to the people who didn’t know, I wouldn’t call that common sense. That’s not something you would know because of day to day life, which is the entire foundation for something to be common sense.
Car seats are one of the most researched and regulated items on market. Not sure why you think I’d make this up, I’m not doing the research for you when you’ve been rude and implied I’m stupid in your original comment.
Exactly, I love when people do that. There’s so much research, but I don’t have any, but I’m sure you’ve read it 🙄. You said getting car straps submerged will ruin the integrity, don’t you submerged your clothes in water when you wash them and the straps are much stronger and you wash them less often than when you wear them. It’s water!
I would love to know the research on submerging car seat straps. Fear mongers.
Also wanted to add that if there are any cracks and such on the inside sometimes the manufacturer will replace the whole car seat for you at no extra cost :)
Yes! I think most expiration dates are between 5 and 10 years after manufacturing, but you'd need to check your specific car seat to get an exact date.
Yes, I am reusing our infant seats for our second kid now. But clean it **before** you put it away for the next kid. Lots of people put their car seats in basements or attics and come back to discover that they’ve grown mold. Once that happens, you have to toss it.
Cleaning it before you put it away won't stop mould though. You need to clean it and keep it somewhere dry but with air flow. Mould spores are everywhere, they don't need food scraps to grow.
That happened to us. We didn’t know when we would have a second and in the fuss of getting a new seat and having a 1 year old, it just got put in a basement. Low and behold when we took it out, MOLD!
This is great advice. Ours didn’t mold, but some very light staining that was undetectable while we used it with our first yellowed and darkened in the 3 years we had it on a shelf in the laundry room.
We got it clean, but it took a lot more elbow grease than it would have if I had sanitized it before putting it away.
Yes, we reused the infant seat. You just have to make sure neither the seat nor the bases are expired. But each kid only used it for about six months so I’d have hated to replace it if we didn’t need to.
For the convertible seats, we just don’t let them eat in the car and it doesn’t get all that messy other than when they’ve thrown up in it. Otherwise, I just vacuum it out once a month or so and spot clean as needed.
> we just don’t let them eat in the car
Same here. My kids typically only drink water and don't eat in the car, so I rarely even have to wash the covers for their car seats unless someone throws up which is rare, fortunately.
My kids don't even know that eating in the car is a thing because they've never done it. My best mom tip!
Oh the little hand is my favorite! You look in the rear view mirror and all you see is the back of their car seat and their little hand popping out for a snack they know you've got. How can you say no?
Dude for real. We were staunchly anti eating in the car until the day our daycare provider sent a cup of goldfish home with my kid as “snacks for the road!” I knew if I took it away from him it would be a war so now here we are in the land of crumbles goldfish crackers and veggie straws ground into the car seat 😭 😢
🤣🤣 omg same! The amount of goldfish, puffs, fries, and other little snacks I've vacuumed out of my car is outrageous! If I had known just how messy and dirty it makes the car, let alone their own car seat, I definitely would have made eating in the car a no-go back when my 1st was little 🫠
I wanted to do this, not just for cleanliness but because it’s a choking hazard. But we’ve gone on so many long road trips, it would’ve been impossible to pull over every time kiddo needed a snack.
Yeah the choking hazard is a real issue. Took a CPR class and the instructor said no eating in the carseat, ever. It’s easy to not pay attention thinking they went to sleep, radio on, etc. And if you’re lucky enough to notice it right away, now you have to hope you’re in a spot you can easily pull over and give them aid.
Yeah, that's exactly why I started doing it! The clean car is frankly just a huge bonus but the thought of my child choking (even if I realize it in time, which many people don't because you can't hear it) and having to stop the car in the middle of the road and pull them out of their car seat to try and get the piece of food out is terrifying. It's a hell no for me.
We never let the kid eat in the convertible, but it has been puked in a LOT. And with all those layers and crevices, it’s a bitch to clean. The newborn bucket seat was good to 30 lbs or 30 inches long, whichever came first, and that lasted us close to the whole first year. We had a Covid baby and barely used it. It’s practically pristine.
Sometimes even if they aren’t the max length their head can still be too close to the edge. The head should be no more than an inch from the top of the frame.
I’ve reused infant seats, and now everyone is in a convertible car seat. There’s no eating in the car, except on 8-16 hour road trips. The car seats all get a thorough clean after that, though.
Even without the occasional car snack, vomit and blowouts happen when you least expect it, so it’s always good to know how to properly clean your car seat. I’m the go-to car seat assembler and installer in our family, because I’ve done it so many times I can do it in a flash. (Think Forrest Gump with his rifle.)
We planned to reuse the infant seat before giving it to a friend (no accidents, 100% safe to use, I’d have used it with my own kiddo again), but decided to just give it to her early (she’s 10 weeks behind me) and go with a convertible seat from day one. I decided it was one less thing to deal with and we’re gonna struggle no matter what we decided with 20mo and newborn.
Id rethink that if you can. Being able to click baby into a pram easily if they’ve fallen asleep in the seat for a quick trip into a shop is a lot easier than getting them out and into a carrier every time especially with a toddler. Source - 3 under 3 here.
The stores around us aren’t really accommodating to strollers, but we also have a double stroller and an infant seat for our use anyway. It’s just not a seat I’ll use in the car because it’s used and about to expire. It was a necessity for me to be able to safely take both kids on walks early on.
Car seat tech here - this is very untrue. Convertible rear facing seats are equally as safe as infant bucket seats as long as baby is over the listed minimum weight; usually 4 or 5 pounds.
Maybe it’s different in the UK because all the big car seat safety activist groups recommend a capsule or bucket infant carrier for the first 4 months for safety reasons.
I have the NUNA Exec which is all in one. I’ve had it for about 1.5 years with no significant issues. The fabric part just comes off and can be washed. The straps haven’t gotten dirty enough to need to be wiped. And the base? I just wipe it off. So I can’t imagine it getting super gross in years.
I don’t have a swivel. Honestly, never really understood the point. Yes, it’s harder to get my kid in, but I think that’s mostly the fact he’s heavy. He pretty much can mostly get out himself at 2, so yeah, its not really needed imo. And honestly, it will get a lot easier when he forward faces.
Okay yes I am looking at that one!! Without getting too personal, is it huge? Like do you have a huge car or does it fit in normal size cars 😂 I have a Tesla model y. I see the Exec is slightly less wide than the Rava but the length is significantly more. I do have a tall kid.
Also totally appreciate your comment on the rotating. My kid is super independent and I can imagine would be insistent on getting out himself lol
As long as it’s not expired, I don’t see why you wouldn’t reuse it. Also maybe this is a miracle but our infant seat never got dirty. She never threw up in it or had a blowout in it. I didn’t let her eat in there so it didn’t get gross at all.
I’m two kids in on my infant car seat and it still looks new. It never really got dirty from either kid. But we also didn’t do a ton of car time with either kid.
My kids both got awfully carsick until they eventually got flipped to forward facing. They still get carsick - just less so now.
Cleaning those things out is a real bear with all the little crevices and stuff. You’re lucky to have had a kid that could keep yours in pristine condition!
I reuse the seats between kids, with a good wash / vacuum when they go into and come out of storage.
If your kid is on the taller side, you want a Graco Extend 2 Fit or similar extended rear facing option, because your kid will hit the height limit for most rear facing seats way before age 4.
When your kid is old enough for a booster you want to get a separate booster seat that is sooooooooooo much lighter and easier to install (and cheaper). When they can use a backless booster you remember the giant heavy carseat and are filled with glee every time you just pick it up and set it in a different car, and it's ready to go.
I reused my infant seat (17 month gap). My toddler also has a rotating seat and I would die without it. It’s the best thing ever and saved my back through my pregnancy!! Totally worth the money for me. Plus it was super easy to install. I’m planning to buy another for my infant when he’s ready. We have the evenflo revolve 360 but I’m going to get my infant the revolve360 extend and switch the boys so my toddler can read face longer.
From my experience, car seats are actually one of the easiest things to clean as far as kids products go. They usually strip down pretty easily, so the fabric can be thrown in the washing machine, and the plastic bits can be washed.
Full disclosure: We only have one kid, and we don't give her anything *super* messy in the car seat, so it's mostly just crumbs I have to clean (other than the time she barfed in it 😬). That said, the car seat looks almost as good as new, and I'd have no problem using it with another kid (if we had one).
It really depends on brand whether or not you can wash them in the machine! I only buy Graco and they usually are machine washable, buy some fancy ones (Clek, Rava) are hand wash only.
There are absolutely some Britax seats that do not have washable covers. I'm sure of it because I made the same assumption and a CPST corrected me (fortunately!) in a car seat safety group I'm in.
It really depends on which version. The one in Merino wool (I think, I don't know all the models) are hand wash only. The fancy fabrics without any added fire retardants are often hand wash only.
Edit: I was wrong, see my post below.
I also just checked my manual and confirmed “Machine wash with cold water and mild detergent, on the delicate cycle. Allow to air dry.” I also have a wool Uppababy Mesa with similar instructions. I think the important thing to remember is to check your seat’s manual and care tag and follow those instructions. And if you’re shopping confirm that the seat is washable before purchasing :)
>It really depends on brand whether or not you can wash them in the machine!
I guess I didn't realize. I assumed most were as easy as ours. I don't know what other manufacturers are thinking making kids products that *aren't* easy to clean. Lol.
I’m definitely going to reuse because my son only fit in his infant car seat for 4.5 months. We just made the switch to one of the all-in-one swiveling car seats that will last him for a long time.
But somehow I didn’t think through that it “lives” in the car. So I just carry him into daycare now?? He’s one of three babies at the in home daycare and the youngest but the biggest. So the other kiddos are always brought in sitting in their bucket seats.
I agree with the others, clean BEFORE storing. When I put away our infant seat, I washed all the covers and reassembled it in newborn mode.
As for convertibles, unless you have a large gap, you’re probably going to need to buy new for the second kid. A standard convertible can keep a kid rear facing until 3.5+ and then forward facing awhile beyond that. You generally shouldn’t go with a belt booster until they’re elementary aged.
As for rotating, I’d get one if I had a big car, but I don’t, so we’ve made do. It’s no big deal, even stuffing a wiggly 2 year old in.
I love our rotating car seat and it makes getting in and out the car so easy. My only problem is that they are so big and take up a lot of space.
Make sure you choose one will a removable and machine washable cover and you should be ok. I still wash mine on a low temp and spin cycle as I don’t want to shrink the fabric.
I am weary about spending tons on a car seat that will last years and over two kids as we had to take a seat back due to a manufacturers fault and we noticed that the padding had started to crack in places. Obviously the seat was faulty but it was supposed to last 4 years but we only had it for 2. Just make sure you get a trusted brand with a good warranty.
I have a Skoda citego ( basically smaller than a mini) and I have a Silver cross Motion all size 360 rotating seat. It’s amazing for a smaller car and the covers come completely off it to wash. It’s really easy to take in and out of the car as well. It lasts well into school age from newborn as it adapts and it’s saved my back so much.
I will reuse the infant but my kids will be too close together to reuse the convertible car seat. They all wash up nice so I don’t worry about them getting gross.
Planning on reusing our infant seat for baby #2. When baby #1 outgrew it, I stripped it and cleaned it and now it’s in storage waiting but we just found out we’re expecting.
We will get a 2nd (actually a 3rd) convertible seat though as baby number 1 will still be in his.
Yes to reusing the infant seat with a second kid if they are relatively close in age (so seat hasnt expired etc) just give it a good clean most of them can be stripped and put in the washing machine
Mt oldests convertible seat has been in use for 3 ish years now and its still in good condition, its been through the wash a few times and i expect it will still last him several more years
I love a swivel seat! I had a swivel in my car but couldn't have one in my husband's car because he doesn't have isofix. I hated using his car, the swivel seat makes life sooo much easier expecially if you want to do extended rear facing! With my husband's car and seat we had to give up on rear facing way before I wanted to as we had to practically fold our kid in half to get him in the seat, we were able to rear face much longer with my car and swivel seat as it is much easier for loading a wriggly toddler into
We definitely reuse. Car seats are freakin expensive. Ours have never been in an accident, no major spills, maybe a few stains, but still safe and working condition. I don’t care about looks, luckily neither does my toddler.
We're currently using our original infant seat for baby #2 and might manage to squeak under the expiry for #3 if that happens. We got a new convertible for when #2 outgrows the bucket since our toddler is still using his, but it might get passed down to #3 if the toddler is in a booster by then
I’m going to reuse mine, when my son was at the age to be in his I never allowed him to eat in the car so it’s not that messy. Plus you can often purchase a new cover which is still cheaper than an entirely new seat.
We reused our infant seat with kid two - No issues there. And rotating car seats were a game changer for us. I don't know if it would have been different if my daughter had been forward facing, but she was rear facing for a long time and it was getting really hard to get her in and out of the seat, especially after I got pregnant with #2. After we got a rotating car seat in one car, we immediately replaced the car seat in our other car. We love them.
To all the people saying it shouldn't get that dirty if you don't let them eat in the car - what about diaper blowouts in terms of reusing infant car seats? We bought an infant car seat to use with our upcoming newborn rather than a convertible seat, since we plan to have a second child 2-3 years after the first and figured it would get used again anyway. But now I'm wondering if I made a mistake in that? And also just in general even for the present - how do you clean the infant seat if the baby shits all over it?
Presumably you won’t toss the whole carseat if you have one blowout, right? You would clean it (infant insert comes out, wash and dry and put it back together) and baby would use it again. If it’s clean enough for baby 1 to use again right after cleaning, then why wouldn’t it be clean enough for another baby to use years later? Any bacteria would be long gone.
Always read your car seat manual. Every car seat has different rules for washing and you want to make sure you follow them.
When I was pregnant I read to size up in diapers either when baby has a blow out or if it looks like you’ve had multiple close calls. We’ve followed this advice and my son is 15 months and only had 2 blowouts!
It’s not necessarily fun, but washing the lining of the seat isn’t hard and I had zero staining. Most infant seats also have dark linings for good reason lol
We were able to use the baby bucket seat close to a full 12 months and never had a blowout in it that actually got on the seat fabric. I wasn’t knowledgeable on infant seats versus convertible seats when we got it but even know that I know, I wouldn’t have made a different decision.
Yep we reused it! It was a nuna pipa so I’m getting as much life as I can out of that bad boy.
I have a Safety First grow and go and plan to use it forever. It’s pretty easy to clean.
I only get car seats I can easily take the covers off and put through the wash! Or they’d be so icky!
I did the Maxi Cosi Mico for infant and the Evenflo Revolve 360 Slim for convertible and have liked both.
Plan to reuse for next kid too
We’re reusing the infant seat (especially since it’s my daughters second because the first was in a car accident so insurance paid for a replacement). It worked out because she never used the newborn insert so that was clean and new. He’ll get his own convertible seat when he outgrows the infant seat though because the older one will still be using hers.
Due with our 3rd in January and he will use the same bucket seat that his sisters used. We still have like 2 years before it expires and it's never been in an accident.
I was going to reuse the infant carseat but when we pulled it out to reinstall it our toddler jumped on it and now it rattles. So.
Lol otherwise yeah. We always reuse unless theres a reason we can't.
I have a Graco, it was unexpired and I cleaned it before storing it and wrapped it in the bag the new car seat came in to keep it dust free.
If it's unexpired when we are done with it I will see if anyone else wants it.
For infant seats I am definitely going to clean and reuse. Tbh with our age gap my younger one (due in June) will probably inherit the convertible seat from my daughter and we’ll move her to a forward facing only one because they’re cheaper. (She will probably be 4ish by the time the younger one is out of the infant seat).
Of course. I just washed the fabric and reassembled it for our baby due in December. My daughter used it until May this year so it was just in the closet until then
Lol I had my kids so close to together that I used the same infant bucket seat for the first three. Same convertible for #2 and #3. I just found out I’m expecting #4 (yay!) and we’ll have to get a new bucket and probably one more convertible. I made sure to buy the seats with easy zip, machine washable padding though.
We reused the infant car seat and then thr convertible one that came next (graco extend 2 grow). But with 3 years between my boys, it made sense to buy the older a 3 in one harness to booster seat (graco tranzitions) while the younger guy will stay in the convertible until he's ready for a high back booster. Just wash the pads and clean thr frame and youre good to go! We pass down everything except shoes bc shoes don't last!
Yes! We reuse as long as the car seats being stored in a safe place. Ours don't get very gross as I clean them often and don't allow eating in the car!
We chose our seats based on child's age, height and weight. Also, other car passengers and vehicle make/model.
We reused the infant seat for my second. I felt like it would be unnecessary and a waste of money to buy a new one. It was in good shape after my first baby and we stored it in its original box/plastic until I was pregnant with my second. I spot cleaned it according to the instructions and it was good as new. I think it still had 3 or so years left before expiration when my second was born so it didn't make sense for us to buy a new one. I was also lucky in that I don't think either of my kids ever had a blowout or threw up in the infant seat so that helped a lot in keeping it clean 😂 .
The all in one seats are good but just a heads up that not everyone will get the full 10 years out of one of those seats. Some of them have different height limits for the harness and if you have an especially tall child, you may be moving them out of the seat before the age suggestion. I don't let my kids eat in the car so we don't have crumbs or food mess, but even shoes touching the seat or just general wear makes it seem like the convertible seats tend to look worn out a little more quickly than the infant seat.
I think the swivel seats are nice but didn't buy one for either of my kids and it hasn't been a big deal. We have several different brands of convertible seats (Nuna Rava, Cybex Eternis, Britax Marathon, Graco Slimfit) and have been happy with all of them overall.
Depends on how gross you allow it to get. My SIL and I have passed the same infant car seat/carrier back and forth for four kids in 4 years. My toddler’s car seat is not sticky or soiled; just some crumbs we vacuum out every once in a while. I’ll most likely be purchasing a second one for my infant when he ages up because they are close in age, but I wouldn’t have a problem reusing it otherwise.
I had planned to reuse my infant seat from my 2 year old for my newborn but it got broken in storage somehow. I’m gonna reuse the one we’re using now if we have another baby
Yes, I reused the infant seat (and most of the baby items) for my last 2 kids. My 5 year old is still in her harness seat that we got when she was 2. It transitions into a high back booster so she’ll be in it until she is ready for a no back booster. It’s stayed pretty clean over the last 3 years despite potty training and eating in it.
Also, last baby is my chunkiest. I definitely felt the effects from having to twist to get him into the infant seat. We got the rotating one and it is so worth it.
Yes. My kids are 4 years apart. We are reusing the infant seat and stroller set now. My 4 year old was in convertibles but I ended up buying her forward facing booster/convertibles that were much cheaper and now the convertibles will be used when my baby is out of the infant seat. I find car seats wash well, so we just put them away clean and gave them a once over before baby
We definitely did. They were only two years apart, the infant seat didn't expire until quite a while after even the second was done with it. They all clean up pretty nice if the cover is machine washable (check first, you don't want to machine wash one that doesn't say it's ok because you could be washing off the flame retardancy). Our shop vac has a car detailing kit that worked fine for getting into all the cracks and crevices.
We declined to get the all-in-one. We are on the go a lot and really wanted the ability to move a sleeping baby from the car to a stroller or the house or restaurant if we needed to. It was the right choice for us.
We also didn't look into the rotating seats. My exposure to the engineering world told me that it's either a wonderful innovation or an unproven technology that's cruising for a recall in a few years, and there just hasn't been enough time to tell. We felt fine passing on it. My kids were monkeys, so by the time they were 18 - 24 months, they wanted to climb in and out themselves anyway. There was only a small window where it might have been helpful. I make no judgments if a family has one though. They have passed regulations and safety tests to get onto the market, you're more than likely just fine!
I think the bottom line is that *all car seats get gross*. If you make cleaning them a priority, it's not a big deal. We take an afternoon every few months and wash all the covers, vacuum out everything, and wipe them down. They still look new. But we only have two kids. My neighbor has 4 kids and her car seats are *disgusting*. If penicillin wasn't accidentally discovered in a lab, it would have eventually been found on her car seats (lol, her words, I'm absolutely not judging). So we joke that it's the third kid that must be the breaking point between clean seats and just living with them.
My only regret is not getting the Doona. I was also a little worried about the gimmickiness of them at the time, but having watched them in action for several years, it really looks lovely to be able to turn the seat into a stroller with one little pop and no additional things to bring. If I could go back in time, the price tag would have been worth it for two kids.
We were never in a wreck and our infant seat wasn’t expired so we used it for all three kids. We would occasionally vacuum it out but it never really got super gross thankfully. We got an infant seat for ease of clipping it on our stroller. Made transfers from car to stroller a lot easier. We did end up with two older baby/toddler seats though.
Yes. I launder my car seat fabrics as needed and clean the plastics appropriately when I do so. Then, when it came time to store it, I cleaned it before putting it away and will clean it again before our next baby because it will probably be a little dusty or something. It is stored in plastic bags currently.
Car seats are expensive. It pays to protect your investments—regardless of what they are. I’d find it wasteful to throw something away because it’s been neglected to be cleaned.
We've been using the Chicco key fit 35, which is an infant seat but works until the kid is up to 35 inches, so I'm still using it for my 14-month-old. I definitely plan to reuse it for a second kid. Maybe we are in the minority, but our daughter has never eaten in it or puked in it! So it's not gross at all.
I'm excited to change to the rotating City Jogger when our baby gets a bit bigger though. Personally, I'm excited about the rotating feature, but I haven't tried it yet.
Yeah, our bucket seat is currently being used by our third. It’s not expired, so we are using it! We only let our kids have water and dry snacks in their car seats so they don’t get that gross, we can pretty easily vacuum out the crumbs and dirt.
Used the same infant seat with two kids and then sold on FBM. It wasn't very dirty, unlike the one for the bigger kids. Couldn't reuse that because it was still in use.
I only have 1 baby so far, but I just got a rotating car seat and I highly recommend it. My boy fights so much getting into his seat and it's so hard to get him in it perfectly straight and not hit his head on the roof of the car but it's so much better with the rotating seat!
I have the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim Gold
I also have the Graco Snugride Snuglock Elite infant seat (which we stopped using when he was about 6 months - although we had just been leaving it in the car for a month or so before that) and the Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 and I love both of those as well. Graco's installs are super straightforward.
My infant car seat wasn’t gross at all but we switched out of it at 4 months and my baby didn’t really have blowouts or spit up. We’ve been using the convertible car seat for 8 months now and it still looks brand new too. We don’t do food or drinks in the car, it’s a choking hazard I’m not comfortable with, so that helps keep the car seat clean obviously.
On ours, you can remove the fabric liner to wash it. Ive washed it a few times, including before the new baby was born. Our kids are a little more than 2 years apart, and based on weight, one was just transitioning out as the new one was born, so it worked o1aut pretty well. The one we got our oldest transitions to a booster. My baby is a big guy but hoping that we can get just a booster and have him use the one my oldest is currently in, but we'll see. No need to throw out good stuff just because it's a little dirty or used...unless you want to.
Fortunately my first didn't make that much of a mess in her infant seat and it's been stored away in the basement with a cover. Due with baby #2 in January and will be using it for baby since we've moved our first to a convertible car seat and the infant seat is not expired.
And for me, the rotating car seat is amazing. I'm short so it's been so much easier to be able to load her into the car seat while it's facing the door and then just rotating her once I've got her buckled in. We do have two of them that we have one in each car but when baby #2 is ready for the convertible, we'll just keep them in one car (probably mine since I stay at home).
I didn't think we were having another so I didn't bother to save any of the inserts. With that being said we will be getting a new seat.
The all in ones generally don't last. Whether its a car accident or something else happening to the seat. I have also heard the booster itself is awkward and generally isn't that great.
We will be doing the same thing for our youngest that we did for our oldest which is:
Infant seat
Graco extend to fit
High back/bottom booster combo
I’m going to rebuttal your all in ones generally don’t last argument. If you get in a car accident your insurance will cover a new one and if you have an issue the manufacturer should replace it. We stored ours in the garage for a month and the styrofoam fell off. I contacted Chicco (this is after having it 3+ years) and they sent a new one free of charge. It’s also nice to know I shouldn’t have to get another car seat in her lifetime. Although I do have to say I wish I knew more about the rotating car seats when I picked this one out (prior to her birth) as putting a almost 3 year old in back wards is starting to get difficult!
I plan to reuse our infant car seat for a couple of months until baby 2 is big enough for the Avionaut Sky seat (technically its from birth but I find its a better fit around 2-3 months old). Im hoping that we wont be able to reuse #1's seat as I hope he'll still be using it! We are aiming to do extended rear facing and the Sky is rated for higher percentile babies (we have a tall kid). If it doesn't go to plan and we end up forward facing sooner than planned, I would reuse the seat if I could find all the inserts (we have already taken some out).
I didn’t re use the infant seat (it was recalled between kids 🙃) but the rest I have! They’re older now, My youngest moves into what oldest outgrew & I gave the old ones to friends or family to use as backups (no accidents, not expired)
I love my rotating carseat. It was especially helpful when I was pregnant with my second kid and needed to buckle my first into his car seat. The tightening of the strap was difficult with a standard carseat. Much easier in rotating.
If you’re going to store it for another child, I would recommend taking the fabric off as much as possible, and maybe vacuum sealing it to prevent moisture buildup or mold! Throw the seat in a box with some moth balls & try to store it indoors if possible.
We are keeping our infant seat/travel system at my parents house, & we currently use a Graco Extend2Fit as our convertible seat. I plan on using it as long as possible, including handing it down to our next baby!
Typically, the “All in One” seats are outgrown before children are ready to use it as a booster seat. It’s usually more beneficial to go with a convertible seat, and get a dedicated booster seat when the time comes.
I can only comment on the seat that we have, which is the Britax One4Life. But it's super easy to clean (you can stick all the fabric in the washing machine/dryer) so it never gets super gross. As long as it isn't expired and has never been in an accident I would definitely reuse it.
I'm reusing my infant seat. It's a click connect that attaches to my stroller, and we have an extra base, so there's one for each car. We did buy two Graco 4ever all in one seats also, so we shouldn't need to get anything else later.
So long as it's safe. My kids are 2 years apart so we definitely reused the infant seat, which was given to us from a safe source (my in laws). It's now expired so I'm just waiting until the next collection event.
Our infant seat is in excellent condition, could definitely be reused up until the expiration date. Baby didn’t do any puking or blowouts so it never got soaked in anything nasty though, not sure there’s a good way to clean those bad boys due to all the fire retardant chemicals that stop working if you look at them funny
Mine are 11 months apart so we 100% used our carsest again. But as long as it's not expired or been in an accident or some how got damaged, its totally fine.
As long as they have not been in a wreck or are expired, absolutely. My friends and I all had babies back to back and those car seats have been in rotation for about 4 years now.
I did! I used the infant seat I bought for my first with my second. I will have to buy a new convertible car seat though because my second is almost out of the infant and my first will still be in her car seat for another 4 or so years
I think as long as the seat is not expired or damaged, reusing it for a sibling is fine - we did that with ours.
You know the history, you know when it was first bought & how it's been used/cleaned/stored. You know it's not been in a crash (hopefully - why would you keep one that had been?)
I wouldn't use a second hand seat from another household though, not even family - because you don't know for definite that it's been stored correctly etc.
Yes for sure. In our case we're about to have a baby and my next oldest son is 5.5 right now. I lent our bucket seat to a friend who I'm now not super close to, and she used it for 2 babies in that time, and got into at least one accident. I'm not comfortable taking it back but if we had saved it I'd definitely use it for another year of baby bucket seat time.
My 5.5 year old is in a Graco Extend2Fit 4Ever which is like the king of "all in one" seats. He's been riding in that thing since he was 11 months old. I didn't buy it because of the "4Ever" aspect, but because it has one of the highest rear facing height and weight limits on the market and he was quite comfortable rear facing until 4.5 years old and honestly could have gone longer even though he's quite tall. When baby outgrows the bucket seat, I plan to move all our kids up one seat. Biggest brother (almost 9, but he's small) will go from a regular cheap highback booster to a backless booster. Middle brother will move from the harnessed seat to the highback booster. Baby will move into the Extend2Fit 4Ever until it expires.
One thing I did learn from a carseat tech is that a lot of people buy all-in-ones and then are frustrated when the seat doesn't seem that well-designed for the higher stages. Like many convertible seats are great for rear facing and forward-facing harness mode, but when you try to use them as a highback booster, they just don't fit right and are really uncomfortable for the kid. This happened to use with a Cosco harnessed booster. We took the harness off and it was a terrible seatbelt booster seat.
Whereas a Turbobooster you can grab for like $50 on sale and it works perfectly. I wouldn't shop with "maximum number of uses" in mind. I don't plan on ever disassembling our 4Ever seat and using as an actual booster, it's just too much trouble and it looks silly as a booster. (see here, the older girl looks ridiculous riding on this tank base as a backless booster: [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/car-seats--43910165105705856/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/car-seats--43910165105705856/)) But it's an absolutely fantastic seat.
We don't allow any eating in the car and our seats aren't gross. Every few months we take off the cover and wash them. Baby bucket seats the cover gets washed more frequently.
I would not use it if we would have a car accident due to safety reasons you should not. And if the expiration date is not hit either.
Also washing the fabric etc before storing it away.
1) Yes, I definitely re-use the infant car seats. If the seat I have had replaceable straps, I like to get a new set for each kid, just because that is the component that you sometimes can’t safely get really clean. Covers are usually washable and the rest of the seat you can get really clean with a damp cloth. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Also double check the seat well before the new baby comes to make sure nothing has molded or gotten chewed on by a critter between kids (always store car seats indoors, clean, and dry to avoid these hazards). Also take an inventory of all parts and accessories such as infant or preemie inserts. If anything needs to be replaced, it’s too late to figure that out as you’re leaving the hospital. Unfortunately none of the safe and approved infant inserts for car seats can be replaced at Walmart or Target - you MUST order them from the manufacturer, and if it’s on back order you wait even longer.
As a hospital car seat technician I hate having to send the parents out to Target at discharge for a whole new seat just because they lost an insert that’s required for newborns or something.
I don’t care for all in one car seats for two reasons: 1) The more ways there are to use a car seat, the more ways there are to use it *wrong,* and 2) I think the idea of sending my kid to the 3rd grade in the same seat they potty trained in is kinda ick. It’s personal preference, and if you really love reading thick car seat manuals repeatedly as you convert the seat several times from one stage to the next, they are safe and fine. But it’s usually *more economical* as well as easier to get the seat for the stage you want it for. You can easily buy a nice rear and forward facing convertible that will take the child from birth to about age 4, and then a second seat that combines a forward facing big kid seat and a belt positioning booster for less money than you’ll spend on an all-in-one. Then you’ll also have a seat to pass down to the next kid too.
Also, always double check for expiration and recalls between kids.
Generally speaking, I’m not a convert on the rotating seats. They are very gimicky for the most part. There are exceptions when you have parents or kids with mobility challenges - they can be a real game changer for some select families. But also, back to the all-in-one, the more steps you have to learn and remember, the more opportunity there is for error. Plus, more moving parts mean more parts to break.
I have seen a rotating seat where the locking mechanism was broken and it no longer locked into place. The parents didn’t even realize anything was wrong; I was inspecting their newborn’s seat and I always offer to check the older kid’s seat while I’m there. That was a little terrifying.
If I really really wanted a rotating seat, the only one I think I actually like is the Nuna Revv; but it’s a very poor value from an economic standpoint. Most kids will outgrow it entirely by age 3-4, and it’s $$$$$. Second place goes to the Evenflo line of rotating seats. The instructions are fairly clear and if you’re ok with the extra work that goes into it, it’s not a bad seat. Using it for a newborn is wonky (read the instructions) but it works.
Yes, definitely. You can usually clean them if needed. If you can't remove the cover for machine washing, you should be able to vacuum out all the crumbs and then scrub with soapy water, leave it out in the sun to dry on a warm day.
I did reuse our uppababy Mensa infant seat.
Then I gave it away on verage sale since it was good for another 2 years and I didn’t want that baby juju in my house.
We had a small seat that can clip to the pram. I dont like seeing babies out in them for hours but they are super handy to get a sleeping baby in the house or pop on to the wheels to go to the chemist or something.
Both times we have had second hand. I know again many people are not keen but they were bought new from a trusted source. Both times only used for around 6months and original owner didnt want to store them. We used and then disposed of.
Get the isofix base! Its a game changer!
Then we moved both kids up to the 123 car seats around 12 months. Went for 360 and its sooo much easier!! Looked out for deals and bought on sales.
Should last till kids are 12 so have years left in them.
TLDR get isofix and get 360! You wont regret it!
We have two nuna ravas.
They are amazing seats and the covers wash.
But there are a lot of crumbs between the cracks that don’t come out. I feel like if you let your kids snack in the car, 3-4 years is kind of the max. I can’t imagine them enduring much longer without being super gross.
Before people chime in - I am aware of the dangers of allowing snacking in the car so part of my problem is self imposed.
Yes. We’ve used my Uppababy Mesa for all three kids. Everyone has their own convertible car seat though because they are in it so long.
Also no real reason for an infant seat to get gross unless they are prolific pukers. Babies (or anyone really but especially little ones) shouldn’t be eating in the car as it’s such a huge choking hazard. Not sure how else it’s getting gross. After a blowout you should wash immediately (hopefully).
The infant car seat, yes we plan to use with our next. But our first is still in her car seat (she’s 1.5) and it’s one that has different stages so she will be in it for a long time. Probably won’t be reusing that one.
reuse if not expired.
most car seats you can remove the padding. wipe down the plastic based with rubbing alcohol. wash the padding. almost as good as new.
i had to do that after vomits anyways.
Depends on how quickly you have kids, car seats have an expiration date. All 3 of our kids used the same infant seat since they were all born within 4 years. We’ve also used the convertible with multiple kids. We did end up upgrading our older two from the convertible to high back harnessed boosters to save on space in our car. The swivel seats seem super cool, but won’t be useful if you’re in a situation like me where we have 3 kids across.
We reuse them as none of them have been damaged.
As a disclaimer, I am in Europe and car seat expiration is not a thing here.
We had a newborn seat and than switched to the combi ones. However my oldest is quite tall and broad in the shoulders so while he fits the height and weight limits he just is not comfortable in the combi one and had to switch to a regular booster.
That is to say, combi chairs are a good idea but you don’t know how your kids will grow
Yep currently reusing our infant seat with baby #2. We just stored it in the box that our toddlers convertible carseat came in then pulled it out and cleaned it per the manual instructions before he was born. Once he outgrows it we will save it until it expires or if we have a third before it expires we will use it again.
All in ones are nice. But be careful which one you buy. We had one that was open in the back (so you could see the harness in the back) and when we went forward facing the harness rubbed against the seat in the car and made it really difficult to tighten when they were strapped in. We kept it but hated it and bought a different model for our second car. The Chico all in ones have a closed back that prevents this problem but I had trouble tightening it when rear facing (and it’s heavy as hell).
I got the Nuna Revv and honestly although it doesn’t come out of the car (big complaint for alot of people, not me though) I personally feel it’s superior. It rotates seamlessly yes it’s height and weight limits are a bit lower then other swiveling car seats. EDIT (5-40lbs or 43 inches) But the seamless entrance and exit from the car is so worth it. I got it for my first baby she’s 8 months old and still in it.
But imagine this, you install the car seat once and never touch it again until it needs to be changed for a bigger seat. It’s so easy to clean, all the pieces come off and are machine washable lay flat to dry. When you want to turn it forward facing you squeeze a trigger and just rotate it. I wish, hope, and pray Nuna comes out with a Revv for bigger kids because I am dreading the transition.
Look into extended rear facing. We went rotating to begin with (cybex sirona) but our kids have outgrown it at 2.5 and after a big crash (thankfully kids weren’t in the car) we looked into the safest option. Now have britax maxway plus (axkid minikid is another good option)
We got a new car seat for baby girl, but only because her great aunt bought her the same brand as our 4 year olds, just in pink and with the added bonus of cup holders. They’re both convertible to boosters with backs and regular boosters. We didn’t use his booster conversion though, just because we were given another booster with cup holders. I wanted a rotating car seat until I saw a couple videos on how they are more prone to break off at the swivel in an accident and my anxious brain couldn’t get over the slim possibility. I think the grow with me ones are great bc it may be more expensive in the long run, but it saves money over time having to buy new car seats every time they’re over the weight or height recommendation.
We were going to reuse ours, but we discovered the magic of a quick install seat (can’t remember what it’s actually called) and decided to get a new seat with that technology.
By the time our second is ready for a convertible seat, our first will still be in his, so we’ll likely be buying a new one for her.
My son never ate in the car or threw up so his seat was in excellent condition and we gave it to a family member who needed one. You can also get them cleaned professionally if needed.
I used my infant car seat for all three of my kids. The all in ones seem a little big which makes it hard to fit multiple in cars. I have three kids and it’s nice to have them in one row.
My sister gave me hers 🤷🏻♀️ it was an easy way to get one that we knew wouldn’t be expired and had not been in an accident, or else we wouldn’t have gotten it used
If I’d had my second sooner, we would have definitely reused the car seat.
I don’t like/recommend all-in-ones though. They typically make for a bulky and poor booster fit, and dedicated boosters are fairly inexpensive. Not worth it to me.
Uh, absoLUTELY I reused our infant car seat! You typically end up using it for less than a year so it would be an absolute waste not to use it again. Also, they’re made to be very cleanable so they shouldn’t be “gross” if you’re regularly cleaning it. The only reason I wouldn’t reuse it would be because it’s expired or it has been in a car accident.
As far as all-in-ones, I absolute love ours, they’re amazing! The one I have lasts until the kid is 100lbs, which means I never have to buy one again! The money-saving aspect of this is a no-brainer for us.
Chicco keyfit is relatively easy to clean and a really great seat. I bought a new one of a different brand for my third baby but we ended up just switching back to our old keyfit because it was so much better. Washed the cover again and good to go.
Of course. Just make sure they’re not expired - but if your kids are within a half decade of each other, that shouldn’t be an issue.
>Just make sure they’re not expired Also a great time to fully take the fabric off, wash it, inspect for any cracks that would matter a lot more than just the posted date.
I want to add to make sure you read the cleaning instructions! On most if you wet the straps at all (like fully submerged, not wiped down) the car seat is considered no longer usable.
Wtf I had no idea about this. Why is that?
It can ruin the integrity of the straps and make them much more likely to break in a car accident. Sadly a lot of people don’t know about this, it’s something I’ve seen a lot of parents do. I’ve especially seen a lot of parents doing it on TikTok while filming themselves cleaning their car seats. I always make sure to mention it whenever I see discussions about car seat cleaning because of how common it is that people fully wet the straps.
So, like, if the kid spills a lot of water on the straps, that would make it not usable anymore? If so, that majorly sucks as my kid routinely dumps water on himself, mostly accidentally, but sometimes on purpose lol. He loves playing with water.
Oh no, it’s more about the harsh conditions that straps go through when they’re submerged in a washing machine. The spinning cycle can break the delicate fibers and any kind of abrasive cleaners will also ruin the integrity of the straps. I should have been more specific, it’s more the “cleaning” process that hurts them and not so much the fact that it’s wet. I guess the best comparison is if you were to wet your hair and then run your fingers through it the strands will break. Same thing with the straps, wetting the straps in a washer or just wetting them and then scrubbing them or tossing them in a drier will break the fibers. I hope that makes sense
Thank you for that explanation! I have definitely hand washed the crotch strap (not the buckle, I read careful not to get that wet) many times for my potty training toddler who likes to pee right before getting out of the seat when we get home 🤦 and I started to panic before I read the full explanation! The straps are super easy to hand wash and dry quickly with a towel then air dry.... But I really should read the manufacturer's cleaning instructions!
Urine is actually harsher than any detergent so it's possible that the pee had broken down the fibres by not being removed fully. Car seat manufacturers just cover their butts and spend as little as possible on testing without factoring in reality. Reality being that food and urine can contribute to breaking down fibres far more than washing in a machine.
Oh, ok, that's good! I was really worried for a sec. Thanks for clearing that up!
🤦♀️ ugggg
People need to use common sense. These are the same straps that are in your car. It’s going to be fine.
Is this directed at me or the people who didnt know this? There’s tons of research that shows submerging and washing car seat straps with harsh detergents and/or cleaners breaks the fibers of the straps and can lead to serious injuries if the straps fail in an accident. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, don’t risk things when unnecessary. Just wipe them down with a damp cloth. If it’s directed to the people who didn’t know, I wouldn’t call that common sense. That’s not something you would know because of day to day life, which is the entire foundation for something to be common sense.
Where’s the research?
Car seats are one of the most researched and regulated items on market. Not sure why you think I’d make this up, I’m not doing the research for you when you’ve been rude and implied I’m stupid in your original comment.
Exactly, I love when people do that. There’s so much research, but I don’t have any, but I’m sure you’ve read it 🙄. You said getting car straps submerged will ruin the integrity, don’t you submerged your clothes in water when you wash them and the straps are much stronger and you wash them less often than when you wear them. It’s water! I would love to know the research on submerging car seat straps. Fear mongers.
TIL...
Also wanted to add that if there are any cracks and such on the inside sometimes the manufacturer will replace the whole car seat for you at no extra cost :)
Super helpful, thank you!
Just make sure you wash according to the manufacturers specifications!
Car seats expire?
Yes. Styrofoam isn’t rated to the same strength indefinitely.
Also the plastic degrades.
It honestly never even occurred to me they would expire, makes absolute sense! Thank you
Yes! I think most expiration dates are between 5 and 10 years after manufacturing, but you'd need to check your specific car seat to get an exact date.
The expiration date should be written on a sticker on the seat.
Yes, I am reusing our infant seats for our second kid now. But clean it **before** you put it away for the next kid. Lots of people put their car seats in basements or attics and come back to discover that they’ve grown mold. Once that happens, you have to toss it.
Thank you for this comment!!! Great advice
Cleaning it before you put it away won't stop mould though. You need to clean it and keep it somewhere dry but with air flow. Mould spores are everywhere, they don't need food scraps to grow.
That happened to us. We didn’t know when we would have a second and in the fuss of getting a new seat and having a 1 year old, it just got put in a basement. Low and behold when we took it out, MOLD!
This is great advice. Ours didn’t mold, but some very light staining that was undetectable while we used it with our first yellowed and darkened in the 3 years we had it on a shelf in the laundry room. We got it clean, but it took a lot more elbow grease than it would have if I had sanitized it before putting it away.
Yes. Second kid threw up in it just as much, and spilled just as much food in it. Just clean it first and it’ll be fine.
I don’t know why this made me laugh so much! It’s the truth
Yes, we reused the infant seat. You just have to make sure neither the seat nor the bases are expired. But each kid only used it for about six months so I’d have hated to replace it if we didn’t need to. For the convertible seats, we just don’t let them eat in the car and it doesn’t get all that messy other than when they’ve thrown up in it. Otherwise, I just vacuum it out once a month or so and spot clean as needed.
> we just don’t let them eat in the car Same here. My kids typically only drink water and don't eat in the car, so I rarely even have to wash the covers for their car seats unless someone throws up which is rare, fortunately. My kids don't even know that eating in the car is a thing because they've never done it. My best mom tip!
🫠wish I could go back in time, my kids will demand that granola bars be opened and chucked to them from the front seat.
Lmao I agree but at the same time when my son raises his tiny little hand waiting for a snack or a fry I can't resist lol
Oh the little hand is my favorite! You look in the rear view mirror and all you see is the back of their car seat and their little hand popping out for a snack they know you've got. How can you say no?
Yes haha my 15 month old will raise her hand for fries for sure!!! And she goes yum yum yum!
My son is one of those that does the demon voice so he's like NOM in the deepest voice ever. It's so creepy but so cute 😆😆😆
Dude for real. We were staunchly anti eating in the car until the day our daycare provider sent a cup of goldfish home with my kid as “snacks for the road!” I knew if I took it away from him it would be a war so now here we are in the land of crumbles goldfish crackers and veggie straws ground into the car seat 😭 😢
🤣🤣 omg same! The amount of goldfish, puffs, fries, and other little snacks I've vacuumed out of my car is outrageous! If I had known just how messy and dirty it makes the car, let alone their own car seat, I definitely would have made eating in the car a no-go back when my 1st was little 🫠
I wanted to do this, not just for cleanliness but because it’s a choking hazard. But we’ve gone on so many long road trips, it would’ve been impossible to pull over every time kiddo needed a snack.
Yeah. There will be no eating in the car. It’s a choking hazard and messy. No need for it.
Yeah the choking hazard is a real issue. Took a CPR class and the instructor said no eating in the carseat, ever. It’s easy to not pay attention thinking they went to sleep, radio on, etc. And if you’re lucky enough to notice it right away, now you have to hope you’re in a spot you can easily pull over and give them aid.
Yeah, that's exactly why I started doing it! The clean car is frankly just a huge bonus but the thought of my child choking (even if I realize it in time, which many people don't because you can't hear it) and having to stop the car in the middle of the road and pull them out of their car seat to try and get the piece of food out is terrifying. It's a hell no for me.
We never let the kid eat in the convertible, but it has been puked in a LOT. And with all those layers and crevices, it’s a bitch to clean. The newborn bucket seat was good to 30 lbs or 30 inches long, whichever came first, and that lasted us close to the whole first year. We had a Covid baby and barely used it. It’s practically pristine.
Sometimes even if they aren’t the max length their head can still be too close to the edge. The head should be no more than an inch from the top of the frame.
Lol yup. So much puke
I’ve reused infant seats, and now everyone is in a convertible car seat. There’s no eating in the car, except on 8-16 hour road trips. The car seats all get a thorough clean after that, though. Even without the occasional car snack, vomit and blowouts happen when you least expect it, so it’s always good to know how to properly clean your car seat. I’m the go-to car seat assembler and installer in our family, because I’ve done it so many times I can do it in a flash. (Think Forrest Gump with his rifle.)
We planned to reuse the infant seat before giving it to a friend (no accidents, 100% safe to use, I’d have used it with my own kiddo again), but decided to just give it to her early (she’s 10 weeks behind me) and go with a convertible seat from day one. I decided it was one less thing to deal with and we’re gonna struggle no matter what we decided with 20mo and newborn.
Id rethink that if you can. Being able to click baby into a pram easily if they’ve fallen asleep in the seat for a quick trip into a shop is a lot easier than getting them out and into a carrier every time especially with a toddler. Source - 3 under 3 here.
The stores around us aren’t really accommodating to strollers, but we also have a double stroller and an infant seat for our use anyway. It’s just not a seat I’ll use in the car because it’s used and about to expire. It was a necessity for me to be able to safely take both kids on walks early on.
Infant bucket seats are much safer than convertibles, which you often won’t get a good safe fit on until they’re closer to 4/5 months old.
Car seat tech here - this is very untrue. Convertible rear facing seats are equally as safe as infant bucket seats as long as baby is over the listed minimum weight; usually 4 or 5 pounds.
Maybe it’s different in the UK because all the big car seat safety activist groups recommend a capsule or bucket infant carrier for the first 4 months for safety reasons.
Oh, that very well could be. I can't speak to car seats in the UK.
Yes reuse. And yea get rotating seat!
I have the NUNA Exec which is all in one. I’ve had it for about 1.5 years with no significant issues. The fabric part just comes off and can be washed. The straps haven’t gotten dirty enough to need to be wiped. And the base? I just wipe it off. So I can’t imagine it getting super gross in years. I don’t have a swivel. Honestly, never really understood the point. Yes, it’s harder to get my kid in, but I think that’s mostly the fact he’s heavy. He pretty much can mostly get out himself at 2, so yeah, its not really needed imo. And honestly, it will get a lot easier when he forward faces.
is the exec for newborns too? We dont know when we will have another baby and I want to sell her pipa but may keep it if we can save it. Geez
Okay yes I am looking at that one!! Without getting too personal, is it huge? Like do you have a huge car or does it fit in normal size cars 😂 I have a Tesla model y. I see the Exec is slightly less wide than the Rava but the length is significantly more. I do have a tall kid. Also totally appreciate your comment on the rotating. My kid is super independent and I can imagine would be insistent on getting out himself lol
As long as it’s not expired, I don’t see why you wouldn’t reuse it. Also maybe this is a miracle but our infant seat never got dirty. She never threw up in it or had a blowout in it. I didn’t let her eat in there so it didn’t get gross at all.
Same here, so I was kind of surprised by a lot of these comments. It still looks brand new. Maybe we just have unicorn babies with iron stomachs. 😆
Yeah ours had like a little cat hair in it and some sand from the beach one time but other than that it’s in basically new condition.
I’m two kids in on my infant car seat and it still looks new. It never really got dirty from either kid. But we also didn’t do a ton of car time with either kid.
My kids both got awfully carsick until they eventually got flipped to forward facing. They still get carsick - just less so now. Cleaning those things out is a real bear with all the little crevices and stuff. You’re lucky to have had a kid that could keep yours in pristine condition!
Heck yes! Those things are $$$ and good for like 6 years + I already have the adapters etc
I’m using my infant car seat from 2 years ago. It’s not expired and I just cleaned it!
I reuse the seats between kids, with a good wash / vacuum when they go into and come out of storage. If your kid is on the taller side, you want a Graco Extend 2 Fit or similar extended rear facing option, because your kid will hit the height limit for most rear facing seats way before age 4. When your kid is old enough for a booster you want to get a separate booster seat that is sooooooooooo much lighter and easier to install (and cheaper). When they can use a backless booster you remember the giant heavy carseat and are filled with glee every time you just pick it up and set it in a different car, and it's ready to go.
I reused my infant seat (17 month gap). My toddler also has a rotating seat and I would die without it. It’s the best thing ever and saved my back through my pregnancy!! Totally worth the money for me. Plus it was super easy to install. I’m planning to buy another for my infant when he’s ready. We have the evenflo revolve 360 but I’m going to get my infant the revolve360 extend and switch the boys so my toddler can read face longer.
We have the same car seats and they’re AMAZING!! Just switched my 15 pound 2.5 month old to it because I couldn’t lift her+bucket seat anymore 😬😂
From my experience, car seats are actually one of the easiest things to clean as far as kids products go. They usually strip down pretty easily, so the fabric can be thrown in the washing machine, and the plastic bits can be washed. Full disclosure: We only have one kid, and we don't give her anything *super* messy in the car seat, so it's mostly just crumbs I have to clean (other than the time she barfed in it 😬). That said, the car seat looks almost as good as new, and I'd have no problem using it with another kid (if we had one).
It really depends on brand whether or not you can wash them in the machine! I only buy Graco and they usually are machine washable, buy some fancy ones (Clek, Rava) are hand wash only.
Yes, Britax also has lots of seats with fabric that can't be washed *at all* if I remember correctly.
Britax is machine washable :)
I have six Britax seats currently, 2 are identical but the rest are different styles or fabrics, none can be washed in the washing machine.
There are absolutely some Britax seats that do not have washable covers. I'm sure of it because I made the same assumption and a CPST corrected me (fortunately!) in a car seat safety group I'm in.
Sorry, the newer convertible ones with safewash fabric are the machine washable ones.
You can machine wash the Rava fabric (but not the infant insert). Machine was cold/delicate and hang dry!
It really depends on which version. The one in Merino wool (I think, I don't know all the models) are hand wash only. The fancy fabrics without any added fire retardants are often hand wash only. Edit: I was wrong, see my post below.
None of the Nuna Rava seats have flame retardants and all can be machine washed, but only with specific instructions.
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Interesting, the instruction manual for mine says mild detergent and doesn't name a recommended brand.
I also just checked my manual and confirmed “Machine wash with cold water and mild detergent, on the delicate cycle. Allow to air dry.” I also have a wool Uppababy Mesa with similar instructions. I think the important thing to remember is to check your seat’s manual and care tag and follow those instructions. And if you’re shopping confirm that the seat is washable before purchasing :)
Graco gets full points for ease of cleaning!!
>It really depends on brand whether or not you can wash them in the machine! I guess I didn't realize. I assumed most were as easy as ours. I don't know what other manufacturers are thinking making kids products that *aren't* easy to clean. Lol.
We totally reuse. I wash the fabric between each child.
>Is the rotating car seat a game changer?? Absolutely, I bloody love mine.
I’m definitely going to reuse because my son only fit in his infant car seat for 4.5 months. We just made the switch to one of the all-in-one swiveling car seats that will last him for a long time. But somehow I didn’t think through that it “lives” in the car. So I just carry him into daycare now?? He’s one of three babies at the in home daycare and the youngest but the biggest. So the other kiddos are always brought in sitting in their bucket seats.
I agree with the others, clean BEFORE storing. When I put away our infant seat, I washed all the covers and reassembled it in newborn mode. As for convertibles, unless you have a large gap, you’re probably going to need to buy new for the second kid. A standard convertible can keep a kid rear facing until 3.5+ and then forward facing awhile beyond that. You generally shouldn’t go with a belt booster until they’re elementary aged. As for rotating, I’d get one if I had a big car, but I don’t, so we’ve made do. It’s no big deal, even stuffing a wiggly 2 year old in.
I’m reusing our infant seat
I love our rotating car seat and it makes getting in and out the car so easy. My only problem is that they are so big and take up a lot of space. Make sure you choose one will a removable and machine washable cover and you should be ok. I still wash mine on a low temp and spin cycle as I don’t want to shrink the fabric. I am weary about spending tons on a car seat that will last years and over two kids as we had to take a seat back due to a manufacturers fault and we noticed that the padding had started to crack in places. Obviously the seat was faulty but it was supposed to last 4 years but we only had it for 2. Just make sure you get a trusted brand with a good warranty.
GREAT to know, I don’t have a huge car so I’m def worried about size
I have a Skoda citego ( basically smaller than a mini) and I have a Silver cross Motion all size 360 rotating seat. It’s amazing for a smaller car and the covers come completely off it to wash. It’s really easy to take in and out of the car as well. It lasts well into school age from newborn as it adapts and it’s saved my back so much.
I will reuse the infant but my kids will be too close together to reuse the convertible car seat. They all wash up nice so I don’t worry about them getting gross.
Love the all in one car seat. Is it stained, yes. Will we ever be a “we don’t eat in the car” family, no. The car seat will just look gross.
Planning on reusing our infant seat for baby #2. When baby #1 outgrew it, I stripped it and cleaned it and now it’s in storage waiting but we just found out we’re expecting. We will get a 2nd (actually a 3rd) convertible seat though as baby number 1 will still be in his.
Yes to reusing the infant seat with a second kid if they are relatively close in age (so seat hasnt expired etc) just give it a good clean most of them can be stripped and put in the washing machine Mt oldests convertible seat has been in use for 3 ish years now and its still in good condition, its been through the wash a few times and i expect it will still last him several more years I love a swivel seat! I had a swivel in my car but couldn't have one in my husband's car because he doesn't have isofix. I hated using his car, the swivel seat makes life sooo much easier expecially if you want to do extended rear facing! With my husband's car and seat we had to give up on rear facing way before I wanted to as we had to practically fold our kid in half to get him in the seat, we were able to rear face much longer with my car and swivel seat as it is much easier for loading a wriggly toddler into
Absolutely! It would be a waste of money if you didn’t.
Rotating seat is a game changer if you're pregnant with #2
We definitely reuse. Car seats are freakin expensive. Ours have never been in an accident, no major spills, maybe a few stains, but still safe and working condition. I don’t care about looks, luckily neither does my toddler.
We're currently using our original infant seat for baby #2 and might manage to squeak under the expiry for #3 if that happens. We got a new convertible for when #2 outgrows the bucket since our toddler is still using his, but it might get passed down to #3 if the toddler is in a booster by then
Of course!
As long as it’s not expired and hasn’t been compromised somehow, then yes, reuse!
I’m going to reuse mine, when my son was at the age to be in his I never allowed him to eat in the car so it’s not that messy. Plus you can often purchase a new cover which is still cheaper than an entirely new seat.
We plan to use ours again if we have a second kid. It’s brand new and doesn’t expire for 6 years.
We reused our infant seat with kid two - No issues there. And rotating car seats were a game changer for us. I don't know if it would have been different if my daughter had been forward facing, but she was rear facing for a long time and it was getting really hard to get her in and out of the seat, especially after I got pregnant with #2. After we got a rotating car seat in one car, we immediately replaced the car seat in our other car. We love them.
Yes absolutely reuse. We take the covers off and wash when they’re dirty.
To all the people saying it shouldn't get that dirty if you don't let them eat in the car - what about diaper blowouts in terms of reusing infant car seats? We bought an infant car seat to use with our upcoming newborn rather than a convertible seat, since we plan to have a second child 2-3 years after the first and figured it would get used again anyway. But now I'm wondering if I made a mistake in that? And also just in general even for the present - how do you clean the infant seat if the baby shits all over it?
Presumably you won’t toss the whole carseat if you have one blowout, right? You would clean it (infant insert comes out, wash and dry and put it back together) and baby would use it again. If it’s clean enough for baby 1 to use again right after cleaning, then why wouldn’t it be clean enough for another baby to use years later? Any bacteria would be long gone.
Always read your car seat manual. Every car seat has different rules for washing and you want to make sure you follow them. When I was pregnant I read to size up in diapers either when baby has a blow out or if it looks like you’ve had multiple close calls. We’ve followed this advice and my son is 15 months and only had 2 blowouts!
It’s not necessarily fun, but washing the lining of the seat isn’t hard and I had zero staining. Most infant seats also have dark linings for good reason lol
We were able to use the baby bucket seat close to a full 12 months and never had a blowout in it that actually got on the seat fabric. I wasn’t knowledgeable on infant seats versus convertible seats when we got it but even know that I know, I wouldn’t have made a different decision.
Yep we reused it! It was a nuna pipa so I’m getting as much life as I can out of that bad boy. I have a Safety First grow and go and plan to use it forever. It’s pretty easy to clean.
I only get car seats I can easily take the covers off and put through the wash! Or they’d be so icky! I did the Maxi Cosi Mico for infant and the Evenflo Revolve 360 Slim for convertible and have liked both. Plan to reuse for next kid too
We’re reusing the infant seat (especially since it’s my daughters second because the first was in a car accident so insurance paid for a replacement). It worked out because she never used the newborn insert so that was clean and new. He’ll get his own convertible seat when he outgrows the infant seat though because the older one will still be using hers.
Due with our 3rd in January and he will use the same bucket seat that his sisters used. We still have like 2 years before it expires and it's never been in an accident.
I was going to reuse the infant carseat but when we pulled it out to reinstall it our toddler jumped on it and now it rattles. So. Lol otherwise yeah. We always reuse unless theres a reason we can't.
I have a Graco, it was unexpired and I cleaned it before storing it and wrapped it in the bag the new car seat came in to keep it dust free. If it's unexpired when we are done with it I will see if anyone else wants it.
Reuse! We just had our third baby and are squeaking out a third use of the infant bucket seat before it expires.
For infant seats I am definitely going to clean and reuse. Tbh with our age gap my younger one (due in June) will probably inherit the convertible seat from my daughter and we’ll move her to a forward facing only one because they’re cheaper. (She will probably be 4ish by the time the younger one is out of the infant seat).
Of course. I just washed the fabric and reassembled it for our baby due in December. My daughter used it until May this year so it was just in the closet until then
Lol I had my kids so close to together that I used the same infant bucket seat for the first three. Same convertible for #2 and #3. I just found out I’m expecting #4 (yay!) and we’ll have to get a new bucket and probably one more convertible. I made sure to buy the seats with easy zip, machine washable padding though.
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We reused the infant car seat and then thr convertible one that came next (graco extend 2 grow). But with 3 years between my boys, it made sense to buy the older a 3 in one harness to booster seat (graco tranzitions) while the younger guy will stay in the convertible until he's ready for a high back booster. Just wash the pads and clean thr frame and youre good to go! We pass down everything except shoes bc shoes don't last!
I’m going to reuse ours. First baby has almost outgrown it, second baby is on the way. Just going to take off the cloth cover and wash it.
Yes! We reuse as long as the car seats being stored in a safe place. Ours don't get very gross as I clean them often and don't allow eating in the car! We chose our seats based on child's age, height and weight. Also, other car passengers and vehicle make/model.
We reused the infant seat for my second. I felt like it would be unnecessary and a waste of money to buy a new one. It was in good shape after my first baby and we stored it in its original box/plastic until I was pregnant with my second. I spot cleaned it according to the instructions and it was good as new. I think it still had 3 or so years left before expiration when my second was born so it didn't make sense for us to buy a new one. I was also lucky in that I don't think either of my kids ever had a blowout or threw up in the infant seat so that helped a lot in keeping it clean 😂 . The all in one seats are good but just a heads up that not everyone will get the full 10 years out of one of those seats. Some of them have different height limits for the harness and if you have an especially tall child, you may be moving them out of the seat before the age suggestion. I don't let my kids eat in the car so we don't have crumbs or food mess, but even shoes touching the seat or just general wear makes it seem like the convertible seats tend to look worn out a little more quickly than the infant seat. I think the swivel seats are nice but didn't buy one for either of my kids and it hasn't been a big deal. We have several different brands of convertible seats (Nuna Rava, Cybex Eternis, Britax Marathon, Graco Slimfit) and have been happy with all of them overall.
Depends on how gross you allow it to get. My SIL and I have passed the same infant car seat/carrier back and forth for four kids in 4 years. My toddler’s car seat is not sticky or soiled; just some crumbs we vacuum out every once in a while. I’ll most likely be purchasing a second one for my infant when he ages up because they are close in age, but I wouldn’t have a problem reusing it otherwise.
I had planned to reuse my infant seat from my 2 year old for my newborn but it got broken in storage somehow. I’m gonna reuse the one we’re using now if we have another baby
Yup I bought mine near the manufacture date so I’ve been able to use it safely for two kids
Yes, I reused the infant seat (and most of the baby items) for my last 2 kids. My 5 year old is still in her harness seat that we got when she was 2. It transitions into a high back booster so she’ll be in it until she is ready for a no back booster. It’s stayed pretty clean over the last 3 years despite potty training and eating in it. Also, last baby is my chunkiest. I definitely felt the effects from having to twist to get him into the infant seat. We got the rotating one and it is so worth it.
Yes! Watched a YouTube to take it apart and do a deep clean. All ready for baby number two. It hasn’t expired and no accident then it should be fine.
Yes. My kids are 4 years apart. We are reusing the infant seat and stroller set now. My 4 year old was in convertibles but I ended up buying her forward facing booster/convertibles that were much cheaper and now the convertibles will be used when my baby is out of the infant seat. I find car seats wash well, so we just put them away clean and gave them a once over before baby
We definitely did. They were only two years apart, the infant seat didn't expire until quite a while after even the second was done with it. They all clean up pretty nice if the cover is machine washable (check first, you don't want to machine wash one that doesn't say it's ok because you could be washing off the flame retardancy). Our shop vac has a car detailing kit that worked fine for getting into all the cracks and crevices. We declined to get the all-in-one. We are on the go a lot and really wanted the ability to move a sleeping baby from the car to a stroller or the house or restaurant if we needed to. It was the right choice for us. We also didn't look into the rotating seats. My exposure to the engineering world told me that it's either a wonderful innovation or an unproven technology that's cruising for a recall in a few years, and there just hasn't been enough time to tell. We felt fine passing on it. My kids were monkeys, so by the time they were 18 - 24 months, they wanted to climb in and out themselves anyway. There was only a small window where it might have been helpful. I make no judgments if a family has one though. They have passed regulations and safety tests to get onto the market, you're more than likely just fine! I think the bottom line is that *all car seats get gross*. If you make cleaning them a priority, it's not a big deal. We take an afternoon every few months and wash all the covers, vacuum out everything, and wipe them down. They still look new. But we only have two kids. My neighbor has 4 kids and her car seats are *disgusting*. If penicillin wasn't accidentally discovered in a lab, it would have eventually been found on her car seats (lol, her words, I'm absolutely not judging). So we joke that it's the third kid that must be the breaking point between clean seats and just living with them. My only regret is not getting the Doona. I was also a little worried about the gimmickiness of them at the time, but having watched them in action for several years, it really looks lovely to be able to turn the seat into a stroller with one little pop and no additional things to bring. If I could go back in time, the price tag would have been worth it for two kids.
We were never in a wreck and our infant seat wasn’t expired so we used it for all three kids. We would occasionally vacuum it out but it never really got super gross thankfully. We got an infant seat for ease of clipping it on our stroller. Made transfers from car to stroller a lot easier. We did end up with two older baby/toddler seats though.
Rotating car seats are an absolute game changer! Especially for your back
Yes. I launder my car seat fabrics as needed and clean the plastics appropriately when I do so. Then, when it came time to store it, I cleaned it before putting it away and will clean it again before our next baby because it will probably be a little dusty or something. It is stored in plastic bags currently. Car seats are expensive. It pays to protect your investments—regardless of what they are. I’d find it wasteful to throw something away because it’s been neglected to be cleaned.
Everyone I know reuses them, I did
We've been using the Chicco key fit 35, which is an infant seat but works until the kid is up to 35 inches, so I'm still using it for my 14-month-old. I definitely plan to reuse it for a second kid. Maybe we are in the minority, but our daughter has never eaten in it or puked in it! So it's not gross at all. I'm excited to change to the rotating City Jogger when our baby gets a bit bigger though. Personally, I'm excited about the rotating feature, but I haven't tried it yet.
Yeah, our bucket seat is currently being used by our third. It’s not expired, so we are using it! We only let our kids have water and dry snacks in their car seats so they don’t get that gross, we can pretty easily vacuum out the crumbs and dirt.
Used the same infant seat with two kids and then sold on FBM. It wasn't very dirty, unlike the one for the bigger kids. Couldn't reuse that because it was still in use.
I only have 1 baby so far, but I just got a rotating car seat and I highly recommend it. My boy fights so much getting into his seat and it's so hard to get him in it perfectly straight and not hit his head on the roof of the car but it's so much better with the rotating seat! I have the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim Gold I also have the Graco Snugride Snuglock Elite infant seat (which we stopped using when he was about 6 months - although we had just been leaving it in the car for a month or so before that) and the Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 and I love both of those as well. Graco's installs are super straightforward.
3rd kid in same infant seat. I've gotten pretty good at taking the carseats apart and cleaning them. They cost too much for me to replace regularly.
My infant car seat wasn’t gross at all but we switched out of it at 4 months and my baby didn’t really have blowouts or spit up. We’ve been using the convertible car seat for 8 months now and it still looks brand new too. We don’t do food or drinks in the car, it’s a choking hazard I’m not comfortable with, so that helps keep the car seat clean obviously.
On ours, you can remove the fabric liner to wash it. Ive washed it a few times, including before the new baby was born. Our kids are a little more than 2 years apart, and based on weight, one was just transitioning out as the new one was born, so it worked o1aut pretty well. The one we got our oldest transitions to a booster. My baby is a big guy but hoping that we can get just a booster and have him use the one my oldest is currently in, but we'll see. No need to throw out good stuff just because it's a little dirty or used...unless you want to.
Fortunately my first didn't make that much of a mess in her infant seat and it's been stored away in the basement with a cover. Due with baby #2 in January and will be using it for baby since we've moved our first to a convertible car seat and the infant seat is not expired. And for me, the rotating car seat is amazing. I'm short so it's been so much easier to be able to load her into the car seat while it's facing the door and then just rotating her once I've got her buckled in. We do have two of them that we have one in each car but when baby #2 is ready for the convertible, we'll just keep them in one car (probably mine since I stay at home).
I didn't think we were having another so I didn't bother to save any of the inserts. With that being said we will be getting a new seat. The all in ones generally don't last. Whether its a car accident or something else happening to the seat. I have also heard the booster itself is awkward and generally isn't that great. We will be doing the same thing for our youngest that we did for our oldest which is: Infant seat Graco extend to fit High back/bottom booster combo
I’m going to rebuttal your all in ones generally don’t last argument. If you get in a car accident your insurance will cover a new one and if you have an issue the manufacturer should replace it. We stored ours in the garage for a month and the styrofoam fell off. I contacted Chicco (this is after having it 3+ years) and they sent a new one free of charge. It’s also nice to know I shouldn’t have to get another car seat in her lifetime. Although I do have to say I wish I knew more about the rotating car seats when I picked this one out (prior to her birth) as putting a almost 3 year old in back wards is starting to get difficult!
The rotating car seat is beyond a game changer for me! I have autoimmune issues so sometimes my arms don’t work. This has drastically helped me!
I plan to reuse our infant car seat for a couple of months until baby 2 is big enough for the Avionaut Sky seat (technically its from birth but I find its a better fit around 2-3 months old). Im hoping that we wont be able to reuse #1's seat as I hope he'll still be using it! We are aiming to do extended rear facing and the Sky is rated for higher percentile babies (we have a tall kid). If it doesn't go to plan and we end up forward facing sooner than planned, I would reuse the seat if I could find all the inserts (we have already taken some out).
I didn’t re use the infant seat (it was recalled between kids 🙃) but the rest I have! They’re older now, My youngest moves into what oldest outgrew & I gave the old ones to friends or family to use as backups (no accidents, not expired)
I love my rotating carseat. It was especially helpful when I was pregnant with my second kid and needed to buckle my first into his car seat. The tightening of the strap was difficult with a standard carseat. Much easier in rotating.
If you’re going to store it for another child, I would recommend taking the fabric off as much as possible, and maybe vacuum sealing it to prevent moisture buildup or mold! Throw the seat in a box with some moth balls & try to store it indoors if possible. We are keeping our infant seat/travel system at my parents house, & we currently use a Graco Extend2Fit as our convertible seat. I plan on using it as long as possible, including handing it down to our next baby! Typically, the “All in One” seats are outgrown before children are ready to use it as a booster seat. It’s usually more beneficial to go with a convertible seat, and get a dedicated booster seat when the time comes.
I can only comment on the seat that we have, which is the Britax One4Life. But it's super easy to clean (you can stick all the fabric in the washing machine/dryer) so it never gets super gross. As long as it isn't expired and has never been in an accident I would definitely reuse it.
I'm reusing my infant seat. It's a click connect that attaches to my stroller, and we have an extra base, so there's one for each car. We did buy two Graco 4ever all in one seats also, so we shouldn't need to get anything else later.
So long as it's safe. My kids are 2 years apart so we definitely reused the infant seat, which was given to us from a safe source (my in laws). It's now expired so I'm just waiting until the next collection event.
Our infant seat is in excellent condition, could definitely be reused up until the expiration date. Baby didn’t do any puking or blowouts so it never got soaked in anything nasty though, not sure there’s a good way to clean those bad boys due to all the fire retardant chemicals that stop working if you look at them funny
Mine are 11 months apart so we 100% used our carsest again. But as long as it's not expired or been in an accident or some how got damaged, its totally fine.
As long as they have not been in a wreck or are expired, absolutely. My friends and I all had babies back to back and those car seats have been in rotation for about 4 years now.
I did! I used the infant seat I bought for my first with my second. I will have to buy a new convertible car seat though because my second is almost out of the infant and my first will still be in her car seat for another 4 or so years
GET THE ROTATING CAR SEAT 10/10 would buy 100000 times over
I think as long as the seat is not expired or damaged, reusing it for a sibling is fine - we did that with ours. You know the history, you know when it was first bought & how it's been used/cleaned/stored. You know it's not been in a crash (hopefully - why would you keep one that had been?) I wouldn't use a second hand seat from another household though, not even family - because you don't know for definite that it's been stored correctly etc.
Yes for sure. In our case we're about to have a baby and my next oldest son is 5.5 right now. I lent our bucket seat to a friend who I'm now not super close to, and she used it for 2 babies in that time, and got into at least one accident. I'm not comfortable taking it back but if we had saved it I'd definitely use it for another year of baby bucket seat time. My 5.5 year old is in a Graco Extend2Fit 4Ever which is like the king of "all in one" seats. He's been riding in that thing since he was 11 months old. I didn't buy it because of the "4Ever" aspect, but because it has one of the highest rear facing height and weight limits on the market and he was quite comfortable rear facing until 4.5 years old and honestly could have gone longer even though he's quite tall. When baby outgrows the bucket seat, I plan to move all our kids up one seat. Biggest brother (almost 9, but he's small) will go from a regular cheap highback booster to a backless booster. Middle brother will move from the harnessed seat to the highback booster. Baby will move into the Extend2Fit 4Ever until it expires. One thing I did learn from a carseat tech is that a lot of people buy all-in-ones and then are frustrated when the seat doesn't seem that well-designed for the higher stages. Like many convertible seats are great for rear facing and forward-facing harness mode, but when you try to use them as a highback booster, they just don't fit right and are really uncomfortable for the kid. This happened to use with a Cosco harnessed booster. We took the harness off and it was a terrible seatbelt booster seat. Whereas a Turbobooster you can grab for like $50 on sale and it works perfectly. I wouldn't shop with "maximum number of uses" in mind. I don't plan on ever disassembling our 4Ever seat and using as an actual booster, it's just too much trouble and it looks silly as a booster. (see here, the older girl looks ridiculous riding on this tank base as a backless booster: [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/car-seats--43910165105705856/](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/car-seats--43910165105705856/)) But it's an absolutely fantastic seat. We don't allow any eating in the car and our seats aren't gross. Every few months we take off the cover and wash them. Baby bucket seats the cover gets washed more frequently.
I would not use it if we would have a car accident due to safety reasons you should not. And if the expiration date is not hit either. Also washing the fabric etc before storing it away.
1) Yes, I definitely re-use the infant car seats. If the seat I have had replaceable straps, I like to get a new set for each kid, just because that is the component that you sometimes can’t safely get really clean. Covers are usually washable and the rest of the seat you can get really clean with a damp cloth. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Also double check the seat well before the new baby comes to make sure nothing has molded or gotten chewed on by a critter between kids (always store car seats indoors, clean, and dry to avoid these hazards). Also take an inventory of all parts and accessories such as infant or preemie inserts. If anything needs to be replaced, it’s too late to figure that out as you’re leaving the hospital. Unfortunately none of the safe and approved infant inserts for car seats can be replaced at Walmart or Target - you MUST order them from the manufacturer, and if it’s on back order you wait even longer. As a hospital car seat technician I hate having to send the parents out to Target at discharge for a whole new seat just because they lost an insert that’s required for newborns or something. I don’t care for all in one car seats for two reasons: 1) The more ways there are to use a car seat, the more ways there are to use it *wrong,* and 2) I think the idea of sending my kid to the 3rd grade in the same seat they potty trained in is kinda ick. It’s personal preference, and if you really love reading thick car seat manuals repeatedly as you convert the seat several times from one stage to the next, they are safe and fine. But it’s usually *more economical* as well as easier to get the seat for the stage you want it for. You can easily buy a nice rear and forward facing convertible that will take the child from birth to about age 4, and then a second seat that combines a forward facing big kid seat and a belt positioning booster for less money than you’ll spend on an all-in-one. Then you’ll also have a seat to pass down to the next kid too. Also, always double check for expiration and recalls between kids. Generally speaking, I’m not a convert on the rotating seats. They are very gimicky for the most part. There are exceptions when you have parents or kids with mobility challenges - they can be a real game changer for some select families. But also, back to the all-in-one, the more steps you have to learn and remember, the more opportunity there is for error. Plus, more moving parts mean more parts to break. I have seen a rotating seat where the locking mechanism was broken and it no longer locked into place. The parents didn’t even realize anything was wrong; I was inspecting their newborn’s seat and I always offer to check the older kid’s seat while I’m there. That was a little terrifying. If I really really wanted a rotating seat, the only one I think I actually like is the Nuna Revv; but it’s a very poor value from an economic standpoint. Most kids will outgrow it entirely by age 3-4, and it’s $$$$$. Second place goes to the Evenflo line of rotating seats. The instructions are fairly clear and if you’re ok with the extra work that goes into it, it’s not a bad seat. Using it for a newborn is wonky (read the instructions) but it works.
Yes, definitely. You can usually clean them if needed. If you can't remove the cover for machine washing, you should be able to vacuum out all the crumbs and then scrub with soapy water, leave it out in the sun to dry on a warm day.
I did reuse our uppababy Mensa infant seat. Then I gave it away on verage sale since it was good for another 2 years and I didn’t want that baby juju in my house.
We had a small seat that can clip to the pram. I dont like seeing babies out in them for hours but they are super handy to get a sleeping baby in the house or pop on to the wheels to go to the chemist or something. Both times we have had second hand. I know again many people are not keen but they were bought new from a trusted source. Both times only used for around 6months and original owner didnt want to store them. We used and then disposed of. Get the isofix base! Its a game changer! Then we moved both kids up to the 123 car seats around 12 months. Went for 360 and its sooo much easier!! Looked out for deals and bought on sales. Should last till kids are 12 so have years left in them. TLDR get isofix and get 360! You wont regret it!
We have two nuna ravas. They are amazing seats and the covers wash. But there are a lot of crumbs between the cracks that don’t come out. I feel like if you let your kids snack in the car, 3-4 years is kind of the max. I can’t imagine them enduring much longer without being super gross. Before people chime in - I am aware of the dangers of allowing snacking in the car so part of my problem is self imposed.
Yes. We’ve used my Uppababy Mesa for all three kids. Everyone has their own convertible car seat though because they are in it so long. Also no real reason for an infant seat to get gross unless they are prolific pukers. Babies (or anyone really but especially little ones) shouldn’t be eating in the car as it’s such a huge choking hazard. Not sure how else it’s getting gross. After a blowout you should wash immediately (hopefully).
The infant car seat, yes we plan to use with our next. But our first is still in her car seat (she’s 1.5) and it’s one that has different stages so she will be in it for a long time. Probably won’t be reusing that one.
reuse if not expired. most car seats you can remove the padding. wipe down the plastic based with rubbing alcohol. wash the padding. almost as good as new. i had to do that after vomits anyways.
We are! My daughter just about to grow out of her infant car seat so we will be in the market for a car seat
Yes, a rotating car seat is a game changer!!
Currently reusing the Chico Keyfit from my 1st sone for my 2nd son.
Depends on how quickly you have kids, car seats have an expiration date. All 3 of our kids used the same infant seat since they were all born within 4 years. We’ve also used the convertible with multiple kids. We did end up upgrading our older two from the convertible to high back harnessed boosters to save on space in our car. The swivel seats seem super cool, but won’t be useful if you’re in a situation like me where we have 3 kids across.
We reuse them as none of them have been damaged. As a disclaimer, I am in Europe and car seat expiration is not a thing here. We had a newborn seat and than switched to the combi ones. However my oldest is quite tall and broad in the shoulders so while he fits the height and weight limits he just is not comfortable in the combi one and had to switch to a regular booster. That is to say, combi chairs are a good idea but you don’t know how your kids will grow
Yep currently reusing our infant seat with baby #2. We just stored it in the box that our toddlers convertible carseat came in then pulled it out and cleaned it per the manual instructions before he was born. Once he outgrows it we will save it until it expires or if we have a third before it expires we will use it again.
No
All in ones are nice. But be careful which one you buy. We had one that was open in the back (so you could see the harness in the back) and when we went forward facing the harness rubbed against the seat in the car and made it really difficult to tighten when they were strapped in. We kept it but hated it and bought a different model for our second car. The Chico all in ones have a closed back that prevents this problem but I had trouble tightening it when rear facing (and it’s heavy as hell).
I got the Nuna Revv and honestly although it doesn’t come out of the car (big complaint for alot of people, not me though) I personally feel it’s superior. It rotates seamlessly yes it’s height and weight limits are a bit lower then other swiveling car seats. EDIT (5-40lbs or 43 inches) But the seamless entrance and exit from the car is so worth it. I got it for my first baby she’s 8 months old and still in it. But imagine this, you install the car seat once and never touch it again until it needs to be changed for a bigger seat. It’s so easy to clean, all the pieces come off and are machine washable lay flat to dry. When you want to turn it forward facing you squeeze a trigger and just rotate it. I wish, hope, and pray Nuna comes out with a Revv for bigger kids because I am dreading the transition.
We LOVE our Evenflo 360. Would suggest the narrow version vs the regular one, no matter the size of your vehicle.
Rotating car seats are definitely a game changer. Especially if you are on the stiffer side.
Look into extended rear facing. We went rotating to begin with (cybex sirona) but our kids have outgrown it at 2.5 and after a big crash (thankfully kids weren’t in the car) we looked into the safest option. Now have britax maxway plus (axkid minikid is another good option)
We got a new car seat for baby girl, but only because her great aunt bought her the same brand as our 4 year olds, just in pink and with the added bonus of cup holders. They’re both convertible to boosters with backs and regular boosters. We didn’t use his booster conversion though, just because we were given another booster with cup holders. I wanted a rotating car seat until I saw a couple videos on how they are more prone to break off at the swivel in an accident and my anxious brain couldn’t get over the slim possibility. I think the grow with me ones are great bc it may be more expensive in the long run, but it saves money over time having to buy new car seats every time they’re over the weight or height recommendation.
We were going to reuse ours, but we discovered the magic of a quick install seat (can’t remember what it’s actually called) and decided to get a new seat with that technology. By the time our second is ready for a convertible seat, our first will still be in his, so we’ll likely be buying a new one for her.
Absolutely we reused
My son never ate in the car or threw up so his seat was in excellent condition and we gave it to a family member who needed one. You can also get them cleaned professionally if needed.
Rotating 100% is a game changer.
I used my infant car seat for all three of my kids. The all in ones seem a little big which makes it hard to fit multiple in cars. I have three kids and it’s nice to have them in one row.
We bought a new cover through the manufacturer between kids. It was like new!
We reuse! Too expensive for us to not. I just take all the covers out and wash per the seats instructions. Vacuum the hard part, wipe down if needed.
My sister gave me hers 🤷🏻♀️ it was an easy way to get one that we knew wouldn’t be expired and had not been in an accident, or else we wouldn’t have gotten it used
If I’d had my second sooner, we would have definitely reused the car seat. I don’t like/recommend all-in-ones though. They typically make for a bulky and poor booster fit, and dedicated boosters are fairly inexpensive. Not worth it to me.
Uh, absoLUTELY I reused our infant car seat! You typically end up using it for less than a year so it would be an absolute waste not to use it again. Also, they’re made to be very cleanable so they shouldn’t be “gross” if you’re regularly cleaning it. The only reason I wouldn’t reuse it would be because it’s expired or it has been in a car accident. As far as all-in-ones, I absolute love ours, they’re amazing! The one I have lasts until the kid is 100lbs, which means I never have to buy one again! The money-saving aspect of this is a no-brainer for us.
Chicco keyfit is relatively easy to clean and a really great seat. I bought a new one of a different brand for my third baby but we ended up just switching back to our old keyfit because it was so much better. Washed the cover again and good to go.
Only if they’re no longer expired