How long did you keep your child in their infant car seat. When is the right time to move them to a bigger car seat? What are the safest?
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When they reach a limit of there carseat! Like the height or weight which ever one they meet first! You can use most convertibles from birth
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1 year but I moved him to a 6lb to 90lb convertible one… just didn’t recline as much as I would have for an infant. He rear faced until recently at 2 and a half.
I moved my children when they no longer fit their infant car seat. If you’ve loosened the straps all the way and it’s still to tight it’s time to move them to a rear facing car seat! Exciting my daughter just moved to a rear facing car seat!
First she was like 14mo. Youngest she was like 4mo
When they were over the height limit
1 year and then by law I had to upgrade him to the next seat
My youngest son is 15 months old and still in his infant carrier.
Read you manual. And when they out grow it, switch them.
When they max out the height weight requirements!!
I switched my first 2 close to the weight limit, which was right about when I started taking them in and out anyway versus removing the whole seat and carrying it in.
Check your state law. Wa state just made it 2 years. And then when they max out on height and weight
I took mine out about 3 months old and put her into a Graco 4ever which she still has and she is almost 5!
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I switched mine at 9 months old because he almost outgrew it, but I couldn’t carry him in it anymore
I moved my son over when he reached the weight limit into the next convertible car seat.
We moved both our girls once they could sit unsupported in high chairs or grocery carts. Which oddly enough was about the time they hit one of the max requirements to move them to a convertible car seat. All of my kids have Graco 4evers.
I switched mine to a back facing seat when she was able to sit up on her own. I always found it cumbersome to take her in her seat that was heavy. Once she was big enough we used a cover on carts and took her.
My oldest went over the height limit and my baby was over weightlimit both about 8 months my oldest is 5 yr okd he is still in a 5 point harnest system high back booster seat despite meeting height and weight requirements to sit without a carseat or booster seat my baby is 15 months in a convertible carseat rearfacing till 2 unless his height/weight/growth doesnt show hes ready to turn the carseat around and at 3 he will take my oldest carseat
You can move them out of a infant at ANY time into a convertible car seat (just keep rear facing until at least 2yrs)
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You move them out of the infant seat when they have maxed height, weight, and/or 1in above their head to the shell of the car seat.
That being said, many parents and caregivers choose to start in a convertible car seat from birth, both are completely safe options. My first 2 maxed their infant seat around 8/9m, my last 2 started their life in convertibles
My daughter was out of it by 5 months. Get a good convertible that rear faces and let them max that out before turning it around
We switched from infant to rear facing seat at like a year old
When they met the height and weight limit
What about for a 1 yr old. It’s been a while since she has been in a car seat
When they outgrow it. Once they meet the height or weight, or there is less than 1in of shell above their head, it’s outgrown. Then you move to a rear facing convertible seat (you can move to this sooner, as most start out at 5lbs)
There is no “safest” seat. They all have to pass the same test to be put out on the market. The “safest” seat is one that your child meets the requirement for, and you can install/use correctly 100% of the time.
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I didn’t use infant seat I used convertible car seats. An infant seat only lasts one year… If that… A convertible seat lasts up to 6 years. My five year olds convertible worked from infancy to a high back booster at age 6. He is five now an still in five point harness because it’s safer and he’s barely 40 pounds. Infant seats… In my opinion are a waste of money.
When my daughter out grew the height and weight for it. I waited as long as possible. But Safety comes first. So I went with the height and weight for that seat then up graded it. To the next
My son OUT WEIGHED his infant seat by 4months. It went to 22lb. 
We changed him out to the extend2fit then.
Using an infant-only seat versus convertible car seat is entirely on personal choice, so whenever you want to switch feel free as long as you keep them rear-facing. Make sure you know your state laws about how long they have to be in each stage of car seat (rear, forward-facing, and booster) and follow those. As for guidelines, it’s really best to pay attention to the height and weight limits, as physical development is not necessarily the same for each child and the size recommendations are there for a reason. Rear-facing seats are designed to protect the most vulnerable part of a child, their neck, as the area doesn’t develop as quickly as other muscles, even a minor crash without an appropriate seat can be much more risky to then than us.
8-9mos then we moved to a convertible that he was in til his 8th birthday. Now he has a new booster that he picked out himself.
My daughter we got her a safety 1st 3 in 1 we love it but it is bulky but great she loves it also my oldest we switched her to a front facing at 14m she’s now 3. as she was to long for the car seat and yes wa states that’s but it’s also when they are no longer safe in the rear facing car seat. Also my 2nd I believe is now in front facing and she’s now 14m as well. My youngest is still rear facing and we live in a different state now so rules are different here so I’m thinking of front facing her around the same time as the other girls were
Don’t listen to everybody on here. Each state and their guidelines and laws are different. Look up safety guidelines and recommendations in your state. And in almost every state you can take ANY kind.of car seat to a police station or fire dept and have it installed properly.
All car seats and booster seats have their own weight and height requirements, check there. It doesn’t matter how old your child is. And state’s laws vary as well.
I was told it’s when your child is about an inch away from the top of the infant car seat.
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My daughter was 12 months old when we switched her to a rear facing convertible car seat
First check your height and weight requirements for you infant seat, its either in the manual or on the side of the carseat. When either hieght or weight are met you absolutely have to switch becaus eits no longer safe to use that carseat. And there are no “safest” carseats, they all pass the same rules and regulations and crash tests. They are all equally safe. When picking a convertible seat its more about what you as a parent like and how baby feels in the seat and what your plans are for rear/forward facing. It depends on if you want to rear face passed 40 pounds, when you want to/can forward face, etc.
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My daughter was 2 before she went to a forward facing car seat and I am happy I did that as I was just In a accident on Monday and she wasn’t hurt at all
Those infant carrier car seats are the most dangerous out of all of them. Look for a rear facing seat now for height and weight.
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my son was out of his car seat by age 3. And he sat in the front seat
In Washington, they are supposed to be rear-facing until age 2, but that’s impossible for some tall babies. Check the carseat for weight & height requirements!
Good question as I need a new one. Mine is only for thirty pounds or thirty inches whatever comes first. I still need rear facing until at least age 2. I’m looking at some of the Chicco right now. Rated pretty good on consumer reports and I have used many of their products.
My little one was just too tall so I had to switch to a bigger car seat around 6 months. 
I went with a 3 in 1 Graco carseat and I love it! It’s of course still rear facing 
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I kept my child in the infant seat until their weight maxed it out. Then I got a convertible carseat that I keep rear facing till 2 years old. 5 point till they can sit properly around 4 years old and then I move to a booster seat around 4-5 years old until age 8.
Until his height maxed out, he was about 1, but skinny. We switched and he still rear faced til he was almost 3 (he hit the height max for rear facing in that seat). He stayed in the 5pt harness front facing til he was almost 6yrs old. He’s 8 1/2 now and still in a high back booster. Tall but super skinny, so he hits height before weight, but still hasn’t hit the height limit just yet on his booster. He has friends who havent been in a booster in yrs, or were not even in a booster when he was still in 5pt, but he’s never been made fun of or thought anything of it. We actually have extra boosters, so if I have any of his friends ride with me, I make them sit in one as well. My truck my rules.
First find out what the laws are in your state. Always make sure the seat is the correct one for their weight. Make sure the seat hasn’t been recalled or is out of date.
My daughter is 22 lbs at 21 months, she’s still in her infant seat. Will be switching to a convertible car seat and continuing to rear face around her second birthday.
I just switched mine from an infant bucket car seat to this one. It is still rear facing then goes to forward facing. $106 at target. She is 11 months old. You don’t flip them forward till they are at least 2 or 3 years old.
My son is 27lbs and 10mths (almost 11), he is in the 4n1 convertible carseat now, it’s rear facing of course. I love this carseat, it’s safety features, he fits in it great! We did switch him a little soon because he was in a helmet and it was easier for him to fit in this one.
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Look up the law in your state. It can help you get a clearer picture of when they should be moved to another car seat.
Until they were 6 years old.
My oldest stayed in the infant seat until he was around 8 months. My youngest was a year old and he maxed out the weight limit because he still fell asleep everywhere so we liked being able to carry him in in the seat. Then we got convertible carseats and they stayed rear facing until they were 2 and met the height and weight reccomendations for front facing. My oldest is 5 and we just switched him from the 5 point harness to the seat belt (still in the convertible seat) because he was about at the max height
My children where in infant carry carseats until they where too heavy to be lugged around in it. Then they went to a convertible rear to front facing carseat. My first was rear facing until 1 and a half. At that time my state guideline was 1. My 2nd is 1 and a half and is still rear facing. We will discuss turning him around at 2 per our new state guidelines.
She was in it until she was a year old but she didn’t meet the weight requirement to move up to the next car seat until then. Keep them in the infant car until they meet the weight requirement of the car seat you have.
Remember to keep them rear facing as long as you can (at least 2 years)
I moved my little when she outgrew the infant seat.
We use a 4 in one, which also meets requirements for newborns.
I think she was about 10 months.
We moved our son once the top of his head was 2 inches below the top of the car seat…safest to have extra room in the event of a collision. Remember the car seat has a weight AND height limit!
11 months. He started to grow taller so didn’t seem comfortable in it, he wasn’t close to the weight limit at all though. Bought him grace 4ever deluxe and graco slim fit -one for each of our cars. Whatever you think is best and comfortable for babe.
When they out grow it. Then you upgrade up and just follow the state requirements.
13 months and she is still in an infant seat but she is very small for her age
Weight when they reach a certain weight
Didnt have them when my oldest was born, 1981. We had a van and put the play pen in the back or I held her in my lap. Toys for dolls are made stronger now a days then the carrier I had
About 5 months old. We got in a small accident and needed to replace his seat. I didn’t see the point in getting a new infant seat for just a few more months and then have to buy a whole new seat again. A lot of convertible seats that rear face go down to 5lbs.
Our twins switched at 9 months to the Graco 4ever Deluxe.
I switched when he maxed out on weight, mine was 35 lbs. I had a convertible car seat in my car before that but my sister who babysat him daily used the infant until he maxed out on weight.