Carseat Base

[doberlady]

I am sure this has been discussed a million times before.

I have a 3 month old and use a stroller/carseat travel system. She has a seat on the plane and we are renting a car. The carseat is airline approved but do I need the base??

Also, do I need the base for a car? We use it at home but I thought the base was just for the ease of taking the carseat in and out of the car without having to undo the seatbelt each time. The carseat does have the passthru slots on the bottom for a seatbelt?

Thanks!!!

 

[tlbwriter]

Most infant carseats can be used without the base. The exceptions are Peg Perego seats (not sure if it still applies to all of their seats, or if their newer ones can be used without the base). There may be new exceptions that I don't know about, but the last time I checked, all of the most common brands can be used without the base.

 

[PatricenPete]

I don't know the answer to your question - (big help I am, huh? ) BUT I just want to recommend that you practice, practice, practice using the car seat without the base, ESPECIALLY if you are used to using it with the base most of the time.

I went to Boston in June and I gate checked DS's carseat - my friend John came to pick my up at the airport and it took me about 1/2 an hour to figure out how to install the carseat. My DH had always been the one to put the seat in the car, so I was clueless how to do it - in the end I put it in forward facing when DS technically was supposed to be rear facing, but I figured something was better than nothing..... so in closing PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

 

[tlbwriter]

I went to Boston in June and I gate checked DS's carseat - my friend John came to pick my up at the airport and it took me about 1/2 an hour to figure out how to install the carseat. My DH had always been the one to put the seat in the car, so I was clueless how to do it - in the end I put it in forward facing when DS technically was supposed to be rear facing, but I figured something was better than nothing..... so in closing PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

LOL! Good advice. I've been in that position too - I thought, how hard can it be to install a carseat? Harder than I thought! Definitely practice. And remember that an infant seat that isn't a convertible seat has to be installed rear facing - if it ends up forward facing, you need to try again!

 

[doberlady]

Great idea to practice!!!!!!!! My husband is also the one who does the installing and transferring of the base when we need to.

 

[Rapunsel]

You most likely will not be allowed to use the base on the plane... So I would say don't even bother with it. YOu can place the seat in the car with out it. I always have the direction book on the slots on the car seat. In case I forget how to do it..

Also all you other mom's out there are lucky. I don't think my DH even knows how to install a car seat properly. That has always been my job...


Or he didn't want to learn how so he doesn't have to do it..

Not sure which yet.

 

[dcgrumpy]

You most likely will not be allowed to use the base on the plane... So I would say don't even bother with it. YOu can place the seat in the car with out it. I always have the direction book on the slots on the car seat. In case I forget how to do it..

I've always used the base on the plane

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I like to have the base for the car--I can get a more secure seat as a result.

On the plane it isn't necessary.

I would bring it if you can fit it anywhere.

 

[staci]

Most infant carseats can be used without the base. The exceptions are Peg Perego seats (not sure if it still applies to all of their seats, or if their newer ones can be used without the base). There may be new exceptions that I don't know about, but the last time I checked, all of the most common brands can be used without the base.

Ditto. Call your manufacturer if you are not sure. We had a Graco and I was ready to purchase the extra base. I went to the fire station to have it installed correctly, and they assured me that it was perfectly safe to use our seat without the base, as long as we did it correctly.

 

[cillakat]

<<in the end I put it in forward facing when DS technically was supposed to be rear facing, but I figured something was better than nothing....>>

unfortunately no;/

even having it installed not so well rearfacing is better than installing and infant seat front facing. they simply aren't made to be installed that way, and a baby is at an *incredible* risk in a front facing carseat.

their neck bones are insufficiently formed to protect their spinal cord while front facing if in a frontal collision. the spinal column can only stretch about 1/4 inch before it snaps. the insufficiently formed bones will allow more than an inch of movement;/ it's not a good mix. this is why infants under 12 mo must must must be rear facing.

if one can keep them rearfacing longer, it's even better. 18 mo would be fantastic. until they outgrow the limits of their convertable seat rearfacing...that would be even better than fantastic but almost impossible, i realize.

the most current carseat information is available on the carseat board at parentsplace.com

i recommend practicing installing the carseat without the base to see if you can do it. while it's possible, it's very very tricky unless you're a carseat professional with lots of experience. heck even installing the base can be very tricky.

i'm a CPS tech and it rarely takes me less than 10 min to properly install an infant seat base in a car. it almost always requires a good deal of tweaking...and that's just to ge the base in. i find the same to be true of a convertible seat in the rearfacing position. the only thing that's generally very easy is a front facing convertible seat.

some bases are easier than others. my fave is the now disco'd fisher price stay-in-view. my least fave is the peg perego. the graco usually requires a good bit of messing around but i always make it work (almost LOL). same with the babytrend latchloc (my fave currently available seat).

katherine in atl

 

[Mobly]

If you decide not to check on your base and use that, make sure your seat can be used without a base. Don't forget to check on a swimming noodle piece or a rolled up towel to place on the seat (under the seat). Without the base it is very hard to get the proper angle when tight. It can be done, but you will need a towel or noodle. It may be easier to take the base. I usually put it in a duffle bag or even plastic bag and check it on.
I am also a tech and instructor for child passenger safety, I know how difficult it may be using a new vehicle, or seat. Good luck!
By the way, kudos to you for thinking about safety on and off the plane.

 

[cillakat]

i second everything mobly said. i can't remember the last time i got an infant seat in (or any RF nontethered seat for that matter) without a noodle to get the angle accurate.

katherien in atl

 

[LMRusso]

I have flown a few times and I have always taken the base. My car seat was made that way and I was most comfortable using it the way it was meant to be used. The flight attendants were always very helpful in assisting me with the installation. Once I even held up the flight because the seat just was not secure. They got a specialist to come up and secure it properly. Remember it is your baby's safety and your piece of mind that is most important. Enjoy your trip.

 

[NotUrsula]

Depending on how closely the top surface of the base meets the bottom of the carseat shell, you simply may not be able to use the base on an aircraft.
Remember that the buckle of an aircraft seat is in the center, not on the side as it is in an automobile. If your base straps in in such as way as to have the seatbelt running across the top middle, the buckle is likely to land somewhere on top of the base, and the thickness of the buckle may prevent the seat from securely clicking into the base.

I think you could probably test this by putting a deck of cards on the seatbelt where it crosses the base, and then seeing if you can still securely click the seat into position with the cards between them. (Obviously, I'm not suggesting you actually ride around with the card deck still in place; just to put it there momentarily while you check the space clearance.) The deck of cards would take up approximately the same amount of space as the seat belt buckle of the aircraft seat.

 

[LMRusso]

I know what you mean about the buckle being in the center, because that was the problem I had. They ended up using another buckle (like if an overweight person could not fit in the seat belt) and then I could tuck the buckle along the side.

Just something else to keep in mind.