I need cheap Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat base

[cheerforchelsea]

I suddenly find myself in need of a Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat base. My DD had her baby a month early and I will be doing a lot of babysitting when she returns to work....I had no idea that a car seat base is so expensive. Any ideas from DISers here on the Budget Board as to where I can find the best deal??

 

[CandleontheWater]

craigslist would be a good place to find a used carseat base at a reasonable price.

That being said, you can never be sure that it hasn't been in an accident. Once a car seat has been in an accident, even a minor one, it needs to be tossed because its safety has been compromised.

Some craiglist people will post that their carseats have not been in a crash, but it is up to you whether you trust them or not.

The base for the keyfit, is around $70 if I remember correctly, if you are going to be providing childcare on a regular basis, why don't you look into getting a Cosco scerena new? It is usually around $50, and it will work with babies from 5-40 lbs. That way you can use it with the baby as an infant, but also won't have to worry about getting a convertible car seat in about 6-9 months, and you don't have to enter the murky world of used carseats.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Whoa- you can get the scerena for $39 bucks at Walmart- that is a good deal!

here is the link http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Sce...0000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13004563

 

[prncess674]

I would tell your daughter that she needs to purchase it for you. Let her know how much she is saving on by having free Grammy daycare service.

 

[blessedby3]

All of the infant seats I have had have always been able to be used with a base or by itself...just using the seat belt through the slots on the top of the seat. I havent had a Chicco, but I would see if you could just use it without using the base.

 

[adventure_woman]

You can probably use it w/o a base...but if you are going to be using it on a regular basis I would do something different. Having to keep strapping the carseat in every time CORRECTLY is a lot of work. I agree - buy the Cosco seat...that is our spare and my DD fit into it until she was a little over 4 - when she got to be 40 lbs.

 

[luckyfin]

craigslist would be a good place to find a used carseat base at a reasonable price.

That being said, you can never be sure that it hasn't been in an accident. Once a car seat has been in an accident, even a minor one, it needs to be tossed because its safety has been compromised.

Some craiglist people will post that their carseats have not been in a crash, but it is up to you whether you trust them or not.

The base for the keyfit, is around $70 if I remember correctly, if you are going to be providing childcare on a regular basis, why don't you look into getting a Cosco scerena new? It is usually around $50, and it will work with babies from 5-40 lbs. That way you can use it with the baby as an infant, but also won't have to worry about getting a convertible car seat in about 6-9 months, and you don't have to enter the murky world of used carseats.

This is exactly what I was also going to post. We skipped the $70 base for DH's car and bought the scenara. It is a great carseat for the cost and saved us having to buy the base and then a second carseat when DD outgrew the infant carseat. Sure the base is more convenient, but for your use it sounds like it shouldn't matter.

 

[amylynne01]

Ditto on buying a convertible for the baby. The Scenera is a great choice for a newborn and is cheaper than the Chicco base. The Scenera will also last longer than the infant seat/base - a typical kiddo fits in a Scenera until about 3, as compared to a yr for an infant seat.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I agree with all of the above. That is the seat I bought for grandma's.

 

[sherry7]

I would tell your daughter that she needs to purchase it for you. Let her know how much she is saving on by having free Grammy daycare service.

My thoughts exactly! I pay $600 a month for daycare, which equals a lot of car seats.

Ditto on what the others said about the Cosco Scenera car seat. It's not fancy, but well rated by Consumer Reports, etc. Walmart usually has it for $39. We actually bought one as a spare to keep in the garage, in case there's an emergency that someone else needs to pick up our daughter at daycare.

 

[goodeats]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm uncomfortable with a tiny baby without head control in one of the convertible carseats. I know it's legal and safe and everything, but it doesn't seem comfortable to me. Plus you'll have the inconvenience of not being able to strap them in inside and just 'snap' them in. Plus if the baby is a month early she could be extra tiny.

I would ask your daughter to chip in, and use the Babies R Us 20% off coupons that come in the mail every so often.

 

[Bastiansmom]

I would tell your daughter that she needs to purchase it for you. Let her know how much she is saving on by having free Grammy daycare service.[/QUOTE]

My thoughts exactly! I pay $600 a month for daycare, which equals a lot of car seats.

Ditto on what the others said about the Cosco Scenera car seat. It's not fancy, but well rated by Consumer Reports, etc. Walmart usually has it for $39. We actually bought one as a spare to keep in the garage, in case there's an emergency that someone else needs to pick up our daughter at daycare.

No where in the post did the OP say she was providing this service for free!!! It boggles my mind how much people on these boards assume. I have a good friend who pays her MIL law $500 a month to babysit. She pays because she know her child is getting good, individualized care with Grandma. Even if the OP is not getting paid, it is her right to do so... she didn't ask for opinions on that.

OP, I haven't had to go through the new born car seat process in a long time, but the scerena(?) looks like a good deal. The reviews are excellent. I even put a couple of these on my "future baby wish list" for grandma/dad/babysitter.

Congrats on the new baby!!!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I hate the Scenera. I could never get the recline enough for a newborn and it was the worst seat I've ever had to install. I have owned over 50 seats in all my years as a mom. I ended up throwing it out. If you want the extra Chicco base(great seat btw) you will have to pay $$ for it.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm uncomfortable with a tiny baby without head control in one of the convertible carseats. I know it's legal and safe and everything, but it doesn't seem comfortable to me. Plus you'll have the inconvenience of not being able to strap them in inside and just 'snap' them in. Plus if the baby is a month early she could be extra tiny.

I'm with ya. I had every intention of using our Britax Boulevard with DS from the start... he was 8 lbs and almost 21.75 inches at birth (so not a small baby!) and when we went to leave the hospital, I buckled him into the Boulevard and freaked out. He was just so tiny... the top of the guides that hold the chest clip in place were up by his ears. And his little head lolled to the side against the great big head rest. The Boulevard is supposed to be good from 5 lbs and 18 inches, but it just didn't seem comfortable or safe to me with a newborn.

We drove the few blocks down the street to the nearest big box store that sold car seats and bought a Graco Snugride. Much better for a newborn!

 

[amylynne01]

I'm with ya. I had every intention of using our Britax Boulevard with DS from the start... he was 8 lbs and almost 21.75 inches at birth (so not a small baby!) and when we went to leave the hospital, I buckled him into the Boulevard and freaked out. He was just so tiny... the top of the guides that hold the chest clip in place were up by his ears. And his little head lolled to the side against the great big head rest. The Boulevard is supposed to be good from 5 lbs and 18 inches, but it just didn't seem comfortable or safe to me with a newborn.

We drove the few blocks down the street to the nearest big box store that sold car seats and bought a Graco Snugride. Much better for a newborn!

The difference between the Britax and the Scenera is that the Scenera's lowest shoulder slots are much lower than any Britax convertible's, so most newbies fit in the Scenera, when nearly no newbies are long enough for a Britax convertible. I know that Britaxes are rated to 5lbs, but in reality, NO 5lb baby will properly fit in it.

OP, you can always tuck rolled up blankets around baby to help keep the baby from rolling around. Tuck them in after you've buckled baby in the car seat. Just don't use the Snuzzler or Bundle Me or anything that didn't come with the seat. You could also look at different convertibles that are great for newborns and will last a long time. Some good choices are the Graco MyRide, First Years True Fit, Combi Coccoro, Evenflo Triumph 65, and Sunshine Kids Radian (any model). Britax convertibles and the Safety First Complete Air do not fit newbies, so avoid those from the get-go.

 

[WDWorBUST]

If you definitely want the base I would find the 20% off coupons from BRU and go that way. I think that will probably be the cheapest you can find it.

 

[prncess674]

I would tell your daughter that she needs to purchase it for you. Let her know how much she is saving on by having free Grammy daycare service.[/QUOTE]



No where in the post did the OP say she was providing this service for free!!! It boggles my mind how much people on these boards assume. I have a good friend who pays her MIL law $500 a month to babysit. She pays because she know her child is getting good, individualized care with Grandma. Even if the OP is not getting paid, it is her right to do so... she didn't ask for opinions on that.

OP, I haven't had to go through the new born car seat process in a long time, but the scerena(?) looks like a good deal. The reviews are excellent. I even put a couple of these on my "future baby wish list" for grandma/dad/babysitter.

Congrats on the new baby!!!

Even if Grammy is providing this service for $$$, she still shouldn't have to shell out the bucks for a car carrier.

 

[Swimalie]

The difference between the Britax and the Scenera is that the Scenera's lowest shoulder slots are much lower than any Britax convertible's, so most newbies fit in the Scenera, when nearly no newbies are long enough for a Britax convertible. I know that Britaxes are rated to 5lbs, but in reality, NO 5lb baby will properly fit in it.

Actually, the Boulevard, which we had until our son grew too tall, goes down to about 16" in height. One of the huge advantages of the Boulevard is that there aren't belt slots at the shoulders. Instead there is a knob that you turn to raise and lower the belts at the shoulders as well as the side impact headrest. So much easier than any other seat we looked in to. We now have the Frontier for our 6 year old and he's still in the 5 point harness. Britax makes great seats that last a long time and are well worth the money.

But, with that being said, I wouldn't put a newborn in to a convertible either. I feel they need the more close-in support of an infant carrier.

 

[amylynne01]

Actually, the Boulevard, which we had until our son grew too tall, goes down to about 16" in height. One of the huge advantages of the Boulevard is that there aren't belt slots at the shoulders. Instead there is a knob that you turn to raise and lower the belts at the shoulders as well as the side impact headrest. So much easier than any other seat we looked in to. We now have the Frontier for our 6 year old and he's still in the 5 point harness. Britax makes great seats that last a long time and are well worth the money.

But, with that being said, I wouldn't put a newborn in to a convertible either. I feel they need the more close-in support of an infant carrier.

I never knocked the Britax - I own a Frontier as well. What I said was that Britax convertibles do not fit newbies even though it's marketed as going from 5-whatever lbs (depending on model) and from 16"-whatever inches. According to a car seat measurement spreadsheet put together by car-seat.org, the Scenera has a lowest harness slot of 6.75", while a Boulevard has a lowest harness slot of 10.25". Lower harness slots of 8" or less are needed for a newborn to properly ride in a convertible from birth. Only newborns with ridiculously long torsos will properly fit in a Britax from birth, and those are few and far between. So yes while the Britax "says" it goes from 5lbs and 16", the reality is that that just isn't true.

 

[Swimalie]

the Scenera has a lowest harness slot of 6.75", while a Boulevard has a lowest harness slot of 10.25". Lower harness slots of 8" or less are needed for a newborn to properly ride in a convertible from birth.

The Boulevard 70CS has 8.75" as their lowest harness height.