Infant Seat vs. Convertible

I was not intending to have both an infant and convertible car seat because I didn't even know what a convertible car seat was before Isaiah. I knew that my brothers were a year old when they went into big forward facing seats, but I didn't know that you could get a seat like that to use rear facing. My plan was to start with an infant car seat and an extra base for our other vehicle, but we were gifted the convertible so I thought I would share the pros and cons of an infant car seat vs. a convertible car seat.


Graco FastAction Fold Travel System Stroller with SnugRide
Infant Seat and Travel System Pros - This seat has lots of pros for this newborn stage. It is easier to keep Isaiah warm and covered, especially being born in February. He is comfortable enough to fall asleep in it in the car, so we can take him places and he can continue to sleep. My mom likes to take Isaiah places when she's watching him, so she got an extra base for her vehicle, which makes it much more convenient than switching a convertible seat each time. The seat can also snap into the stroller, and provides a barrier between Isaiah and the random strangers who want to touch him. He seems a little less approachable when he's in it. The rounded bottom also helps it to double as a rocker when we're not in the car.



Infant Seat and Travel System Cons - I'm sure it would do fine outdoors, but the wheels on this stroller don't seem very durable to me, so I use it as a mostly shopping stroller, but the seat alone is difficult to shop with. I was recently alerted that it is unsafe to put an infant car seat on top of a shopping cart, so now that it sits in the basket, I don't have much room for groceries. The best solution for this is babywearing, but then I'd have to get him out of his seat and into the carrier outside in the cold. Clearly this will not be an issue once it warms up. And as Isaiah gets heavier, so does the seat. It was all fine when he was 7lbs, but he isn't anymore.

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat
Convertible Seat Pros - This is fairly easy to get Isaiah in and out. I've noticed that he sleeps better in this seat. I think it's a more upright seat, which probably makes him feel better since he's less likely to spit up in that position. When it is warm out, this seat is really easy to get him out of to put him in a carrier for shopping or walking around. Also, he can use this seat from birth up to 100lbs (will he really need it that long???).

Convertible Seat Cons - If we're going into a restaurant or somewhere that I don't have the carrier, we have to hold him as he cannot support himself yet. This seat will be very beneficial in the future, and I know we'll get a second one for our other vehicle once he outgrows the infant seat, but it isn't ideal for this newborn stage. When it's cold, we have to warm the car up for an extra long time so that the seat is warm too. I don't like the thought of carrying him outside just in a blanket in February to put him in the convertible seat.



As of right now I prefer the infant seat over the convertible, but in the next few months my opinion will probably flip flop. Which seat do you prefer for an infant?