All you need to know about Strollers & Car Seats in Canada

As we all know, a Car Seat is a mandatory requirement in most countries for safety reasons. I have had many questions in my mind at each stage when we were looking to buy a car seat for our kid. In this post, I ll try to address all such doubts you may have.
If you plan to make a purchase, please click on the links below, so that it will be directed to your Amazon account. You can proceed with the purchase from there!

* Which will be the best option? : Buying Stroller & Car Seat together or separately?

You can go with any one of these 3 options:

1. Buy a Stroller with Car Seat (Travel System): 

You will find Stroller + infant car seat as a single package. The car seat fits in the stroller, in this model.
  • This can be used at least till your baby is around 2 years old (There may be variations), more correctly, till your baby outgrows the car seat 
  • This is convenient to use especially during winters as, you don’t have to take the baby from the car seat, you can place the baby with the car seat directly on to the stroller when you go out
  • This can be a very handy option when you are preparing for international flights. You may have to anyway take the car seat as you may have to travel from your home to airport in a taxi or your vehicle. If you take the stroller also, you just need to place the car seat in the stroller, otherwise you may have to carry the car seat separately apart from your luggage which may be really difficult!
  • But the disadvantage of this model is that it won’t be suitable for long term use, as you may have to buy a new car seat once your baby outgrows this one.
  • Buying a stroller & Car Seat together and again buying a car seat after 2 years or so can sometimes be expensive.

Options…

Deals
2. Buy an infant car seat & a lite stroller (compact) - look specifically for car seats that can fit in the stroller

Note: You can fit in only an infant car seat in a stroller

Both of the above models can be very convenient to use especially in the winter, as you may not have to take the baby out from the car seat in order to place him/her in the stroller.

You will find the links to some of the good options, below:
 
3. Buy Car Seat & Stroller separately: You can go for car seats that are suitable for long term use + 2 in 1 or reversible stroller (which can be used in the pram mode)(look for compact options). 
  • A Car Seat is something your LO is going to be using for a long time, so go for long-term options. All these models can be used from your baby’s birth, till he/she needs a car seat.

Deals:
I bought this. Many of my friends also bought this, very good reviews as far as I know.

Stroller

Car Seat Compatible Compact/Lite strollers
  • This category of strollers is not bulky compared to the ones which you get along with travel systems
  • Compatible with some infant car seat models mentioned below or you can fit in car seat with the help of a stroller adapter (Only infant car seats will fit into a stroller with/without a car seat)
  • Can be suitable for long term use till your baby needs a stroller (Supports up to 50-55 lbs)
  • Cheaper compared to buying a travel system

Options…

Both are Car Seat compatible with Graco SnugRide Click Connect, Chicco KeyFit 30 (Deal Available), and Chicco Fit 2 

Deals:

2 in 1 Strollers / Reversible Strollers

  • Can be used from newborn stage until your baby needs a stroller (Holds up to 55 lbs)
  • Converts To Double - Stroller grows from single to double - accommodates a second toddler seat or infant car seat 
  • 4 Modes Of Use - Toddler seat easily converts to infant mode/cradling mode, both can be used in forward/reverse directions
  • Extra-Large Storage Basket 
  • Plastic and metal parts may be wiped clean with mild soap and water
  • Compact

Options…

* Things to consider while buying a new car seat

⭐ Safety considerations
⭐ Certified
⭐ Does your baby’s weight & height align with the minimum & maximum recommendation of the car seat?
⭐ Suitable for Long Term Use
⭐ Ease of operation/installation

* Where are good car seats available? Which would be the best option: buying Online or Offline?

You will find good car seats in major outlets like Babies R Us, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Bestbuy, Amazon etc. 

You can purchase from these outlets directly or Online.
  • I personally prefer buying this Online as the packaging can be bulky & it can be difficult to carry.
  • The price is almost the same in both the cases (Online & Offline). 
  • The delivery charge may differ in different Online facilities based on different factors.
  • While in Amazon, if you have a Prime subscription, you will get these delivered at your home, without any extra charges & almost at the same cost when you buy directly from other stores. So I have bought these kind of stuff from Amazon.
Some people on the other hand, will get a sense of satisfaction only when they purchase the product directly from the shop. You can also do that!

* Using a Car Seat: Different Stages




NOTE: For a province when there are weight, height & age recommendations for using car seat in a given stage, according to law, you can transition to the next stage when any of the conditions is met.

For example, in ON, your baby can travel in booster when any one of the milestones is reached:
  • Turns 8 years old
  • Weighs 36 kg (80 lb)
  • Reaches a height of 145 cm (4 ft 9 in)

* Should I buy a Car Seat for each stage?

That’s up to you. You can either buy a single car seat that can be used right from the baby’s birth till he/she needs a car seat or you can buy for each stage (especially if you have 2 babies, say if 1 baby is 2 years old another is 5 years old, 2 year old can use a 2 in 1 convertible car seat and the elder one can use a booster seat)

Types of car seats available in the market

All in one / 3 in 1 / 4 in 1 convertible car seat (with booster)

✅ This is a one time investment as if you buy this, you don’t have to buy any other car seats 
✅ You don’t have to think about disposing car seats as long as your baby needs a car seat
❌ May not be compatible with a stroller/cannot be used as a carrier
❌ If you have more than 2 kids, this may not be a good option always
❌ Can be expensive

2 in 1 Convertible Car Seat (Only Rear facing & Forward Facing)
2 in 1 Car Seat (Forward Facing + Booster)
Car seats available at different stages like infant car seat, booster etc.

✅ This will be around half the price of All in One (All in One can come around $300 - $400, while infant/booster seat or 2 in 1 can come around $150 - $200)
✅ This can sometimes be advantageous if you have 2 or more small kids, both needing a car seat
❌ Disposing the car seats at each stage can also be a problem

* I bought a travel system (Car Seat can be attached to the stroller), now my baby has outgrown that car seat. What are my options?

If you bought an infant car seat, your baby may mostly outgrow it by 12 -24 months, then you have 2 options available:

➤ Rear facing, Front facing & Booster car seat:

✅ Safest option as your baby must travel in the rear facing position as much as possible. In the case of an accident, it offers more protection
❌ May be expensive

➤ Front facing / Booster car seat

✅ Relatively cheaper
❌ Your baby may be able to use this right from the toddler stage, but this may not support rear facing position, so may not necessarily offer much protection in case of an accident, compared to rear facing ones.

* When can my child use a forward-facing Car Seat?

  • Ideally, you should transition your child to the forward facing position only when he /she outgrows the rear facing position, as the rear facing position is considered to be the safest
  • However, legally in most of the provinces you can make the transition to forward facing position when the child is above 9 kg / 10 kg (around 1 year old) (In Alberta, minimum age to go to this stage is 2 years) (To confirm, please check your provincial guidelines)
* When can my child use a Booster Car Seat?

This transition should be ideally done only if your LO outgrows the forward facing stage. 

The provincial guidelines are almost the same as below, but I would still recommend referring the respective provincial guidelines if you are planning to make a transition to the next stage before your baby outgrows that particular car seat.
  • Booster car seat can be used from 4/5 years (decided on the basis of weight) to 8 years 
  • Weight should be 18-36 kg (40-80 lbs)
  • Height should be below 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) (If your child is say 7 years old and if the height is above 145 cm then he/she can travel without a car seat with just the seat belt)

* When can my child travel without a car seat?

Your child can ideally travel without a car seat with just the seat belt when the baby’s height/weight reaches the maximum height and weight recommendation or he/she reaches any of the 3 milestones:
  • Turns 9 years old in most of the provinces (8 years in ON, 7 years in Saskatchewan, 10 years old in Prince Edward Island)
  • Reaches 36 kg (80 lbs) weight
  • Reaches or crosses 145 cm (4ft 9 in) height

* When can I place my baby in the front seat?

Most provinces allow Children aged 13 years and above to sit in the front seat with the seat belt. 

The Best Ones…

* Best Car Seat Options (In terms of Amazon.ca ratings)

* Best Budget Friendly Car Seat Options
* Best Stroller Compatible Car Seats / Infant Car Seats:


References:




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