Hiring capsule vs car seat

[*Infinity*]

I already have newborn - 18kg car seat on layby because eventually we will need one. A few people have asked why I bothered to buy one early when you can hire baby capsules for the first few months from Red Cross etc - they say the benefits of being able to lift baby in and out of the car without disturbing them is good and being able to carry them around is easier too (depends for how long and where to you need to carry them I'm thinking?)
I'd love to hear what others have done. If you hired a capsule - why and what were the benefits. And for how long?
Lolly x

[alioops]

For #1 and #2 I didn't bother with a capsule. For #3 I have bought a capsule that goes up to 12 kg because before DD3 reaches 12 kg, DD1 will be going to preschool and I would rather let DD3 have the sleeps she needs. I also got the 2 strollers that it is compatible with (1 3 wheeler for DH to run with and one umbrella to stay in the car) so I know that I dont have to disturb her if I do need to go into the shops.

[Rivlas]

You cannot always have a capsule when you need one from whoever hired them. We had to book one about 6 months in advance.

You can usually only have the capsule for about 6 months and if you go early there may not be one available or your child is small and still needs it you have to give it back.

The good thing is that you will get value for money with the one you have on lay-by as they are all a similar price anyway when it comes to buying a car seat. Also you can change them from front facing to upright when you feel comfortable. My 10 month old GS is still front facing as he is small and not ready to be turned around as he still needs the support.

All the best with your upcoming birth.

[mbear]

Ive always hired a capsule till around the 4-5 mth mark....then go with the baby seat. Ive got my first at school this year so will have a newborn doing the school runs, so a capsule defn easier for me than getting a pram out of the car.
Also if i pop over to a girlfriends house or something, thats all i want to do - pop in.Not lug in my pram, or something for baby to sleep on....baby can stay in capsule asleep if need be.
Im having a near enough winter baby too, and i just find baby being in capsule provides a bit more protection from cold and wet when transporting in and out of car...

Good luck with your decision!

[Nettie]

We hired a capsule for the first 6 months, but probably didn't need it that long. Probably 4-5 is enough.

I liked using the capsule to begin with because we could comfortably put him in it inside the house, then pop him in the car and out again easily.

I think trying to carry him out to the car in our arms, then putting him in a car seat when he's small and flimsy would be worrisome. Especially if you have to awkwardly bend in the car and everything...

Hope you get my meaning!

[sweetpea678]

I didn't have a capsule with first dd and hated it. Second dd hired a sns traditional capsulet was good lasted till 6 months. With dd#3 brought the sns unity and bub is still in at 7 months and no were near ready to come out size wise. I love it for the school drop offs etc. have the stroller for it to and love it to and how I can clip the capsule on to it.

[belfie]

I ummed & aahed about getting a capsule. I decided that for the cost to hire for 6 months, given i want to have 2 kids, I might as well buy it... then the sns Unity Capsule (goes to 12kg) was on sale, so I bought that instead of the traditional sns blue capsule (only goes to 9kg). I've loved having it - very handy... but in retrospect i'd buy the stroller that goes with it too lol! So saying, DH is big & strong so he usually lugs it around. My physio yelled at me and told me not to carry capsule with bubs in it, so the whole travel system woulda been useful.... especially for those short trips where you're getting bubs out of hte car for just a short appt or dash into the shops. It's such a shame to disturb them! One of my girlfriends who has a baby who doesn't sleep well told me that in retrospect she wished she'd got the capsule too.

[Bridg]

Lolly- I was originally going to use a car seat that we had from when our kids were little, but then when we put it in the car, the only spot it fitted was in the middle. I thought if I had another c/s it would be hard to get bubs in an out. (We have a landcruiser). I was in Target when they had the baby sale, and picked up a capsule that goes into the pram like Alioops was talking about. It goes from birth up til 12kg. Now we have got that, we can put bubs behind the passenger seat. The capsule will also come in handy for when I do Kindy runs.