First 3 kids I have used a convertible seat. Had a normal pram that layed fully flat for NB bubs.
This time round I am opting for a capsule that goes up to 12kg. Isla is still only 10kg at almost 21 months. So I could still have her rear facing in her current seat but turned her about 6 months ago due to her being a right little rat to get into her seat & I honestly think I would have broken her pelvis trying to get her to sit so I could do her buckles up.
So I am confident I will get a lot of use from a capsule. My main reason for goin gthat option this time was I have a kia carnival with what will be 4 kids all in child restraints & it will make it easier to get to the older kids in the back row to do up & check their buckles if I can remove the rear facing seat easily rather then climbing over it.
I personally (only from what I see not experience yet) think that carring the capsule around will be awkward & heavy. I see mums with their bubs in capsules & they just look uncomfortable. So I wont be using mine to carry the bub around in unless I am going shopping or something & can put them in the trolley along with the shopping LOL.
I dont think the pram & capsule would really work for me as I need to be able to push a trolley with shopping etc at the same time. So I would just put the capsule in the trolley.
I know I've read literature, from the RACV if I remember correctly, that states the SNS capsule as being the safest option up to 8kgs. Maybe use our friend google and see what you come up with.
hehe great thread! I was looking into this, and heard lots of pros & cons re capsule versus seat. In the end I've gone with a capsule, as I like the idea of being able to move bubs & not disturb. Also, DH is big & will carry one quite happily - whereas friends of mine that were both quite little didn't like the idea of lugging bubs in a capsule. I know I'll have to get a convertible seat later, but that's ok, i'll see what's around later.
When I looked into hiring, it was nearly half the purchase price, so I've just bought one, given I hope to have a 2nd child so I'd get the use.
Also, the capsules (according to the SnS website) do till 12 kg, so you'd get some use out of it (but depends how strong you are, as to lugging it around with 12 kg of bubba!).
FYI, the site with the testing results is here (am I allowed to post this? mods, remove if not). From what i've seen, the convertible seats and the capsules are pretty comparable (provided you keep bub rear-facing as long as possible).
And bear in mind, I haven't used mine yet - so it's all theoretical so far but DH and I are both safety nuts.
We used both types. at first we had the capsule, but i found it too tricky getting in and out of the car, and also, my back and stomach muscles were pretty weak after the pg, and i found taking out the whole thing too strenuous, but i guess if i stuck with it, it may have gotten easier! also, DD didnt like the angle, she born with a fair bit of mucus and for the first month and a bit was a bit phlemgy. so we made the switch to the reversible car seat and haven't looked back (they sit up a bit). i have found transferring bubs from seat to bassinette on the pram really easy, especially as a newborn. she would barely rouse.
for the pram we have the bugaboo (gecko model) and havent looked back. we used the bassinette for 6 months which was great as she slept really well in there and it was nice to have her facing us (especially if she went psycho at the shops! LOL!). the fact that the pram then converts into a stroller style is also really great. she was in the facing us position until a couple of weeks ago, but has decided that she is a big girl and now prefers to face outwards, although in this position we have found it trickier to get her to sleep as she wants to look around.
Yes a capsule can be uncomfortable to carry around, but we only really used to keep baby in it for short quick trips into the school or shops.
We had a convertable car seat with DD and then went out and got a capsule as it was a bit fiddly for us having her in the car seat, plus when we knew we were going out, I could feed her, put her in the capsule, where she would fall asleep, finish getting ready and then transfer her to the car all without interuption.
We have brought a second capsule as we are having twins. We were going to buy the new kind, but opted for the older kind, the one with high sides that sits in a big blue bucket(IYKWIM). As when talking to the baby store owner, we had the other one picked but she advised us that on safety testing the bucket one is safer (SNS). This was a cheaper option so I know it wasnt done from a sales point of view.
I think I'm now leaning towards the car seat and pram with bassinette option. DH is big and boofy so getting the capsule out and lugging it around isn't going to worry him. Me however, different story. Also thinking in terms of how I'll cope with an arthritis flare... carrying the capsule is going to be quite hard, seat belt buckles in car seats and prams/slings are going to be a better option for me in terms of what I can manage. Often it's my fingers that go first and worst if my arthritis gets bad and gripping things is hard.
Also, on the subject of having other children... not sure it's going to be an option for us. Natural conception is impossible, we have two frozen embryos but have crap defrosting rates... and knowing how sick I've got with stim cycles in the past, I'm very much thinking that another stim cycle and caring for a child just isn't going to be an option. This child is very likely to be it for us.
BW, go and look at your options IRL. They all have fiddly buckles etc, and while carrying the capsule may not be practical, at least you can strap/unstrap your bub without leaning into the car etc. And you don't have to do too much carrying if it doesn't suit you. There's probably pros and cons for both in your case.
Another option is to buy the car seat ready, hire a capsule for a shorter period of time, (or if possible borrow one) and then if you're finding the capsule just too impractical you can install the car seat. Just a thought
Last edited by Janie; July 27th, 2008 at 03:20 PM.
We have both. We hired the capsule and are lucky in that it fit into our pram so we didnt have to wake him when we went out. However he is a long baby and we have just put him into the reversible carseat we bought, and he is a bit more upright now so he seems to look more comfortable.
I did like the capsule though because it was easy to transfer him to pram or shopping trolley etc without having to disturb him but it is only for a short time if you have big heffalump babies like I do.
Just to add my bit with dd1 had a reverse car seat hated, dd2 hired the old style sns capsule was ok now With dd3 who is now 3 weeks old, I lashed out and brought the sns unity goes to 12 kilos and the steelcraft Profile pram wich the unity conects to and love it very easy to get in and out of car and clicks straigt onto pram i only use it to cary bub if going into friends houses or just a quick in and out.
Would not do it any other way, once she out grows this she will be in a sns maxirider which converts to a booster eventualy.
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and see what you come up with.
but DH and I are both safety nuts.
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