capsule or convertible car seat?

[LuluHB]

I hired a capsule with DD#1 and borrowed SIL's for DD#2. Complete waste for both my girls - they were both reflux babies and so the angle that the capsule puts them on aggravated their tummies and so they were both soon in a convertible car seat.

Be careful with thinking that travel systems etc are a great way to go. You shouldn't leave your baby in a capsule for extended periods of time due to the curve it puts on their spine.

[MrsC_Aussie]

we've bought the new strider dlx, we decided cause bub is due end of march, and winter can start as early as april in ballarat (lol) that it would be best and easiest for the first few months to be able to get bub in and out without having to muck around with unwrapping and all of that. however, we have also bought a convertible car seat (on a good deal) to have ready as soon as bub outgrows the capsule so that bub is in the reverse position for as long as possible

[Pandora]

I had a convertible car seat for DS, but will be either buying or hiring a capsule for this bub. I hated having to unwrap and rewrap him all the time to get in and out, in the cold, or the rain, (and this usually woke him up) when I could have been doing it all inside if he'd been in a capsule.

[luey]

I had a convertible carseat from birth - SNS Meridian. It has been great and I love how it can be rearward facing until 12kg which is safest. Apparantly there are some scary videos on you tube about forward facing seats until the kidlet is 'big enough'.
I have not had a problem but TBH because we live in the country I didn't drive that much (had a bassinet - beema Q) on and it was when we went to the big smoke we would be in and out of the car all the time. Then a capsule would have been good when little because you had to try and time feeds then sleeps with appointments etc because I didn't want to wake him to leave. But you do have to be careful about the length of time they are in the capsule for their backs. What we ended up doing was getting wherever we were going earlier and would just put DS to sleep in the pram.
A friend purchased a SNS unity and she found that her bub got too heavy in it well before she outgrew it - about 5kg. Apparantly the bub never stayed asleep getting in and out anyway.
If there is a next time around we might hire a capsule, will see. Our meridian carseat is so much more padded and supportive than the traditional SNS I am not sure it is worth it for the few days it would be an issue.

I had an emergency c-section and for the first week or two I had difficulty getting DS in and out of the car to put in the convertible as our carseat is in the centre. After a while it settled down.

Good luck in making your decision. You could always hire one and buy a convertible as well and if you have 2 cars have a carseat in each. I think it is only $60 or so to hire so is relatively cheap and if you don't end up using it you haven't lost huge amounts of money. Believe me there are plenty of things you spend $$$ on or get given and don't use

[Papillon]

For me we just hired a capsule with each birth, so a total of $60 for over 7 months... we found the capsule INVALUABLE at times like when bubs would fall asleep while driving, we could get out, do all we had to do and bubs never woke or knew any different... REALLY handy for those times when you are alone and need to duck out to get something... but then as you said, you cant carry anything for awhile. ESPECIALLY came in handy because our first born was not a good sleeper so a quick trip in the car always did the trick then just take her back inside inside the capsule and easy done....