What is the Difference Between Infant Car Seats & Convertible Car Seats?

In this video, Eli Gurock, co-owner of Magic Beans, demonstrates why an infant car seat is so handy: while a convertible car seat is installed in one piece, the infant car seat clicks on and off of a base installed in your car. This allows you to take your baby out of the car without undoing the harness, thus risking the (tragic!) possibility of waking a baby who has FINALLY dropped off to sleep.

Infant car seats are typically used from birth until about 9 months, although it may be as short as 6 months or as long as 18 – while the weight limit for the seat is typically 30 pounds, you’ll probably want to stop using it around the time that the combined weight of the baby and the seat becomes too much for you to carry. At this point, it’s time to switch to a convertible.