how young can a child be to start using this car seat?
1444363
25 lbs and at least 2yrs old. My opinion the Boulevard is a better seat for a 2yr old though. It's more "cradled" to their still small bodies! I call this his big boy chair! I hope this helps you;)
369636
Hi Claire. I have used this car seat rear facing until my youngest was almost two years old. I made ir front facing when it started to be uncorfortable to her, but she was about 22 months old then. So, I think it'll depend on how fast your child grows.
286181
According to Graco's website it is recommended for children 3-10 years old, from 30-100 lbs and 38"-57" tall.As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children 4 feet 9 inches tall or under should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.
2120220
No, this seat is bulky and heavy. It is meant to stay in the car. You are thinking of an infant car seat (like the chicco keyfit 30). The infant seat is useful for the baby's first 6-12 months or so (because you can snap it in and out of the car and into a stroller). After the infant is around 6-12 months, you'll switch to a convertible car seat like this one. If you don't want to buy two separate seats, you can skip the infant seat (this convertible seat accommodates infants and toddlers--but you need to buy the version with "tiny fit"--it's a separate Amazon listing and cost about fifty dollars more) but you lose the option of toting the baby around in his seat. Good luck!
642531
It really depends on the childs height. We started using it when our granddaughter was 3 years old and she was much more comfortable riding. Her legs were not pushing into the back of the front seat and she could move around a little more easily. For us her weight had increased, as it should, and it was much easier for her to climb into the carseat on her own and we can then buckle her in. She is now 4+ and can almost buckle herself in. It has been a great seat for us and her.
1872699
I believe the smaller car seat will work for a child up to 25 pounds. I think the larger car seat works for a child as small as 16 pounds and 23 inches (??). We thought our baby was a little small for it as 16 pounds. She's 8 months old now and probably 20 pounds or so, and fits into it.
884849
You may want to play it by ear. Some babies do not like being in the car seat (like mine) so we used the actual stroller seat with the snug seat insert. If your baby ends up liking the car seat, you can probably wait until he's 4 - 5 months and put him directly in the stroller without the insert.
1834576
For Safety 1st years the average is 6-8 years from the date of manufacture. I don't remember the window of time for this one specifically, but it will def get her through the years you would want a good carseat and solid booster! Most kids want the smaller less obvious boosters when they get close to reaching the age that they ALMOST don't need one anymore. And it can be used as five point harness seat for a LONG time. My son is almost 4 and still has LOTS of weight and height to go before he meets the recommended requirements for the booster option! I love the Alpha seats, all three of my kids have them :)
642533
Really depends on your child's weight and size. 3 is probably too small and would need a convertible type toddler seat. We used a 'Safety First' convertible seat with side head protection until our son was solidly over 40 pounds. That wasn't until sometime after he turned 4 and was having trouble fitting the convertible. Need to check the local laws where you live for restrictions, as well. This seat has a belt keeper strap for shorter kids, if your vehicle doesn't already come equipped with one. Belt placement across the chest is very important.
1714264
We bought the car seat adapter for our newborn. But the seats do fully recline so a younger baby can ride too - maybe starting at about 12 weeks or so.
294469
You have to do what you feel is safest for your little one. That being said, the seats do lean back as far as you want them to. I think a 5 month old would be just fine. I'm not sure what model year I have. We bought it new in January of 2014. I love it even more now than when I wrote the original review.
1428792
This seat is only to be used for rear facing. Studies show infants and toddlers should remain rear facing until at least age 2 or even up to three. Doing this will greatly reduce the risk of serious injury during accidents.
1151191
The baby needs to have full neck strength to use this stroller. It can not be used with a car seat. I'd guess your child should be about 6-7 months to use this. It has a great 5 point harness which I highly recommend. We've been very happy with this stroller. Great value and has all the features I was looking for.
874185
Personally at that age and size I would use a regular 5-point harness car-seat. Rear Facing Seats are now also recommended as well for children that young.
1100563
I think your baby should be able to sit on his/her own before using this seat, so at least 6 months. Because of the design, I found that they were between 9+ months before the seat worked well for them.
1549913
I work as a family nurse practitioner... Plus have 2 kids, one who is old enough to use this booster (which we love). Safest recommendation-- wait until 40lbs to use this booster, even though your kiddo is technically tall enough to use it. Frustrating, I know. But the 3-point carseat is safest until they reach 40lbs.
642532
Our daughter was almost 5 years old when we switched her to this car seat. The seat is great.