The Truth About Car Seats: What You Really Need

Disclaimer: So, I’ve been through the trenches with car seats. I’ve owned enough of them to start a small dealership—two vehicles’ worth, spanning infant, convertible, and booster seats. Now, as a new parent, let me tell you, the world of baby products is like a jungle where everything’s designed to confuse you and drain your bank account. And car seats? Oh, they’ve got you cornered there because, you know, you do need one to bring your precious little bundle home from the hospital.

But here’s the kicker—raising a kid isn’t exactly a bargain bin affair. And car seats? They’re not handing those out like samples at Costco. These things are essential, sure, but don’t let the baby-industrial complex trick you into thinking you need to buy half the store. If someone tells you that you absolutely must have an infant car seat, feel free to laugh in their face—or better yet, call BS. I fell into that trap myself, and what did I get? An infant car seat for my son that we barely used because, guess what? He preferred the rear-facing convertible seat all along. Classic.

Here’s where I went wrong:

- I got the Nuna Pipa with a stroller conversion kit because apparently, UppaBaby makes strollers like they’re forged by the gods themselves.

- When my son was ready to transition, I picked up the Nuna RAVA—a convertible car seat that’s supposedly the holy grail of car seats. That’s when I realized rear-facing convertible seats have a low weight limit of 4 lbs. Yep, my son could’ve been riding in it from day one. Thanks for that, marketing department.

- And when I needed a second car seat for the other car, I wasn’t about to drop another $550, so I picked up the Graco Extend2Fit. Surprise, surprise—my son actually liked this one better than the Nuna. Go figure.

So, what’s the lesson here? It’s a case-by-case thing. If you’ve got money to burn and want to deck out your baby in the best gear, more power to you. Is it nice to have? Absolutely. Is it necessary? Eh, not so much.

My son was born smack in the middle of the COVID lockdowns, so I can literally count on one hand the number of times we actually used that infant car seat. We didn’t travel, barely left the house—there was zero need for it. By the time he was old enough to sit in the stroller seat—which, by the way, took all of a month and a half—we barely touched the infant car seat. My second child? Same story. She’s got an infant seat. She hates it. We let her ride in the hand-me-down RAVA her brother used.

Now, let’s get real: Every baby is different. Some might fall head over heels for the infant car seat and despise the convertible one. But if you’re watching your wallet, I’ve got one recommendation: the Graco Extend2Fit.

Everyone knows the goal is to keep your kid rear-facing for as long as possible. The Extend2Fit hands you an extra 5 inches of legroom in that position, making it a breeze. Rear-facing weight limit? 4 to 50 lbs. Forward-facing? 22 to 65 lbs. Most parents dread the day they have to switch to forward-facing because their kid’s knees are practically in their chest. The Extend2Fit lets you postpone that day of reckoning.

Now, compare that to the Nuna RAVA—don’t get me wrong, it’s a top-notch seat, but with a $550 price tag. Meanwhile, the Graco Extend2Fit clocks in at just $199.99. Is the RAVA 2.75 times better than the Extend2Fit? Not even close.

My son doesn’t show any preference between the RAVA and the Extend2Fit. And believe me, he’s not one to hold back his opinions. So, for that reason, the Extend2Fit gets a solid 5/5 on the AlboApproval scale. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to calculate just how much I could have saved by going with the Graco from day one.  Pipa: $450, Adapter: $75, Nuna RAVA: $550.  Sharing how much you can save?  Priceless.  Check out the affiliate link below to get yourself one and save butt load of money. You’re welcome.  

Graco Extend2Fit