When used correctly, it is entirely safe to bring a baby home from the hospital in a convertible such as the 4Ever. That said, there are a couple of things to consider: Hospital policy may make things challenging. It’s true that some hospitals will make life very difficult for you if you don’t show up with an infant bucket seat. You should call your hospital and clarify. Often talking to the charge nurse in the postpartum wing will be your best bet. All-in-one car seats can just be overwhelming. There are at least 4 different modes of use on that seat, and frankly the learning curve to use it isn’t something I typically recommend to first time parents. This is an over-generalization but typically the newborn bucket seats are simpler. They only do one thing. So… while it’s ok to get the 4Ever if you want one, I’d say it’s even more important to visit with a CPST to learn how to use it before you bring the baby home, as well as planning to make follow up visits occasionally (especially at milestones like changing the mode of use) as the baby grows. The longer I work with families and car seats the less I’m a fan of the Swiss Army Knife style of car seats for this reason. They are, however, safe when used correctly. And, full disclosure, this is my personal opinion and does not reflect a general opinion among CPSTs. Now - in terms of the safest car seat - it’s whichever one fits your car, fits your child, and you can use correctly every time. This really is the truth. Yes, Nuna seats are great and usually very user friendly. But you should not feel like you have to spend that much to keep your child safe. The more important thing is to read your vehicle manual and your car seat manual, and reach out for clarification on anything you might need help on. You don’t mention what kind of car you drive. That could help us tailor recommendations for you. More on reddit.com

Congrats on your first! We’re expecting here at the end of the month. We picked up the Nuna Pipa rx w/ the relax base. It uses the latch system like most current infant car seats. Super easy to install. I’ve had it riding empty for the last couple weeks in the back of our 2024 SE Tech with no issues.

https://nunababy.com/usa/pipa-rx-infant-car-seat-with-relx-base?color_ref=16867

Nuna is releasing a new lighter ‘Aire’ rx here soon that is suppose to be lighter but the current one is which is already one of the lighter on the market.

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I’m reading through the comments here and… where to even start. Hello, I am a Child Passenger Safety Advocate. I have not yet taken and passed the Child Passenger Safety Technician course, there has not been an opportunity in the past 2 years due to the pandemic. It is important to me though, so I will be traveling to finally take the course at the end of summer. Without doxxing myself, I am a “someone” in one of the major Facebook groups who does car seat install and fit checks. This has been an important resource through the pandemic as in-person checks were cancelled pretty much everywhere. All car seats pass the federal safety standards, since test results are not published it is a “pass or fail” test. (Only Clek publishes their results.) There are 3rd parties that do their own testing, but it is not as comprehensive as the federal test. It is very, very expensive to crash test a car seat with all install methods and all dummies. That is $$$$$ in crashed car seats, dummies, test sleds, and crash facility rental time. So those 3rd parties make up their own (limited) crash testing standards, they just can’t afford comprehensive testing when relying on ad-click revenue and/or membership revenue. To answer your question… The SAFEST car seat is one that is installed and used correctly. Graco infant car seats are fairly easy to use, but some of them do have ease-of-use features that make it simpler to check for a proper install. Look for a base that has a recline indicator (a bubble or bubble-type system that shows baby is at the correct angle.) Newborns do not have head control, they rely on their car seat to be installed at the proper recline angle to keep their airway open. Some Graco bases don’t have a bubble but instead have a line on the side that must be level with the ground - this is safe IF it is actually level. (Ever have an argument about whether a picture is level or not?) A bubble is easier and can be leveled more accurately, plus it “looks wrong” when it isn’t installed properly. Consider skipping the Graco SnugRide 35 Lite. It’s crotch buckle is much farther forwards than the other Graco seats, so it often requires a “crotch roll” to fill the gap between baby and the buckle - to keep them from sliding down and slouching. Using a crotch roll is safe but inconvenient. Over half of all car seats are installed/used incorrectly. (Yes that link is from 2017, but the pandemic has absolutely not improved that statistic. So many kids riding around in outgrown car seats.) Have your install checked by a CPST. Either online or you can find one locally here , but their search engine is a little strange. Don’t give it too much info - try state/county OR city/state OR zip/state. Do not show up at a random fire station. Firefighters are kindhearted and will do their best, but they are unlikely to have any training on proper car seat use. Some of the worst installs I’ve seen were with the “help” of a well-intentioned firefighter. As for the Graco seat names… they only make a few bases and a few “buckets” (the seat that goes on top.) They pair those together in different combos to make a seat name. Scroll through their seats three times: First, look at the bases. The different ones have different knobs/handles to adjust the recline. There are maybe 3-6 of those depending on where you shop. Next, look at the buckets - specifically the handles on the buckets. The buttons to fold the handle and the “hand grip” vary, they’re what to look at to tell them apart. Finally, look at the inside of the bucket - the headrest and insert type. That’s the last part of the seat name, what makes a seat an “LX” or “DLX.” More on reddit.com

I love Graco Extend2Fit. Works well in my SUV you might vary in a sedan. More on reddit.com