Parents out there: Car seat options?

Expecting my first kiddo in a few months and have been researching car seats, car seat stroller combos, etc.

Anyone have recommendations that work well with the limited space in the back seat of my 3rd Gen. Tacoma?

 

Is it a 4 door?

 

1. Get one that is easy to get in and out. That back cab wall strap can be a bitch. When carpool and field trips and other parents/kiddo friends are in play, you will fucking want this.

2. Convertible to booster for when they get bigger.

3. Easy to remove covers and clean. You will thank me when they barf on road trips.

4 Works with a stroller.

You are going to be buying so much shit, you want to be as efficient and economical as possible.

Oh. Congratulations!

 

I can't comment on the Tacoma part, but as a stay at home dad I absolutely loved our Doona

Unfortunately they can outgrow it within a year and a half, but it made things significantly easier on solo trips with just me and the kiddo

Highly recommend it, and you'll easily sell it once he outgrows it

I sold ours within an hour of posting it on FB MP

 

It is going to be tight. I have two back there. It's tight. But...it can be done and once you get them in it's fine. UPPAbaby Mesa is the G-Wagen of infant seats and stroller systems. Graco is also perfectly fine.

 

my sister-in-law is a CPST. she's played with my tacoma and my dad's f-150 to figure out seating latches.

her official recommendation is that the tacoma sucks at baby car seats and you need an f-150 or similar. the rear seats are just far too cramped for a rear-facing child seat in most cases. changing to an f-150 adds 6" of rear seat distance, which is critically needed for seat space until the kid is old enough to be forward-facing.

 

I have 3 kids and drive the Tacoma since they were newborn.

it will work but will be tight in the rear. At one point, I have 1 car seat in the front, two in the rear with wifey. When they are a bit older, I have 2 booster & 1 car seat in the rear. Now, the oldest in the front. Wifey, two booster in the rear.

 

My $0.02

I would suggest getting the best you can afford that fits in the space and is easy to use.

 

Take a look at the way the seats attach to the vehicle. Some will attach to the little attach points embedded in the seat. Others will require the use of the seat belt to attach to the vehicle. We have one of each in our vehicles and I prefer the former as it gives you more options and seems more secure to the vehicle. You will need a seat that handles infants initially.

 

The uppababy is awesome if it fits the budget. It's nice being able to put the little one in the seat before going outside. We have one in my wife's car, which has a little more room than my truck.
I have an evenflo rotating seat in my truck. It fits facing rearwards with minor adjustment to the front seat, and I can rotate it frontwards when little one is not in the car to minimize space taken up.

 

@glass_hammer

 

Lol, how have I never seen this.

@glass_hammer already good advice here. I'm 100% agreeing with any "click and lock" system. Brand and price point is up to you, but the wife and I have a base in each car, makes it so much easier.

Graco Snugride series FWIW. 2nd Gen DC, still applicable.

 

Click and lock for when they're little, change to a convertible when they get big enough. The one for life type of seats are heavy as hell, bulky, and not meant to be taken in and out of the car/truck.

 

First year they are rear facing. That’s the time that they take up the most room. I would go to any target or baby store and ask if you can test stuff out. Most places will let you.

The one suggestion I would make is to have some sort of cover on your bed. When the weather turns bad you don’t want to be pulling out a wet stroller to use. Plus it gives you more room to store all the stuff they need. Pack and play. Baby seat. And all their other stuff. A simple cheap roll up cover will save you when it’s pouring and you have to put the stroller in the bed.