Do I need baby car seat, I don't have a car

[nanay 3]

Hi All,

 

We are living in Berlin and having a baby soon. We don't have a car, not considering having one soon.

 

I am wondering can we take a taxi with our baby? Does taxi has

[BethAnnBitt 2,626]

No car here either.  We found car seats difficult to come by in taxis and rental cars and a fee is generally added.  But maybe in Berlin it’s better?  So we bought two for when the grandchildren visit from 🇦🇲 that can be used as they grow.  We were able to get good help at a local store with a wide selection.  Good luck!

[circuits 261]

You can request a newborn baby seat from a taxi company, but they may not be available that often.

 

I suggest getting an affordable used one for under 20 euro here: https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-berlin/preis::20/babyschale/k0l3331

 

It's very useful to have around especially because you never know when you might need a taxi ride to the doctor.

[Krieg 14,556]

Get a Maxi Cosi, maybe second hand if you do not plan to use it often.  Maxi Cosis have adapters to most prams.

 

And you want to bring your baby home from the hospital somehow. Probably too kaputt to take public transportation.

[kaffeemitmilch 1,222]

Yeah definitely get a car seat. You also wouldn't want to use one that others use unless you really have to. It's better to have your own that only your baby uses, and there are ones that click into a full size stroller, and even on the plane if you decide to buy your child a seat.

[Santitas 564]

It’s hard to get a taxi with a car seat in Berlin. Even when you order one and specially tell them the age of the child, they’ll show up with the wrong one or none at all 🙄🙄

 

i also wouldn’t recommend getting a used one, but if you do, make sure it’s accident free. Even just one accident or a minor accident can compromise the safety of a car seat. Also, if you ever want to use car sharing, they don’t have car seats. 

[kaffeemitmilch 1,222]

2 hours ago, Santitas said:

Also, if you ever want to use car sharing, they don’t have car seats. 

They do have booster seats here in Frankfurt, but that's of no use to you for now.

[john g. 36,796]

Booster seats? Isn't that for the corona thread?🤭

[Santitas 564]

28 minutes ago, kaffeemitmilch said:

They do have booster seats here in Frankfurt, but that's of no use to you for now.

They have them in Berlin too, but that’s not relevant for OP for a good number of years, so I didn’t mention it.

[MikeMelga 7,001]

On 1/29/2022, 5:57:48, nanay said:

Hi All,

 

We are living in Berlin and having a baby soon. We don't have a car, not considering having one soon.

 

I am wondering can we take a taxi with our baby? Does taxi has

In Portugal you are not even allowed to leave the hospital without one!

 

Personally I would carry my kid ALWAYS in one until he was 8 months or so.

 

They are very practical and many can fit in strollers.

In general Taxis only have booster chairs, not that type of baby carrier.

[maxie 552]

I would recommend buying your own seat new. The material becomes brittle after a while and you never know how people have treated theirs, regardless of how they advertise it. Also, there are huge differences between seats when it comes to safety. The Babyschale - e.g. Maxicosi (a lot of people just call it that even though that is a brand) also fits on most pram bases (with adapters) and the shopping carts that have the metal frame on top. 

[kiplette 8,383]

If cost is an issue, then at least at the start, the cheap blown polystyrene dish ones are absolutely as good as any of the expensive ones. Polystyrene is a great shock absorber, and that's what you want. 

[MikeMelga 7,001]

44 minutes ago, kiplette said:

If cost is an issue, then at least at the start, the cheap blown polystyrene dish ones are absolutely as good as any of the expensive ones. Polystyrene is a great shock absorber, and that's what you want. 

One big difference between cheap and expensive is weight. A high end can weight 2-3kg less, considering the same shape.

[catjones 1,574]

The US has highly regulated the sale of children's car seats'  I don't know if germany has a counterpart, but this site might help:

 

https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat?gclid=Cj0KCQiArt6PBhCoARIsAMF5waic4U0hQBFQcXu2GJjvMJ47wMSht2ztCw8DPnKpI7xwd_NaONA4L-kaAmgjEALw_wcB

[kaffeemitmilch 1,222]

I use allesbeste.de for stuff in Germany:  Babyschalen Test 2022: Welche ist die beste? • AllesBeste.de

[BethAnnBitt 2,626]

6 minutes ago, kaffeemitmilch said:

I use allesbeste.de for stuff in Germany:  Babyschalen Test 2022: Welche ist die beste? • AllesBeste.de

Yes!  I used that site too as a start.  In the end the sales person helped us narrow down our constraints and priorities, safety being at the top.  There are actually totally safe seats that don’t cost an arm and a leg too.

[MollyWolly 59]

ADAC also has a lot of information comparing car seats, including crash test ratings. https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/tests/kindersicherheit/kindersitztest/
 

One thing to keep in mind is that you won’t know what type of car you’ll be putting the car seat into. Both my husband’s and my car have steep back seats, which is apparently more comfortable for adults and a trend in modern car design. However, many car seats can’t adapt to the steepness and the baby’s head will easily fall forward. There are a few seats on the market that have a “swing” function that adjusts - what we chose has 7 stop points/levels, so you can really customize per the car’s need. It’s the Joie i-Snug with the i-Base Advance (bucket for birth to 15 months with base station, lightweight as well).

[Santitas 564]

21 hours ago, MikeMelga said:

In Portugal you are not even allowed to leave the hospital without one!

 

Personally I would carry my kid ALWAYS in one until he was 8 months or so.

 

They are very practical and many can fit in strollers.

In general Taxis only have booster chairs, not that type of baby carrier.

I think I remember reading that newborn babies should ideally be laid flat and that babies shouldn’t be carted around in car seats for too long and they should sleep unsupervised for long periods of time in them. 

[snowingagain 4,596]

Some of the seats for newborn are pretty horrizontal.  You do not want them crumpling up on themselves, and straps should be cosy, not too loose.  And the main thing, be with them, as you say.

[snowingagain 4,596]

BTW they say you are not allowed to leave hospital without a car seat in the UK (and now MM says also in Portugal).  While it is of course the right thing to do, it is of course not true.  You can legally take a taxi in Portugal and UK with a newborn, or indeed an older baby or child, without a seat.  There is no such law.  And of course, I did not need one, as I was taking the tram home.