As parents, we never compromise on the safety of our children, right? Well, that’s also the case when traveling with children in a vehicle.
That’s why many people are concerned about when their baby can sit in a stroller without car seats.
Well, in short, it should be fine for your baby to sit in a stroller once he/she can support the weight of his/her own head. More specifically, it’s fine to let your infant sit in a baby stroller when it’s over 3 months old.
Now, since this matter is interconnected to the security of your child, you should know about this in a more in-depth manner. Luckily for you, we have explained everything you need to know about letting your baby sit on strollers right below.
When Can Baby Sit in Stroller Without Car Seat?
There’s no general rule of when you can let your baby sit in a stroller without a car seat. However, as we have already mentioned, you should wait until your child can lift and support his head weight. For most children, this happens when the child is around 3 months old.
That means when you decide to let your baby sit in a stroller, he/she should be able to support the weight of the body/head against the motion of the car.
Why is it? In a simple explanation, since a car seat is firmly attached to the body of the car, it does not shake or vibrate too much when the car moves.
But, in the case of strollers, the vibration and shakiness will be much higher. Therefore, your child must have the physical ability to easily handle its head and body against the vibration of the car.
Plus, you should also know that your kids will be most comfortable when he/she is in a completely laid-back posture. And, this particular position is only possible in bassinet strollers.
Now, once your child is over 3 months old, he/she will not only feel comfortable in a partially reclined sitting position but he/she will also be eager to sit in a stroller without car seats.
That’s why the best-suited age for your child to be in a stroller without car seats is around 3 months.
Finally, there are some exceptional cases where children grow fast and can support the weight of their heads at about 2 months of age.
So, if your child is also a fast grower, it’s okay for you to let him/her sit in a stroller without car seats a bit early on.
What Stroller Do I Need To Use For A Newborn?
Newborns require a particular stroller that facilitates a fully laid-back position. That’s why it’s best to use a bassinet stroller for newborns. The bassinet strollers provide extreme protection from all types of shocks. Plus, the baby does not have to support its own weight when it’s in a bassinet stroller.
Now, as the baby grows up, he/she will get strong enough to be capable of carrying the weight of his/her own body. Once that happens, it’s best to move your baby from a bassinet stroller to a regular stroller without car seats.
Get to Know: How to Carry a Car Seat Easily and Safely?
What’s The Right Time To Transition From a Bassinet Stroller To A Regular Stroller?
There is no particular age when your child can transition to a regular stroller. It’s because different children reach the age of maturity (when he/she can support her own head weight) in different time spans.
You should keep using a bassinet stroller until your child can support the weight of his/her own weight. However, as I’ve already mentioned, once the child has grown enough to easily support the weight of the head (at least 3 months old), it’s time to transition to a regular stroller.
How Do I Know If My Baby Can Sit In A Regular Stroller?
Regular strollers are not suited for those children who are unable to support their own weight. Not only that, there are other criteria as well that must be met before your child can use a regular stroller.
For your convenience, we have listed down the conditions that must be checked. So, here we go:
Perfect Head Support:
As newborns grow up, the first body part that they learn to carry is the head. It’s because the head is the centermost body component and it has a lot of weight.
This is why children must be able to support their own head weight before they can use a regular stroller. Otherwise, it’s better to use a bassinet stroller to carry small children.
Mature Bone Growth:
The shoulder and the limbs of your child must be adequately grown before you can move him/her to a regular stroller. Regular strollers will usually let the baby sit in a partially reclined position.
In that position, the stroller will majorly support the back and head of the child. So, the child must be perfectly capable of handling the limbs and other parts of the body in order to be comfortable in a regular stroller.
Perfect Back Support:
In addition to supporting the head, a child must also be able to sit on his own back without needing to lay against a surface.
Children should be able to do that when they are around 6 months old. That means in order to use a regular stroller, a child can be up to 6 months old.
So, we recommend that you wait until your child is 6 months old before using a regular stroller without car seats. But, if your child has grown really fast, you may also opt for regular strollers as early as when your baby is 3 months of age.
Normal reflex to vibration:
Remember, when you use a regular stroller to carry your child, it will have to withstand the mild vibrations and shocks occurring due to bumpy roads.
Therefore, your adorable one must have the ability to respond to these small vibrations with normal reflexes.
More specifically, if your child gets too scared when the stroller is shaking a bit, you should not put him/her in a regular stroller. Rather, you have to wait until it has grown enough when it isn’t scared to be in a bumpy stroller anymore.
A Video Instruction of When Your Baby Can Sit On Strollers Without Car Seats
Read Also: How To Get Poop Out of Car Seat?
Frequently Asked Questions
Read the below FAQ section to know more about this context.
Can I keep carrying my baby in bassinet strollers when he/she is more than 4 months old?
You should continue to use bassinet strollers to carry your baby up until he/she can support the weight of his/ her head and can sit on its own. Now, it’s still okay if you use bassinet strollers to carry your child even when it can sit on its own (above 4 months of age).
However, you should understand that your child will want to see the world when she’s over 4 months old. So, he/she might not be comfortable sitting in a bassinet stroller anymore.
Is it safe to carry my child in a stroller without car seats?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe unless the child is unable to carry the weight of his own body. It’s because regular strollers are generally manufactured to allow a little bit of vibration.
So, if the child is not able to sit on its own, it will get into an awkward position when you walk with the stroller or carry it in a car. That’s why, before using a stroller without car seats, we recommend that you wait until the child can sit on its own.
The Final Verdict
Well, that’s all there’s to it, people. Now that you’ve got a clear understanding on, when can baby sit in stroller without car seat?
The final conclusion here is that you should not use strollers without car seats until your child can comfortably handle the weight of his own head. In most cases, a child will reach this particular stage when he/she is about 3 months of age.
However, since every child grows at a different rate, you should consult your local doctor before opting for strollers without car seats.