Hiring a Capsule? Or is it better to buy?
Whether you’re buying or hiring a capsule, infant car capsules are such an incredibly convenient way to transport your newborn. Getting out of the house with a new baby can be so very challenging, and having a capsule can make that process easier for a number of reasons.
Don’t Wake A Sleeping Baby
Firstly, and I think most obviously, not having to wake a sleeping newborn to transfer them from the car to the pram or house. When sleep is so precious in those early days it seems like a crime to wake them – especially a baby who takes a long time to settle.
It really depends on the baby though. I found with my first baby he was very content to be taken from the pram to the car and back again as required and would stay asleep without too much fuss.
With my second baby getting a capsule for her was a sanity saving device, because disturbing her meant risking ruining her entire day. If she was woken, and was overtired, it could throw out her sleep routine for the next 24 hours.
Avoiding the Weather When Buckling Baby In
The other advantage of using a capsule is being able to buckle baby into their seat before leaving the house. If it’s hot outside it can be absolutely scorching inside the car, so being able to buckle baby into their seat while inside out of the sun – or even better while still in air conditioning – is definitley preferable in the middle of an Australian summer.
Alternately avoiding standing next to the car while rain pours down your back as you buckle baby in can be a great benefit as well.
Only For A Short Amount Of Time
The downside is time goes quickly and before you know it your baby has outgrown their capsule and it’s time to move onto the next appropriate infant car restraint. And capsules often cost just as much as a 0-4 convertible car seat. Which is something you will need to buy at some point anyway.
The decision isn’t a capsule OR a car seat. It’s whether you’ll get a capsule and a car seat, or just the car seat.
So the first thing to work out is if you’re even going to use a capsule in the first place!
And once you’ve decided you’d like a capsule:
Do you want to hire a capsule or buy one yourself?
Buying a Capsule
It does seem like most people buy a capsule, rather than hiring one. Partly because it’s nice to have your own things for your own baby, but I think partly because they don’t always know it’s an option or where to hire from if they do want one.
The advantages of buying a capsule are pretty clear. You own it. It’s yours. You are it’s first owner so you know exactly where it’s been, who’s touched it, whether or not it’s been in an accident. Which are all important factors to consider.
The disadvantage is also pretty obvious. It can be a lot of money for something you’re only going to use for around 6 months.
Factors to consider could be whether or not you’re planning to have additional children – which can make that money spent worthwhile – or whether you’re planning to sell the capsule once you’ve finished using it. There is a market for second hand capsules, though it’s not recommended to use a capsule purchase from someone you don’t know, so selling them is a bit of a grey area.
Hiring A Capsule
There are a few companies that offering capsule hiring services. Some offer short term hire intended for holiday makers, some offer 6 to 12 month hiring periods, and some offer both for more flexible hiring arrangements.
It’s important to look into the company you’re hiring from to be sure they’re trustworthy and feel confident that the capsule you’re hiring is going to be safe, clean and appropriate for your baby.
Firstly the advantages of hiring a capsule are financial. For example, you can buy a Maxi Cosi Mico AP With Isofix on sale for around $450 (RRP $550), whereas you can hire one for 6 months from Hire For Baby for $210. Which is less than half the price of buying it new.
The other advantage of hiring a capsule is some companies offer to install the car seat for you, using accredited fitters. Whereas paying an installer to fit your own car seat usually costs around $40-50 for each fitting. So that is another savings to consider.
Also because capsules are only used for a short amount of time, and many of the components of a car seat are plastic and not exactly recyclable, hiring a capsule can be an environmental choice as well.
Finally it’s one less thing for you to pack away and store when your baby outgrows it.
Totally Up To You
Much like the decision of whether or not you’re going to use a capsule in the first place, there’s really no wrong answer when choosing if you’ll hire or buy a capsule for your baby. Ultimately it’s just what is going to work best for you, your family and your budget.
Hire For Baby are a great option if you do choose to hire a capsule. They offer free car seat fitting, and also if your baby outgrows the capsule before the 6 month hire period is finished, they will exchange the capsule for a 0-4 convertible car seat, and install it, free of charge, for the remainder of the hire period. Which I think is a nice guarantee that no matter how big baby your is you will definitely get the full 6 months value from the hire.
You can also hire a Maxi Cosi capsule from Maxi Cosi directly. Though rather than installing the car seat for you, they delivery it through Australia Post. So there are also pros and cons with who you choose to hire your capsule from.
For more advice choosing a capsule check out the best car seats for 2019.
