Infant Car Seats

shaylagirl

I fear I'm fixing to step in it just asking, but I've checked Consumer Reports and gotten their reviews.  I've gone to BRU and BBB and looked at and fondled various infant car seats.  I've stared at infant car seats online until I've gone cross-eyed. 

So ladies; what are YOU using?

I know lots of people LOVE the Britax ones, and I see lots of people recommending Chicco as well, but I'm looking for YOUR personal thoughts/opinions/why you made your choice for your infant car seat. 

I did use the Search option, so if this has been covered before, please PLEASE point me to it, because either my sleuthing skills are super sucky or I'm just plain ol' dumb today (a distinct possibility).

rockyrollgirl

I am using the same one I had with DD since it is not very old. 

It is a Graco SnugRide 30. I have had no issues with it. 

kshare18

It's been brought up before, but the search option sucks.

 Most people say either the graco snug ride or the chicco key fit. They both rate very high. I was given a peg perego infant car seat, which I absolutely love, but wouldn't buy or register for it....too pricey in my opinion.

Rannndi

We also have 2 Graco Snugride 30s and 2 Chicco Keyfits.  Both seem very easy (haven't actually used them yet), but the Keyfit seems EXTRA easy.  It's also slightly lighter than the Snugride. 

Nuclearcupcake

I had an evenflow aura travel system for my first and I used it for my second. This time around I have the baby trend ez lock. I really like the handle on it.

shaylagirl

Thank you ladies.  I promise, I did search.  PROMISE!!!

Also, thank you for the recommendations ladies!    I wish there was a way that they'd let you take a car seat to your car and actually TRY installing it at the store before you buy it to see how you like it. 

I'm going to sit back, hope for more recommendations and try to make a decision soon-ish.  This is the ONE purchase I want done soon "just in case".

Alaska_Bride

We have the Chicco Keyfit 30, mostly because it was free! Doesn't hurt that the ratings are amazing. 

MC03

Chicco keyfit 30. Loved it so much, never had a single problem with it.

We got a Britax for our convertible (Chicco didn't make one at the time) and I hate it. We have had so many problems with it, and had to replace their little "hugs" chest protectors two times already and they are almost broken again now. 

dogperson11

A lot of stores will let you try installing in your car - just ask

All car seats have to meet the same US safety standards. There are no ratings for safety that are published to the public. The ratings you're referring to are most likely user ratings on ease of use. That being said, not all seats are created equal, meaning not all infant seats will actually fit a small newborn (Baby Trend and Graco Snugride 22, for example. The lowest slots are most often too high for newborns and when rear facing the straps need to be at or below the shoulders).

Chicco Keyfit 30 are slimmest front to back. Graco Snugride 30 are lighter then Chicco. I'm getting a Snugride 30 because it will fit and we can get an extra base for a lot less then an extra Chicco base. I would DEFINITELY suggest getting one with front adjust.

Overall, the best seat is the one that fits your child, is installed correctly, and is being used correctly.

Check out the FB group Car Seats for the Littles for awesome info.

Russiandea12

We used the Graco Snug Ride 30 for my son, and will be using same for my daughter.  

[Deleted User]

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Nuclearcupcake

shaylagirl said:

Thank you ladies.  I promise, I did search.  PROMISE!!!

Also, thank you for the recommendations ladies!    I wish there was a way that they'd let you take a car seat to your car and actually TRY installing it at the store before you buy it to see how you like it. 

I'm going to sit back, hope for more recommendations and try to make a decision soon-ish.  This is the ONE purchase I want done soon "just in case".

Babies r us let us pull our car around and play with car seats, just gotta ask!

4PrivetDrive

We used one of the Graco Snugrides, I can't remember which series it was. We didn't have any issues with it and plan to use it again for #2

Jennyfahh

I loved our Chico keyfit 30 with ds! We sold it before we moved, though, and he has a convertible britax now that I love so we'll probably go britax with DS2 just so they match (cuz I'm a weirdo)

+RBL+

We used (and will reuse) the Chicco Keyfit 30.

Our convertible is the Britax Boulevard.  We could have used this from the start, but decided not to.

tabaskoa

We are re-using DS's...it's a Chicco KeyFit (not the 30...we would have never been able to carry him in it that long so it would have been pointless). We chose it based on ratings and recommendations, and never had any issues with it! Easy to use, easy to clean, etc.

shaylagirl

Thanks everyone for letting me know about asking to try them out!  It didn't even occur to me to ASK!  Durh. 

I am loving all of the input!

DH wants an 'all-terrain/jogging' stroller, but that I'm okay grabbing used somewhere.  Part of playing with stuff at the stores was seeing how seats attached to strollers, though I don't think I'm registering for a combo or even them separately; mostly because my bestie's giving me her car seat/stroller (I'm not using her car seat, or it'll go in my son's car ONLY for emergencies).  I'm just adamant that the car seat I use is new, so I'm primarily focusing on that. 

You all are so awesome.    This input is so helpful!

tamarar5

I don't use an infant seat, but I just wanted to give my SIL's opinion! She had the Chicco key fit (sp?) and loved it. BUT, she discovered that it wasn't an easy fit into her compact! She also has struggled to find a convertible note that nephew is 9 months.

I strongly recommend testing the seat in your car before buying. Check for fit and ease of use. My BIL can't drive their car with nephew in it because he can't slide the seat back enough (which is weird because he's short for a guy...).

I had to replace my son's seat after a car accident a few months ago and the BRU employees were really pushing this other woman to buy a britex convertible. She told them several Times she had a sub compact two door and asked if it would fit rear facing. They assured her it would. It didn't. And then they have her a really hard time about returning an opened car seat. She hasn't even left the parking lot yet!

caybeh

I will be using the same one I had with DS as it isn't that old. It is a Baby Trend.

shutaff

I'm a FTM, but we are going with the Maxi Cosi Mico AP. We liked the simple black look, it's lightweight, and has good reviews. We weren't interested in a travel system because we are getting a Mountain Buggy stroller with carry cot.

pmpkn219

We have a Graco SnugRide 35. If I was rebuying I'd get a lighter Snugride (just Not the 35), Chicco or maybe the Britax. But we were happy with the one we have. it clicks into all sorts of strollers. I dont' think the infant Britax was out in 2011

ETA: we didn't test-fit the infant seat, but when shopping for a convertible at BRU I did drag a Britax Chaperone out to my Ford Focus. Not about to drop $200 on a seat that won't fit! they didn't seem surprised at my request.

Allison7

I went with the Chicco Keyfit 30. I did quite a bit of research on Consumer Reports and I had narrowed it down to the Chicco with the Cortina Stroller and the Britax B-Safe/B-Agile Combo. Then I went to BRU to make my choice. 

The car seats were really pretty comparable. The Chicco Keyfit 30 does have an advantage for premmies, but of course we are hoping that we will be full term. The real comparisons on the car seat came with taking the seat in and out of the base and the stroller - and I just found the Chicco easier. 

The other deciding factor for me was the stroller. I had thought that I was going to like the Britax better because of the wheel design, but I liked the Chicco more. I found it just as easy to maneuver. The two big things for me were the adjustable handle bar on the Chicco (my mom is 5'3", I am 5'7" and DH is 6'2", so the three different positions would be used) and that the Chicco fully reclines, so a newborn can use the stroller without the car seat. My neighborhood is very hilly so it would be nice to push a stroller without adding an extra 9lbs to the load!  

Also good to note - there is also a smaller Keyfit, but because of our height we thought that LO might be long and we didn't want the height max to put her in a convertible really early. 

Weezy56

FTM here, but we have decided to go with the Chicco Keyfit 30 because it seems to fit in my compact car the best.I didn't want to get a huge stoller since the trunk is small, so we are getting the Chicco carseat holder and will get an umbrella stroller later. 

Tinkerbell084

We're going with the Chico KeyFit30

FrodaBaggins

Uppbaby Mesa, because it's what goes with the Uppababy Vista stroller we got!

kiley820

We decided on the Britax B Agile travel system which comes with carseat (B Safe). We chose the stroller for the reviews and for the size. It took forever to research and decide what was best for us but I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference. 

The B Agile has amazing reviews and safety ratings and the only one complaint I could find anywhere was that it was a little heavy. We looked at it in store and talked to the consultants and what we found out is that the lightest carseat there is out there is a Graco one, which is only one pound less than the Britax we chose. Ultimately, one pound is not going to matter, especially once baby is in it. I also liked how it had a wider handle which seemed more comfortable to carry than some of the other models of carseats. 

kiley820

sillermoon said:

Like @MrsDeo I picked out my carseat partly because of which stroller component I liked better. 

I went to BRU and messed around with the two I was most interested in (Britax B Safe and Chicco KeyFit 30). For me the B-Safe was much easier to unsnap from the base than the KeyFit, it has a slightly bigger sunshade, and I hated the stroller that went with the KeyFit. It just seemed cheap/flimsy compared to the B-Agile.

I really liked the B-Agile stroller. I clipped the B-Safe in and out of it multiple times, made sure I knew how to fold and unfold it, lifted it, and just pushed it around the store a bunch. I wish it came in more colors than black and black/silver but that is a minor complaint. 

I wish I had known that I could try installing the seats in my car!

https://www.albeebaby.com/britax-b-agile-2014-travel-system-red.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=4248&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=6272697461782d622d6167696c652d323031342d74726176656c2d73797374656d2d726564&gclid=CImCg-PBi74CFU4aOgod_DgAew 

Just thought I would share! I thought the same thing at first too but the B Agile does come in other colors. Sandstone, Red, Lime Green and a Light Blue I believe

BeachM

We're reusing the Chicco Keyfit 30 that DS used.  No complaints about it. 

Scottwswife

Both the infant car seat and convertible car seat we are using we chose by default... It's what my and DH's sisters used and they are handing them down to us. Infant seat is the graco snugride (35 I think) and the convertible is the britax marathon. I haven't tried out the graco, but I LOVE my sis's britax.

teachermommy2014

We are doing the Chico Key Fit. Happy to see so many other people are using it too! It had good ratings

ungraceful13

I'm using the one I had from DD since she is only 1.5. It is a babytrend one. I bought it bc I liked the joggying stroller in the travel set. I still like it. Pretty easy to adjust the straps, and light weight.

kimberlybethh

I also have the britax b-safe with the b-agile stroller. The two things that sold me were the safety ratings and how easy it was to fold and unfold the stroller. I also liked how light the stroller and infant seat seemed. I think britax is a great brand in general. We liked it so much we bought the same car seat and stroller for my sil and now have a britax convertible seat for dd.

kimberlybethh

P.s. if you decide to go with britax the best place to get it is on Amazon. It was significantly cheaper there than at BRU and they have a much better color selection. If you are a prime member you can get free two day shipping.

cappleby

I have a britax chaperone and b-agile from DS. I love the anti-rebound bar because I'm an engineer and it makes it feel safer to me (although I do think that the best thing you can do to keep baby safe is to have a seat that fits your baby and car correctly and then use it correctly!). I also like how it has a no rethread harness which most infant seats don't. Rethreading would be a huge pain in the butt for me. It is also easy to install without the base which is nice since we travel a lot. My sister has the b-safe and it is slightly lighter but you have to rethread the harness and I thought it was more annoying to install without the base then mine. You probably aren't going to want to carry it around with the baby in it after a while anyway because the baby is so heavy! So I don't worry about the weight of the seat. I also love my b-agile. I still use it all the time and DS is 2

shevaCC

We're reusing the Chicco KeyFit30 we got for DD.

shaylagirl

You all are AMAZING! 

Many of the models that you all are using are ones I've looked at and seriously considered. 

I think my next step is to take my car to BRU and try them out and see which ones fit or are easiest to install (I currently have an Escape so I -think- the car seats will fit, but I want to make sure).

I'm kind of leaning Chicco (it's what's currently sitting on my registry that no one knows about as a placeholder/memory holder), but haven't totally disregarded the Graco OR the Britax for myself currently. 

Thanks a million again ladies!! 

marathonmommy82

nobadwriting said:

Word of advice: do NOT get an infant seat that has a high weight limit, like the Graco Snugride 35. It's heavy as hell and you will never use it that long.

THIS !!
We have the snug ride 35 from DS and he's still nowhere near 35 lbs... And he's been out of the carrier for years !

[Deleted User]

MrsDeo said:

kiley820 said:

sillermoon said:

:::snip:::

 I wish it came in more colors than black and black/silver but that is a minor complaint. 

I wish I had known that I could try installing the seats in my car!

https://www.albeebaby.com/britax-b-agile-2014-travel-system-red.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=4248&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=6272697461782d622d6167696c652d323031342d74726176656c2d73797374656d2d726564&gclid=CImCg-PBi74CFU4aOgod_DgAew 

Just thought I would share! I thought the same thing at first too but the B Agile does come in other colors. Sandstone, Red, Lime Green and a Light Blue I believe

This. I know for sure it comes in red, black, and sandstone. I haven't seen blue or green - maybe previous year models or specific to certain stores? But yes, it comes in more than black!

We got the lime green on diapers.com for a really great deal (I forget exactly what it was, but it was significantly less than BRU).  It's this year's model.  I love the color!!

lestex

When I went to babies r us to register- we settled on the Chicco keyfit 30 magic. The woman that helped us said she was the "car seat tech" or something that made me think she knew what she was talking about and this was her favorite seat.