Consumer Reports?

shuaytos

How much does consumer reports factor into your decisions about strollers, car sets and other baby items? I find some of their ratings confusing. One stoller was rated higher in safety than any other stroller but got an overall lower rating because of two other factors which were not as important as safety.

mishu917

I do my own research which I'm very capable of and also read reviews from real people that are using the stuff everyday.... for example amazon. I mean CR is ok to read for me, but it's not my deciding factor on things, ex if something is rated bad, I will investigate myself if I personally think it's a good product.

shuaytos

I agree. I am doing my own research and reading a lot of reviews from real people. I didn't really care for consumer reports. I mainly went on there for their reviews of car seats. I was leaning towards the Primo Viaggo or the Chicco Key Fit based on reviews but their ratings were so far apart on consumer reports. It was just strange.

Thanks for you input!

alegaga4u

I don't find consumer reports to be very helpful, and they are not good about updating as often as they should...  I prefer to take opinions from other moms and consider the features that are important to us.  I did find baby bargains helpful because it pointed out things that most sites don't rate based on such as rear wheel width of a stroller- in the city this is very important (old buildings=small doorways).  I would consider a variety of sources.

Tamzin418

What I like about Consumer Reports is that the items are put through the same tests and are rated on the same criteria. This lets me compare models based on some standard. I agree with previous posters that they don't update their information enough and they don't include enough models, but it's a big task. Safety is a big concern for me with car seats, cribs, strollers, and play yards so I've included their ratings in my decisions. I also read reviews from other sources (e.g. Babygizmo.com, Amazon, Babies R Us books, discussion boards) to help inform my decision.  No one source is going to be the final word. There's also something to be said for seeing these things "in action" before buying.  If the "best" stroller won't fit in the trunk of your car then it's not the best stroller for you.