Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Graco Snugride 30 (or 35)

blueshamrock7

We had our minds made up that we wanted the Chicco Keyfit 30 or the Graco Snugride 30. I do like that there is a Snugride 35, but disregarding that... we went to BRU today to try them out. The only "bad" thing we found about the Chicco is that there are not a lot of "pattern" options, but it is the #1 rated car seat so no big.

We were pushing a Chicco around in the store to get a feel for it when a mother with a young daughter and an infant in a carrier/stroller said, "Do you want to know the only bad thing I found with that car seat?" So of course we said, sure, please, tell us. She said that it didn't fit in the front of the cart of the grocery store. She said that she originally had it and she called Chicco about it and they said they did it that way on purpose because it was a safety hazard. She said that she got a Graco, instead, and that fits. She said she needs to fit it in the front of the cart at the grocery store. To be honest, we tried out both car seats, then, in the BRU cart and they both seemed to fit (but not really) in the front of the cart. I wouldn't be comfortable putting the seat in it anyway - not sure about the grocery store.

So that got us thinking of our options in the grocery store. We always go grocery shopping together and when the baby comes, that would either continue OR I think one of us would stay home with the baby. There will obviously be times when we will go shopping elsewhere together and the baby before the baby can sit in the shopping cart. We can then use the stroller if we had to with the carrier. Worse case, we can put the car seat in the back of a cart where it would be more secure.

When we got home, I googled this issue and the first thing that came up was an About.com review of the Chicco Keyfit 30, which said:

"Some parents complain that the Chicco KeyFit 30 is an odd size that doesn't fit in shopping carts. Whether to file this under "inconvenience" or "safety feature" is the conundrum here. It's actually considered a safety hazard to put baby's infant car seat on top of a shopping cart. While I, as a former car-seat-in-the-shopping-cart parent, can appreciate the grumblings over the KeyFit 30 not working in this manner, it might be that Chicco was doing us a favor there by not allowing their car seats to make shopping carts top-heavy and dangerous." (https://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/fr/chicco_keyfit_30_car_seat.htm)

So I guess I'm curious of your thoughts. Any 2nd+ time moms have the Chicco Keyfit and love it, hate it, etc? Are you against putting the carseat in the front of the shopping cart, etc. Any insight? FTMs, what are you thinking? We are probably still going to go with the Chicco. My mind is not 100% made-up, though.

ARenee3

I'm not a second time mom, but I was also deciding between the two, and decided I liked the Chicco Keyfit more. It was partially the Baby Bargains book that made me decide on the Chicco.  The lack of patterns wasn't an issue for me, because I want our car seat to blend in with the seat of the car, and I really like the look of their grey/silver/black models, so I am getting the Graphica or Romantic pattern.

As far as the shopping cart goes, it won't be an issue for me because I plan to do so much babywearing. I intend to wear my baby in the grocery store, as opposed to taking out my car seat and having it in a dangerous position in the shopping cart. You are not supposed to put the car seat in the top of the shopping cart, but I know many people do it anyway. For me, wearing the baby makes more sense. The baby won't be in danger of falling, there will never be any risk of taking my eyes off my baby while grabbing something off a shelf, and my baby will be close to mommy. It's a win-win situation. I see lots of mothers wearing their happy (or sleeping) babies while pushing the grocery cart at the grocery store I go to.

Link41208

We have a Graco and I found it didn't fit right on a lot of shopping carts so we always put him in the big part of the cart if we were just getting a few things. With big shopping it was usually easier to wear him or just one person go. 

 A word of caution about shopping carts and car seat, a girl in my town had her 3 month olds car seat sitting  on the top part of the cart and the cart hit a speed bump in the parking lot  and knocked the seat off. The baby fell  head down into the parking lot  strapped in to his car seat and died from head injuries. 

imimahoney

I'm not a second time mom nor am I considering the Chico or Graco but I have heard exactly what you wrote concerning putting the car seat in front of the shopping cart. It is incredibly unsafe and will never do with the baby.

If that means H and I go food shopping together every time, so be it. If he can't come then I'll probably just wear the baby in a wrap or sling... but the baby will never go in the front of the shopping cart. 

ACC0512

I think that is one of the best things about the Chicco.  It will keep parents who have it from putting their child in the front of the cart.

And people will tell you it's not a big deal to put them there.  But it is dangerous and it is NOT what carseats or carts are intended for.  

This year a friend of mine had a family at her church lose their son because the carseat fell out of the front of the cart when they hit a bump in the parking lot.  It is not worth the risk IMO.  And it bugs the CRAP out of me when I see people doing it.

 

FWIW I actually don't even like the look of the graco.  I think they look cheaper than the Chicco.  I mean not everyone has to agree.  

smacb

I never put a carseat on the top of a shopping cart and I never will.  It is a safety hazard.  DS didn't go in the carseat until he could sit up in the seat part.

carolinaem

Loved my chicco.  I always put the seat in the big part of the cart and stacked groceries all around the carseat.  It worked well enough.  I would never put the seat on top, too dangerous.

Radler

I had the Chicco Keyfit for #1 and we are planning on using it for #2. (It's green.) I liked it a lot, and had no problem putting it inside the shopping cart. I would have  put any seat inside the cart -- they always look too unsafe to me perched on top, no matter what the brand. (And I could actually fit quite a bit of stuff around the seat in the cart, in the front, on the bottom level, etc. If I needed to do a big shop, I'd wear him in the Ergo.)

 I do have one complaint about the Chicco, though. DS got REALLY hot in it (he was born in November in Southern California). Some of this was probably because DS was just a hot baby in general. But I did read some reviews of the Chicco from other parents that complained about the same thing. I'm talking sweat ALL OVER the inside of the seat, until I figured out that he could only really ride in it in the most minimal of clothing, like a short sleeve onesie and pants, without getting hot.

Sorry I wrote a book here! I did like everything else about the seat, particularly how easy it was to snap in the car. If DC #2 has the same issues getting too hot, though, I might replace the seat with another one. 

Pdxmom73

I plan to baby wear alot too. Chicco is rated #1 so I would just go with them! 

livinreality

Loved the chicco, using again with this one.  I wore DS a lot when shopping, we did chicco on top of the grocery cart a couple times but not a big fan, it was mostly for the last five minutes when the cart was filling up but never really liked it.

Also liked that the chicco could be buckled straight into the car, very helpful if I went wanted to ride with someone.

blueshamrock7

Thanks, everyone, for your opinions! The more and more we thought about it, the more we also felt like it was unsafe for the carseat to be in the front of a cart, anyway. I think we will go with the Chicco! 

JEK76

Chiming in late but we also loved the Chicco for our DS.  B/c he was a preemie born in the winter, we really didn't take him to the store if we could avoid it.  One of us stayed home and the other went grocery shopping.  With a spring baby this time who hopefully won't be a preemie, I expect to be out and about a little more.  Was thinking we'd have DS in the front of the grocery cart and that DH or I would wear the baby in the bjorn.

 If I was going to the mall or a clothing store, I'd usually leave DS in the infant seat and lock it into the stroller which worked well too with the Chico travel system.

gigismomma

We are going with the Chicco because of the safety rating and we like one of the patterns.  I will not place the carseat on the top portion of the cart for safety reasons.  I didn't wear DD but I am planning on wearing this little guy.

PurpleSnapDragons

I'm getting a Snugride 30 just because it's good enough and lighter than the chicco and much cheaper.  Plus I am getting a snap n go stroller and the chicco is much more limited to their brand extras; graco is more flexible.  s for the shopping cart, you aren't suppose to put the baby in the car seat in the front part even if it does fit.  You are supposed to put the entire carrier in the large basket where you put the food.  Babies have died by having the cart flip and or just from bumps causing the seat to fall out.