HELP! What car seat should I get?!

tiffanyadams5

I have no idea what car seat to get! There are seriously so many to choose from. Any one have any car seats that they either loved or hated? I would love to hear your reviews!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

T

punkrockabye

I debated for a while on what to register for. In the end, we're going with a Snugride 22 and a Diono Radian. We won't use the infant seat with stroller but we want the ability to bring baby up and down the stairs to the car while ready to go in the seat. Living on the 3rd floor of a building, we probably wouldn't want to carry a seat that's rated for 35 pounds. I'd also feel really weird putting a teeny tiny baby in a Radian. It's rated for 5+ pounds but that seat is MASSIVE.

We'll carry the seat some, but if we're on a longer outing one of us will just wear the baby. I want the option of having the baby sleep in the seat while we're out during the early weeks if need be but we don't go to (or spend much time in) places where using a stroller would be necessary.

Then we want the Radian because it supports rear facing up to 45 pounds, and then it lasts until a booster seat is no longer needed. They're very expensive but you get a LOT of use out of them, and they're narrow--we could conceivably install 3 of them in the back of our Kia Rondo. Not that I think we'll need 3 at once, but 2 is a possibility. 

I just stuck to reading a lot of reviews. It seems like it's hard to go TOO wrong with a Graco Snugride, and the size you get is just more about your preferences and how long you want the seat to last. Safety standards are so strict that all seats will be the same in those terms. For us, $80 for a tiny seat that we'll use for a few months before transitioning to our final $300 seat is just fine, since we won't use all the perks of an infant seat and we won't want to extend that until the baby is 35 pounds. And rear facing for as long as possible is important to us, so it makes sense to go with the only seat on the market right now with a 45 pound RF limit.

Reilly626

I went with the Graco Odyssey, great ratings, affordable and most I portent to me - light!!!

sourapplemartini

Chicco KeyFit. We had it for my other two and will be getting a new one for #3. 

Check out the Baby Bargains book. It was a really big help to me when registering. 

marierk

I've heard from several people that you can't beat a Graco...they are simple, affordable, and safe. I'm going with a snugride with travel system.

June4bride2be

We had the Chicco Keyfit with DS (2.5) and will use it again. LOVED that seat, so easy to install the base properly and easy to adjust straps when needed.

 

It does not fit on the tops of carts or in many "universal" strollers. But, it's for a reason.....the top of the cart is dangerous! It fits in it's own travel system or Chicco snap n go type. It also fits in our Jeep Liberty Limited stroller, and I LOVE this stroller!

rels09

Chicco Keyfit 30. It fits on our jogging stroller that we just bought and gets a great review in Baby Bargains and on Amazon.

babyike

We have a Chicco KeyFit 30 that we've used with DD and DS, and we will use it one last time for this LO.  It is one of the top-rated for safety the past 5 years, is easy to install/remove (both the base and the seat), and it works great with most "universal" strollers (though we preferred the Chicco Cortina and the Snap n' Go).

We chose it based mostly on safety ratings with consumer reports, but after using it with two kiddos and seeing how incredibly well it's held up through their use and laundering... I am glad we got the Chicco seat over some of the other "more popular" brands at that time!!

HTH and GL! 

Tash13

natalie8784:

We got the Graco Sungride 35.  It's safe, gets great ratings, and the print I got is adorable.  Win, Win, Win!

I second this but also because it goes up to 35 lbs.  The infant seat was the easiest for us to use, especially rear facing in a smaller car.  It was awesome that my DS was able to safely stay in his until he was about 16-17 months.  Some carseats only go up to 20-25lbs and that just isn't enough for me, especially if the prices are similar. 

DemoDoll

I don't have a review for using a car seat yet because I'm a FTM but I've been to several stores and recently when to a store where the sales lady really helped us out with which car seat and stroller has which options and her personal options on them. We already knew that we wanted the Chicco Keyfit 30 because my SIL loves hers and it has a noticeable quality difference from the brands like Baby Trend and Graco. The thing the sales ladies showed us made us certain we made the right decision....the base of the Chicco is very solid, heavy, hard to move...the Graco Snug N Ride is just a piece of lightweight plastic and the front moves up easily when pulling the car seat out. I know that all car seats must pass safety regulations but I think we will be really happy with the quality and safety of the Chicco.

We are buying the Cortina travel system because of the colors and the price. It's very neutral and with a $299 price tag, you basically get the stroller for $110.00.

lily225

We have the chicco seat and have had it since DD1 and I have never had any complaints about it. It does seem a little heavier than some other seats, but in the same thought, it also seems a lot more sturdy than the lighter seats.

CourtneySue

Depends on what stroller you get as well.

xokell2

I recommend getting an infant seat that will hold more than 20-22lbs. I had a Graco one for my son, he was 9+lbs at birth and outgrew the seats weight limits at 4 months. He's 3 now and just hit 35 lbs, so they gain a lot in the first few months. I wish I had gotten one that would have held him longer 

jesslinnn

I agree with all the PPs about the Chicco Keyfit 30. We bought it for DS and will use it again. I loved it! 

triagain2

I had the Chicco Keyfit 30 and I agree that it is the safest and best built carseat, however, I do have a complaint. The visor SUCKS, especially compared to the graco. Baby is barely covered by it. However, I will be reusing it with baby #2 because its a good seat and safe. I will just buy one of those full wrap around sun protectors. Here in south florida you need a good visor.

 GL!

missdaisy82

We used the Graco Snugride for DD's infant seat and have the Britax Marathon for her now. I can't say enough good things about both seats; we love the great safety ratings, how comfortable DD seems in her seat and the ease of loading/unloading her. We will use the same seats for DS.

SGC29

We are going with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio. I was torn between that and the Chicco Keyfit 30 but we decided on the Peg this time around.

I personally have never been a Graco fan. I know that all carseats must pass the same safety standards but I feel like some of their seats are a little too lightweight and plastic for me. Just my opinion though. I've known plenty of people to use them and they seem alright. 

andyandrachel

rels09:

Chicco Keyfit 30. It fits on our jogging stroller that we just bought and gets a great review in Baby Bargains and on Amazon.

We have the Chicco Keyfit30 as well and love it. So easy to use, safe and top rated at Consumer Reports - rating at least "Very Good" in all categories (Crash Test, Ease of Use, LATCH & Seatbelt compatible). We chose it after seeing Consumer Reports. I loved that it will take an infant up to 30lbs, unlike most infant seats on the market that only allow up to 22lbs. If you have a big baby (DS gained weight FAST in the first year), you'll need a new seat before you know it. We will use the same seat with DS2.