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3rd Trimester
roxyttandme
member
What car seat did you pick and why?
roxyttandme
member
We are all about safety first. Price to us is secondary to safety and so we are just trying to buy the safest car seat we can find. I would like an infant seat, but if convertible is safer - then done.
What did you pick and why?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: What car seat did you pick and why?
This one is ours:
https://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Keyfit-Infant-Seat-Endless/dp/B00844J89S/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=27CKHZL2TE7EH&coliid=I16D6TQQMX35AJ
It was highly rated for safety and it doesn't hurt that its cute! It is safer to get a infant seat now and convertible one later.. The convertible ones are just too big for a tiny infant sure you can get inserts but its still not quite as safe- IMHO.
Convertible's aren't safe for little babies. No matter what their lowest weight says. I am a huge fan of Graco Snug Ride's. They are well priced, the most universal as far as strollers go (Chicco's usually you have to get a special adapter), and have the highest safety rating. I would go with a Graco.
However, that being said DH and I are getting a Maxi Cosi Mico. We wanted a higher end seat that was safe, stylish, and light. So we are getting the Mico. If price were an issue then we would get a Graco. You really don't need a seat that goes any higher than 22 lbs. By the time they get past 16 lbs you'll be running for the convertible (so around 6-9 months). HTH!
Also it was highly rated for safety, and can be used longer then the Snug Ride 30 (it's limit is 35 Lbs. ).
1999- Dx Prolactinoma
8-25-2012 - Lucas born via C-section at 38 Weeks 2 days
Kid #1 - 09/03/12
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This is the travel set we bought.
It is the
Graco Stylus Travel System with SnugRide 30 Infant Car Seat - Montego
We bought it as we rarely need a stroller other than walks or mall shopping- and we liked the car seat.
I was already leaning towards this system, but when I folded up the B-Agile with one hand and realized how light-weight it was compared to other strollers, I was sold.
partial molar pregnancy : bfp 6.28.10, d/c 8.17.10, 7 rounds methotrexate, cleared 7.1.11
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scarlett irene elizabeth : bfp 5.24.13, born 2.3.14 @ 41w2d, 7 lbs./13 oz./19 in.
This is not entirely true. There are definitely convertible car seats that are too big for newborns, but there are also others out there that will fit an average or large newborn properly. The safest car seat is the one that you can install and use correctly EVERY SINGLE TIME. Car seats install differently in different cars and so what worked well for one family may not work out as well for you. Babies R Us will let you take their sample car seats out to your car and install them to test their in your vehicle before you buy. You take the seat up to the customer service desk, leave your ID and a credit/debit card with them (No deposit, they just put your cards in a safe), and take the seat out the the parking lot to install it. This gives you an idea of how a seat will fit in your car and how easy it will be to use.
This is the seat that we bought: https://www.summerinfant.com/Products/Travel/car-seats/Prodigy-Infant-Car-Seat.aspx I like it because it's dimensions are smaller. That's great because we have a small vehicle! It also has a pretty fail proof install. It has a battery operated sensor that tells you if the seat is installed properly. It also has a crank that allows you to tighten the seat belt/latch system by turning the crank instead of yanking on various straps. The weight limit is average (32lbs) but that should last us until our son is at least a year old. I also like the fact that it's a light colored fabric. It makes a difference in a hot climate.
They are all "safe". In other words meet the safety requirements to be sold as infant seats.
That being said, for my last 3 we had a Peg Perego infant seat. That seat expired. It went through 3 of my kids and my friend's son. I didn't like it because it was HEAVY and rated for a "smaller" infant.
This time, I have a Graco Snugride because someone gave it to me. It should serve its purpose just fine. I was looking to get one if I hadn't been given the Graco.
MORE importantly, you MUST install the carseat correctly and buckle your infant in it correctly. If you don't do that, it doesn't matter how "safe" the carseat is because you're not using it right.
GL!
I was deciding between the britax chaperone and the chicco keyfit 30, based on the recommendations from here: https://www.thecarseatlady.com/choosing_a_car_seat/choosing_a_car_seat.html
It came down to the fact that the chaperone is just too long (with the rebound bar) to fit in either my car or my husband's car. The Keyfit is incredibly easy to install, which was another major plus, as 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly.
Just as an FYI, (especially for those mentioning the Snugride 30 vs 35) the weight limits don't matter much. Your child will be too long for the seat long before they reach 35 lbs. We have 3 and 4 year olds in my family that could technically be in an infant seat if you went just by the weight. My 2 year old is 22 lbs. We went with the Snugride 35 with our first and really liked it. The only downside is that it is very heavy and I wish it had more side impact protection near the head area. I think infant seats are safer than convertible seats simply because the infant seat forms a bucket/cocoon around their body that adds extra protection in a crash.
I agree with other posts, all major brands of infant car seats will keep your baby safe, because they have to meet strict safety standards. I've worked as a nanny for several different families and have used many different brands. More expensive doesn't neccessarily mean safer, and even cheaper ones (like Graco) are snug and secure enough to give great protection. Focus on finding one that is easy to install correctly in your car and is comfortable to carry around.
I hate threads like this because there is always so much misinformation thrown around.
As some PP already mentioned, all carseats on the market are safe. All seats sold in the USA (and Canada, plus prob many other countries) have to pass strict safety tests. It is probably true that some seats pass with a higher score than other seats, but they all pass, AND the scores are practically never released, so we consumers have no idea which seats are safER than others. We do know, however, that they are all capable of doing their job of protecting your child in certain kinds of crashes. Yes, Consumer Reports and others test carseats on their own, but there are often problems with the ways in which they do the tests. Those safety ratings are not always (ever?) reliable. That said, if *you* feel better choosing seat A because it did well on Consumer Report's testing, then go for it. You won't be making a bad choice. Just know that the fact is there are NO official carseat safety ratings.
Also, some convertible seats fit newborns perfectly well. The baby must be within the seat's stated weight limits, and the harness straps must come from below the level of the baby's shoulders. The straps also must not slide off the baby's narrow shoulders.
The most important thing to remember is that no carseat is safe unless you use it properly. Read.The.Manual. Read all of it, then read your cars' manuals (ESP the sections on seatbelts and airbags), then attempt to install the seat. Then practice using the harness to buckle in a stuffed toy or someone else's kid. Finally, get the seat inspected after you are 99% sure you have it all right. Don't simply take your brand new, still in the box seat to a check station and expect to have them help you figure it all out. For one, there will likely be so much info that you can't absorb it all. And for two, in the event that you get a bad tech (they certainly do exist!), you will have the info you need to question what they are telling you.
To answer the question, DD has 2 convertible seats waiting for her, a Combi Cocorro and a Graco MyRide65. I chose both based on their ability to fit most newborns well and also on the way each fit in our cars. Plus the Cocorro will be a great seat to travel with, and we do a lot of airplane travel. I chose convertibles over an infant seat because I prefer to babywear vs lug around a bulky carseat.
ETA- Try to stick to reputable sources for info on car seats. My fav one stop site is car-seat.org.
We used the Chicco cortina key fit 30 from our travel system for the newborn one. We didn't use a convertible until she was about 4-5 months old because the harness even on the lowest setting just didn't seem right.
Anwyas, we also got a Safety 1st Air can't remember exact name but it's the one with the "airbags" on the sides? DH liked t because of the airbags, I liked it because of the price and reviews to match...
All car seats are safe, otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to be sold.
I have the Graco Snugride 35. Easy to install, 90 degree rotating canopy and I like the pattern. It also has been side impact crash tested.
The Chicco Keyfit and Britax B-Safe are other good options based on reviews and ease of use.
Emily 8.8.08
Madeline 1.2.11
William 8.5.12
See, we even have to be somewhat careful/skeptical about these side impact tests. Currently, unfortunately, there is no government side impact standard in the US. Whereas car seats are all crash tested for frontal impacts using the exact same test, it's up to the manufacturer to decide whether or not to do a side impact test and how to conduct that test. Therefore, we can't compare, say, Britax's side impact results with Graco's side impact results. It's apples and oranges. And, again, manufacturers generally don't release their test results or methodology. So what does "side impact tested" mean? Does it mean that the crash dummy didn't hit any part of the car during the test (like the side window)? Does it mean that the seat's energy absorbing foam or airbags kept the dummy from sustaining a serious "injury?" Does it mean that the plastic shell of the seat didn't shatter into a thousand pieces upon impact? At what speed was the test conducted? Is Safety First's test better than Learning Curve's...? We just don't know!
Again, I'm sure that some seats are safEr than others, and there are definitely features that I look for when buying a car seat because I *feel* like they're going to help protect my kiddos. So I don't think that there is anything wrong with wanting a seat with all the bells and whistles. Just try not to fool yourself into thinking that the seat you chose really *is* the safest just because you *feel* like it's the safest.
One easy thing to look for in a carseat for your baby is one that will allow him/her to rear face for a very long time, as RFing is inherently safer than FF, especially for very young kids, who have proportionally large heads and underdeveloped neck muscles. RF is also advantageous in most side impact crashes, as a RF kid is more likely to stay contained in the seat and less likely to hit some interior component of the car. The NHTSA recommends RFing until age 4. Given that *most* kids will outgrow their carseats RF by height before weight, a seat with a tall shell should be a priority. Then, when the time comes, keep your FF child harnessed until s/he is mature enough to sit properly in a booster seat and meets the minimums for the booster (age 4 AND 40 lb is the often cited minimum for booster use, not a guideline for when your child *should* move into a booster). Then keep the kiddo in the booster until s/he properly fits the adult seat belt, possibly around age 8 and 4'9" but potentially quite a bit longer. If you always follow best practice (proper seat for the proper age, installed correctly, and harness/belt used properly) and aren't in a hurry to move "up" to the next car seat level, then your child will be very, very safe regardless of which seat s/he's using.
This is the one thing that (pre-baby, so far) I do not like about the Key Fit 30 we have. Although ours does have the cold-weather boot -- perfect for Wisconsin winters.
https://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?SKU=16587915&