Carseat recs

goodgalpal · December 2009

Looking for recs on an infant car seat for my friend. She would like something that is cute (maybe has animals on it or some cute design) and appropriate for an infant. This is for her first baby. She is of course wanting it to be well rated for safety.

cdc1982 · December 2009

Chicco Keyfit 30 is the highest rated carseat right now (per Consumer Reports).

It comes in a variety of colors.

Jibbelle · December 2009

I also have a keyfit....because of safety ratings, not because of the cuteness factor.

Jin'sWifey · December 2009

Jibbelle:
I also have a keyfit....because of safety ratings, not because of the cuteness factor.

me too!

lilitaliangirl · December 2009

cdc1982:

Chicco Keyfit 30 is the highest rated carseat right now (per Consumer Reports).

It comes in a variety of colors.

mitchelltheojua · December 2009

Jibbelle:

I also have a keyfit....because of safety ratings, not because of the cuteness factor.

Ditto ... had nothing to do with how cute it is but its the safest!

goodheartedmommy · December 2009

No carseat is safer than any other, provided that it fits the child properly and is being used correctly 100% of the time. The keyfit is no safer than any other seat. I'm not sure where people keep thinking they see these safety ratings, but they don't exist. Every carseat must pass the same crash tests, and that's all there is to it. It's a pass/fail, and obviously the ones that fail are not on the market.

I do love the keyfit, though. I used it with my first two, and got rid of it the week before I had an unexpected BFP with #3. I used a snugride with her, and did not like it as well. I wasn't going to shell out for another keyfit. I DO like the graco safeseat (I believe it's now being sold under the name snugride 35, not the 32, though). I would avoid any of the rear-adjust seats (all evenflo infant seats, and the majority of snugrides sold as a part of a travel system).

I really like the baby trend flex loc, but it's a small shell and will be outgrown early--so that depends on how long she wants to use a bucket. If I were to have to buy a new one and price was not an option, I'd get the britax chaperone over the keyfit, but the keyfit would be next on my list.

I'm going to reiterate that there is no safest seat, as long as it's being used properly. That is the reason I would avoid the rear-adjust seats--they are hard to tighten appropriately. Paying more only pays for features, not for safety.

The keyfit gets bonus points for being easy to install, but I find the safeseat to be super easy for seatbelt installs. I have not had the opportunity to install a britax chaperone yet, but all other britax seats I have or have used are extremely easy to install.

stina-bear · December 2009

We got the Graco SnugRide in Pippin -- great safety ratings, and front-adjust harness (you have to do a little research to determine which Graco SnugRides are front-adjust). And as an added bonus, the fabric is super soft, and covered in cute green and brown elephants.

LittleApple · December 2009

I agree with the PP who said no seat is safer than the other. They all have to pass the same test in order to be sold. Some just have better or more features than others.

The Graco Snugride 32 or 35 is my recommendation over the Chicco keyfit30. It weighs the same, but has a higher weight and height limit than the Chicco.

darlene'smommy · December 2009

I am a tech and No car seat is safer then any other. I prefer Graco, baby trend and Chicco car seats just for ease of use and they are pretty easy to install.

Here are some cute ones in each brands. Not sure what your friend is having. I dont remember if it was in there or not.

They dont make many with animals that have front adjusts on them. I would not get a car seat with out a front adjust on it. They are harder to get tight with out the front adjust.

Here is some gracos that has some animals

https://www.babysupermarket.com/PAAAAAJBECPMFKGI/product?key_id=1750728&ad_id=Graco

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3680231&siteID=pLL3Qfvv64o-bR07Ecb_7s95Ng663wae9Q

Here are other car seats one of them has mickey on it.

https://www.kids-n-cribs.com/graco/graco-zoey-collection

https://www.kids-n-cribs.com/graco/graco-maddox-collection

https://www.kids-n-cribs.com/graco/graco-mickey-collection

https://babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/CS21084.html

https://babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/CS31950.html

https://babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/CS21045.html

https://babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/CS11091.html

https://chiccousa.com/gear/car-seats/keyfit-30-miro.aspx

https://chiccousa.com/gear/car-seats/keyfit-30-fuego.aspx

https://chiccousa.com/gear/car-seats/keyfit-22/keyfit-22-coventry.aspx

AshleyGwen · July 2014

I have the Baby Trend CS21084. It's just brown and green, but you can buy cute toys to attach to it, or the pads for the straps. I love it because it's safe, and easy to use.

And while I'd say most carseats are pretty much the same when it comes to safety, I feel some of you are a bit misinformed in saying they are all exactly the same. In any industry, car seats included, there is a minimum standard. In this case, a safety standard. In order to be approved for sale, all carseats must meet this minimum standard of safety. If they don't, they are not sold. If they meet the minimum, they are approved. Recalls happen when there is something wrong that was either missed in inspection, is a defect in only a certain batch, etc. Obviously you want to avoid any brands that have recalls commonly. But anyway, so you have seats that don't pass and are not for sale, seats that get recalled, seats that meet the minimum, and then there are seats that have added features for more safety. These seats exceed that minimum standard, and THAT is where the talk of safety ratings comes from It's the same way you can rate cribs, crib mattresses, strollers, high chairs, play pens, etc. There is a minimum standard, and the product must meet or exceed that standard. A good example is that crib mattresses must be a certain size and firmness to be sold. Almost all of them are within an inch or two in size, but they range from moderately to extremely firm. Because it is possible to exceed the safety standards.

rh10264706 · July 2014

Car seats might have added "safety features" but there aren't tests for those features. So we have no way of knowing which seats are the "safest" since they all pass the same standards.

I encourage your friend to check out the Facebook group car seats for the littles. They can help her choose a seat based on her budget and vehicle.

kmc84 · July 2014

@AshleyGwen‌ no carseat manufacturer allows the use of after market strap covers- this is in your seats manual. Nearly all infant seats forbid the hanging of toys or anything else from the handle while in use in a moving vehicle-this information is also in the manual. Also baby trend seats do not fit newborns well at all. The straps do not go low enough.

To OP: ditto to no seat being safer than another. Also consumer reports is a for profit company that has had to retract statements about carseats due to flawed testing; more than once.

This is an excellent list:

https://csftl.org/recommended-seats/

Please suggest to your friend joining Car Seats for the Littles- it's an excellent resource!

2ndGeneration · July 2014

Op, your friend needs to consider also which seat fits best in her vehicle. I was suprised to find that the Graco seat was too long for my Jeep Patriot's seat-it hung way over. So I will be purchasing a Chicco seat, because it's shorter.

HopingforChange · July 2014

I had the graco classic connect in the Happy Hedgehog pattern. It's inexpensive at 90 including the base. It was easy to install and adjust. It's a smidge on the heavy side but not enough to bother me. I was actually rear ended with DD in that seat, and, thank God, it did its job. I think Graco has cute patterns, and they've resolved the buckle thjng now (just check the manufacture date).

Meether · July 2014

kmc84 said:

@AshleyGwen‌ no carseat manufacturer allows the use of after market strap covers- this is in your seats manual. Nearly all infant seats forbid the hanging of toys or anything else from the handle while in use in a moving vehicle-this information is also in the manual. Also baby trend seats do not fit newborns well at all. The straps do not go low enough. To OP: ditto to no seat being safer than another. Also consumer reports is a for profit company that has had to retract statements about carseats due to flawed testing; more than once. This is an excellent list: https://csftl.org/recommended-seats/ Please suggest to your friend joining Car Seats for the Littles- it's an excellent resource!

So true about consumer reports. My sister works there and told me they cater to their readers, so they rank decently priced popular seats very high so they can satisfy their subscribers.

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