Lurking- but go to the store and try some out with the strollers that go with them... you'd be surprised how much of a preference you'll have after testing them. They do all meet American safety standards, but Britax is a European model and they have stricter safety regulations so that may make a difference for you.
Personally, I say save on the bucket chair- you'll only use it for....jeez I can't remember how long now but it seemed to be over quickly! We went with a basic Graco one- it was safe and secure- certainly no bells or whistles. We went with a fancier "big girl" car seat that has been awesome and should keep our daughter going for many years. That seemed to involve more research and was not cheap. Just my two-cents.
We prefer to skip the bucket seat and go straight to a 5lb+ convertible seat that can be used rear or forward facing. We don't use a stroller much, so having one that clicks in has never been a concern, and I find it incredibly cumbersome to haul a bucket seat around. The one we used with my daughter was a Sunshine Kids Radian 80, which she's still using at 5, and apparently the current equivalent is a Diono (they changed the brand at some point). I haven't totally settled on which version we'll use, but although they are expensive, I feel like we got a good deal since they are so highly rated and can be used for such a long time.
Re: Best Car seat?
I'll be using the Britax B Safe and Graco Click Connect.
Triplets due 6/29/16 also from an IUI!
Lurking- but go to the store and try some out with the strollers that go with them... you'd be surprised how much of a preference you'll have after testing them. They do all meet American safety standards, but Britax is a European model and they have stricter safety regulations so that may make a difference for you.
Edited to add : https://www.lucieslist.com/
Mrs. H
Crohn's Dx: August 2008
Endometriosis Dx: May 2010
Married: 05/19/2012
TTC #1: June 2013
BFP: December 2013
DS: Born 08/29/2014
TTC #2: July 2015
BFP #2: September 25, 2015
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20