Product Spotlight: CAR SEATS

themadcamel · February 2019

Hey mamas! It's Friday so that means it's time for another Product Spotlight. This week we're talking car seats.

S(+)TMs: Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Are you starting with an infant seat or going for a convertible? Do you care about weight limits (low or high)? Or the weight of the seat itself? Can you fit three across? Does it fit in your car? Does it fit into your stroller? How can you even tell about stroller compatibility? Where do you look for safety info? Is there other relevant info? Feel free to share links, pictures, and price.

FTMs: When you look at car seats, what’s confusing? Need feedback on a particular model? Ask away!

Friday's got me feeling like

**Magical link to the spreadsheet with past spotlights**

nda_roxybabe · February 2019

Oooh my other area of passion. I'll be becoming a CPST the next time training is in my town. Did you know
that over 50% (likely closer to 70%) of car seats are being used incorrectly!?

Prepare for another geek out...

STMs: Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Are you starting with an infant seat or going for a convertible? It's really up to you. We started with an infant seat even though I never carry it further than the garage to the house. I like being able to buckle the teeny baby in in the house though where I can really ensure they're in there good.
Do you care about weight limits (low or high)? Yes! I'm passionate about safety so when it came to choosing a convertible car seat, I wanted something with the highest RF limits to keep baby rearfacing beyond 2.
Or the weight of the seat itself? This is worth considering in the sense of if you'll be carrying it around. Keep in mind though, they all get pretty darn heavy once you add a baby. I have the Nuna Pipa which is one of the lightest seats around, but I could not carry it for long.
Can you fit three across? This will depend on your vehicle and seats. If this is a concern for you, reach out to CSFTL or I can try to answer. There's lots of variable likes if the car can actually fit 3 passengers in back (looking at you RAV4) or if the car seat itself allows for the carseats to share any space, etc.
Does it fit in your car? We have a Jeep GC and VW Passat and the Nuna Pipa fit with plenty of room. Our Convertible is a Nuna Rava which is very compact front to back, so no issues there either. Again, if fit is a concern, reach out!
Does it fit into your stroller? Yup, we have a Nuna stroller. However, we would only click it into the stroller for quick trips.
How can you even tell about stroller compatibility? An easier way to tell... If the stroller is a Big Box brand you can find at Target/ Walmart then the stroller is only going to take its brand of carseat, and it'll tell you specifically which ones. If its a higher end stroller (Bugaboo, Nuna, Uppababy, Baby jogger, Etc) it likely has several adaptors you can get to accomodate a variety of car seats.
Where do you look for safety info? All car seats are equally safe when installed correctly. There's no definitive and standardized rating for carseats, so dont stress yourself out finding the highest rated one. Instead, spend that time becoming very familiar with the seat you do choose and getting very comfortable installing it yourself.
Is there other relevant info? This will all come up so...

Fire and police stations do not always have certified people. In fact, they're more likely to have people who want to help, but actually have no idea what they're doing and will install your seat incorrectly. Instead, read your manual, become comfortable with your seat, find a CPST (link below) who will teach you how to install your seat on your own.
Seatbelt and LATCH are equally as safe. One is not better than the other. You can not use both at the same time, unless you have a Nuna Pipa or a Clek.
LATCH limits wont come into play for a bit, but dont stress what your vehicle manual says or the weight of the seat. You dont need to know it with the seat made after 2014. Instead, all these limits will be listed in your carseat manual as well as on a sticker on the side of the seat.
Aftermarket products that did not come with the seat are not safe. Dont bother looking at them or adding them to your registry.

Links:
Find a CPST (enter only your city):
https://ssl06.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbzap.bin/apps/assess/webmembers/tool?pToolCode=TAB9&pCategory1=TAB9_CERTSEARCH&Webid=SAFEKIDSCERTSQL
Recommended seats: https://csftl.org/recommended-seats/
LATCH info: https://csftl.org/whats-the-deal-with-weight-limits/
Aftermarket products: https://csftl.org/non-regulated-products/
Why to rear face until at least 2: https://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/
Recline of seats: https://csftl.org/recline-the-recline-a-brief-overview-of-rear-facing-recline-angle-indicators/

https://saferide4kids.com/blog/the-stats/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/many-new-parents-misuse-car-seats-endanger-babies/

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html

blitzybee · February 2019

@nda_roxybabe way to go on those explanations-I’ll be simple since you’ve explained so much!

4 years ago, I asked my car seat specialist friend what she recommended and she said Chicco Keyfit 30 for infant, and also recommended the Chicco Nextfit Convertible seat. I’ve been very happy with both, and will be using them for this baby.

The infant car seats are so nice to be able to take in and out of the car. During the winter, it’s nice to buckle baby up inside and then just snap the car seat into the base! Also great for when baby falls asleep, so you can grocery shop or whatever with baby still sleeping. We have a Chicco caddy stroller that we leave in the car. The infant seats are hard to carry for long distances, I don’t know how some moms make it look so easy!!!

jaykay2004 · February 2019

I have a 7-year-old who is still in a 5-pt harness (will switch her to HBB when baby comes), and a 4-year-old also still in 5-pt. We are *obsessed* with the Britax ClickTight seats. We currently have a Marathon ClickTight (for the 4yo) and a Frontier ClickTight (for the 7yo). Both of my kids are tall, and haven't had any problems remaining in their harnesses at these ages. The installation with a seatbelt is super easy--I have RA, and my grip strength isn't what it used to be. I struggle tightening LATCH connectors or regular seatbelt installs...but ClickTight is so easy, secure, and the seats are really nice!

satuttle1014 · February 2019

I will be using the infant seat from my 1st so I can just take the car seat in and out of the car easily. Once the infant seat gets too heavy for me to carry then I leave it in the car or I will use a convertible. I have the Graco 4ever for my girls and I love it so I will get that car seat again for this baby.

zuuls_mom · February 2019

Literally exactly what @satuttle1014 said! We're going to use the Graco infant seat we have and get a 4Ever like what we use with DS.

MsBeachNJ · February 2019

We have the UppaBaby Mesa infant car seat, with adapters to fit on our uppa baby vista stroller, and we were very pleased with it. Having the ability to carry a sleeping baby into places without disturbing her is a wonderful gift (she never transferred successfully once we moved her to a convertible car seat) as well as being able to buckle her in & bundle her up in the house before carrying her outside.

Convertible - we have the Britax Boulevard and the Britax Advocate (multiple cars) and we've been pleased with them. We have our 2.5 year old still rear facing and we plan to do so until she outgrows the seat. (Its got a 40 pound rear facing limit but she's only 27 pounds, so we've got a while!) She will likely outgrow the height first.

sloopy02 · February 2019

I used the Chicco Key Fit 30 with my daughter but it has expired and we got rid of it so i will need to get a new one for this kiddo. I'm kind of leaning towards getting the same since it will fit with the stroller we already have. Since this baby will be born at end of September, I'm thinking that I will stick with my system car seat/stroller until at least the next summer when I will probably want to upgrade the stroller for our camping trips. We have a great cheap umbrella stroller, but I'm still not sure what to do about a stroller for around 1ish -3.

rms924 · February 2019

@nda_roxybabe I couldn't love your post more! I've never been good with the car seats. My husband usually picks them and installs them.

Currently, we have 2 maxi cosi convertible seats. RF for my 1-year-old and FF for my 3-year-old. I actually wish we can have my 3-year-old RF again but he won't have it.

Here's my issue: My husband bought me a car for my birthday, coincidentally, last September. And, we planned to have two kids, so no prob. Surprise, now with #3 on the way, I am super stressed about how to fit 3 across. I will have a newborn, an almost 2-year-old and an almost 4-year-old, so no where near the booster seat situation. I found a car seat "consultant" I am hiring in hopes of not switching my car out (we would lose so much money!) but I want to make sure he actually knows what he's doing. Can I PM you a few questions? They are very specific to fitting 3 car seats across in my car. For the record, I've googled and called around and no one seems to have an answer.

FTR, my first infant car seat was a cybex aton Q and we loved it. It seemed really sturdy. I used a britax with my second son and I actually didn't feel like it had the same weight to it that the cybex did. I fully profess my ignorance in all things car seats though

janat1717 · February 2019

We used an infant seat last time and liked it so probably will this time too. I want the UppaBaby Henry Mesa which has a wool cover so no need for flame retardants added. For the convertible we've really liked the Clek Flo. You can rear face to like 50lbs and the new mammoth fabric is also wool. The flo is more narrow than their other convertible (if I'm not mixing them up) so two should work in our vw wagon. I'm starting to think minivan though as much as it pains me. We should have a vehicle post in the future.

septoctkids · February 2019

We used the chicco keyfit30 zip with our son. I loved it! We will be using it again. My son is in the chicco nextfit zip now. We love that one too. Great products!!

mommyshark13 · February 2019

Just like with strollers, we are a Chicco family. I had the Cortina and keyfit travel system with DD and DS. Both outgrew the height requirement (30 inches) before the weight (35 pounds) and it was right around a year. From there we used the Nextfit and now they are both in the Myfit and we still use the 5 point harness. I have a Honda Pilot and both Myfits and another keyfit should fit based on measurements but I know it will be tight. I highly recommend Chicco.

mommyshark13 · February 2019

@rms924 Check into the Chicco Myfit. It is a high back booster that has a 5 point harness option. My almost 4 year old has been in one since 3.5. She is 40 inches tall and 37 pounds.

rms924 · February 2019

Thanks @mommyshark13. I’ll look at it! Though my car has some booster issues so I’m trying to stay in the 5 pt harness for as long as possible. Car drama! I think manufacturers should give you the lowdown on car seats with the car! Wishful thinking !!

nda_roxybabe · February 2019

@rms924 Send me a message, I'm sure something is doable! At the very least, I can point you in the right direction, including free resources that can help

ternsetc · February 2019

@janat1717 we also have a vw wagon, I love it for one kid, but do wonder if it will start feeling small for two.

We have a Maxi-Cosi infant seat, and now DS is in a Maxi-Cosi convertible - looking at infant seats I was between that and the Chicco Keyfit so DH and I went and looked at them in person at a Target and he had the stronger opinion on which to get. We liked the Maxi-Cosi infant seat so we stuck with that brand when getting a convertible.

In our car the passenger seat does have to be up a bit more than most people would like for both the infant and the convertible (rear-facing). I'm short so it doesn't bother me and DH can ride on the passenger side (more of a squeeze for him), but there's no way we could install one of these behind the driver's side and have DH drive.

janat1717 · February 2019

@ternsetc We weren't worried until we took a couple home from church last week and realized that we could never have more than one extra person in our car once we have 2. Plus if we have to have seats by the windows, to fit even one extra person, I'd have to squeeze in between. Awkward

ternsetc · February 2019

@janat1717 yes, when we've had someone visit us they always want to sit in back with DS because there's more leg room, so even with one guest I'm imagining myself stuffed in the middle between the carseats, whoever visits us cramped into the passenger seat - awkward is right!

monkeysmom80 · February 2019

I'm hoping DH's company car gets switched soon to something bigger. I don't think there is a way to fit 2 high back boosters and an infant seat in the back of a ford fusion.
Previous we had a chicco key fit, and I really liked it. That was 7 years ago so need a new one this time. Not sure if we will go the same route. We did the travel system so we had the Cortina stroller and I will not be getting that again. After having the baby jogger city select, the cortina just doesn't maneuver well.
edited to add: I have a minivan so fitting 3 across in my car doesn't matter but Dh will need ot be able to cart all 3 around from time to time.

sofloma · February 2019

@nda_roxybabe you are my spirit animal. I’ve been a nanny for 11 years and am also crazy about car seat safety!!!!

my favorite infant seats are the Chicco key fit and the Nuna one ( spacing the name right now)

for convertibles i love love the britax click tights, Chicco next fit and the nuna. For DS I just bought what I found on clearance during targets twice a year clearance sales so we wound up with two Chicco seats. But paid $97 for our key fit and $150 for our Nextfit.

cheshyre319 · March 2019

I think we finally settled on the Chicco Fit2. It's kinda pricey (esp since we need 2!) but supposed to be able to shift and keep the kiddo rear facing to 35lbs. And I'm really worried about preemie fit. Twins typically come early and small and I'm already at risk.
Chicco seemed to be a popular brand based on advice here and on Lucie's List. Anyone with preemie carseat experience or advice? Or have used the Fit2?

(I'm so going to try to get my in laws to invest in the car seats, especially since I want inexpensive cribs.)

septoctkids · March 2019

@cheshyre319 the only downside I’ve read about the Fit2 is that they don’t fit a ton of strollers. Just check to make sure it’s compatible with the stroller you want. We love Chicco products! We have the KeyFit30

calliah · March 2019

We had the KeyFit30 with our first and I loved it. He stayed in it until 7.5 months and was comfortable. I love the Caddy that you can get to go with it, it’s easy to use and very light for early lifting after a possible c-section. And it has a large basket! Our expires in May so I’m hoping Target does a trade-in event soon so we can use it to get another one. Though I was leaning towards the regular KeyFit this time since it’s less expensive and I really doubt many infants are in a bucket seat until 30 pounds. J didn’t weigh that until he was 3!

We got the the NextFit for MH’s car. Honestly, I’m not too crazy about it. I find ours hard to buckle and tighten. I do really love the easy latch or whatever they call it, so easy to tighten and secure. It’s pretty plush so I don’t feel like larger kids would really fit well in it.

J rides in the Graco Milestone in my car. I really love that seat. He’s been in it since he moved out of the infant seat. It rear faces, forward faces and will become a high back booster when he’s ready for that ( not for a couple years!) the only thing it doesn’t do is a backless booster like the 4Ever. The seat lasts for 10 years and I think J will be harnessed until 7 and probably in the HBB until 9 or 10, so we will get all 10 years of use out of it. Pretty good deal for $225 or however much it cost on sale almost 5 years ago.

septoctkids · March 2019

@cheshyre319 the fit 2 is on sale for $170 on amazon down from $279. Just came across the deal on fb!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C3FG74F/ref=as_li_ss_tl?th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=thecarseatner-20&linkId=c912275eeb272b197cdeae22c1248ec8&language=en_US

nomangos23 · March 2019

Calling all STMs+

Having trouble deciding if I want a travel system car seat of a 4Ever car seat. On the one hand, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to have a car seat that lasts TEN (!!) years, but on the other, I really don't know if I can lug around a baby carrier with no stroller... Anyone have any thoughts?

MsBeachNJ · March 2019

@nomangos23 - you're going to want the infant seat. It is so convenient to put the baby in the car seat in the house and carry it to the car, especially in cold or rainy weather. Its also super convenient to go to stores or anywhere and not have to wake a sleeping baby and be able to just pop it on to the stroller frame. Plus - car seats get pretty dirty. I'm not sure that you'd actually WANT to use the same seat for 10 years. My daughters newborn car seat, she found a way to poop in 9103858098 times (0 exaggeration). I don't let her eat in the toddler car seat at all but it still gets messy. Go for convenience!!

cheshyre319 · March 2019

@septoctkids
Holy crap! Thanks for the heads up!

zuuls_mom · March 2019

@nomangos23 you'll want the infant seat at first. We used ours for about 6 months and then moved him to a Graco 4Ever. It's just so much easier putting them in a car seat inside before lugging them outside. We figured both were good investments since we planned on using the infant seat for a future child.

nomangos23 · March 2019

You guys made my decision easy!

lillywonderland · March 2019

@nomangos23 Infant car seat (also known as the travel system/bucket seat). We used it until DS was about 18mo then moved him to a convertible one. Totally worth it - @MsBeachNJ covered all the good reasons!!

Also, most car seats “expire” 6 years after the manufacture date (not the date you bought it). So you shouldn’t use it for 10 years.

calliah · March 2019

@nomangos23 definitely get an infant seat but don’t get a travel system. Generally the strollers that come with the car seat are crappy. Though that may have changed in the last 5 years, but I hate the stroller we got with our KeyFit, I think it was the Cortana.

Nothjng beats taking king a sleeping baby out of the car and bringing them into the house, a restaurant or store without waking them up.

ETA: but the 4Ever is a great seat so you should get one of those when baby is ready to move to a regular rear facing seat. Probably somewhere between 6 and 9 months.

zuuls_mom · March 2019

@calliah @nomangos23 I really like the Graco Aire3 travel system we got! The stroller folds up super easily and glides/maneuvers really smoothly. It's definitely got some wear on it, but we plan to use it for this LO as well.

septoctkids · March 2019

@cheshyre319 no problem! Hope you were able to score at least one!! Can’t beat that deal!

kraane · March 2019

@lillywonderland not all expire after 6 years after date of manufacture. You will have to read your manual to find out for sure but my peg perego 5-65 is good for 10 years and I’m pretty sure the graco 4 ever is also 10 years as it goes from tiny baby to big kid booster.

Car seat safety is something I am quite passionate about. Sorry if I get annoying about it.
Not every seat fits in every vehicle so if you can try before you buy. Some you may just not be able to get right enough. Some stores will let you install in your vehicle to make sure it fits properly.
We did buy a travel system for our first. It was the graco modes with a click connect bucket and plan on using that through the winter. I’m not super happy with the stroller but it does what it needs to do. And I’m thinking I’ll baby wear more so I can have my hands to wrangle the 3 year old.

rms924 · March 2019

For my car seat gurus, what do you guys think about clek? I’m thinking of doing 3 cleks because I need to be able to fit all the kids across my backseat...options are limited. I’ve seen mixed reviews and excellent reviews but it’s always hard to gauge those.

janat1717 · March 2019

@rms924 We love Clek. I haven't used the infant attachment though.

kiddiesandkitties · March 2019

@rms924 I used to have the Clek Foonf for my daughter's convertible seat. I loved the safety ratings but found it was SOOO heavy and large that it was overwhelming to me. The rebound bar and high back of the seat / headrest end up taking up a LOT of space and it literally weighs probably 50 lbs. It also wasn't easy to clean (plus you totally don't want to lug it out of your car) but that might have been just the fabric I chose and not all of the options (it was the solid black). Pro - it is SUPER easy to click into the Latch connectors.

nomangos23 · March 2019

@kraane Oh I'm interested to hear why you don't like the Graco Modes? That's the stroller combo I was looking at. I love that is has 9 different ways to stroll with baby. What dont you like about it, if you don't mind sharing?

janat1717 · March 2019

@rms924 @kiddiesandkitties True, we have never had any spills or throw up to deal with the Clek. The blue one and the new wool one wipe up well. My friends that don't do Clek like the Britax Clicktight seats or for narrow the Disano (sp). Those have a high weight limit but fit 3 across in anything I guess.

justhereforthemusic · March 2019

As DS is 10, I had flushed all of my research on infant seats and it’s a whole new world! I love that there are 2 options without flame retardants but 1 requires a base and makes travel difficult that way (Nuna Pipa Lite) and the other, Uppa Baby, has quite a few reviews saying it holds baby in an odd position.

I wish we could try before we buy- ha!!

kraane · March 2019

@nomangos23 It is great for asphalt and smooth surfaces. I like it because it’s not huge and maneuvers in malls and stores well. Also being to remove the seat and just put the bucket in the frame is nice then it doesn’t take up as much space in the trunk.
The problem is that I live in Canada and the wheels aren’t great for snow, slush and it’s winter/gross spring for 6 months. Gravel is also quite bumpy. I will still use it for the most part but may look into getting a jogger or something with air filled tires for a smoother ride.

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