Product Spotlight: Car Seats

stella_700 · October 2019

Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Car Seats!

FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!

For S+TMs:

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice:
Favorite car seat:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Are you considering a specific car seat that goes with a travel system? Why?:
Is there a car seat you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts?:

For FTMs

Lifestyle factors that might influence your choice:
Car seats you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions for S+TMs?:

To view the upcoming PSS schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XX4aUSPsDbdyEEK5HIzMzwH2ztOVOnNCehSgMAc5w6U/edit?usp=sharing
Next up: Breast pumps and accessories

mokay19 · October 2019

Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat - 4 to 35 Pounds - Rear Facing - 1 Layer Impact Protection, Ashton https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYNPGHK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_91BSDb3JFM8P6

This is what we used with DD and it’s wonderful!

ruby696 · October 2019

Peg Perego Primo Viaggo 4/35 is what we used for DS and DD. We'll be buying a second one since we're short a car seat. Super safe, comes with an anti-rebound bar, and very light weight. Plus, my babies were.so much more comfortable in it than they were in the first car seat we bought - a Graco - which practically folded DS in half because it was so deep. Pricey but so worth it!

***Also, for FTM's, I HIGHLY recommend getting a car seat with light colored material because babies get so sweaty and black material seems to make it a lot worse. Screaming, uncomfortable babies make car rides MISERABLE.

https://www.amazon.com/Peg-Perego-Viaggio-Infant-Atmosphere/dp/B00J3KL4HG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=peg+perego+viaggio&qid=1571930745&sprefix=peg+perego+vi&sr=8-4

m6agua · October 2019

I have the Chicco Keyfit 30 infant bucket seat. I really liked it because you can start at 4lbs. It is fairly light and it was super easy to install with or without the base. My first was a winter baby so it was nice to have the infant seat to remove from the car and put in the frame stroller while leaving the baby strapped in. We ended up getting an extra base so we have a base in each of our cars. I think I stopped using this seat around 6 or 7 months, long before we reached the limits. Mainly because I was using the baby carrier and it was much easier to get her in and out of the convertible car seat.
https://www.chiccousa.com/shop-our-products/car-seats/chicco-keyfit-30-infant-car-seat/

For a convertible car seat, we got two of the Graco 4Ever, mainly because it is good for 10 years and we got a super huge deal at Costco. Extended rear-facing was super important for me so I also wanted one that had higher weight limits. It is good from 4-40lbs rear-facing and if my first was a summer baby I probably would have started straight away with this and baby wore instead of using the infant car seat. We are still rear-facing at almost 3 years old, DD is shorter and is just barely hitting 30 lbs now. I think we will probably rear-face for another half of year to year, so I have no clue how I will like it for the other features yet. It is a fine seat, DD seams comfortable, and it is fairly easy to use and clean. Negatives are that it is heavy, and the latch straps can be a little difficult to tighten. I sort of wish I would have gone with the Chicco NextFit or a Britax because I've heard that they are easier to install.
https://www.gracobaby.com/en-US/4ever-4in1-convertible-car-seat-103502

I have a Kia Sportage currently and the seat belts overlap in the middle, which means I cannot install anything safely in the middle seat. So I plan on having a car seat on either side and nothing in the middle seat.

For FTM's these websites I found and still find very helpful.
https://csftl.org/ They have a FB group too.
https://thecarseatlady.com/

shamrocandroll · October 2019

Ditto to everything @m6agua said. I had the Chicco Keyfit Zip because he was a winter baby, but almost never used the zip up boot part. We just did blankets. And witht his being a warmer weather baby, I probably won't put the boot back on it. For convertible, we have 2 Graco 4Evers and I LOVE it! I plan to get 2 more once this baby outgrows the infant seat.

catem07 · October 2019

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice: We just had one kid and a decent sized car
Favorite car seat: for infants: $$ chicco keyfit 30, $$$ nuna pipa. for convertible seat: we have the evenflo symphony ($-$$) which I like. CSFTL doesn't love it though--apparently it's not great for extended rear facing but my 30 month old 36 inch 30 lb daughter fits fine RF. It's a pretty big seat back-to-front, though. I can't recline my front seat much. For $$$, I'd get the nuna rava. For travel (once out of infant seat) the cosco scenera next can't be beat. It's only $45 and like 10 lbs? Maybe less. . Save yourself the hassle of uninstalling and lugging around your everyday convertible and get a scenera next if you are going to travel at all.
What you like about it: The keyfit is a great seat at $200. It's not crazy heavy, fits preemies, is comfy, decent canopy. You can also get adapters for it for a wide range of strollers, if you really want to.
Are you considering a specific car seat that goes with a travel system? Why?: I discourage travel systems. Get a car seat you like, get a stroller you like. Babies really shouldn't be in their car seats much when they're not in the car (risk of positional asphyxia, plus it doesn't let them move their bodies as much). For the newborn times when it was really silly to get her out of the car seat, we used a chicco keyfit caddy and just snapped the seat in. You can get used caddy/frame strollers really cheaply on Marketplace, etc.

m6agua · October 2019

Ooo, @catem07 I forgot, but you reminded me!

We picked up the Cosco Scenera Next at Walmart for our sitter and my parents to use on occasion. It for sure doesn't seem comfortable for every day use, but is a great, affordable option. My sitter rear-ended someone at the school pick up line while my daughter was sleeping in this seat (about 9 months old). She stayed sleeping the whole time and it protected her the way it is supposed to. This company is a "replace after ANY accident" so insurance replaced it, even though the accident was very minor.
https://www.coscokids.com/productlanding/scenera-next/

That brings up another factor that some FTM's may want to think about. Some companies require the car seat to be replaced after ANY accident and some are fine if you don't replace after a minor accident. I know Cosco and Graco are an ANY company. I believe Britax may be depending on the accident type of company. Overall it is fairly easy to get in touch with someone at the company to send you a letter for insurance stating that the car seat needs to be replaced. Also this is the reason why buying used is not recommended, you have no clue what the history of that car seat is.

Also for this reason, if you install the infant seat/base early before baby comes, I highly recommend just having the base in the car. That way if anything happens you only have to replace that. If you have a car seat installed in a vehicle that it rarely gets used, I recommend keeping it uninstalled and stored in your house/garage and just install it when you need to use it.

ruby696 · October 2019

Agree so much with what @catem07 said re: infants in car seats. If they're not in the car, take them out. If you have to leave them in, most strollers have adapters for your car seats. Travel systems are overrated and it's unlikely you're going to find a car seat and a stroller that go together, that you love. Don't be afraid to mix and match your products.

chewie5990 · October 2019

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice: size both width and length - especially thinking about who is driving the vehicle and who sits in the passenger seat. I drive a subaru crosstrek and MH could barely fit in the passenger seat when DS was rear-facing and the carseat we had is one that is supposed to be the best for smaller vehicles.
Favorite car seat: We have the Britax Be-Safe 35 for our infant carseat and DS was in it for a little over a year
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): it's around $200 depending on the store
What you like about it: I feel really good about the fact that it has a steel frame instead of plastic. the straps never get tangled (we have a Gracco now, and I feel like the straps always get twisted up) and I felt like I could always get him in really tight and secure. I also like the stroller that is part of the travel system.
What you don't like about it, if anything: It's heavy - a lot heavier than other carseats - I didn't often carry the seat though, so this wasn't a huge deal - but it's definitely heavier than a lot of other infant seats I tried.
Is there a car seat you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: We chose a Gracco for our next carseat and I wish I would have stayed with Britax or looked at other brands.
Additional thoughts?: Just remember - every carseat has to pass the same safety regulations - I do feel like some brands boast about being "safer" to appeal to parents fears and emotions in order to get more $$ - just because a seat is more expensive doesn't mean it's safer.

rox7777 · October 2019

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice: We have a Dodge Grand Caravan. A lot of the third row seats for mini vans don’t have a forward facing tether which is something to keep in mind. DS1 is in a high back booster (switching to backless by the time baby comes) and DS2 is in a FF 5 pt harness. DS1 will like be on the third row and DS2 and baby will likely be in the captains seats (have to re check latch capabilities).
Favorite car seat: I actually prefer to go straight to convertible seats, but I’ll have an infant seat this time (chicco keyfit) because 3 Kids and lots of in and out of the car. For convertible we have the safety first sport fit for DS2 and have no complaints. Looking at the graco forever for baby 3 since we only use my car for kid outings.
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): Chicco is $199.99. I know graco forever is pricey but it gets its money’s worth. We have to switch DS2 soon because he’s outgrowing his current seat.
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Are you considering a specific car seat that goes with a travel system? Why?: We will use the travel frame for the Chicco keyfit. I had a travel system with DS2 for about 3 months and hated it. Bulky, stroller wasn’t my favorite, and the seat height limit was stupidly short.
Is there a car seat you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Honestly didn’t like the graco snugride for DS1. It was heavy, difficult to snap in to the base and it took up a lot of back seat space (we had a sedan at the time).
Additional thoughts?:

bananapanda · October 2019

We had the Chicco Keyfit 30 Zip Air for my daughter which we will also use for this baby. It seemed very comfy for her and had infant inserts for when she was a newborn. The cover is also easy to take off to clean when needed which is a bonus. The "Air" part just meant the material was supposed to be more breathable than other fabrics. I'm not sure how true it is, but my daughter never seemed to get overheated so maybe it worked out ok.

Lucie's List was my savior my first pregnancy, and I still reference it when things come up. https://www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/infant-car-seats/

Also everything on this website is super useful when considering car seats: https://csftl.org/

In addition to seeing recommended infant seats you can also choose any two (or maybe more) car seats to compare and see the similarities/differences.

mdfarmchick · October 2019

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice: Well I have to buy a new car since when we turned in my lease last July, we decided to hold off on buying a new car for me for a while to save money. I’m currently driving MH’s Jetta which will not fit 3 across. However, I used the infant car seat in a Ford F-150, a Ford Explorer, a Lincoln Navigator, a GMC Envoy, a Ford Edge... between vehicles we owned, rented or when we visited family.
Favorite car seat: We have the Maxi Cosi Max 30 with a rebound bar and will use it for our third kid. I’ve used quite a few convertible seats ((Maxi Cosi Pria 70, Britax Boulevard Click Tight, Graco Slim Fit, and the Diono Radians)) but my favorite is worth every penny, the Diono Radian.
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $200ish for the Max 30, the Diono Radians are $250-300 but if you wait for a sale, you can stack a 20% off coupon with Bed Bath and Beyond so we got them for like $170-200.
What you like about it: Max 30: I loved the rebound bar, how lightweight the seat is and that I could get a white seat and a white base which was important to me since we live in the flaming hot desert. All car seats are safe, but since this one added a rebound bar it means it had an 8 year expiration date instead of 5 years... so we can use it with all three kids actually. Diono Radians: They are aluminum seats so heavier than plastic but also the smallest footprint seats so I can fit them three across in a lot of cars and SUVs. Even though we are probably getting a minivan before May, I want the option to put them three across because DS1 can’t unbuckle himself yet. But the absolute best part about these seats is that they fold flat and fit in a IKEA duffel so they are so easy to travel with. We can wheel them to the gate, down the airplane aisle and install them in the seat. My kids both sit better and sleep better on the plane with their own seats. Like my 4 year old climbed in his seat and fell asleep before we completed take off on the way to and from the east coast in June and slept 3-4 hours on a 5 hour flight. He’s been flying since he was 7 weeks old and the two round trips when have done with the Radians have been the easiest flights ever. He was comfortable and happy and easily able to sleep. Also the flight attendants were amazed at seats that folded flat and were so easy to transport.
What you don't like about it, if anything: NA. For the other seats I’ve tried, they all took up a lot more space than I thought. The Graco slim fits actually took up more space front to back when rear facing than the Britax or the Maxi Cosi Pria. The Britax is super easy to install but it is so expensive and we usually end up buying two seats, one for my car and one for MH’s. Also it takes up a lot of space and usually doesn’t go on sale.
Is there a car seat you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: I was just so disappointed in the Graco—both in the price and the fact that it didn’t fit any smaller than the non-slim-fit seats we own.
Additional thoughts?: Car seat safety is pass fail so like everyone mentioned, if it’s for sale, then it is safe. Don’t buy a used seat please—you don’t know if it’s been in an accident. Don’t use an expired seat—your insurance may refuse claims if the seat was expired. Also, seats expire because the plastic may fail after repeated heating and cooling in the extreme temperatures in cars. And pay attention to expiration dates... I only use the infant seat for the first 4-6 months before my kids are more comfortable in the convertible and I would be buying a new seat for kiddo #3 if I had one that expired in five years since DS1 and baby will be 5 years apart almost. Also, you can skip the infant seat and buy a convertible right off the back, just make sure you get one that is tiny fit or whatever so it fits infants 4 lbs and up. Both the Maxi Cosi Prias and the Diono Radians have tiny fits for infants and preemies.

adventuresawait2 · October 2019

Know several others have mentioned the Chicco Keyfit 30 and I would note that it’s really good if you are a city resident without a car.

That was our situation and the Chicco is one of the lightest seats with great safety ratings, so easy when you need to carry it around, or pop it on the stroller (we got an adapter for our Citymini, as we found the snap-and-go we inherited from a friend didn’t have good enough shocks for our sidewalks). It’s also SUPER easy and quick to put in a car without the base, which is helpful for cab/Uber rides. It’s also narrow, which my sister has found helpful in the car now that she has several kiddos.

stella_700 · October 2019

Vehicle factors that might influence your choice: We are going to need to move to a third row seating vehicle that won't destroy the budget. I'm not looking forward to this process at all. Any suggestions?
Favorite car seat: Car Seat 1:We used the graco snugclick for the twins. We had to have something that would work with preemies. DS came home at 4lbs 12oz. I might have gone with something different had I been the one that was doing the purchasing, but my parents bought both car seats and the stroller that the seats clicked into. With two babies a stroller was necessary for errands on my own and having the car seats click into the stroller facing me made it as convenient as possible to travel with two infants.

Car seat 2: We also bought the Graco Slimfit.

We really like these new carseats, they just are easier to get in and out of the vehicle than the others were. The few times we swapped carseats to my car the snugclicks were much more complicated. My only issue so far is that my kids are too darn smart and quickly figured out how to unlatch the middle harness part. They got in trouble several times with this, I think we've nipped it.

Link/picture: https://www.gracobaby.com/en-US/slimfit<sup>-trade;<-sup>#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:5&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): These aren't too bad cost wise but they also don't grow with the kids, this is something to keep in mind. I think I might of chosen something else that would grow up with the kids rather than what was bought, but like I said my parents bought that for us.
What you like about it: Snapping in, twins were born in November so keeping them warm was a bonus.
What you don't like about it, if anything: Doesn't grow up with the littles and was a pain to swap vehicles.
Are you considering a specific car seat that goes with a travel system? Why?: I think there are so many options out there now with adapters, I say get what you want if you can.
Is there a car seat you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Nope.
Additional thoughts?:

For FTMs

Lifestyle factors that might influence your choice:
Car seats you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions for S+TMs?:

catem07 · October 2019

@stella_700 if you don’t want a minivan, we have a Subaru ascent that I really like. Top rated in its class by consumer reports. We get about 25 mpg. AWD, captains chairs or bench seat option. Start at about 35k. Only came out in 2019 so hard to find used.

stella_700 · October 2019

We won't need one until probably right before we go back to work in August. I've got a possible contact at the local dealership, (he runs the maintenance/mechanic training for the region here) and I like what I see of the subarus. I'd love to score a used one. I'm also looking at the new telluride from Kia. It's brand new but getting strong reviews, again we will be purchasing used.

shamrocandroll · October 2019

@stella_700 We've owned two Hyundai Santa Fe Limited with 3rd row seating and I LOVE it! We traded in our first one at 10 years old before DS was born and got our new one. We need the towing capacity for the boat, and it's also been great for a family car. It starts around $30k, I want to say. You can get it with either 2nd row bench seating or bucket seats. I also have a Subaru for our smaller car and love it, but I won't buy the first generation of any car (on principal and because I'm a reliability engineer), so I passed up the Ascent for only that reason.

chewie5990 · October 2019

@catem07 do you love the ascent??? I have a Subaru Crosstrek and MH and I have been discussing trading it in for an ascent, but since they are so new I don't know anyone who actually has one. I LOVE my crosstrek though, so I feel pretty confident I will love any Subaru!

shamrocandroll · October 2019

@chewie5990 I love my Crosstrek too! It feels like the perfect mix of sporty and mom-car to me.

stella_700 · October 2019

@shamrocandroll @catem07 Thanks for the recs, sorry for semi hijacking the thread. I'll add both those to my short list.

I accept PM recommendations if anyone else feels super strongly about their third row seating vehicle!

mokay19 · October 2019

Don’t do PM’s! I’ve been googling and making a list of all those mentioned 😂
I don’t want a minivan and I have a regular Hyundai Santa Fe now that has 150,000 miles so we’re getting prepared for a new car in 1-2 years!

That Subaru Ascent gets better gas mileage than the Highlander and Acadia so I like that about it.

mdfarmchick · October 2019

I test drove the Ascent and almost bought one but at the end of the day the price tag on all the third row non-minivans is just really high, even used. I am sucking it up for a few years and getting a Pacifica. The 2020 Ascent is the second model year and so finding used is hard and Subarus generally keep their value so I don’t expect it to be much less than buying new. I also test drove the Telluride. It’s brand new for the 2020 model year and I doubt you will find one used. In Vegas they are charging a $6-8k mark up because they have limited stock. That just ticked me off. 🙄 I can get a fully loaded Pacifica for $22-26k... which is fully $10k less than I can find a much lower level of any SUV with a third row. 😐🤷🏻‍♀️

stella_700 · October 2019

@mdfarmchick We may well end up with a minivan but I'd prefer an SUV. At least I think I do. We do a lot of camping and need room to haul around a tent, camp stove (small), chairs, cooler, etc. Will a van accommodate tent camping cargo for a family of five?

catem07 · October 2019

@stella700 you’ll probably need to add a cargo box on a van or a 3-row suv unless you get something like a suburban if you’re going to be using the third row.

We love the ascent so far. No complaints. It doesn’t ride as big as it is.

mdfarmchick · October 2019

@stella_700 much to my chagrin the darn van has more space than the back of my Navigator with the third row up. 😐 You might be surprised. The Odyssey is slightly bigger but the resale value is higher on those so I can’t get quite as good a deal. This is my suck it up car for the next 3-5 years and then I will probably get a Suburban.

stella_700 · October 2019

@mdfarmchick Until the twins start school and the child care payment comes out of the stratosphere we are in the suck it up mode also. Its worth the temporary sacrifice. At least most of the vans are comfortable and come with built in kid stuff.

soprano19 · October 2019

@catem07 @chewie5990 @mdfarmchick we're looking into the Ascent too. We have an Outback that we love, and we've also talked about trading it in for the Ascent. The only thing really stopping us is that H also has his eye on the Tesla Model Y, which will have a 3rd row but be completely electric as well as having lots of other cool features that are unique to Teslas. It's in the line of Teslas that are affordable by normal humans, though it's more expensive than the Ascent. It's not in production yet, which is why he's holding off.

mdfarmchick · October 2019

@soprano19 MH is also very interested in the Model Y. I am not so sure about it but they are very popular with his job right now because everyone has a 40-60 minute commute. Teslas have a lot of cool features. The price tag is hard for me right now.

mokay19 · October 2019

@stella_700 we went camping every year through high school growing up and always drove with my family of 6 and our camping stuff in the minivan! Once we were in middle school, we started using a roof rack since we all packed more and needed more air mattresses. But we still drove the minivan!

rox7777 · October 2019

I just got my mini van a few months ago. I was definitely anti mini van for years. My first car was a sports car. 😂 BUT sliding doors (no kids banging the doors up anymore), a DVD player that comes down from the ceiling, stow n go seats on BOTH ROWS. SO MUCH space. No regrets, even if I’m no longer cool.

mdfarmchick · October 2019

@rox7777 which one did you get? ((Ha maybe we need a car post 🤣))

shamrocandroll · October 2019

Hahaha it sounds like we definitely need a car thread @mdfarmchick

rox7777 · October 2019

@mdfarmchick The Dodge Grand Caravan. I was set on the Honda Odyssey for months but we rented the caravan last summer for a trip to universal and MH loved it.

My only concern was gas mileage (I drove a Prius before the van), but I’m happy to say $35 gets me a full tank and lasts all week.

pirateduck · November 2019

So I'm finally getting around to looking at carseats. I've been feeling overwhelmed and realized that this is one of the ONLY things I will need immediately as they won't even let me leave the hospital with the baby if I don't have a proper carseat, so I figured I should ignore all the other baby paraphernalia for now and start here. As a FTM I was honestly surprised when I looked at how incredibly heavy some of them are. I find myself drawn to the chicco key fit and the maxi-cosi micro. Pros? Cons? Huge differences between them? I see several people have mentioned they were happy with the key fit, has anyone used the maxi-cosi? It looks like pretty much all infant seats hold kids up to the same height/weight, so I'd get the same use out of either.

shamrocandroll · November 2019

@pirateduck I had the Keyfit and loved it! I plan to use it again for this baby. I can't comment on the maxi-cosi other than my friend who used it and her kid hated the car seat. He got better when she switched him (early) to a convertible. But, I dunno if that's just because he was a different baby or the seat was less comfortable because it was an uncontrolled experiment (sorry, engineer). My son loved the car seat and would fall asleep almost immediately in it.

mamaj1220 · November 2019

I love my Graco infant carrier. And I’m getting the travel system again, it just makes life easier for me when they are little. And this time I am going to do the Graco4ever beyond that, I know it’s a little pricy but I love that one and it was fairly easy to adjust when we used it in our tech class. Also I am a car seat tech so I can help you as much as interest possible with installing questions/concerns 😊 I help my other BMB over FaceTime when needed

rox7777 · November 2019

@pirateduck I’ve had a graco snugride, the key fit and a cheap baby trend that we used for travel. The graco was fine, a bit bulky in our then 4 door car, but not super heavy. The key fit is my favorite. The baby trend was god awful. I’ll say that you want to go with a mid range priced one. The super cheap ones usually lack padding and support and the super expensive ones really don’t offer much more than your mid range other than looking fancy. I like the graco and key fit because they have the snap in strollers and I personally hate travel system strollers.

The reviews for maxi cosi are so mixed. I eyed the convertible for a while but ultimately went with graco due to poor reviews and a lot of “my kid hated this seat.”.

pirateduck · November 2019

I'm really leaning towards to keyfit at this point... it gets great ratings and reviews everywhere. I really haven't found anything bad about it. It seems to be near the top of every list I come across.

rachelg777 · November 2019

@pirateduck I also have the Keyfit. I've never used anything else as far as an infant seat but I liked it and cannot think of any complaints! We will use it again.

m6agua · November 2019

I have the Keyfit30 and love it! I have Graco convertible seats and which I would have stuck with chicco.

shamrocandroll · November 2019

@pirateduck @m6agua I will say my friend who got me into Chicco products, who was very loyal to their brand went with their convertible as well and she hates it. I have the Graco 4Ever and I loooove it!

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