product spotlight: carseats

mrosek91 · October 2020

Sorry I forgot to post this yesterday.
Today in our Product Spotlight Series we have CARSEATS to discuss! This is an item practically everyone will need before the baby is born (unless you live in a city like NYC that waives the carseat requirement for leaving the hospital with your new little one), so let's get the research rolling!
Do you have specific carseat you love? Tips on scoring deals while remaining within safety guidelines? Travel systems you do or do not recommend? Opinions on different carseats for different stages vs. adjustable ones that can last until your child is 27? FTM questions about fitting these monstrosities into your cars? Please share!

texas_t · October 2020

We are big fans of Britax. They have a high safety standard and are very well tested. We had a Britax B-Safe 30 for our first two kiddos. The seat expired last year, so we will have a Britax B-Safe 35. I switch at about 6 or 7 months to a convertible car seat because I loathe lugging around a bucket seat. I like to baby wear, so at that point, we'll switch to the Britax Marathon Click Tight (YESSSSS FOR THE CLICK TIGHT) and just wear baby at the store or where ever we're going!

SkilledSailor · October 2020

Same as @texas_t exactly. We like the rebound bar for the B-Safe 35.

We have a Graco Extend 2 Fit for H's car. I actually like it ok and it's nice it has a cup holder for the older kids but we both prefer the Britax seats.

mrosek91 · October 2020

We have one of the Graco click connect bucket seats, I love it because it is so easy to transfer from the car to the stroller, and it's survived three boys great. (It's still in great shape, but we probably will have to replace it for this baby, because I think it expires soon.) When DS#1 outgrew that we switched to the Graco Extend2Fit, that one is still in my car, and we're also a fan of that one. In DH's car we needed something narrower to fit three across so we have a Cosco (I think their Might Fit?) and it's very serviceable. It doesn't look as nice, or as comfy, but they don't complain about it.

gusgus14 · October 2020

We love the Chicco KeyFit 30 for an infant seat. I think ours is still good and my best friend has one that’s still good that she’s going to give to us so we’ll be all set there. Our toddler is in a Graco 4ever which we really like. We have two (one for each car) and since my car won’t be able to fit all three kids, once the new babies outgrow their infant seats (DD outgrew hers around 8 months) we’ll put both Graco seats in the van and we’ll just have to buy 1 more.

ETA: YOU GUYS. Our seat expires in May 2021 lol. So ours won't be good but we'll just pick up another KeyFit because we really like it.

queen_frostine · October 2020

Britax ftw! It's my favorite of our seats and the ClickTight is amazing if you're going to be moving a seat at all. We used Chicco KeyFit 30 when my daughter was an infant, but I never carried her around in it (my husband did sometimes). I always took her out and wore her (she didn't sleep anyway). We currently have a Graco 4ever in my mom's car and Evenflo Maestro in hubby's truck in addition to the Britax Boulevard Clicktight in my vehicle.

Here is what I wish I had known when I first picked our carseats: if you have big genes in your family, consider the height/weight limits for carseats. We had to turn forward facing sooner than we might have because of this, and we are about to have to replace the Evenflo Maestro that we originally bought to save money because our 4yo is pushing 50 lbs. and she's supposed to switch to the car's seatbelt at that point, but I don't think she's ready. She's been in the 99th percentile on the growth charts most of her life. I feel like I could have predicted this, given my husband's and my builds, had I known to think about it.

mkc3888 · October 2020

https://www.amazon.com/gb-Lyfe-Travel-System-Merlot/dp/B01G26EZ92/ref=sr_1_2?crid=31TGYF5XMVBSK&dchild=1&keywords=gb+lyfe+travel+system&qid=1602602288&sprefix=gb+ly,aps,216&sr=8-2

This is the infant travel system we used and it's easy to get inn and out of the base and stroller. The stroller works as a ummm... I'm at a loss for words, but it goes completely flat. Oh a pram! so the stroller can be used from birth. It's also big enough that my 4 year old just stopped using it recently. Until she was 3 we would take walks and she would fall asleep in it.

https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Platinum-Symphony-Elite-Ashland/dp/B07B199JP9/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1C4W8R5VFLOUZ&dchild=1&keywords=evenflo+symphony+platinum+dlx&qid=1602602148&sprefix=evenflow+symp,aps,218&sr=8-5

This is the one we ahve been using since my daughter turned 1. We absolutely love it! It's super easy to install with the latch system and super easy to adjust straps. If she is still using it when this baby needs a convertible we will buy 2 more.

mrosek91 · October 2020

@queen_frostine do you mind me asking why you don't think your daughter is ready? My boys also run big because of my husband's genes, and we switched DS#1 to a booster when he was 4. I know that's a pretty unpopular opinion, but he was really just too big for the car seat. He can now climb in and out, and buckle and unbuckle himself, and he loves it.

mkc3888 · October 2020

@mrosek91 I can’t speak for @queen_frostine but we recently bought another seat for my moms car for our 4 year old. I could have saved money by getting a booster because she meets the height and weight requirements, but it’s safest to keep in a 5 point harness for as long as possible.

texas_t · October 2020

@mrosek91 Also regarding 5 point harness. I have my 5 yo in a 5 point because they are still young and sometimes act young and won't sit properly or fall asleep in the chair and the seatbelt will fall in the wrong place. You really have to have an extra mature kid that is that way 100% of the time or never falls asleep in the seat to trust that the belt is right.

This is a GREAT article and a great website in general!

https://csftl.org/harness-or-booster/

mrosek91 · October 2020

@mkc3888 @texas_t I know that most people don't agree with moving them so young. I was hesitant at first as well, but my husband convinced me it was the right move for us. DS#1 is very mature for his age, something others have told me, but that I sometimes forget since I didn't have a lot of experience with kids before my own. On long car trips we do the trick were we pull it all the way out, and let it back in so that it can't move. We probably will wait a lot longer to move DS#2 since he is our wild child.
Everyone needs to make the decision that is right for them. I was just curious. And wanted to let her know that if she does decide to make the move, she's not the only one.

texas_t · October 2020

@mrosek91 you know your kiddo best! We are super stickler safety carseat people because we drive on a 60 mph highway that has a ton of driveways and trucks. We didn't turn our oldest from rear facing until he was 4.

queen_frostine · October 2020

@mrosek91
She might do fine, she might not. I don't particularly want to play with it - maybe I'm the one who's not ready. Honestly I'd put myself in a five-point harness if I had one. I did consider just letting it happen in that seat because she doesn't ride in the truck too terribly much. But if I am having a second child, I can "shuffle carseats" in a way that it doesn't really go to waste.

yellingbanana · October 2020

@mrosek91 I am right there with you. With so many littles in my car, it is a relief when any of them can graduate from one stage to the next. I have 3 children, and take care of 2 more. Also, my kids all tend to stay in the 90th percentile. DS will be 4 in December and already meets the requirements for a booster. He is very excited, also mature, and tends to not fall asleep in the car (he stopped napping a year ago).

Behind my decision... I have an almost 14 year old daughter, and let me tell you that the car seat laws have changed several times since then. When she was a baby, you could turn their car seats facing forward once they weighed 20 lbs, and she reached that at 7 months. So she was forward facing at 7 months, and it was totally normal at the time.

I of course understand all of the safety measures, studies, and data (we believe in facts). But if my kids meet the minimum requirements to move on to the next stage, it is happening!

On that note, my favorite car seats have always been Britax. They are so secure and sturdy, plus they seem way more comfortable than some other brands. I have had Graco infant seats, and they aren’t bad, but I do not like their larger car seats for toddlers.

I really don’t like the chicco toddler seats.

There are some ‘convertible’ car seats that also turn into booster seats. A piece of advice, don’t get those. By the time your little one is ready to move into a booster seat, the car seat is going to be gross. I try to keep them clean, but inevitably they will have snacks in there, or a spilled sippy cup (god forbid it was filled with milk), or vomit, or a diarrhea explosion. I have a lot of experience with littles between my own and the ones that I’ve nannied over the years. You can wash parts of the car seat (a pain), but it’s really difficult to get all the books and crannies.

kiki047 · October 2020

Those of you with the Britax seats, did you also get the travel system with stroller? FTM here so in my head I like the idea of having a compatible stroller so I can just lift the entire seat out and click it in, but then there are other strollers I like more (and realistically, with Covid, where are we going to go next year that we'll even need it?!).

Anyone tried UPPAbaby? That's what our besties have and recommended. It's $$$$$ but that was our top choice stroller so now looking at the Mesa carseat compatibility/safety.

gusgus14 · October 2020

@kiki047 I don’t know anything about Britax so I could be wrong but I think most car seat brands have adapters you can use for different strollers. We had a Chicco car seat and got an adapter to that we could click it into our BOB jogging stroller.

texas_t · October 2020

@kiki047 yes, there are adapters. We used the joovy caboose (which is like a stroller plus a bench seat - so smaller than a standard double stroller) and the britax fit great. Uppa is great and we considered it, but too pricey to justify for us!

spartan4life · October 2020

We have the Chicco KeyFit 30 for the infant seat and the Graco slim fit convertible seat for DS. We like both and will use the KeyFit for baby. We like the slimfit because it's a little less bulky. DS is also pretty small and short for his age (DH and I are both short lol) so we didn't feel he needed a bigger seat.

SkilledSailor · October 2020

@kiki047 Yes, we got the b-free and love it. Also got the b-ready and hated it compared to the b-free. We couldn’t afford the UPPA but I used to nanny for a family that had it and will say its very nice. Definitely better than the B-free but the b-free was nice enough that I didn’t feel as though I was majorly missing out.

Do you have a Buy Buy Baby near you? You can “test drive” a lot of the strollers there.

kiki047 · October 2020

@gusgus14 @texas_t thank you!! See, I'm learning things already lol. I knew there were adapters but I naively thought they were just for different models of the same brand. I completely didn't realize adapters might exist to make different brands compatible too. Duh!

@texas_t I'm sure I'll have a thousand other questions about strollers when that product spotlight rolls around (ha! No pun intended but now I'm snickering at myself)

@SkilledSailor I do have a BBB nearby. Our province just went back into lockdown so we've been waiting until case #s go back down before we venture out and start comparing products. Trying to do some research from home for now but it's overwhelming!

mkc3888 · October 2020

@kiki047 the best advice I got last time when buying a stroller is that if you plan to roll on anything not pavement get something with big wheels. Big wheels are easier to push through gravel or grass and what not.

ckmb_1250 · October 2020

Are we still talking about car seats or strollers? 😂 I have a stroller question but I can save it if needed. I really want a side by side double stroller with a bassinet attachment, so trying to find the most affordable options. We had a carseat adapter last time but it made me feel like baby was constantly in her carseat, which I didn’t like, so I am interested in pros/cons of a bassinet.

mrosek91 · October 2020

@ckmb_1250 sorry I forget to link the schedule! Strollers go up tomorrow!!

mkc3888 · October 2020

@ckmb_1250 we never wake a sleeping baby. So if the baby was sleeping in the car seat we snapped the car seat on. If not I wore her or she went in the bassinet in the stroller.

kiki047 · October 2020

lol sorry @ckmb_1250 that was my fault for steering us a little off-topic there. I'm glad strollers are up this week because some of my decisions will be based on compatibility.

I saw a Mom at the grocery store today with a Britax carrier/stroller and found myself following her (from a distance) for an aisle or two to get a look at it

Hopefully she didn't notice and think I was super creepy LOL.

texas_t · October 2020

@kiki047

Super stroller stalker lolol

asf0613 · October 2020

are there any concerns i should have since my car has captain's seats in second row? i have a toyota highlander on lease for another year and a half and would hate to wind up with a seat that i wont be able to easily fit into a subsequent car without those types of seats

yellingbanana · October 2020

@asf0613 I have the same car, with the bucket seats! You are totally fine, the bucket seats have latches specifically for car seats.

mimser · November 2020

Initially we were thinking of getting a seat that will take us from newborn to age 10. I did read the one comment here, that by the time we make it to the booster the seat will be gross, which got me thinking. If I'm not going to get a convertible, should I go with just an infant seat to start or a seat that will do phase 1 and 2?

gusgus14 · November 2020

@mimser I love an infant bucket seat because you can just click it in and out of the base in the car instead of having to take a bitty baby out/put it into the seat in the car every time (extra awesome when baby is asleep) and if you have multiple drivers/cars you just need the one seat and then a base for each car. It’s just super convenient to me.

mimser · November 2020

@gusgus14 thanks! I'm not looking at fitting a seat with our stroller as we don't drive a lot and I don't know where we'd be going in the next year, + we only have one car 🤷‍♀️ but I've heard this often, so we keep it in the back of our minds!

asf0613 · November 2020

for those of you who are registering for gifts...are you registering for infant car seat (if part of travel system or coordinates with stroller) as well as a convertible car seat that will be used once they grow out of infant seat? my friend said she was so happy she did because they wound up switching sooner than expected, but im not sure how i feel about adding it in there too

texas_t · November 2020

@asf0613 Definitely add it because if someone doesn't buy it for you, you can use your completion discount for it!

ec1212 · November 2020

@asf0613 I mentioned over in my response on the stroller thread that I just registered for the infant seat. The only reason I didn't register for the convertible seat we want is that we don't have anywhere to store it. 🤷🏽‍♀️We have to put the home office furniture in storage (or get rid of it) to turn that room into the nursery and just don't have the room for it. Our lease will be up when he's about 7 months old so hoping we'll make it with just the infant seat.

asf0613 · November 2020

@texas_t i didnt even think of that!!!! right now i just have a little babylist registry started (on private just for me), but im thinking i should probably do store ones so i can take advantage of those perks!

ec1212 · November 2020

@asf0613 I originally started a registry on Amazon, then moved to Babylist since I liked ordering from it for my friends. You can import your registries from other stores into Babylist (as long as those registries are set to public, so it can find and import the items). Babylist *says* to then delete the store registries so you don't have to keep track of what was bought from where, but I didn't so that I can still take advantage of the Amazon completion discount.😈

We just shared the Babylist link for people to buy from. They won't be buying off any other registries directly, so I don't have to worry too much about duplicates/tracking. If you're worried about duplicate gifts, you could always go back and set the store registry links to private after you've imported everything to Babylist so no one can access them.

texas_t · November 2020

@asf0613 I pretty much registered for the same things at target and amazon so I could get the best price one i got my discount coupon.

mimser · November 2020

@ec1212 oh that's smart !

ckmb_1250 · November 2020

@ec1212 all of my older relatives had soooo much trouble using Babylist 😂🙄 hopefully yours are smarter!

queen_frostine · November 2020

@asf0613 I registered for both infant and covertible for my 1st. I only used the convertible in my car; I didn't want to carry the infant seat around (and girlfriend never slept, always wanted to be held or at least free).

mimser · December 2020

Ok, I'm putting some more thought into this. Does anyone have feedback on the britax essentials allegiance? I was initially going to go with the Graco 4ever, which is a convertible going to 0-10 years old. Now I'm considering this convertible infant/child carseat. It seems like financially it is more interesting and it's even better rated than the Graco.

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