Product Spotlight: Car Seats

Avrilmai · September 2021

This week's spotlight is all about Car Seats the one thing that pretty much everyone will need.

Share your experiences/feedback/research. Infant seat? convertible?

STM+ what did you look for/what did you like/what did you buy? Why?

FTM: ask your car seat questions here.

ALL: feel free to revive this thread as needed

Prior Product Spotlights (stroller/travel system discussed in last week's post)

Avrilmai · September 2021

We went with an infant carrier car seat and then transitioned to a convertible once DS out grew the infant seat.

We live in place that requires a vehicle and does not have public transportation, so an infant seat with a base wasn't a huge issue for us. DH was very into the car seat research & I let him have at it. He read multiple safety reviews, considered the crash test results and the weight of the seat without a child in it among other things. Ultimately we ended up with the Chicco Key Fit 30 zip air. We went with the air bc we live in a warm climate and wanted the "breathable mesh" fabric. We also got a second base so we would have one for each vehicle.

We purchased the adapter for our stroller to be able to click in the car seat.

Also, with holiday shopping/sales/deals coming up I'd recommend looking into your car seat choices/options and possibly getting a great deal /discount during the Black Friday/Holiday Sales. We did that for our convertible seat. We weren't ready to transition, and it did take up space in our house for a while, but we got a great deal on it.

Blondesweety444 · September 2021

We have the Graco infant car seat (I don't remember the exact name). We had purchased an extra base, but never used it. Luckily it was still in the box so I returned it after 6 months of not using it. The infant seat is easy enough to wrap a seatbelt around it when in a different car. We got the stroller that goes with the car seat too.

We also have 2 convertible car seats which has been really nice to not have to move around car seats. We figured once we had a second kid then the additional car seat would become theirs.

Something that we never realized we would have to think about is the minimum weight for the infant seat. Nobody ever thinks you have to bring a less than 5lb baby home from the hospital but we did. Some car seats have a minimum weight of 6lbs. Probably a pretty rare thing, and shouldn't be at the top of the priority list. But just something to think about!

kiwi2628 · September 2021

So my husband was very into the research with this too. We picked our stroller first and then went with the options that could snap easily into our stroller. We have the nuna pipa- second lighted bucket car seat available, which is helpful when you are lugging that heavy thing around.

For a convertible car seat we have the nuna rava- easy to install and easy to clean. Really figure out how easy it is to take off the fabric to wash it because pee/poop/vomit/peanut butter etc gets all in there

zamoraspin · September 2021

We did the Chicco Keyfit 30 for an infant seat. It’s really nice to have a seat that comes in and out of the car easily and can be carried. There are probably people who don’t get a lot of use out of that but I found it very helpful. Unfortunately because DS2 was so tall I think we transitioned him to the convertible seats sooner than most. We have the Gracco Extend-2-Fit and for whatever reason I had a really tough time getting a snug install with that seat in my CR-V (but my nanny had an easy time putting it in her Nissan). For that reason I then bought a Clek Foonf. Both of those seats are extended rear facing.

Clek makes steal framed seats so they are very heavy. You don’t want to be taking them in and out of your car a ton. For that reason too you need to switch to a seatbelt install rather than lower anchors sooner (anchors have a weight limit which is the combined weight of the child and the seat). What I like about Clek is how sturdy the seat seems, that it comes with an anti-rebound bar, and that they make all their crash test data publicly available. DS2 seems to like his seat. One downside is the Foonf sits up a bit high so when you have it in the middle seat you can have visibility problems. On the other hand despite seeming enormous the Car Seat Lady says the Foonf is actually pretty narrow at the base of the seat to allow more room to fit other passengers or car seats.

I think the most important thing in selecting a seat is finding one that gets a good install in your car. You can have the safest seat in the world but if it’s not installed securely it is still not safe. A PSA that a lot of people don’t realize: don’t use both the latch and seatbelt to install your seat, that creates too much pressure and can damage the seat.

miss_lynn9 · September 2021

As @zamoraspin2 said, the safest seat is the one that's installed correctly in your car. Some stores allow you to take the floor model and check that it fits properly in your car.

I was really into searching for the right car seat. I decided on an infant seat first and I went with the Clek Liing Marmont which has Merino wool fabric. I chose it for a few resons, their safety features and data. I chose the wool because it's naturally FR and temperature regulating so baby wouldn't get too hot or cold because of the fabric. One thing I did t think of was how easy it would be to clean.

Then for convertible, I went with the Clek Foonf with the c-zero plus fabric because it is so damn easy to clean and any liquids bead off of it. Again, I echo everything that @zamoraspin2 said about the company and the safety of the seat. It is a narrow seat so you can fit more seating in the back and it's fricken heavy, I hate moving it so I'm buying a second one for DHs car.

doxiemoxie212 · September 2021

We did Nuna Pipa and then Nuna Rava. My favorite thing about the Pipa was that it has an included full mesh shade so it made car and airplane naps way way way more feasible. I love the ease of install with the Rava - seriously takes less than a minute.

I would say the most important thing for FTMs to know about car seats is THEY DO NOT ALL FIT IN ALL CARS AND NOT ALL CARS FIT CAR SEATS WELL!! Do not assume that a car seat you're buying will fit well in your car. Do not assume they're all easy to install. And if you get a car seat and cannot for the life of you figure out how to properly install it after watching a ton of youtube videos, do not assume all car seats are that difficult to install. Return it and get a different one. (Or better yet go to a store that lets you test out install in the parking lot.)

Blondesweety444 · September 2021

Another PSA I forgot to put in my post. Our city has a program where you can make an appt with someone at the Fire Dept and they would come out and show us how to properly install our car seat and ensure that the kiddo is properly strapped in. This was huge for us because as first time parents we had no idea what we were doing! And car seats have changed so much that my family was zero help. But afterwards we felt confident that our kiddo would be safe! I think a lot of hospitals have a similar program.

bluecampanula · September 2021

We’ve used Chicco keyfits with all our babies. I love how easy they are to use. I’ve installed them in multiple vehicles without issue - by latch and seatbelt. I think once I even had to install it without a base. The base is really handy though and one thing I love about it is that it adjusts so even if you have a funky seat that isn’t level front to back you don’t have to do any towels or pool noodles to get a good install, it basically does it for you. It is heavy, but I don’t carry my car seat around that much. My babies have all fit in it for at least a year (they’ve outgrown height first).

I went from that to a convertable - evenflo symphony for DS8. The latch system on that was my favorite ever. We of course did not have latch in our vehicles for the first few years we used it. It was not the best seat for us. It’s quite big and we were driving small, old Camrys. And my DH is 6’5”. I quite get to RF DS8 in it as long as I would have liked either due to its height limit.

So for DS6 I convinced DH to let me splurge on the Chicco Nextfit. It’s almost as easy to use as the keyfit, I call it the spaceship because it looks big to me, but with the recline options it fit much better for us even installed behind DH. It’s very heavy but we’re not moving seats all the time between different vehicles. And actually I’ve found the heavier seats are easier to get a snug install.

We got a cosco scenera through insurance that we used as our extra. It’s very, very light so it was easy if we needed to carry a seat (like on a train or airplane or something). But much more difficult to install, to adjust harness height and even to tighten or loosen as you buckle. All the seats out there will more or less keep your child safe, the extra $$ is *largely* convenience features.

DS6 is currently in an evenflo maestro sport - I moved him when he was already front facing, but not quite ready responsibility wise for booster and DS3 needed the Nextfit. It’s much lower profile than the Symphony so I have liked it a lot for older kids (it’s front facing only, harness and high back booster). Sometimes convertibles try to be everything and are the best at…. Not much.

doxiemoxie212 · September 2021

@Blondesweety444 just a heads up to add because this is a misconception from a lot of places that do have these programs - not every fire station or hospital has a CPST, and they will often try to help you out of the goodness of their hearts but not actually know anything more than you do. So anyone doing this just ask for credentials! CSFTL can also help you find a CPST near you if you need help, so there are definitely programs everywhere for help, but they might just not be at the fire station or hospital.

Blondesweety444 · September 2021

Thanks for clarifying @doxiemoxie212! It was 5+ years ago so I don't quite remember all the details, but I think that was the case for us. We had to go to a specific location to meet with someone, so I would assume (hope) that she was certified!

miss_lynn9 · October 2021

There is this website where you can search for a CPST.

https://www.cpsac.org/find-a-tech/

aloha_mama · October 2021

I’ve never even heard of Clek, I’ll have to look into it!

We have the Britax B-Safe 35. At the time, I chose it for its safety features and ratings. Just like @Blondesweety444 said, it never occurred to me to check the minimum weight requirements, so we got extra lucky with this seat. Definitely didn’t plan on a preemie but DD weighed 4lb 14oz when we brought her home and the Britax minimum is 4 pounds. I wish we had bought an extra car seat base because I had to lug it out of my car every morning before work so DH could put it in his truck and getting it in and out was a pain in the booty. It also clicks right into our BOB stroller with an extra bar we bought.

We moved her to a convertible Britax Marathon when she outgrew the infant seat and she is still in it at 6. I needed something narrow for my little car and the safety ratings are great for this model. It is very heavy and installation takes a minute but we got the hang of it eventually. We have a lighter Cosco seat we take on airplanes and traveling.

As @doxiemoxie212 said, please make sure to check credentials of anyone checking your car seat fit and installation. I have on numerous occasions been that person doing my best to check car seats before discharging babies home and I am not certified. I always make sure to refer them to CSFTL or someone else I know who is a CPST. Our hospital now has one on staff in the mornings and she also does virtual fits, but not all hospitals do this.

loveanddatadriven · October 2021

We got the Britax Endeavors, mostly because SIL/BIL have children of the same age and also use Britax, so we share and swap bases and my MIL just needs one base for her car. Probably not a helpful reason for people here. It does have great safety ratings. I think it’s easy to clean, and I like the placement of the button for loosening the straps. Like @aloha_mama, we used it with a Bob stroller plus adapter.

Another PSA to make sure every sitter, aunt/uncle, grandparent, friend, or spouse who straps your baby into the car seat gets trained by you how to do it correctly and you check them. Don’t assume just because they’ve used car seats before that they know what they’re doing. Speaking from experience. 😣

minnie_yoga_mama · October 2021

We put on our registry the UPPAbaby Mesa to fit into the UPPAbaby Cruz V2 stroller. I was attracted to this one because it’s made with the naturally flame resistant wool instead of any flame retardants. Anyone have experience with either of these, or with this brand?

Ivorytower2 · October 2021

We used the Chico Keyfit with both kids and like others have said it’s super easy to remove and pop on a stroller. We also traveled (flew) with it a few times without the base and it was easy to use the seatbelt. The only con is it’s kind of ugly in my opinion lol!

As kids got older we bought Diono’s. Diono’s claim to fame is that three seats can fit across one row. They are also awesome for my kids who are super tall and don’t like to feel stuffed in.

This time I am looking at the Bugaboo Turtle which seems similar to the Chico but better looking. I will def stick with Diono for all my non-infants.

doxiemoxie212 · October 2021

@minnie_yoga_mama I know that CSFTL does not love to recommend the mesa. All car seats are safe, but I think it might not fit all size babies that well or something. Worth doing a google on their fb page.

zamoraspin · October 2021

@miss_lynn9 How did you like the Clek Liing as an infant seat? We have to buy at least one infant seat this go round and I like the safety features of the Liing and that it’s light and has a pretty good weight and height limit for an infant seat. Did you find your kiddo was squeezed in? I read it’s a bit narrow.

monstera13 · October 2021

We used a Graco Snugride infant seat that snapped into our stroller, with two bases (one for each car since we split pickup/drop off).

For the convertible seat, we have Evenflo Symphony seats. Comfy, two cup holders, easy enough to clean, and move easily from car to car as needed. And slightly cheaper than the big brands.

doula-mama · October 2021

We had a Britax for our first and it was SO heavy! I hated having to lift it or carry it.

Luckily it got moldy in storage haha, so we got a maxi cosi mico and I like it so much better. It’s super light and we found the fit a bit better. We’d also switched strollers so we had the convertible and it was no problem moving it in and out of the truck

queenklau · October 2021

I used the Chicco keyfit 30 with my 2 DD. Worked pretty well and it’s so easy to change it from base to base between cars and to the caddy. Once my oldest outgrew it, I got a safety first one, a very light and narrow model they don’t make anymore. Super basic car seat, we mainly used it in my car and to travel (since it was light). But with my second we splurged a little and got a Clek Fllo because we need to fit 3 across my car. My oldest is now in a Chicco GoFit, which we will keep in my husbands car, but will get a narrow booster with back in my car that will go with keyfit and the Clek once this baby is born. We will get a second Clek once baby outgrows the keyfit.

kellyl30 · October 2021

@minnie_yoga_mama We have a the Vista stroller and Mesa car seat. Purchased in 2017 and used for both my 4 and 3 year olds! We’re using them again with our April 2022 baby. Love UppaBaby! If it’s in your budget, I would consider the Vista over the Cruz. We really liked having the bassinet as an option for the newborn stage!

SmashJam · October 2021

I'm absolutely blown away by the number of carseats brands that I hadn't even know existed prior to having my last kid 4 years ago. The Nunas I've never even heard of! I'm really appreciating people's thoughts on weight as well.

We did the Britax B-Safe for DS6 and could still use it for DS3, which we were fine with. We did comparisons and picked a middle ground price one that had higher safety ratings and my SIL got the same seat (she gave birth 4 months before) so the ILs just needed one base for both kids. I don't remember it being hard to install. They even got an extra for the ranger so they could take the kids around the property with the rest of us, lol. I guess the bases weren't expensive, which will be something to think about this time around-some of these extra bases for the more expensive brands are crazy pricey!

We used the Chico Key Fit Zip for a convertible because of "ease of cleaning" HAHAHA. It is NOT easy to remove the damn cover. We could not get it rezipped after the second time and had to stop using it with DS3 because they broke the styrofoam inside while messing around with it. I will definitely be looking at things easy to clean and really easy to remove and easy to put back together.

As a TTM its amazing to me that I'm still looking for these things-my kids are far enough apart that both carseats are expired by now so I'm back at square one! Which is fun but...its gonna be just as expensive as having the first, lol.

emky0704 · October 2021

FTM here and very overwhelmed by car seats and strollers. I'm wondering why parents choose the infant seat at all, when you can start with a convertible + infant insert? Are the infant car seat/stroller "travel systems" really that convenient? How often do you take your stroller in the car? Is the infant seat beneficial for any reason other than stroller compatibility? If you don't get an infant car seat, will you need to buy an add-on infant basinet for your stroller anyway?

monstera13 · October 2021

@emky0704 The infant seats are nice because you can carry the baby around in the seat, without having to take them out (especially important when they’re asleep). You can buckle them in to the seat in the warm house and then just snap the seat into the base at the car. Carry the seat into the grocery store and set it in the cart, bring the seat with sleeping baby into the house or daycare, etc. The matching stroller is a bonus, but not the biggest point of the infant seat IMO.

queenklau · October 2021

@emky0704, I transferred the baby from car seat base to caddy and to the house multiple times per week. So I can’t imagine transporting a sleeping baby without it. In theory, the convertible since birth is doable and probably more economical, but I think the infant seat is needed especially if your little one falls asleep in the car every time.

kiwi2628 · October 2021

@emky0704 an infant car seat falls under the category of ‘not necessary but makes those first 4 months much easier’ and when you are a sleep deprived, uncomfortable, hormonal mess- anything that makes your life easier is a nice thing to have.

bluecampanula · October 2021

@emky0704 I love my infant seat, some of my babies didn’t ever stay asleep in it but it STILL was so convenient and easy to use I’ve been happy to have it and always opted to use it until they outgrow it.

For strollers, it takes awhile before babies can support their heads well enough to be bumping around in a stroller upright. So you either need one that works with a car seat, has a bassinet, or otherwise reclines flat.

Ivorytower2 · October 2021

@emky0704i think the other point to make is that there is a lot of “hoopla” around travel systems, but in reality you can buy an adapter for almost any baby car seat to fit any stroller, so I would say just figure out which stroller you want and which baby seat you want instead of necessarily worrying about a “travel system”.

doxiemoxie212 · October 2021

Yeah we never used a travel system. We used the nuna pipa car seat, babyzen yoyo or uppababy vista stroller (we also got the bumbleride jogging stroller bc it has adapters compatible with pipa, but we never used them together so that was a waste - thanks DH).

aloha_mama · October 2021

We primarily did a lot of baby-wearing. The only travel “system” we got was the car seat adapter bar for our BOB stroller so we could take walks together in the first few months (I think it was $40 or something). Grocery shopping and running other errands, DD went in her sling. We try to be minimalist when we can and I just hated lugging the car seat and stroller around all over the place. We live in a warm climate so transferring DD warmly from house to car and back again wasn’t as much of an issue for us, and because of the dangers of letting baby sleep in a car seat outside of the car I never let her sleep in it when we were at home or at restaurants, etc. I thought about getting the convertible car seat to save money and just get one seat for DD but I went with the infant car seat because of the use in the stroller since she couldn’t be in the stroller alone until she was about four months old.

meow719 · October 2021

Chicco keyfit question. We have an expired one from our first kid and were given another keyfit from a close friend (no accidents or dryer use on the cover). Is there any issue with taking cover off ours and using it on the non expired one?

bluecampanula · October 2021

@meow719 The only thing I can think of is if they made any changes in the time between the two seats were manufactured - like it could be just slightly the wrong shape to fit?

doxiemoxie212 · October 2021

@meow719 gotta call chicco and ask

boymom312 · October 2021

We’re a Britax family. 3 kids in Britax seats their whole lives. Baby girl will make 4.

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