Product Spotlight: Car Seats

iiirene · September 2022

For S+TMs:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons:
Carseat you want (& why?):
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... Are you going for an infant carseat first or 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 both you and your partner's vehicles? 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.

For FTMs;

Car Seat(s) you're interested in:
Link/picture/price:
When you look at car seats, what’s confusing? Need feedback on a particular model? What other questions do you have for S+TMs?

iiirene · September 2022

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: We have a Grace 4ever and will get another one for this babe.
Carseat you want (& why?): I’m hoping my niece will be in a convertible car seat by the time this baby is born so I can borrow her infant seat. It’s a Maxi Cosi Coral XP and it is actually a really cool car seat. Its easy to install, super lightweight because it has an inner and outer shell, and easy to carry.
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... If I don’t end up borrowing the infant seat from my brother, I’ll want to go straight to a convertible. I don’t know if it was just because my son was born at the start of the pandemic but we rarely used his infant seat out of the car. My son is 2.5 and we’re going to rear face him until at least 3, with the exception on plane travel. Once he turned two and we had to start buying him a seat, we got a lightweight car seat to bring on the plane and to use in rental cars. The only problem is the seat we bought doesn’t rear face. My in laws live on the east coast so we fly pretty regularly to see them.

nsk489 · September 2022

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: My son is in the Nuna Rava (convertible car seat). April baby will start in the Nuna Pipa infant seat (which we still have from my son). Not sure yet what convertible seat we will use when April baby outgrows the infant seat. Cons for both---expensive. The Rava is also pretty dang heavy (but I think most convertible car seats are?). Pros: Nuna doesn't use added fire retardant chemicals. Both seats look pretty dang comfortable. Installation was easy (IMO). The Pipa has pretty high limits---we used it until 11 months and he actually still hasn't maxed out the limits of the seat but switched to the convertible anyway.
Carseat you want (& why?): I'm interested in the rotating car seats....seems like it'd be pretty convenient!
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... Are you going for an infant carseat first or 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 both you and your partner's vehicles? 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. Woo so many questions here lol. Being pregnant for the first time during COVID, I went down a serious rabbit hole researching the "safest" things for my baby, bc everything else in the world was so scary at the time and I felt like this was the one thing I could control. It's seriously nauseating how much time I put in to researching car seats, mattresses, cribs, etc. Save yourself some trouble---follow Safe In The Seat on Instagram and if you are having trouble picking the "best" car seat take her car seat buying kit (https://safeintheseat.com/car-seat-buying-kits/). I seriously wish this resource was available when I was car seat shopping the first time.
Also I was pretty sure I didn't want an infant seat bc it felt like a waste of money. HOWEVER I am SO glad I ended up getting one. If baby falls asleep in the car (which will happen a lot), it's so nice being able to just pick the whole seat up and carry them into the store without having to wake them up getting them out of the car seat. Also great for doctors appointments. We had A LOT of appointments the first 6 months (standard pediatrician appts, weekly weight checks due to slow weight gain, lactation appts 1-2x a week, PT, etc) so for my personal situation an infant seat was a lifesaver. Great to have a safe place for them to be while trying to fill out paperwork 🤪
As far as 3 across....pretty sure no seats will fit 3 across in my vehicle. I have a small SUV (Rav4). I can definitely fit 2 car seats with an adult (uncomfortably) squished in the middle lol but I don't think we will ever be able to fit 3 seats. We will upgrade vehicles whenever/if we have 3+ kids
DH and I opted to only get 1 car seat and just move it around to other vehicles as needed (which is super rare). He WFH and I'm a SAHM, my son doesn't go to daycare....so there's never really any situations where we would both need a car seat in both of our cars. This was great for our budget since I did end up going with a pricier car seat. I love the Nuna seats but prob would have gone with something cheaper if we needed seats for multiple cars.
I have the Mockingbird stroller. The Nuna Pipa is compatible---they have a list on their website of car seats that are compatible, you just have to select your seat to purchase the correct adapter for the stroller. Not sure about if its compatible with other strollers other than Nuna brand 🤷‍♀️

etnyah · September 2022

For S+TMs:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: Diono Radian 3RXT. Pros: it’s a very tall convertible, which means he can rear face longer. My son is average weight but above average height, so the height factor was a big one when we chose it. It’s also fairly compact and fits comfortably rear facing in a sedan, which we have. He’s 3.5 and still rear facing, but we might have to switch him around soon. Cons: very cumbersome to install. We installed it once and will not uninstall it/change it up unless we really have to.
Carseat you want (& why?): I haven’t thought of it yet. We still have his infant bucket seat in storage at the ILs, but I don’t know if it’s expired or not. It’s a Chicco KeyFit. Tbh I kind of hope it’s expired so I won’t feel bad buying a new one, I didn’t realize how heavy it was compared to other seats.
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... Are you going for an infant carseat first or 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 both you and your partner's vehicles? 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: definitely going for an infant car seat again. It’s so simple to just leave baby in it and transfer from car to stroller, especially if asleep. If we get the Mockingbird stroller we’ll get a seat compatible with that, if we keep the Babyjogger City Mini we might be stuck getting another Chicco KeyFit, as we have the old style City Mini with an adapter for that seat specifically, and I don’t think you can buy car seat adapters for it anymore. I don’t care about three across as we’re done after two kids. We will be buying a new car soon though, two kids in a tiny Toyota Corolla won’t work.

ladyofarlington · September 2022

For S+TMs:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: DD will be 4 soon and she’s in the Britax Advocate. It is extremely safe, but large. We also still have the Cosco Scerena Next for traveling. We will need a new infant car seat because ours expires in April. We had a Chicco KeyFit30 with DD because it was the safest option at the time but I may switch to an uppababy Mesa to avoid needing to use the conversion piece (do those expire?) for our stroller (uppababy vista). 💯 will get a new infant seat - it is so nice to transition a sleeping baby from car to stroller without interruption.
Car seat you want (& why?): TBD - I need to do a little research as there are a TON of new ones on the market since 2018, but may go with the uppababy mesa for ease of working with our stroller or another Chicco KeyFit30 (at least one of our two bases will be usable)
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... not one to weigh in on, but a question to add - anyone searching for a new vehicle? We need to replace DH’s car (its a 2006) and are now looking at options that will fit 2 kiddos and a large dog crate when we travel. 🙃
Are you going for an infant carseat first or a convertible? 💯 infant first
Do you care about weight limits (low or high)? I care about all of the safety features for sure
Or the weight of the seat itself? Meh not really
Can you fit three across? No, but I have no reason or need to fit 3 car seats. If anyone does, I highly recommend googling the car seat lady for free recommendations (on both car seat configuration and/or car buying).
Does it fit in both you and your partner's vehicles? Yes
Does it fit into your stroller? Yes
How can you even tell about stroller compatibility? Read the manual (they’re all online)
Where do you look for safety info? The car seat lady! Also, Lucie’s list. Highly recommend!
Is there other relevant info? Feel free to share links, pictures, and price.

abirdd9 · September 2022

For S+TMs:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: we have a Chico convertible seat my 4 year old is in that we’ll use for baby after the infant seat. I always plan to use a convertible from birth but my babies are just too tiny to get a really great fit.
Carseat you want (& why?): We’re going to do the Graco modes pramette travel system this time. It comes with a SnugRide 35 lite dlx infant seat. We had the same seat for 4 year old and loved it.

MsBeachNJ · September 2022

For S+TMs:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: My 3 year old is in a Britax, my 6 year old just graduated to a booster seat. I've been pleased with the Britax's - have had them since 6 was around a year old, no issues.
Carseat you want (& why?): I will be getting a new infant car seat - the one from my first 2 has expired. I had the Uppa Baby Mesa - which went great with our Uppa Baby Vista stroller. I will likely replace it.
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... Are you going for an infant carseat first or a convertible?I cannot stress enough how convenient an infant car seat is... I could NEVER go straight to a convertible. My kids were in those infant seats until they hit absolute max capacity. The convenience of them being able to be buckled in while in a warm or dry house, and carried to the car with a blanket or cover on them is amazing. The ability to just pop out the seat & put it on the stroller while running errands, out to dinner, anything, so you're not waking a sleeping baby - its also way more convenient to transfer them once in the house to their crib if they are asleep. An infant car seat that attaches to a stroller is an absolute must for me & would strongly recommend to any new mom!

etnyah · September 2022

@MsBeachNJ 100% agree on infant seat being a must. The thought of carrying a brand new newborn to the car all exposed makes me nervous, especially since my son was born at the coldest time of year. April isn’t that bad here, but still pretty shitty. So, so, so convenient.

I think this time I’ll look for a car seat with a higher height and weight limit so I can use it longer. I assumed any baby of mine would be average sized or small because that’s what all babies in both my family and H’s family are like, but nope. He was too tall for the infant seat at like 9 months old. You never know!

acleverusername · September 2022

I'm determined to buy as many baby things on Marketplace / Craigstlist as I can (except for the things that you really don't want to buy used), and lucked into a brand new / in a sealed box Nuna Pipa carseat! Saved about $100 since I got it as well as an adapter for the UppaBaby Vista/Cruz strollers.

nsk489 · September 2022

@acleverusername that is awesome!! I seriously love our Nuna Pipa

scaredunprepared · October 2022

@etnyah I was looking into the diono because with #3 on the way, I am concerned about being able to fit everyone into our car. I would LOVE to be able to for 3 across, but with our current chicco seats we won't be able to. We have the chicco keyfit infant seat and chicco next fit zip. I love how easy they are to install, and how safe they are (or at least they were top of the list when we purchased them initially). None of the other seats I've looked at have been that easy to install and adjust. The straps on most carseats seem so difficult to tighten!!!

etnyah · October 2022

@scaredunprepared the Diono is slim and with the wedge, can sit upright rear-facing, saving space so you can move the front seat further back. I think it’s great. That said, it was a BITCH to install. Really cumbersome. If you think you’ll need move it in or out of the car a lot, I’d look for something else. If it’ll stay in the car p much all the time once installed, worth it.

ETA: the straps are easy to tighten too! I have a Graco (don’t remember which model) in grandma’s car, it’s really hard to tighten. Literally break a sweat every time I strap him in.

scaredunprepared · October 2022

@ladyofarlington we are looking for a new car! We currently have a 2019 Nissan pathfinder (supposed to be hubby's car but I am the one who uses it everyday after his mom chastised his for not letting me use the safer/newer car even though I am the one who drives the kids around and I am the who drives further/more.) Our other car is a 2004 Honda crv with 175000 miles on it. So hubby uses that one as his daily driver back and forth to work. We are looking to replace that one, and I am 100% sold on a Honda Odyssey. I drive my sister's sometimes and it is easy to drive and park and I feel like I'm driving the crv. Even though it's bigger, it doesn't feel like it while driving. It would be much easier to get three kids in and out of that than the Nissan I think. And also space and storage are pretty great in the Odyssey. We just need to save up enough to do it. Then hubby can get "his" car back, which I know he is eager to do lol.

Maybe we should start a product spotlight for cars??? I would love to see other opinions!

scaredunprepared · October 2022

Third time mom:

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: chicco keyfit Infant seat, pretty sure it is good until 2024 but I'm going to check the expiration. I'm probably get another keyfit if it's expired because I love how easy it is to install. We have a chicco next fit zip for our oldest and she is very comfy in it. Again, easy to install and tighten the straps.
We will need to consider what seat we want to get for our 2nd, as he will be maxing out the Infant seat soon (and we will need it for new baby anyway). We are struggling between the idea of trying to fit 3 across, but also maybe we won't have to if we get a van like we want.
Considering the following convertible seats: diono, graco 4ever or extend to fit, or another Chicco nextfit or fit4. Anyone have opinions on those?
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on...
Are you going for an infant carseat first or a convertible? Infant seat! I agree with everyone about how convenient it is to pop the seat out of the car and into the stroller for daycare drop off, appointments, etc.
Do you care about weight limits (low or high)? I love high weight limits for rear facing. Chicco nextfit is 40 lb but i think gracco 4ever and extend to fit are 50, which is appealing!
Or the weight of the seat itself? Not really, once baby gets heavy enough for the weight of the seat to matter, they are usually old enough to not be sleeping when we get places or wake up to easily to be able to transfer them from car to stroller anyway.
Can you fit three across? No, but this is something we are considering moving forward. Diono looks like the best option for us if we are going to go for 3 across.
Does it fit in both you and your partner's vehicles? The chicco keyfit and nextfit both fit in the pathfinder and the Honda crv. I don't know if the graco extend to fit or 4ever would fit in the crv though.
Does it fit into your stroller? Yep, our keyfit fits both in the chicco caddy and the viaro. We also have a universal adapter for the joovy sit and stand graphite.
How can you even tell about stroller compatibility? Manuals, or usually same brand will fit (chicco to chicco, graco to graco). Some have universal carsear adapters.
Where do you look for safety info? We used Lucie's list for our research back in 2018. I haven't tried the carseat lady, but I probably will this time!
Is there other relevant info? Feel free to share links, pictures, and price: nothing I can think of
I would love to know other's opinions on the diono (all models), chicco fit4, graco 4ever, and graco extend to fit!!!

enw1028 · October 2022

What do you already/still have & pros/cons: We used the uppababy Mesa for my son and then switched to the Grace 4ever all-in-1 deluxe convertible car seat. We have that in both mine and my husband's car.
Carseat you want (& why?): We will reuse the Mesa and then likely add another Graco to our set up when baby hits the limit.
Additional questions you might want to weigh in on... Are you going for an infant carseat first or 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 both you and your partner's vehicles? 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. -- We liked using the infant car seat for the first 10 months or so. It was nice to be able to attach to our stroller for running errands. The Graco had great reviews (we did lots of research and love safeintheseat for guidance!). I like that it can grow with my child and I won't have to buy a booster seat later on.

ladyofarlington · October 2022

@scaredunprepared I drove a 2004 CRV until it was totaled in a crash two years ago and loved that thing. I was planning to drive it until it could drive no more and, well, sadly that mission was accomplished earlier than expected, but everyone was safe and unharmed. It’s so nice you know what you want! At this point, I think I’ve narrowed our search, which is exciting but still overwhelming. 😊 Good luck with car shopping!

scaredunprepared · October 2022

@ladyofarlington lol I LOVE that little crv! If I could I would drive it into the ground, but with #3 on the way it just doesn't seem feasible. Sorry yours was totaled, but so glad everyone is ok!

The reason I fell in love with the odyssey is because it feels so similar to driving the CRV. What are your top contenders???

ladyofarlington · October 2022

@scaredunprepared looking seriously at the Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Lexus RX 450h as top contenders. I love my Acura RDX right now, but the MDX has horrible gas mileage (even the older hybrid version) so we’ll see how this goes!

acleverusername · December 2022

Question: the grey insert that came with the Nina Pipa car seat isn’t the infant insert, is it? I got the infant insert separately and I’m second guessing (everything).

nsk489 · December 2022

@acleverusername my nuna pipa has the gray insert pictured in the top pic. There should also be a pillow like thing behind it (if I recall) that you can use until baby is x amount of lbs.
Unless the second insert is an actual Nuna product I wouldn't use it. Is it just a different color option?

scaredunprepared · December 2022

@acleverusername usually infant carseats come with the newborn insert for that specific carseat model. I would message Nuna customer support about the insert if you are having doubts.

acleverusername · December 2022

Thanks @nsk489 and @scaredunprepared. FYI, the additional insert I got IS a Nuna product.

nsk489 · December 2022

@acleverusername hmm interesting! I'm not sure what it's for then lol. My son was pretty small (just over 6 lbs when we left the hospital, and in the 1% for weight until about 6 months) and I never felt like he needed more cushion or anything to fit appropriately in the seat. You most likely don't need it!

mradvins · January 2023

I have the uppababy vista so we will prob get a new mesa car seat because ours is past 5 years old! It was a great car seat- otherwise eventually will transfer over to the graco 4 ever like I did with my other two.

we are stuck in a lease with my acura mdx and we will need the 2022 so i can remove the middle seat so my oldest can hop in the back easier. fingers crossed we figure something out!

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