# carseat recommendations anyone?



## ashleybrook (Aug 6, 2010)

well, all the ones my dh and i have looked at have been so hard that the baby's tailbone is likely to be bruised! yuck! does anybody have any good recommendations on a carseat that's comfortable...and of course safe 

my dh really wants the bucket type for the newborn stage...so what do you have that you like?

ashley


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## ComplexOphelia (Oct 5, 2009)

Chicco Keyfit 30. We loved it for DS - it went down to 4 lb, which was important since we brought him home from the NICU weighing 5, but I pray that's not an issue for you! It goes all the way up to 30 lb, though, and is really, really easy to install and use correctly, making it very safe. The "bucket" is heavy, but we never really used it for carrying him further than into or out of the car on cold days, since we use slings/wraps for holding babes. All the parts are removable and machine washable, too, which is awesome! I'm so glad to have it - and that it won't be expired, so that I can use it again for this babe.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Top recommended infant car seats are :

Safety First OnBoard

Chicco Keyfit

Graco Snugride 35 or 22 (but if you get the 22 then make sure you get front adjust - much easier to use!)

The only one I would avoid at all costs is the Evenflo Seats - the require the handle to be down and an inch and a half of clearance between the handle and the seat, so they don't fit in most cars.

As for comfort... well, that's what car seats are like. I promise it won't bruise your baby. They have to be safe though, and big fluffy covers generally aren't safe.

I would check out car-seat.org for more info and to find a tech in your area who can teach you to install the seat yourself and help with any other questions you have.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Serial posting - the straps are not washable on ANY car seat and if they've been submerged in water you should order a new set. They are wipe down only. They need to stretch in a collision to help cushion the child and they can't do that after they've gotten soaked.


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## LSUtwinMama (Jun 15, 2010)

Another vote for Chicco Keyfit, excellent seat. 2 Seats fit great in our Prius and were super easy to install/level. We were in a pretty serious rear end collision (someone hit us from behind and totaled our Prius) DH and I were both bruised from our seatbelts and burned from the airbags, the girls never even woke up.


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## understars (May 30, 2010)

We just bought a Britax Boulevard, that was our choice and we are happy with it.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *understars*
> 
> We just bought a Britax Boulevard. It's really good quality and it has great safety ratings. I have quite a few friends who use the Britax seats and love them!


Unfortunately the Britax convertible aren't great seats for newborns. The newer seats have an optional infant insert you can buy separately, which makes it fit for large to huge babies. Small and average babies are not going to reach the bottom slots, which must be even with or below the child's shoulders while rf'ing.

Also, there is no such thing as 'safety ratings'. It's a pass or fail test and all seats on the market pass or they wouldn't be sold.

Britax is not very impressive to most techs these days.

If you decide to go with a convertible from birth I would recommend:

The First Years/Learning Curve True Fit

The Graco MyRide

The Cosco Scenera


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## understars (May 30, 2010)

Sorry if my terminology is off but I just googled child car seat safety ratings and click on links for consumer reports and safety test done with different brands so that's the term I used. Again, sorry if it is incorrect. Side note: I noticed you live in Canada, ICBC uses "safety ratings" to rank car seats, it is not just about pass or not pass but how well they protected the child in crash tests. I'm not sure what the NS insurance companies do but that is what I got from my local company.

I know the convertibles aren't great for infants but I was more just referencing the brand. Britax does make infant bucket car seats. And as a brand, I like Britax.

From the reports that I read, Britax is a good, safe company and I also like to go with products that I can get personal recommendations on. I've talked to a couple moms who are disenchanted with Graco as a brand and I would never trust a Cosco brand anything.

So I guess in the end it is all about the brand and type of car seat you feel most comfortable with.


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## LSUtwinMama (Jun 15, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *understars*
> 
> Sorry if my terminology is off but I just googled child car seat safety ratings and click on links for consumer reports and safety test done with different brands so that's the term I used. Again, sorry if it is incorrect. Side note: I noticed you live in Canada, ICBC uses "safety ratings" to rank car seats, it is not just about pass or not pass but how well they protected the child in crash tests. I'm not sure what the NS insurance companies do but that is what I got from my local company.
> 
> ...


Britax just had a recall of infant carseats, just FYI- http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11031.html


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## understars (May 30, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LSUtwinMama*
> 
> Britax just had a recall of infant carseats, just FYI- http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11031.html


Yes, I am aware of that but so many other brands have regular recalls too and I feel comfortable with my choice. I did the research, I went out and talked to people and I even consulted my local insurance company, so feel that the car seat I bought is safe. However, seeing as everyone on this board is against Britax, I retract my original recommendation. Go with what you want and leave me alone.


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## sweeteleanor (Jul 12, 2010)

I think Britax is fine.  However I need skinny seats for our Outback that will now have three seats in it so we are going with the Keyfit and then the Radian. Both DD and the babe will get them.

http://www.amazon.com/Radian-Car-Seat-Travel-Bag/dp/B002U2M1JY/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1290222041&sr=1-6


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## greenmama66 (Nov 11, 2010)

I am going to get the Chicco Keyfit 30, last time around I had a Maxi- Cosi.


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## debra_lea (Sep 30, 2005)

I had the Graco Infant Snugride which my first 2 used, but looks like I will need a new one for this little one. I've learned that car seats "expire", and are only recommended 5 years after manufactured. I am looking at the Graco 35 and the Chicco Keyfit. I prefer the Keyfit, but given that we have had big babies in the past, I'm wondering if we would be better off with the Graco 35.


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## spatulagirl (Feb 21, 2002)

I recommend the Chicco keyFit 30 as well.

My older two are now in booster seats but my 2 year old is in a Britax Marathon and we love it. I would recommend using a bucket for those first few months though. It is safer and a better fit.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Just to clarify - no reputable safety comparisons are done. Period. That is true in both Canada and the US. Transport Canada and NHTSA both have a pass or fail standard for seats. Anyone else is trying to sell you something. Having searched around at ICBC, all I can find are ease of use ratings. While an easy to use seat CAN increase safety, it is by no means the only important thing. The safest seat is one that fits your child, fits your car, fits your budget and will be correctly used EVERY time your child rides in the car.

For those who don't see sigs, or don't know what the letters mean, I am a Children's Restraint System Technician. I am certified through St. John's Ambulance to know what I am talking about.

Britax is a fine company, about the same as all the other companies and charges twice the price. There is nothing wrong with Cosco seats. Graco as a company has been doing really well lately, so I'm not sure why people would feel disillusioned with them.

Car seats do expire, usually it's 6 years from the date of manufacture printed on the seat. For Peg Perego infant seats it's 5 years. Some convertibles (like the True Fit and the Radian) it's 7-8 years. For other seat it varies by component. Read your manual and it will tell you.

ETA: And Britax's infant seat is a great thing if you have a huge car/minivan. The base is so large it is incompatible with many, many cars as 80% of the base must be on the seat of the vehicle.


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## carriebft (Mar 10, 2007)

We are a britax loving family- my kids have all used the "little" britax 40 roundabouts until they were well over 4 (we seem to grow shorter/skinny kids in this house!) But we did try the bigger britax seats as infants with our first because everyone had told me the 40s wouldn't last long. What we found was that the britax belt slots were too high for our infant girl, despite her being almost 8 pounds. I suppose the infant insert could help this issue, but wanted to put our experience out there.

We have a graco safe seat for the new babe. We got an awesome deal and our other bucket was destroyed in a basement flood. Twinklefae- is this a good seat?

So our configuration will be infant in safe seat, 3 yr old and 4.5 yr old in roundabout 40s and 6 yr old in high back booster. Though the middle guy might go high back right at 5 or a month or so before if he hits the 40 lb mark or somehow shoots up and his shoulders go above the top strap....neither are an issue as of right now.


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## LSUtwinMama (Jun 15, 2010)

Thank you for your feedback on car seats, Twinklefae. I found it very informative.

*Do you (or anyone else for that matter) have some feedback on best seating arrangement for 3 kids in a van?*

My twins will be 23 months old when #3 arrives. Currently they sit in the 2 chairs in the second row in my Toyota Sienna, rear facing. That arrangement works great for now because each girl has her own chair, but with baby brother on the way... where do we stick him? Do I move one twin to the rear? Put the baby in the rear?


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

Gentle reminder here, please keep personal matters out of this thread, if you want to further discuss your private differing opinions, do it in a PM or feel free to contact staff for help if that's needed.

But keep this thread to car seats only, and be nice and polite.


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## spatulagirl (Feb 21, 2002)

Have you tried the Radian yet? I bought one for my now 6-year-old when I had to fit three car seats across one row in our old car. I fit great with the latch but I can't get a good fit with it using a belt in our newer car (Honda Odyssey). It kept sliding around and just wasn't safe but I couldn't get it to fit the bucket seat at all. I would like to use it for one of our other kids if I can but can't figure out how to make it fit better. Right now it is in the RV for our 2-year-old.


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## 3xMama (Oct 14, 2010)

Just to throw this in-I have the Safety First bucket seat. Its a fine seat but the actual crotch buckle itself drove me batty with DS. You have to overlay the crotch buckle plates before clicking them into the crotch buckle itself and hold them together while inserting them into the buckle. I found this is to be rather difficult to do esp if I was at an angle to the carseat or if I needed to adjust where the plates were on the strap to correctly fit into the buckle. I switched to a convertible seat as soon as it warmed up enough basically because that buckle bothered me so much! (I hope that makes sense, it was hard to say, esp over the internet and without being able to show you what I'm talking about!)

Otherwise, it was a fine seat and did its job well.

And, I really love my Scenera and the price tag on it is fabulous!


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## nia82 (May 6, 2008)

We have a Maxi Cosi Mico from DS still (it is a bucket type of seat, 5-22lb infants fit in there) which we will be using. There actually was a recall on the base of our model which was fixed and I don't worry as Maxi Cosi, and this model especially, is really safe and has a good track record. They actually do safety ratings for car seats in Germany (the German AAA does) and this seat turned out to be wonderful. DS outgrew it by 4 months though, he was huge (20lbs then)... It is easy to install and very nicely padded with energy absorbing foam.

Then we bough a Britax Boulevard which DS still uses. It is a wonderful seat, but I wouldn't want a newborn in it, I prefer a bucket for that stage. I bought recently a Cosco Scenara for traveling which I returned rather quickly. There is a HUGE difference, and you get what you pay for. THere is just a fabric cover over plastic with the Cosco, while the Britax is nicely padded, has a padded head protector on each side which the Cosco lacks. It also stinks to install it - the Britax, whether it is a belt or latch install is a breeze and tightens wonderfully (I have installed this seat in a Ford Explorer XLT, Explorer Sport, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Sienna, Chevy Aveo within 3 minutes). The Cosco - the latch is poor, the belt runways don't have a clamp to clamp the belt nicely, you gotta use a towel to get it somewhat in the car and it still is somewhat loose, way too loose for my taste. Note: I never used any of those seats forward facing, I have heard the Cosco is better forward facing than rear facing. Also, the Cosco doesn't have a top tether which is super important for forward facing tots. So I do not regret one second to spend extra money on the Britax! Now that DS is nearing 35lbs and a new one coming, we will purchase a Radian XTSL soon to remain DS rear facing and once DD outgrows the Maxi Cosi, she can move in the Britax.

Btw, I check with my local CPST for installation issues and so far I always did it right


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

The Radian can be quite tricky to install in some vehicles, which is why I don't usually recommend it unless you have a 30lb 1 year old who NEEDS a high high rf'ing limit, or three across.

I also love my Scenera, but yeah, it's not a cushy seat - we replaced ours with a True Fit because DS couldn't make it through long trips in the Scenera. It does take a bit of practice to learn to install the Scenera, and it's oddly easier to do with a belt. (I agree that the LATCH is miserable) But as was pointed out on another board recently, it's been on the market for 15 years, millions of children have used it, and perhaps the flexibility of the shell is BETTER at absorbing forces in a crash than a stiff rigid seat. If it was as dangerous as some people feel just based on how flimsy it is, there would be a rash of deaths in them. We don't know what's safer, we can only guess. Also, rear facing tethering is something US techs are taught is wonderful and Canadian techs are taught is tolerated but shows no benefit. And to be leery of it. So it's not something I look for in a seat - but that is just my opinion and I've helped many families set up their rf'ing tethers.

Maxi Cosi in North America is owned by Dorel, and has no relation to the European company other than the name. That doesn't make it a bad seat, and I've heard lots of people really like how it works with the stroller.

It's impossible to compare European safety ratings with NA ones. It's almost impossible to compare the US and Canada - even though we have a lot of the same seats on the market, there are often minor differences. Europe has different seats, a younger vehicle fleet, a completely different testing standard, and a lot of things are allowed there which are not allowed here. It's apples and oranges unfortunately.

The biggest point I'm trying to make here is that I don't want anyone who is reading this to decide that if they can't afford an expensive seat that they are doing their child a disservice. The most important thing is to use the seat you have correctly (a visit to a tech can help, because a good tech will TEACH you to install the seat, instead of just doing it for you.), keep your child rear facing for as long as possible, keep them harnessed until they are big enough and mature enough to sit properly in a booster and keep them in the booster until they fit properly in a seatbelt. You can do that for around $200 total if you start with a Scenera ($49 in the US) and then move to a Nautilius ($150) in the US.


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## nia82 (May 6, 2008)

Actually, MAxi Cosi Europe is owned by Dorel. It's the same company, they were bought out, which doesn't mean they make bad seats now. Laws in Europe are not streamlined, they differ from country to country. E.g. I was told it's illegal to put a rearfacing toddler in the middle seat. I didn't do it anyways cause my parents' car has latch only behind the passenger and driver's seats... And all my friends with kids found it weird that my 2 year old is rear facing! While in Sweden, kids rearface forever, they have car seats that rearface up to 55lbs!

I agree with the convertibles are not for newborns, I couldn't imagine it. I think the Graco Snugride is relatively cheap and then one can move into a Scenera if money is tight. The Scenera sold at Target actually rearfaces up to 40lbs, the Walmart one doesn't.

However, I would prefer to invest in a Britax or Radian for after the bucket phase, if with baby shower money, gifted money, or saving up for it. The Radian can be a pain, especially in the Sienna which we own, but we will manage.


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## CherryBomb (Feb 13, 2005)

Our other infant seat expired, so we bought a Snugride 35. I really like it, it's easy to use and ds seems comfy in it. I haven't had the newborn head flopping issues, either, idk if that's related to the seat or not. Dd3 is in a Britax Boulevard, nice seat but yes it's big!


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## rootzdawta (May 22, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *pixiekisses*
> 
> Gentle reminder here, please keep personal matters out of this thread, if you want to further discuss your private differing opinions, do it in a PM or feel free to contact staff for help if that's needed.
> 
> But keep this thread to car seats only, and be nice and polite.


Yes, please. Another kind reminder to keep this thread on topic.


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## rootzdawta (May 22, 2005)

Moved from I'm Pregnant to Family Safety.


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## ComplexOphelia (Oct 5, 2009)

For those who are considering the Chicco but worried about babes being too big, we actually JUST moved DS out of his, at 2 years - but he only weighs 22 pounds soaking wet (he's a wiry little thing :lol). We moved because he was too tall for it, though, not because he seemed uncomfortable size wise. I'd think it'd be good for a bigger baby, too.

We now have a Britax Boulevard we're using for him, and it definitely is large. VERY large. We had no problem with the Chicco rear-facing in our Subaru Legacy, but had to turn DS front-facing in the Britax because otherwise I don't have enough room for me and my legs and the belly. It fits rear-facing, but it's pretty tight. I do like how comfortable it seems for him, and it's easy to use, which for me is a huge plus. What I like about it is the same thing I liked about the Chicco - it's got a pull tightener for the straps on the front. It is really easy to adjust every single time I put DS in it, so every time I put him in I know that it's snug and fitting the way it should. To me, it just makes sense that ease of use = safer seat.

Also, I thought it might be good to link to this article, which taught me a couple of things about using our seat correctly: http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/108322/9_lifesaving_car_seat_rules.


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## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ashleybrook*
> 
> well, all the ones my dh and i have looked at have been so hard that the baby's tailbone is likely to be bruised! yuck! does anybody have any good recommendations on a carseat that's comfortable...and of course safe
> 
> ...


Ashley, good infant seats (followed by a review link if applicable.. Carseatblog does GREAT reviews!)

Chicco Keyfit 30 http://carseatblog.com/5364/chicco-keyfit-30-review-infant-carseat-nirvana/

Combi Shuttle 33 http://carseatblog.com/7153/combi-shuttle-33-review-is-this-the-one-for-you/

Graco SafeSeat1/Snugride32/35 (these are all basically the same seat with minor changes... the Snugride 32/35 are NOTHING like the Snugride 20/22)

Safety 1st Onboard Air http://carseatblog.com/6369/safety-1st-onboard-35-air-review-more-wows/

Other buckets aren't recommended as much, especially the Evenflos because of reasons listed above and the Britax because, well, that thing is freaking humongous and won't fit in a lot of cars.

Convertibles that fit from birth:

Sunshine Kids Radian (what we used for DS2)

The First Years TrueFit

Combi Coccoro

Cosco Scenera

The Combi seats both have "puzzle buckles" (as you can see in the shuttle review)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *carriebft*
> 
> We are a britax loving family- my kids have all used the "little" britax 40 roundabouts until they were well over 4 (we seem to grow shorter/skinny kids in this house!) But we did try the bigger britax seats as infants with our first because everyone had told me the 40s wouldn't last long. What we found was that the britax belt slots were too high for our infant girl, despite her being almost 8 pounds. I suppose the infant insert could help this issue, but wanted to put our experience out there.
> 
> ...


safeseat is the same basic design as the new Snugride 32/35 and is a great seat which is very easy to use.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LSUtwinMama*
> 
> Thank you for your feedback on car seats, Twinklefae. I found it very informative.
> 
> ...


If they want to sit together you can put them both rear-facing in the back, and let them climb in through the hatch 

All seats have lower LATCH and top tethers. Period.  IDK if someone removed it or it was returned, but any seat new out of the box has a top tether. It is teh lawz. 

The Scenera is actually more versatile than many people believe and gets such a horrible rap. I found it to be one of the only seats that I could successfully install in 200% of vehicles I ever tried it in. It's a workhorse. It's a GREAT seat. And I'd prefer younger kids in a rear-facing Scenera to a forward-facing Britax Frontier ANY day (been there, DONE that!!). I never had the first problem with my Scenera whereas I had to have Britax replace my Boulevard and then replace the harness because it was just one dang thing after another :lol

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *nia82*
> 
> We have a Maxi Cosi Mico from DS still (it is a bucket type of seat, 5-22lb infants fit in there) which we will be using. There actually was a recall on the base of our model which was fixed and I don't worry as Maxi Cosi, and this model especially, is really safe and has a good track record. They actually do safety ratings for car seats in Germany (the German AAA does) and this seat turned out to be wonderful. DS outgrew it by 4 months though, he was huge (20lbs then)... It is easy to install and very nicely padded with energy absorbing foam.
> 
> ...


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