car seats for babies

[dalion]

what are good quality car seats that are reliable?

[gman]

what are good quality car seats that are reliable?
Fisher Price's?

[dalion]

thats what someone else suggested also I'm guessing its a pretty good one then

[dalion]

there is also evenflo and graco. Does anyone know if there is some kind of warehouse that would sell this stuff??

and also does the snugaby factory sell to the public?

[vtachy]

If I remember correctly Fisher Price no longer sells any car seats. It was probably 2-3 years ago that they stopped. Even Flo and Graco make tons of car seats. The Graco Snug ride and the Peg Perego seem to be well liked by many people. There are different snug ride models out there so price shopping is a little more complicated.

Check to see which model year the seat is since some retailers may have older stock which might not have all the same features. All new infant car seats will have the ISOFIX/LATCH system for the newer cars but some old car seats won't.

Try the car seats in the store and remember that for a proper fit you need to tighten the straps EACH time you put the baby in. Some models are easier than others to do this. Remember that a car seat is only helpful if it is properly installed and the straps properly adjusted everytime. The statistics suggest over 70% of car seats in vehicles have something incorrectly adjusted. I would recommend getting the car seat inspected to make sure everything is fine.

Sears and Toys r Us have sales occasionally and if you have the giftcards from Memberworks that might save you some more. Some smaller retailers might have better prices but check their return policy if that might be an issue for you.

If you can tell RFD members where you are located that might help get some retailer suggestions.

Good luck.

[dalion]

don mills area but i'm willing to go wherever to find a proper one. Thats no issue.

I'm aware that sears is having a sale (online) for an evenflo infant car seat its 54.99 not inc tax. that seems reasonable to me.

per prego they have an amazing stroller that I wanna get as well. I'll be sure to keep in mind to look for the year and the new latch system you speak of.

thanks for the help

anything else I should look out for?

[fakishan]

are there "air-ride" baby seats?

[dalion]

never heard of that.

are there "air-ride" baby seats?

[jed]

The Graco Snug-Ride rules! It has a base that stays in the car and you just (almost literally) toss in the seat and it snaps into place wihtout a whole bunch of rigamarole getting it attached.

But the big thing was when we looked for one was to make sure it actually fits in your vehicle. We had purchased our first one and it fit like crap, took it back and got the Graco which fit like a glove. We kept our little jedi in there until she was a bit over a year. I wanted her rear facing as long as possible.

[djspazz]

The Graco Snug-Ride rules! It has a base that stays in the car and you just (almost literally) toss in the seat and it snaps into place wihtout a whole bunch of rigamarole getting it attached.

But the big thing was when we looked for one was to make sure it actually fits in your vehicle. We had purchased our first one and it fit like crap, took it back and got the Graco which fit like a glove. We kept our little jedi in there until she was a bit over a year. I wanted her rear facing as long as possible.

Totally agree, the Graco rocks! You won't be dissapointed with it. Easy in and out of the car, and it feels really sturdy.

[dalion]

thats cute!! I guess I should be looking for a store with an excellent return policy :P what kind of car do you drive?


The Graco Snug-Ride rules! It has a base that stays in the car and you just (almost literally) toss in the seat and it snaps into place wihtout a whole bunch of rigamarole getting it attached.

But the big thing was when we looked for one was to make sure it actually fits in your vehicle. We had purchased our first one and it fit like crap, took it back and got the Graco which fit like a glove. We kept our little jedi in there until she was a bit over a year. I wanted her rear facing as long as possible.

[me!]

go to Toys r Us and Zellers.

You should get one that is part of a stroller set too. most car seats can be placed on top of a stroller so you don't have to remove the baby out of the seat and into the stroller.

you can get 2 in 1 combos for 199 or less. Toys r Us is a bit more expensive, but they have a good selection.

Forget the fancy ones with all the new gadgets and pockets and stuff. go for name brand and basic that fits the job.

[dalion]

i'm not exactly keen on getting a stroller combo simply because well once the car seat is in there I don't plan on changing it until the baby is older unless of course someone is babysitting and i'll leave them the car seat

other than that I prefer to have a seperate stroller and car seat.




go to Toys r Us and Zellers.

You should get one that is part of a stroller set too. most car seats can be placed on top of a stroller so you don't have to remove the baby out of the seat and into the stroller.

you can get 2 in 1 combos for 199 or less. Toys r Us is a bit more expensive, but they have a good selection.

Forget the fancy ones with all the new gadgets and pockets and stuff. go for name brand and basic that fits the job.

[me!]

i'm not exactly keen on getting a stroller combo simply because well once the car seat is in there I don't plan on changing it until the baby is older unless of course someone is babysitting and i'll leave them the car seat

other than that I prefer to have a seperate stroller and car seat.
okay, then what if you take the baby out to the mall. you need to bring the stroller and the car seat.

now you are in the parking lot. you have to remove the (sleeping) baby out of the comfortable car seat in the freezing cold and then place him and belt him down in a cold stroller.

I find that less convenient. and then when you are finished, you have to the do the same thing all over again when you get back to your car after shopping.

[dalion]

Right so i'll bring the stroller and the car seat but the car seat will stay in the car and the baby goes in the stroller.

babies tend to fall asleep fast in cars and strollers im not worried about that one bit.


okay, then what if you take the baby out to the mall. you need to bring the stroller and the car seat.

now you are in the parking lot. you have to remove the (sleeping) baby out of the comfortable car seat in the freezing cold and then place him and belt him down in a cold stroller.

I find that less convenient. and then when you are finished, you have to the do the same thing all over again when you get back to your car after shopping.

[me!]

Right so i'll bring the stroller and the car seat but the car seat will stay in the car and the baby goes in the stroller.

babies tend to fall asleep fast in cars and strollers im not worried about that one bit.
okay if that's the case, then you should consider one that can handle babies and infants. Most car seats for newborns handle up to 20+/- pounds. try looking for one that can handle infants > 20 pounds to get more use out of your car seat.

[dalion]

thats exactly what i'm looking for :P problem is I don't know which company is more reliable and I don't want to only trust a sales person's advice so i'm trying to get as much input as possible.


okay if that's the case, then you should consider one that can handle babies and infants. Most car seats for newborns handle up to 20+/- pounds. try looking for one that can handle infants > 20 pounds to get more use out of your car seat.

[me!]

thats exactly what i'm looking for :P problem is I don't know which company is more reliable and I don't want to only trust a sales person's advice so i'm trying to get as much input as possible.
try a new mothers discussion board like this one :arrowd:

http://www.happyhealthypregnancy.com/sharing/mboards.aspx

you'll probably get better results there than from here, where u get mostly prepubescent teenagers.

[dalion]

HAHA!! thats funny because its true!

thanks for the link i'll check it out!



try a new mothers discussion board like this one :arrowd:



you'll probably get better results there than from here, where u get mostly prepubescent teenagers.

[me!]

HAHA!! thats funny because its true!

thanks for the link i'll check it out!
and this one too.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/parinf/

[ylikone]

We used graco products and found them to be great.

[Rehan]

Most active forum for car seats:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcarseats

[me!]

Most active forum for car seats:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcarseats
hey that is impressive!

the links i provided are for general infant / newborn care.

[dalion]

THANKS!!! :D

Most active forum for car seats:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcarseats

[dalion]

for those of you that are also looking the snugaby factory located on orfus sells car seats

they import names such as graco and evenflo and will sell to the public but you need an appointment first.

There is also another company called rosetextiles they also import baby furniture as well as clothes infact they sell all baby clothes to wal mart but again you need an appointment to go there.

[jed]

thats cute!! I guess I should be looking for a store with an excellent return policy :P what kind of car do you drive?

98 Buick LeSabre Ltd
01 Olds Intrigue


(not all at the same time, but swapping the seat between them was great with 2 bases - nothing else involved but the seat!)

[jed]

okay if that's the case, then you should consider one that can handle babies and infants. Most car seats for newborns handle up to 20+/- pounds. try looking for one that can handle infants > 20 pounds to get more use out of your car seat.

I read an article about this aspect and of course, YMMV, but the crux was to not get too excited over weight (within reason), a few lbs here or there, but rather to keep your child rear facing as long as possible. Rear facing is safer. Period. Our jedi was about 28lbs in a 22lb seat, but I made sure she would be strong enough (neck-wise) before turning her around. Its a pain, the rear face because the kids can't see. But I'd rather have a rear facing PO'ed kid than a forward facing paralyzed or worse one.

[dalion]

I completely agree rear facing is safer. I hear about many car seats being taken off the shelf because they don't meet safety requirements so I want a company thats reliable so that I don't have to worry about that happening.

I read a few articles about weight and car seats they pretty much say what you said. I've also done some research on google and so far I like what I hear about Graco. Evenflo seems like a good make as well but everyone is rooting for Graco.

I just want the baby in a safe and comfortable car seat thats my priority :)

[sdm242]

What style of carseat are you looking for? An infant seat or convertible?

I know many like infant seats because they can double as a carrier. However, babies can grow out of them very quickly (sometimes in less than 6 months) so you have to decide if the portability is worth the added expense. Personally, we started out with the convertible style. We never found it that difficult to move them around from stroller to carseat, etc. For me, it was imperative to find one that had a mechanism to adjust the strap tightness on the front of the carseat. That way I could make sure that the straps were on tightened correctly every time my kids were in the carseat. 5-point harnesses are supposed to be safer than ones with an overhead shield.

It's been a few years now, but I think we used the Cosco Touriva as our convertible seat. Both my girls are now in a Todder/Booster seat, the Century Next Step.

Here's a link to a great site. It has its own info for buying seats including some recommendations, plus it has links to other great resources (like Consumer reports which rates seats by safety and ease of use) at the bottom of the main page.

I think what's even more important than finding the perfect seat, is using whatever carseat you have correctly! Make sure to thoroughly read all of the instructions and to review them periodically as your baby grows!

Good luck
Sarah

[mart242]

Just use your head when making the purchase. If it looks / feels cheaply made, don't buy it. If it's a PITA to attach the kid in there properly, don't buy it.

DO NOT buy a 3 in 1 seat and plan to use it from 5 pounds to 80 pounds or whatever their numbers are. They are not safe for a young baby, ie: you can't fasten him / her properly in there. The first car seat you have should have a base that you leave in the car and a rear-facing seat that clips in the base. You can get a combo with a stroller too, the seat will clip on the stroller. That's pretty convenient, but not for long. Oh, winter is coming, don't go for a peg-perego, they are narrower so you'll use it only for a few weeks, especially with the extra blankets now that the cold weather is coming.

Once baby is 3-4 months, that car seat is too small. You can then buy a combo seat, ie: rear-faced for a while, then forward faced (+20 lbs, or 1 year old) and finally, once above 40 - 50 pounds, use it as a booster seat.

I had a graco stroller / car seat that was ok. I now have the blue eddie bauer 3 in 1 car seat. Pretty nice.

[hiltzman]

Ditto to what mart 242 said

Dalion, i would really re-consider your earlier position on the stroller/infant carrier combos...

"Right so i'll bring the stroller and the car seat but the car seat will stay in the car and the baby goes in the stroller. babies tend to fall asleep fast in cars and strollers im not worried about that one bit."

Trust me (and the others who have mentioned it), you do not want to be trying to get a sleeping baby out of a carrier and into a stroller or the house or wherever...it is much easier to unclip the carrier and take it along or pop it into the stroller, then get them out of the carrier when more convenient. All of our friends who are new parents swerar by them.

We bought a Graco Quattro Travel System and our little guy fit into the carrier until about seven months; so we then purchased the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 and used it rear facing until one year when we flipped it around. He is now 18 months old and the seat will do him nicely for a long time to come.

Keep an eye on Sears...they often have these units on sale and if you combine with Scratch n Save, can be even cheaper.

Good luck with the purchase.

[dalion]

its an option. It may be convenient, but I don't really want the baby to stay in the car seat for too long its not good for the baby's spine.

You telling me that its convenient because then I wont have to take the sleeping baby out of the car seat and put the baby into the stroller well its the same thing if when I get home from the mall and the baby is sleeping I'd take the car seat inside take the sleeping baby out and put the baby in its crib or where ever to get a comfortable sleep.

Also, the car seat combos seem very bulky. Strollers usually end up acting as a great shopping bag carrier with those combos you'll have enough room to store the baby bag (if that) I may be wrong about that but thats how it seems. I don't want to be walking around the mall with a bunch of shopping bags hanging off the stroller handle.



Ditto to what mart 242 said

Dalion, i would really re-consider your earlier position on the stroller/infant carrier combos...

"Right so i'll bring the stroller and the car seat but the car seat will stay in the car and the baby goes in the stroller. babies tend to fall asleep fast in cars and strollers im not worried about that one bit."

Trust me (and the others who have mentioned it), you do not want to be trying to get a sleeping baby out of a carrier and into a stroller or the house or wherever...it is much easier to unclip the carrier and take it along or pop it into the stroller, then get them out of the carrier when more convenient. All of our friends who are new parents swerar by them.

We bought a Graco Quattro Travel System and our little guy fit into the carrier until about seven months; so we then purchased the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 and used it rear facing until one year when we flipped it around. He is now 18 months old and the seat will do him nicely for a long time to come.

Keep an eye on Sears...they often have these units on sale and if you combine with Scratch n Save, can be even cheaper.

Good luck with the purchase.

[me!]

its an option. It may be convenient, but I don't really want the baby to stay in the car seat for too long its not good for the baby's spine.

.
u are correct but that is for extended periods of time. a few hours is not going to cause any type of scoliosis in the baby.

a long time would be overnight every night.

[gman]

its an option. It may be convenient, but I don't really want the baby to stay in the car seat for too long its not good for the baby's spine.

You telling me that its convenient because then I wont have to take the sleeping baby out of the car seat and put the baby into the stroller well its the same thing if when I get home from the mall and the baby is sleeping I'd take the car seat inside take the sleeping baby out and put the baby in its crib or where ever to get a comfortable sleep.

Also, the car seat combos seem very bulky. Strollers usually end up acting as a great shopping bag carrier with those combos you'll have enough room to store the baby bag (if that) I may be wrong about that but thats how it seems. I don't want to be walking around the mall with a bunch of shopping bags hanging off the stroller handle.

You don't have to have a "stroller/infant carrier combos" to do the same thing. What I had (for my kids) was a fisher price car seat and a big stroller.
The big stroller can be made as a flat bed and it is also big enough to just put the car seat on it.

Advantages:

1. that fisher price car seat could lock itself to the supermarket cart. So, if I go to supermarket, I don't need the stroller.
2. If the kid was sleeping in the car, I could just move the whole car seat to the stroller (or shopping cart).
3. If the kid was not sleeping when we parked, I had a few options. (a) move the whole car seat to the stroller. (b) let her sat in the stroller. (c) let her lie down in the stroller. It all depends on weather/temperature, etc.
4. When the infant grows bigger, the stroller still fits.