Safeseat vs Snugride 32 (and where are they made?)

[deegee]

Hi there,
Anyone with either a Graco Safeseat or Snugride 32 - can you please let me know what made you choose which one to get? Also, I just got back from a store that had both on display, the Safeseat one was made in China and the DOM was 2007, the Snugride 32 was made in the US and the DOM was 2009. Do they not make new Safeseats anymore (are they replaced by the Snugride 32) and will the DOM be older if I get one? I was thinking of ordering online and so I won't see the DOM until I get it in the mail.
Thanks
dee

[lesley172]

Yes, the Snugride 32 replaced the Safeseat. They are essentially the same seat but the Snugride can be used to 32 pounds and the Safeseat to 30 pounds. It is unlikely that your baby would outgrow the seat by weight before height though (seat is outgrown by height when there is less than 1 inch of hard shell above baby's head). I believe Graco seats expire 6 years from the DOM so I would only consider getting the SafeSeat if it is discounted to make up for the lost time. Sometimes you can ask about the DOM before you order.

[thelastknight]

Yes, the Snugride 32 replaced the Safeseat. They are essentially the same seat but the Snugride can be used to 32 pounds and the Safeseat to 30 pounds. It is unlikely that your baby would outgrow the seat by weight before height though (seat is outgrown by height when there is less than 1 inch of hard shell above baby's head). I believe Graco seats expire 6 years from the DOM so I would only consider getting the SafeSeat if it is discounted to make up for the lost time. Sometimes you can ask about the DOM before you order.

The good: I got a Snugride as a hand-me-down. I liked it because it has a base and can be fitted to numerous strollers. And I wanted it to fit a Bob stroller (which with the adapter only fits Snugrides and Peg Pregos).

The bad: Baby does not like either the padding (or lack thereof in the 2004 model) or the angle at which she sits. Also, in a car, baby tended to lean forward in the rear facing carseat (i.e. chin on neck)?!?!?! We did not even realize or expect this problem since we followed all the instructions and even used towels/head huggers to keep baby's head protected. Now maybe it's just our car or the base is just screwed up (we adjusted the slant as far back as we could) or maybe it's the specific model (2004 with a 2010 expiry) - but we have tried NOT to use the car seat ever since we saw the head bobbing.

Overall: We want to now buy a Peg Prego... ;) But luckily we also have an Eddie Bauer that baby seems to like (it has very nice foam padding). I know the model has change a little (i.e. more padding) but the slant angle may be the same. Also keep in mind that your baby will not likely WANT to sit in an infant carrier way before you reach the 30 lb limit.

[lesley172]

I think there is always some issues with the head flop when they are newborns just cause they have little or no neck control. I found that within a month, it was much better. Also, the newer snugrides come with a head hugger piece.

I know you may not want to leave baby in til 30 pounds but depending on the size of your baby, if you go with a peg perego or older 22 pound snugrides, it may only last 6 months if your baby is bigger than average. The Peg's are $300 vs $150-180 for the Graco, which is a big investment for such a short period of time.

Going with a 30-32 pound seat could last you up to 18 months before you have to buy a convertible seat. What we did was buy a convertible seat when our son was 6 months old and then used the safeseat for the grandparent's car since it is very portable and easy to install with or without the base.