Buying a car seat…
February 5th, 2008
… is ridiculously hard. Seriously. It’s just a car seat I know, but still, it’s hard. If I’m buying something for myself, or my wife, I usually have no trouble trusting my intuition and just picking something out. Unfortunately, when it comes to my son I can’t seem to make up my mind until I’ve completely weighed and analyzed every variable known to man. When it comes to car seats, there is just way too much information to look at, and even more to think about. In the end I don’t want to end up settling for one simply because it’s there, and the price is right. So this doesn’t happen, I’ve narrowed down my choices based on the car seat information I’ve found online.
I Googled “child car seat buying guide” and sure enough, Google gave me a wonderful link to AAP Car Safety Seats: A Guide For Families 2008. There was a lot of valuable information about the types of car seats available and also some tips to remember for each of them. It was a good referesher for the very little car seat knowledge I already obtained.
We had initially decided that we were going to get a convertible type seat, since it saves money in the long run by not having to buy another seat as your child grows. I like that idea. However, I don’t like how these types of seats do not come with carrying handles or a separate base. I just think it would be more convenient not having to take the baby out of the seat and into a stroller or sling/carrier for shorter stops, when I can just detach the seat and take it with me.
On the AAP website was also a link to the Office of Defects Investigation, which lists previous recalls for various child car seats. What I found was that almost every manufacturer we were considering had a recall or two with past seat models. One manufacturer had a recall for every model in every year since 2001. From screws which loosen and become choking hazards, to children getting their fingers stuck in the different parts of the seats, it’s all a little unnerving.
The last site I looked over was the Child Passenger Safety: Ease-of-Use Ratings on the NHTSA website. This website rates various manufacturers and models by 1-5 stars in categories such as: securing the child, installation features, and overall ease of use. All great information to look at before making a decision.
Based on all the information gathered above, I narrowed it down to these choices of seats. These companies seem to have the least recalls in the last 5 years and have the best ease of use ratings overall.
Evenflo Triumph Advance LX Convertible Car Seat - Barley Twist - $129.99
What I liked about this one was the adjustable shoulder height as well as the ability to tighten and loosen the harness with 2 lockable cranks on each side of the chair.
I don’t like the price.
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Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat - Hemmingway - $79.99
I liked how ridiculously comfortable this seat felt, and the ergonomic handle was pretty nice and makes for some easy carrying. The price isn’t too bad considering some of the others.
However, I don’t like Hemmingway.
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Graco Comfort Sport Car Seat - Metropolitan - $119.99
This seat has a ton of features: Lift-Up Lever Adjustment, Recline Level Indicator, Up-Front Adjustment, and some cupholders on both sides! It also matches the interior of my car quite nicely.
The price is still pretty high, and this seat didn’t look like it would be an easy transport from car to car.
There are a few others like Britax we were considering, but of course we won’t make a decision until we actually walk in and buy one.
I would love to hear some recommendations on what car seats other parents used, or are currently using. What are the pros and cons? Ease of use? Someone help us out here!
February 6th, 2008 at 4:36 am
I don’t know for certain that Graco sells the same combinations as they do up here, but I would recommend purchasing one of their combination infant carseat/stroller combos. It’s more economical in the long run, plus the seat transfers safely from the car to the stroller without unstrapping the infant, which means if they’re sleeping, they’ll STAY sleeping, and THAT is the most important thing.
Regardless of whether you get the combo or not, I’d look at a design like the middle one (removable carrier). Simple reason: you’re a new dad (new parents)… it will be a LOT easier (and less stressful) to strap your new little one into the seat while it’s resting on a hospital bed instead of trying to fiddle through the passenger seat door of a car with one of the other models. You will feel more confident that you “did it right”, and it will take less time/effort, which means lower probability that the baby will cry from frustration.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Thanks SciFi Dad, that’s exactly what I’m worrying about as of now. Having to fiddle with a car seat and a baby at the same time. Getting a seat that detaches and places in a stroller without having to move the baby would be a HUGE help.
I’m going to look into some seat/stroller combos. Thanks again SciFi Dad!
February 7th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Hi,
I was just reading your post and I was told today that the small intestines “lit-up” on my 20-week ultrasound. Everything else looked normal (no other indicators of a problem) - but I am sooo scared. I feel like I can’t breathe. I actually already had an amnio and everything came back normal. I’m scared that their could be an element of human error with the amnio. Also, did you know you can get a blood test for cystic fibrosis (just to rule it out). I found out I already had that test and I’m not a carrier. I’m curious what 3 blood tests your wife had? I know you can get a test for a virus, but is it actually 3 tests? Please let me know. Thank you and I’m so happy your baby is fine!!
Stacy
February 15th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I’d have to agree with SciFi Dad…you’re going to want to be able to pop the seat in and out of the car and a stroller without waking the baby.
Plus you’ll want to have your little bitty baby in an “infant” seat…they won’t look comfortable in a larger convertible seat. It’s not advised that you add anything to the car seat like pillows or blankets around the head…and that’s exactly what you’ll want to do if they are in a big car seat.
Good luck finding one!
–TW
February 15th, 2008 at 11:58 am
i also agree with getting the stroller/car seat combo. you will see how much easier it is to have a car seat that you can detach and take in the house or store or wherever. like scifi dad said, if you can keep them asleep, DO IT haha.
my daughter is 2 now, so i cant really find a picture of what we used, but i do believe it was Evenflo. the convertible seat i have now (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5716972) is great too. and i see that it comes with a carrying bag now. didnt have that when i bought it haha. and its easy to put in and take out of the car, if necessary. (we switch between my vehicle and her dads when she goes with him.)
but again, definately look into a stroller/car seat combo. i think they are called ‘traveling systems’ or something like that. always so technical haha. good luck!
(oh and before i go, not sure if you or your wife would be interested, but i belong to this site called punkymoms.com. its for the not so ‘typical’ parents [theres about 10 or so dads on there, its not just moms]. i think you and her would probably fit in good. and they’re great help when you need to know something. i wouldnt of survived my first year without them haha.)
February 15th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Ditto on the carrier/stroller combo - we didn’t have one with Elena and were constantly unstrapping her and taking her out of the seat to get her into the stroller, hence she was constantly disturbed and our trips were often unpleasant! After being all snuggly in the car seat she was rather ‘lost’ in her stroller, which didn’t help matters either.
With Liddy we did the ‘travel system’ with the carrier seat that unsnapped from the base and popped right into the stroller (or grocery shopping cart). She could go right on sleeping and we got a lot more done. It wasn’t too long before she outgrew it and we had to put her in a convertible anyway, but by then she wasn’t so newborn-y and it wasn’t such a big deal to disturb her (and we still got PLENTY of use out of the stroller component).
So basically, we invested in a travel system AND a convertible car seat - a lot of money upfront but…the stroller you need regardless, the convertible will last until they’re ready to leave car seats behind altogether, and the infant carrier is indispensible in the beginning. Between the two girls we’ve had seats by Graco, Evenflo, and Britax - absolutely no problems with or complaints on any of them from us!
Good luck, it’s tough making decisions about all this expensive “gear”!
February 24th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
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February 24th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Haha, thanks! I’m glad you found us, and I hope our information helps!