Car seat suggestions
- Thread starter CA-RJ
- Start date
Bill Beers
Explorer
I'd recommend the Graco SnugRide. We bought an extra couple bases so we could have one in each of our cars, and then one in grandma's. We've used it for two of our kids, and our third is due 12/10.
So far, I've installed it in a Sentra, Landcruiser, Sedona, CR-V, & Dodge Ram. It is worth it to bring your cars to the store and do a test fit: On the Sentra, becase newborn carrier seats face the rear, it had to go in the middle, otherwise one of the front seats would have to been way far forward.
I'd definitely recommend the extra base though, whichever model you end up going with.
So far, I've installed it in a Sentra, Landcruiser, Sedona, CR-V, & Dodge Ram. It is worth it to bring your cars to the store and do a test fit: On the Sentra, becase newborn carrier seats face the rear, it had to go in the middle, otherwise one of the front seats would have to been way far forward.
I'd definitely recommend the extra base though, whichever model you end up going with.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
Hey, Ryan. We've rocked the "Graeco travel system" that can be bought at places like babies 'r us, for about 5 years now.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Passage-Travel-System-Libby/10746133
(ours is dark grey and brown)
It has the stroller, a base, and an infant carrier that fits into slots in the stroller. (the stroller later can seat a toddler, without the carseat, too.
We've litterally beat the living ****** out of this product and its continues to serve our 11 month old.
Graeco gets really good reviews on their buckle/latch/strap systems, too.
I think we paid around $300.00 for the whole setup. All that needs to be bought extra (baby registry?) is a 2nd base for care-givers or a 2nd vehicle, so that you don't have to keep pulling it in and out, when a different car is used. They're around $30-40.00 I think? Don't quote me, though, got ours 3-4 years ago.
We have a double stroller, but tend to always fall back to this stroller cuz its so compact, yet very easily accomodates 3 kids, strategically placed. We went to the fair, on saturday, and got tons of comments from people with our youngest buckled, our middle kid sitting on the shelf behind her, and our oldest sitting on the drink/storage/handle area like a rider on a horse. Completely in comfort, at the end of the day, just when little feet are tired.
clarkrw3
Observer
I would strongly suggest Britax. They are great, have roll support and side impact protection. After doing the Graco thing with my son and switching with my daughter I almost felt bad we had put my son it the Graco. Also of note is that the Britax is much shorter front to back which for many cars it fits much better. We had originally started looking for a new car seat due to the Graco not fitting well in the back of the FJ with someone having legg room up front but I can tell you I was SUPER impressed with it.
Bill Beers
Explorer
I forgot that part. It is great having the matching stroller as well. The carrier fits right on it!
Pskhaat
2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
Word. You don't want to skimp on these things and having owned many various nothing beats the Britaxen, IMNSHO. Additionally, there are models (again highly suggested) of the Britax that have head and neck support which help years later in life in off-highway situations.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
Here's the marathon. Lots of people swear by it.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm... Listing Ads&LNM=Primary&ref=tgt_adv_XASD0001
I've always felt like my kids have been well-protected in graco's. They're generally in the $100-180.00 range. Never felt like I was skimping.
Here's a website that I've used a lot for researching the models I've bought.
http://www.car-seat.org/
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"Word"??????
Sorry, but you Britax Dads are WHACK!!
CA-RJ
Buy a Recaro and you'll never have to think twice about it again!
www.recaro.com
The way I look at it Recaro builds race car seats and puts the same attention towards their infant and child seats.:rally_guys:
Brian
Sorry, but you Britax Dads are WHACK!!
CA-RJ
Buy a Recaro and you'll never have to think twice about it again!
www.recaro.com
The way I look at it Recaro builds race car seats and puts the same attention towards their infant and child seats.:rally_guys:
Brian
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
lol
Honu
lost on the mainland
Britax for sure
the ones that pop in and out of the base for the first year of their life the graco are nice well built protect and are thought out so they are OK for the first year the snug ride 32 is what we used for our latest and we own all britax beyond that and our 17 month old is now in a britax since he is at the limit of the snugride
the regular seats for sure the britax from then on
the ones that pop in and out of the base for the first year of their life the graco are nice well built protect and are thought out so they are OK for the first year the snug ride 32 is what we used for our latest and we own all britax beyond that and our 17 month old is now in a britax since he is at the limit of the snugride
the regular seats for sure the britax from then on
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
One thing I think both britax and graco fans will agree on, is to keep your little guys in 5 point harnesses for as long as possible.
My oldest daughter (5) is big enough to be in just a seat bottom booster, but none-the-less we have her in an appropriately sized 5-point, still.
Its pink...she loves it....everyone's happy.
Bill Beers
Explorer
I like Recaro seats, I have one in my rally car. However, like my racing seat, which is a FIA approved, all child car seats meet a strict set of safety standards. From there, it is just a matter of finding the seat that fits you, (or your kid,) best. :sombrero:
What I really like about the Recaro seats is the amount of side impact protection.
My 3 and 4 yr old are both using the Recaro Young Sport
They also have an infant seat called the Picco. http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=849®ion=3&L=2
We also used the Peg-Perego system that allowed for easy infant seat transition from vehicle to rolling carrier stroller.
My 3 and 4 yr old are both using the Recaro Young Sport
They also have an infant seat called the Picco. http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=849®ion=3&L=2
We also used the Peg-Perego system that allowed for easy infant seat transition from vehicle to rolling carrier stroller.
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Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
For sub-20lbs infants, the Graco system is fantastic. Being able to transport a sleeping child to/from the car in the basket seat and just snap it into the car or stroller is HUGELY important. More importantly, fastening an awake (and squirming) child into said basket seat is MASSIVELY easier when done out of the car, then just drop it into the base. Performing the same operation on a rear-facing fixed-mounted seat, especially in a car with limited rear headroom like a sedan is literally a pain in the neck (and several other areas). As a bonus here, the Graco stroller that we bought can be used with the cradle like a base, but also as a regular front-facing stroller, and was the ONLY stroller we found that folded flat enough to fit into the narrow trunk opening of my wife's BMW 3-series trunk.
For babies bigger than 20lbs or so, the basket/base starts to get impractical because its just awkward to carry that much weight at a weird angle. (Weight of the carrier is a factor here, totals up to 33+ lbs) This was about the time we switched our daughter to a "convertible" seat (still rear-facing), although her height (length) also dictated the switch, since her feet were sticking out past the end of the basket.
We have two different models of convertible seats in rear-facing mode (going front facing in a couple of weeks!! :wings, a Recaro Como and an Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX.
I bought the Recaro from Woot for $99 and it was a killer investment. Its a fantastic rear-facing seat, but more importantly it can be used front-facing up to 80lbs, which means that even for those who pay closer to full price, you get a lot of use for your money. As has been mentioned earlier, the side-impact protection is substantial (and one way for manufacturers to differentiate with a "safer seat", since the current certification testing for car seats doesn't cover this criteria thoroughly). The one feature that is not strictly a negative, but that can be done better is the adjustment system. It uses the same over-the-shoulder-to-between-the-legs cam-lock system that the Graco infant seats use. This works fine, but if your kid is a wiggler like mine, you'll have to release a lot of slack then re-tighten that belt a lot to get him/her in and out of the seat. It's just a bit tricky to get to when rear-facing because the belt is smooshed up against the seat back.
The Envenflo Triumph, on the other hand, has a really nice tensioning system that my wife finds easier, especially in the tight confines of the back-end of her BMW. You tighten the harness by cranking a knob (on either side of the seat), and release tension by pushing a lever next to the knob. Also the shoulder attachment is self-adjusting for the child's height unlike the other systems which require you to relocate where the strap passes through the seatback periodically as the child grows. Side-impact wise it looks good, though perhaps not as robust as the Recaro. Its also a HEAVY seat, which only matters when you're wrestling it into the car. The one other problem I had was when I first fitted it to my wife's car I used the LATCH attachment belt, and got it very tight to keep the seat from moving (like you're supposed to). Unfortunately there was so much tension on the belt I had trouble getting the belt released when I needed to remove the seat, so I had to slice the provided LATCH belt and use the regular car-seatbelt to re-attach. This works fine, just not as simple as the LATCH system.
For babies bigger than 20lbs or so, the basket/base starts to get impractical because its just awkward to carry that much weight at a weird angle. (Weight of the carrier is a factor here, totals up to 33+ lbs) This was about the time we switched our daughter to a "convertible" seat (still rear-facing), although her height (length) also dictated the switch, since her feet were sticking out past the end of the basket.
We have two different models of convertible seats in rear-facing mode (going front facing in a couple of weeks!! :wings
, a Recaro Como and an Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX.I bought the Recaro from Woot for $99 and it was a killer investment. Its a fantastic rear-facing seat, but more importantly it can be used front-facing up to 80lbs, which means that even for those who pay closer to full price, you get a lot of use for your money. As has been mentioned earlier, the side-impact protection is substantial (and one way for manufacturers to differentiate with a "safer seat", since the current certification testing for car seats doesn't cover this criteria thoroughly). The one feature that is not strictly a negative, but that can be done better is the adjustment system. It uses the same over-the-shoulder-to-between-the-legs cam-lock system that the Graco infant seats use. This works fine, but if your kid is a wiggler like mine, you'll have to release a lot of slack then re-tighten that belt a lot to get him/her in and out of the seat. It's just a bit tricky to get to when rear-facing because the belt is smooshed up against the seat back.
The Envenflo Triumph, on the other hand, has a really nice tensioning system that my wife finds easier, especially in the tight confines of the back-end of her BMW. You tighten the harness by cranking a knob (on either side of the seat), and release tension by pushing a lever next to the knob. Also the shoulder attachment is self-adjusting for the child's height unlike the other systems which require you to relocate where the strap passes through the seatback periodically as the child grows. Side-impact wise it looks good, though perhaps not as robust as the Recaro. Its also a HEAVY seat, which only matters when you're wrestling it into the car. The one other problem I had was when I first fitted it to my wife's car I used the LATCH attachment belt, and got it very tight to keep the seat from moving (like you're supposed to). Unfortunately there was so much tension on the belt I had trouble getting the belt released when I needed to remove the seat, so I had to slice the provided LATCH belt and use the regular car-seatbelt to re-attach. This works fine, just not as simple as the LATCH system.