What car seat should we purchase for our new born baby?
Can anyone recommend a good, safe, quality car seat for our baby who is arriving in a few months! Thanks.
Thanks for your answers so far. You mention “Maxi Cosi” do a good seat. Where would I purchase on of these at a good price? Any suggestions?
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September 3rd, 2010 at 12:59 am
Graco SafeSeat worked well when my son was a newborn.
I’ll find a link to the seat I had. It came as a travel system.
Here it is… http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Section_Id=9560&pcount=&pn=2&Product_Id=464697&sku1=k_s1_75954657&is_baby_depot=1
September 3rd, 2010 at 1:28 am
I recently bought the Maxi-Cosi infant car seat.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2932196
Here also is the stroller that goes with it…
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2815275
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:05 am
The one which best fits your car. Try searching by make of car not car seat.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:03 am
I have a Britax.
Others have good recommendations already.
I’d say anything is good if installed correctly. Be sure to read the instructions, and pay attention to recalled products.
Car seat is one thing I don’t recommend getting hand-me-downs.
Also consider the sizing, some can be used for longer, you may want to get these type.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:17 am
You’ve got some options. We started with an infant car seat that goes from 5-22 lbs, rear facing. That’s convenient for a newborn because it’s easily transferable from the car to the house. Once my son turned 2 months and 12 lbs, the infant car seat was too heavy and cumbersome, so we purchased a convertable car seat that is rear facing for infants, and then front facing for toddlers up to 60 lbs. We have the Britax Marathon. Our son loves it and you could actually use it for a newborn if you don’t want to buy the infant car seat.
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:03 am
I went with the Baby trend Flex Loc infant seat. It has greater side impact protection then a lot of seats and had a knob in the back that you turned to raise the shoulder level of the seat belt rather then have to rethread it every time baby got taller.
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:45 am
Chicco Keyfit is great, but expensive…if you and your wife are tall and you are likely to have a long baby, it will only last for the first 6-9months. Babies r’ us sells them. Go there and compare.
If you are looking for longer term go for a Britax Marathon.
Graco seats are safe but not very durable. If you invest in a Britax or Chicco you will likley be able to use it through two babies. If you are planning on having more.
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:51 am
Hiya, go to halfords they will sort you out with the best seat for you car, they show you everthing! enjoy the baby they grow up so fast!!!
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:28 am
Recaro seats
http://recarochildseat.com/Recaro-Como.pro?sNav=0
check it out.
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:43 am
We used a Graco SnugRide when our grand daughter was an infant and never had any problems with it. Graco is known for making good products. Make sure you get one that properly fits the seat in your car. You may have to return it if it doesn’t fit right. Congratulations on your new baby!
BTW, I loved your response to the person that asked why senior citizens smell the same . . . you took the words right out of my mouth!
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:17 am
Well, from my experience I would not recommend those infant carseat/carriers that clip in the stroller. They are really convenient but my son was uncomfortable in it from day one (he would scream the whole car ride.) We bought a Britax Boulevard which, to my surprise, you can use for a newborn 5lbs and over. You can use it rear and forward facing (when they reach 1 year and 20lbs.) This seat will last for a long time- up to 65lbs and my son loves it which is the most important. It is hard to say though what will be best because that will be up to your baby! Good Luck!
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:26 am
Like some of the other answers you need to choose the seat that best fits your car, regardless of colour, design etc. Not all seats fit all cars snugly. Go to a shop that offers a free fitting service and try them out. When the seat is fitted you should try and move it around. A well fitting seat should have very little movement.
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:53 am
We’ve got the maxi-cosi
It has a base which makes it easy to clip in and out of the car without faffing with seatbelts and it also clips onto our pram frame.
I believe it scores highly in safety tests so if it fits your car then I would recommend it.
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:55 am
I’m not a huge fan of infant seats because they can really only be used comfortably for the first 2-3 mos. They don’t seem as safe to me–there’s always a chance that the base might not truly “hold” the seat itself in the event of a crash. If you’re set on a travel system (stroller and car seat combo), but them separately. Get a high quality stroller and a high quality seat.
Maxi Cosi, Peg Perego, and Chicco all have side impact protection foam in their seats, which is much safer than the Graco, Evenflo, Safety 1st, and Cosco models.
If you go for a convertible seat, go with a Britax–they’re much safer than all of the other seats on the market. Recaro makes a great seat, as does Maxi Cosi, but Britax is more bang for your buck–especially if you get a Decathalon. The Decathalon comes with a great insert for infants to make the seat smaller, which slips out as baby gets older. It’s truly a fantastic seat. It will hold your child rear facing to 33 lbs and forward facing in a 5 pt harness to 65. It’s a great, high quality seat that you can’t beat. Another good option is the Sunshine Kids Radian seat, but it’s not as good for a newborn.
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:01 am
We got the maxi cosi and love it..Its a great safe car seat. Hope that helps 🙂
http://www.albeebaby.com/maxi-cosi-mico-infant-car-seat-juice.html
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:02 am
First you have to decide what KIND of seat you want to start your newborn in – infant carrier seat or convertible car seat. Infant carrier seats can be convenient, but many ways people use them aren’t right, and they only last 4-7 months before you will have to buy a convertible car seat. If you start out with a convertible cars seat in the first place, you just eliminated 1 extra car seat at at least $60.
It is really completely up to your preference, but, here’s my 2cents. Personally, I’d pick out an awesome stroller (since the ones that come in a travel system often aren’t all that great!) b/c the stroller is the part that you will be using for the next 3-4 years. You really need to like it, and have it be quality so you don’t find yourself with a busted stroller in a year. Also, you can save money by purchasing a high quality used stroller, whereas if you buy a travel system, you can’t get it used b/c it is not safe to get a used car seat. You could however, get a used stroller and check its compatibility, and get a car seat new that would work with it. That’s what I did.
All that said – as a single parent on a seriously limited income, I now realize I should’ve completely skipped the infant carrier stage. Its not a ‘needed’ stage in car seats, its just a convenience thing, and a recent – as in the last 15 years or so – invention to have a stay in car base and separate carrier. Here’s why I think its a waste: doesn’t last babies very long at all. You spend $60 and up on this carrier that is only going to last 5-8 months! And then you have to purchase a convertible car seat, and somewhere down the line a booster seat. If you skip the carrier phase, you just eliminated one seat. There is now one carrier on the market that promises to fit 99% of babies up to at least their first birthday – Graco SafeSeat1, goes to 30lbs. However, there are limitations to this awesome seat. It really will fit most kids that long, but that’s a catch-22. You really going to carry your 25lbs baby in a carrier?! My son was a BIG baby (still is a BIG kid!) and outgrew his carrier at 4 months. And, after baby gets above 10lbs or so, they are a pain in the butt to carry – quite awkward. So its not as convenient as it may at first seem. And some of the ‘convenient’ ways people use them aren’t good.
Carriers should NEVER be placed on grocery carts. It makes the carts unstable and they can tip over, seriously injuring the baby. Also, not all car seats fit all carts, and they don’t lock on, they’re just sitting there, posing an obvious threat. And some of the carts are shaped or sized in a way that it puts the carrier at an unsafe/uncomfortable angle for the baby. I’ve seen babies laying in carriers on carts with their head lower than their feet – not a good idea for digestion or spit up.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says Parents and caregivers should never Place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart. “Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby’s car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or front pack while shopping with your baby. ”
Also, we are seeing rampant developmental delays becuase babies are in these carriers (and swings, and bouncy seats…) so much. Look around everywhere you go and instead of holding their babies, people have them in these carriers. When on their back and harnessed (and any time a child is in a carrier, he needs to be harnessed, even though its not in a car!) they can not work the muscles they need to develop to crawl, sit up, and walk. In the manuals for these carriers, it even says specifically ‘for use in cars and strollers only’! But we all seem to miss that part.
So I highly recommend skipping the carrier phase. I think they are more a pain than a blessing, and a wasted of money if you don’t have a lot to throw around. Instead, get a convertible car seat that will fit a newborn (more on that later) and a sling, pouch, or wrap. Not one of those silly snugli or infantino carriers, but something like a ringsling, moby, or maya wrap. Wearing your baby gives everybody what they need. Babies get much needed closeness to mom (or dad, or anyone else for that matter!) and you get your hands free to do what you need to do, as well as you can even breastfeed in one! They offer many different positions to use them in, too, and go higher than carrier car seat weights (20-22lbs). Most go to at least 35lbs, so you will get much more use out of it for your money.
OK – so if you choose to skip the carrier phase, be careful about the convertible car seat you choose, b/c not all will fit newborns well. Britax convertibles (Marathon/boulevard/Decathalon) do NOT fit newborns well, the bottom slots are too tall. Most babies won’t fit a Britax until 2-3 months old. The Maxi Cosi is only an OK seat, especially for the cost, its still just a 40lbs limit seat, just like the Scenera described below, for a much higher price. You want it to have low bottom slots.
Perfect options:
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17″, harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn’t have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don’t have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. It can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode.
Cosco Scenera – $50 at Walmart/Kmart/Target. Great seat for the price. Goes up to 35lbs rear facing, 40lbs forward facing. Great rear facing seat, but is outgrown very quickly forward facing b/c of short top slots and short shell. You’ll still get you’re $50 worth out of it, though, as it will last most kids to at least 2 years, quadruple the amount of time of an infant seat!
As you’re shopping, remember these rules about seats:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you’re more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child’s vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 – 3 – 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can’t sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs.
If you choose to go with an infant seat I would pick the seat you (stay away from Evenflo infant carriers, too many recalls, crappy recall fixes, overall a very cheap seat) and get a universal car seat stroller like Baby Trend Snap n Go, Combi Flash EX, Kolcraft makes one, too. That way you can spend a little less, sell it when you’re done, and get a higher end stroller that will last better.
DANGEROUS ON SHOPPING CARTS:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aug06shoppingcart.htm
http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=n:&mstr=/ZZZT24LYQMC.html&soc=AAP&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH
WHY REAR FACING:
http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf
In the foreground is a forward facing seat, in the background a rear facing seat. You can see how much trauma the forward facing dummy has to endure. The rear facing child simply rides it out.
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/maxicosipriori.mpg
Here’s another video. You can see how there is NO trauma to the baby, it simply sits there waiting for it to end.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v163/jen_nah/carseats/?action=view¤t=video06A_MGA_213_RearFace-Convertib.flv
SLINGS:
http://www.thebabywearer.com
TOO MUCH TIME IN SEATS:
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/car-seats.html
http://stonyfield.typepad.com/babybabble/2008/02/bouncy-chairs-a.html
September 3rd, 2010 at 7:47 am
Maxi Cosi is a good brand elsewhere. Here in the US it is made by the same company that makes the $40 convertible seats for Walmart…Dorel.
I stick with Graco for an infant seat, then Britax for a convertible. Graco has a new seat out, which is now the largest infant carrier on the market. The Graco Snugride 32 fits infants up to 32lbs AND 32in REAR FACING! Although it looks identical to the Graco Safeseat, I measured, without all the padding and yes, it is 2 inches longer!
Also since Graco is so popular, most strollers will accept them, or sell an adapter to do so.