Choosing a Car Seat Is No Easy Task
Wed, Nov 11, 2009
When I went to Babies R Us a few weeks ago for a shower gift, I had glanced at the car seats on my way to the clothing section. I was amazed, and most definitely overwhelmed, at all of the options available. I knew that at some point I would have to look for a car seat, but honestly, I have just been too intimidated.
But since my shower is next week, I figured I’d better get our registry together. That is what forced me to put aside my fears and head over to Babies R Us on Saturday afternoon with our Baby Bargains book in hand and our hours of research fresh in my mind.
Little good that it did me.
The CPA came along to help but as soon as we were faced with the dozens of car seats that lined the aisles, all of that previous research went right out the window. Thankfully, we found a sales associate who was very knowledgeable and helpful and he gave us the low down. Basically, we had to decide if we wanted to carry the baby in a car seat, or if we were going to leave the seat in the car and carry the baby in our arms or in a sling.
If we’re going to use a sling exclusively, we don’t need an infant car seat per se, which babies grow out of anywhere between 15 and 32 pounds.
Instead, we’d go straight for a convertible seat. These seats can be used for newborns until any where between 40 and 80 pounds, depending on the seat. Obviously, this one would be used a lot longer and you’d definitely get your money’s worth, but it is stationary, meaning that you have to take the baby in and out of it, you don’t actually move the car seat from the car like you could the infant seat.
When the child outgrows his convertible seat, then you get a booster seat which looks very similar but is made specifically for larger children.
Hmm…. Such decisions. Can you see why I was confused? And with at least 10-15 car seats available in each category, it’s no wonder that we were overwhelmed. But the first thing to do was to decide between an infant seat and a convertible seat.
We figure that we’ll probably use a sling at some point but we’d also like the option of using a car seat as well. I’ve seen moms carry their babies in their car seats at church and it’s nice because they can sit the car seat on the floor and let the little guy sleep for a while before moving him. So even though it will cost us more money to have to buy an infant seat and then move to the convertible seat, it makes the most sense based on how we’ll likely use it.
So with that decision made, we tried to choose an actual seat. There are many brands available that range in price from $90.00, like this Graco car seat,
to several hundred dollars such as this Peg Perego seat for $274.
They all looked great, but before deciding on a particular seat, we had to figure out with what stroller we are going to use it. We could go for a travel system, which are quite popular these days, and that look something like this:
(Travel systems include the stroller and the matching car seat.)
But from what I’ve heard, you either love the travel systems, or you don’t. Some people say they’re big and bulky and hard to wheel around. Others love them because they typically look great and have lots of fancy features. Also, once your child outgrows the car seat, you can continue to use the stroller as just a regular stroller.
We liked the look of the systems, but the way we figure it, we’re having a winter baby and probably won’t be taking him out a lot for the first few months. By the time we start taking him places, he’ll be close to sitting up on his own which then allows us to look into more stroller options. Plus, we’d like to figure out just how often we’ll be using a stroller before we sink a lot of money into it. Based on that idea, we registered for something called a stroller frame.
It’s made to go with the infant car seat that we finally chose and at $70.00, it’s a reasonable alternative to the big stroller systems. Best of all, it’s light and easy to maneuver which was important for us.
And once the baby outgrows his infant seat and doesn’t need to recline, we’ll be better able to determine what we need based on how we use it at that time. I’m leaning towards this stroller though:
It’s the City Mini by Baby Jogger. Cool, huh? It’s got good ratings and is supposedly lightweight and easy to maneuver and at $250, it’s not a bad price.
So. After all of that, which car seat did we choose? The Graco Snug Ride 32. We picked it because it had good ratings (Baby Bargains) and it’s a decent price ($135) and we figure we’ll use it between six months to a year before having to switch seats. Not too bad, all things considered.
Shew – finally! It only took us hours to read up on all of our options and then another hour at the store trying them out, but we finally made our decision. That’s one more thing we can check off our list, which is nice.
Now on to cribs – I had no idea that buying baby stuff would be so hard!
Did you use an infant car seat? What do you recommend?
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Tags: babies r us, car seat, graco, peg perego
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November 11th, 2009 at 7:27 am
I can’t believe your shower is already next week! The baby jogger looks pretty cool! I’d love that one.
Jessica @ How Sweet´s last blog ..Pumpkin Spice Balls Covered in White Chocolate
November 11th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I had NO IDEA there were all of those options. And here I thought it was all about the styling and colors
Great choice! You passed the first test…
Kate´s last blog ..She Says… Stars Are Aligning
November 11th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I think you picked a great one! You will be happy to not have to pick the baby out of the car seat when you get places because they sleep so much! Also, I liked keeping them in there for the Germ factor, then I didn’t have to take them out in “germy” places like Target when they are really little.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Yes, we used an infant car seat (the Graco snug ride, in fact). It was great! I highly recommend this. The baby sleeps sooo much when he’s young, that it is nice to not have to disturb him by getting him in and out of the seat. It does get heavy after a while, though. Eventually, you’ll get tired of carrying your heavier baby and you’ll switch to the convertible or start getting him out of the seat and leaving it in the car. Another thing you have to consider is how the seats fit in your car. The manufacturer may have recommendations for you as well. AND you can take the seat to a fire station and have them inspect your installation before the baby is born to make sure it’s all safe. Good luck!
Amber´s last blog ..Vacation
November 11th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I did use an infant seat. I can’t imagine having a stationary seat when they so small and having to carry them everywhere. The infant seats can be big and bulky to carry around but definitely worth it!! You made some great choices.
Jessica´s last blog ..Out of the mouths of babes…
November 11th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Obviously, I’m no help! I could see how you were easily overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed just reading all that! I hope you have a good shower
Jill´s last blog ..Currently–November 2009
November 11th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I second everything Amber said. We also used the Graco SnugRide seat, and loved it. Since J was such a small baby, we JUST upgraded her to a Britax Boulevard when she was about fifteen months old. Technically, she still hasn’t outgrown the Graco, but I couldn’t wait to get her into a Britax.
So grandma has taken over the Graco.
Oh, and we got the travel system. LOVED IT. Going to the mall or anything, I would just pop the carseat onto the stroller. Sleeping or not. It was excellent.
And I don’t know about any other infant carseats, but the Graco seats snap onto shopping carts, and onto restaurant highchairs when you turn them upside down.
You’ll love it, I think.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:31 am
We did the exact same thing as you did–stroller frame and infant car seat. My children were both enormous and outgrew the infant seat by about 8 months, but I loved it while I had it! Not only is it great in church, but when the baby is sleeping in the car seat, you don’t have to wake him up to go in the store. And at the store, you don’t have to sit him in a germy shopping cart seat! It’s great.
I love, love, loved our stroller frame. If you lived closer, I’d just pass it on to you. Most of our friends are going for the stroller system, but those were so bulky and heavy!
Definitely a good idea to go to a car seat inspection station to have it checked out. Some of the car dealerships around here do it, too. Just bring the manual and the car and the seat and they’ll show you the proper way to install it!
Joanna´s last blog ..Another List
November 11th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I had no idea there were so many options!
Kristina P.´s last blog ..Picture Perfect
November 11th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Yes, we used the infant seat as well, but there was no choice to make. The hospital I gave birth at both times had a prepayment plan and after your final payment, you received an infant car seat, a stroller and some various smaller items. With my son, he outgrew the infant one between 3 and 4 months but my daughter used hers for a really long time.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Lucky Joanna that she got 8 months out of her infant seat! We got 5 out of our Graco Snugride before Hannah was too tall for it. I hear the Chicco ones can handle a taller and heavier baby so that might be a better option for you as I’d put money on your long baby.
While we had it, I loved the infant seat/carrier. It was so convenient to not have to get her in and out of the car seat while running errands, especially since the safest place for the car seat is in the middle [least accessible] seat in the back. Now I do have to wrestle her in and out of the car seat and into and out of whatever we decide to carry her in – the Baby Bjorn for quick errands and the shopping cart cover thingy (now that she can sit up on her own) for longer shopping runs.
I do walk with her stroller a lot, and if we are going to be out for a long day (like at the zoo) we generally take the big Graco stroller because I can stash the diaper bag and all my crap underneath it. It is a lot to maneuver though and it takes up almost my entire trunk, and heavy to get in and out. We also have an umbrella stroller (you will want to look for one with adjustable height handles) for when we travel, because the Graco just takes up too much space.
erin´s last blog ..diaper sprayer tutorial
November 11th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I think you made a great choice. The infant seat is a great option—there will be many times that you will be able to just leave the baby in the seat as you go from the car to wherever. We had a stroller frame for our last baby (now 11!)–it was a rather new option at that time. We LOVED it—it was not bulky at all and got the job done well. When he outgrew the infant seat we then got another stroller. Have a great shower!
November 11th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Oh, just fyi, the convertible we got when she outgrew her infant seat last month was the Evenflo Triumph Advance and I love it. Very easy to use and install, VERY highly rated on Consumer Reports (higher than any Britax one) and very reasonably priced.
And yes, take your car seat to your local fire station (call first, you might need an appt) to have them help you install it so you can be sure it is done properly. Something like 80% of car seats are installed wrong. I figured there is no point in trying to be safe in a car seat if it won’t protect her because I installed it wrong. If something happened I would never be able to forgive myself, because it is SO preventable. And don’t forget to tighten those straps up TIGHT – no more than one finger should be able to slide under their shoulder. Hannah hates the straps tight but I always tell her better uncomfortable than dead.
Sorry to be such a downer and sorry to be so long, it is just SO important. I know you know that too.
erin´s last blog ..diaper sprayer tutorial
November 11th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Huh, it took me four years to figure out what took you a very short time. Good decision! We went with the frame and loved how light and easy it is to get in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out…..
It wasn’t until Peter that I got a good trail walker. That’s the one I use all the time in this lovely part of the good ol’ U.S. Then we got a cheaper version of a McClaren for the car. Two kids later I finally figured out the stroller scene. Shish!
BTW, good luck finding one (stroller) comfortable for the CPA to push around. Ha! You’ll need a seriously telescoping handle. I’m seeing custom made in your future….
November 11th, 2009 at 10:03 am
This is exactly why I ask these questions – because you guys have the best answers and the experience to back it up! Great suggestions and I’m glad that what we decided on doesn’t seem to be too far off-base. And thanks for the recommendations for the convertible seat – I have a feeling it will only be a short while before we’re shopping for that too.
Oh – and Genevieve, yes, we’re already seeing how the height thing/stroller handles will be a problem. I think that by default I will be the stroller pusher unless I want the CPA to have a backache after every outing. But I told him that if that’s the case, then he has to change the diapers.
I think that’s a fair trade off, don’t you?
November 11th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Tabitha,
I think you guys made cute, sensible choices! Just a comment on what Emily G. said about the Graco seats snapping onto restaurant high chairs when turned upside down, this is a bad idea. Do NOT turn restaurant high chairs upside down to put a carrier on. Bad, bad idea since the high chairs were not made to be upturned and used safely. They have an unstable base when used that way and can tump over very easily by someone walking by, a server bumping into baby, or even if it gets accidentally kicked. Most restaurants offer special baby carrier slings made to hold the baby safely in the carrier at just about table height. I realize that many people have used the high chairs to hold baby carriers and nothing happened, but why take that chance?
November 11th, 2009 at 11:00 am
We have a Chicco Keyfit30 and a Britax Marathon for when Charlotte’s older. We chose the Chicco because we wanted something that was safe and would easily take a longer baby. I’m glad we did, because we use a hand-me-down Graco in our (pathetically underused) stroller and she’s already growing out of it. We’ve probably got another month or so and then it’s goodbye Graco.
To be honest, though, we probably could have just started out with the Britax. We wanted the flexibility, but we never take it out of the car because when we went to the fire department to have the installation double-checked, one of the guys there pointed out to us that infant carseats aren’t actually made to be taken in and out and carried by the handle very often. So what ends up happening is that carrying them with the weight of the baby in them and moving them from base to stroller and back all the time deteriorates the quality of the plastics, which apparently makes a difference in a car accident. Since then, I’ve read the same thing in a few safety pamphlets, to minimize how often you move the carseat, so we just keep a couple backup carriers in the car.
A couple because I still like variety =P
November 11th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Also, we ran into the same problem with Donald’s height and stroller-pushing. One more reason we wound up carrying her everywhere. It hurts my back less to put her in a wrap than it does to push a stroller around.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I love the feature that it snaps onto a shopping cart. I have seen some mothers trying to grocery shop with their sleeping infant in a car seat, and it is just comical. They put the car seat in the part where the groceries normally go, and then there is no room for groceries. Then they have to buy toilet paper and paper towels and laundry detergent, and the baby is buried in the groceries!
November 11th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
By the way (sorry to keep commenting!), with the infant carrier snapped into a shopping cart (in the top part where it is supposed to go), your baby’s feet are at a perfect height for nibbling on while you shop. Grocery shopping takes twice as long now that I have the baby because I’m so distracted by her cuteness.
Baby belly photos please!!
erin´s last blog ..diaper sprayer tutorial
November 11th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I think you made some great choices. I had an infant car seat and I’d get one again if I were having another baby. I did have the whole travel system, but I’m not sure I’d do the bulky carriage again.
Have fun at your shower. It’s so exciting!
-FringeGirl
November 12th, 2009 at 5:50 am
You will LOVE the jogging stroller!!! It’s the best!! I had a Graco one with Brady and then decided on a jogging one with Ben. Wish I had gone with the jogging one from the beginning. Also, you won’t be sorry going with an infant carrier. We bought two bases, one for each car so we weren’t have to change bases everytime we used a different car. As for slings. I never did like the slings they offered at Babies R Us. They didn’t fit me right. I ended up with a Moby Wrap (ebay great place for them) and it was awesome. I raked leaves, painted a room, went for walks, cleaned house, etc with him in the wrap. He was chest to chest with me and I could kiss his head at all times while he was in it…oh man I miss that so much! Earllier this month I found out carrying him in the wrap did more for him than I realized. He is in therapy for some sensory isses and they said carrying him like I did, really helped with his sensory needs!!! -kriss
kriss´s last blog ..Our Adoption Story
November 12th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I constantly used our infant seat. I was working when I had my oldest and she would fall asleep on the way in, so I could let her snooze (her daycare was in my building) until time to drop her off. I also used it in stores and at church. The seat is so helpful. We’ve definitely gotten our money’s worth out of it–it will be seating our third child within the next week! They do expire, but when you stack them like we have…that’s not been a problem yet! It’s also a Graco, so we got the travel system when we made the purchase. Now we have a Graco Duo, so two of the kids can ride at a time. The infant seat pops right in.
We currently have a booster, standard forward facing car seat and infant seat in the van. In the car we have a booster and our convertible seat. It’s less expensive to buy the “one directional” seats, so we have just passed the convertible down the line as new babies have come. Our girls got too tall to sit rear facing in their infant seats far before their first birthdays, and way before 20 lbs. We kept our second rear facing until she was over 18 months old, so we did get a lot of use from it. When the baby out grows the infant carrier, we’ll move the convertible to the van…
Kristy´s last blog ..Over Due
November 12th, 2009 at 10:18 am
You’re right, car seats aren’t easy to pick from especially when we’re buying our first one! Although, you’ve got some great seats on your site!
November 12th, 2009 at 11:37 am
We used an infant seat and did the transfer to the Britax seat you posted around 5 months. It’s so nice to have them in an infant seat that you can take out of the car and keep them covered up and not disturb them if they are asleep!!! I love our Britax Blvd though!
Terra´s last blog ..Our new family
November 12th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Me again…
Here are a few links I found helpful when shopping for our convertible seat:
http://www.carseatdata.org/
http://carseat.org/
I bought a Britax Decathlon.
Good luck!
Amber´s last blog ..Vacation, Part II
November 12th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Peg Perego here. Our last was a preemie and our Graco didn’t pass the carseat test the little ones have to pass in the NICU. Had to go buy a $300 carseat in order to take the little guy home. Of course he was child #5 and will we ever get to use said carseat again? Nope…there you go. If I was smart I would have had a preemie the first time so I could have gotten good use out of it…darn it!
the inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Pear Tree on Fire
November 13th, 2009 at 11:09 am
What a chore but so glad you made your choice to complete your baby list. It’s not easy when there are so many choices out there but it appears yours is a great one. Can’t wait to see it in person.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Unsolicited advice alert! But I agree with Sarah from Becoming Sarah. Infant seats aren’t really meant to be used as “carriers.” Every time you take the seat out of the frame, put in on the stroller, on the floor, etc, it damages the quality of the inside of the seat. Yes it may be more convenient… but unfortunately “more convenient” often means less safe. In fact in Europe (from what I’ve heard), Moms are discouraged from using Snap-n-Go type strollers because going over bumps, etc., isn’t good for the car seat. Just remember it’s a car seat first and foremost, and a “carrier” second. It’s much better if you can have a seat that you leave in the base. Most people seem to choose convenience/looks over safety these days though……
November 13th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Sarah & Anna – I have to say that I haven’t heard of that before but now you’ve got me curious. I will definitely do my research because if that’s true, I will try to limit my car seat use and stick to the slings that I bought instead. Absolutely worth the extra effort if it means he’ll be safer!
November 14th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
WOW I’ve not checked your blog for a while and so glad to see that it’s really taking off. Baby shower already, didn’t know that it’s next weekend. Time is flying by.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to make it on this short of a notice. Hope you have a good time!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Please go for the car seat with the stroller. Even though it may be a short ride she/he may fall asleep and you’d want to take her along with the seat, put it in the stroller and go on where you wanted to go.
I found it very helpful. I used the car seat also as the first babies table. I bought her first high chair when she was about 9 months old but started solids when she was about 5mo. She sat in the car seat during the feeding so she learned that when she eats nothing is more important than that and eating is something we do sitting. She fell in love immediately with her high chair and the “transition” was not painful at all.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
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November 30th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I found your blog on Monday via Google while searching for peg perego double stroller and your post regarding seemed interesting. I have a few websites of my own and I must say that your site is really top tch. Keep up the great work on a really high class resource.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I know I’m behind on this one, but you made a good decision on the carrier and frame. We have the Chicco carrier and the Snap-n-go frame. We LOVED it. It’s so light and easy to push & steer. Our son is in a “big-boy” car seat now and I miss that carrier and frame. I would have kept him in it for years if I could! ha ha!
We also got a jogging stroller and umbrella stroller a bit after he was born. I dont miss the big bulky travel system stroller at all.
)
December 21st, 2009 at 3:57 pm
So true! The options are dizzying…
I always encourage people to think out what their NEEDS are before entering into the research, selection and buying of any item.
I think the thing to do is think carefully about what it is you require the car seat or travel system to do. This will help you determine ‘how much’ you rate the various features, costs etc you must look at for each item you review.
Thus, it becomes these options/critiria which determine exactly which product to buy. This way you can research and eliminate contenders really quickly (e.g. not in the price range, lacks this convenience feature, etc etc). In other words, once you know what you can afford, and what features, ratings, materials (etc) you want in the unit you buy, you can zero in on the right model really quickly — otherwise, you’re walking around the store (or online) just overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin.
The list of requirements I set out is why Peg Perego products often come out on top: Quality and durability of materials (they tend to be able to handle larger children and be safer and more durable due to the high-end materials used), thoughtfulness of features etc. They do tend to be heavier and more expensive than some of the alternatives, which depending on the requirements you outline as I noted above, may or may not eliminate these car seats for you…
Best of luck!
http://pegperegoinfantcarseat.net
Carrick @ Peg Perego Infant Car Seat´s last blog ..This is a Do Follow blog, with Comment Luv and Keyword Luv
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:05 am
Thanks for the tips.