Infant Seat Test Flaws Article

[ElleTwo]

I ran across this article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...1.story?page=1

Makes me think that any seat I purchase from now on will be a convertible. Just another reason not to use a bucket seat.

[GISDiva]

My take on the article was more that we need better testing on any seat, not just buckets.

[ElleTwo]

Completely agree on the point that all seats need as much testing as they can reasonably be given.

What the article does cement for me is my negative opinion on buckets in general. My observation is that a pretty large portion of bucket users are complacent on safety. Perching them on shopping carts for example...

While we all understand that parenting a young infant is a challenge, I think the manufacturers/marketers have been irresponsible in positioning the buckets in such a way that some parents utilize them as an almost 24/7 infant containment device rather than as "just a car seat".

[soxthecatrules]

Well as my 7 mo old takes her afternoon nap in her bucket seat....I checked out the story only to discover that the soft Baby Einstein blocks she was chewing on this weekend have unsafe levels of lead....crud. I wouldn't be surprised if DS train table downstairs was covered in lead paint. Wish we had the $$$ to replace everything b/c that's really what I feel like doing right now.

And, as far as taking babies out and about....bucket seats are so convenient and that's why people use them. There are a lot of people who for various reasons have no desire to wear babe in a sling.

[snowgirl]

Yikes! Seeing that infant car seat coming off the base is pretty scary. I just put ds in a Marathon yesterday. Bye, bye bucket!

[Giraffe]

I'm a bucket user & actually have the Graco SafeSeat. It works well with our vehicle since it is a 2door SUV with only 2 seats in the back with 2 carseats. I can take the bucket out of the base, sit it on the floor & put babe in a sling. Once in a while I let him nap a few more minutes if he fell asleep on the way home from an errand. It is never put on top of a cart (once in a while it goes in the basket, but rarely).

So much info is missing to make any informed decisions. There's no way to know that the seats were installed right or snapped into the base correctly. Did they use the same seat repeatedly? You're supposed to replace a seat after ANY crash so if the seat was used in testing more than once, then the info is invalid. The test were done to see how the CARS perfomed & not the child seats. Again, too much left out to make any kind of informed decision.

Most convertibles also aren't made with low enough slots to fit newborns well. That is a huge problem. There are MANY seats my boys would not have fit until anywhere from 3-8 months old. (One is giant & the other a peanut.) I think there are only 3 or 4 that fit most newborns well, but definitely not all.

[thixle]

I'm looking to get a 3-in-1 right now.
Strangely, yesterday I found myself at the store-that-shouldn't-be-named staring at the carseats. Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be buying one, um today. DD2 is in DD1's old bucket and I hate it and am afraid of it. We don't go anywhere very often and I'm paranoid the entire time about the stupid bucket (it flips up like one in the video, bc of the way you strap it)...
I've often thought the babe would be better off in a sling tied to me with me strapped than in that stupid bucket (not that I would, but that it seemed safer, yk?)

So, I'm sending DH to the Wal-Mart tonight (drat, I said it!) to get one of the seats. I'm looking at this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10759862 Thoughts? DD2 is about 14lbs and 4months old, so I only want to buy her ONE seat.

[alegna]

3 in 1s are almost never a good idea.

Buckets are fine. The key IMO is using a reliable brand.

-Angela

[soxthecatrules]

FWIW...if you have a Big Lots around....I've seen the same seat, different color, for $70 cheaper.

[bremen]

Originally Posted by thixle

So, I'm sending DH to the Wal-Mart tonight (drat, I said it!) to get one of the seats. I'm looking at this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10759862 Thoughts? DD2 is about 14lbs and 4months old, so I only want to buy her ONE seat.

that carseat won't be the last you will need. a radian is only $20 more and could last you a few more years. it has higher harness slots, a taller shell, and is a more narrow seat, making it easier for others to sit next to her, or install anotehr carseat.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8135734

[cutekid]

So dsiappointed. I really like the concept of the Safeseat..not that I am having another child anytime soon, but I tell friends who are looking for a good seat.

About the 3 in 1 seat. Its not a favorite. THe shell and harness hieghts on the seats are not as high as other convertibles in the same class. For example the True Fit or Radian. I realize niether of these seats can be purchased IRL at Wal-mart so that might make the decision difficult

Next, the Booster mode on these seats are Known for not being a good booster.

Personally, I would skip the 3 in 1 seat and get a Big convertiable in teh same Price Clase, even the Evenflo Triumph would give you more growing room than the 3 in 1

HTH.
Denise

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by thixle

I'm looking to get a 3-in-1 right now.
Strangely, yesterday I found myself at the store-that-shouldn't-be-named staring at the carseats. Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be buying one, um today. DD2 is in DD1's old bucket and I hate it and am afraid of it. We don't go anywhere very often and I'm paranoid the entire time about the stupid bucket (it flips up like one in the video, bc of the way you strap it)...
I've often thought the babe would be better off in a sling tied to me with me strapped than in that stupid bucket (not that I would, but that it seemed safer, yk?)

So, I'm sending DH to the Wal-Mart tonight (drat, I said it!) to get one of the seats. I'm looking at this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10759862 Thoughts? DD2 is about 14lbs and 4months old, so I only want to buy her ONE seat.

I got that one at Big Lots for $90. I figure by the time she is big enough to need a booster seat, I will buy her something like the Nautilus, b/c we'll hopefully have another baby by then who will use the AO.

[soxthecatrules]

I came back to post that this seat would definitely not be the last one you need....but, somebody already beat me to the punch!! I just finished our search for a seat for DS and was trying to get him back to RF. I swear I put him in every convertible seat in town and really nothing (even the few Britax models in town) was going to last him much longer than his CrappySport. I've ordered a Nautilus. $143 on Amazon.

[A Mom's Love]

Originally Posted by alegna

3 in 1s are almost never a good idea.

Buckets are fine. The key IMO is using a reliable brand.

-Angela

Why is it that 3 in 1s are almost never a good idea? What about the Britax Marathon? Does anyone use that with an infant? Or the Sunshine Kids Radian65? It seems to me that avoiding buckets with bases would be safer.

[veganone]

Originally Posted by A Mom's Love

Why is it that 3 in 1s are almost never a good idea? What about the Britax Marathon? Does anyone use that with an infant? Or the Sunshine Kids Radian65? It seems to me that avoiding buckets with bases would be safer.

A lot of newborns won't fit into a 3-in-1 properly. DD went home at 5 lbs 4 ounces (she was pre-term). The smallest slots on her Marathon were comically high on her until she was closer to 9 months. Honestly. I can't even begin to imagine how they think it's safe to put a newborn in one. Plus the rubber strap covers over her chest would automatically make it not fit a tiny baby, since their torsos are shorter than the strap covers. Here's a photo (those are the lowest shoulder slots) of a newborn in a Marathon: http://www.freewebs.com/sacredjourne...6778505&prev=1

I find that article and the videos really concerning. I think it's disgraceful that the safety test for carseats (the bench slide test) is so inadequate. How do we know what is safe and what isn't when there isn't any good testing of various seats or any safety rating for them?

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by thixle

I'm looking to get a 3-in-1 right now.
Strangely, yesterday I found myself at the store-that-shouldn't-be-named staring at the carseats. Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be buying one, um today. DD2 is in DD1's old bucket and I hate it and am afraid of it. We don't go anywhere very often and I'm paranoid the entire time about the stupid bucket (it flips up like one in the video, bc of the way you strap it)...
I've often thought the babe would be better off in a sling tied to me with me strapped than in that stupid bucket (not that I would, but that it seemed safer, yk?)

So, I'm sending DH to the Wal-Mart tonight (drat, I said it!) to get one of the seats. I'm looking at this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10759862 Thoughts? DD2 is about 14lbs and 4months old, so I only want to buy her ONE seat.

If you want a car seat that will truly last you to booster age, get a true fit. It's probably the best one that will fit newborns and 5-6 year olds. The radian is good too, but I like the padding better in the true fit and it has less installation issues.

[thixle]

So, too small for a tiny baby is the main reason for no 3-in-1? or is it bc they are too small for the larger kids in the weight class? Or, what the heck am I missing here? I suppose I can order online, it's not like she hasn't been riding in this bucket for almost 3 months. It just kills me now knowing how bad it really is.

Why is the only sticky about ease of installation and use? No matter what, a carseat is a pain to install, so who gives a hoot on that. Where are the safety raitings? Oh, wait, that would be too much to ask for this country. :

[alegna]

3 in 1s are all outgrown in harness mode far before a child is ready to be in a booster. Then they're rotten as boosters.

MUCH better to get something like a truefit.

-Angela

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by ElleTwo

My observation is that a pretty large portion of bucket users are complacent on safety.

Honestly, that is truly an offensive statement to make. There are many moms here that use infant seats as they are the best fit for a large number of infants.

[MacKinnon]

Here is the link to the Safe Kids response to the article.

An excerpts reads:

An article in the March 1, 2009 edition of the Chicago Tribune suggested that unpublicized government crash tests from 2008 may have revealed "flaws" in car seats. While the details of the tests are still unclear, one thing remains undisputed: car seats save children's lives every day. It is critical that parents and caregivers continue to use car seats for their children.

Correctly used car seats and booster seats are extremely effective, reducing the risk of death in a crash by as much as 71 percent. And the number of children killed in crashes over the past 30 years has dropped significantly, mostly due to the widespread use of car seats and enhanced child passenger safety laws.

Safe Kids USA always puts children and their safety first. Despite the report in the Tribune, the car seats on the market today are still the best, proven way to protect children in the event of a crash. Parents should continue to buckle their children in the right car seat or booster seat on every ride.

Safe Kids believes that more testing for car seats and vehicles can only continue to advance the child passenger safety field and improve the level of protection we can offer children when they ride. The more we know about car seats and how they react in crashes, the better equipped we will be to push for new technology and improvements that will keep children safer.