Infant Seat Test Flaws Article - Page 3

[A Mom's Love]

Originally Posted by mamapixie

He was about 7lbs, and 20 inches long. I did buy the cover/padding from a Radian 80, and used the infant padding that is included with that for the first few months.

Good to know! My dd weighted that much, but was 1/4" shorter.

Originally Posted by alegna

I don't think buckets are any worse than other seats- I just think they were what was tested here.

That could be true, but I guess after looking at this article, I like the idea of a seat that doesn't have to snap into a base, the way buckets do. That's just a feeling I get. I don't know why/if it would be better, personally.

[3pink1blue]

FTR: bucket seats don't "perch" on shopping carts. They snap on.

[RunnerDuck]

From the article -

"Graco, which has sold more than 600,000 SafeSeats, has received only one complaint from a consumer who said the SafeSeat separated from its base, Galambos said. The consumer, whose child suffered minor injuries, sent Graco the product. Engineers found the seat was working correctly and believe that the consumer may not have locked the seat into the base, she said."

Kind of freaks me out. People are going to think, oh, well, it was a user error, so the seat is safe... but here's the thing. We had snug rides for my girls. I know how the operate. we had one with my son so I've had 3 of them now. I don't remember it ever happening with my son but there were a few times with the girls where I'd be driving and here the "click" of the car seat settling in to the base. Which means I hadn't had it in just right... even though I "know" what I am doing and thought I had it in right. I would hear a click but it wasn't the right click I guess.

I an glad we're done with buckets for the girls. They're in Marathons... had I known how great the true fit was before I got 2 marathons I would have considered those instead (though 2 side by side might be too big)

We considered putting the girls right into convertables at birth but knew with twins the odds were against their being big enough to fit in any of them. They were both under 5 pounds at discharge. But we planned to skip out of saving money, not safety. Hadn't even thougt about the buckets not being as safe as something that stays in the car.

Maybe the buckets are just too prone to user error.

As for buckets snapping vs. perching in shopping carts - usually they snap. I have encountered a few carts where they don't.

[DahliaRW]

The way to make sure your car seat is installed into the base correctly is to try to lift it up when you put it in to make sure it doesn't come out. I believe my snugride instructions said to do this every time to ensure it was snapped into the base.

[mamapixie]

No, the carseat companies have purposely been making their seats so that they don't snap onto carts, because it is inherently dangerous to do so. It throws off the whole center of gravity of the cart. There have been many injuries reported either the seat falls off, or the cart tips over, or even worse, baby falls out of the seat.

[3pink1blue]

my bucket seats are BRAND NEW. Well, not anymore, i guess. A 2007 and 2008 model. And they snap right into the cart. I think any seat will. It's the hook that would snap it into the base that will grab the edge of the cart's seat to snap it on. it's not just dangling there. and I will continue to put my babies there, because there's no other place to put them while grocery shopping.

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by 3pink1blue

my bucket seats are BRAND NEW. Well, not anymore, i guess. A 2007 and 2008 model. And they snap right into the cart. I think any seat will. It's the hook that would snap it into the base that will grab the edge of the cart's seat to snap it on. it's not just dangling there. and I will continue to put my babies there, because there's no other place to put them while grocery shopping.

Our supermarket has carts with little "car seats" built in for small babies/ newborns. Ask your store to order some. Also a sling is good for this.

[claddaghmom]

I saw a cart tip over with a newborn in a bucket seat attached to the cart's seat. I was 10 and will never foget that. I heard the baby's head slap that floor. I put DD's bucket seat in the back of the cart, lying inside and facing me. Totally not worth the chance.

[CallMeMommy]

Originally Posted by RunnerDuck

I don't remember it ever happening with my son but there were a few times with the girls where I'd be driving and here the "click" of the car seat settling in to the base. Which means I hadn't had it in just right... even though I "know" what I am doing and thought I had it in right. I would hear a click but it wasn't the right click I guess.

Are you sure it was the base clicking? That has happened to me, only it was the handle of the carseat. After I popped the seat into the base I put the handle down but apparently not all the way, and after driving I'd hear it click down so it was locked in the down position.

[mamapixie]

Buy a sling or carrier, since I used a convertible from birth, it was the only way I could get the shopping done. And no, no infant seats made now HOOK onto the carts. They may fit onto the cart, but they do not hook onto it any longer. The old Century infant seat I used with my oldest did, but neither the Fisher Price stay in view, nor the Graco Safe Seat have any way to secure the seat to the cart.

[TheGirls]

The brand new in 2008 Graco SnugRide that I have clicks quite well with grocery carts. I agree, that it's not the safest option, but it isn't true that newer buckets don't click in carts.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by 3pink1blue

my bucket seats are BRAND NEW. Well, not anymore, i guess. A 2007 and 2008 model. And they snap right into the cart. I think any seat will. It's the hook that would snap it into the base that will grab the edge of the cart's seat to snap it on. it's not just dangling there. and I will continue to put my babies there, because there's no other place to put them while grocery shopping.

Mine didn't snap on. I agree it's not safe.

-Angela

[JavaJunkie]

Originally Posted by mamapixie

Buy a sling or carrier, since I used a convertible from birth, it was the only way I could get the shopping done. And no, no infant seats made now HOOK onto the carts. They may fit onto the cart, but they do not hook onto it any longer. The old Century infant seat I used with my oldest did, but neither the Fisher Price stay in view, nor the Graco Safe Seat have any way to secure the seat to the cart.

I have never had a bucket seat that hooked onto the cart. My first...I don't even remember what brand it was! It was a Carter's, but I don't know which company made it. Second was a Stay in View...loved that thing, but yeah, didn't snap onto a cart. Had to get a new infant seat with this baby. My sisters bought me a Snug Ride, and it doesn't hook onto a cart. Not safely anyway. I actually tried it, realized that there was NO WAY that it looked safe, and stuck it in the main part of the cart instead. It did actually hook onto the cart, but the angle of the seat was way too severe. I didn't trust it at all.

[an_aurora]

I tried taking the bucket into a store once. If I clipped it to the top (and mine did click, this was in 2005 and it was an Eddie Bauer/Cosco bucket) I couldn't see over it, and if I put it in the main part of the cart there was no room for groceries. Plus of course DD started fussing after 2 seconds in the cart so I was holding her trying to push the cart.

[soxthecatrules]

I know for a fact that our SnugRide has clipped onto a cart. I know this b/c I had to pull the red release mechanism on the backside to get it to come loose. And, I can see over it if I put the handle down.

[thixle]

I placed an order for the True Fit last night after checking car-seat.org to see if it fits our car (99 toyota corolla). Well, others were able to get it, so done.

Like I said earlier, I decided the day before I saw the article to replace the bucket. I wasn't so worried about it separating from the base, but about it flipping up and slamming DD into the back seat. I know it's in correctly, and it doesn't move side to side at all, but you can flip it up (base and all). Just like one (eta-THREE) of the videos showed.

I take the babe out and carry or sling her. I've seen the buckets fall out of shopping carts

[RunnerDuck]

Originally Posted by CallMeMommy

Are you sure it was the base clicking? That has happened to me, only it was the handle of the carseat. After I popped the seat into the base I put the handle down but apparently not all the way, and after driving I'd hear it click down so it was locked in the down position.

Oooh. You know that is completely possible that it was the handle. Because I'd put the seats in, hear the click, give them a shake - not really pull them out but shake them - they seemed like they were in there. Maybe it was just the handle clicking!

And again - did I say it already? - my buckets certainly did latch onto the shopping cart seats. I, too, had to squeeze the red handle to get them out. If car seat makers are making them NOT fit, I would bet grocery cart makers are making the carts to they fit the car seats, LOL

I'm *personally* not convinced it's unsafe, esp. in one of today's SUV behemouth shopping carts. One of the teeny ones like Trader Joe's or a drug store - maybe. You can't/shouldn't put a bucket on those. But most big grocery stores? They have big beefy carts on account of the fact that american's are big beefy people with big beefy appetites.

Guess we all make our own choices on this one.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by thixle

Like I said earlier, I decided the day before I saw the article to replace the bucket. I wasn't so worried about it separating from the base, but about it flipping up and slamming DD into the back seat. I know it's in correctly, and it doesn't move side to side at all, but you can flip it up (base and all). Just like one (eta-THREE) of the videos showed.

RF seats do that they ALL do- UNLESS they tether RF or have the anti-rebound bar. Did you order the new truefit with the anti-rebound bar? Or the old one without?

-Angela

[thixle]

Originally Posted by alegna

RF seats do that they ALL do- UNLESS they tether RF or have the anti-rebound bar. Did you order the new truefit with the anti-rebound bar? Or the old one without?

-Angela

without- and that was stretching the bank I believe (have'nt called the dealer yet) we can retrofit the car to tether rf

[KayleeZoo]

I believe (have'nt called the dealer yet) we can retrofit the car to tether rf

The True Fit cannot be tethered rf. AFAIK, only Britax convertibles and the SK Radians allow rf tethering. The ARB is The First Year's answer to a rf tether.

There are very few (are they actually any?) American vehicles with designated rf tether points; you're usually just looking for a point of attachment that is part of the seat in front of the car seat that is actually bolted to the vehicle frame.