What kind of carseat will you be using?

[lilmissimpatient@c]

I'm feeling overwhelmed by the amount of carseats available. Hubby has been doing tons of research on them, and we really like the infant-toddler carseats - and they're supposed to be super safe. We looked at a few, but they're all SO GIANT! I'd imagine a newborn would be absolutely lost in one.

So, I thought i'd ask - what do you plan on using?

[ChattyCat]

We have a Britax marathon for ds, and have used it since birth. He seemed really tiny in it for a while. This time, I think we're going to buy the Britax infant seat for the early days. I can't think what the model is called right now. Their infant seat has a higher max height than most other brands, so dd should fit in it for quite a while. When she outgrows her infant seat, I think I'm going to move her to ds's marathon, and buy ds the Britax booster seat. It actually works out cheaper than buying a whole 'nother convertible seat.

If I were to buy a new convertible seat right now, I'd go with the Britax Boulevard(?). I think that's the model that you never have to rethread the shoulder straps. It has a wheel on the side that adjusts the strap height as your child grows. It also has an extra pad in it, that I think would make it better fit a newborn.

[Unreal]

I really like having the infant carrier seat for when the babes are little. If the weather is hot or cold or rainy, it doesn't really matter, since the carseat is inside. You don't have to worry about the seat being burning hot or so cold on your newborn.

I don't use them to carry the kids--but I do bring it in to restaurants, since most that i've seen will sit in the highchairs (or some restaurants have special 'holders' for them)

We have a graco infant seat (at the time, I believe it had the highest weight rating--and I have super chunky kids)
but we since ds2 outgrew that he has been in Britax seats.
They are definitely worth the extra money.

When Maybaby outgrows the infant seat, ds2 will move to a booster seat and Maybaby will get the seats ds2 is using now (Marathon in one car, Decathlon in the other)

[SpudinPhilly]

We got the Britax Boulevard - Britax has one of the highest safety standards on the market, and this model - I think - fits in airplane seats as well - as we tend to fly a lot more often than drive around (we don't even own a car!). We primarily got it for the drive home from the Birth Centre and will fit it into our friend's car who's giving us a lift.

I think you can get a special cushion to put around the head/shoulders of your newborn to help support the big head of your little one in the "huge" seat. Also if you swaddle your babe, that will make your wee babe a size bigger. I've seen the cushion sold seperately - not from Britax.

[KBinSATX]

We decided to splurge and are planning to use two different seats. We are starting out with the Graco Snugride (baby seat) and will later on switch to something else. The SnugRide is rated for up to 29 pounds and has good reviews from consumer reports.

[NYCVeg]

Disclaimer: We're registering for this stuff, so cost was not an issue.

We're getting an infant car seat (Peg Perego Primo Viaggo) that goes with the stroller we like (I have to admit, we were totally sucked in by the aesthetics on this one--the Peg Perego stroller and car seat were a little pricier than others that were equally safe, but we LOVED the color, look, and feel of it, and we figure it will last us through 2 kids).

We're also registering for the Britax Boulevard Convertible, which we'll switch to as soon as bun outgrows the infant seat.

Both the Peg Perego and the Boulevard have side-impact padding for the head, which was important to us.

[busybusymomma]

I can't stand carrying around the infant seats (I love being petite and wimpy :lol) so we're going straight to a convertible. I'd rather spend that $100 on a stroller to compliment my pouch/carrier selection.

I have a spare Fisher Price Safe Embrace with a couple of years of life left before it "expires" so baby will be in that seat. If I didn't have the FPSE already, I would buy a Britax Marathon since Fisher Price seats aren't being made anymore.

PS- for those using a Snugride for awhile, you might wait a bit to buy a convertible unless you can afford the Britax seats. Rumor has it that Britax will be making carseats for Fisher Price that should retail Fall 2006. :thumb I believe they'll be a little cheaper than the Britax for those who despise Cosco seats like I do, find money tight and yet want a good seat. :)

[KBinSATX]

PS- for those using a Snugride for awhile, you might wait a bit to buy a convertible unless you can afford the Britax seats. Rumor has it that Britax will be making carseats for Fisher Price that should retail Fall 2006. :thumb I believe they'll be a little cheaper than the Britax for those who despise Cosco seats like I do, find money tight and yet want a good seat. :)
Sounds like good timing then... ;)

[Unreal]

I think you can get a special cushion to put around the head/shoulders of your newborn to help support the big head of your little one in the "huge" seat. Also if you swaddle your babe, that will make your wee babe a size bigger. I've seen the cushion sold seperately - not from Britax.

I'm not an expert on car seats or anything...there are a few on MDC though..
but I believe you are NEVER supposed to 'add' to your carseat. The carseats are tested for safety with the materials they come with (our Britax Decathlon came with an infant insert, but the marathon did not)
Also swaddling your baby means the straps will not fit properly (since blankets compress)

if you do searches on here for car seat installation and safety, you'll find lots of information.

[cicerosum]

I have a Britax Marathon for my near 4yo and Decathlons for the new baby and my almost 2 yo.

[Ksenia]

We used the Britax Roundabout for our first baby and our second baby will use it too. At 27 mo he has outgrown the Roundabout (in height only) so he will be graduating to a Marathon (even nicer than the Roundabout). Ds has always been light but tall, so he would have outgrown an infant carseat super quickly. He did seem small when he was first in the Roundabout, but it was fine. The only real issue is the head, and you can roll a receiving blanket and put it in an upside-down "U" over the head - I don't think that this causes any safety problems. Having a infant carseat wasn't worth it for us because we are babywearers and we wouldn't have left him in the bucket, and we don't use strollers either (except for jogging when they're older). Those buckets are really uncomfortable to carry around too!

All that ended up being a bit of a moot point because ds hated being the car for the first year (I think it was being rear-facing). I took the bus everywhere because I could keep him in the baby carrier and nurse as needed, etc. We just didn't go on trips and things because it was so awful driving with him.

Britax products are great for comfort - it's worth it if you can afford it. We figure we can afford it because we didn't buy a stroller, crib, special changing table, new clothes, baby swing, infant seat, etc. etc. (all the crazy kit and kaboodle that is deemed necessary these days). We splurge when we do want something for ds because we have saved so much money by keeping it simple. We buy good baby carriers, and we bought him a Kinderzeat (instead of a high chair) and a Learning Tower.

[vicky72]

We will be using the graco snugride that we used with my DS. We have a VW Jetta('98) and it is a bit tight in the back seat with 2 seats. When sprout grows out of that I am going to get an evenflo triumpth convertable. I HATED the alpha omega I had with DS and have it stored away. I know it wouldn't fit in the back seat not being in the middle. UGG

[L'lee]

We will be using a Graco infant seat (already got new as a gift) and I also registered for a Britax Marathon, though if we don't get that as a gift, I may consider the Boulevard or the Britax-Fisher Price seat when it comes out. One negative I've heard about the Britax is that it is a bit wide, which can be an issue if you have more than one carseat in your car OR if you plan to take it on a plane. I also registered for a Graco convertible for DHs car and for traveling in planes (since we expect to fly across the country 2-3 times a year). Might be a little excessive, but it would be nice to not have to switch the carseat to a different car if we need to use it.

[JayGee]

We'll use a Graco infant seat. Then a Britax Roundabout when the baby outgrows the infant seat. I also like having a "baby bucket" for when the baby falls asleep in the car and I want to carry him inside. Neither of my kids was good at making the transfer from car to house without waking.

[HollysMom]

Disclaimer: We're registering for this stuff, so cost was not an issue.

We're getting an infant car seat (Peg Perego Primo Viaggo) that goes with the stroller we like (I have to admit, we were totally sucked in by the aesthetics on this one--the Peg Perego stroller and car seat were a little pricier than others that were equally safe, but we LOVED the color, look, and feel of it, and we figure it will last us through 2 kids).

We're also registering for the Britax Boulevard Convertible, which we'll switch to as soon as bun outgrows the infant seat.

Both the Peg Perego and the Boulevard have side-impact padding for the head, which was important to us.

First I didn't pay for mine either. My in-laws bought the day I went into labour (5 weeks early). We have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggo and the stroller and it is great. Oh and it will definitely last you through to kids. Mine barely looks like it was used and we used it all the time.

[NYCVeg]

First I didn't pay for mine either. My in-laws bought the day I went into labour (5 weeks early). We have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggo and the stroller and it is great. Oh and it will definitely last you through to kids. Mine barely looks like it was used and we used it all the time.

Good to hear. We actually don't know anyone who had that one...we just liked it! For some reason, neither of us (dh in particular, who has strangely strong opinions about some of this stuff) really liked the Graco SnugRide, even though practically everyone we know got it and liked it. My sister implied that we'd be crazy not to get it and also pooh-poohed the Britax. Of course, she has a Bugaboo Frog, so... :p

Our main doubt about the Peg Perego was the expense, given that we plan to be mainly slingers, rather than strollers...but then we decided that the aunts and uncles and family friends would actually be glad to have mainstream, big-ticket items to get us...otherwise, they'll be stuck with slings, cloth diapers, and vegan diaper rash cream. :lol

[dharmama]

We have the Peg Perego from DD that this babe will use as well. I really liked it but my my DD outgrew it FAST!!! (She was a super-chunker). I think she was in a convertible by 4 mos...maybe 5.

We mostly used our sling to carry her but there were definitely times where it was SOOOOOO helpful to be able to lift her out of the car in her carseat...like when we went through a patch of really rough sleeping and we'd have to drive around to get her to calm down and fall asleep...then we'd carefully carry her in and put the carseat next to our bed so we could get a couple of hours of sleep. (Gosh...I had almost forgotten about those days!! :o Wow!!! Wonder if our new babe will be as demanding as DD was.)

Anyway....we went from the Peg Perego into a hand-me-down carseat (from an ultra-safety-conscious friend) and she was in that for a bit until I saved up some $$$$ for a Britax Marathon...which I absolutely LOVE and will definitely be buying for babe #2!! :)

[busybusymomma]

I'm not an expert on car seats or anything...there are a few on MDC though..
but I believe you are NEVER supposed to 'add' to your carseat. The carseats are tested for safety with the materials they come with (our Britax Decathlon came with an infant insert, but the marathon did not)
Also swaddling your baby means the straps will not fit properly (since blankets compress)

if you do searches on here for car seat installation and safety, you'll find lots of information.
Lauren is right. Rolled up towels are safe on each side of baby IIRC but you don't want to buy those inserts. Definitely do some reading up on that. :thumb

Technically, a child should be buckled in and then his/her coat closed over the straps, which is what I do for my kids. Buckling a kid in snugly with a big coat or blanket on just never seems as snug or safe to me- I'm sure it isn't. :wink

[ILoveMySofie]

I am having a seat shipped from Europe. i know its somewhat crazy BUT i am in love with this seat and i must have it.
At the same time I will be ordering a booster seat from them as well for DD who will be just a couple of months away from turning 4 when baby comes.

getting them from: maxi-cosi.com

oh and DD is in a Britax right now...we like it but she is about to become too big for it!

[Heidi Jo]

I will be using the Graco snugride from DD at first. This will be it's last baby, because around the time #2 grows out of it it will be 5 years old. I may see if anyone around town is giving away a newer one. Then it will be the Britax Roundabout. Hopefully by the time we get there we will have 2 cars so I can get one of the newer Britax or as someone was saying a fisher price made by britax.

[Mamabeakley]

Because we have NO money right now, we are going to get an infant seat from my SIL - used for about 4 months last year, no accidents, etc. - so I am okay with doing used. If I had tons of dough, I'd get an infant Britax. Actually, I'd get a car without bucket seats in the back and a convertible Britax, but it is really hard to get a seat at the right angle for an infant in our car and it's easier with an infant seat than with a convertible. DS is in a convertible Britax - if he gets really big by the time the belly baby outgrows the infant seat we'll put him in a Britax booster and use the Wizard for the baby. If not, we'll get a convertible Britax then for the new baby. I LOVE not having to move the shoulder straps on the Wizard and I LOVE the safety rating and I LOVE the side-impact protection and the headrest for sleeping babies, and it is WAY worth the fact that it was the most expensive seat available at Babies R'Us. Also, it happens to be a good color! :-)

[newmainer]

We started out with a Roudabout for dd because i thought it was stupid to have 2 carseats and didn't plan on doing the bucket carry either. *BUT* even though i planned on sitting in the back with her, i didn't like that i had to hold her head with my hand to keep it from flopping forward. The seat didnt' recline enough (safely) to put her in a good position as a tiny baby, imo. she seemed way too mini for the seat. so, we went and bought a Graco. i hated how cheap and flimsy it felt in comparison to the Britax, but i loved that she seemed to be better supported.

that being said, now dd is in a Marathon and we have the Roundabout and Graco in our basement. I plan on buying the Britax infant seat- the companion- cause i'm... a snob :o about Britaxs. Probably i will buy on ebay... they are used for such a short amount of time overall and i have seen some go for about $50 or so in good condition.

and we never attached our infant seat to a stroller, but i did find myself carrying it more than i thought - was nice to get the baby all buckled in and settled in the house, rather than bending over in the car.

[HollysMom]

I found that being able to get the baby all buckled in before going to the car was especially nice with a winter baby (dd was born end of November). I know that won't be as important this time, but it is also nice to bring them in without waking them sometimes.

[*GreenMama*]

I'm doing the Graco Quattro Tour in Laura Ashley Canterbury. Its a travel system, so it comes with the stroller. I know I'm going to need to get a different seat for when baby is no longer in the rear-facing mode, but that should be at least 6 months to a year (I hope!)

[boingo82]

DS was in a Britax Marathon from day 1. At first he was so small in it, but it is a really good seat that should last a long time.
We will probably get a Roundabout for the next baby. Britax seats are great.
We never did the "baby bucket" thing, just don't get it at all. I would rather hold the baby in arms than carry it around like luggage.

[Throkmorton]

We are getting a Graco Snugride from my SIL that my nephew is in right now. She is just as much of a nut about car seats as I am.

We wouldn't have bothered with an infant seat except this one will be free. After that, we will get either a Britax Marathon or a Safety 1st Comfort ride depending on how quickly NewLump outgrows the infant seat. DS outgrew his at 6 weeks.

If you are thinking of buying a seat, take a look at the new Graco Safeseat. It is an infant seat, but it can be used to 30 lbs and 32". Remember, babies must be rear-facing for at least a year, preferably longer. This may last until you have to buy a forward-facing combination seat, assuming you have a small-to-average sized baby.

The peg strollers are awesome! I am absolutely lusting over a Pramette (http://tjskids.com/cart.asp?whichpage=1&mode=price&search=null&maincat=53&category=70&brand=0&expand=categories&pagesize=&item=2055) which is not available in the US. In reality, i will just have to be content with the current stroller fleet (a Peg, a Zooper, a couple joggers and maybe, if I win the lotto, a Quinny).

[tiffanyrk1786]

We use Britax Decathalon for our 2 year old, a Britax Marathon for our 9 month old, and will be using dd's old Peg Perego infant seat for the new baby and will eventually put him in a Marathon as well.

[CountryMom2e]

We have the Graco snugride from DS1.... and then will likely buy either another Britax Marathon for DS2 or another Britax. I love having the infant car seat - it was great to be able to buckle the baby in safely in the house and then just snap it into the car, rather than try to get a squirmy baby into the car and buckle up a toddler at the same time. Especially in a busy parking lot.

And it's nice to have the car seat be cool in the summer/warm in the winter rather than leaving it in the car. I didn't use it much as a carrier except in restaurants or the grocery store.

[tiffanyrk1786]

Yeah, we live in FL and I love the infant carseat/bucket type carrier thing only for a few reasons.. 1. Its sooo much easier to be able to buckle baby in inside the house, especially when its raining 2. Living in FL, its extremely HOT and the carseat gets sooo HOT.. 3. When baby is asleep and you are running a million short errands, its easier to leave baby asleep while you just run into the post office for stamps or just run in somewhere (although, if Im going to be inside somewhere for longer than 5 minutes, I take baby out of the carseat

[mom2noah]

We have a Britax Marathon for my DS and love it.

For the new baby I have already bought a Britax Boulevard. It was a great price on Amazon a few weeks and I couldn't pass it up. I've already taken it out of the box and DS used it a few times in MIL's car. It's a great carseat. Super easy to install, plush, and the side wings make it very safe since our car doesn't have side curtian airbags. It comes with an infant insert so we'll probably use it from birth.

I am going to put the Chicco Keyfit infant seat on my list of things I want. I have seen it IRL and like it a lot. We had a Snugride with DS and while I liked it just fine, it lacked padding, and was a pita to install. If someone gives us a infant seat then that would be great. Otherwise we'll just go straight to the Britax.

[Bellasmom]

We will be using the graco snugride that we used with my DS. ... When sprout grows out of that I am going to get an evenflo triumpth convertable.
We have a snugride and the evenflow triumph - I like them both. The Triumph rates just as well with consumer reports as comparable Britax models, and costs about half as much. It also has the adjusting wheel on the side, which I was able to use even with a broken arm last winter!
Angela

[KatSG]

We have one of the Graco travel systems, which I believed included the Snug Ride carseat, I just remember that at the time it was the highest rated infant seat. I really liked being able to put the baby into the stroller without actually having to transfer her.

Since strollers inevitably come up in these conversations, I thought I'd add this: really consider the type of handle you want for your stroller. My Graco has one bar across so it makes it really easy to control the stroller on hills and I can push it one-handed, which I do frequently. My best friend has a Peg Perago with two "umbrella" handles and she's always hated it because she can't push with one hand and has to use a lot of effort to steer it. This became a big problem when she had two kids to deal with. But then again, she just had her 3rd and bought all Peg Perego again, because it all is really very pretty! :) That's pretty important to her, too.

[MOM2ANSLEY]

:lurk:

I'm excited that fisher price will have seats by britax, hope ds will not need another seat before then.

[nitareality]

I have the Graco snugride that came with the Quattro tour and then the evenflo triumph. I was very happy with the graco and love the triumph.

You know, one of the reasons I like the "bucket" is because you can get the baby acclimated to the car seat before they get in the car. I always figured my baby wasn't used to being strapped into things and not carried, so he needed the extra transition time that that type of carseat provided. We would place him in the seat and rock with him in it a bit before bringing him into the car...if we didn't have this transition time he would scream the whole ride. I also find them great for regions with extreme temps. I agree that leaving a baby in the bucket all the time instead of carrying them is a bad thing, but I don't think the seats are inherently bad.

[boingo82]

..I agree that leaving a baby in the bucket all the time instead of carrying them is a bad thing, but I don't think the seats are inherently bad.

I don't think they're inherently bad either. Using a bucket just didn't make any sense for us.

[Ksenia]

We had the Britax Roundabout from birth and it worked great for us. They do look so tiny in the seat when they're newborns, but they grow so quickly. Ds is pretty tall and he wouldn't have gotten much use out of an infant seat. And we would never have carried him around in a "bucket" - they are really uncomfortable to carry and I like having my babies close. Ds is graduating to a Britax Marathon now and the new baby will have the old Roundabout. If you can afford it, Britax products are probably worth it for safety and comfort.

[De-lovely]

We have used Graco SnugRides with all the babies......I like the easy transfer too.....and they seem very durable IMO.

[thepeach80]

For those of you who are using convertibles from the beginning, be sure they fit your child. I know Britax specifically says you can use their seats from birth as long as the straps are no more than an inch above the shoulders (you want the straps at or below the shoulders when rfing generally). The Britax Boulevard seems to fit nbs well and has the infant pad w/ it to make baby a little more snug in the seat. The Decathalon also has the infant pad. Here's a good site that has a 5# baby in various seats. http://strollerfreak.itgo.com/carseats/5lbnewborn.html

Also, be sure to read the manual of any carseat you buy. I've seen a few of you mention things about seats that aren't true and I just want to make sure everyone's babys are safe. I also strongly reccomend seeing a certified tech to help teach you to install your seat correctly since 4 out of 5 seats are used incorrectly. http://www.seatcheck.org/

Anyways, if I had to reccomend one, :lol , I'd probably reccomend the new Graco Safeseat. I know someone already mentioned it, but my 14mos old is 21# and maybe 30", probably closer to 29" and still has lots of room left in this seat!

[tiffanyrk1786]

Britax Decathalon for DS, Britax Marathon for DD, and Britax Companion for DS #2

[radish]

Mamas with 2 kiddos of more,

Do you plan to use a bucket seat for new baby??

We have a Britex Marathon for DD (almost 3) and I dont know if I should just pass the Marathin to the new baby or get a bucket seat???

[jennlindsey]

We're going to use a Britax Roundabout from birth -- not an ideal fit for a newborn, I know, but it's the ONLY thing that will fit in our itty-bitty backseat (the infant "buckets" didn't fit -- go figure).

[ellymay]

What ever I can find to fit in my car inbetween the other 2. I bought a Graco snuggle
but havn't taken it out of the box yet I will do that soon to see if I can get it to fit.

[thepeach80]

Mamas with 2 kiddos of more,

Do you plan to use a bucket seat for new baby??

We have a Britex Marathon for DD (almost 3) and I dont know if I should just pass the Marathin to the new baby or get a bucket seat???

Your oldest is way too young to not be in a harnessed seat and since the MA goes to 65# I'd get the new baby it's own carseat. It doesn't have to be an infant seat, but your dd needs to stay in her MA.

ellymay-from the measurements I have the Baby Trend LatchLoc is about .5" narrower than the Snugride. What other seats do you have? 3 in a row can be a challenge sometimes.

[mommyjamieof2]

I will be using and recommend a infant carrier car seat I really like graco. They are huge life savers when you have other young children to worry about in parking lots and such, easy to get in and out. Dont have to wake baby, easy to keep baby warm, and alot nicer to use in shopping carts than the ones mounted to the carts and covered in germs and who knows what. A little baby always seems so fragile imagine trying to get them in and out of a car seat, it is a big enough job with my 2 1/2 year old. My mom recently had another baby I have a sister 23 years younger than me but she tried to go with a convertible car seat and she was just to little, so they bought a baby carrier. Also I want to recommend when you do buy a BIG carseat look at the ones that go clear to booster so you dont have to buy another and make sure to get one that is reclining so your childs head is not bobbing my son is out as soon as we start driving.

[busybusymomma]

Also I want to recommend when you do buy a BIG carseat look at the ones that go clear to booster so you dont have to buy another ...

Only if you can use it properly. :) I have a (01) Cosco Alpha Omega that's just sitting around because I hate it. It is the most complicated piece of work I've seen yet- and that's with me watching the video and reading the manual multiple times. I finally bought another brand of carseat that is easier to use- and IMO because it's easier to use then it's more likely to be correctly installed. KWIM? I didn't spend much more actually to get the convertible seats and a booster seat in the end, the AO would have only "saved" me about $30 or so but since I hated it I ended up spending a bunch of money and I have a (IMO) useless seat lying around.

BTW- our town JUST now offers car seat safety checks! I missed the first two days to get the carseats checked because of family emergency but I'm going to try to hit the next one. :thumb

[Brinda]

We were going to do the snugride, but I like the looks of the Grace SafeSeat and that it goes up to 30 lbs. Someone said the snugride goes up to 29, but all the info I've found just says 22? I have a friend who does carseat checks, and she likes both, but says to make sure that your snugrides are the 5-pt. harness. Apparently there was a baby here recently who slid out of the 3-pt harness and was ejected from the car, while the carseat remained nice and secure from a side impact crash. I don't know specifics, and I have my questions about it, but I like 5-pts better anyway. If that is true that a baby can come loose from the 3-pt, I think it's a 3-pt harness issue, and not directly related to the type of carseat.

[Throkmorton]

The snugride goes up to 29", no lbs so it could be that the person was confused.

If I didn't already have a hand-me-down Snugride, i would get the safeseat. (Don't worry about me using a used seat. It has a 10/05 DOM and is from my very trusted SIL. Yes, our kids outgrow infant seats that fast)

[thepeach80]

Also I want to recommend when you do buy a BIG carseat look at the ones that go clear to booster so you dont have to buy another and make sure to get one that is reclining so your childs head is not bobbing my son is out as soon as we start driving.

I would not reccomend getting a seat like an Alpha Omega that goes from infant to booster. First, carseats are only good for 6 yrs and you should use a booster at least till 8 so you'd need a new one anyways. Also, these seats make bad boosters so it's safer to get a booster that is ONLY a booster later. I think the Alpha Omegas and Eddie Bauers are the only ones like this (the 3 in 1) and they have extremely low shoulder slots are often outgrown by age 3 (my son will) and that's too early to use the booster mode, so again, you have to buy a new carseat then too. :(

[radish]

bumping an old thread :)

we just got an infant seat (britax) and it is REALLY cramped in our back seat (Britax Roundabout and Companion). Anyone else??

Also, is it okay for the 2 seats to smoosh into eachother?? The installer from the store said it was fine but seems weird to me.

TIA!

[ChattyCat]

bumping an old thread :)

we just got an infant seat (britax) and it is REALLY cramped in our back seat (Britax Roundabout and Companion). Anyone else??

Also, is it okay for the 2 seats to smoosh into eachother?? The installer from the store said it was fine but seems weird to me.

TIA!
I don't know. Maybe get it checked at your fire/police station? I've got a Britax Marathon and Companion in my 2nd row of seats right now, but since it's a minivan, they're separate chairs in that row. They each fit between the armrests of their respective seat.

Now, if I can just make sure that ds can't poke at dd once she arrives, I'll be in business. :lol

[eco_mama]

I'm kinda lost with this too. The carseat I had for dd came w/ the stroller (can't remember the brand) and I got it as a gift @ my baby shower. When dd grew out of it I gave it to my brother for his dd. Now I'm not sure what to buy. I'm definitely just getting an infant one. Not the infant/toddler. I've read some pretty negative things about gracco (and safety 1st, but I don't think they make carseats) so I wanna steer away from buying any of their products which is totally frustrating because most of them are made by gracco..grrr. :irked: Anyways, I'm buying mine next month so I have plenty of time to shop.

[mimid]

We're getting the new Graco seats that go to 30 lbs. and 32 inches. I figure then I can use them longer and after we'll probably go with the Britax.

[mom2noah]

I'm pretty sure it's okay. My main concern would be the toddler poking or bothering the baby :lol . I'm still trying to decide whether I am going to put my two next to eachother. It would be best because then a third person could sit in the back seat.

Anyway, if you feel the Companion is way too squished then you might want to look into the Combi Connection. It's just about the narrowest infant seat on the market. It gets pretty good reviews. I think the biggest complaint is that it can be a little difficult to install with the seatbelt but is very easy with latch. But if you have a tech help you install the seat then you shouldn't have too much of a problem.

bumping an old thread :)

we just got an infant seat (britax) and it is REALLY cramped in our back seat (Britax Roundabout and Companion). Anyone else??

Also, is it okay for the 2 seats to smoosh into eachother?? The installer from the store said it was fine but seems weird to me.

TIA!

[Throkmorton]

I've read some pretty negative things about gracco (and safety 1st, but I don't think they make carseats) so I wanna steer away from buying any of their products which is totally frustrating because most of them are made by gracco..grrr. :irked: Anyways, I'm buying mine next month so I have plenty of time to shop.

Safety 1st does make car seats, sort of. They are owned by Dorel, which is the parent company of Cosco, Safety 1st and also makes the Eddie Bauer baby gear. The car seats from all 3 brands are pretty much the same. Not bad seats necessarily. Better than some.

As for smooshing seats together, as long as you aren't relying to them being smooshed to get a tight installation, it is fine. They can touch. Of course, thenm you might have to deal with the toddler picking the baby's nose and stuff. :) it might also work better if you have the baby outboard, and the toddler in the center. It would be easier to lift the Companion if you didn't have to get it all the way to the middle of the car.

[eco_mama]

Safety 1st does make car seats, sort of. They are owned by Dorel, which is the parent company of Cosco, Safety 1st and also makes the Eddie Bauer baby gear. The car seats from all 3 brands are pretty much the same. Not bad seats necessarily. Better than some.



Thanks for the tip. Now I'll be steering clear from costco & eddie bauer brands as well. :)

[Throkmorton]

No problem.
Oh, and steer away from Evenflo infant seats as well. Heh. I won't start my rant about why, most likely no one wants to hear it. :)
Are you sure you didn't hear all of the really bad things about Cosco, not Graco? I mean, the names are similar and they are pretty easy to confuse. Cosco is the Co. that really fights to not have to recall their stuff, and has been fined by the CPSC.

[busybusymomma]

Yeah, I hear mostly good things about Graco- but not Cosco. :(

[mimid]

I hear good things about Graco and not much good about Cosco or Evenflo.

[Ooey]

We are starting with the Britax Boulevard too. I don't feel the need to have a heavy infant seat to carry around, and I would rather hold/sling my baby anyway.

[busybusymomma]

Kaela- I'm getting excited to babywear again... I have a Mei Tai on the way and a couple of pouches just waiting for a little baby to carry. :love I'm just too darn wimpy to carry the infant seat. :p

[eco_mama]

No problem.
Oh, and steer away from Evenflo infant seats as well. Heh. I won't start my rant about why, most likely no one wants to hear it. :)
Are you sure you didn't hear all of the really bad things about Cosco, not Graco? I mean, the names are similar and they are pretty easy to confuse. Cosco is the Co. that really fights to not have to recall their stuff, and has been fined by the CPSC.

The stuff I read was specifically about gracco and safety 1st. Evenflo too eh? Thanks for the heads up again and boy oh boy is it gonna be hard to find a carseat! :p Thats totally fine w/ me though, I want the best for my dc and don't wanna support evil companies so I'm all up for a "carseat finding challenge" :lol