Anyone have recommendations on baby car seats?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at
4:29 am
We have a nice one but w/out a carrier (spelling?). Where is the best place to get a carrier and a base and do they sell bases separately so we can have one in both of our cars. Also, is it one base size fits all brands or does each car seat company make its' own base.
Thanks!
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I have a Graco Snug ride and I love it. It pink with flowers. I bought the travel system(stroller, carseat and base and I bought another base for husbands car. I bought mine at walmart and they have a few to chose from.
Graco snug ride (many designs)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4433200
Snugride base
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2283980
Graco safe seat
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5459222
Safeseat base
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2283979
Evenflo Embrace
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4291314
Embrace base
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4631170
Evenflo discovery
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5650612
Discovery base
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3132909
Baby Trend Flex
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5544272
Trend Flex Base
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5246098
i think each company makes it's own base.. we use a safety first carseat and it comes with a stroller too:) you can use the carseat to put the baby in till they get big enough to hold their own heads up:) I love hte brand we have and they DO sell extra bases if you want/need one:)
All Graco car seats come with a base, they're really affordable, and you can get them at any retailer like Target or Walmart. All of Graco's things are also REALLY easy to assemble, install, and transport.
try graco.
The right car seat is one that fits correctly in your car and doesn't break the bank.
If you're very tall, or you have a small car, or back seats with a significant recline or that are extremely straight, you may have trouble getting a car seat to fit correctly.
Some places (Babies'R'Us?) will let you try floor models out in your car.
Then, search Consumer Reports for the models that work in your car. (They recommend seats in a variety of price ranges.)
We had to buy different convertible car seats for each of our cars, but the Graco SnugRide infant seat worked in my Honda Civic 2-door hatchback (later replaced with a Honda CR-V) and in my husband's Ford F150.
You can buy bases separately–one for each car–but they're brand specific. (One comes with the seat.) You'll have to wait to buy your second base until you know what car seat you're getting.
I believe graco is the best brand out there. they rated #1 in safety. You can buy a separate base for it. I have the graco snugride and love it I bought it with the stroller set
There is no one 'best' car seat, the American Academy of Pediatrics says the best one is: the one that fits your child's size, is correctly installed, and is used properly every time you drive. All car seats in the US meet the same safety standards, so no one is safer in the other, sort of….but some seats are safer in what they can do. Babies should be kept rear facing (rf) as long as possible, so seats that have a higher rf limit can be thought of as 'safer' in a way. After being turned forward facing (ff) kids should be kept ff in a 5 point harness for as long as possible, so seats with higher ff limits can be thought of as 'safer' in that way. Those seats are the ones that cost more, but, they are actually very cost effective b/c they keep your child safer for longer and you end up buying fewer seats. The average family ends up buying
1) a baby carrier (with stroller and base), rf only, covers up to 20-22lbs. depending upon brand
2) a convertible car seat, does rf and ff. Most do rf to 30lbs, and then ff to 40lbs, but there are several, including one inexpensive one (Cosco Scenera, Walmart $40) that rf higher than 30lbs, keeping your child in the safest position for longer Check links for why rf is safest!
3)belt positioning booster. Most of these say they can be used from 30-100lbs, but the reality is that kids should not be put in them until they are at least 40lbs and 4 years old, and they meet the 5 step test:
a. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto
seat?
b. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of
the auto seat?
c. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and
arm?
d. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
e. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Lots of kids won't pass this test until they're 5 or 6 years old, so they need to be in a 5 point harness until they do.
There's no 'best' place to buy one, either. You can even go look at them in stores and research online to find the cheapest place to buy one and have it shipped to you. http://www.specialtybaby.com/carseats.html is a great source for the best priced deals on baby gear. Each brand of seat (Graco, Evenflo, Britax, Safety1st) will have it's own base to go with a carrier, and you must make sure you buy the base that says it fits the seat. Some travel systems (stroller, base, seat) even come with 2 bases already, but if it doesn't, you can buy extra from the store or from the company itself.
Baby will only be in a carrier for a short time, though, so I wouldn't go overboard in price unless you have money to burn. Most babies have to move to a rf convertible at 5-6 months old. Babies 'r Us is a great place to go, b/c they will let you take the seat out to your car to make sure it fits before you buy it, and you can try your child in it to make sure it's a good fit for your child.
TIP: avoid buying a used car seat unless you are buying from family or friends and you are positive it has never been in a wreck, AND that it is not 6 years old or older. And you don't have to buy a travel system, you can get any car seat/base you want and purchase a Kolcraft universal car seat stroller, Baby Trend makes them, too.