Guys,

I've noticed a couple threads on public car seats, and car seats are mentioned in a few areas under the family wheels section, but I'm looking for specific pros and cons to what you guys are using.

I'm in charge of the car seat, and I can't fail at this I've been thinking that a car seat that easily transitions to being in a stroller, or mounted to a stroller would be handy, and I believe they call this "a system"?

I don't have seatbelts in the boat, but I figure if it fits in the car, it can fit in the boat, right!?

So toss up your favorite seats you've found and be sure to let me know about the worst ones as well. Thank goodness I have a few months before we're expecting, and being my first, well, I'm just a little nervous about picking the wrong one.

Thanks guys.

If you got a big budget, the Britax systems look VERY cool.
www.dadlabs.com/Gear-Daddy/abc-kids-expo-britax-first-look.html

We were on a "Targét" budget. We got a decent lil' "carrier" that snapped onto a base left in the car, and a stroller as well. It also was easy to strap in WITHOUT a base. This was important so that we weren't forced to buy a second base, so either parent could pick up the kid from day care, or go out, regardless of which car was available.

Baby Trend was the brand. It had the triangle in the handle which made it slightly more comfy to handle. As the kid got bigger(heavier) it didn't make much difference, it was a challenge. I believe our stroller was a generic "universal" stroller and the seat clipped right on. But if you're only going "shopping" with the wee one, you may not need the stroller, as many of the carriers will also fit on a shopping cart perfectly(ours did). Edit: I believe it was the "phantom" model.

I miss the days of being able to strap him in while IN the house. And then just click him in/out of the car and then unloading him once back in the living room.

Ours was Graco. It served us well. The extra base was cheap and probably bought by an in-Law. The stroller that came with the system was ok. Not great. Depending where you are, get a cover for the carrier if it might be cold out. The nice ones lay between the baby and the carrier with spaces for the straps and then have a cover tha zips over the baby and straps. Nothing between the baby and the restraints, but total coverage. This way you aren't layering too many clothes on your baby and having a bad fit in the car seat. This is important when they're that small and the straps are incredibly difficult to adjust on the fly at that young age.

Ok, make sure you know what your vehicles will handle. If you have LATCH in everything you have, you're likely set for everything. The Britax LATCH "staplers" are just plain awesome. We've used them from the post-infant stage on to booster seat. Any seat is difficult to thread with a shoulder belt, so if you have a legacy, non-LATCH vehicle, sorry. I am in that boat.

Speaking of boats... I'm pretty sure that a car seat on a boat is a bad, bad, bad idea. Life vest, yes. Strapped to a car seat, not on your life. You may need to wait for the boat until the baby's big enough to have a well fitting vest. There are surely sites devoted to child boating safety. Here's a place to start.

Thanks for the input guys.

Regarding the boat - don't worry, I wouldn't really just leave the baby in the car seat, that is truly recipe for disaster. I have already sourced several infant life vests. Until I started looking, I had no idea they even existed. Several people I know, who have children, started with these at just a few months old. Gotta start with the bathtub test to confirm fit.

Graco and Britax both recieved good reviews online, and tested well for crash safety. It sounds like most infant seats will attach to most strollers?

I appreciate your advice Ben, on the overlayering of clothes, I hadn't thought about that before.

I highly recommend looking at AlbeeBaby's specials. We got all of our Britax seats for only a little more than the upper end of the Target range and without a shipping fee. If you get two, they stack really well in the boxes.

The clothing thing is really critical for babies. You can apply too much pressure on them by leaving the straps from fitting in one later of clothes and then putting them in with three layers or more. Those covers make it possible for them to travel in indoor clothes and stay perfectly warm. On Target's web site, they call them bunting bags. You'll find them in every car seat accessory area.

something to think about is how much you will actually use the stroller. in our case, we ended up only using the stroller to walk around the neighborhood, so we used a bob for that. and we only used the car seat adapter for maybe 3 months... after that the baby sat in the stroller like a normal kid, but with a bolster to keep his head somewhat stationary.

we had a smaller stroller that we could have used the car seat with, but if we were going to the grocery store or something like that, life was easier with a carrier of some sort (baby bjorn, ergo baby, etc).

i guess what i'm getting at is that there are bulky strollers (like the bob) which are great for running or around the neighborhood, and there are very lightweight umbrella strollers (like the maclarens) which are compact and easy to load and unload from the car. and then there are these inbetween strollers that you can mount car seats on which are kinda bulky for loading and unloading on a daily basis, and also aren't as comfortable as the larger strollers. they're like the best of no worlds.

Britax is a great system, very heavy duty, excellent crash and safety ratings. I like them for slightly bigger kids.

You might have a look at the Chicco KeyFit 30. This is a very adaptable system, good crashworthiness, and works with the Cortina travel system.

We recently did a video about the Cortina travel system. This system is best for multiples or if you have two kids. But maybe if you are thinking long term...

Disclosure: we have been sponsored by both Chicco and Britax in the past.

My feeling is that the "systems" are a bit of a waste of money (at least for our family it would have been).

We got the Chicco KeyFit 30 and loved it because it is super easy to get in/out of can without waking the baby. We didn't get the rest of the "system." Instead, we just used a cheap Snap n Go when we were out. It isn't made to last, but we really only needed it for the first few months. Once your baby is old enough, transitioning to a Bjorn, Bob and/or umbrella stroller may make more sense. (both our boys loved (and slept) in the Bjorn), and my wife and I almost always use our Bob for neighborhood walks - it rides so much better than the small-wheeled alternatives).

We started with a Graco Snugride car seat and switched to a Britax Marathon at around 7 months. We are quite pleased with both.

What type of car do you drive? It may make a difference. You need to make sure you have a couple of inches of clearance between the car seat and the seat in front of it. Some car seats are longer than others.

I suggest you get a light colored gender neutral car seat. The light colored fabric will not heat the baby like a dark colored car seat will. A gender neutral car seat fabric will make it easier to use for future siblings. Some might have an issue using their daughters hot pink car seat for their new son.

Finally, avoid the infant seats that go up to 30 plus pounds. Not only will it be impossible to lug around with the child inside, but chances are your child will grow out of it before the weight limit is reached. Abby was about 16 lbs when we switched her to the Britax.

ETA... regarding strollers. Most strollers will hold a car seat. We bought a snap and go and found it acceptable, but not the greatest thing to push around for extended periods of time. Our Jeep stroller held the car seat and is very easy to push and steer.
Dan

Thanks for the ideas, I'm starting to think that the "system" is perhaps a waste as well. Getting the proper seats for the right times and objectives would be a safer route.

My wife drives a Q7, and I have a dodge Ram, so the seat clearance won't be an issue. I do want a seat in which the bases stay in the vehicle as we'll both be transporting the baby.

Sounds like I may need to spend more time at a retailer to get some hands on time.

This may sound crazy... But do you have a teddy bear that you are comfortable taking into public? If so, take it to the store and try strapping it into the car seats. Pay attention to how the buckles work, the tightening and loosening of the straps, and general ease of entry. Your furry friend will hopefully help you make a more educated choice.

Dan

+1 for the AlbeeBaby site. We got our seat & stroller combo from them. Fast, and less expensive than other places. The first stroller they sent us had a broken axle, and it was no-fuss getting them to replace it. Customer service was great.

Wifey and I are big Britax fans. I won't put my kid in anything else. Clay mentioned that he liked them for bigger kids, but IMHO, they're great for small kids as well. My son is very small at 18 months and only about 20 pounds. He's in a Britax Advocate CS.

We brought him home from the hospital in a Britax Companion infant carrier, which was the precursor to the chaperone. We had a few gripes about the belt threading and whatnot, but they've addressed that all with the newer model. We also got the Vigour, which was the stroller that was part of their "travel system." I will agree with others on the Travel system. The stroller was a little big and unwieldy. We still use it on the trails near the house since it's got the big pneumatic wheels, but it rarely comes with us in the car. We've got a much lighter stroller that's in the car now.

@Daddy Clay: I saw the show you did with the Chicco Together stroller. I forwarded that episode on to my wife (who is pregnant again). We are in the market for a new stroller since we're going to have two kids stroller-bound now. She said she liked the ease with which you were able to fold it and stuff, and wants to go look at it in person. We are going to re-use our son's Britax infant carrier though. When you were messing around with it, did it look like it could accommodate infant carriers from other brands?

OH MAN I am so glad I saw this thread.

I'm in charge of finding the car seat and the stroller and my HEAD IS SPINNING!!

Once the baby comes my wife is gonna be a SAHM (a lama ding dong?) and I want to make sure I get her something that is easy to deal with.

Sounds like most of you aren't even using the strollers!! When do you actually start using the stroller?

I am looking for something that can last my kid a long long time, can attach the stroller easy. Lightweight and compact... and if possible adaptable for jogging... and make it under $100...?? MAN I must be dream'n!

I was looking at the Britax Chaperone for our infant seat, mostly because of how highly rated it comes in safety.

Britax car seats are great (we use the Boulevard for both our boys), but can be a bit pricey.

We used (and really liked) the Chicco KeyFit30. Compared to others we tested, it is super easy to get in/out of the base.

For a stroller, as I mentioned above, I'm a big believer in getting a cheapo Snap n Go for when the baby is still in the infant stage. It has a basket at the bottom for carrying stuff and rolls just fine when shopping, etc. Now, it isn't good on rough streets/trails. For that, we got a Bob Revolution with the infant car set attachment. We love it - very smooth, maneuverable and can go anywhere. Plus, while it costs quite a bit, once you are done, you can sell it for almost what you paid for it on Craigslist (assuming you keep it in good shape). Plus, it can be used for a long time as the baby grows.

I have no idea about the best umbrella strollers for past the infant stage. We got a McLaren SomethingorAnother. I think it works fine, but my wife hates it (the buckle is funky). We tested others, but found that the difference in our heights made it difficult to find one that worked for both of us (if she liked it, I would have to take little steps to keep from kicking it while walking; if I liked it, the handles would be uncomfortably high for her, etc.). We settled on the McLaren because it was easy to open/close - that gave it the edge over the UppaBaby stroller, which seemed more comfortable for the baby.

Hope some of that helps.

That's great info! Thanks.

Now why would I want a snap and go instead something like the Britax B Nimble that the car seat can attach too? (assuming I decide against a jogging stroller)

Wouldn't I just be paying 50 bucks for one stroller, then another $____ for the next?

At first I was having trouble over the infant car seat, not wanting to buy a new car seat a year down the line... but now I am sold on it, just for the convenience of getting the baby in and out of the car.

I suppose the stroller is the big issue now.

I assume by snap and go that you're referring to an "umbrella" style lightweight thing.

It's a matter of size and convenience. The stroller that we used initially was part of a Britax travel system...the infant seat attached to it. Now that my kid is a little bigger and no longer in the infant seat, the stroller has a regular seat that he can ride in. But here's the deal: the thing is frickin' huge, and it's probably about 25 pounds. It's not very small even when collapsed. So, it takes up the bulk of the back area of my wife's midsize SUV--even folded. And, since it's an SUV, it's higher off the ground. My wife's only 5'0", so lifting it into the back is a PITA for her.

We didn't want to get a cheapo $20 umbrella stroller that wouldn't last long, but we also didn't want to spend uber cash on an uber elite umbrella stroller. So, we got a "First Years" stroller from amazon.

www.amazon.com/First-Years-Ignite-Stroll...292971665&sr=8-1

It's not quite as compact as a true umbrella stroller, but it is small and light enough that it fits much easier into the back of her SUV. We still use the Britax stroller on the trails near the house, but it rarely comes anywhere with us anymore.

Also, FWIW, don't bother looking for strollers at Target. When we were shopping for a lightweight one, we went there. They're all placed on a high shelf, and cabled to the shelf so that you can't remove them. If you're like me, you want to try it out to see how it rolls and how easy it is to put a kid in prior to purchasing. Can't do that at Target. I sent a letter to them about it, and they actually wrote back saying it's because they might not have assembled them according to directions. How stupid! [/rant].

We love our Chicco Keyfit 30. But make sure it will fit nicely in your car. I have a Sentra, and it will only fit behind the passenger seat with that seat pushed up pretty far, making it essentially unusable for a passenger. Luckily I rarely have a passenger in my car so it's not a big deal. We use my wife's Jetta for family transport, where it fits in the middle. The other consideration is weight. My wife just advised her sister-in-law who has Carpal Tunnel to go out and test some to make sure she's comfortable carrying it around. The Chicco is on the heavy side of the car seat spectrum, but is super easy to use and has great safety ratings.

Another KeyFit 30 recommendation here. We chose that one because we needed to be prepared for a preemie and the keyfit 30 starts at 4lbs. Later we saw it on the NICU bulletin board list of suggested car seats. So it's a good thing. At 14 months our son has finally outgrown it. He's only 21.5 lbs but he's just now to the maximum height of 30" but he has about 1.5" between his head and the top of the seat.

We are also on the "Targét" budget so we found the Britax Roundabout 55 at Targét.com for $160. We chose that one mostly because the rear facing weight and height maximums will let us keep him that way for as long as possible. Also it looked similar in size to the keyfit 30 (base included) when I laid them side to side at Babies r Us. I'm hoping it will be a good fit in my Saturn SL. We'll see next week when it gets here.