Baby: Car Seats, Anyone?

    
    
A few posts back, I told you about how our quest for the ultimate baby stroller went. You can read about it here. But what about the infant car seat? We can't bring Baby A home from the hospital without it.

We actually bought the car seat first, but we already knew what stroller we would get (the Bumbleride Indie). The Indie has quite a list of compatible car seats.

• Graco Snugride
• Graco Snugride 32
• Graco Snugride 35
• Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30
• Chicco Keyfit 30
• Combi Shuttle
• Baby Trend Flex Loc
• Britax Chaperone

Graco Snugride

Graco Snugride 32

Graco Snugride 35

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30

Chicco Keyfit 30

Combi Shuttle

Baby Trend Flex Loc

Britax Chaperone

We could have chosen any car seat we wanted since the Indie seat can fully recline for an infant. But who would not want the option to get an instant travel system, right?



The 3 best baby car seats rated by Consumer Search are all compatible with the Bumbleride.

Best car seat, more options: Graco Snugride

"Most experts choose the Graco SnugRide as the best infant car seat, and parents consistently give it top marks for its ease of use and installation. The Graco SnugRide comes in a wide variety of options. The pricier versions have fancier fabric, nicer canopies and a cold-weather boot and/or a blanket, but the basic seats in the $80 to $100 range are just as safe. All Graco SnugRide car seats include EPS padding for extra protection. The Graco SnugRide can secure using your car's seat belts or LATCH anchors. The top-rated Graco SnugRide is rated for newborns up to 22 pounds and 29 inches tall."




Best car seat, for heavier / taller babies: Britax Chaperone

"Although the Britax Chaperone is one of the more expensive car seats on the market, experts agree that it goes above and beyond federal safety standards; it's the only car seat in its class that receives an excellent rating in independent crash testing. Safety extras include an anti-rebound bar for stabilization in front- and rear-end crashes. Parents also appreciate the Chaperone's convenience features; ergonomic handles, an extra-long canopy, easily adjustable straps and fun upholstery patterns. Unlike most standard infant seat/carriers, the Britax Chaperone car seat can accommodate larger babies of up to 30 pounds and 32 inches tall, allowing the seat to be used longer and infants to stay rear facing longer (a recent recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is that children stay rear facing until the age of 2). UPDATE (Nov. 8): Chaperone car seats made between April 2009 and May 2010 have been recalled for a chest harness clip that could break. Owners can contact Britax for a free replacement clip." 



Best budget car seat for heavier babies: Baby Trend Flex Loc

"The Baby Trend Flex-Loc holds babies up to 30 pounds and 30 inches tall, so you'll be able to use it longer than the Graco SnugRide (which has a 22-pound weight limit). The Flex-Loc car seat gets very good ratings in independent crash tests as well as good ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for ease of use and fit to vehicle. Parents say this seat has some outstanding features for its price point, such as an extra-long canopy that can rotate 180 degrees, comfortable and easy-to-maneuver carrying handles and easy-to-adjust straps. There are some downsides, however; the seat does not come with many of the extras found in more expensive seats like harness covers, cold weather boots or extra head/newborn padding. Parents also report that the seat can be hard to unhitch from the base and that the fabric does not seem very comfortable."



We eventually picked Baby Trend Flex Loc. Besides it having great ratings in independent crash tests, we figured Baby A can use it longer. The handle is more comfortable than others'. It also matches our Bumbleride Indie in Lava. It has no recalls (yet), and the price is amazing. We got ours at Target for $89.99, which already includes the base.