[Editor's Note: An update to this article can be found here.]
Consumer Reports recently tested 12 infant car seats
and declared that most "failed disastrously." In fact, they could only
recommend two (I'll wait while you get a pen and paper to write this
down): the Graco Snugride with E-P-S and the Baby Trend Flex Lock, both
retail for under $100.
That's right, the hundreds of bones you just spent on a fancy Peg Perego, Maxi-Cosi, or Britax were a big waste of money. Eeeeh, not really, according to Estelle and Jean of Faggots on the Third Floor:
Your seat is fine. Don't worry. Consumer Reports is full of shit,
as always. Trust me, know one who knows car seats puts a lick of faith
in anything CR ever says about car seats. The onslaught will begin all
over the internet tonight. Stores will sell out of the seats they
recommended. People will be scared that their child is destined to die
in a crash because CR said their seat failed. As one tech so politely
put it, "roll up the magazine and use it to start a fire."
As is to be expected, Britax responded
by saying that they'd need to see details of the testing methods and
results in order to address the article. Yadda x 3. They're using the
classic "Deflection Defense" which I supposed I'd do too, if I were the
de facto standard for safe carseats.
Whatever you think about the report, infant car seats are often
installed incorrectly and babies are placed in them improperly. I
highly recommend you contact your local highway patrol, police
department, or fire station to get your seat inspected. Information is
available here.
