Babble Best: Infant Car Seats

Graco SnugRide 32

The new Graco SnugRide 32 offers an ideal combination of safety, comfort, style, convenience and price. For babies from 5-32 lbs. and up to 32", the SnugRide 32 offers one of the largest weight and height ranges on the market while at the same time being one of the lightest carriers (7.5 lbs) available. The GracoPedic luxury foam offers comfortable padding while the EPS foam provides additional safety for the upper torso and head. For even more comfort, all models come with either an infant head support or a full-body pillow. Available in six neutral-toned color combinations, the fabric is durable, soft enough (though not luxurious), machine washable and passed an Extreme Car Interiors Temperature test. The seat includes three harness heights (though only one crotch position) to ensure a good fit but does require rethreading. The SnugRide 32 has an ideal canopy with great coverage, a peakaboo window and 180° rotation to customize your sun-blocking. The carrier release latch on the back is large and easy to pull and in our dozens of tries, the carrier latched perfectly with the base every time. The other benefit? The Graco SnugRide 32 is easy to find in stores and online.

$139-$174

DATE:
May 2009/June 2009

TESTER:
Kate Bayless

TESTING METHODS:
In addition to a review of the seat’s safety and comfort features for the baby, we also looked at installation instructions, seat weight and carrying ease for parents as well as ratings provided by Consumer Reports and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). We also strapped in three different kids into each car seat:
  -  A newborn (one month, 7 lbs, 19 inches)
  -  A chunky baby (five months, 18 lbs, 26 inches)
  -  An almost one-year old (eleven months, 25 lbs, 30 inches)

NOTES:
By law, infants are required to be in a rear-facing car seat until they are one-year old AND 20 lbs. (not "or"). Based on nationwide averages (the graph that your doctor uses when calculating your child’s percentage), the "average" one-year-old weighs about 20 lbs. and is just under 30 inches tall (hence most car seat specifications). But not all kids are "average" and car seat manufacturers are responding by producing seats that hold bigger and taller infants.

Accurate information about car seats can be hard to find. New models are frequently being released, some stores carry exclusive seats from a brand that have specific features or different specifications and other stores and sites may be selling old stock of a product even though a brand has released a new model of a particular seat.

All of the infant car seats on our list have a 5-point harness, up-front harness adjustment and can be installed with LATCH or a seatbelt, with or without the base.

Keep in mind, there is no one perfect car seat. The best car seat is the one that suits your child’s body type, fits securely in your car and is installed correctly. It can be hard to do the first with an infant seat since your bun is likely still in the oven when you’re buying a seat. So our advice is to buy a seat from a place that allows returns. Finding a seat that fits securely in your car takes actually installing the seat or checking out the Car Seat Data website that has the web’s only database of car-to-car seat compatibility. But the work you do on these first two points is negated unless you have the car seat installed correctly. According to the Center for Disease Control, car accidents are the number one killer of kids under fourteen and a recent study found that 82% of car seats had installation errors that impacted their effectiveness. How do you ensure you’ve installed the seat correctly? READ THE DIRECTIONS. Don’t presume that installation is intuitive. Second, have your seat checked (or installed from the get-go) by a Child Passenger Safety technician. Find one nearby by visiting SeatCheck.Org or the NHTSA’s Inspector site.

Other helpful sites:

CarSeatData.org
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Car-Seat.Org

LONGEST USE: Safety 1st OnBoard 35

If changing clothing sizes every three months is any indicator, you realize things don’t seem to fit babies for very long. Safety 1st felt your pain and developed their OnBoard 35 car seat to provide the longest height and weight range of use on the market. Designed for babies from 4 lbs. up to 35 lbs. and up to 32", the OnBoard 35 offers four shoulder strap heights and three crotch positions for a tailored fit as well as a three-part newborn/premie padding insert to provide customized support. The seat has side impact protection with EPP foam and the soft, washable fabric is available in four different colors. While the seat is superb, the canopy is lacking in both coverage and ease of use and while the OnBoard seat offers many harness heights, the adjustments require rethreading. We applaud the 8 lb. carrier, but found the latch for detaching the seat from the base a bit hard to grasp. The Safety 1st OnBoard 35 is one car seat that provides a customized fit at an affordable price from tiny premies to hefty one-year-olds.

$129

BEST VALUE: Baby Trend Flex-Loc

Once you figure out the multitude of base options for Baby Trend (see Note 1 below), their infant seat offers tons of great features for under $100. Suitable from 5-30 lbs (see Note 2 below), Baby Trend ‘s infant seat offers 8 harness heights that adjust with the twist of a knob, EPS foam in the side wings and back, easy-to-wipe-clean fabric in a variety of colors (depending on which base you choose), and a stellar canopy with exceptional coverage and 180º rotation. While the carrier weighs 9.5 lbs on its own, the unique triangle-shaped Delta handle allows for various holding styles and is comfortable to grip. The padding appears durable, though not luxurious or particularly cushy, and the seat does not come with additional harness covers or head support pads (though some models include a boot). Also note that unlike most seats, the carrier release is at the base of the seat which may be difficult to access in some cars.

BRU is the only one that carries the Baby Trend seats rated up to 30 lbs.

Note 1: While Baby Trend offers the Flex-Loc, Rigid Latch-Loc and EX Flex-Loc, these differences are in the LATCH mechanism, not in the seat which is basically the same on each model. Here is a brief description of each LATCH method:

Rigid Latch-Loc: two rigid bars that clamp onto the LATCH anchors providing easy installation and a tight fit . . . if your car’s LATCH connectors are in the right spot for this kind of connection. Baby Trend is the only infant seat currently with rigid LATCH.

Flex-Loc: typical flexible strap LATCH attachment system like other car seats

EZ Flex: flexible LATCH connectors make the installation and removal quick and easy.

Note 2: Baby Trend seats available at Babies R Us (Gabriella, Jet and Mojito) are currently upgraded to hold infants up to 30 lbs. The rest of the line is only rated to 22 lbs though Baby Trend plans to have the entire product line rated to 30 lbs by the end of 2009.

$99

EASIEST TO INSTALL: Chicco Key Fit 30

Moving the car seat base from car to car can seem daunting, but with the easy install of the Chicco Key Fit 30 base, you won’t even break a sweat. Chicco has simplified installation to a two-step process. 1) Level the base with the spring-assisted foot and bubble levels and 2) hook in LATCH connectors and pull the single "Center-Pull" strap to tighten both LATCH connectors simultaneously. Done! Correct installation of the base is vital to the seat’s performance and Chicco has made the process simple and easy to do correctly. In fact Consumer Reports ranked the KeyFit 30 the highest on ease of use and fit to vehicle and the NHTSA gave it five out of five stars for both their clear installation instructions and installation features. Chicco’s stellar design doesn’t stop with their base either. The carrier, rated for infants from 4-30 lbs. and up to 30", offers a great fit for small babies with its removable newborn insert and three shoulder strap heights. The seat interior is lined with EPS energy-absorbing foam and covered in soft material in your choice of eight fabrics ranging from calm to crazy. On the downside, the canopy offers only mediocre coverage and we did hear complaints that the fabric wasn’t breathable and kept babies too warm.

$166-$199

BEST ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES: Britax Chaperone

While all car seats sold in the U.S. pass national crash-test standards, Britax is renowned for providing safety features that exceed the requirements. The brand new infant seat from Britax, the Chaperone, provides a number of exceptional safety elements for babies from 4-30 lbs and up to 32" tall. In addition to the 5-point harness, the Chaperone boasts True Side Impact Protection, a pair of super deep energy-absorbing foam wings that protect the head and neck in a crash by distributing the crash force and providing a physical barrier against objects that might intrude into the car. (We also found that these narrow wings prevented "crumpled-neck" syndrome for sleeping babies.) These wings and the shoulder harness can be adjusted to seven different heights with the simple sliding clip on the back and with the two crotch positions, you can ensure a secure fit whatever your child’s size. For smaller babies, the Chaperone also comes with a Low Birthweight Foam that you insert under the seat material to provide a snug harness fit for small babies. The seat is also one of only two seats on the market that has an anti-rebound bar to help stabilize the seat in a front or rear crash. Another reason we love this seat? While providing superior safety features, Britax doesn’t sacrifice style and comfort in the process. The Chaperone is available in four color combinations in sturdy yet soft material (though unfortunately, hand-wash only) and has a canopy with great coverage (even without having 180º rotation) and easy maneuvering. At 10 lbs., the carrier is heavier than most and the width and depth of the unit as a whole is on the larger side (measure to make sure it will fit in your car), but for unparalleled safety, the Chaperone will take great care of your most precious cargo.

$210

Runners Up

Maxi Cosi Mico
Lovers of bold color and two-toned simplicity will appreciate the nine color options for the Maxi-Cosi Mico with names like Chili Pepper and Citro Rush (neutral tones available too). Rated for 5-22 lbs., the seat maintains high safety standards with multiple harness positions, EPP foam and deep side wings. Soft fabric that won’t get too hot or too cold and the included Cozi-Dozi provide added support for small babies. Unlike other seats, the carrier release is located on the base instead of on the carrier which can be tricky to access and means the Mico is only compatible with a handful of strollers.

$170

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP
One of the priciest seats on the market, the Primo Viaggio also weighs in as one of the heaviest to carry (11 lbs.). Suitable for children 5-30 lbs., the seat boasts deep Side Impact Protection wings with EPS foam, five harness heights that don’t require rethreading and soft, microfiber padding in nine colors. But the fabric needs to be hand-washed and drip-dried, the canopy can only be completely closed or completely open, not in-bewteen and the carrying handle interferes with the canopy.

$274

Mia Moda Viva Supreme
The new Viva Supreme (rated 4-22 lbs.) by Euro-inspired Mia Moda has a smaller chest clip than the Viva, new lower harness slots (for a total of four) to improve the fit for small babies as well as a full body infant pillow. The seat is small (23" x 13" x 18"), lightweight (only 7.2 lbs) and has a great canopy, but doesn’t offer additional safety features and has limited fabric offerings.

$99

Graco Safe Seat
There are few differences between the SafeSeat and our Babble Best pick, the Snugride 32. The SafeSeat has a slightly lower range (5-30 lbs. and 32" tall) and less padding than the new Snugride 32, yet is oddly more expensive. Otherwise the Safe Seat offers the same safety features as the SnugRide 32 and offers a number of neutral color options.

$149-$189

Evenflo Embrace DLX
As a decent inexpensive option, the Evenflo Embrace DLX provides EPS foam and multiple shoulder and crotch harness positions for babies 5-22 lbs. The Comfort Touch padding is machine washable, but offers limited cushiness and the canopy is flimsy and doesn’t provide stellar coverage. The Z-shaped handle is a good idea, but doesn’t have a grip and the handle still had 1" of wiggle room when locked in place. Be sure to get the DLX instead of the LX to ensure upfront harness adjustment and full head and body pillow.

$80

Orbit
Trendsetters, techies and those not tight on cash will love the Orbit Infant car seat. For $900 you not only get an incredible seat with full EPP foam lining, anti-allergen Oeko-Tex machine-washable micro-fiber, soft carrier handle and a full-coverage sunshade and Paparazzi Shield, you also get a gorgeous modern stroller and the chance for being mistaken as a celebrity. Two thumbs up for Orbit’s unique docking system that allows you the turn the infant seat in the base and in the stroller. It’s gorgeous. It’s modern. It’s fashion-forward. But it is $900.

$900

Combi Shuttle
We loved that the Combi Shuttle for infants 4-22 lbs. was the only seat (besides the much more expensive Britax) that offered an anti-rebound bar though the Shuttle’s bar is attached to the carrier as opposed to the base on the Britax. Cheers for the EPS foam, no-rethreading harness adjustment and soft, machine washable material. Jeers for the mediocre canopy and difficult connection and release from the base.

$121

Second Opinions*

*All "Second Opinions" data is taken from online sales.

TOP 5 ON AMAZON

Graco SnugRide

$90

Graco SnugRide 32

$140

Graco Safe Seat

$150

Maxi Cosi Mico

$170

Evenflo Embrace LX

$70

TOP 5 AT BABIES R US

Baby Trend

$130

Chicco KeyFit 30

$180

Graco SnugRide 32

$150

Graco SnugRide

$110

Graco SafeSeat

$140

TOP 3 ON GIGGLE

Graco SnugRide

$160

Maxi Cosi Mico

$170

Chicco KeyFit 30

$190

TOP 5 ON TARGET.COM

Graco SnugRide

$90

Baby Trend Phantom

$100

Graco SnugRide 32

$150

Chicco KeyFit 30

$190

Baby Trend Flex-Loc Seat Base

$40

TOP 5 ON CONSUMER REPORTS

Chicco KeyFit

$160

Britax Companion

$200

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP

$220

Compass I410

$130

Baby Trend Flex-Loc Adjustable Back

$90

“Nice, love all the new colors and patterns!”

November 20, 2009

“Interesting.”

October 14, 2009

“Very nice.”

October 14, 2009

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MEET OUR TESTERS

Nicole Feliciano is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. By her estimates, she's walked more than 50 miles this year road-testing strollers. When she's not unboxing baby gear for Babble guides, she writes about parenting style on her blogs: Momtrends and Momtrendsnyc.com.

Kate Bayless is a freelance writer, manuscript editor and sole source of estrogen in her house of two toddlers boys, husband and dog. Visit her at katebayless.com.