Dont know where or what to look for. Expecting our first child. Not exactly sure what to buy. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
First of all, congratulations! I have three boys of my own and have been through the gamut of carseats.
Because a newborn is so tiny and needs lots of support, your best bet for the first carseat is a cradle-type seat that fits into a base: Graco or similar. Make sure you buy one with a built-in level in the base. Proper installation is critical. From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
To preserve your upholstery, you may want to place a beach towel under the carseat. Additionally, a rolled-up towel underneath the foot of the base will help level it.
Once baby approaches a year of age and weighs enough, you can move him into a forward-facing seat. I only ever used Britax carseats. They were expensive but extremely well-made and durable. Additionally, I could take the cover and belts off the seat to wash them -- very important!
A great book for figuring out all the baby gear is "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Alan Fields.
Vehicle: 2009 GL 450, 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS, 2005 MINI Cooper S
Location: Texas
Posts: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alto2
First of all, congratulations! I have three boys of my own and have been through the gamut of carseats.
Because a newborn is so tiny and needs lots of support, your best bet for the first carseat is a cradle-type seat that fits into a base: Graco or similar. Make sure you buy one with a built-in level in the base. Proper installation is critical. From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
To preserve your upholstery, you may want to place a beach towel under the carseat. Additionally, a rolled-up towel underneath the foot of the base will help level it.
Once baby approaches a year of age and weighs enough, you can move him into a forward-facing seat. I only ever used Britax carseats. They were expensive but extremely well-made and durable. Additionally, I could take the cover and belts off the seat to wash them -- very important!
A great book for figuring out all the baby gear is "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Alan Fields.
Thank you so much, my wife and I really appreciate your kind reply. Great advise. Thanks again.
__________________
2009 Mercedes GL 450 Blk/Blk
2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS Blk/Blk
2005 MINI Cooper S Red/Blk
Opinions are like noses but...here goes. No offense meant to anyone. I've got three kids and we've gone through many seats and I've researched every one. My belief is that Recaros are relying on the name and do not have quite the substantive safety research in the infant/toddler field as Britax, plus their seats are weightier and more cumbersome, and (again my opinion) uglier. Why do i want a manufacturere known for Indianapolis race cars and BMW M5 seats making my kids car seats-i want a dedicated car seats safety company.
On the other hand, you have Graco, a company that makes every darn thing under the baby/toddler umbrella, so i dont want them either. If they're spending money designing the latest pack-n-play fabric cover, thats money they're not spending on R&D for safety on child seats---
Gracos ARE inexpensive to buy. I hate to sound like a snob, but i've bought a Mercedes because i believe in it's ability to protect my family, so i'm not going to Walmart to buy an infant seat (and they sell Graco there among other places of course).
I completely agree. If Britax had made an infant seat when I had my first child, I would have bought one.
An additional note regarding Britax seats: they can be big and bulky for airplane travel. Prince Lionheart makes a travel case that fits the toddler seat; they may make ones to fit the other size seats. If so, do yourself and your back a favor and buy the carseat backpack. It will save the strain going through security and will protect the carseat from damage in transit.
Opinions are like noses but...here goes. No offense meant to anyone. I've got three kids and we've gone through many seats and I've researched every one. My belief is that Recaros are relying on the name and do not have quite the substantive safety research in the infant/toddler field as Britax, plus their seats are weightier and more cumbersome, and (again my opinion) uglier. Why do i want a manufacturere known for Indianapolis race cars and BMW M5 seats making my kids car seats-i want a dedicated car seats safety company.
On the other hand, you have Graco, a company that makes every darn thing under the baby/toddler umbrella, so i dont want them either. If they're spending money designing the latest pack-n-play fabric cover, thats money they're not spending on R&D for safety on child seats---
Gracos ARE inexpensive to buy. I hate to sound like a snob, but i've bought a Mercedes because i believe in it's ability to protect my family, so i'm not going to Walmart to buy an infant seat (and they sell Graco there among other places of course).
For my family, its Britax all the way.
Good luck.
We share the same ideals...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yardape
Used Britax for years. Yes, they cost a bit more but they are very well made. From infant all the way up to booster seats. Nothing matches their quality.
I ordered a Recaro seat a while back, used for a day and sent back. Fitment was terrible for such a pricey seat.
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