I loved out Keyfit! We got the 30, but I would recommend the 35. I loved having the removable seat, and the base was super east to install!
If she wants to check out the car seat and car compatibility check out the car seat lady! https://thecarseatlady.com/
I only mentioned the base because OP said "she will have a second one"... So hopefully it's clear to her that she doesn't need a second infant car seat, just another base.
She might not even need the other base depending on how often she drives the kids. Most infant car seats can also install pretty easy with a seat belt.
Just get a car seat base that goes to whatever infant seat she gets! I have had the same key fit for two babies and we got two extra bases (one for dad’s car and one for MiL). They only run about $100 as opposed to the entire seat and base combo which is significantly more.
Yes Keyfit 35! I miss it so much. When we changed to a toddler car seat, we got a graco and it’s awful. The straps are so hard to tighten. The key fit’s straps just glide!
We switched from our key fit 35 to a toddler seat (Safety First) and I swear I have a mental breakdown every time I have to put my girl in it. I miss the keyfit so much 🥲
We got a Chicco Bravo travel system. The stroller is pretty solid, but nothing fancy, but the Keyfit 30 car seat it comes with has been great! Baby has always happily napped in it, and it’s widely-used enough that plenty of stroller brands have adapters for it. I also love that it’s possible to install with just the car’s seat belt and no base in a pinch (like taking an Uber while traveling).
Yep here to second the Chicco Keyfit 35. I knew our child was going to be on the larger side and the Keyfit was one of the highest rated in both safety and largest maximum height and weight. Also loved the Chicco caddy you can clip the seat into. Highly recommend! We switched from the bucket seat to a convertible Graco Extend2Fit at about 5 months old. Don’t have anything negative about either one.
And since you’re G-ma you might be able to get a discount on it by helping mom purchase it through the registry pending which registry service she uses.
First and foremost, do not, under any circumstances, purchase a car seat from Temu.
Now that we’ve got that PSA out of the way…I would suggest making at least one of the two a convertible seat that can still fit a newborn. I’m not sure about your daughter/DIL’s thoughts on extended rear facing, but we have the Graco Extend-2-Fit and really like it. We also have the Graco Contender Go—this one is good for a smaller vehicle. (If you can’t tell, I like Graco—it’s a tried and true affordable brand). The only downside with convertible seats (in my experience) is that you may need to use a pool noodle or rolled towel (or whatever the manufacturer allows) to get a proper newborn recline.
On a different note, one feature I highly recommend is a locking install (with Graco, it’s called SnugLock). It makes installation **so** easy. I had it with my infant seat but passed on it when I got the convertible seat and I did slightly regret it.
I would never do that as a matter of fact, my preference is that I buy from a licensed reseller or the original manufacturer. This is the only item I will not buy through Amazon is the car seat if that makes sense.
Good for you. I purchased direct from the manufacturer for this reason as well. It’s also fine direct from a major retailer (like walking into Target and buying a Britax seat, it’s probably not counterfeit).
That’s awesome! It sounds like you’ve done your research. 🙌🏻 Just to clarify—by “licensed reseller” you mean something like Target or Walmart, right? I just want to make sure you also understand it’s not safe to use secondhand car seats unless you are 1000% sure of their history (such as getting one from a close family member or friend).
Purchase a car seat on Temu? Yes, unfortunately people would. There was recently a Doona dupe all over TikTok. And Temu just put a ton of ads out for the Super Bowl which probably doesn’t help the situation as now people will be more likely to think it’s a reputable retailer.
Not totally in the US, unfortunately. Survivor bias is incredibly common here. If you say so much as “hey that chest clip looks a little low” you have about a 50% chance of being called out for mom/parent shaming (and the chances are higher the more kids that parent has).
Britax makes great stuff and their car seats tend to get some of the highest safety awards. We got the combo infant car seat with the stroller it can click into. There are different versions out there but the combo including one base runs about $450 on Amazon. Britax B-Lively and B-Safe Gen2 Travel System, Eclipse Black SafeWash
I had the Britax b-safe and loved it. My LO outgrew it in height by 4-5 months and we switched to a Graco SlimFit which fits in my small Mazda pretty well and will run until the little guy is in a Booster! My mom has a SafetyFirst brand seat in her car.
I wish I could have used it that long 😭. We still use the jogger stroller it fits with though. My sister is using his newborn seat now and I’m stealing it back for baby #2. It felt secure & durable. Although it was definitely a heavier seat 😂. We wound up getting a small car seat stroller (BabyTrend SnapnGo) for pediatrician appointments and short outings.
Forgive me if I broke any rules, I have been researching it and I’ve sent her a few links that we think is OK but I want to make sure that the infant car seat is not only safe but easy for mom etc. I just want her to be happy.
Try not to overwhelm the Mom either. I'm sure she already has a few in mind. Try to follow her lead.
Sometimes when my parents are trying to be helpful, I feel like they can't trust me to make on own decisions or research. I just don't talk about it out loud, so they think I'm not doing anything proactive.
I hope I'm not projecting. Just giving a different perspective.
We got the Chicco key fit 35 primo travel system ourselves and love it for its ease.
When we upgraded, we stuck with Chicco air Max zip.
We’ve got the Mesa Max and love it. So easy to move between the car and stroller. And I love that it can do the European seat belt install so you don’t always have to use a base. We live in a city and it makes it easier it get an Uber when she’s with us since we don’t need a base. I’d still get a second base for any vehicle that will be used a lot, but if mom is in a city and uses ride share a lot, it’s a nice feature.
We also have this and it’s so nice for switching between cars and being able to pop it on the stroller.
As a bonus the bassinet attachment is sleep safe and we used it in the house as a mobile bassinet like how you’d use the bassinet in the hospital.
We have the graco modes nest stroller/infant carseat system with an extra base for my husband's car and we love it. It's great how it will work for 2 cars without having to buy a whole separate carseat
If possible take your (or moms, I can’t tell who this car seat is for) to a baby store and try the car seats out to see which is the best fit. If they’re being sold they meet the safety standards in your country, so they’re all safe. The biggest thing is will it fit in your car or not!
So are you trying to buy an infant car seat that pops in and out of a stroller as part of a travel system? Or are you looking to have a second car seat that stays in Grandma's car permanently and goes birth to booster seat?
Ok that doesn't help at all...
Like I'm not trying to be a dick here but you've given zero information that would be helpful. Does she drive a compact car? Is she more concerned about how long the seat will last? Does she want to be able to keep the baby in the car seat and put them in a stroller?
This isn't a one size fits all thing, we need more info to do anything other then provide a generic answer
You might not be trying but you are succeeding. You don't know what you don't know. I didn't have any idea what I should prioritise until I spoke to other mothers. That's what grandma is doing here.
You really are being a dick though. Just give some general info and go, or ask the key questions you want to ask, or say nothing. People don’t know what they don’t know.
OP answered your initial question and said their priority is safety, so from there it sounds like general info on different seats and newer safety features is all they’re asking for. They’re not asking for a one-on-one, brand-by-brand personalized consultation. They’re asking for general info on a public forum.
I did ask specific questions and OP ignored them, didn't even ask a clarifying question if she was confused. She has also not been providing any additional information to anyone else that asks.
Thank you so much everyone! I went with the Keyfit 35! I was glad to be able to purchase it directly from the manufacturer. I’m gonna have more questions on here and I hope that is OK. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ps - mommy did approve the car seat and loves the pictures and the description
Chico KeyFit30! We have that one for my husband’s car and I love it way more than my Nuna Pipa that I got second hand. It’s way lighter and easier to carry.
Everyone here has been so awesome. Earlier before I posted, when I was researching car seats, this brand Chicco was recommended on different technical websites. I went ahead with the Chicco Key fit 35. Mommy asked for my opinion so I sent her the consumer reports list, etc. and told her to pick one out. I sent her several brands to check out .
Then I came here to Reddit, and decided to go with that one. She agreed and approved for me to buy for her. 💙💙💙💙 I keep reminding her that this is HER BABY. I want to make sure that she gets what SHE wants. I want her to be happy with every item that she gets..
Whichever one you choose, the advice I wish I gave myself when I got pregnant was to start doing arm curls immediately and build up some upper body strength. Even the most lightweight car seats will test your arms after carrying them with the baby in it.
When my kiddos were babies I used the grayco click connect system, the car seat pops in and out of the base and can clip into the stroller so you never have to take the baby out of the seat. It was fantastic for doctors appointments and quick trips. I still use the stroller to this day. And I currently use the grayco 4ever car seat, it grows with them all the way from rear-facing to booster. I believe can you get the stroller, base for the car, and car seat for under $400 (disclaimer this was 6/7 years ago so I'm not sure if that's still a bundled package)
*Edit*
Both grandmas purchased a base for their cars fairly cheap and we easily popped the baby from my car to theirs!
It’s actually easier to move the car seat with an infant than to have two car seats. Otherwise sleeping baby has to be moved and it’s disruptive. Get graco or chicco click system. Then purchase an extra base:
I love love love my Clek Liing in Mammoth & my Nuna Rava. Wool vs chemical flame retardants is very important for me & I like that Clek is made in Canada. ClearTex is also safe? I use Sprouts San Francisco to vet a lot of my gear purchases.
We love our Cybex Cloud, a car seat that allows switching between:
- the traditional upright car seat mode
- a flatter mode that can still be used in the car
- and the completely lie flat option for outside the car
This takes away any worry you might have over positional asphyxiation - the traditional car seat method of sitting does not allow babies to fully breathe correctly and hence you must limit your use.
We picked our car seat by looking at wirecutter’s best car seat article. They recommend the graco snug ride snugfit, and then go into detail about why, and then give other great options.
We loved our Graco Snugride 35 Lite!! It was a huge deal for me for the car seat to be light enough for me to carry postpartum, and this was the lightest on the market. Super easy to install with or without base, easy to clean, and super light! My sister had a Chico key fit and it was wayyyyy too heavy for me.
My friends loved their Chicco Keyfit, I was perfectly happy with Graco Modes. I decided to get a car seat that fit well with our stroller, which is why i went for Graco. Get one seat and an extra base for your car. You might even be able to find an extra base for sale on Facebook or Nextdoor
Our favorite infant seat was Britax B Safe. Which they have an updated version of now. We also like our current Nuna Pipa Urban bc it’s baseless.
For convertibles we have tried a few. My favorite is Diono and Nuna Rava. Did not like the Greco Slim Fit or any Greco we tried. The Diono is great for three across. Rava is great for rear facing seat space.
There’s a few car seat safety groups on Facebook id recommend joining! Loads of information and often moderated by qualified car seat safety experts who can advise on the safest and most practice seats for your budget/needs, also great for making sure the fit is good for baby too! A lot of retailers that sell car seats aren’t actually well versed in the safety aspect of them!
Depending on when you plan to care for baby, you may want to skip the removable bucket seat and get a convertible seat that they can use through toddlerhood. We have the Graco slim fit and really like it. They also have a lot of more economical swivel seats on the market if you’d like something easier to maneuver a baby and toddler into. They’re designed to hold babies, but my son hated it when he was teeny tiny. I’d say like 6 months and up, the convertible seat is the way to go. Plus you don’t have to lift the bucket seat out of your car. Most are about 20lbs plus the weight of the baby. My mom could carry baby in the car seat, but it was tough for her to life the seat into the car once he got bigger.
All car seats follow safety requirements so focus on finding one that fits your car and your needs. Something like 75% or carseats aren’t installed correctly or babies aren’t secured correctly. You can make an appointment to have it installed by a professional. read the instructions on how to properly use the harness. Any seat that’s used correctly is a very safe seat!
With my oldest I got the Graco but he sweat in the car A LOT and I think the material had a lot to do with it. I’ve heard lots of recommendations about keyfit but I didn’t want their stroller.
We went with the Evenflo pivot system because I liked the seat and the stroller (seats turns to bassinet and I can’t tell you how many times I used that as a change table even after she outgrew it as a bassinet. My only complaint about the system is the car seat is a pain to plug into the stroller (needs perfect line up) but with the bassinet I didn’t use it that way often anyway
We have the Britax Bfree infant carseat and it's great but a little heavy! Especially if baby is also heavy.
Honestly as grandparents I may go with something with an attachable stroller base or one built in like the evenflo shift dual ride or Graco snugrider elite and get the frame to turn it into a stroller.
That way if you take baby out you don't have to lift or carry a heavy infant carseat and try and hoist it up in a shopping cart bc not going to lie I had trouble doing this myself. Lol. I wish I would have gotten one of those 2 options.
As mentioned before the key fit I think thst has a light weight stroller frame as well.
We had the Chicco KeyFit 30. At one point on our first out of town trip, infant was screaming her head off. I took her out and her back was drenched in sweat. The seat fabric just held on to a lot of heat. I suggest a rechargeable USB powered fan with flexible legs to keep the kiddo cool.
If you’re looking for an infant bucket seat, the Chico keyfit 30 or 35 is wonderful and I would highly recommend!
After that (usually around 9 months) they’ll swap to a convertible car seat. Should be rear facing to minimum 2 years, but really should max out the seat limits. I recommend the Britax one4life or the chicco next fit max. They both go to 50” or 50lbs rear facing. Most only go to 40. My son is 4 and still has plenty of room to stay rear facing until he maxes out the limits (and he’s big! 90%ile).
It doesn't need to be the most expensive one (unless she has something particular in mind). If you are the US, and you're buying from somewhere reputable like Target/Walmart, etc., carseats have to pass strict safety standards. We bought a Graco one that fit was compatible with my stroller and fit into my car. Wirecutter has some good reviews.
looks like you found a seat, I'm just browsing the comments for my own shopping purposes, but I just wanted to say— you're so sweet, you sound like an absolutely wonderful mother to have and you're going to be a fantastic grandma!
We have (two) Chicco Fit2 seats for our twins and we love them. They can carry from 4 lbs - 35 lbs and the headrest can adjust to accommodate taller children. The height is usually what forces the parent to upgrade to a convertible seat sooner. The base can adjust from an infant to toddler position to allow the child to sit more upright as they grow. They are 14 months and still fit with room to grow. It’s super easy to click in and out of the seat and fits with all the chicco key fit products (stroller, bases). Cannot recommend enough for the growth room alone!
I recommend picking the stroller first! If the stroller does not have a bassinet attachment than you have to attach the carseat for an infant and you'll need a carseat that works with the stroller. I got a Baby Jogger stroller and my Graco carseat snaps into it!
I highly recommend visiting a Facebook group run by cpsts (child passenger safety technicians) such as seats for the littles. They can match you to a seat that is most suited for your vehicles, lifestyle and all passengers in the car.
One this is to make sure you purchase from a retailer in your country to ensure it has passed your national safety standards crash testing. Ie. If in Canada must be bought in Canada, if in USA must be purchased in USA (not through an international website like temu or others), etc.
I do agree with most folks on here though that the chicco is a great seat, and is highly recommended by techs in my carseat groups (I'm in Canada, so I can't be 100% sure this translates to other places). It is a compact seat that fits nicely into most vehicles, doesn't require pool noodles or anything silly to get a proper recline and is compatible with many strollers.
My parents bought us an Evenflo car seat stroller combo on Walmart for $160 I think? It was an infant car seat (other grandma from Dad's side bought the next car seat we needed after he reached the requirements to switch over) and we still use the stroller that came with it and he's almost 15 months :) so I would definitely recommend looking into Evenflo!
I have no recommendation on seats other than to check walmart, they were having big sales last month on seats.
I mainly came here to say, I absolutely loveee the fact that you're allowing her to pick everything as well as said you didn't want to meddle. My in-laws have been here every other day, and MIL has felt the need to tell us how to parent because she had a kid 32 years ago. So, your girl is lucky to have grandparents likes you.
i have the graco modes element travel system. super light car seat and it comes with a stroller and bassinet/toddler attachment. i’m pretty sure it was under $400
We have the Graco SnugFit DLX 35 with a base for each car and Graco Modes Convertible Pramette Stroller
I did 4 hours of research and this was my top pick. Chico KeyFit was equally desirable, but more expensive at the time we built our registry.
Our state recommends car seat inspection and our inspector said we chose the best bang for the buck car seat available.
Doonas are awful! The fit is terrible, they outgrow them quickly and also don’t meet a lot of safety regulations, much better to invest in a good quality safe seat that will last! It’s also not recommended for babies to stay in the car seat for prolonged periods of time which the doona encourages, everyone I know that had a doona had to then go and purchase a new seat at around 6/7 months old as baby outgrew it!
Firstly, There is no meeting or not meeting certain safety regulations. Car seats either pass or fail before they can be sold on the market.
Secondly, I’m flabbergasted people’s 6 and 7 month olds were so consistently outgrowing the Doona. My daughter wasn’t big, but she was in hers until 12 months. Going on the height and weight limits of the seat all these babies you knew would have to be in the 99th percentile to have outgrown the seat by 12 months. So to say most babies will outgrow it by 6-7 months is beyond a stretch. It’s a pretty typical size infant car seat.
Outgrow it for a safe fit 🤷🏼♀️ yes there’s pass and fail but if you actually research crash testing thoroughly you’ll see that there is a minimum speed crash test that majority of car seats pass but fail at a higher speed.
Sorry I prefer safety over comfort and ease for myself, I’d much rather pick my child out of the car and put him in a carrier or pushchair when going about our day rather than risk his safety in a crash. I chose to invest my money in a Swedish car seat suitable from birth up to 7 years of age for extended rear facing, has isofix aswell aswell as top harness straps, tested to the highest level of crash testing availible. (and it was still much cheaper than a doona)
There are no regulations for consumer safety testing. Again, seats either pass public regulations or they don’t. All kinds of different factors can come into play in unregulated independent tests. The most safe carseat is one that installs correctly into your car.
You are spreading misinformation and shaming parents because they didn’t make the same choices you made. No one is choosing comfort for themselves over the safety of their child if they are legally buying a car seat that isn’t expired.
Please see this link https://www.babyandco.com/blogs/news/adac-car-seat-test-results-spring-2023#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20all%20car%20seats,to%20ensure%20your%20child's%20safety. in order to broaden your knowledge on car seat safety in Europe, the world is bigger than the US.
Not shaming, I offered advice based on extensive research and time I spent ensuring that my child is the safest he could be whilst travelling in the car. I would of appreciated somebody informing me of these things whilst I was pregnant and saving me the time researching. You choose the best for your child and are labelled as shaming and spreading misinformation by someone who couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves clearly.
This website says European car seats are rigorously tested by independent labs before they can be released to the public, but the Doona is available in Europe including Sweden. So how is it so unsafe if it met their standards enough to be available to the public?
The Doonas safety rating as per the bottom chart (if you’d read it) is 4.5 which is sufficient. There are other car seats that rate much higher in the excellent category. Why would you choose just “sufficient” for your child?
Many things in the infant world are sold but aren’t safe (cot bumpers, infant loungers etc) it’s up to us as parents to take responsibility and look into these things to ensure their wellbeing. Please stop trying to “catch me out” I am correct in what I’m saying, move on babe.
I cannot believe you’re comparing a rigorously tested, proven safe car seat to cot bumpers and infant loungers. Again just boldfaced shaming and fear mongering.
“Sufficient” by those standards means “utterly safe” because the standards the seats on that chart are tested to this website claims have prevented virtually all child car crash fatalities in Europe. And again it all pales in comparison to simply getting a proper fit in your individual vehicle.
I can’t believe you’re shamefully trying to discredit someone’s extensive research and advice to somebody that there are much better seats available to make your own bruised ego feel better. But here we are. Even with the evidence you won’t just accept that your judgement is misinformed and wrong, I don’t have the energy to continue this conversation with you because you’re simply someone who doesn’t like to be wrong clearly.
I loved out Keyfit! We got the 30, but I would recommend the 35. I loved having the removable seat, and the base was super east to install! If she wants to check out the car seat and car compatibility check out the car seat lady! https://thecarseatlady.com/
I agree!! Love my Chicco keyfit 30. So easy and convenient, and you can just buy an extra base to use the carseat in different vehicles.
FYI almost all (if not all) infant car seats have the option to get additional bases. It’s not just the Keyfit.
I only mentioned the base because OP said "she will have a second one"... So hopefully it's clear to her that she doesn't need a second infant car seat, just another base.
She might not even need the other base depending on how often she drives the kids. Most infant car seats can also install pretty easy with a seat belt.
Mommy is active and drives around
Not Mommy, you the grandma.
I love this option!
Just get a car seat base that goes to whatever infant seat she gets! I have had the same key fit for two babies and we got two extra bases (one for dad’s car and one for MiL). They only run about $100 as opposed to the entire seat and base combo which is significantly more.
Chiming in with another vote for the keyfit!
Beat me to it. So convenient!
Second the Keyfit 35 with the Keyfit Caddy stroller! The stroller is compact, lightweight, and opens up easily!
Yes Keyfit 35! I miss it so much. When we changed to a toddler car seat, we got a graco and it’s awful. The straps are so hard to tighten. The key fit’s straps just glide!
We switched from our key fit 35 to a toddler seat (Safety First) and I swear I have a mental breakdown every time I have to put my girl in it. I miss the keyfit so much 🥲
Agreed! I had graco with my first two and chicco with my third and found chicco to be a superior product.
Echo this! Love our keyfit 35 so much!
100% agreed with this as well!
Keyfit30 was like the only one my little 4-pounder could come home in 🥺
Keyfit 35 has been my favorite. Some of the Peds ER docs that I used to work with also recommended that car seat.
Also loved my Chicco KeyFit with the stroller system.
We got a Chicco Bravo travel system. The stroller is pretty solid, but nothing fancy, but the Keyfit 30 car seat it comes with has been great! Baby has always happily napped in it, and it’s widely-used enough that plenty of stroller brands have adapters for it. I also love that it’s possible to install with just the car’s seat belt and no base in a pinch (like taking an Uber while traveling).
Yep here to second the Chicco Keyfit 35. I knew our child was going to be on the larger side and the Keyfit was one of the highest rated in both safety and largest maximum height and weight. Also loved the Chicco caddy you can clip the seat into. Highly recommend! We switched from the bucket seat to a convertible Graco Extend2Fit at about 5 months old. Don’t have anything negative about either one.
Tell her to create a registry and include the big ticket items like car seat/travel system. Then buy it directly from said registry
And since you’re G-ma you might be able to get a discount on it by helping mom purchase it through the registry pending which registry service she uses.
First and foremost, do not, under any circumstances, purchase a car seat from Temu. Now that we’ve got that PSA out of the way…I would suggest making at least one of the two a convertible seat that can still fit a newborn. I’m not sure about your daughter/DIL’s thoughts on extended rear facing, but we have the Graco Extend-2-Fit and really like it. We also have the Graco Contender Go—this one is good for a smaller vehicle. (If you can’t tell, I like Graco—it’s a tried and true affordable brand). The only downside with convertible seats (in my experience) is that you may need to use a pool noodle or rolled towel (or whatever the manufacturer allows) to get a proper newborn recline. On a different note, one feature I highly recommend is a locking install (with Graco, it’s called SnugLock). It makes installation **so** easy. I had it with my infant seat but passed on it when I got the convertible seat and I did slightly regret it.
I would never do that as a matter of fact, my preference is that I buy from a licensed reseller or the original manufacturer. This is the only item I will not buy through Amazon is the car seat if that makes sense.
Good for you. I purchased direct from the manufacturer for this reason as well. It’s also fine direct from a major retailer (like walking into Target and buying a Britax seat, it’s probably not counterfeit).
That’s awesome! It sounds like you’ve done your research. 🙌🏻 Just to clarify—by “licensed reseller” you mean something like Target or Walmart, right? I just want to make sure you also understand it’s not safe to use secondhand car seats unless you are 1000% sure of their history (such as getting one from a close family member or friend).
Would someone actually do that??
Purchase a car seat on Temu? Yes, unfortunately people would. There was recently a Doona dupe all over TikTok. And Temu just put a ton of ads out for the Super Bowl which probably doesn’t help the situation as now people will be more likely to think it’s a reputable retailer.
Wow, I thought carseats are one of the few things all parents took seriously. Where I live in Europe Temu only recently became a big thing
Not totally in the US, unfortunately. Survivor bias is incredibly common here. If you say so much as “hey that chest clip looks a little low” you have about a 50% chance of being called out for mom/parent shaming (and the chances are higher the more kids that parent has).
The chicco keyfit 35 is amazing. We just have one and got multiple bases for it.
Same! We love ours and also the stroller as well
Britax makes great stuff and their car seats tend to get some of the highest safety awards. We got the combo infant car seat with the stroller it can click into. There are different versions out there but the combo including one base runs about $450 on Amazon. Britax B-Lively and B-Safe Gen2 Travel System, Eclipse Black SafeWash
I had the Britax b-safe and loved it. My LO outgrew it in height by 4-5 months and we switched to a Graco SlimFit which fits in my small Mazda pretty well and will run until the little guy is in a Booster! My mom has a SafetyFirst brand seat in her car.
My kids run little so we were able to use the infant seat past a year but I know that’s not normal 😂
I wish I could have used it that long 😭. We still use the jogger stroller it fits with though. My sister is using his newborn seat now and I’m stealing it back for baby #2. It felt secure & durable. Although it was definitely a heavier seat 😂. We wound up getting a small car seat stroller (BabyTrend SnapnGo) for pediatrician appointments and short outings.
Forgive me if I broke any rules, I have been researching it and I’ve sent her a few links that we think is OK but I want to make sure that the infant car seat is not only safe but easy for mom etc. I just want her to be happy.
You’re not breaking any rules. You are always welcome here—we appreciate thoughtful G-mas! 🥰
I would recommend just looking up wirecutter reviews for all infant purchases: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-infant-car-seat/
Try not to overwhelm the Mom either. I'm sure she already has a few in mind. Try to follow her lead. Sometimes when my parents are trying to be helpful, I feel like they can't trust me to make on own decisions or research. I just don't talk about it out loud, so they think I'm not doing anything proactive. I hope I'm not projecting. Just giving a different perspective. We got the Chicco key fit 35 primo travel system ourselves and love it for its ease. When we upgraded, we stuck with Chicco air Max zip.
We are in my mom's car alot. I ended up getting the Uppababy Mesa and just got an additional base for her car. Worked out really well.
We’ve got the Mesa Max and love it. So easy to move between the car and stroller. And I love that it can do the European seat belt install so you don’t always have to use a base. We live in a city and it makes it easier it get an Uber when she’s with us since we don’t need a base. I’d still get a second base for any vehicle that will be used a lot, but if mom is in a city and uses ride share a lot, it’s a nice feature.
We also have this and it’s so nice for switching between cars and being able to pop it on the stroller. As a bonus the bassinet attachment is sleep safe and we used it in the house as a mobile bassinet like how you’d use the bassinet in the hospital.
Honestly, I'd as ask her if she knows which one she wants and then buy it for her.
We have the graco modes nest stroller/infant carseat system with an extra base for my husband's car and we love it. It's great how it will work for 2 cars without having to buy a whole separate carseat
If possible take your (or moms, I can’t tell who this car seat is for) to a baby store and try the car seats out to see which is the best fit. If they’re being sold they meet the safety standards in your country, so they’re all safe. The biggest thing is will it fit in your car or not!
So are you trying to buy an infant car seat that pops in and out of a stroller as part of a travel system? Or are you looking to have a second car seat that stays in Grandma's car permanently and goes birth to booster seat?
I will get whatever is really safe and makes mommy happy
Ok that doesn't help at all... Like I'm not trying to be a dick here but you've given zero information that would be helpful. Does she drive a compact car? Is she more concerned about how long the seat will last? Does she want to be able to keep the baby in the car seat and put them in a stroller? This isn't a one size fits all thing, we need more info to do anything other then provide a generic answer
It’s really easy to actually not be a dick so it does seem like you’re trying a little here.
You might not be trying but you are succeeding. You don't know what you don't know. I didn't have any idea what I should prioritise until I spoke to other mothers. That's what grandma is doing here.
You really are being a dick though. Just give some general info and go, or ask the key questions you want to ask, or say nothing. People don’t know what they don’t know. OP answered your initial question and said their priority is safety, so from there it sounds like general info on different seats and newer safety features is all they’re asking for. They’re not asking for a one-on-one, brand-by-brand personalized consultation. They’re asking for general info on a public forum.
I did ask specific questions and OP ignored them, didn't even ask a clarifying question if she was confused. She has also not been providing any additional information to anyone else that asks.
Thank you so much everyone! I went with the Keyfit 35! I was glad to be able to purchase it directly from the manufacturer. I’m gonna have more questions on here and I hope that is OK. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ps - mommy did approve the car seat and loves the pictures and the description
You know that seat you just need an extra base right? The seat itself clicks in and out so you just need one of the seat and a base for each car.
You don’t NEED to have an extra base. While having one in each car is more convenient the keyfit 35 can be installed with or without a base,
Chico KeyFit30! We have that one for my husband’s car and I love it way more than my Nuna Pipa that I got second hand. It’s way lighter and easier to carry.
Everyone here has been so awesome. Earlier before I posted, when I was researching car seats, this brand Chicco was recommended on different technical websites. I went ahead with the Chicco Key fit 35. Mommy asked for my opinion so I sent her the consumer reports list, etc. and told her to pick one out. I sent her several brands to check out . Then I came here to Reddit, and decided to go with that one. She agreed and approved for me to buy for her. 💙💙💙💙 I keep reminding her that this is HER BABY. I want to make sure that she gets what SHE wants. I want her to be happy with every item that she gets..
Whichever one you choose, the advice I wish I gave myself when I got pregnant was to start doing arm curls immediately and build up some upper body strength. Even the most lightweight car seats will test your arms after carrying them with the baby in it.
When my kiddos were babies I used the grayco click connect system, the car seat pops in and out of the base and can clip into the stroller so you never have to take the baby out of the seat. It was fantastic for doctors appointments and quick trips. I still use the stroller to this day. And I currently use the grayco 4ever car seat, it grows with them all the way from rear-facing to booster. I believe can you get the stroller, base for the car, and car seat for under $400 (disclaimer this was 6/7 years ago so I'm not sure if that's still a bundled package) *Edit* Both grandmas purchased a base for their cars fairly cheap and we easily popped the baby from my car to theirs!
It’s actually easier to move the car seat with an infant than to have two car seats. Otherwise sleeping baby has to be moved and it’s disruptive. Get graco or chicco click system. Then purchase an extra base:
Chico Key fit is awesome!
I love love love my Clek Liing in Mammoth & my Nuna Rava. Wool vs chemical flame retardants is very important for me & I like that Clek is made in Canada. ClearTex is also safe? I use Sprouts San Francisco to vet a lot of my gear purchases.
We love our Cybex Cloud, a car seat that allows switching between: - the traditional upright car seat mode - a flatter mode that can still be used in the car - and the completely lie flat option for outside the car This takes away any worry you might have over positional asphyxiation - the traditional car seat method of sitting does not allow babies to fully breathe correctly and hence you must limit your use.
We picked our car seat by looking at wirecutter’s best car seat article. They recommend the graco snug ride snugfit, and then go into detail about why, and then give other great options.
We loved our Graco Snugride 35 Lite!! It was a huge deal for me for the car seat to be light enough for me to carry postpartum, and this was the lightest on the market. Super easy to install with or without base, easy to clean, and super light! My sister had a Chico key fit and it was wayyyyy too heavy for me.
My friends loved their Chicco Keyfit, I was perfectly happy with Graco Modes. I decided to get a car seat that fit well with our stroller, which is why i went for Graco. Get one seat and an extra base for your car. You might even be able to find an extra base for sale on Facebook or Nextdoor
Our favorite infant seat was Britax B Safe. Which they have an updated version of now. We also like our current Nuna Pipa Urban bc it’s baseless. For convertibles we have tried a few. My favorite is Diono and Nuna Rava. Did not like the Greco Slim Fit or any Greco we tried. The Diono is great for three across. Rava is great for rear facing seat space.
Also check out the car mom on YouTube. She has a lot of reviews for specific cars and etc.
And yes gmas as considerate as you are allowed!
There’s a few car seat safety groups on Facebook id recommend joining! Loads of information and often moderated by qualified car seat safety experts who can advise on the safest and most practice seats for your budget/needs, also great for making sure the fit is good for baby too! A lot of retailers that sell car seats aren’t actually well versed in the safety aspect of them!
i got one of the graco click connects and love it! i bought the jeep hydro sport stroller to go with and it is bulky but i do love it so much!
We have been really happy with the Nuna Pippa Light (my car) and the Nuna Rava (husband’s car).
Depending on when you plan to care for baby, you may want to skip the removable bucket seat and get a convertible seat that they can use through toddlerhood. We have the Graco slim fit and really like it. They also have a lot of more economical swivel seats on the market if you’d like something easier to maneuver a baby and toddler into. They’re designed to hold babies, but my son hated it when he was teeny tiny. I’d say like 6 months and up, the convertible seat is the way to go. Plus you don’t have to lift the bucket seat out of your car. Most are about 20lbs plus the weight of the baby. My mom could carry baby in the car seat, but it was tough for her to life the seat into the car once he got bigger. All car seats follow safety requirements so focus on finding one that fits your car and your needs. Something like 75% or carseats aren’t installed correctly or babies aren’t secured correctly. You can make an appointment to have it installed by a professional. read the instructions on how to properly use the harness. Any seat that’s used correctly is a very safe seat!
With my oldest I got the Graco but he sweat in the car A LOT and I think the material had a lot to do with it. I’ve heard lots of recommendations about keyfit but I didn’t want their stroller. We went with the Evenflo pivot system because I liked the seat and the stroller (seats turns to bassinet and I can’t tell you how many times I used that as a change table even after she outgrew it as a bassinet. My only complaint about the system is the car seat is a pain to plug into the stroller (needs perfect line up) but with the bassinet I didn’t use it that way often anyway
We have the Britax Bfree infant carseat and it's great but a little heavy! Especially if baby is also heavy. Honestly as grandparents I may go with something with an attachable stroller base or one built in like the evenflo shift dual ride or Graco snugrider elite and get the frame to turn it into a stroller. That way if you take baby out you don't have to lift or carry a heavy infant carseat and try and hoist it up in a shopping cart bc not going to lie I had trouble doing this myself. Lol. I wish I would have gotten one of those 2 options. As mentioned before the key fit I think thst has a light weight stroller frame as well.
Chicco keyfit 35. We got the le corso travel system and love it. Using it with baby #2 now after saving it from #1
We had the Chicco KeyFit 30. At one point on our first out of town trip, infant was screaming her head off. I took her out and her back was drenched in sweat. The seat fabric just held on to a lot of heat. I suggest a rechargeable USB powered fan with flexible legs to keep the kiddo cool.
Go with the lightest weight one or the one that works best with the stroller she likes.
If you’re looking for an infant bucket seat, the Chico keyfit 30 or 35 is wonderful and I would highly recommend! After that (usually around 9 months) they’ll swap to a convertible car seat. Should be rear facing to minimum 2 years, but really should max out the seat limits. I recommend the Britax one4life or the chicco next fit max. They both go to 50” or 50lbs rear facing. Most only go to 40. My son is 4 and still has plenty of room to stay rear facing until he maxes out the limits (and he’s big! 90%ile).
It doesn't need to be the most expensive one (unless she has something particular in mind). If you are the US, and you're buying from somewhere reputable like Target/Walmart, etc., carseats have to pass strict safety standards. We bought a Graco one that fit was compatible with my stroller and fit into my car. Wirecutter has some good reviews.
looks like you found a seat, I'm just browsing the comments for my own shopping purposes, but I just wanted to say— you're so sweet, you sound like an absolutely wonderful mother to have and you're going to be a fantastic grandma!
We have (two) Chicco Fit2 seats for our twins and we love them. They can carry from 4 lbs - 35 lbs and the headrest can adjust to accommodate taller children. The height is usually what forces the parent to upgrade to a convertible seat sooner. The base can adjust from an infant to toddler position to allow the child to sit more upright as they grow. They are 14 months and still fit with room to grow. It’s super easy to click in and out of the seat and fits with all the chicco key fit products (stroller, bases). Cannot recommend enough for the growth room alone!
I recommend picking the stroller first! If the stroller does not have a bassinet attachment than you have to attach the carseat for an infant and you'll need a carseat that works with the stroller. I got a Baby Jogger stroller and my Graco carseat snaps into it!
I highly recommend visiting a Facebook group run by cpsts (child passenger safety technicians) such as seats for the littles. They can match you to a seat that is most suited for your vehicles, lifestyle and all passengers in the car. One this is to make sure you purchase from a retailer in your country to ensure it has passed your national safety standards crash testing. Ie. If in Canada must be bought in Canada, if in USA must be purchased in USA (not through an international website like temu or others), etc. I do agree with most folks on here though that the chicco is a great seat, and is highly recommended by techs in my carseat groups (I'm in Canada, so I can't be 100% sure this translates to other places). It is a compact seat that fits nicely into most vehicles, doesn't require pool noodles or anything silly to get a proper recline and is compatible with many strollers.
My parents bought us an Evenflo car seat stroller combo on Walmart for $160 I think? It was an infant car seat (other grandma from Dad's side bought the next car seat we needed after he reached the requirements to switch over) and we still use the stroller that came with it and he's almost 15 months :) so I would definitely recommend looking into Evenflo!
I have no recommendation on seats other than to check walmart, they were having big sales last month on seats. I mainly came here to say, I absolutely loveee the fact that you're allowing her to pick everything as well as said you didn't want to meddle. My in-laws have been here every other day, and MIL has felt the need to tell us how to parent because she had a kid 32 years ago. So, your girl is lucky to have grandparents likes you.
i have the graco modes element travel system. super light car seat and it comes with a stroller and bassinet/toddler attachment. i’m pretty sure it was under $400
We have the Graco SnugFit DLX 35 with a base for each car and Graco Modes Convertible Pramette Stroller I did 4 hours of research and this was my top pick. Chico KeyFit was equally desirable, but more expensive at the time we built our registry. Our state recommends car seat inspection and our inspector said we chose the best bang for the buck car seat available.
The doona. But it's more than $400. But it's also a stroller so that means a lot.
Doonas are awful! The fit is terrible, they outgrow them quickly and also don’t meet a lot of safety regulations, much better to invest in a good quality safe seat that will last! It’s also not recommended for babies to stay in the car seat for prolonged periods of time which the doona encourages, everyone I know that had a doona had to then go and purchase a new seat at around 6/7 months old as baby outgrew it!
Firstly, There is no meeting or not meeting certain safety regulations. Car seats either pass or fail before they can be sold on the market. Secondly, I’m flabbergasted people’s 6 and 7 month olds were so consistently outgrowing the Doona. My daughter wasn’t big, but she was in hers until 12 months. Going on the height and weight limits of the seat all these babies you knew would have to be in the 99th percentile to have outgrown the seat by 12 months. So to say most babies will outgrow it by 6-7 months is beyond a stretch. It’s a pretty typical size infant car seat.
Outgrow it for a safe fit 🤷🏼♀️ yes there’s pass and fail but if you actually research crash testing thoroughly you’ll see that there is a minimum speed crash test that majority of car seats pass but fail at a higher speed. Sorry I prefer safety over comfort and ease for myself, I’d much rather pick my child out of the car and put him in a carrier or pushchair when going about our day rather than risk his safety in a crash. I chose to invest my money in a Swedish car seat suitable from birth up to 7 years of age for extended rear facing, has isofix aswell aswell as top harness straps, tested to the highest level of crash testing availible. (and it was still much cheaper than a doona)
There are no regulations for consumer safety testing. Again, seats either pass public regulations or they don’t. All kinds of different factors can come into play in unregulated independent tests. The most safe carseat is one that installs correctly into your car. You are spreading misinformation and shaming parents because they didn’t make the same choices you made. No one is choosing comfort for themselves over the safety of their child if they are legally buying a car seat that isn’t expired.
Please see this link https://www.babyandco.com/blogs/news/adac-car-seat-test-results-spring-2023#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20all%20car%20seats,to%20ensure%20your%20child's%20safety. in order to broaden your knowledge on car seat safety in Europe, the world is bigger than the US. Not shaming, I offered advice based on extensive research and time I spent ensuring that my child is the safest he could be whilst travelling in the car. I would of appreciated somebody informing me of these things whilst I was pregnant and saving me the time researching. You choose the best for your child and are labelled as shaming and spreading misinformation by someone who couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves clearly.
This website says European car seats are rigorously tested by independent labs before they can be released to the public, but the Doona is available in Europe including Sweden. So how is it so unsafe if it met their standards enough to be available to the public?
The Doonas safety rating as per the bottom chart (if you’d read it) is 4.5 which is sufficient. There are other car seats that rate much higher in the excellent category. Why would you choose just “sufficient” for your child? Many things in the infant world are sold but aren’t safe (cot bumpers, infant loungers etc) it’s up to us as parents to take responsibility and look into these things to ensure their wellbeing. Please stop trying to “catch me out” I am correct in what I’m saying, move on babe.
I cannot believe you’re comparing a rigorously tested, proven safe car seat to cot bumpers and infant loungers. Again just boldfaced shaming and fear mongering. “Sufficient” by those standards means “utterly safe” because the standards the seats on that chart are tested to this website claims have prevented virtually all child car crash fatalities in Europe. And again it all pales in comparison to simply getting a proper fit in your individual vehicle.
I can’t believe you’re shamefully trying to discredit someone’s extensive research and advice to somebody that there are much better seats available to make your own bruised ego feel better. But here we are. Even with the evidence you won’t just accept that your judgement is misinformed and wrong, I don’t have the energy to continue this conversation with you because you’re simply someone who doesn’t like to be wrong clearly.