What Is the Best Infant Car Seat for 2008 or 2009 Honda CR-V?

Check out the Chicco Key fit. Super safe and easy to install. Graco is the #1 selling car seat but most people don't realize that it doesn't even fit properly into many cars. Check out http://safetyinmotion.org/, they will come to your home and install your car seat for you.

best of luck!

I'm a huge fan of the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio seat. We have the 2007 model and the 2008 version is even better with great side impact protection and a higher weight limit (30 pounds). Yes, it is pricier than other models but you'll probably be able to use it a year old or beyond. (Our son was able to use his until he was 11 1/2 months old and our seat only goes to 22 pounds). We also have the Pliko 3 stroller and absolutely LOVE them combination set. When you put the infant car seat on the stroller you can close the two shades and you little one can safely sleep without any disturbance. Congratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy birth.

For the size of your car, I'd go with the Graco Snugride. It's relatively light, and works with the Snap and go stroller (which I used more than anything until she was 6 months). The Safe Seat has a higher weight limit, but I found that her combined weight plus the extra weight of the bigger seat was too much for me before she outgrew it (I now have the Britax Roundabout which I used rear facing until she was 1). As I always recommend, check the prices on amazon.com, they are consistently lower than in stores, and shipping is free on many items.

Congrats in advance on the new baby! Good luck with your

We analyzed car seats and found the Britax, although very safe, was out of our price range and also didn't fit well in our car. We opted for the Graco Saferide that came in the travel system. I had the CHP install the car seat and he said that it was just as safe as the Britax models. The Graco saferide can accomodate a baby up to 30 lbs. The travel system allows you to take the baby in and out of the car without taking the baby out of the seat - very handy with a newborn! We used ours facing backward until our daughter hit 21 lbs and then switched to a regualar car seat. We would have kept her in the Graco seat longer, but she was 20 mos old (she's petite) and finally decided she wanted to see everything. We now have the newest Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 and it will accommodate her up until she doesn't need a car seat or booster (she can wear the harness until she is 65 lbs! I couldn't find another model that accommodated that). She LOVES her new seat and it is very adustable (headrest and incline). Our Graco fits perfect in the backseat of our small bmw 325i - we had a hard time finding one that was compact enough. If I had a bigger car and could justify the $275 knowing I'd still have to buy her another seat after she hit 45 lbs, I probably would have opted for the Britax. Good luck with your search!

We have the CRV and started with the Graco Snugride (best safety rating for infants for several years now) and then graduated to the Britax Marathon, which actually fits very nicely in the car, even though it is big. We loved the Snugride, but our son is very big for his age, so he outgrew it a little faster than most.

I have not heard a single one of my mom friends complain about their car seats. So my advice is to choose the one that fits best into your budget, as all are safe enough to meet the US standards. I chose the Graco SafeSeat because it goes up to 30 lbs., meaning that I could go from infant seat to car seat without a transitional one in between. I have a CR-V and this fits perfectly. Our hospital had a program that helped me install it the first time.

I used a snap frame rather than a travel system and loved it. They're lightweight, collapse down to almost nothing for storage and travel, and are cheap. I pushed that thing at least 4 miles a day for 6 months straight, and it's still trekking. I liked the Graco so much that I ended up buying their Nautilus 3-in-1 as my carseat , as well.

All my friends with the travel systems complained about the extra weight of the big stroller. Now that our kids are older they've all ditched their heavy ones for umbrella strollers for shopping trips/travel and joggers for heavier duty walks. So those bulky strollers they bought in the beginning just gather dust in their garages.

One poster mentioned getting a Britax because you can use it as an infant seat, as well. I would not recommend that. It may save you money (because you only buy one seat), but the convenience of an infant seat is worth a million bucks those first 6-8 months when babies sleep endlessly. You can transport them from house to car to store without interrupting their nap, which means freedom for you. We also took our baby on a few flights during the infant phase. The infant seat came right with us on the plane and into the rental car. The Britax is way too heavy and bulky for that.

Good luck.

I own a 2007 CR-V and i purchased a Graco travel system that worked perfectly. Once my son was out of the sleeping all the time phase (around 6-7 months) i purchased a Britax Marathon. Fantastic car seat, however my husband whom is rather tall could not move the driver seat all the way back due to the top of the car seat hitting the top of the driver seat (rear facing). I now have the seat forward facing and i had to remove the headrest from the back seat so that it would fit. I love the seat but not particularly for this car.

Car seats are meant to fit into all cars, so the more important question is "What is the Best Infant Seat," period. We did extensive research on this and found the Chicco KeyFit 30 was the best overall in terms of safety, easy of use, features, etc. If you book an appointment at the local CHP office, they'll even show you how to properly install it in your car. When I did this, the officer commented that we made a good choice with our seat and that it was the best on the market in terms of infant carriers. But if you prefer to skip the infant carrier and go straight to the seat that can be used for years, he said the Britax is the best. We have a Marathon but won't start using that until baby is one year and 30 lbs (forward-facing). But with the Britax Marathon, it can be used rear-facing for infants straight out of the belly. Best of luck and congrats!

Hi J.,
I started with Peg Pereggo infant seat - which came with the stroller then went to Britax. Check consumer reports.com and the Baby Bargain books. They both give ratings and great advice.

Good luck

We really liked our Britax Companion (their infant seat), you may want to check the car manufacturer to see if they have a recommendation for your model. Your car will have a Latch system, so any high quality infant seat should be able to fit really well if properly installed with the Latch. You can also check with Buckle Up Baby to help you decide and to check for proper installation.

Britax is the safest car seat, marathon or boulevard are great but they are all safe.

I don't know specifics about your vehicle, but I have a subaru impreza which is a compact car. I have been VERY happy with the Britax infant car seat. I did however get it because it went with my little guys stroller. We have been using the Britax vigor. Love the stroller and infant car seat combo. He is now getting to big for it, and I am truely sad to move on....
good luck!!
PS... some of the features that I have truely appreciated having...not needing a base to travel in another persons car