Where to Get Dependable Reviews on Carseats

I'm a former trauma nurse, so getting a good car seat was a REALLY big deal for me! Consumer Reports does independent safety testing on carseats. Amazon, Target, and Babies-R-Us websites also have lots of consumer reviews. Before our first child was born, we went to the library and looked for the most recent carseat reviews in Consumer Reports. Based on our research, we bought the second-highest rated seats. The highest-rated were Britax in every category, but they seemed so expensive, so we ended up buying an Evenflo Truimph and an Evenflo Titan (one for each car). They've been good carseats. When we had our daughter, we needed to get a couple more car seats once she outgrew the infant seat. (We used a Graco Snugride for both of them until they outgrew it--also got an excellent safety rating from Consumer Reports.) This time, we got Britax. They really are safer than anything else out there, and if you're ever in an accident, you'll wish you had the very best seat you could possibly afford. As soon as we can afford it, we'll be replacing the Evenflo seats with Britax. The Boulevard would be good for you--it's got great side-impact protection, it will hold your child until they reach 65 pounds, and it can be used rear-facing for a very young baby, as small as 5 pounds. It's expensive, but you'll be able to use it for a long time.

Personal Opinion:

I have 2 sets of car seats - one for my car, and one for my babysitters car (4 car seats total, I have twins). I have the Britax Marathon seats in my car, and have nothing bad to say about them. Love them, and think they are worth the money. I purchased them because of good ratings, good reviews from other parents, and because of the weight limits (they will last).

When I had to buy the second set, I purchased the Fisher-Price Safe Voyage seats. They are made by Britax for Fisher-Price. Almost exactly the same, and MUCH cheaper. You might want to check them out. Albee Baby (www.albeebaby.com) has them for $130.

Also, if you go with Britax seats, I suggest you really poke around the internet to get a good price. Often you can get a discountinued pattern at a substainal discount. I got my Britax from Albee "closeouts": http://www.albeebaby.com/closeoutitems.html. I'm sure there are other stores that have them as well at good prices.

When I was registering and purchasing baby stuff, I found the reviews on Babies R Us website very helpful.

When I was pregnant someone gave me the book "Baby Bargains." I loved it. It reviews all products, including parent reviews, safety ratings, etc. There are several editions, of course, as new products are continually coming out. I used this when i bought our convertible seat. I also purchased seats for my sister's twins, and wanted to make sure i got really good ones that weren't outrageous in price (Britax).

I ended up getting the Evenflo triumph. They were rated well, and the lady at BRU also recommended it. I like the seat. It seemed confusing at first to set up in the car, but that's because all of the manuals are confusing! it's very easy, especially to use the LATCH system, and to move from car to car.
FYI Britax also got really high ratings for all their seats in "Baby Bargains," but I personally think you pay for them to be pretty, and for extras that aren't necessary.

I would suggest going to the bookstore and taking notes from "Baby Bargains" to help you decide, although it's a good purchase if you need other baby items, or to pass on to a pregnant friend.

H.,

I'm married to an automotive engineer that researches - everything. The Britax seats always get the best rating because they are truly the best, hands down. My husband's company designs several things - including seatbelts. The seatbelt division tests childrens carseats to see how they perform in crash tests. The testing engineer told my husband the Britax seats "always perform better in a crash" and "they're the best on the market". This just reinforced my confidence level in them keeping my children safe. :)

We recently retired our Britax Wizard (same as the Boulevard but with name change) carseats when we moved to booster seats. They're still in great shape, never been in a crash, can be used rear or front facing, can hold up to 65lbs. and install very quickly. If this sounds like something you're interested in purchasing from me at a good price just send me an email. I will be happy to send you pictures.

H.,
Safety is important - everyone can agree to that. I have twin boys and so we have to buy two of everything, and in this case, FOUR (2 for each car).

I did a TON of research before getting our convertible car seats. My DH is very tall and my twins are tall for their age. So I wanted to take that into consideration as well. I also took into consideration that we do sometimes travel by airplane, so would be taking the car seats with us to use on the plane.

Try and make up a list of things like what I just mentioned above. While all car seats have to meet specific safety standards, certain car seats are easier to install than others, and some work better than others in specific car models. Lastly, some are better than others for taller children, go up to higher weights/heights (so you can use them longer), and are more plush, easier to clean, etc. etc.

I used Consumer Reports web site. The Graco Comfort Sport was rated second to the Britax car seat, only by one or 2 points when I was researching this, and it wasn't due to safety issues. Being that the Graco Comfort sport is less expensive than Britax (and I just couldn't afford to spend over $400 for only 2 car seats, then another $400+ for 2 more so over $800 total even after a discount and a coupon), and I learned that it fit better in airline seats than the Britax (and is also a little lighter weight for carrying it through the airport I might add), I purchased 2 of Graco Comfort Sports at BRU.

A friend of mine with twins gave me her 2 Britax car seats (for free and they are in mint condition & accident free!) and we put those in our other mini van that DH drives. They are bigger, bulkier, just as frustrating to install with the tether, just as frustrating to adjust the harnesses for when your child grows, have a little thicker of a cushion on the seat, and are a little bit heavier. I honestly can't say that I think one is truly better over the other.

Besides Consumer Reports, I also reviewed the Baby Bargains web site. Do a google search on Baby Bargains -- the site is through Windsor Peak Press and the book is by Denise and Alan Fields. The Forum on there is helpful too.

There was another site that I had found to be helpful too, especially if you have a car/vehicle that is a couple of years old. Car Seat Data (www.carseatdata.org) lets you search by vehicle and tells you how well particular car seat models fit in your vehicle model based on what people have submitted in to the site with that car and car seat model.

Our older mini-van has an integrated car seat. We had it for my oldest when he was young. Personally, those are MUCH better than any car seat I've found on the market and easier to use. If you drive a mini-van or an SVU that has seats that can be taken out, I would seriously consider cruising eBay or contacting an auto parts dealer to see if you can purchase just that seat with an integrated car seat and getting it installed. It may cost you a bit more $$, but if you plan to keep the car and have more kids, it will be worth it. If not, consider leasing a car with integrated seats in it the next time you lease (that is, if you lease).

Also, if you shop at BRU, if you are buying two of the EXACT same item, you can get a 10% discount. So if you buy 2 of the exact same car seat you get 10% off the total cost of both. This is only good in store and you may have to ask a Manager so the cashier rings it up correctly. However, they will not give you the discount (usually they won't) AND the $10 off coupon that they have in the BRU sales fliers that you get in the mail etc. So you have to figure out which way saves you more money. On a $200 car seat, you will save $20 vs. only the $10 coupon.

Good Luck!

--K.
Mom to Alex (11), Aaron & Aidan (2)