child restraint

Overall Rating: ( 9 reviews )

1. Posted: Aug 14 2008

   We love the extra base for our car seat. It is a great product. It was easy to install and great for first time parents.

2. Posted: Apr 1 2008

   Please ignore the reviewer who rated the seat one star due to the rebound issue. I am a certified child passenger safety technician and this is NOT a safety concern. Almost all rear facing seats will rebound in a crash. The only ones that won't are infant seats with rigid LATCH (the only one currently available in the US is the Baby Trend Latch-Loc with rigid LATCH) or one with an anti-rebound bar like the Britax Companion and convertible seats that tether rear facing (all Britax convertible seats, Sunshine Kids Radian, etc). As long as your seat moves less than an inch in any direction AT THE BELT PATH (i.e. on an infant seat with a base, right at the seat crack where the other poster said it was tight) it is safe. The Chicco KeyFit is a very good seat. It is without a doubt one of the best on the market currently. It installs like a dream and fits small babies very well. As a tech of seven years, I would not hesitate to recommend this seat or use it for my own child.

3. Posted: Mar 25 2008

   I purchased this seat on the recommendation of Consumer Reports, expecting the safest seat on the market. In order to make certain it was installed perfectly, I visited a local California police department and had a trained and certified car seat inspector install it. Where the LATCH system attaches (or along the belt path if not using LATCH) the seat is very secure. Won't budge an inch. HOWEVER, the back of the seat and base remain completely untethered and will lift up at least seven inches off the seat. My installer said this is incredibly unsafe in the event of being rear ended at moderate to high speeds. I spoke with Chicco's car seat safety person who said it isn't a concern because most accidents are head on collisions. She also mentioned that in the past month they have received at least eight other complaints from the California Highway Patrol about this issue. I've been looking into this issue extensively and have learned that all infant seats with bases are designed this way and have the same problem. It's so common it has a name: Rebound. So, unless you are certain that you will not be rear-ended avoid this and all infant seats designed to pop out of a base at all costs. They are not safe. Yes, being able to easily remove your child from the car is a great feature, but it IS NOT worth risking the safety of your child. My local certified police installer deems this seat and others of the same style unsafe. And from the mouth of Chicco's own representative, so does the California Highway Patrol. Britax Roundabout, Britax Roundabout Advantage, Britax Galaxy and the Britax Marathon are all convertible seats that are VERY safe and have been tested using a tether in a rear facing position that removes this 'rebound' issue. For the sake of your child, bypass convenience and go with safety.

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Overall Rating: ( 1 reviews )

1. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Oct 21 2007

   We bought this car seat because we were concerned mostly about SIP for our daughter. After doing countless research, we had it narrowed down to this seat, the Recaro Young Sport and the Britax Boulevard. We didn't choose the Recaro because the weight limit wouldn't let you harness it as long as the Britax and Safeguard. We ended up choosing the Safeguard because it seemed to have much more positive reviews regarding safety in comparison to the Britax Boulevard. Our previous seat was the Britax Marathon. Once we got the Safeguard we realized how heavy and well built the seat is...there's even memory foam in the seat for added padding. One bonus is the that the seat is a bit more compact in the base than the Boulevard. Also, the seat practically installs itself...it's that easy! After having the seat for about eight months our major complaints are: compared to a Britax the straps are so frustrating every time you get your child in and out of the seat. There are no easy velcro pieces that hold the straps away like on a Britax so my dd always sits on the straps and the crotch piece and I have to end up digging them out from under her EVERY single time. May not sound like a big deal, but when you're constantly in and out of the car and you've got more than one kid to deal with, what a pain! Also, part of the fabric on the Safeguard is almost like a softly sueded microfiber and it just seems to attract lint and pet hair (our cat) from my dd[s clothes. Again, not such a big deal but when you're paying big bucks for a car seat you want it to look nice too. That being said, if I were just concerned about safety first and foremost I would probably get the Safeguard child seat again for my infant son in the future. However, since I was always pleased with our previous Britax and they are extremely safe car seats also...I would seriously consider getting the Britax Boulevard with SIP next time for the pure simple fact that it is MUCH easier to get my child in and out of the car seat in regards to the strap/buckle.

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Overall Rating: ( 46 reviews )

1. Posted: Aug 1 2008

   My twin girls just outgrew their Peg Perego infant car seats. I purchased the Britax car seat based on it's safety ratings. I love this car seat. I have an Odyssey with the LATCH system. These were a breeze to install. My daughters love them, not only because they can see out the window now, but they are very comfortable. They are still rear facing because they are still under 20 lbs, and they still look very comfortable. I would recommend spending the money on these car seats because of their safety, durability, and longevity.

2. Posted: Jul 24 2008

   Our son's second car seat was a Britax with the side impact protection and it literally saved his life when someone plowed into our van on his side. We would not go with anything less for our children after that experience. I love this car seat even more - the material is so soft and the padding feels wonderful! Our daughther has Down Syndrome and the extra support really helps keep her body and head in alignment like her physical therapist recommended. Bear in mind that this is a large seat; in the rear facing position, it just fits behind the passenger seat in our van.

3. Posted: Jul 24 2008

   This car seat is very nice. My only gripe is that the strap that fits between the legs is set back too far. Otherwise, this is a heavy-duty, premium car seat. Much more plush than our EvenFlo infant seat. I like the side impact protection that this seat offers- it is very substantial compared to other car seats. The seat fits snugly in the minivan. It is quite heavy but I see that as a plus in terms of additional protection. The weight limit is up there too so you can use this seat for many, many years. I know that this is pricey compared to other models but you will definitely get the mileage out of it in terms of use over several years.

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Overall Rating: ( 21 reviews )

1. Posted: Jul 26 2008

   I was torn between buying the Graco Nautilus and the Britax Marathon. Both had great reviews, so it was hard for me to decide. I went to Babies R Us to try both of them out. The Graco didn't recline and sat straight up. While the britax did recline and looked more comfortable. I didn't want my sons (14 months) head to fall down while he slept and it seemed that it would in the Graco. The sales associate said that the number one complaint with the Graco is that it did sit straight up and did not recline. I went with the Marathon and it has been perfect. We recently went on vacation and my son was so comfortable while he was awake and while he slept (his head did not fall foward, it was perfect.) The material (I have the Platinum) was also very cool and his back didn't get hot, so that was also nice. He also gets to sit up high and look out the windows which is a bonus. I'm so glad I bought the Marathon!!

2. Posted: Jul 26 2008

   While this seat is wonderful for older babies and toddlers it is not right for an infant. I bought this with the intention of only using one seat from birth until she needed a booster. I was furious and disappointed when I went to leave the hospital and my dd, 7lbs6oz 20in, was way too small for this seat. The straps were a good 2in above her shoulders and rubber on the straps was longer than her body. It was impossible for me to fit my child in this seat and even if I could it would have been incredibly unsafe. I feel deceived by Britax. I am now out the extra money I never intended to spend on a bucket seat. I also am very concerned about the infants that are improperly buckled and lives are in danger because of the misrepresentation of this seat from Britax.

3. Posted: Jul 16 2008

   This is our 4th Britax carseat! I love it as I have loved them all. The new denim cover is well made and a great vibrant color. A note about the price: Britax carseats are a little expensive but after researching them I believe they are well worth the money. After all, we spend thousands of dollars on our vehicles but gasp at a $300 carseat? Isn't that a little silly?

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Overall Rating: ( 20 reviews )

1. ( 0 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 19 2008

   I received this as a gift from my sister who saw someone use it and thought "How convenient!". It isn't. I used the regular infant car seat since my baby was born prematurely and this product was too large. The first time I used it was when going on a trip to Texas. Although we didn't have to take a stroller AND a car seat, it was too bulky when wheeling through museums and streets. It just didn't stroll that well. Secondly putting my 8 month old baby back in the car while seated, about 30lb, took a toll on my back. From then on, I'd have to take my baby out, place her in front seat, take the car seat out, convert it into a stroller, then take the baby from the front seat (if she hasn't fallen from it already and crying), then strap her to the stroller. Doesn't that take away from the advertised convenience? Now I only use it as a car seat and even as a solo functioning item, it's horrible. I have to use the 5 point strap AND the car buckle every time. If you have time to see their manual, please flip to the illustration of a buckled up kid. She/he cannot move arms when in front-view position. Since my baby is only 1, the car belt comes to her neckline. I can't believe this passed the safety standard.

2. Posted: May 15 2008

   My husband and I bought this car seat before our son was born. He is now 3 months old and we're looking for another car seat. The problem is that the angle is too steep for a young baby. My son's head falls forward until his chin is resting on his chest, and his head bobs whenever the car goes over a small bump. The head support pillow only forces his head further forward. We've tried putting towels and foam pads under the seat, to make it recline back further, but this makes the seat less stable. We hoped that once our son was a little older, he could hold his head up, but I think that in an accident, he would end up with a neck injury from his head jerking around. I've finally decided to simply buy a different seat, and I've found that most seats have a gentler angle and many allow you to adjust how far back the seat tilts. Also, many car seats allow you to adjust how high the shoulder straps go. The Sit N Stroll does not have adjustable shoulder straps. At three months, they already dig into my son's neck. On the other hand, the Sit N Stroll does convert very easily into a stroller, and it's well-padded and more compact than many other seats. Unfortunately, I just don't think it's safe for a younger infant. I hope to give it another try when my son is 9 or 10 months old.

3. ( 0 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 17 2008

   What the manufacturers don't tell you (and the impossible-to-decipher instructions leave out) is that to install the Sit'n'Stroll into a car, the child must already be strapped into the seat with the shoulder harnesses. This is because the straps that are supposed to attached to the car's lower seat anchors (if you choose to use them) as well as the vehicle's own lap/shoulder belt mechanism secure and tighten by wrapping OVER the TOP of the seat (i.e., over the child), rather than through slots underneath the child, as in most better-made seats (i.e., Graco, Britax, etc.). Anyone who's ever installed a child seat knows that it must be sunk down tightly into the car seat to prevent it from moving or rocking side to side - and it is virtually impossible to place your weight on the seat to tighten it when a child is sitting in it! This creates a potentially serious safety issue. Don't believe it? The vague drawings in the instruction manual (available on the company's web site) show the belts wrapping over the child, and the instruction manual says nothing about how the child must be in the seat first. When I called their customer service line to clarify this, the woman I spoke with confirmed somewhat sheepishly that yes, the child did need to be in the seat prior to its being secured in the car. When I asked how they expected the customer to push the seat down to secure it, she had no good answer, instead suggesting that I just push down on the arms. That's not good enough, folks. Now comes the SECOND PROBLEM: returning this dog. The company that distributes it (Little Folks) charges a 10% restocking fee (that's $25 off the top); you'll have to pay your own shipping to send it back (it cost me over $30); and when they finally refund your money (we're still waiting for ours), they tell you that they'll deduct THEIR original shipping cost -- probably about the same as my cost to ship it back. So if you return it, you'll lose almost $100 in the transaction. Don't waste your money. Your child's safety isn't worth it.

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