Would like to know if anyone knows which is the best side impact protection: the air or the foam? Most have the foam and the safety 1st has the air. Our cars have air bags so is it the same as the safety 1st? The Graco has reinforced steel and the safety 1st doesnt say anything about that. I seen the reviews on the safety 1st and it had good reviews as graco. Anyone with a Safety 1st or the Graco nautilus, let me know what your opinions or facts are....Thanks
Thank you for all the advice. Just letting everyone know how pleased I am with my purchase. A Britax Advocate 70, I love it. But at first I did buy the Safety 1st air one and hated it. too difficult. Love the Britax...I would also recommend it to every parent...
Go for a Britax. I know you didn't mention it, but that is my car seat of choice. We have 3 kids and 6 Britax (3 in each car). They are worth every penny. I have the Frontier and Marathon. They are also made in the USA (Charlotte, NC). It amazes me that people will easily spend $25,000-$50,000 on a vehicle, and try to save $100 on a car seat.
We have our 4yo DD in the Graco Nautilus. We have our 9 mo in Britax Marathon and Boulevard. You can check Target and Amazon for great deals on both. I have to buy 3-4 seats as we are a multi vehicle family and I don't like taking the seats in and out and plus our parents keep our kids during the day. I got the Britax on sale at Amazon for 30% off, plus free shipping.
Britax is the only thing I'll put my son in. I used to work at babies r us and we'd have firefighter come by and get them for their babies. They would also tell me of stories where the kids should have been killed but their Britax saved them. Good enough for me!
BUT out of Saftey 1st or a Graco, I'd take a Graco any day! I have ALWAYS hated any American brand but Graco. The quality of the plastic is a huge one. Try and bend the plastic on a model of both of them and feel the give on them. Saftey first to me has always felt that it was a melted down McDonalds toy. Cheap plastic all the way around. Of course I'm not an expert and this is all info that I got while working at a baby store. I would go with the Graco.
We have a Britax for our daughter and it's the best! They are pricey (about 300) but so worth it. It is the safest carseat and can be used for up to 100 pounds. We got ours for our daughter when she was 1 and now she is about to be 4 and fits in it with no problem.
When I was getting my daughter's carseat, I researched all of them like crazy. Britax has a five-star crash test rating. I wouldn't buy anything else!
Depends on how old your child is, height, and weight?
If your child is under 2yrs old you need a convertible car seat to rear face your child. Please google EXTENDED REAR FACING for more information.
If your child is over 2-3yrs old, then a Graco Nautilus would be a good choice, it will harness to 65lbs and then booster to 100lbs.
Love love love our nautilus! Babies r us was advertising their trade in don't know is it's still going on but that's when we got ours. You get 25% off if you bring in an item they have listed.
We just got the Graco Nautilus for our son, he just turned 3 and was too tall for his convertible seat. I researched the booster seats to death before we settled on that one! I read good reviews from people who had been in accidents, where their kids walked away with barely a scratch. I was really pleased with it when we got it - it's very sturdy, easy to install, and my son finds it very comfortable. Also it has 3 levels and he was already too big for the smallest one, so we had to take out the seat pads, move the shoulder straps up, move the headrest up, but it was so easy - I only read the instructions after the fact to make sure I hadn't missed anything! Very happy with this purchase.
We were in a fatality accident with a britax marathon, I'm sold on the brand after research and experience! We have a marathon for our youngest and frontier for our 6year old. All about safety! BRU did advertise their trade in recently, we have tried them out in the store there and purchased new in box on eBay or at www.albeebaby.com!
As a certified child passenger safety instructor (for 12 years now), it's very important to find a car seat that fits properly into your vehicle. Use a type of seat that's appropriate for your child (convertible rear-facing for children as long as possible - some now go up to 40 pounds RF, THEN transition to a forward-facing position, five-point harness as long as possible before moving them into a booster seat) and make sure the seat you choose can be used correctly by every member of the family/caregivers who will be transporting your child.
MANY of the manufacturers are using extensive technology to improve their side-impact protection. As you're in Houston, you have access to a wide group of child passenger safety instructors and technicians, in fact, Baby's First on Westheimer has one on staff. Take the time to speak to someone who's knowledgeable about the proper installation - and ALWAYS read the instructions BEFORE you start using the seat. Texas law mandates that all child safety seats must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions - if you haven't read them - how do you know you're following their requirements? Take the time to do test installations before you purchase the seat - that way you can weed out those that don't fit properly in your vehicle. Also - remember that seats do have expiration dates - you may not be able to use certain seats up to their maximum weights if the expiration date comes before your child has met the weight/height limits. Typical expiration dates are 6-7 years from the date of manufacturer - not from the date you start using it. One manufacturer has a 9 year date for the backless booster phase of their seat and a 10 year expiration date for their newest seat on the market.
Good luck!
