What's up with carseats? Cheap vs. expensive...

[feedindy]

Ok so I am shopping for a convertible carseat. They range in price from $50 to $400. What the heck? They all have to meet the same safety standards so why would I pay for an expensive one?

So my question is... did you buy one that is more expensive and what did that get you that a cheaper $50-60 one didn't give?

 

[aliss]

Ok so I am shopping for a convertible carseat. They range in price from $50 to $400. What the heck? They all have to meet the same safety standards so why would I pay for an expensive one?

So my question is... did you buy one that is more expensive and what did that get you that a cheaper $50-60 one didn't give?

Aside from there always being a huge range just from name brand/fabric/etc, the various car seats also work for different sizes/facings.

I have a MyRide 65 (Graco) from Wal-Mart and got it on sale for about $130. It is a fantastic seat and he can be rear facing for several years (he is 30lbs and still rear facing at 16 months), I believe it rear faces until 40lbs.

Our Eddie Bauer seat maxed out at 20lbs! There are also some ERF (extended rear facing) seats that will rear face up to 60lbs. Those ones will be more expensive but IMO well worth it, whereas standard seats will allow you to forward face at only 1 year and 20lbs (which is the bare minimum legal standard here in Canada and I believe in the US as well, with recommended rear facing at 2 years).

 

[feedindy]

Ok so I am shopping for a convertible carseat. They range in price from $50 to $400. What the heck? They all have to meet the same safety standards so why would I pay for an expensive one?

So my question is... did you buy one that is more expensive and what did that get you that a cheaper $50-60 one didn't give?

Aside from there always being a huge range just from name brand/fabric/etc, the various car seats also work for different sizes/facings.

I have a MyRide 65 (Graco) from Wal-Mart and got it on sale for about $130. It is a fantastic seat and he can be rear facing for several years (he is 30lbs and still rear facing at 16 months), I believe it rear faces until 40lbs.

Our Eddie Bauer seat maxed out at 20lbs! There are also some ERF (extended rear facing) seats that will rear face up to 60lbs. Those ones will be more expensive but IMO well worth it, whereas standard seats will allow you to forward face at only 1 year and 20lbs (which is the bare minimum legal standard here in Canada and I believe in the US as well, with recommended rear facing at 2 years).

Carseats are so confusing to me. Right now she is in an infant carseat that came as a travel system, and it says up to 30 lb in the carseat. I am thinking yeah right because she is getting snug in there already at only 15 lbs. I bet she will only get a couple more months in that one.


I found this one
https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Trib...s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316992307&sr=1-2

With amazon prime it is 52 bucks and free shipping. Rear facing up to 35 lb. What do you think?

 

[aliss]

Ok so I am shopping for a convertible carseat. They range in price from $50 to $400. What the heck? They all have to meet the same safety standards so why would I pay for an expensive one?

So my question is... did you buy one that is more expensive and what did that get you that a cheaper $50-60 one didn't give?

Aside from there always being a huge range just from name brand/fabric/etc, the various car seats also work for different sizes/facings.

I have a MyRide 65 (Graco) from Wal-Mart and got it on sale for about $130. It is a fantastic seat and he can be rear facing for several years (he is 30lbs and still rear facing at 16 months), I believe it rear faces until 40lbs.

Our Eddie Bauer seat maxed out at 20lbs! There are also some ERF (extended rear facing) seats that will rear face up to 60lbs. Those ones will be more expensive but IMO well worth it, whereas standard seats will allow you to forward face at only 1 year and 20lbs (which is the bare minimum legal standard here in Canada and I believe in the US as well, with recommended rear facing at 2 years).

Carseats are so confusing to me. Right now she is in an infant carseat that came as a travel system, and it says up to 30 lb in the carseat. I am thinking yeah right because she is getting snug in there already at only 15 lbs. I bet she will only get a couple more months in that one.


I found this one
https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Trib...s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316992307&sr=1-2

With amazon prime it is 52 bucks and free shipping. Rear facing up to 35 lb. What do you think?

Yup I don't blame you they are super confusing.

The problem with that car seat is that 32lbs may come up on you pretty quick - you wouldn't be able to rear face much more than 1 year, which is the bare legal limit. This is where the price issue comes into play. If you check out the "rear facing" thread in natural parenting you'll see quite a few videos/statistics that will make you reconsider how long you wish to rear face.

This is the one I have:
https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Ride-C...s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1316994055&sr=1-1
For an additional price you can then keep them rear facicng for 40lbs and use a 5 point harness for many years - all safety features that a 50$ one does not have.

I don't think you need to buy mine (unless you want to!) but it's to give you an idea of how just a bit more money can buy you lots more safety features.

 

[mommyof3co]

Pretty much every Aliss has said I personally wouldn't get that car seat, if you want an inexpensive one I'd look at the Cosco Scenera from Target (they sell it many places but some versions only RF to 35lbs, the ones at target RF to 40lbs) it's about $40. It's a bare bones seat but it does it's job. It doesn't have the tallest of shells but should get just about any kid to about 2yrs RF, longer if they are on the smaller side.

The thing to keep in mind is that even though a seat states 30lbs, like yours, it is also the height. They have to have at least 1in of car seat shell above their head or the seat is outgrown no matter what their weight is. So like that Scenera it RF to 40lbs but another seat like the MyRide, which also RF to 40lbs, is going to last you a lot longer because it's a much taller seat. Almost all kids are going to outgrow a seat by height before they do weight. The MyRide is a great affordable seat that should last most kids to 3yrs RF if not longer. You can even find it on sale sometimes for right around $100. But even at regular price it's well worth it because of the time it will last you, it will then FF to 65lbs (but again almost every kid is going to outgrow a seat FF by height before weight...a seat is outgrown in the FF position if their shoulders go above the highest harness slot. For RF the harness should be at or below their shoulders and for FF it should be at or above. )

Other seats to look at are the Complete Air, also RF to 40lbs but even taller than the MyRide but it's more expensive too. The True Fit it only RF to 35lbs but has a very tall shell so should last a long time...I think it's around the price of a MyRide, maybe a little more actually.

I own a Radian XTSL...it's $300 and RF to 45lbs. I personally don't recommend then anymore and as soon as the seat I'm waiting on is released I will be selling ours. The seat itself is fine (now that I've had it replaced because the harness was loosening on it's own) but I won't stand by a company that pretends a problem doesn't exist when clearly it does...especially when it comes to my child's safety. SO I personally won't buy Sunshine KIds (or Diono, they are changing their name) anymore.

 

[feedindy]

wow thanks everyone. I learned a lot already from just a few responses.

I will check out all of your suggestions. In the mean time... this was my 2nd choice so far. What do you think of this one?
https://www.bjs.com/safety-1st-alpha-omega-elite-3-in-1-car-seat.product.31480

 

[mommyof3co]

I wouldn't get that one, it is very short and won't last but MAYBE to 2 RF if you're lucky, then it doesn't last long in harnessed FF mode because it has really short harness slots so usually by 4 it's outgrown and that's too young for a booster..and that seat makes a really bad booster, it's listed on the worst booster list. Usually the more a seat can do the worse it is, usually one of the features is really lacking..this case it's the booster for sure.

The only seats that actually go from harness to booster and make a good booster are the Graco Nautilus, Britax Frontier and Evenflo Maestro (but all of those are FF only then booster)

 

[Murphy98]

Hi guys with the Graco MyRides....do any of you have small cars? I am also confused by the many carseat options and one thing that is of particular concern is my husband and I both have subcompacts. The MyRide is the one we are very close to buying....thoughts?

 

[mommyof3co]

Hi guys with the Graco MyRides....do any of you have small cars? I am also confused by the many carseat options and one thing that is of particular concern is my husband and I both have subcompacts. The MyRide is the one we are very close to buying....thoughts?

A lot of stores will let you try their store models in your car to be sure they fit, I know babies r us does

 

[aliss]

Hi guys with the Graco MyRides....do any of you have small cars? I am also confused by the many carseat options and one thing that is of particular concern is my husband and I both have subcompacts. The MyRide is the one we are very close to buying....thoughts?

My Graco MyRide65 fits in both my 2011 Dodge Caravan (obviously very big!) and my wee little Toyota Yaris!

 

[EllaAndLyla]

Im having some trouble finding an ERF that I can afford and that stays rear facing for as long as possible! All the ones I have seen are like well over £200 which I just cant afford, the others are cheaper yet say they are only rear facing until 9 months Its annoying because in the UK I don't think there is a law on whether your child is rear facing or not, and I rarely see it advertised either.. I know how much safer it is but im struggling to find a car seat that will work for me x

 

[Cattia]

We are about to have to find something in the region of £200 for George's ERF. I think it is awful that they are so much more expensive. We can't really afford it but I am going to have to find the cash from somewhere as it is top priority for me to have him ERF. Hopefully in the future if enough people start to use ERF the prices will come down.

 

[feedindy]

Just wanted to thank aliss and mommyof3co for this info! You ladies know so much about this stuff.

I have decided to go with the Graco Myride 65!

 

[Bartness]

After months of research I decided on the Myride 65! I have a 2007 Dodge Caliber, and it fits great in the middle seat, but right now its in the right passenger spot (we went camping and needed extra space) its a tight fit for the front passenger but doable!