The most important thing a parent has to consider buying is the infant car seat. You have to install an infant car seat in the car when you go to the hospital to deliver, otherwise they actually won’t let you go home!!! ( I wonder whether I can walk home with the baby?)
After doing tons of research, I realize that there are essentially two types of car seats around.
1. The Infant Car Seat– that is suitable for age 0 to a max of 30 lbs
2. The Convertible car seat – that you can use if for longer time, whereby you have it rear facing first and then convert it later to front facing.
The reason why many moms prefer to get an infant car seat and then convert to the other car seat, is because for the infant car seat; you can detach it from the base and carry it around, so as not to wake the baby up if he is sleeping. ( Every mom’s nightmare is a baby who is awaken from his sleep).
For a comprehensive and safety list, you should check out this site: http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
In looking for carseats, here was my list of criteria:
1. It had to be light – I have to climb up stairs to get to my house everyday.
2. It had to be safe
3. It had to look nice and not too plasticy.
4. It had to be easy to buckle and unbuckle.
5. It had to be as big as possible- this is because my hubbie is tall and I know I am going to end up with a big baby, so I want to maximize the use of the infant car seat.
6. It could not be older than manufactured in 2008 ( This is because I plan to reuse the same car seat for another child, and read that car seats have generally a lifespan of 5 years.)
Here is what I shortlisted:
1. Maxi Cosi Car Seat- $169
The "looker"
This was the coolest looking car seat and I was at first attracted to the bright colors. I also liked it because it could fit into alot of the cooler strollers like Bugaboo and Quinny. It was also rated highly in Europe as a really safe car seat. However, when I went to Lullaby Lane to test it out, I was strongly advised by the staff there NOT to get it.
Reasons Against:
1. The handle bar was too thin and comfortable to carry around.
2. It wasn’t exactly the lightest of the carseats.
3. While reading Amazon reviews, everyone complained about how difficult it was to buckle the baby and I didn’t want to waste time fiddling with it.
4. It only fitted up to 22 lbs.
5. It was really hard to get the infant car seat out of the base because the attachement is on the sides of the car seat, whereas the other car seats like Graco it is at the back of the seat which is alot simpler.
2. Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Car Seat 30 $269
Peg Perrego Viago SIP
Priced at $269 for the bigger seat that fits up to 30 lbs, I was still considering this despite the price due to the beautiful style and and colors. It is obviously made in Italy! For safety features, it also wins bonus points for providing side impact protection. Plus it is one of the few brands around that caters to a larger baby.
Reasons against:
1. It is still on the heavy side
2. The price.
3. Chicco Keyfit 30 $159
Chicco Keyfit30 Infant Car seat
Reading the reviews at elitecarseats.com, I chose this in the end because this car seat had alot of great reviews about safety and easy of use. Furthermore, the car seat did fit for a baby up to 30 lbs. Read the review on about.com on Chicco Car Seat. I bought it because it was cheaper than Peg Perego, and the moms at my local moms club recommended it. However, after I bought the car seat- I realized one major drawback….. there were not many strollers that could fit it. The ones on the website only recommend their own brand- Chicco strollers. And when I looked at the universal strollers/infant car seat carriers- they all mentioned- Graco, Peg Perego, Maxi Cosi, but no mention of Chicco!!
Then I googled and chanced upon a forum, where people said that the Chicco Car Seat fitted with the Maclaren Easy Traveler very well, so I felt a little cheated, but relieved. I bought one on craigslist and hopes it works out ok.
Baby at 35! 