Safety Seat Comparisons
The safest seat is the one that fits your child, your vehicle and that you will use 100% correctly every single ride. Sometimes that may be an expensive seat, sometimes it isn't.
As parents, we have no way of knowing if seat A is safer than seat B. The current system does not grade seats, seats either pass or they fail. Seats that fail either do not make it to market, or they are recalled.
This list is by no means designed to tell you one seat is safer than another.
This list is merely a collection of tidbits from my years of experience working with seats. If I do not have a specific bit of information listed, it means I have not gotten my hands on that seat to obtain that information.
Some seats are easier to use, some are outgrown very quickly. Some are simply overpriced for the useful life they have.
This list is still under construction, please bear with me while I gather the information. In the meanwhile, if you have a question about a specific seat, please email me using the contact form HERE.
*The ease of use rating is a scale from 1 to 5 stars, 1 being very user-unfriendly, 5 being very easy to use.
This page was last modified on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 12:42 PM
Infant Seat Comparison |
| | Graco SnugRide | Graco SafeSeat 1 | Chicco Keyfit 22 | Chicco Keyfit 30 | Britax Companion | Evenflo Discovery | | Baby Trend Latch Lock | Baby Trend Flex Lock |
| MSRP | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | | $ | $ |
| Weight limit | 20-22 lbs (check owner's manual) | 30 lbs | 22 lbs | 30 lbs | 22 lbs | | | 22 lbs | 22 lbs |
| Height limit | | | | | | | | | |
| Base? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | | | |
| Can be used baseless? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | | | | |
Carry Handle can be up in vehicle? | Y, depending on year manufactured. Check owner's manual. | Y | Y | Y | N | | | | |
| Built-in lockoff on base or seat? | N | Y (on base) | | | | | | | |
| Cover replacement easily available? | Y | Y | | | Y | | | | |
| Rigid or flexible LATCH | flexible | flexible | flexible | flexible | flexible | flexible | | rigid | flexible |
| Anti-rebound? | N | N | | | Y | N | | Y | N |
increased Side Impact Protection system? | N | N | N | N | Y | N | | N | N |
| Travel System compatible? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y |
Expiration (years from date of manufacture) | 6 | 6 | | | 6 | | | 6 | 6 |
| Seated height to lowest harness position | | | | | | | | | |
| seated height to highest harness position | | | | | | | | | |
| Infinite harness adjustment? | N | N | N | N | N | N | | N | N |
| Energy Absorbing foam? (EPP/EPS) | | | | | | | | | |
| Weight of seat itself | | | | | | | | | |
| overall length of seat installed with base/without base | | | | | | | | | |
Ease of use rating* | **** | ***** | **** | **** | *** | * | | ***** | **** |
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