Graco, Fisher Price, or Century

[Poohlvr]

I am interested in three infant carseats: Fisher Price Stay in View, Century Smart Fit Plus, or the Graco Snugride.

Which seat is the best?

[tobymc]

If all three fit perfectly in your car, then I'd go with one that has a 5 point harness and a front harness adjuster.

The three seats with a front harness adjuster and availability of a 5 pt harness are the Graco SnugRide, the FP SIV and the Century Avanta EX.

The Smart Fit is a fine infant seat. But I've been noticing again that the rear adjusters on infant seats make it SO much more difficult to keep the hanress tight every time, when the weather changes, and your baby is constantly growing. And keeping the harness tight is very important.

If several infant seats all fit perfectly, have a front adjuster and a 5 point harness, then I'd simply choose the one I liked best or could afford the best.

I hope this helps.

Toby

[jgarcia90]

We originally purchased the Stay in View seat and just now exchanged it for the Graco. We liked the Stay in View idea and weight, but it didn't fit very well in our truck (Ford Explorer). Also, it doesn't snap into any stroller (there is a way to fit in on the Snap-N-Go, but it's not a "supported" configuration). Plus, it is now a discontinued item.

We decided the Graco SnugRide and MetroLite stroller combo was much better in the long run. We're having trouble finding the stroller in French Bear print, but we'll get it soon enough.

[tanyagail]

I have been using the Fisher Price Stay in View for almost 8 months now and can not say enough good things about it. The over the shoulder strap is very comfortable and convienent for shopping etc. Living downtown, I walked everywhere with her in it and she slept wonderfully. It was great to run into Target and be able to grab some items without having to drag out the stroller or cramp up my arm. I found it to fit very well in strollers too b/c it doesn't have the overhead bar that tends to take up space. I bought the Combi Travel stroller (11 lbs) and it fits perfectly in the seat. Of course it doesn't snap into the stroller but fits snuggly into it. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit into shopping carts but since the shoulder strap is comfortable, I never found this a problem.

The mirror in the base has also been wonderful. It is nice to see if she is awake or sleeping or playing with toys. I will have to move onto a convertible car seat soon and will miss the ability to see her.

As far as fitting in cars, I found it to fit nicely in our Ford Escape and into a Honda Accord.

I highly recommend this car seat but do understand that it is discontinued and may be hard to find.

[KCR4]

I bought the Fisher Price SIV. My son is now 9 weeks old, and I have no complaints. I purchased it over the Graco and the Century Avanta car seats because the SIV is very lightweight and has the shoulder strap. (Be careful though, the strap can slip off your shoulder - which is why the user manual advises you to put it over your head/across your chest.) I have the Graco Metrolite stroller, and the Fisher Price SIV fits snugly into the seat when the backrest is lowered.