peg perego car seat vs. snug ride

[tilly2321]

HI there,
I have a friend who is going into labor early and hasn't made her final decisions regarding car seats. She is on baby #2 and used to have a snugride, but now is considering a peg since her snugride has mold on it from storage. Anyhow, she will be driving a minivan. Are there any safety differences? I couldn't find the crash test results comparing the two? What are the major differences in a nutshell? Just want to get this info to her ASAP so she has time to purchase and get it checked before babe arrives (any day or minute!)
Thanks in advance,
Elle

[Joolsplus2]

The main difference is that the Peg MUST be used with the base. The Graco can be brought in another car or traveling without the base and just installed directly into the car, but you HAVE to use the base with the Peg. Also, the Peg costs more. Otherwise, there really aren't any safety differences, and I don't think they are much different from each other to install or use.
Someone else will know more of the cosmetic differences, I'm sure :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[marybliss]

There also differences in weight. The Snugride weighs only 7 lbs vs the Peg weighing 9 lbs. Add that weight plus a sack of potatoes (aka baby) makes every ounce count!

The Peg seats are very well padded but I read numerous accounts of babies outgrowing them sooner than the Snugrides since the Peg seats are more narrow.

Also, the Peg seats have a wider carry handle without a soft handle grip (like the Snugrides). The wider handle (at least for me) kept rubbing up against my hips when I carried it in the store. The Snugride handle is more contoured, has a good grip and doesn't get in the way width wise.

All of these were just personal preferences for me. They're both great seats with great crash test ratings. The deal breaker (for me) was the Peg seat's weight. (I even found a Peg seat on clearance for $62 when I was lookin to buy a year ago and still went with the Snugride.) Now that our DD is almost 18 lbs, I'm so thankful I didn't get a seat that weighs more than the Snugride.

[kjezierski]

Consumer Reports has done crash tests on car seats and the Graco Snug Ride was tops.

[hellosmiletoday]

I also would go with the Graco...I tested both at the store, and the weight difference was definately noticable. Even if you were going to get a Peg stroller, it would be cheaper to get SnugRide+SnapnGo.

Why couldnt you just replace or extensively wash the carseat cover, and clean the plastic parts thoroughly? DH bought some mold cleaner I think at Home Depot for our ceiling when it had mold. Or you could just use clorox?

[tilly2321]

Thanks all for your great input. I didn't know there was such a weight difference. I will pass along all of this helpful information along to my friend. I really appreciate it!
Elle

[hellosmiletoday]

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cssrating/

here's a good link