graco safe seat-- read this before you buy it!

[sams mommy]

hi all- i have a britax companion that i have for my 13 month old-- she is 30 inches and 19 pounds..

so i went to bru to buy the safe seat since it has up to 32 inches and i would really like to have her in the infant seat fore the winter- so i take it home and the length is great - but the straps were not long enough! i put them to the longest length in the back and the waist spots-- so i do not know how they are saying the this seat can hold a 30 pound child since by dd is so small and it did not harness her in--

also- the britax has the latch that has the black thingies-- sorry i do not know what they are called and they click right in-the graco seat has a black clasp- not a big deal but a little harder to do-- but the hood was thicker that the companion- so for the winter and the wind i think it would be good but teh companion canopy came down further-- so all in all- i would still choose the companion over the graco safe seat any day...

the price difference is not enough- to settle on the graco-- just my .02 cents--

donn ajean

[SusanMae]

Are you putting your daughter in the seat with her coat on? Children shouldn't wear coats in car seats because the extra fluff could compress in an accident and she would not be as safe and could even be ejected.

Susan

[o_mom]

Did you check that the straps were on the longest setting?

I don't know about the SafeSeat, but the ComfortSport (by Graco) has a splitter plate in the back and there are two sets of loops on the straps you can use - one shorter and the other longer. The first set is used when they are little and the other when they are bigger. They usually ship with them in the shorter spot, and I'll bet BRU just leaves them that way.

[Joolsplus2]

Good to hear, thanks for checking it out for us. From your description, you did put the harness in the longest position (same as the comfortsport AND the snugride), so that sounds kind of crummy...hopefully they take note of consumer complains and fix that up quick (it's a pretty common problem on new seats, I don't know why!).

Yeah, Britax LATCH 'miniconnectors' are da bomb, almost everyone else just uses those annoying little hooks... they're just cheaper to make, I suppose.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[momtojack]

Boy I wish I had read your post before I bought the safeseat - I just did exactly the same thing you did. My son just outgrew his snugride at 6 months, 20 pounds, 27 inches. Even though it is heavy to lug around 30 lbs. of baby and seat, it seemed worth it to me just to get through the winter. Then I planned to just leave it in the car and figured that it would last until he was a year old or so, then I could pass it on to a friend who is due around then. I sat Jack in the seat at BRU, but didn't actually buckle the harness b/c the one in the store was in the smallest holes. When we got home and I strapped him into it the first time, I was shocked to see that I could barely fasten the harness with the straps all the way out. He could use it now, but has NO room to grow. I have the straps in the highest slots (and the height is fine) and put it into the longest loops in the back. The seat itself has plenty of room for him to grow, but the harness is no bigger than the one on his old snugride (and his is the older snugride, 20 lbs 26"). If you are trying to decide between the safeseat and the snugride, I would say just go with the snugride - its lighter and less bulky. Who cares if a 30 lb baby will fit in the seat if you can't actually strap him in!

Sorry this post was so long, but thanks for listening to me rant. I am so frustrated that I now have to return the safeseat and decide on a convertible. I know I want a Britax, but my head is spinning from trying to figure out the differences in all of their models!

[Joolsplus2]

The lap straps also lengthen, did you try making those longer, too?
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[o_mom]

I would suggest calling Graco, even if you are set on returning. This seems like such a simple fix, that I would hate to have the first new design get cancelled or bad reviews because of returns. I think this seat provides a much needed option to cut down on the number of seats we all have to buy.

[momtojack]

Thank you Julie - the problem is obviously me, not the safeseat! I had not lengthened the lap straps, but I have now. My son is napping, so I haven't tested him in it, but the straps are now significantly longer. I will try him out in the seat this afternoon and report back on how much grow room he has. I apologize if my previous post confused (or deterred) anyone who was considering a safeseat. With the harness issue resolved, here are my other thoughts on the safeseat:

1. Love the built in lock-off - we have a 2000 CRV that does not have latch, and the SS was much easier to install than the SR because of the lock-off.

2. SS is a bit heavier and a bit bulkier and the combination makes it noticeably more awkward to carry than a SR - but keep in mind that I am carrying a 20 lb baby in it.

3. SS is a bit harder to get in and out of the base - it seems to stick a bit. I wouldn't consider this a reason not to buy SS, and maybe it will get better with use, but it is something to consider.

Overall, I think SS is a great alternative for those with bigger babies who outgrow other infant seats well before they are a year old. I am still considering returning the SS and going straight to a convertible, but only b/c I am not sure the convenience of having an infant seat for the rest of the winter is worth the $130 when I could put it toward a better convertible. If I were starting over with a new baby, I think I would choose the SS over the SR.

Thanks again for catching my mistake, Julie!

Shelly