New Graco Snugride - should the handle be up or down in the car?

[Beth568]

My BIL and SIL have a new baby, and when I met them someplace yesterday I noticed, as they were driving away, that they'd left the carry handle on their SnugRide upright even after putting the seat in the car.

It's a brand new seat, and so things may have changed since I had one for my girls. But I remember that we needed to put the handle back down while driving - even though lots of people left them up.

Is that still the case? Should I gently suggest it to them? Or are the new SnugRides ok with the handle upright while driving? I REALLY hate to offer unsolicited suggestions to new parents, though I will sometimes do so if there's a safety issue involved. Thanks...

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

if it's brand new, it should be fine.

but do urge them to check the manual to be sure.

Kat

[o_mom]

The Snugrides can have the handle all the way up, or all the way down, it is just the middle positions that are prohibited while driving. Even my 3 yr old Snugride (old model) said this.

[jeanum]

A tech told me Graco crash tested the newer Snugrides and Safe Seat infant seat with the handle upright and okayed leaving the handle upright in the car. This same tech also said it was a 20 or 30 mph crash test, so she doesn't recommend leaving the handle up in the car unless upright is the only way the infant seat would fit in the car at all.

[Joolsplus2]

It's funny they don't teach us in the class that a 30mph crash is very, very severe...so some of us aren't too sure about the standard crash tests seeming 'tough' enough. :)

Anyway, here's what the Graco Engineers say:
"Graco advises that either the up or down position can be used during travel.
We have conducted extensive crash testing to FMVSS 213 standards as well as
ISO side-impact testing with the handle in both the upright and down positions.
We have also carefully examined crash investigation reports involving the
SnugRide. Another interesting fact is that in Europe the handle, is required to
be in the upright position."

(That's from CPSPList at groups.yahoo.com...i'd link to it, but you have to be a member to read the page... anyone's free to join, though).

:)

Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[jeanum]

Thanks, Julie, for sharing the quote from Graco. This makes me feel more reassured about DH's tendency to leave the handle up on the Safe Seat 1. He can be the "absent minded professor" type at times. :)

[Beth568]

Ok, thanks so much! So I can leave them alone.

See, my parenting experience is outdated, even though my oldest isn't quite 5...I will REALLY have to remind myself to stay quiet when I'm a grandmother! ;)

[psully]

this will sound like a stupid question, but what is considered "up" and what is considered "down"???
the reason I ask is because the way I see it, the handle is either at the "front" of the car seat or "behind" the car seat. do you know what I mean?
so which is considered up and which is down????

thanks.

[Iluvbabies57]

Up is the carry position, down is the very furthest back position (so behind the seat).

[tg_canada]

I am getting off topic here...

The SafeSeat handle has 4 positions (A - carry position, B - still up but not yet behind the seat, C - behind the head of the seat, D- low down behind the seat). What's REALLY silly is they say that A, C, and D can be used in the vehicle but B can NOT be used. B also can NOT be used for carrying the seat. So why the heck do they have B if it's unsafe in the 2 ways you use the seat most (carrying it and in the car)?? I wish they just didn't have it. It's really easy for someone to take it out of position D (all the way back, touching floor) and *think* it's in the carrying position when it's not all the way forward. It's usually only DH or I that carry/transport DD right now, but I have had to point it out to my dad who has carried her out to the vehicle for me.

Then, once you have it in the vehicle, it's hard to visually tell if the handle is in position A or B. So, if you've moved it to C or D for travel, you have to be very sure you've got it to A and NOT B when you are taking the seat out.

The only reason I can think that they have this position is if you have small vehicle where the front seat is situated such that it does not allow the handle to be in position C or D (which are useful if you are taking the child out of the seat while leaving the seat in the base). Position A would have you bonking the child's head, but I think with B you could get them out more easily.

Still though, not a good useability on Graco's part. Way to set up parents to use it wrong. And if A, C, and D can be use in the vehicle, why not B? I may have to email Graco about this...

[jd11365]

I obviously tried to search first before posting, but I still need to know...

I don't have my manual for Kayla's old infant carseat that we will be using for the baby. It's the older French Bear snugride...from '03. Can I still leave it up? I always put it down, and with two, I'd like to just click the darn thing and go if it's ok. That, and I could never hang any toys from the handle because I was always putting it down in the car, and that might have helped keep her happier when driving.

Thanks!

[Joolsplus2]

They have the manuals at www.gracobaby.com, but I'm 99% sure you can leave it up. Of course, you then aren't supposed to hang anything from the handle, I don't think (it's completely verboten in the Key Fit manual, lol)... but...uh... <blush> some of us do hang those soft velcro bugs on board toys (not that ridiculous head banging baby einstein toy bar, of course... I wouldn't put anything HARD and HUGE next to my kid's head like that).
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

if it's from 2003, I'm pretty sure the handle has to be down.

kat

[o_mom]

My 2003 Snugride says up or down - just not in between. It is not that crystal clear in the manual, it just says something like don't use positions B or C, but doesn't explicitly say use A or D.

[murphydog77]

It's the old style base SnugRide where the handle must be down. The old style base doesn't look anything like the current one; it doesn't have an adjustable foot on it. The Snugs with the adjustable bases can have the handle up.

Heather, CPS Tech/Instr.
http://www.CarSeatSite.com

[Tanya]

I have a 2003 and it's okay to have the handle all the way up in the carry position or any of the positions where the handle is below the back of the top of the seat (head end).
So, I think the only position you aren't supposed to leave it in in the car is one click back from the carry position...the position that you move the handle to get it out of the way when you pull the baby out of the carseat because she's screaming or she pooped and it's ready to shoot out all over everything, so you comfort her or change her or feed her or whatever, then put her back in the carseat and obviously fasten her harness, but always forget to move that stupid handle back up into the freaking safe position and then drive off and look in your mirror to discover you left the handle back...or arrive at your destination and go to pull out the carseat only to discover the handle in that unsafe position and feel like you are some horrible mother and swear you'll never do that again, but end up doing it again anyway because your 3 year old can now open the sliding door on the van and is threatening to jump out in the parking lot or she's refusing to get into her carseat and you are counting to 3 for her to get out of the 3rd row and into her carseat because you are running late again.
So, tell me again why that stupid handle bar position isn't safe? It's an evil trap to make me feel like a bad mom.

[jd11365]

Thanks! Ok, handle all the way up or all the way down. No hard toys hanging. (The toys I speak of are those soft ones like those hanging on a Gymni. Just something to keep the kid entertained, kwim?)

I appreciate the help!

[daniele_ut]

I was told that the SnugRides with the 3 position handles must have the handle down in the car, but the ones with the 5 position handles could be left all the way up. We had a 5 position handle purchased in 04, but we sold it on CL and plan to get a new seat next time.