Graco Snugride or Primo Viaggio SIP

[annadant]

I'm having a hard time deciding on which car seat to purchase. Some friends have said that the Snug ride is lighter but the book states they are both 8 lbs. The primo's have a better look so I would tend to get that but if they are really heavier, I will probably go for the the snug ride.

What do the experienced moms think?

[Joolsplus2]

Skip them both, go with the Chicco Key Fit or Graco Safeseat 1, both of which are considerably easier to install than the SR or Primo :). The Key Fit is even way easier to use than any of them. The Snugride is ok, though, it's just very very difficult to install with a seatbelt with a shoulderbelt (if you want to install it in the middle, in most cars you aren't allowed to use the LATCH anchors). The Primo is the worst because you have to put the handle down when driving. The other seats allow you to leave it up, which is a huge convenience (and safety, if you forget to put it down) factor.

If you really want a light seat, the Combi Connection is the lightest, and fairly easy to install and use. But really, all seats are heavy once you plunk 10 pounds of baby in them...you learn to either plop it in the stroller straight out of the car, or to use your hip and elbow to carry it...I can still tote my 16 mo, 23 pound dd in her Safeseat 1 as long as I hold it with hip and elbow :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[codex57]

I've compared both in person. The Graco is quite a bit lighter. That's just my opinion based on my unscientific method of lifting one, and then lifting the other.

I ended up buying the Snugride b/c it was lighter (cheaper was another plus). Plus, Consumer Reports had it passing the test, even the original overly tough test. SafeSeat didn't. For convertible sizes like the SafeSeat, we're registering for a Britax and a Recaro. They're the price of the Primo Viaggio so in your price range. I'm not that big a fan of the Britax (very ugly IMO), but it's highly rated by Baby Bargains. As a guy and sports car fan, it would please me to no end to see my child in a Recaro (famous racing seat company; known for safety).

I've had no problems at all installing the Snugride in the middle seat of my two cars. Honda Ridgeline and BMW 325Ci. I use the Latch system cuz it's much easier to install it snugly than with a seat belt. The SR isn't the easiest to install if all you have are seatbelts, but if you've got LATCH, it's super easy. My two cars are quite different, but with the Latch system, it's easy as pie to get it snug and stable in both cars.

[KTARS]

I had a Snugride at one point and didn't care for it at all.

I used the Chicco Keyfit for my youngest (now 13 months) and it is the BEST seat. Seriously, it is! I don't have LATCH in my car but it was so easy to install with the belt - and no tipping to one side either! And Even in my husbands car with LATCH - its sooo easy and it has those awesome "britax-like" LATCH anchors. I don't know exactly what they're called, but they're just like the Britax LATCH anchors and so much easier to use than the regular clip-like LATCH anchors.
Also, the padding that comes with it was great for my baby as a newborn. It helped her not be so scrunched up in the seat. It lifted her butt up and cradled her head and body. I loved that newborn padding in it.
My 13 month old still fits in it too. My oldest was out of the Snugride by like 6 months old and she was a small baby too!


I'd totally go for the Chicco Keyfit! I convinced like 3 of our friends to get the Chicco for their babies because they loved mine so much!
The Safeseat1 is nice too - that one was my other option. But I know my kids are always on the lightweigt side - so the extra pound-age wasn't worth the extra weight of the seat to me.

[Joolsplus2]

Remember the Young Sport is not acceptable till a kid is like 2-3 and 30 plus pounds, when it's safe to go forward facing. Look at the Signo or Como for an appropriate Recaro.
:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[o_mom]

>I've had no problems at all installing the Snugride in the
>middle seat of my two cars. Honda Ridgeline and BMW 325Ci. I
>use the Latch system cuz it's much easier to install it snugly
>than with a seat belt. The SR isn't the easiest to install if
>all you have are seatbelts, but if you've got LATCH, it's
>super easy. My two cars are quite different, but with the
>Latch system, it's easy as pie to get it snug and stable in
>both cars.

You realize that LATCH is not allowed in the center of the BMW?

Yes, the SnugRide is easy with LATCH. Unfortunately, it is such a pain with the seatbelt that many parents use unapproved LATCH installations instead of properly installing it with a locking clip. The built-in lockoffs on the KeyFit and SafeSeat eliminate this problem.

ET: Correct info.

[Joolsplus2]

Thanks for chiming in below, Heather!
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[murphydog77]

>>I've had no problems at all installing the Snugride in the
>>middle seat of my two cars. Honda Ridgeline and BMW 325Ci.
>I
>>use the Latch system cuz it's much easier to install it
>snugly
>>than with a seat belt. The SR isn't the easiest to install
>if
>>all you have are seatbelts, but if you've got LATCH, it's
>>super easy. My two cars are quite different, but with the
>>Latch system, it's easy as pie to get it snug and stable in
>>both cars.
>
>You realize that LATCH is not allowed in the center of either
>of those vehicles?

Actually, the Honda Ridgeline has LATCH in the center position :). I think it's the only Honda that has it besides the Ody. So that install is OK. The BMW definitely does NOT have LATCH in the center and the SnugRide needs to be installed with the seat belt. Bummer, I know, but you have to follow manufacturers' directions. If you don't want to deal with a locking clip on a shoulder belt, my suggestion would be to go with the Graco SafeSeat, which will give you an awesomely easy install, the Chicco KeyFit, or the Combi Centre.

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

[o_mom]

Ah, not listed as such in my source - will edit! Thanks!

[codex57]

>You realize that LATCH is not allowed in the center of the
>BMW?
>
>Yes, the SnugRide is easy with LATCH. Unfortunately, it is
>such a pain with the seatbelt that many parents use unapproved
>LATCH installations instead of properly installing it with a
>locking clip. The built-in lockoffs on the KeyFit and
>SafeSeat eliminate this problem.
>
>ET: Correct info.

Actually, I didn't know about the BMW. Thanks for the info! I'm sure there's a center LATCH position in the Honda. I actually checked the manual for the Honda since that will be the primary vehicle to transport our kid. I gotta go find the manual for the BMW and see exactly what I did when I did the test install.

You bring up a good point about using unapproved LATCH installations instead of installing it with a locking clip. Everyone knows that you shouldn't put a rear facing car seat in the front seat, so I tested the car seat in the back. What's strange about the BMW (and I guess possibly for many other cars), is that I actually felt the seat felt the most secure in the BMW using the inappropriate LATCH anchor points than it did in the Honda. I can imagine many other parents doing the same thing since the LATCH is so convenient and simple, they never bothered to look at the manual to see if they're doing it properly.

In the end, it might be sort of a moot point. From a practical and overall safety standpoint, it's not a great idea to stick a baby seat in the back seat of a coupe if you can help it. Even if you secure the car seat correctly, it's an INCREDIBLE pain to get the seat in and out. In case of an accident, it becomes even harder to access the back seat. I know people who've died cuz they were trapped in the back seat of a coupe after an accident. After the car's body got mangled, they couldn't get out in time if there was a car fire. With a rear facing car seat, I can see the same thing happening. You might not be able to get into the back seat to free the child from the car seat. At least with a FF seat, you can just reach through the middle to unbuckle them. Don't even have that option with a RF one.

Oh, and yeah, I know the Young Sport is for a much older kid than an infant. I'm just an overly anxious soon-to-be parent. My kid's not even born yet and I'm already worrying about what stuff he's gonna need when he's 5. We've also got a Britax Roundabout on our registry for right after our kid outgrows the SnugRide. Might change it to a Marathon. Still deciding. The Recaro is more for me than the baby since the Britax will cover most of the size range of the Recaro. :)

[o_mom]

Go with the Marathon! It will last much longer. The new Recaros may be worth it and since you have time, wait and see. I would not register for a convertible seat, either, since you won't need it for 6 months and that takes 6 months off the expiration date (you want a 'fresh' one).

I never thought about that in a coupe, but it certainly would not make me turn a child FF. A crash of that severity would be more likely to kill a FF child than a rear-facing child.

[codex57]

>Go with the Marathon! It will last much longer. The new
>Recaros may be worth it and since you have time, wait and see.
> I would not register for a convertible seat, either, since
>you won't need it for 6 months and that takes 6 months off the
>expiration date (you want a 'fresh' one).
>
>I never thought about that in a coupe, but it certainly would
>not make me turn a child FF. A crash of that severity would
>be more likely to kill a FF child than a rear-facing child.

Hmm, good point about the freshness date.

The crashes I'm talking about weren't that severe. Front seat passengers were basically unharmed or just suffered minor injuries. They basically involved a rear wheeled drive sports car that swung its tail out for whatever reason, and smacked the side or rear and sparked a fire. Front passengers got out fine, but the back seat passengers couldn't make it out.

I just get these horrible images of a new parent driving home from the hospital with their new baby, spinning out on some ice or oil, and not being able to get their baby out. Some of these parenting books can make you paranoid. Every time I look at the back seat of my coupe, I see a death trap now. I never really ever had someone in the back seat of that car before so I never really had to think about back seat safety before.