carseatdata recommendations discontinued...now what?

[srhs]

This is my first post, and I need some help choosing an infant car seat! The carseatdata site only has 2 "good" seats that fit our SUV (02 Explorer), but they are both discontinued. (I tried to follow their replacements through BB, and when I did, they had lousy grades.)
They were: Evenflo - Cozy Carry and Century - Celestia.

Now what??? I need advice! We don't have LATCH either. Does anyone out there know of a seat that will fit well in our car?

THANKS!

[o_mom]

Since you don't have LATCH, a seat with built-in lockoffs would be the easiest to install. The most recommended seats around here are the Chicco Keyfit and the Graco SafeSeat 1 (aka Infant SafeSeat). Both have built-in lockoffs which makes a lap-shoulder belt install super easy. They can also both have the handle up in the car which makes life much easier. There are a couple other seats with lockoffs, but I don't think they are as easy to use.

[801kelle]

This is my first post, and I need some help choosing an infant car seat! The carseatdata site only has 2 "good" seats that fit our SUV (02 Explorer), but they are both discontinued. (I tried to follow their replacements through BB, and when I did, they had lousy grades.)
They were: Evenflo - Cozy Carry and Century - Celestia.

Now what??? I need advice! We don't have LATCH either. Does anyone out there know of a seat that will fit well in our car?

THANKS!

Britax has great seats too.. with seatbelt lockoffs!

www.britaxusa.com

[daniele_ut]

Since you don't have LATCH, a seat with built-in lockoffs would be the easiest to install. The most recommended seats around here are the Chicco Keyfit and the Graco SafeSeat 1 (aka Infant SafeSeat). Both have built-in lockoffs which makes a lap-shoulder belt install super easy. They can also both have the handle up in the car which makes life much easier. There are a couple other seats with lockoffs, but I don't think they are as easy to use.

Ditto to what o-mom said. We have the KeyFit30 for our dd arriving Monday and it installs soooo easily in both our newer sedan (with LATCH or seatbelt)and our 01 Subaru (no LATCH). I think that spacewise you should have no problem fitting either one of those seats and the seatbelt install with both of them is such a breeze. Dh just liked the style of the KeyFit better so we went with that one, but I think we'd have been happy with the SafeSeat too.

You won't get much use out of the Companion, so for the money I would choose the KeyFit or Safeseat.

[mom2binsd]

Where did you get the original rec's on the cozy carry and century celestia- these sound like older seats???

Don't worry too much that you don't have LATCH, with help from the folks on this board you'll be able to get a good install-and I've seen the KeyFit in a car without LATCH and it was super tight.

[Joolsplus2]

www.carseatdata.org has a database that goes back for like 10 years of which seats fit in which cars (all based on volunteers sending in data), so yeah, some of the seats in there are totally archaic.

[mom2binsd]

Had a look - Wow some of that stuff is old, know I've seen some stuff all over the internet when researching that needs to be deleted...some parents aren't able wade through the old stuff and may think those overhead shields are still a good thing!!! I think all parents should be given a handout with basic up to date car seat advice from this board!!!!!!!!!I have learned so much since checking in a few years ago!

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, I guess the new owners haven't really done much with it since Toby sold it to them :(... maybe I'll email them to see if they can do something about it (heh, or offer to do it...for a price ;) )

[srhs]

Thanks so much! You guys are so helpful!!!

I think we will go with the Chicco Keyfit then. :D Any thoughts on their whole system--travel system/strollers, playard, high chair?
Now if I only had a store near me where I could actually see the fabrics...
Have you seen in person the Notting Hill, Poetic, Explorer or Manhattan?