Graco Snugride is NOT the safest car seat...

[ryannladen]

Do not buy the Graco Snugride car seat! My husband and I did research on Consumer Reports and the Baby Bargains Book to find the best, safest carseat and decided to buy the Graco Snugride in Milan. This car seat is neither the best nor the safest! Our daughter is 4 1/2 months old and we have been dissatisfied with this car seat from the beginning. It feels so cheap compared to my sister's Chicco Key Fit - especially the handle. Like I have heard other parents say, the red things you push down on to raise and lower the handle stick about half of the time. They are extremely frustrating to use. Before I had a baby I didn't realize that you are raising and lowering the handle every time you get in and out of the car so this is a very important part of the car seat! Another feature of this seat that feels cheap and doesn't work is the sun shade. I didn't have too many problems with the size of it, although it is a little small. The main problem I have is that the "bones" of the shade come apart in the middle and the sun shade sags. Even when the shade is working it gets tangled up with the handle. This carseat is designed very poorly!

Unfortunately, I have a much bigger complaint than these... Last week I was putting my daughter into the car. I lowered the handle and then gave it a quick tug to make sure it was in the locked/down position. The handle was apparently locked on one side and not on the other and when I pulled the handle up it BENT IN HALF!!!!!!!!! Imagine if I had been carrying my baby when this happened!!! This is a huge safety issue and the seat needs to be recalled. I returned it to the store (luckily I bought it at Great Beginnings in MD - www.greatbeginningsonline.com - and they have wonderful customer service) and they gave me a brand new one. They called Graco who apparently said this was the first they had heard of such a problem, but I am very concerned! I felt the need to post to share my story... I hope this helps someone!!!

[Joolsplus2]

Oh, I'm sorry you've been going to all this trouble all this time, the handle does NOT need to be put down in the car. Check your manual, Position A (carry position) is ok in the car.

That's definitely the first time I've heard of that happening, too, I'm glad Great Beginnings was so awesome about taking care of you, and I'm glad you called Graco to tell them about it, it's so important they get customer feedback :)

(And yeah, the BB book came out right after Consumer Reports made it's completely flawed infant seat report, and right before CR completely retracted the whole horrible thing, and a lot of people are buying Snugrides when I'd rather see them buy Safeseat 1s or Chiccos which are much easier to install properly in a much wider range of cars :( )

[o_mom]

Please consider reporting this to the NHTSA. If it is a problem, they have the power to force a recall. It is the first time I have heard of it also, but that doesn't mean that it isn't something new or a problem with certain ones.

Here is the link to report it: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

[kad32]

Hi there! I have the Snugride car seat and do not have any of the problems you do. Mine works wonderfully and I love it. It seems there was a major manufacturing defect in yours as none of those problems should occur. It's great they gave you a new one. It's exactly what should have been done. Give the new one some time, it might work wonderfully.

As for raising and lower the handle every time you get in and out of the car, you don't need to do that. As someone else mentioned the carry position is okay in the car. Plus if you have any toys from the handle keeping it in the carry position will keep your little one occupied while in the car.

Good luck with the new seat.

[lorinick]

I used the Snug ride as well and had no issues at all. I loved. My handle worked all the time. I didn't feel the handle was made cheap either. My sun shade worked great. It was one of the things I liked most about the seat. I'm sorry you had such a hard time with yours. The Chicco is also great, as well as the safeseat. I just loved the Metro lite stroller that the snug ride came with.

[nupe]

I love my snugride. I am so sorry you had a bad experience with yours. I purchased it new in 2004 (it is navy with a suble white pattern on it) and used it with DS1 for almost a year, since he was on the small side. I loved that when I put it in my zippy that between the sunshade on the snugride, and the zippy, baby was completely covered. So I used it quite a bit, in the car and at times in the stroller when I was out and about, especially in the winter. Now I am using it with DS2, going on 7 months. I have had no trouble with the sunshade, and no trouble with the handle either. Mine is very well built, and very sturdy.

It is good to know that nowadays there are other good choices for infant seats on the market. I am very happy with my snugride and would purchase it again.