Many new parents feel they must obtain the best, newest, safest, and often most expensive goodies for their kids. Car seats are a prime example. The reflexive reaction is to spend a boatload of money because this is our child we're talking about here! I've actually witnessed this debate in more than one baby store as one tearful parent (not always the mother!) argues with another. Brands such as Britax, Recaro Como, and Combi all offer seats that go for more than $300 or even $400! Double that if you plan to have one in each parent's car, and you are looking at a serious financial hardship. Given that we aren't supposed to reuse seats, what is a parent (or grandma or auntie or nanny) to do?
The good news is that the pricey seats are not necessarily the best ones. A well known consumer group tests seats every year, and their top picks are almost never the most expensive ones. Sure, many of those high-end seats rate well, but sometimes they don't. I checked one of my favorite sites recently and found that the top rated product was a $60 one from Sears! On this same site I noticed that several very "snooty" brands of seat were on the watch list for saftey PROBLEMS. In the end, price does not always equal quality, so it's best to read some ratings before you buy.
After doing our research, we ended up buying the Graco Snugride infant seat (this is a bucket seat which means it can be used to carry the baby when not in the car too) and the Britax Roundabout for when she got bigger. We've been very happy with both, and I think we spent about $250 for the pair of them. Still not a small purchase, but much more managable than some. Plus we got a free stroller with the Graco, but that's another story.
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