So Josh and I ventured to Babies R Us today to just get a feel for what is out there in terms of car seats and strollers and cribs, etc, etc... Oh. My. Word. There is just so much out there!! But... at the same time... it all is basically the same thing!!
So - we found a car seat we thought was great... cool handle that didn't twist or strain your arm, cool looking, seemed to have everything going for it, $99. Great. Sounds good. BUT. There's a seat that looks exactly the same for $149! Same safety features, different brand. Is one safer than the other?? Are we selling our baby's safety short by registering for the cheaper brand?? I think our problem is that we just don't know what to look for - we don't know what features are important, what is a non-negotiable and what is a convenience, or what is the best bang for our buck. It's frustrating.
So moms... or sisters of moms... or moms to be... or anyone who has any knowledge of car seats/strollers. Please. Enlighten us. What are non-negotiables? What are the best features to look for? Are there certain features that are worth spending the additional $50 or $100 on? Brands that are the best? Any and all information would be most helpful... I'm sure I'll have more desperate cries as we try to decide on a crib and pacifiers and bottles and changing pads and diapers and breast pumps and bassinets and... ... ... ... oh vey!
.jpg)
6 comments:
think I gave you this before--but it does have some info on the stroller:
http://blog.urbangrace.com/?p=824
From a dad-to-be:
I really like consumerreports.com, but that doesn't tell you much about what it's like to actually carry/wheel around/fold up any of the equipment.
As far as car seats, Chicco Keyfit (and Keyfit 30) and Graco Snugride rank fairly well on Consumer Reports, and get good reports from folks actually using them.
Another thing to think about is if you want a whole travel system (i.e. a carseat that will click into a made-to-fit stroller). They're more expensive, generally.
To add to what he said, weight is also a big issue for us in terms of stroller. We're not joggers, so we don't need/want a jogging stroller. We're not doing a travel system, though some people really like them. We're basically going for the lightest weight stroller that is not a bare bones umbrella stroller-- in this case the Combi Cosmo DX Lightweight Stroller. But that's just us. I know that J&C and J&K really like their heavier duty strollers.
As for cribs, if you don't mind used, you could probably find something good quality on craigslist. Decide out what features you like (drop-side or not, color, etc.), get it at good cost, and then invest in a mattress. You can always double check on recalls before you make a purchase. Ours actually did have a semi-recall due to people habitually assembling them incorrectly. My husband did an A++ job putting ours together and we're good to go.
Oh, and another note on carseats. We're not planning to actually carry our infant seat around so we got a convertible seat. However, we later decided on an infant seat for the first couple months, but that was in part due to W's parents offering to help out. There are definitely a lot of options!
As far as non-negotiables, well, that's a tough one in terms of safety. I think many things come down to personal choice and what works best for your lifestyle. But hey, I'm still only in the "expecting" stage too so I could be completely wrong! ;-)
Sorry this is so long... maybe I should email next time.
Hey girl,
You got some good advice up there. I have a consumerreports.com account and I can email you the name and password if you want to get on there and check things out. It probably explains a lot of the differences in price/safety etc.
A lot of people I know have used the basic Graco snugride and been really happy with it. One thing I would say is to take the weight of the baby carrier seat into considereration, my SIL had one that was SO heavy to begin with, then add a growing baby, and the thing was almost impossible to begin with.
As for strollers, I am a die hard BOB fan. And I'm not even a big runner (obviously). If you ever plan to take walks off of smooth pavement, it is the way to go! It also has an adaptor so it will fit baby carseats.
And for smaller strollers, the maclaren is really awesome too. Worth it in my opinion. Cheaper ones are harder to steer as the kid gets older.
Email me if you want that consumerreports stuff.
mariel.higerd@gmail
Ok...no kids. But plently of nannying. Does that count? I dont know car seats but I will tell you strollers.
Phil and Ted's.
Can you get them in the states? or something similar? they are the 3 wheeled triangle base ones. They steer better, get through tight spots better, are lighter - really easy to fold up, and last forever. They even have cool attachments if/when you have other little ones. two seater/bassinet for the new kid etc. Not sure if you remember but it was the one I used for the boys and it was GREAT!
In Aus they are pretty expensive (but most baby stuff here is double if not triple US prices) but they are indestructable which pays in the long run.
Ps - Fi had another baby! Named it Alfie. Yikes! I think thats begging for private school...
You are all so wonderful and informative!! Thank you! We will definitely be taking this and much more into consideration during this registry process. I am your grasshopper. Teach me!
Post a Comment