Overheard in Wal-Mart

[snowbird25ca]

We were shopping tonight and in the aisle in front of the baby department there's a bin of Scenera's right now. They're rolled back to $69.99 (Canada, yeah, we pay this much more for the Scenera...)

So there's these 2 women and a baby in an evenflo carrier. The one is standing in front of the bin and holding up the scenera to the other saying that that's what the mom needs and it's only 69.99. And the mom says
"oh no, I can't use that. It doesn't have a base. They're not safe without a base."

Friend says - "this is a different kind of seat, you use it forward facing"

Mom "oh, well as long as it attaches to the car somehow - buckles or something, it might work. It won't be safe unless it attaches somehow though"

I just kept walking although I would've loved to have heard the rest of the conversation. I saw them at the till later and they hadn't bought it. I'm darn curious what she'll get as a seat when her baby outgrows the infant carrier seeing as there aren't any with bases. :whistle: On a day when I didn't have both kids and dh in tow I might've stopped and said something, then again, mom seemed pretty darn know-it-all about carseats. :rolleyes:

So yeah, apparently if a seat doesn't have a base to install and leave in the car it's not safe. Somehow I missed that one in class. :p :cool:

[cpsaddict]

Huh. I missed that, too. :) The things people come up with.

[Defrost]

That is truly bizarre... I got told the same thing at work tonight! "But I thought carseats weren't safe without the base." And yes, that was in reference to a convertible.

Um... where is this coming from??

OMG - I wonder if these people are thinking of the Britax convertibles?

[snowbird25ca]

That is truly bizarre... I got told the same thing at work tonight! "But I thought carseats weren't safe without the base." And yes, that was in reference to a convertible.

Um... where is this coming from??

OMG - I wonder if these people are thinking of the Britax convertibles?

I'd feel pretty confident in saying that this person wasn't. ;) I think she honestly believed that without a base that got left in the car, carseats weren't safe.

Were there ever Britax convertibles that had leave in car bases? I'm thinking not, but maybe there's a hidden piece of Britax history I'm not aware of. :thumbsup:

[sunnymw]

Well the way the britaxes are built they look like they have a base that's removable, even though it's not... when I first saw a pic of one I did a double take ;)

Maybe she needs one of those Combi Zeus Turns LOL
http://www.combi-intl.com/

[mish]

Doesn't the Orbit have a base that it kind of snaps into?

I looked online, and it does. I wonder if she'll spring for that? Does Canada have the Orbit seats?

[BudgieStew]

No, Canada does not have the Orbit and I venture to say the almost 99.99% would never have heard of an Orbit.

[mish]

almost 99.99% would never have heard of an Orbit.

That is what I thought too. I was just messing around saying do you think she will get it. In some areas I don't think people have even heard of Britax. I don't think I really had until a couple of years ago. We live like two hours from anywhere that even sells them. If people don't see things at Wal-Mart, they are often not even aware of them.

[Momof4Girls]

Do they realize that you have to belt (or LATCH) the base in on the infant carrier? Or do they think it is enough to have the BASE sitting in the car, so long as the seat snaps into the base?

Raechel

[BudgieStew]

In my area I am sure I am the only one with a Britax..even in our last city of 3 million people I only saw a handful of Britax.

I have saw two other Radians besides ours and one belongs to a friend. We are in the land of overhead shields , 3-1's, expired Fisher Price and Century.
Most people comment\ask about our Marathon because the cover stands out but are scared away by the 300.00 price tag.

Though I was surprised by the amount of harnessed 4 year olds last night at DS soccer practice. I go by DS daycare where the majority are in HBB\LBB or even just a seatbelt.

I can only guess that the lady in Walmart has not looked into convertible seats and has only looked into with infant seats. But I do hope that she is attaching the base to the car cause that just sounded like a odd then to say.

I just remembered that I saw on our local Craigslist a car seat that swivels "1 Leaman car seat (once installed, it rotates on its base) $30 " Looks pretty neat but for sure is not a Canadian seat.

[snowbird25ca]

Do they realize that you have to belt (or LATCH) the base in on the infant carrier? Or do they think it is enough to have the BASE sitting in the car, so long as the seat snaps into the base?

Raechel

Geez, makes me wonder now if that might've been what she meant, but I'd hope she was smart enough to realize the base had to be attached to the car. :eek:

Given the interaction between the 2 of them etc I'd hazard a guess she knew absolutely nothing about convertibles. Her infant seat was the evenflo available at wal-mart, so I'd hazard a guess that infant seat shopping started and ended at wal-mart.

[TerisBoys]

so I'd hazard a guess that infant seat shopping started and ended at wal-mart.

And probably involved "Oh look - what a CUTE pattern."

Ugh - people.

[vonfirmath]

That is truly bizarre... I got told the same thing at work tonight! "But I thought carseats weren't safe without the base." And yes, that was in reference to a convertible.

Um... where is this coming from??

OMG - I wonder if these people are thinking of the Britax convertibles?

I guess I should ask my husband
When we were shopping for convertibles this weekend, my husband asked me if we wanted to buy an extra base or not.

And when trying to install the seat, at first tried to pull the Marathon off its "base" to install.

And he's not stupid. He just doesn't read these sites, etc. like I do. Our current seat has a base, why would the next one not?

[lynsgirl]

And probably involved "Oh look - what a CUTE pattern."

Ugh - people.

That, and don't forget that ever-handy and oh-so-popular "Z" handle that draws people. Ugh.

[Defrost]

I'd feel pretty confident in saying that this person wasn't. ;) I think she honestly believed that without a base that got left in the car, carseats weren't safe.

Were there ever Britax convertibles that had leave in car bases? I'm thinking not, but maybe there's a hidden piece of Britax history I'm not aware of. :thumbsup:

Well, I was just wondering if it was the kind of thing where someone went "I have the SAFEST seat out there!" and pointed to their Britax convertible. The clueless person in question saw that it was on a base, and figured that made sense since her own infant seat had a base, too. Never realizing that the base on the Britax doesn't come off (or have much to do with the perception of increased safety.)

[4boysmom]

Do they realize that you have to belt (or LATCH) the base in on the infant carrier? Or do they think it is enough to have the BASE sitting in the car, so long as the seat snaps into the base?

Raechel


That was the impression I got too :( And I think I could unfortunately sort of see it with say the baby trend infant seats. The bases are made of like steel or something and very weighted.

[Defrost]

Ah yes, the magical magnet carseats - plop them in the car and they magnetize to the frame through the seat cushion. Fabulously convenient.

Plus, if your kid keeps unbuckling himself, you can just have him wear metal bracelets that stick his arms to the sides of his carseat.

[tjham]

Well the way the britaxes are built they look like they have a base that's removable, even though it's not... when I first saw a pic of one I did a double take ;)




I really, really wish the bases on the bigger Britax seats were removable!

Then they would be close to perfect,
to have a lower profile for bigger kids! I would LOVE it!

*Why* don't they do that, huh, huh, huh????????