Is this a good enough deal that I should push DH on his Graco angst?

Nedra · Apr 4, 2014

So I was just at BRU and looking at a Guide 65 as a possible back-up seat. The employee saw me and offered me a deal on a display model of the size4me 70, since they just reset their displays.

With the display model discount and the 20% off coupon that I have, it would've $100 flat. But my husband is super upset on the whole Graco recall thing (this seat has the IMMI buckle, but my husband is just dissatisfied with Graco's whole response to the recall)so I don't even want to bring it up unless that's like a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and if it's a significantly better (more user-friendly, longer-lasting) seat than a Sureride or Guide 65, which can be bought new for around the same price.

Do you like the graco clones a lot more than the ~$100 seats?

The seat would be primarily used in a car that has no LATCH (1998 Honda Accord) does that change any opinions on it? I know it doesn't have lock-offs?

jasminegrl · Apr 4, 2014

I wouldnt buy a display model seat, who knows how many customers have dropped it or how it was treated when people try to install it in their cars.

Mom2natalie · Apr 4, 2014

I wouldn't buy a display either.

I've owned five Graco seats and liked them all.

My daughter had a Britax Marathon and a Nautilus and preferred the Nautilus...even though I thought the Marathon seemed cushier.

I've been annoyed by the way that Graco handled the recall. I still think they make great seats that are affordable.

jgomez411 · Apr 4, 2014

I'm not a Dorel fan. I had an Onside Air for a while and the rf install was terrible (I'm not sure if it's any better with the guide 65 or not). I have no issues with Graco, despite the recall, and would buy another Graco seat tomorrow if I needed one. I have bought a display before but I know better now. You could get a Headwise at Target for close to that same price now with the sale/coupons they have right now.

TechnoGranola · Apr 4, 2014

I wouldn't buy the display seat but I'd buy a Graco over a Dorel seat and I just wouldn't tell hubby. Most men don't notice the label on the seat anyway. LOL

Nedra · Apr 4, 2014

TechnoGranola said:
I wouldn't buy the display seat but I'd buy a Graco over a Dorel seat and I just wouldn't tell hubby. Most men don't notice the label on the seat anyway. LOL

You don't know my husband.

Nedra · Apr 4, 2014

Thanks everyone. I hadn't thought about the display model being dropped. It looked brand new so it didn't occur to me that it could be damaged.

Keeanh · Apr 5, 2014

Your car has locking seatbelts, so don't worry about lockoffs.

I wouldn't buy a display model either. As for Guide vs Sureride, I think you'll be happier with the Sureride install, but the low RF slots might be annoying to you. They bug me, but I'll live with them for the $75 CDN I paid for the seat.

I'm astonished that your husband knows the difference between car seat brands, and has even heard of the Graco recall, never mind being aware of their handling of it LOL.

happiness-and-balance · Apr 5, 2014

Keeanh said:
Your car has locking seatbelts, so don't worry about lockoffs.

I wouldn't buy a display model either. As for Guide vs Sureride, I think you'll be happier with the Sureride install, but the low RF slots might be annoying to you. They bug me, but I'll live with them for the $75 CDN I paid for the seat.

I'm astonished that your husband knows the difference between car seat brands, and has even heard of the Graco recall, never mind being aware of their handling of it LOL.

This!

Nedra · Apr 5, 2014

Keeanh said:
I'm astonished that your husband knows the difference between car seat brands, and has even heard of the Graco recall, never mind being aware of their handling of it LOL.

It comes up in conversation a lot. We're new-ish parents and so baby/kid stuff is always on the brain. Plus, we make all the decisions about gear together, so it's not like he's never seen a Graco product. And some of our best friends have a MyRide and a Headwise and are pissed about the recall. And he gets recall notices in his RSS feed.

Oh, and he has a mind like a steel trap. If something makes a strong impression on him once, he remembers.

Keeanh · Apr 5, 2014

Nedra said:
It comes up in conversation a lot. We're new-ish parents and so baby/kid stuff is always on the brain. Plus, we make all the decisions about gear together, so it's not like he's never seen a Graco product. And some of our best friends have a MyRide and a Headwise and are pissed about the recall. And he gets recall notices in his RSS feed.

Oh, and he has a mind like a steel trap. If something makes a strong impression on him once, he remembers.

LOL! So totally opposite of my DH. He came with me when we got the playpen for our first. But that was because we were at IKEA and the baby store was in the same parking lot, haha. I'm pretty sure I've picked out and purchased every single other baby item for 8 kids over 16 years. It's nice because I can be super picky and get exactly what *I* want and he won't know the difference LOL! Also, he doesn't bother to remember anything that's not immediately essential to his life (how to do his job, things I like him to do, etc.). So if I change my mind and get something else, he likely won't even notice, hehe

Nedra · Apr 5, 2014

Keeanh said:
LOL! So totally opposite of my DH. He came with me when we got the playpen for our first. But that was because we were at IKEA and the baby store was in the same parking lot, haha. I'm pretty sure I've picked out and purchased every single other baby item for 8 kids over 16 years. It's nice because I can be super picky and get exactly what *I* want and he won't know the difference LOL! Also, he doesn't bother to remember anything that's not immediately essential to his life (how to do his job, things I like him to do, etc.). So if I change my mind and get something else, he likely won't even notice, hehe

Wow. Yeah, that would be kinda nice. I like deciding on things together, though. He uses the gear as much as I do and I would rather not be the one "responsible" for a poor decision if it ends up being something we hate. If we make the choice together at least we know we both had agreed on it.

safeinthecar · Apr 5, 2014

TechnoGranola said:
I wouldn't buy the display seat but I'd buy a Graco over a Dorel seat and I just wouldn't tell hubby. Most men don't notice the label on the seat anyway. LOL

Mine would. He researches EVERYTHING. One day we suddenly realized that we only had 3 forks. ( MIL had been hiding them, it took us almost 2 years to find them all. )

He spent almost an hour online and picked out a set. I ignored him completely and bought some cheap ones at Wal-Mart.

not only did he notice I bought a different brand, he lectured me about how he had put a lot of thought into his choice and that he was concerned about safety of certain metals and wanted to be certain that we bought pure stainless steel utensils made in the USA by a reputable company (his definition of reputable includes not polluting or treating employees badly. The fork lecture was followed up by a don't patronize Wal-Mart lecture)

Now for car seats, I'd be his source for comparing actual seats so he would trust that I know what I'm talking about, but he'd definitely notice if I bought one he had an objection to.

Nedra · Apr 5, 2014

safeinthecar said:
Now for car seats, I'd be his source for comparing actual seats so he would trust that I know what I'm talking about, but he'd definitely notice if I bought one he had an objection to.

Yeah, I guess this is more my husband. When we decided on a convertible for my in-laws' car, I had a full page of notes in which I compared the features of the 5 seats I'd narrowed it down to, along with the lowest current prices for each. From there, we decided together. He doesn't want anything that isn't pre-approved by me since I put more into the research, but he pays attention to the features that matter to him. He'd definitely notice a Graco label.

If things had gone differently with our first gear purchases, he might be less involved now. Before our baby was born, I did lots of "research" and bought a stroller and car seat that I thought were perfect for us. When they arrived, we discovered that NEITHER of them would fit in our primary car. The car seat (Chaperone) would only fit if we installed it behind the passenger seat with the passenger seat so far forward that nobody could sit in that seat. The stroller would not fit unless we put it in the narrow space left in the front passenger area, wheels up -- or folded down part of the back seat and put it next to the car seat (in which case the driver could be the only other person in the car.) It was ridiculous. Luckily we were able to return the car seat and we gave the stroller to my in-laws to use at their house.

The whole experience was super stressful and I think it made my husband take a much more active role in subsequent baby buying.

Baylor · Apr 5, 2014

Why doesn't he like graco? They make great seats.

Nedra · Apr 5, 2014

Baylor said:
Why doesn't he like graco? They make great seats.

He's just disappointed with the way the recall has been handled.

1mommy · Apr 6, 2014

I'd try to take his opinion into consideration even if it's not yours, as that's what I'd want if it was reversed. You said you try to decide on baby gear jointly, so unless its truly that great if a deal I wouldn't get it, and if I felt it was that great if a deal, I'd buy it but keep the receipt in case he really can't get over it. Graco makes sone decent seats but it isn't the only one on the market, and I'm all for picking and choosing which company gets your hard earned money, for whatever reason you pick.

SavsMom · Apr 6, 2014

I wouldn't buy a display but I would buy a Graco again and again.

The truth of the matter is all seat manufacturers have had recalls....even the "high end" brands. Could Graco have handled it better? Yes. Do we know what prompted Graco to handle it the way they did? No.

I get really frustrated when a good company has to do a recall for a defective part that they didn't even make. So company "A" ends up taking the heat for a defective part made and supplied by company "B".

Now, if he really wants to be disappointed in how a recall is handled then the a Dorel seat will make him love Graco.

jgomez411 · Apr 6, 2014

SavsMom said:
I wouldn't buy a display but I would buy a Graco again and again. The truth of the matter is all seat manufacturers have had recalls....even the "high end" brands. Could Graco have handled it better? Yes. Do we know what prompted Graco to handle it the way they did? No. I get really frustrated when a good company has to do a recall for a defective part that they didn't even make. So company "A" ends up taking the heat for a defective part made and supplied by company "B". Now, if he really wants to be disappointed in how a recall is handled then the a Dorel seat will make him love Graco.

I couldn't have said it better myself! I prefer Graco 10x over the Dorel seat I had and IME, Graco's customer service is much better as well. It doesn't bug me at all about the Graco recall because I've had 3 seats with the recalled buckle and never had a problem with any of them.

Baylor · Apr 6, 2014

Nedra said:
He's just disappointed with the way the recall has been handled.

Graco handled it. And without being compelled to. They are sending new buckles but no child died in a crash due to the seat issues.

They are great seats.

Is this a good enough deal that I should push DH on his Graco angst?

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