What are your least favorite car seats?

walnutgold · Jul 26, 2016

We often talk about put favorites, but what are some that you hate? And why?

Personally I'm really not a fan of Clek seats. I have a booster that I don't despise, but the convertibles really get to me. My lovely friend left me with her Foonf and Fllo while she borrowed two of my Radians while she was on vacation. Where do I even begin with them? I hate the standing height limit for rear facing. 50lbs isn't helpful when the height limit is so short! And the price! Oh the price! I could get an Evenflo SureRide for under $100 that will last me longer than a Clek seat! The top harness slots are only 17". For a price near $500 my kid better stay harnessed until high school! I put my tiny 6yo in this seat. He fussed the whole ride and threw a tantrum when I tried to put him back in. Because of the way I positioned him the sides of the seat dug into his legs. I ended up using it forward facing for my five year old due to this. Although the narrowness is great for three across, it's not great for a kid with cerebral palsy who's got super long legs!
What seats do you hate?
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1mommy · Jul 27, 2016

I hate the maxi cosi pria. All the more because it comes in such cute patterns! I sprang for the bohemian red and my oldest child screamed and cried hysterically when I tried to put him in it. The headwings were too close and pushed his ears forward. My youngest child would ride in it, but I wasn't a fan because it was so high up I felt there was no room to put him in the seat without bonking him on the ceiling and I'm short with a short car!

Nedra · Jul 27, 2016

I hated my Titan 65/Sureride. It seems wonderful in concept -- long-lasting, lightweight... But in practice I had to re-install it over and over because it wouldn't stop leaning to the side. And it didn't fit at the proper angle in any of our vehicles except the one we sold, so after that was gone we had to decide whether it was worth it to keep it around for another 2 years until we had a forward-facer, or just sell it. (We sold it.) It was also difficult to get my daughter into and out of because of the high sides. And the harness was a pain to adjust.

I still recommend it because it is inexpensive and has high top slots and is light, but it has some major caveats for me now.

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Mary_Ann · Jul 27, 2016

Nedra said:
I hated my Titan 65/Sureride. It seems wonderful in concept -- long-lasting, lightweight... But in practice I had to re-install it over and over because it wouldn't stop leaning to the side. And it didn't fit at the proper angle in any of our vehicles except the one we sold, so after that was gone we had to decide whether it was worth it to keep it around for another 2 years until we had a forward-facer, or just sell it. (We sold it.) It was also difficult to get my daughter into and out of because of the high sides. And the harness was a pain to adjust.

I still recommend it because it is inexpensive and has high top slots and is light, but it has some major caveats for me now.

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I've played a bit with it and wasn't found of the install RF in a plug-in Ford Hybrid (can't remember the model). The sides were really high too.

I personally hate the Dorel 3-in-1 and the Cosco Scenera, can't stand the chest clip and the twisty harness. It just feels so cheap all over. I've seen the NEXT last week and it looked better.

It makes me realize that all Evenflo seats just don't appeal to me. I'm in Canada and seats have gotten so expensive lately, we're better off with high-end brands. Yes, I'm a bit of a car seat snob

Ninetales · Jul 27, 2016

I haven't used a ton of seats, but the only one I just really couldn't get along with was the Radian. Hated the install, hated all the weird rules and extra pieces, didn't care for the customer service. I was happy to pass it on.

Cnidaria · Jul 28, 2016

I find the Safety 1st Guide 65's instability, how it rotates around its LATCH strap or seatbelt RF, to be really obnoxious. It's better if you use a pool noodle but the Scenera NEXT is such a breath of fresh air in comparison!

My husband and I both got tired of our Radian. Over time it would rotate clockwise if you were looking down at it from a bird's eye view, and tip sideways. And the angle adjuster is just so kludgy.

I haven't used one personally but I feel like the Cosco High Back Booster is a turkey of a seat. I cringe when people ask about it on different forums because they're usually going to need to buy *another* seat, it has such low limits.

The Baby Trend Hybrid is another turkey in my book, because the potential for misuse is SO high, with the whole table to figure out installation method and difficult installation. I kind of want to try installing one sometime, though. Looks like a fun challenge...

I LOVE our Fllo. It would be even that much better if it was on a multi position base like the recent Graco seats/NextFit/Clicktight convertibles.

griffinej5 · Jul 28, 2016

I haven't tried a lot of different seats, but the one I hated was an Evenflo Sure Ride. I found the straps twisty. I didn't mind when it was crashed.

jacqui276 · Jul 28, 2016

Hated my Scenera. It required a stack of noodles to get it at the proper recline and my kid outgrew it rear facing well before even his 1st birthday due to the ridiculous 32" height max (in Canada). The straps were also twisty.

bubbaray · Jul 28, 2016

I hated my Radians. Too upright FFg, too many pieces, incompatible with my then-Ody, horrible ratchet belt, etc.

cookie123 · Jul 28, 2016

I hate the continuous harness on any seat. They get twisted too easily! And I wish Graco would go back to the harness material they had on the Nautilus when it first came out.

I'm not a fan of Click Tight. When I had the Frontier I didn't like uninstalling it and it was difficult to adjust the harness. I'm also not loving my Fllo. All the taking in and out and putting the seat back on and the ARB off and on when I switch back and forth ff and rfing and the sheer weight and bulkiness of it is a pain for me. I don't leave my seat in as I don't use it often and sometime I use it rfing but use it ff if I have all 3 kids.

Honestly, I want to find something skinny, ffing only and easy to deal with. Ideally it would install center in my leather Prius.

featherhead · Jul 28, 2016

Agreeing with cookie, I hate continuous harnesses.

I also dislike Alpha Omega seats. They are just so poorly designed, and they eat your hands when installing,

Evenflo infant seats are weird as well.

cookie123 · Jul 28, 2016

featherhead said:
Agreeing with cookie, I hate continuous harnesses. I also dislike Alpha Omega seats. They are just so poorly designed, and they eat your hands when installing, Evenflo infant seats are weird as well.

What's weird about the Evenflo infant seats? I've never used one.

featherhead · Jul 28, 2016

cookie123 said:
What's weird about the Evenflo infant seats? I've never used one.

The headrest just gets in the way, unless baby's shoulders are right at the slots. And the fit for baby was just really awkward and weird. My seven week old almost needs the top slots.

Kobain's Mommy · Jul 28, 2016

Aside from the boosters, I'm not a fan of 99% of Evenflo seats. For some reason they feel cheep to me. The Dorel 3 in 1, older gen seats. People saw the box saying 5-100lbs and just assumed the harness goes that high, as well as them being a PITA to install. The Scenera, it seems like it should be in the Evenflo line with the way it feels to me. And the harness, where do I start?

cookie123 said:
What's weird about the Evenflo infant seats? I've never used one.

The whole handle thing too.

MotoMommaNH · Jul 28, 2016

I haven't owned a seat that I really hated (I think 10 in all) but I did a check for a Baby Trend Flex loc infant seat and I just did not see the appeal there.

The stupid way you have to route the harness loops over each other and together on the splitter plate, the high harness even on the lowest setting, that weird triangle handle, the lower anchors that aren't hook on, but like sharp angled metal push-on. ICK.

bnsnyde · Jul 29, 2016

The ones I have found to be the most difficult to use, I do not care for. Some that come to mind are the SureRide (that crazy harness) and the Sceneras and such. But they have all been good travel seats for us.

I think the Clek Foonf is the easiest seat I've ever used in my life; it is the only one my 3 YO can actually buckle and tighten by herself (I can help or give an extra tug if needed), and DH can easily do this, too. I had some trouble keeping it tight but I think I figured it out, and it's all about the angle. My install now is super tight and steady. I found a direct correlation between price and ease of use, and thus safe use because we can all properly use the seat. I don't think a standing height limit would impede us at all? I think my tall girl can RF to age 4+ in our Fllo; she is almost 3.5 now. We had Radians but they were not as easy for me to use or put in, though they were outgrown fairly quickly too even RF for my taller kids.

The only other seat that maybe seemed to offer more RF room was the newish one by Safety First that goes to 50 lbs. but neither I nor DH could tighten it. At all. It was totallly worthless so we had to return! So that is not a favorite of mine!

MamaChirpy · Jul 30, 2016

I didn't like my very first Evenflo Discovery infant seat. The shape of It was too reclined and you couldn't set it anywhere but in the floor. (When Baby wasn't in it. Like the couch, etc.)

I really hate the Nautilus. I'm glad they have made the harness continuous now, but why on Earth didn't they do that to start with? It was easy to install but WIDE and had the worst head slump I have ever seen. I despised it and my husband did too. I finally sold it! Yay!

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cookie123 · Jul 31, 2016

MamaChirpy said:
I didn't like my very first Evenflo Discovery infant seat. The shape of It was too reclined and you couldn't set it anywhere but in the floor. (When Baby wasn't in it. Like the couch, etc.)

I really hate the Nautilus. I'm glad they have made the harness continuous now, but why on Earth didn't they do that to start with? It was easy to install but WIDE and had the worst head slump I have ever seen. I despised it and my husband did too. I finally sold it! Yay!

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What! The Nautilus has a continuous harness? Do all the models have that?

Jeanum · Jul 31, 2016

The long discontinued Evenflo On My Way and Evenflo Cozy Carry infant seats we had for DD1 are still tied for my least favorites, due to handle spacing rules, Z-shaped handles that were awkward, rear harness adjusters on the OMW, twist-prone harness straps, and not install friendly, ugh.

thekatie · Jul 31, 2016

I despised the Graco MyRide. It's the only seat I've ever truly hated - others I've maybe had trouble installing here or there, but I never felt good with the MyRide's install in ANYTHING. So glad it was bought as a spare seat when J2 was still very wee (still in his bucket seat) and sold quickly after that.

What are your least favorite car seats?

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