I just don't get it...

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
I have been playing around with infant seats recently, as my little sis is expecting. (She wants an infant seat for the convenience factor.)

What I don't understand is why someone would buy anything other than the Britax Companion. When I feel the others, they just feel so cheap. :scratcheshead: The Chicco Keyfit is the least offensive, but it doesn't feel as comfy as the Companion, and the handle feels cheap when you move it up and down. The Graco SafeSeat just feels altogether cheap and unpadded. I am totally NOT trying to offend anyone. I am really just looking for people to tell me why they love their seat over the Companion.

Please 'school me.' :D
 
ADS

sb518

New member
The britax companion can only be used up to 22lbs, it also cannot be used without the "head support" which would bother some children. Price is also a factor, and the flimsy chest clip bugs me.

That's my opinion.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
:yeahthat: although I don't find the chestclip to be that big of a deal.

The base is also a PITA and it can't be used in the vehicle with the handle up. You can find less expensive seats that are easier to use and will last longer.

There are several seats I would gladly use before the Companion. :twocents:
 
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Ashley_R

New member
Well, while I like the companion its on my 'will not buy list'

Reason 1) It simply doesnt fit my car. We had one and training and no one could get it installed tightly. My car has deeply contoured rear seats and ELR belts and even with the lock off it was a no go.

Reason 2) I dont car for the headrest. Its too large and in the way for a larger infant. I prefer the wing style SIP of the keyfit or the latchloc 22

Reason 3) The one piece chest clip. Why on earth did britax put this POS 5 cent chect clip on a nearly 200 car seat???

Reason 4) Its rather bulky and not comfortable to carry. I've used a friends a few times and its much harder to carry for me.

Reason 5) Handle down in the car. I hate these seats. I like handle up so I have more room upfront

Reason 6) It doesnt come in as cute a cover! Possibly the most important reason to many parents. People was pretty plaids and cute animals not boring blacks and greys.

Reason 7) Limited travel system options, there are a couple of strollers but most dont fit the requirements of 1st time parents. They want those big SUV style graco strollers. The britax preview feels flimsy and the others are hard to find and, honestly, odd looking.

Reason 8) Price. The Companion is pricer than many more popular options. The other seats in its price range have better features IMO. (Except the peg. Now the peg makes me draw questions marks) I dont like to spend a lot on an infant seat. I am willing to pay what it takes to get a good seat but I dont think the companion is superier to others that are cheaper.

Those are my reasons. I'm a fan of infant seats and this one is not on my list. I like the keyfit both 22 and 30 lb models, the baby trend latchloc, the snugride and the SS1. In that order (well if your car fits the SS1 I prefer it top the SR but its too long for my 2 door so i dont like it as well.)
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Another reason it's not as loved is that it has the antirebound bar, which is a great idea, just that when you're trying to lift the seat out people sometimes catch baby's feet on it. And same thing going back in.

I'm rather indifferent to it. If I had a newborn I'd buy something else. Either a Safeseat or a Keyfit, probably. Or an EFTA, since I'm not a carrier person.

Wendy
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
My all time favorite seat is the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP and now they have upped the weight limit to 30lbs on the new 30/30 version. While I love the Primo Viaggio most people on here do not like it. Because it is priced higher then other options, not as easy to install as other seats(Safeseat and Keyfit), and because it is heavier. We all just love different seats sometimes.
I bought a Safeseat for my youngest after he outgrew his Peg SIP because I was waiting on the Signo to come out. When I bought it I could not believe how flimsy it was. My husband wanted me to return it because he felt it was peice of junk...he said he was embarrassed to carry it into a resteraunt because it looked so cheap. I think compared to the seat that you are used to the others feel flimsy...just like the SafeSeat was to us. But they are still good seats and are the best option for a lot of parents.
I love the Keyfit but I do not love the Safeseat just because I can't get over the flimsy-ness. My sister is also pregnant and she got a Keyfit just the other day!
 

singingpond

New member
What I don't understand is why someone would buy anything other than the Britax Companion.

Hmmm, in my case because I would never dream of spending that much on an infant seat, LOL. I think of the baby bucket as a fairly short-lived (4 or 5 months) convenience for the early days of babyhood. We didn't use an infant seat at all for our first child (summer baby), used a cheap rear-adjust SnugRide for the other 2 kids (both born in colder weather), and found that perfectly adequate. I know there are a lot nicer infant seats out there, and that bigger babies can fit in some of them, but I personally would rather spend my money on a good convertible seat, rather than dwelling on the baby bucket phase.

Katrin
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I couldn't stand it...really, really hated mine (see the link in my siggy, I've owned a few different seats for comparison).
Didn't install that well in my car, had to put the handle down when driving, harness adjuster was pretty lame, my kid HATED the headrest, SO SO SO SO SO hard to get it out of the base, SO hard to get the handle down in the car, so heavy/bulky in just the wrong way... The only think I LIKED about it? That most people hate? The one piece chest clip :love:

The Key Fit is easier to install, has a much better harness adjuster, has fantastic newborn support and padding, handle can be left up in the car... it's the seat Britax is kicking itself for not inventing first, I bet :rolleyes:
 

tl01

New member
Before choosing the SS1 for my DS, I purchased a Companion, Primo Viaggio SIP, and a different SS1. I didn't like the fabric and the headrest of the Companion. The Peg's headrest foam broke (EPS) when I was barely touching it. I choose the G Collection SS1 b/c I loved how easy it was to install w/ the seat belt even though I have latch. At the time I purchased the SS1 it came with the Gracopedic foam and is a very comfy, padded seat. I figured DH and I would have a rather large baby and I was right... DS grew out of his SS1 by height and about 10 months. The Companion wouldn't have lasted us very long at all. He is now 30 lbs at 22 months but would never fit in the seat.
 

Wineaux

New member
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of the Compass infant seats. Why? Well, EPS foam throughout the entire seat, and the fact that the seat itself only weighs 7lbs. As far as I know it's the lightest seat out there, and that lower weight is really noticeable when carrying the seat with your infant in it. The seat itself is very well made, has one of the easiest install mechanisms I have ever used, fits preemies really well, the handle is nicely padded, and while the handle cannot be totally up, it only requires it to be down by one detante, which doesn't interfere with the seatback in front of the car seat.

Highly recommended!
 

mominabigtruck

New member
I can't imagine spending $200 on a seat that I would at most use for 4 months. I have no problem spending that much on a convertible seat or even a combo seat, but not an infant seat. :twocents:
 

mamaofthree

New member
Graco has a HUGE range of the padding/fabric they use on their seats. My SS1 is very padded and very comfy, especially compared to the Snugride I had previously used for my girls. I never had any reservations about the quality or sturdiness of it, I love my SS1. Then again, I've never seen a Britax Companion. But I did choose a SS1 over all the other infant seats I looked at. Good thing, because even though my girls were tiny, I had a BIG boy!

Kimberly
 

Peony

Member
I love Britax seats, we've owned 6 for two DC, :eek: and I HATED the Companion. So much in fact, that I sold it the day I moved DD2 into an MA instead of keeping it for #3. This is the only seat I have ever sold, I generally hoard all my seats, especially Britaxs, that is just how much I disliked the Companion. I don't remove an infant seat from the car that much but when I did need to, I could never get the seat out of the base without waking up the sleeping baby. It always got stuck, the rebound bar was a PIA, I hated the cheap chest clip, it was always getting bent out of place.
 

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
Thank you for all the replies. :)

I have only had experience with one infant seat, the Companion, which we used for our DD. I :love: :love: :love: the seat! I didn't mind putting the handle down when in the vehicle, and all the other issues people describe, I never had. Maybe I was just lucky? Also, I didn't mind moving our DD to a convertible seat at 10 months of age. I felt like I got plenty of use out of the seat. She hadn't outgrown it yet, but it was getting more difficult to get her in and out of it. Still I loved it!!!!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
You know...if it were my only infant seat? That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world... :D (considering the vast array of craptastic infant seat choices out there? It's not SO bad, lol)

:thumbs up: (I can't type out smilies, but I try to...)

:)
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Ilana is still in her Safeseat at 14 mos and I :love: it! She had Gracopedic foam in hers which makes a big difference in padding. I never 'reccomend' the Companion other than to a mom who specifically wants the anti-rebound and then I offer the Combi seat too though I haven't even seen that one yet.
 

Connor's Mom

New member
I can't imagine spending $200 on a seat that I would at most use for 4 months. I have no problem spending that much on a convertible seat or even a combo seat, but not an infant seat. :twocents:

My thoughts exactly. I would rather buy a perfectly nice and safe Graco or Chico and save my $200 to use towards the marathon that you will likely get 5 or 6 years use out of. :twocents:
 

SPJ&E

New member
For me (and this response is going to be similar to a few others), there's no way I'm going to spend that much on a seat that I'll use at MOST for 1 year. Joshua was on the smaller side and didn't actually outgrow his Snugride until 15 months (we moved him to a convertible at 11 months though).

I paid around $100 for his Snugride (22 lb./29 in. limits) and that was perfect for us...we were extremely happy with it! I've never used any other infant seat, so I don't have anything to compare to, but I know that we loved that seat and if we ever have another baby, that's more than likely what we'll get again. I can't justify spending so much on a Companion when 1, it doesn't have great reviews, and 2, there are other, less expensive seats, that will suit our needs perfectly and be just as safe.

Like others have said, I have no problem spending $200+ on a great convertible seat (Marathon), since we'll use that for several years...but not on an infant seat.
 

o_mom

New member
Most everyone else has covered it for me, but I'll add my thoughts.

There are much worse seats out there IMO - anything by Evenflo or Dorel, basically.

I think the quality is good and I would not hesitate to use it, but for many reasons it wouldn't be my first choice. Handle must be down, head winds are restrictive, sticks in the base, rebound bar is in the way, etc. For that price, the seat better have no issues/quirks/things I hate.

If I were spending that kind of money, I would get the KeyFit and leave the handle up to get the anti-rebound benefit. In the end, I got a SafeSeat because it will last longer for less money and I can leave the handle up.
 
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dd9736

New member
I could never justify spending that much on a carrier.

I've used 2 different carriers, evenflo portabout, not a bad seat, but mine was a 3pt harness rear adjust, I moved DS1 into the Peg as soon as I got it.

As far as the person who loved the peg, they must have changed more than just the SIP between 2005 and 2006, because I can't stand my peg, it still doesn't fit my 3 month old very well in the crotch and he only has 1 maybe 1 1/2" left in it, my 13 month old outgrew it at 7months, by height, he was 15lbs. It's constantly gettign stuck in the base, need I go on...? The only thing I like about it is the front adjust and the base is crazy easy to install.
 

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