Seats seen most often around you

Patriot201 · Aug 21, 2006

While looking through some old threads, I found one that discussed the seats that people see most often in their towns/cities/counties, etc. This got me thinking... what seats do I see most often around me?

Here is what I see most often:

Infant Seats
#1-- Graco SnugRide
#2-- Peg Perego Primo Viaggio

I also see a smattering of all the other infant seats available. I see a fair number of Britax Companions, Graco Safe Seats, and Evenflo Embraces.

Convertible Seats
#1-- Britax Marathon
#2-- Britax Roundabout
#3-- Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in-1
#4-- Evenflo Triumph
#5-- Graco ComfortSport/Century Accel
#6-- Britax Decathlon/Boulevard (I'd say I see these about equally, so they are lumped together)

I also see a smattering of a lot of other seats. I RARELY see any over-the-head shield seats anymore. I do see them, but it is getting more and more rare.

Combination Seats
#1-- Cosco Summit
#2-- Graco CarGo (I can never tell exactly which CarGo it is)
#3-- Britax Regent/Husky

I also see some of a lot of other types of seats.

Booster Seats
#1-- (BY FAR) Graco Turbo/SafeSeat #3
#2-- Britax Parkway

There are a few of other types of seats, but these two DEFINITELY outnumber all the others.

What do you all see in your neighborhoods/towns/cities/counties, etc.?

Ali · Aug 21, 2006

When I look into other people's vehicles, I usually see WAY expired OHS and the cheaper seats (40lb harnessed-EB, cosco, etc).

I have convinced all of my friends to get the higher weight harnessed seats (MA's, etc) and I think we all ended up with Snugrides - one of my friends is even using our barely used Snugride.

rescuedcat · Aug 21, 2006

I live in a nice area, and I see a lot of Britax seats. Not so many Companions, mostly Peg and Graco infant seats. A lot of Turbo Boosters. I see the Alpha Omeg a lot more than I'd like to see. I rarely see OHS seats.

stayinhomewithmy6 · Aug 21, 2006

Unfortunately, I think we are the only people in our town to even use car seats! It is very disturbing. What I do see are old, expired seats, lots of OHS, older infant seats (not sure of the models - the ones with 3 pt harnesses), and backless boosters. Mostly, kids are hopping around in vehicles. I hate it at school when parents are there to pick up their kids and the kids hop in the front seat and the parents drive off, but it happens with about 90% of the kids around here. There is even a new booster seat law, but no one pays attention to it. I wish the police officers around here would give more seat belt/car seat tickets. Maybe it would make people think twice!

Splash · Aug 21, 2006

Hmm... TONS of OHS. I see a lot of ComfortSports and AOs. The occasional Marathon. I've yet to see a Decathlon or another Boulevard (besides ours). I have seen one Wizard.
Infant seats are a lot of pegs or coscos. Actually, I would say about 60% of the infant seats I see are 'eddie bauer'

For combo seats, again it's most the EB seats. Boosters... I rarely if ever see a child in a booster seat.

It's sad too, because where we live has a very high cost of living (we live on a dang island!) and super high property prices and very high median income. I see these crappy seats in Range Rovers and BMWs and Acuras... on the flip side, it seems like when I see a good, properly installed seat, it's in your everyday Ford or Chevy. I personally think that the more expensive the car, the crappier the car seat. At least in my experience.

lovinwaves · Aug 21, 2006

Ok what is OHS, I am having a brain malfunction.

Well, where we live I had never seen a Marathon. I live in a small small town. Well my friend has one. In fact my neighbors have never even heard of the seat. They saw my seats come in UPS on my front step. They asked me what they were. I told them and the price. They about fell over and laughed at me for spending so much on a carseat. Oh, by the way I don't get along w/my neighbors. Not many of them I would consider "Good Mothers!" Their parenting styles are not exactly great.

Anyways, lots of cheap cheap, wrongly used, expired seats around here.

Patriot201 · Aug 21, 2006

OHS= Over-Head Shield Carseat. THey are also known as "Tray" seats.

Yoshi · Aug 21, 2006

I live in a small town and most seats I see are also old, OHS seats (usually in a nicer/newer car, go figure) and alot of Eddie Bauer HBB seats, Alpha Omegas, and Evenflo Triumphs. A gazillion of Triumphs and AO's, in fact. So many of them have skinny, twisted staps or look like they have been through several kids. I think the only Britax seat I've ever seen is my neighbor's RA.

Our area's median income is pretty high, and most people are just ignorant about safety, IMO. They would rather have a larger than life TV set than spring for a safer/new carseat. I see people driving trucks with little 4 y.o. kids in the front seat. I see kids riding around with the seatbelt up by their ears who should be in a booster.

It's like bike helmet laws- kids don't wear them, but the police are not enforcing it. It drives me crazy

rescuedcat · Aug 21, 2006

Splash said:
I see these crappy seats in Range Rovers and BMWs and Acuras... on the flip side, it seems like when I see a good, properly installed seat, it's in your everyday Ford or Chevy. I personally think that the more expensive the car, the crappier the car seat. At least in my experience.

LOL Sometimes you have to wonder! I've seen a good number of crappy seats in expensive cars as well.

My favorite was seeing the mom who took her baby out of a crappy, old looking car seat (installed in a brand new Toyota SUV) and put the baby into a Stokke Explory ($800 stroller). I guess everyone sees your stroller, but not everyone sees your car seat.

Simplysomething · Aug 21, 2006

Most of the infant seats I see are probably snugrides. A lot of people bring their babies into the store in the seats. And plenty of cosco seats. I've only rarely seen anything that wasn't those.

As for the other types of seats, I don't know. I think a lot of people tend toward the 3-1's because they think they are getting a good value. I see a lot of old decripit seats... Acc

As for boosters, I usually see 'em in the low-back cosco boosters. I can only recall seeing one other car with dedicated hbb recently, and they were--i think, cosco. I can't remember what the health department gives out, it starts with a T.

I think I've seen maybe one or two britax seats ever in person (or that is, in a car, installed). I don't know which seats they were, I know one had big bright pink flowers on it. lol I know that I've never ever seen a Parkway in person.

As for those other seats...radian, safegaurd whatever? I've never EVER EVER seen any of those.

Patriot201 · Aug 21, 2006

Simplysomething said:
As for those other seats...radian, safegaurd whatever? I've never EVER EVER seen any of those.

I've never seen a Safeguard in person, either.

I have seen (and used) Radians, though. I don't see a lot of Radians, but I have seen enough to know that they are being used around here. Plus, they are sold at two local stores, so that tells me there must be a demand for them.

Patriot201 · Aug 21, 2006

rescuedcat said:
My favorite was seeing the mom who took her baby out of a crappy, old looking car seat (installed in a brand new Toyota SUV) and put the baby into a Stokke Explory ($800 stroller). I guess everyone sees your stroller, but not everyone sees your car seat.

It is amazing, isn't it?

I know that Stokke stroller is supposed be to a status symbol for some people, but I really don't like it! I think it is ugly! I understand the draw of having the baby up high, but I still don't like it! I want to snicker when I see one because I think they are so wierd looking!

KaysKidz · Aug 21, 2006

HA! I'm always checking out other peoples carseats...

In my area (20mi radius):

Infant: #1 seat...Graco Snugride
#2...Century (most likely expired) infant seat
#3 is pretty even between Evenflo and Eddie Bauer

Convertible: #1...OHS (not sure of model...but various ones)
#2...Cosco Touriva

Until I bought my Britax, I had never seen another one in my town. Now, my friend has one, and just the other day, I saw a Microdot Tan MA! (how sad is it when you know the patterns by sight?! lol) In the neighboring town, I got all excited to see a RF MA in the WalMart parking lot!

I live in a VERY small town of about 2,500 people. And the 'big town' w/Wally World has about 25,000. I've seen all of TWO Britax seats in the big town over the last few years.

I see a ton of the Cosco Summits (I even used to have one!).

And, I've been recently checking out all the seats that the foster parents have (at the training classes), and so far...EVERY one but mine are OHS.

And NONE are rf, except mine. Granted, I don't know the ages...but some I'm sure could still be rf.

KaysKidz · Aug 21, 2006

Patriot20171 said:
I know that Stokke stroller is supposed be to a status symbol for some people, but I really don't like it! I think it is ugly! I understand the draw of having the baby up high, but I still don't like it! I want to snicker when I see one because I think they are so wierd looking!

LOL, I think it's ugly too. I have a pram/carriage that puts them up really high that I absolutely love. But, IMO, mine is a LOT prettier, more functional, will last years longer and cost a LOT less! LOL Granted, mine probably weighs 5X as much and fills the entire cargo area of my suburban...but I wouldn't trade it for the world. To each their own, I guess.

Tara · Aug 21, 2006

I see a lot of SnugRides around here.
And honestly, a lot of Marathons. I'm not sure if they would take the majority, maybe just of what I've "noticed" I've seen more than a few OHS as well, but most were newer LOL if that counts for anything.
A lot of Graco Turbo boosters and a few AO

Breakdown::
Infant seat: Graco Snugride gets majority - easy! Evenflo would have to be next

Convertible: Marathon, OHS and AO oh and a couple RAs

Booster: Graco Turbo Booster

I have only seen one or two other Parkways or Regents.

Jeanum · Aug 21, 2006

I'm seeing more Britax convertibles in cars in parking lots in my area than I used to but also lots of Cosco, Graco and Evenflo. The amount of Britax sightings went up after BRU opened, lol. Before BRU came to town, the Internet was about the only source for Britax seats and it continues to be a better source for greater selection. I'm noticing more Safe Seat infant seats recently but Snugrides still are the most frequently spotted infant seat for me. I've yet to see a Regent in anyone else's car locally, although I think I spotted one last week in a car with Michigan plates parked at Ikea about 25 miles from home.

My step-FIL's eyes kind of bugged out and he gasped audibly when he asked how much a Regent costs upon seeing it in my van for the first time yesterday. After the initial sticker shock, he told me he was tempted to get one for his 6-year old grandson whom he drives around pretty often.

rachel3612 · Aug 21, 2006

For infant seats I see more Snug rides than anything. I worked at a check and had 4 in a row! For convertables I see more Britax than anything. I live right by Sallie, very nice area and its funny to see the nice new cars with old car seats in them! I see more Graco Turbos than any other booster though.

I was on out of town once and was walking through the parking lot of the hospital with a friend and she spotted a Britax in a car with the same cover as Hannah had and she said it was her first time ever seeing one in that town. Then we realized it was Hannahs car seat in my moms car, my mom works there so we just left her. LOL I was using another car seat in my friends car. That was 5 years ago, now I see Britax there more often. Its a smalelr town about 1.5 hours from me.

Rachel
cpst

Patriot201 · Aug 21, 2006

I live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, so there are A LOT of people (about 5 million in the metro area, about 1.5 million in my county), A LOT of cars (I saw a statistic that there are approximately 4.5 million cars in the DC metro area!), and a fair amount of money. Because there are so many people, I see a lot of different cars and carseats on a daily basis. We do have the same thing here as several of you have seen- expensive cars with outdated carseats, but we also have a lot of people who obviously invest in their children's safety. There are plenty of older cars or less "fancy" cars with seats that may not necessarily be the most expensive seats, but they are installed properly, which is most important.

Sorry I can't comment about my town... while I have a mailing address "town", it is not really a town. The entire D.C. area is meshed together so that it is one HUGE "town." You may drive through three or four "towns" and never see a divide. The part of the D.C. area in which I live is RIDICULOUSLY over-crowded. There are houses built on every available square inch of land. Now they are starting to build condos and office buildings in really strange areas- like the 100-yard-wide (or so) strip of land between a MAJOR road (6 lane road) and the interstate (8-10 lanes). How nice! Your view is the interstate!

How ridiculous is that, though? Building condos on a 100-yard-wide (or so) strip of land?!?!

rescuedcat · Aug 21, 2006

Patriot20171 said:
I know that Stokke stroller is supposed be to a status symbol for some people, but I really don't like it! I think it is ugly! I understand the draw of having the baby up high, but I still don't like it!

I think it's ugly too! I'd rather have a Bugaboo for that price.

rescuedcat · Aug 21, 2006

I thought of this thread while I was out and about today... I saw a Britax RA tethered in an older looking (really a piece of junk LOL) car. I was impressed until I got closer and saw the blue base of the RA. I'm pretty sure that all of the blue RAs are expired. I felt bad for the people. They probably think they have a great seat, but it's too old to be used.

That's where a business card would have come in handy.

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