First time mom, car seats.

[Deanna]

Hi! Thank you for the add. I’m a first time mom at 33 weeks pregnant. I have a question about our car seats. Im curious about the installation and recline

We have two cars, so therefore two car seats. We have a maxi cosi Magellan in a dodge dually installed correctly using the latch system.

Then in a Jeep Wrangler (because the back seat is a little small) we have the graco slim fit also installed using the latch system, and installed correctly.

Per the manual, and the bubble levels on the seats, the seats all look properly installed and ready to go. However I noticed the maxi cosi seemed to be a lot more “reclined” than the graco. The graco seems a lot more straight up and down than the maxi cosi. One of my biggest fears as a new mom is positional asphyxiation.

Is it normal for different brands, to recline at different rates? I’m just afraid of the graco being unsafe because it is sitting upright a little more.

Thanks for helping out this first time mom!

 

[SafeDad]

Hi! Thank you for the add. I’m a first time mom at 33 weeks pregnant. I have a question about our car seats. Im curious about the installation and recline

We have two cars, so therefore two car seats. We have a maxi cosi Magellan in a dodge dually installed correctly using the latch system.

Then in a Jeep Wrangler (because the back seat is a little small) we have the graco slim fit also installed using the latch system, and installed correctly.

Per the manual, and the bubble levels on the seats, the seats all look properly installed and ready to go. However I noticed the maxi cosi seemed to be a lot more “reclined” than the graco. The graco seems a lot more straight up and down than the maxi cosi. One of my biggest fears as a new mom is positional asphyxiation.

Is it normal for different brands, to recline at different rates? I’m just afraid of the graco being unsafe because it is sitting upright a little more.

Thanks for helping out this first time mom!

Hello Deanna and welcome,

Car seats do vary and some have more range to adjust the angle within the indicator. Are you already in the most reclined position? If so, Graco does allow the use of a rolled towel under the base of the SlimFit in rear-facing mode, at the crease of the vehicle seat to allow for more recline. You may insert one or two tightly rolled towels to recline the seat further, as long as the indicator stays entirely in the blue zone when the vehicle is on level ground.

Sometimes, rear-facing only infant seats do a better job with newborns as far as fit and range of recline, especially premium models. If you find one of your seats just doesn't seem right, I would suggest seeking a virtual or in-person car seat checkup. Another possibility is if you can exchange, you could try a different model. If you need something narrow, the newer Graco SlimFit3 LX is a different platform than the original SlimFit model and is even narrower. I do not know if it will recline more with the default settings, but it might be worth a try if you are uncomfortable with the original SlimFit. Just make sure to get a free returns policy in case you don't like it for any reason.

https://carseatblog.com/52131/slimfit3lxreview/

 

[MelodyoftheForest]

I like to use the level in the compass app on my iPhone if the vehicle is on a level surface. It may be that, while one seat appears more upright, it may not be. If you measure the recline where a small baby would be, with the infant padding that came with the seat in place, there may not actually be a significant difference. Congrats on your first baby, and enjoy!