Infant seats -- trying to choose

[chocovore]

I'm trying to decide on an infant seat for a baby due in June . . . my first is now 6, so there are so many more choices out there now! I think I have it narrowed down to 3, any advice is welcome. I know the Cybex is supposed to take up less space front-to-back -- does anyone know how the Keyfit and Classic Connect 30 compare?

Cybex Aton - I usually don't like the girly-colored seats, but I am tempted by the purple one for $189 on Albee Baby. I like that it's relatively lightweight and short front-to-back. I would need to find a stroller frame that would work for it, though. It looks like it is Maxi-Cosi compatible? So the Safety 1st frame would work with it? I know from a friend who has it that the canopy is sort of annoying, and it looks like a shorter seat, too. If this kid is long in the torso as my first, I wonder if it would be outgrown before the 6-8 months I'd like it to last.

Graco Classic Connect 30 - Pretty lightweight, narrow base, I already have an old Snugrider frame I could use. Not a fancy seat but we had a Snugride 22 for my son and it was fine (except for the fact that he was a chunker and outgrew it by weight by 5 months).

Chicco Keyfit - The Keyfit seems like a nice seat, and I'm guessing I could find the stroller frame secondhand pretty easily. I know it's a little heavier than the other two. Unless I find a sale it's about as much as the Aton.

We have a 2009 Jetta Sportwagen which has a backseat on the smaller side. My 6-year-old is in a Recaro Probooster, we will probably have the infant seat installed on the passenger side. It would be awesome if we had an infant seat with a narrow enough base that I could put it in the middle and also squeeze in a narrow backless for times we have a friend with us . . .

Alright, which one do I get?

 

[Nedra]

I know the Cybex is supposed to take up less space front-to-back -- does anyone know how the Keyfit and Classic Connect 30 compare?

Cybex Aton - I usually don't like the girly-colored seats, but I am tempted by the purple one for $189 on Albee Baby. I like that it's relatively lightweight and short front-to-back. I would need to find a stroller frame that would work for it, though. It looks like it is Maxi-Cosi compatible? So the Safety 1st frame would work with it? I know from a friend who has it that the canopy is sort of annoying, and it looks like a shorter seat, too. If this kid is long in the torso as my first, I wonder if it would be outgrown before the 6-8 months I'd like it to last.

If I recall correctly, the Keyfit takes up less space than the Graco seats. I don't know by how much. I do know that a Keyfit did not fit in our car and the only two seats that did were the Combi Shuttle and the Cybex Aton.

$189 is a great deal on an Aton! We paid $60 more for ours (later replaced with an Aton 2). I LOVE Cybex seats. Easy to install -- both with the base and without it.

If the Safety 1st frame works with it, please let me know where you found that out! I have read that it only works with Maxi-Cosi adaptors. Not only that, but one of the strollers we bought (Kolcraft Contours 3-wheel) said that it worked with Maxi-Cosi, but it does NOT work with the Aton (as we found out after we'd already purchased the stroller). So the wisdom about the Maxi-Cosi adaptors isn't always true either. We bought a Baby Jogger City Mini and it works well with those adaptors. I think that the main thing is that it will work with the click-in part of the Maxi Cosi adaptors, but if it's more like a "tray" (with the big bar that swoops out in front) then it doesn't work because the bottom is so round. I could be totally off-base on this, it's just that that's the experience we had with the Kolcraft stroller.

So I totally recommend the Cybex Aton, but make sure you have a stroller option that works for you first -- if a travel system is important to you. If we would have had a $189 deal on our Aton, it would have been a dream come true. We love it!

According to Regal Lager, these are the (pricey!) strollers that work with the Aton:

http://www.regallager.com/cybex/atoncompatibility.aspx

 

[chocovore]

Thanks, Nedra! One of the reviews for the (newer model?) Baby Trend Snap-N-Go says it works with the Cybex:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/inde...57.2273443.2256189.12574022&parentPage=family

It looks like it does require the strap across to secure it rather than just snapping in.

We already have an old Phil & Ted's that has seen better days, but it is our workhorse neighborhood stroller (love the giant basket). And a Maclaren Volo to keep in the trunk and use for travel once baby's a little older. But I am tempted by the City Mini since it's right in between the two as far as weight and sidewalk maneuverability. I don't like the looks of the City Mini basket, though. It looks like the access is too small to shove a lot in there.

Back to carseats, it looks like the Aton is about a half inch shorter in seating height which might mean a month or two less use depending on torso growth . . . hmmm. Still tempted by the Cybex but now I'm leaning toward the cheapy Graco to avoid additional impulse stroller purchase.

 

[Nedra]

Thanks, Nedra! One of the reviews for the (newer model?) Baby Trend Snap-N-Go says it works with the Cybex:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/inde...57.2273443.2256189.12574022&parentPage=family

It looks like it does require the strap across to secure it rather than just snapping in.

We already have an old Phil & Ted's that has seen better days, but it is our workhorse neighborhood stroller (love the giant basket). And a Maclaren Volo to keep in the trunk and use for travel once baby's a little older. But I am tempted by the City Mini since it's right in between the two as far as weight and sidewalk maneuverability. I don't like the looks of the City Mini basket, though. It looks like the access is too small to shove a lot in there.

Back to carseats, it looks like the Aton is about a half inch shorter in seating height which might mean a month or two less use depending on torso growth . . . hmmm. Still tempted by the Cybex but now I'm leaning toward the cheapy Graco to avoid additional impulse stroller purchase.

Yeah, we really needed the Aton's small size and that determined our stroller price point as well, unfortunately. As far as the torso growth, you're totally right that it won't last as long. Even so, my short-overall-but-longish-torsoed baby will make it to a year in hers.

 

[chocovore]

I ended up ordering a SR30 Classic Connect and got a chance to try it out in our backseat today. Installed behind the passenger I had to scoot the front seat up just a notch to keep it from touching but not much. It may end up going driver-side since our driving position is a bit closer and more upright. I played with it in the center to see if I could fit a backless booster on one side and grownup on the other (or two backless boosters on either side if need be) and I think it will work. I am going to pick up one of the Harmony NBB from Walmart (we have a backless Turbo we use as a travel seat/spare/extra for friends but it's not very narrow). DS6's current main seat (Recaro ProBooster) is too wide up top to fit right next to the base but since they will both likely be outboard for the most part it should be fine.

The SR 30 did come with the cruddy recall buckle -- I know they have not actually recalled the infant seats, but are they sending out new buckles for people who request them?

 

[UlrikeDG]

The SR 30 did come with the cruddy recall buckle -- I know they have not actually recalled the infant seats, but are they sending out new buckles for people who request them?

Yes. Graco has said they will send new buckles on request, even for the non-recalled infant models.