New $6.43
(413)
Best Reviewed
Infant Car Seats
- Best car seat, more options Graco SnugRide *Est. $80
- Car seat for heavier/taller babies Britax Chaperone *Est. $200
- Best budget car seat for heavier babies Baby Trend Flex-Loc *Est. $100
Get info about new reports and updates
Graco Infant Safe Seat Step 1
- Easy to install and use
- Comfortable
- 30-pound weight limit
- Heavy
- Bulky
- Relatively expensive
Experts say the Graco Infant SafeSeat Step 1 car seat is a good choice for taller, heavier babies. Because it can be used for babies up to 30 pounds in weight and 32 inches in height, you can keep your child facing the rear of the car longer (the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this up to age 2). If you don't need the extra capacity, the Graco SnugRide (*Est. $80 to $150, depending on model) gets top marks for safety, convenience and ease of use, and it comes in a wide range of colors and styles. At 7.5 pounds, it also weighs a lot less than the SafeSeat (9.8 pounds), which gets criticized by some parents for being too heavy and too bulky to really be useful as an infant carrier. On the other hand, among car seats for taller/heavier babies, we found the best reviews for the Britax Chaperone (*Est. $200).
The most credible review of the Graco Infant SafeSeat comes from one top baby gear book, which has excellent coverage of infant car seats. Although authors of the book don't test the seats themselves, they do take crash testing into account along with more subjective factors like parent feedback and brand reputation. We also found helpful user reviews for the SafeSeat at ToysRUs.com and Amazon.com. Less helpful expert reviews can be found at About.com and ConsumerGuide.com.
| Mommy's Helper Car Seat Sun Shade | |
(96 reviews) In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping |
|
Our Sources
1. Baby BargainsDetails/Subscribe
"Baby Bargains" has excellent coverage of infant car seats. The only major problem is that some of its recommendations are based on earlier flawed crash tests later retracted by ConsumerReports.org and replaced with different ratings.
Review: Infant Car Seats, Denise and Alan Fields, Eighth edition
2. ToysRUs.com
The more than 100 parent-written reviews of the Graco SafeSeat Birkshire on ToysRUs.com mainly say the SafeSeat is comfortable, sturdy and easy to adjust; the most common complaints are its bulk and weight.
Review: Graco SafeSeat Infant Car Seat - Birkshire, Contributors to ToysRUs.com
3. Amazon.com
Most of the approximately 80 Graco SafeSeat reviews on Amazon.com are positive. As on other user review sites, some owners here say the SafeSeat is a bit on the heavy side.
Review: Graco SafeSeat Infant Car Seat, Contributors to Amazon.com
4. About.com
Heather Corley is About.com's guide to baby products and a child-passenger safety technician, but there's no indication of a formal testing process. Corley ranks the Graco SafeSeat Step 1 third in this top-five list, saying it's a bit heavy. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Top 5 Infant Car Seats, Heather Corley
This "expert review" seems to be a recitation of specifications rather than a hands-on evaluation, which is not unusual for ConsumerGuide.com. We think the Best Buy designation is not very credible.
Review: Expert Review: Graco Infant SafeSeat, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com, Feb. 21, 2007
Infant Car Seats Runners Up:
11 picks including: About.com, Amazon.com…
4 picks by top review sites.
3 picks including: About.com, Amazon.com…
2 picks including: Amazon.com, Chicago Tribune…
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
