Now that you have a better understanding of strollers, we’re here to help you know what’s out in the marketplace for car seats and even share some of our Smarty faves. The best thing you can do is go to a store, ask questions and pick up, feel and overall check out car seats. A really great local resource is Shower Me With Love. All of the car seats listed below are available there, so we encourage you to visit and check them out and don’t forget to mention that CSP sent ya!
Check out this post and don’t miss the Britax car seat giveaway at the end!
Infant Car Seats
I tried to crawl into the Maxi-Cosi Prezi infant car seat because it looks just so comfy, but apparently I exceed the weight limit. This car seat touts a side impact that features air protection which results in a super cushy and comfy support that surrounds your head. Another neat feature is as your baby grows, the straps grow with them, as there is no need to re-thread the straps – there is an adjustment slider on the back of the car seat. The Prezi is for infants 4 to 30 pounds and up to 29 inches in height. This car seat will fit with most strollers and comes in a pretty selection of colors. This cushy ride retails for $289.99 and can be found at Shower Me With Love.
The intuitive Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat is a gift for new parents. The car seat has a very audible click when it is secured into the base, assuring parents that the car seat is in correctly. Their design features orange buttons which is an easy identifier for adjustments. If there’s an orange button – it does something. There is an infant insert for those tiny babies that may need some more support, but removes easily when it’s outgrown. From a safety side, it touts a side-impact energy-absorbing foam protection. The car seat is made to carry babies 4 to 30 pounds and fits with most strollers. It retails for $194.99.
The Orbit Stroller Travel System G2 comes as a package deal and is sooooo neat. As a mommy with a one-year old, the coolest feature I see on this car seat is that it pivots on the car seat base, so it’s easy to get your baby in and out of the seat. The car seat base has a low-profile base and actually creates a suction against the backseat to help it keep anchored. The “Paparazzi Shield” is a breathable fabric that extends from the canopy and covers your baby fully. Of the car seats reviewed, this is the only one with certified green fabric. Fits snugglebugs from 4 to 30 pounds and up 32 inches. The system, which comes with the stroller, base and car seat retails for $940. This car seat does not fit with other strollers due to the neat pivot feature, so once you go Orbit, you never go back.
Convertible Car Seats
The Britax Advocate is a car seat that I can vouch for. My toddler rides around in style with this car seat. When I first got the car seat, I was amazed at the support. It is a solid car seat that has an extra layer of foam protection on the sides to help keep our tots safe. The car seat is good for babies 5-40 pounds rear-facing and one-year old and 20-70 pounds forward-facing. The front harness adjuster makes it easy to tighten the straps to keep your baby secure. This car seat retails for $369.99.
Just as comfy looking as the infant car seat, this cushy ride is for kiddos 9-40 pounds for rear-facing and 22-70 pounds for forward-facing. The Pria 70 by Maxi-Cosi touts air-protection technology that not only supports the head, but also the mid-section of your little ones. There is an adjustable harness that allows the head rest to raise for your growing toddler. This car seat retails for $289.
The Foonf by Clek is a unique car seat with a lot of really neat features. The first thing I noticed was how heavy this car seat is. That’s because it’s made with steel. The same kind of technology that helps keep us safe in our vehicles, the car seat touts. “REACT” which stands for Rapid Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology which helps absorbs the blow so your tot doesn’t. Another neat feature is they offer a fabric that protects against stains, moisture and odor-causing bacteria. The other visible feature is the width of the overall car seat. It is more narrow than any car seat that I’ve seen and touts that it’s possible to get three Foonfs across in one row of vehicle seating. This car seat retails from $449-$499.
Booster Car Seats
The Recaro Pro Booster offers many features for your growing child. It touts that it has the highest weight limit available, at 120 pounds, as a high back booster seat. The head restraint adjusts easily with eleven positions for those kiddos that just seem to get taller overnight. On the safety side, this seat’s side impact protection is designed to protect the head, neck, face, torso and pelvis. This booster seat retails for $129.
The Oobr by Clek comes from the same maker as Foonf, this is very sleek booster seat. The headrest adjusts so it will continue to support that noggin’. The drink holder is detachable and dishwasher safe – not that any of our kiddos would ever spill their drinks! Since they don’t spill their drinks, I’m sure the fact that the booster seat fabric is resistant to stains, moisture and bacteria (yeah!). Lastly, the Oober has a removable back for easy conversion. This modern seat retails for $299.90.
Questions about car seats? Visit Shower Me With Love to learn more and check them out for yourselves!
It’s GIVEAWAY time!
We’re working with Shower Me With Love to give one lucky Smarty a Britax car seat of your choice! A winner will be drawn in one week and we’ll put you in touch with our friends at Shower Me With Love so you can meet them to figure out which car seat is best for you! Post below why you could use a car seat and you just might win! We’d also LOVE for you to share this on your facebook wall by clicking on the cute little pink & green icon below.
The fine print: Our Smarty winner must reside in the Greater Charlotte area. One entry per Smarty. Our winner will be selected at random at 5pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013.
32 comments
I would love this for a new grandbaby!
I just gave birth to twins and need an extra car seat for our other car.
This would be so much more convenient than switching seats from car to car each time we go somewhere.
I would love to win b/c We are having our 4th baby in the next couple months and that is a lot of children in Car seats 🙂
Would love to win a new carseat, expecting another one soon, and still have one in a car seat. So to win one would be awesome!
I really would love to win this Maxi Cosi Car Seat for my sister and brother n law, that are in the process of adopting a sweet baby girl. They have temporary custody right now, the mother and father didn’t want the baby, it’s a long sad story, but anyway, they need this in the worst way! Hope I can win this for the baby. Thank you, Molly
Sorry, I guess I meant to say Britax Infant Car Seat..
We would LOVE to win a new Britax seat. Why? Because they’re the safest seats on the market and who doesn’t want that?
I would love to win a Britax car seat. My daughter is outgrowing her infant car seat and I have been wanting to get a Britax convertible car seat, just not able to afford it. Thanks for the chance!
I would love to win a new Britax seat. All my kids ride in Britax and I need one because our infant car seat just expired. I could really use a new infant seat!! (esp in my favorite cowmooflage)
Would love one for my grand daughter! Britax carseats are the best!
We have a baby due to join us in a couple of months, but we haven’t bought a car seat yet. It would be great to win one!
My sweet little boy is turning one at the end of the month and we could sure use a new car seat. He’s still riding in his infant carrier. He just hit 20 lbs. and i can’t wait to put him in that Britax advocate and have him face forward. He’s getting to be such a big boy.
I would love to have a Britax car seat for my grandchild, I watch her sometimes and I need one for my car too. Thanks
It is new carseat time for us because my daughter is outgrowing hers. We have always used Britax seats – they are the best!
WOW! My daughter could use a new car seat, thanks for the chance!
I would love a new car seat. My daughter’s is really heavy and it’s a pain to switch back and forth between cars everyday!!!!
Would LOVE to win a new booster! Our oldest is FINALLY ready to move out of her carseat (sniff sniff)!
Due the spacing in age of my children, i’m questioning using the old-ish car seat we have when my new baby arrives this summer. I would LOVE to win a new Britax and have my new baby riding in a safe new seat that’s stylish too!
I would love to win as I have 4 boys and would love for one of them to be riding in something “new” and “styling”! 🙂
My daughter just had my first grandson two weeks early. With him being so little we are having to add alot of extra support around his body and head to make him fit in the carseat. I would love one that he fits in safely and comfortably!
Would love to win the safest carseat around for my husbands car…his is expiring:)
We are expecting! Surprise baby in many ways (we aren’t going to find out the sex and we weren’t expecting to get pregnant “naturally”)! Would love to add a surprise win of a car seat 🙂
We LOVE Britax Car seats for our boys! We currently have 7 Britax car seats in use right now between all of our cars. We are getting ready to go to the next level up and will be purchasing another 4 car seats, so it would be great to have one less to purchase!
I need a car seat for the grandchildren, instead of having to get the car seat out of my son’s car, whenever I take the children . Thank you
Would love a new Britax car seat!
My neighbor is expecting another baby in July, her husband recently lost his job, and winning a Britax car seat would be a wonderful gift for them and one less baby must item too worry about.
My husband and I just found out that we are expecting are first baby next October! We have been trying for many years so we are so excited! This is a great blog and a great giveaway!
I need a new car seat and I LOVE Britax, thanks for the giveaway!
I have been searching for a new car seat, since I found out that I am expecting in the fall, and I am very glad that I found your giveaway, I don’t know much about Britax, but from the reviews, I think that I would be pleased! Thank you for the information.
Thanks for the info Jennifer. This will be very helpful in our search for a carseat.
Just curious who won the giveaway?
Hi Hillary,
Kristy’s name was drawn. Be sure to check back for more pointers on baby essentials and we hope to have more giveaways in the future!