WOULD YOU USE THIS CAR SEAT?
This is where things get very frustrating as a parent. Infant car seat standards are so vague that makers can do quite a lot within the 'standards'. SO, what really is the safest? As a first time parent, I did not want to skimp on the car seat. Britax had a new car seat and although it was heavier and did not fit the little ones quite as long, Eddy and loved the 'anti-rebound bar' that was attached to the base. I wanted safety and was not going to complain if it was a little heavier to carry around. My ignorance of infant car seats, led to my conclusion.
Stationary car seats are not supposed to move. I was always annoyed that infant car seats would wiggle around and therefore I concluded they were not as safe. THEN, I saw the Companion. with the anti-rebound bar on the base...it did not move! The seat had other nice safety features as well, but I was sold by the different base.
THEN...when I failed to install the car seat in the car we had before Lacy was born properly, I took it to the expert who was certified in town. She was floored by the car seat, never seeing it before. The reason being is she was trained that the WHOLE point of infant car seats is that they DO move!! The car seat takes the impact by moving with the force of the crash, so the infant is protected. With the anti-rebound bar...ALL the force of the crash would then be in the baby's NECK...MY BABY'S NECK. The thought of that makes me sick.
Here is a video clip that explains how the seats protect infants in a crash. It is not long, just a one minute 40 seconds and near the end the man explains and shows how it all is supposed to work:
How Car Seats Protect Infants in a Crash -- powered by eHow.com
SO?? Britax claims that through THEIR studies, having the base secured down is in fact safer. Well, OF COURSE they would say that, right?
What do you think? Safe or Dangerous?
SOCCER
3 days ago
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7 comments:
I don't think I would use this seat. did you read this article
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/mar/01/nation/chi-car_seatsmar01
it says "The Britax Companion, which can cost twice as much as some competitors’ seats, exceeded injury limits both times it was tested. The company discontinued the Companion last year, although retailers continue to sell through their inventory."
It seems like all the research coming out right now is showing that how safe your car seat is really has to do more with which brand is installed in which brand of vehicle. Namely, certain car sets are better for different vehicles. Is the rebound bar on the car set or the base? I can't tell from the photo. I am not even sure I would use the base on an infant car seat next time. Did you read that in recent test 50% of the car seats separated from the bases? meaning that the car seat was loose and free to fly around. Car seats aren't tested with a rear impact. If you can just use this seat with out the base - if that bar is not on the actual seat. other wise I think you are going to be better off if you just go with a cheap Graco.
thanks Em. Actually, your point is why I had to take the seat to an expert. We had a Nissan Altima and although the back was so wonderfully roomy, the seats were at a massive angle and I could not angled properly. Honestly-it just did not fit into the seat! Not a good fit for the car.
The bar is attached to the base, so you can just use the seat. WHICH, is only strange to me as I am used to the seats and bases going together:) I am going to check out your article. Thanks.
Well, Britax is coming out with their new infant car seat, the Chaperone...looks very similar and it still has the anti-rebound bar. Just seems to me that although the convenience of infant car seats is great...they just might not be safe-WITH a base that is.
Kelly,
Here's where we send our new moms. I trust the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they are sort of the governing entity for car seat safety and use a rating system called EASE OF USE, I can't find the actual list, but I'll keep looking. For now here's some good stuff.
Apparently, no one has told them to shorten their urls :)
For info:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_viewID=detail_view&itemID=ce45e2542a964110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&viewType=standard
NHTSA Britax Recall-
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.f2217bee37fb302f6d7c121046108a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_viewID=detail_view&itemID=5d55aa806b1be110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&pressReleaseYearSelect=2009
No way, I'm all for Britax seats, but I think you can get safer seats for much cheaper. My friend who is a certifed carseat tech highly recommends the first years true fit http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-True-Convertible-Cappuccino/dp/B000YBM2V0.
Problem is, it's not an infant carrier, so if that's important to you it may not be what you are looking for. I was always more of sling mama myself so it's not as important to me.
The cool thing is the supposedly you never ever have to buy another seat, it last them up until they no longer need a car seat.
I myself have an evenflo titan deluxe for Garett and a Graco Nautilus for Wyatt (which I love love love and highly recommend, it's for forward facing kiddos only though)
thanks all! If we use it, we will just use the seat and not the base, as you can use them without it. We have the one we borrowed from our friends installed and ready to go, so we are covered for now and then we can make some decisions later!
ok...searching for my blog for something and need to post on here to update. I talked with the car seat installation expert in town and since Lacy was born, they have more info on them. The base does not make the seat anti-MOVE, it makes it anti-REBOUND. So, it allows the seat to move, removing some of the impact, yet supposedly, protecting the baby from a potentially dangerous impact. SO...we used it with confidence!
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