Great Investment

We purchased the Snugride 35 in Flint and could not be happier. The picture does not do justice. The padding is very soft and plush. Will be very comfortable for baby. With the 35 lb and 32 inch max this is definitely gonna last > 1yr. The side impact safety feature makes this a 5. The only con is that the infant head support is way too big for a newborn. Otherwise we love this car seat.More detail ...

Love This Seat

We've been using this seat for a bit over five months now and I love it. Our little dude was born quite premature and we were finally allowed to bring him home when he hit 5 lb. At that size he would have been almost lost in most of the other car seat we looked at but the Mico came through like a champ with the infant insert though we actually ended up supplementing with the Kiddopotamus Snuzzler (link below). I don't consider that a defect since one size cannot fit everyone and an additional $15 is a small price for baby comfort and parental peace of mind.



PROS:



- The seat is very light which becomes increasingly important as baby becomes heavier;

- The base is really heavy which seems right to me;

- The LATCH clips go in easily - using a seatbelt requires a little more elbow-grease but nothing extraordinary;

- Materials are high quality - we have not noticed any wear or tear;

- The seat works great with our Bugaboo Cameleon - at present he is too big for the Buagoo's bassinet but not really big enough for the seat so he just stays in the Mico car seat which has now become associated with nap time anyway;

- The seat clips easily into the base with a very apparent "clunk"; and

- The deep seat and high well-padded sides at least appear to give more protection than many other models on the market.



CONS:



- There is some tendency for straps to tangle between uses - not really more than other car seats but it does happen; and

- If your family has a history of big kids be aware that you will be out of this seat by 22 lb and 29" - there are some other models like the Graco Infant SafeSeat Step 1 which can go bigger if necessary.







Kiddopotamus Snuzzler Link:



http://www.amazon.com/Kiddopotamus-Snuzzler-Complete-Support-Ivory/dp/B000DZS720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1262633725&sr=8-1More detail ...

Excellent Car Seat- Love it!!! Top Choice

Before my daughter was born I did a lot of research before deciding on a car seat. This one really appealed to me based on other reviews and the top rated safety ratings. The neutral colors are great too not too girly or boyish. When I received it as a shower gift I was immediately impressed. It is very light and the seat is so comfy feeling with lots of padding removable head and body supports and high sides to protect my baby. The attached bunting is removable and was very nice especially with a newborn during the colder months. And the adjustable/removable cover is great in all weather; keeps the cold wind off the sun out and the rain away. The base was easy to install in the car with the latch anchor system and it is adjustable. We brought our baby girl home from the hospital in it and she fit perfect even though she was so tiny at 6.5lbs. The harness has removable comfort bands the chest closure and each side of the harness attach separately into the crotch latch which is very nice and makes like so easy with a squirming infant. Even now at 7 months our baby girl fits perfectly and it is so easy to get her in and out of the car. I would also recommend the Graco stroller they make travel and just running everyday errands so easy; the car seat comes out of the car and clicks right into the stroller and off we go. Definitely recommend this car seat it is awesome!!More detail ...

The Babies Love It!

When we learned we were having twins and one of each sex at that we discovered a dilemma: finding a fairly gender-neutral color scheme/pattern in pretty much everything we would be getting for them. Then we took a car seat class at the hospital where we were delivering and learned what to look for in a car seat. The Graco SnugRide32 Zurich fulfilled all criteria. The sage/lime green (which later inadvertently became one of the colors of the nursury) and brown fulfilled the gender-neutral criteria while looking pretty darned classy at the same time. I now feel like I have to dress up when I'm lugging these things around just to pull it all together.

Anyway the features are what's important: The instructor in the car seat class stated that the American Pediatric Association recommends that an infant remain rear-facing in a car seat until 1 year of age or 30 lbs. The SnugRide32 meets this standard and then some which was rather attractive and money-saving in the long run as most of the other car seats we looked at had weight limits that topped out at 20-something pounds. This one rates up to 32 lbs. The SnugRide32 base also has the LATCH system feature which makes installation a lot easier if your car was made in 2003 or later. If not as in our case installation is still really easy as the base has a built-in clamp that helps hold the seat belt more tightly in place thus keeping the whole thing locked down more securely. Also the seat has a five-point fully adjustable harness system that keeps baby safe and snug as a bug in a rug. Finally it has the one feature that our instructor said was worth whatever extra it may cost--the front harness adjustor strap. You just put the little one in the seat and put his or her extremities in the harness click the buckles into place and pull the strap tight. That's it. No need to turn the seat around and fumble with the tightening straps on the back. With this seat you can just strap 'em in pull 'em tight and go. I love efficiency. And the most important reason of all is that my babies love their car seats and could probably sit in them for days if we let them. Wonderful product.More detail ...

Best Car Seat Available - Has Important Features

This review is for the Graco Snugride 35 Infant Carseat - Lowery Design



Pros:

1. Self Supported Canopy (Big plus for me)

2. Easy to adjust harness

3. Up to 35lbs and 32 inches

4. Sturdy Base with adjustable angle

5. Extra handle position

6. Great design (haven't seen the other designs Brunswick and Flint)

7. Rubber on base to prevent slippage

8. Works with the Graco SnugGlider Swing



Cons:

9. On the heavy side of car seats



Description:

1. I must say I am really writing this review because of the self supported canopy. I have seen and used many other strollers and car seats with annoying canopies that latch to the back of the head rest and come out a certain distance. While this is a standard design I hate it. Unless the canopy is really huge it is basically useless because unless you live on the equator the sun always comes in at an angle. The Graco Snugride 35 has a self supporting canopy frame. So the canopy can be adjusted as far forward as you'd like and still maintain its structure. This is such a great feature to keep sun light wind and all sorts of weather off the baby regardless of what angle it's coming in at. Sure other car seats let you unlatch the canopy from the back and move it forward but then the back of the canopy droops down because it has no support.



2. I love the harness on this seat. First off it has the individual side clips that can be buckled in separately so there is no fancy finger work trying to get the two sides together and then snap it in. Second the harness is easily loosened by depressing the clamp and pulling the harness away from the baby. This makes for easier access to the baby. Just in case you were worried when the seat is snapped into the base even if you depress the clamp the harness won't budge. Safety feature I guess. I had a car seat prior to this one that was just incredibly difficult to loosen the harness so annoying. I do say the chest plate seems a little large for a newborn but my 7lb 7ounce son does just fine (he's now 8lb 4ounces).



3. I love how long this should last. It seems so stupid to buy a car seat that can only be used a few months. 35 lbs and 32 inches should make life a little easier. However this feature causes a little more weight which I will discuss later.



4. I am coming from and Eddie Bauer car seat to this car seat and owe my the difference is like night and day. I don't know what Eddie was thinking but their base was so wobbly when installed it was like placing the car seat on a took pick and praying it didn't tip over around a curve (Yes I put all my weight on it and tightened it real tight). When I installed the Graco Carseat which was a breeze to do it felt sturdy before I even gave it a big tightening pull. And to add the security the base has an angle adjustment knob which causes the plate on the bottom called the `foot' to move downward by twisting the knob on top. I did this after I tightened the base in. This increase in height tightened the base even more. That base doesn't move an inch or even a millimeter. The only thing I'm worried about is the nice square imprint the foot will leave on the seat of my car lol. Oh well the safety of my child is way more important.



5. The extra handle position is another plus for me. Most car seats have 2 positions in which the handle snaps. One spot is the carrying position and the other is at the head rest. The Graco Snugride 35 has and extra one in between. It's not really a big deal but it's just one of those things that makes life a little easier. Mostly I like to set it in that position when he's in the car so that the handle doesn't block my mirror set up.



6. Design is awesome soft and sturdy. My wife loves the print. So do I since it's pretty neutral and we are planning on having more kids. I love the newborn head rest. It's seems more plump and effective than others but I do agree with the other review that it could be plumper as there's still plenty of room for the newborn head to move around. We just add a small rolled up towel around his head for now. In about a month I imagine it will be the perfect size.



7. I love the rubber and the bottom of the car seat. It makes me feel so much more at ease when I put him down on a slick surface. Also it still has a curve to it so you can rock the car seat if you'd like.



8. This car seat works with the Graco SnugGlider which I am so happy with right now. My son will cry (sometimes) when I first put into the car seat but as soon as he's situated it's off to a peaceful sleep. He doesn't like being still though for very long. So we either place the car seat on the swing or hurry up and get to the car. Not sure why but car rides put our baby at peace like nothing else. Perhaps it's the vibrations I don't know but they need to make a car simulator for babies lol. Anyways since he sleeps so well in the car we love the fact that when we get home we don't have to take him out of the car seat and wake him up. Instead we just attach the car seat to the SnugGlider and it keeps the motion feeling going which keeps the baby asleep. The swing does have a vibrating setting on it I just haven't used it yet probably should try that out. Anyways the ability to turn the car seat into a swing and not have to take out the baby (which usually wakes him) is just so nice.



9. Well I put this in the cons area but it doesn't really bother me. I've read many reviews about car seats and the one thing people complain about and take away stars for is the weight of a car seat. I tried out a few car seats and determined that these people are stupid idiots. This car seat may be a little bit more then the lightest ones out there but those light ones won't hold as much weight as the heavier ones. And my goodness we are talking about a few pounds difference. If you want to down grade something for weight alone why don't you take a star away from your baby for every pound he/she gains. When the baby weighs 25lbs the weight of the car seat should be a breeze. The best way to make things seem lighter is to do arm curls and work up your muscles either that order a carbon fiber car seat. But I'm sure there still people who want to know about the weight. At 9.4 pounds it basically doubles the weight of your newborn. Both my wife and I are able to carry it around without much hassle. Don't get me wrong I don't go on long walks with the car seat. But carrying it into a store or for a short period of time isn't a big deal. If he's gonna be traveling with me I'll put him into his stroller.



Summary:

This is really a great car seat. I am very glad with my purchase and would highly recommend it to anyone with a new baby.More detail ...

Like Canadian elections - Choosing from the mediocre

I am a first time father. Having spent many hours looking in stores and reading reviews on infant car seats my wife and I chose this one. Here is why:



Pros
- it's light the base attachment is similar to most others

- it fits into shopping carts; the Graco swing and the Graco strollers

- it has a Winnie the Pooh cover it also cost only $80 (or $140 in Canada)

- it has the same safety rating as all the rest etc.

- the seat can used in another car without the base and attaches nicely



Cons


- The seat belt safety clip is stored under the babies right thigh. (yes we couldn't believe it either so we bought some high impact foam to fix it so it was more even and soft)

- The straps tightens from the rear of the seat

- The chest harness is hard to open for a mans fingers because they are to small and for a woman's fingers because it is stiff

- The plastic shell is bulky and a little cheap feeling

- The handle is not well designed like that of the Baby Trend or Evenflo



My wife and I wondered why some many of the seats looked and felt so similar and seems to have many of the same problems. Interestingly we noticed that even though there appear to be many different brands to choose from there are in fact only two or three different manufacturing parent companies and the brands are kept to create the impression that a healthly competitive market exist. If you take the cover off most seats and infant seats you will find most of the same plastic shells. For example Eddie Bauer Maxi-Cosi Quinny Cosco and Safety 1st are all produced by the Dorel Juvenile Group.



- The comfiest seat we found was the Chicco (and they have one that goes up to 30lbs like the Graco SafeSeat only have the weight) but it doesn't fit into a shopping cart or the Graco swing we liked. Chicco's strollers feel very solid too. Much more than Graco Eveflo etc.

- The easiest one to carry was the Baby Trend triangular handle but it did not fit into things too well either and it was a little heavier.

- The more expensive brands like Peg Perego etc. have nice features but are similar to the Chicco and Baby Trend quality so the price is not justifiable.

- Evenflo has a great handle designed but their seats and strollers seem rather flimsy



I hope this helps. God bless. Paul and Flavia Beriault Toronto Canada

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