The Honest Car Seat Review Site

A car seat is the most important concern for any infant when traveling in a car. There are dozens of different models and designs, so parent’s should not have to feel like they need to compromise on any aspect of quality for their kids. The car seat reviews from the major production companies have led to a good understanding about the best models on the market. Many parents prefer specific aspects to others, depending on their child’s needs. As such, the best car seat is ultimately an individual preference.

Britax is considered one of the front runners of children’s car seats and constantly produces new models with new features to lure parents. Their new Chaperone seat is their leading model in terms of quality as well as price. Customers generally appreciate this model for the ease of use, and only are concerned about the price at two hundred thirty dollars. Most have found the seat is easy to install. Two separate latches make for secure and comfortable rides while the harness is simple to adjust. The seat can comfortably sit nearly any size baby or toddler with head and side rests. Some find this especially positive due to the difficulty of finding seating for smaller sized babies (four to six pounds). The most negative feature rating is usually the price, as it is around twice as expensive as many other seats. Some customers, however, find that the larger sized seat does not fit as well in smaller cars; others have found it difficult to fit two in one back seat.

Although the Chaperone is expensive, it is not the priciest in Britax’s arsenal — that honor goes to the three hundred dollar Marathon car seat. The Marathon, like the Chaperone, is designed to fit every need of a traveling child but also includes extra latching and locking capacity. The seat can be secured to as many as three ports of a backseat with simple push button installation. Some customers agree that the push button feature makes it the easiest securing device they have ever seen in a car seat. Considering that most of the stress of car seats lies in the attachments, many believe the Marathon is worth the extra money to spare the headache. Of course, the money may be a factor for many, and just like other Britax models, not all are willing to spend the extra hundred or two hundred dollars.

If a high price tag is a concern, there are plenty of economical models on the market that have been rated strongly in simplicity and security. One of the cheapest car seats on the market is manufactured by Cosco; called the Scenera, this seat costs only a modest fifty dollars and weighs much less than many of its contemporaries. As the Scenera does not cost much, there are fewer securing lines. Customers are divided on the advantage or disadvantage of such a car seat, some rightfully claim that fewer securing lines means less protective features for a child. This is especially true since the fifty dollar model does not have full padding, with cushions that can be purchased for an additional thirty dollars. Other parents are frustrated with the difficulty of installing seats and strapping in fussy kids, and appreciate the simplicity. If price and convenience are your concern, many customers love this design; if security at any cost is your plan of action, consider another seat.

A happy medium may be the best option for some parents with concerns of both price and security, and many models fall in the middle of the spectrum. A Graco My Ride 65 car seat has been on the market for nearly two decades due to the popularity of the design; one customer went so far as to say they would have another child due to the success of the model. The Graco costs one hundred sixty dollars and customers say that the color coordinated safety latches make for relatively simple installation. Most reviews state that the overall concerns are only minor, most focusing on the need to adjust the harness each time the child is in the seat and the inability to use the top tether with rear seated children.