With our first son, we didn't really know all the aspects of buying a car seat. We picked the one that looked the best. Older and wiser, I knew what I wanted for my second. After much hemming and hawing I chose the Graco SnugRide Car Seat.

What I Wanted in a Car Seat and What I Got

More Is Better

My previous car seat used a three-point harness system. The harness easily flipped down over the baby's head and click into place. All that was left to do was move the strap holder up to armpit length. While this worked well, time had produced a five-point harness system. Thinking if a three-point harness is good then a five-point harness must be better. I had to have a car seat with a five-point harness. The five-point harness secures your child at the shoulders, hips and finally between the legs as opposed to just the shoulder and the legs. After using both I have concluded that I was better off with a three point system. Much easier to use with an infant's flexible body or a baby's squirming body. After reading articles on the two systems I have come to learn that a three-point system is just as safe as a five point. Knowing all this, I probably still would opt for the five-point harness. My son seemed more secure with a five point and I just can't get that old phrase, more is better, out of my head.

Car Seat Security

To install my first car seat, you just took the seat belt under two hooks and hoped it was tight enough to keep it in place. With the Graco Snugride you are given a base along with the car seat. You can take the base and push, kneel, jiggle or stand on it to make sure the seat belt is as tight as possible. this does wonders to assuage Mom's paranoia. Once the base is in you simply set the car seat in the base until you hear the click and then off you go.

To take the car seat out of the base, you compress a lever on the underside of the car seat and lift. This mechanism works so-so. Sometimes the car seat would get stuck and I would have to jiggle the car seat and fiddle with the lever. Maybe it was the angle at which I tried to lift the seat or maybe it was my impatience, but this problem annoyed me.

This car seat can be used with or without the base. This is nice when Grandparents take the baby over night. You can also purchase an extra base separately.

Comfortability

The SnugRide does it's best to make sure your baby is comfortable. There is a nice amount of padding in the car seat cover; more so here than on the booster car seats. Three different levels of adjustment for the harness make sure that your baby is properly secured in and that the straps are not tight in the wrong spots. An extra neck roll comes with the SnugRide to support young infant's necks. The position of the neck roll can be adjusted depending on the length of your baby. SnugRide includes a sun cover to keep the sun, wind and rain from your baby. This was a smidge difficult to assemble and is removable.

The only part of the car seat padding that was an irritation to me was the warning label. Graco has a warning label on the padding facing your baby. It isn't a patch that can be taken off. After several washing, my son had reflux, the warning label was still rough and scratchy. Warnings are important, but could be better placed. Even after all the washing the material held up well and wasn't too faded. The padding removed easily and was simple to replace.

The Target Zone

On the side of the SnugRide is a level. It lets you know when your child's seat is positioned at the proper angle for his safety. Finding the target zone is harder than it sounds. There is a lever on the front of the base to adjust the angle. Even then you might have to do more adjusting depending on your car. Sometimes the right angle for the level didn't look too comfortable for my baby.

Ready, Set, Lift

The SnugRide comes with a great handle. It was actually one of the reasons we chose this car seat. The handle is indented in and padded for comfort. When carrying the car seat with you hands you will not get marks from the handle. The handle will not cut into your hand. Also my son was a bit on the heavy side, gaining three pounds his first month. I carried the car seat in the crook of my arm. With the padding and the indentation, it was the most comfortable for me.

Even though my son was eleven pounds at one month. His weight does not come close to the weight of the Snugride. I have never weighed the car seat, but compared to my other car seat and friends and relative's car seat, this car seat was a mammoth. All the extra bells and whistles that make this car seat great also hold a disadvantage in the weight department.

The SnugRide worked well for us. I only wish I had been able to use it longer. Having filled our house with the boys I still cannot part with this car seat. It is in great shape and will be put in storage just in case.

Vicki's Notes

SnugRide comes with a locking clip. It is important to use the locking clip to ensure a safe ride. I recommend buying an extra locking clip or two if the car seat will be used in more than one car.

I have the Graco DuoGlider stroller. This car seat fits great in either the front or back seat of my model.

The SnugRide will sit in the front seats of most shopping carts. The latch the hooks into the base will sometimes latch on the shopping cart. Remember to check that before you try and remove the car seat so you don't pull your arm out of the socket.

The SnugRide is designed for babies up to 20 pounds and 26 inches long. Because of the weight of the car seat and my son being heavier than anticipated, we used this seat for only about months. He wasn't at the 20-pound mark yet, but close enough.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months