Graco: My First Baby Car Seat Turned Out to be a Good Purchase
Written: Dec 13 '05 (Updated May 31 '06)
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Pros: Easy to place on base and remove; adjustable handle
Cons: Weight; Reassembly takes patience; Awkward to carry
The Bottom Line: This is a very good car seat from the people at Graco
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat - Windsor |
Being a new parent brings with it many rewards, many challenges, and many requirements. Babies are cute and fun, but they also bring with them several new responsibilities that must be met. One of the most important is the need for a good car seat and my first car seat purchase just happens to be one of the most popular of all: The Graco Snugride Model 8446L, a car seat for infants.
Facts About This Product:
This car seat is manufactured using plastic and metal, creating a sturdy design that will last for years. The seat itself is covered with cloth and it has a U- shaped head support to hold your infant child’s head in place while you drive. A five- point harness holds your baby’s body in place and prevents movement. The seat is latch equipped, making it easy to install.
To help with transporting, this car seat has an adjustable handle that clicks into three different setting positions. There is also a canopy that pulls over the area where your baby’s head will rest, blocking bright lights from my girl’s view so she won’t be as likely to wake up. The cloth covering is removable and machine washable (manufacturer recommends using only cold water and then hanging to dry). The rest of the car seat- the plastic and metal parts- are easily wiped clean with soap and water.
This car seat comes with a heavy duty plastic base that is anchored into your car using one of the seat belts. The unit is rear- facing and is capable of handling a baby weighing up to 20 pounds (9 kg) or less; or measuring less than 26 inches (66 cm).
Customer Service:
The best place to consult if you have questions about this car seat is the manufacturer’s web page, gracobaby.com. The web site is more thorough than most and it even includes user manuals for downloading, if you need them. If you would rather talk to a live rep, the customer service support line is 800-345-4109, but keep in mind that it is open only between the hours of 8am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Final Thoughts:
Graco is one of the best- known names in manufactured goods for babies and I already own several of this company’s products. The first one I purchased was this car seat and while it isn’t the perfect device for transporting a baby while you drive, I have been pretty satisfied with it overall.
Several factors come into play when buying a car seat and since I am new to the whole “baby” thing, I had to rely on the internet, Epinions, and the advice from those who have already experienced parenthood to find answers to questions. The most important things to me when I purchased this car seat were its safety and ease of use. Having very little experience in this area, I had to try out a few models in the store before I finally settled on this one.
What I liked best about this car seat at first was the ease of attaching and removing it from the base. Once the base is in place in your car (which involves placing a seat belt through the openings, buckling, and pulling tight), all you do is hold the seat above the base and push down until it clicks into place. One thing you will discover right away is that the base will not click unless the angle is just right. And the correct angle is not what you would think at first. Placing the seat parallel to the base won’t work- it requires holding the end of seat where the baby’s head goes up a little more (so that it is at a 30 degree angle to the base) and then pressing down. This took some time to get used to because, like most people, I kept trying to get this seat to secure itself at first by placing it directly on top of the base, with the seat lying flat. This will not work. You have to move the head end up a little more than that or it won’t click. Once you get the hang of it, though, it is very easy. And removing it is also very easy- you just push on the large plastic tab located just behind the head area, in the back, and the seat will come loose.
Another thing I like is the five- point harness. Safety was one of my primary concerns and this seat seemed like a good choice for safety because it secures your baby in place with a harness that keeps the baby snug (hence the name of the seat, Snugride) without getting so secure that your baby feels uncomfortable and starts to whine or cry. There are car seats that offer a more secure hold, but they are often a little too secure. Being a new dad, I felt at first that no amount of security could ever be too much. But after sampling some of these seats, I think what you get with this model is just about right. Some of these other seats are so secure, they are like a straightjacket and many babies will get annoyed quickly and strongly vocalize their discomfort.
This seat is generally good overall, but I have noticed a few things since buying it that have lowered my opinion just a little bit. One thing is the weight of this car seat. My little girl is now twice the size when she was born but even when she was a tiny infant, this seat was heavier than I expected. And carrying it around with a baby in place is awkward. The handle has three adjustable settings and the one you will use most is the third one- the one that places the handle closest to a ninety degree angle to the base- because this setting is most compatible to carrying. The seat is best this way, but it is still awkward because you have to hold the seat out, away from your body. If you don’t, it will brush against your leg, thereby slowing down the walking process and startling your baby (because of the constant banging against your leg) to the point where he/she may wake up from a restful sleep. After a while, your arm gets tired not just from the weight but also from having to extend your arm outward as you carry.
This car seat can be disassembled for washing and other cleaning. But you need to be careful to watch what you do because reassembly isn’t that easy. When mine was taken apart for the first time, I made the mistake of not watching while it was done (the wife took it apart). This made it more difficult to figure out what went where. And consulting the user manual on the internet didn’t help much. It still took some time before it was back together once again.
This car seat model is good for small babies, but you need to remember that it is only good until your baby reaches approximately 20 pounds or 26 inches in length. So, even though you have invested about $80 in this seat, it will only be good for about 6 months or so, at which point your baby will have outgrown it and will need another seat. When the time comes, I am prepared to either place this car seat (and several other baby goods) up for grabs at a garage sale or to trade it with another family for other baby products. This plan will change if we decide to have another child or if the wife decides to open up a day care center in our home. But until then, that is my plan.
Overall, the Graco Snugride Model 8446L is a very nice car seat that is safe, easy to use (once you learn the angles), and easy to clean. It was the first car seat I ever purchased and I have been satisfied with the results thus far. It isn’t the greatest seat, but it offers enough positive points to make it a car seat I recommend.
For More Baby Product Reviews, Be Sure to Click on the Links Below:
Baby Formula:
Similac Advance DHA/ARA
Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA/ARA
Enfamil Lipil with Iron
Similac Advance Soy Formula
Bright Beginnings with DHA/ARA
Baby Diapers:
Huggies Supreme Diapers
LUVS Diapers
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers
Huggies Diapers
Baby Foods:
Gerber Finger Foods
Gerber Multi- Grain Cereal
Baby Merchandise:
Kolcraft Cuddle ‘N Care Rocking Bassinet
Cosco Alpha/Omega Elite Baby Car Seat
Graco Open Top Three- Speed Swing
Baby Cleanup:
Johnson’s Bedtime Lotion, Bedtime
Huggies Baby Wipes with Shea Butter
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
Johnson’s Bedtime Bath
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 80
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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