I wish I had bought a different seat...
Written: Mar 04 '01 (Updated Mar 04 '01)
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Pros: Relatively inexpensive, nice fabric
Cons: Poor design, difficult to install and keep secure
The Bottom Line: The Century 1000 STE carseat may look good, but it just is not worth the aggravation.
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| luvmysoldier's Full Review: Century 1000 STE |
My search for a new carseat took place immediately after my son and I were involved in a car accident last September. He had been riding in his infant carseat when we were hit from behind. I was told that it was longer safe to use that seat, so we went out to buy a new one.
We went to Target, because I had previously had good experiences with things I bought from their store. We headed straight to the aisle where the carseats are featured. There wasn't a huge selection, only five or six seats. Most of those had a T-bar across the front of the seat, which I had been told does not hold up very well in collisions. So those seats weren't even an option for us.
Then I saw the Century 1000 STE seat. It was a 5-point seat, which means the belt locks together at five places to make sure the child is held in securely. The seat is a convertible carseat, which means it faces backwards for infants under one year of age, and then can be turned around to face forward for older babies and toddlers. It was a very attractive seat, with navy blue velvet-like cushioning. The other seats Target sold all had rough feeling material. I'll admit that the attractiveness of the Century seat is what had me sold.
I was quite thrilled with the price tag for the seat. At $55, I felt like I was getting a good bargain. I paid for the seat, loaded it into the car, and home we went.
When we got home, I uninstalled my son's old seat, and tore open the Century box. Then I read the instructions. It didn't seem too difficult. Ha. If only I would have known...
I must have wrestled with that darn seat for an hour. At first I tried positioning it in the middle of the backseat, but due to the Century 1000 STE's ridiculous design, it was impossible, because the belt in my car was not long enough. Let me try to paint a mental picture of this for you. If you've ever had to deal with a rear facing convertible infant seat, you probably noticed that the seatbelt goes underneath the seat to hold it in place. Tis not the case with the Century 1000 STE. This seat requires the belt to go up and over the top of the seat. Which is a royal pain. I finally gave up trying to install it myself and decided to take it to a carseat check at a local car dealership to let them give it a try.
So to the car dealership we went, Century seat in tow. A very nice man came over and proceeded to try and install our seat. At first, he seemed confused, and asked me why I was trying to install the seat with the seatbelt going over the seat instead of under. I pulled out the instructions and showed him what it said. He looked confused and said he had never seen a seat that was supposed to be installed like the 1000 STE, and added that he thought Century should have done a once-over of their blueprints before releasing this seat to the public. Then he proceeded to wrestle with the seat.
He couldn't get it in. I was relieved to know that it wasn't just my lack of strength/knowledge. Here was a supposed 'expert' on the subject of carseat installation who couldn't get the seat installed either. He called over one of his co-workers for some assistance. Finally, after about twenty minutes, they managed to get the seat in place. I thanked them both profusely and we left. Or should I say, tried to leave.
Getting my son into his seat was no easy task. Because the seatbelt goes over the top of the seat, we couldn't just place him into the seat and then strap him in. Instead, we had to slide his legs under the belt and then sort of 'flop' him into the seat. Only then could we buckle him in. I sighed and wondered what the people at Century had against me and what their reasoning was for making this so difficult.
Now that my son is older (he's 9½ months) it is even more of a production to get him into the seat. He kicks and struggles and it is so hard to get him seated because of the way the sealtbelt is positioned. If we had extra money, I would go buy a new seat in a second, but we don't, so I have to make do with the 1000 STE
My final complaint about this seat is that is does not hold its position in the car well at all. At least once a week it slips out of place and I have to undo the seatbelt and reposition it correctly. Which is a task it itself, getting the seatbelt buckled again. I usually have to get my husband or someone else to help me with it.
While the Century 1000 STE may look good in the store, it does not function well or easily. Save yourself some big time aggravation and pick a different seat. I wish I had!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 55.00
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
luvmysoldier
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Member: Erika Kelly
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
I'm a 19 y/o stay at home mom and Army wife.
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