Car Seat | Mommies With Style

Infant Carrier Review: Safety1st onBoard 35

October 18, 2011 By Whitney 2 Comments

Infant seats have come a long way since my oldest was a baby and it could not get safer than the onBoard™35 infant seat featuring Air Protect™ Side Impact Technology.

Here are some features on the onBoard 35:

Rear-facing 4-35 pounds and up to 32” in height
Featuring Air Protect™ revolutionary side impact technology - LEARN MORE
Immediately reduces side impact forces through the precise release of air
Extended use from a tiny 4 to a full 35 pounds
Additional leg room for baby’s comfort
Customizable insert and low harness slots make the seat ideal for preemies and adjustable for growing babies
Carry Curve™ Handle features ergonomic design
Base Belt Lock easily secures your vehicle seat belt during installation
One Click LATCH installation system

Here’s some important information from Safety1st:

1 in 4 car crashes involving children are side impact collisions. They are by far the deadliest type of collision for children, accounting for 1 in 3 child fatalities; nearly all of which are caused by head trauma. These are frightening facts, but Safety 1^sthas been by your side for 25 years providing innovative products to help protect your child from becoming a statistic. It is in this tradition that we proudly announce Air Protect™ side impact technology.

Safety 1^st engineers designed Air Protect™ using next generation testing methods that simulate the most violent types of side impact crashes, those with vehicle intrusion. Using this advanced methodology, Air Protect™ was engineered to defend your child in two vital ways. During a crash, the system immediately shields your child’s head from the impact. In a second layer of defense, Air Protect™ allows air to escape from the headrest: channeling crash energy away from your child, creating more ride down time. It is this double layer of protection that makes Air Protect™ technology unique.

Love it. I know if I were putting my baby into an infant carrier today, I’d certainly want a double layer of protection. I’d want to protect my baby any extra way possible.

Get the Safety1st onBoard 35 Infant Car Seat on sale right now for $169.99 at Safety1st.com.

Filed Under: Babies, Child Safety, Infant Car Seats, Kids Tagged With: car seat, Child Safety, infant seat, safety1st

Safety and Style: Britax Parkway Booster Seat

July 5, 2011 By kate 1 Comment

While the weight limit for moving out of a booster seat varies greatly from state to state – over 40 lbs in some states; over 80 lbs in others – at some point your 5, 6, or 7 year old will likely outgrow their 5-point harness carseat and need to move to a booster seat. (See a complete list of state-by state seat belt laws here.)

Britax has consistently made a name for themselves as a manufacturer that goes above and beyond in regards to safety features. From infant seats to booster seats, their car seats have won awards and gathered the praise of numerous publications and parents alike.

The Britax Parkway SG is a belt-positioning booster for those final years your child spends in a car seat. These forward-facing boosters are suited for kids weighing in between 40-120 lbs and come equipped with Britax’s True Side Impact Protection, Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner and SecureGuard which helps to prevent your child from sliding out under the lap belt during impact. You can also choose the Parkway SGL which includes ISOFLEX Flexible Lower LATCH Connection System to secure the booster to the car with LATCH connectors – useful for keeping the booster from flying around your car when not in use by a child.

Kids will like the mostly mature color options (pink, grey, blue and cow print), armrests and retractable cup holders while you’ll appreciate the washable fabric (they might be older, but they’re still messy), space-saving narrow footprint and color-coded seat belt guides to make it easy to use correctly.

The Britax Parkway SG also has a quick-adjust headrest and a detachable back which easily converts it into a backless booster without losing the cupholders or armrests or diminishing the SecureGuard feature.

So far, my favorite features are the narrow footprint (with three across the backseat, any extra room is welcome), the True Impact Side Protection wings (which also give some added support for backseat snoozers) and the detachable back option. My 5-year-old , however, insists the seat’s high honors should be awarded due to its dual cup holders (his previous seat had none). And hey, if that makes him happier to sit in a booster, then let’s load ‘em up with a water bottle and snack cup and hit the road.

Currently 20% off at Amazon and Diapers.com.

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Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and mom of three boys. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless. Britax provided a sample of this booster seat for review.

Filed Under: Carseats and Boosters Tagged With: booster seat, britax, car seat, safety

Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat Recall

November 2, 2010 By kate Leave a Comment

Britax Child Safety, Inc. announced a safety recall on its Chaperone Infant Car Seat. A problem with the manufacturing of the chest clip could cause the clip to break. The recall includes Chaperone car seats with Model Numbers of E9L95P2, E9L95P3, E9L95P5, E9L69N9, (Sold in the US) E9L69P2, E9L69P3, and E9L69P5 (Sold in Canada) manufactured between April 2009 and May 2010.

To fix the problem, Britax is issuing free replacement chest clips. Click here for more details or contact the Britax information line, toll free at 1-888-427-4829.

Filed Under: Important Recalls, Infant Car Seats Tagged With: britax, car seat, recall

Great Trade-In Event at Babies R Us & Toys R Us

September 6, 2010 By debbie 4 Comments

Through Sunday, September 19th, Babies R Us and Toys R Us stores are holding their Great Trade-In event providing their customers with the opportunity to trade-in any used car seats, strollers, cribs, bassinets, travel systems, play yards, toddler beds or high chairs in exchange for a 25% off savings on the purchase of a new baby item, in any of the product categories from select manufacturers. Participating brands are: Britax, Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Carter, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2.

The Great Trade-In event places an emphasis on specific baby products, that due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.

You don’t need to have purchased the item you want to trade-in from TRU or BRU and no receipt is required. You can bring in multiple items and you will be given one 25% off discount for each item traded in. The discount must be used that day on another item from the participating categories and manufacturers. Trade-In items and purchased items can be from different categories.

Filed Under: Babies, Carseats and Boosters, Child Safety, Coupon Codes & Sales, Family Travel, Infant Car Seats, Kids, Nursery, On The Go, Play Time, Recalls, Strollers Tagged With: Babies "R" Us, bassinet, car seat, crib, high chairs, play yards, Sale, stroller, toddler beds, Toys "R" Us, travel systems

Added Protection with Safety 1st’s OnBoard 35 Air & a Giveaway!

June 26, 2010 By kate 91 Comments

Is there anything more daunting than that last day in the hospital? When all the forms have been signed, all tests have been completed, and mother and baby have been cleared to go home. You and your infant walk through those hospital doors and that feeling hits – Oh my gosh! They’re letting me take this baby home? Don’t they know I have no idea what I’m doing?! Perhaps your experience was different, perhaps you were more confident, more self-assured, but I remember that short 4 minute drive from our local hospital to our house as nerve-wrecking. Everyone seemed to driving so fast, so recklessly – couldn’t they tell what precious cargo we were trying to get home safely?

Which is why finding that ideal infant car seat is one of the most important decisions you’ll make – both for your baby’s safety and your sanity.

Safety 1^st’s OnBoard 35 has been an excellent infant car seat choice for the last several years. With an incredible weight range of 4–35 lbs., a customizable head insert, a variety of harness heights and 17% more leg room than most other infant seats, the OnBoard 35 has been one car seat that will work well for preemies straight home from the hospital up to keeping 1+ year-olds rear-facing.

But now Safety 1^st has gone and made the OnBoard 35 even better.

According to research, 1 in 4 car accidents involving children are side impact collisions comprising one-third of child fatalities with most due to head trauma. Though the OnBoard 35 infant seat has always contained a 5-point harness and energy absorbing foam to protect your little one, the new OnBoard 35 Air introduces Safety 1^st’s new Air Protect™ technology which provides two levels of additional protection. First, the enhanced air-filled, side wings provide additional protection, support and cushioning for your child’s head during a crash. Second, during impact, the Air Protect™ system allows air to escape out of the side pockets, transferring the energy of the impact away from your child and reducing the potential for injury.

And that’s not all. The OnBoard 35 Air also boasts the following features:

• an ergonomically-designed handle for easier carrying

• easy installation via LATCH or seat belt

• lightweight but durable carrier (9 lbs. without the base; 16 lbs. with)

• 32” height limit

• two-position base recline

• harness heights from 5” to 10.75″

• good canopy coverage

• soft seat material available in 4 color choices as well as the SE model which includes premium fabrics with custom embroidery

Safety comes first when looking for an infant car seat, but Safety 1^st goes above and beyond to make a seat that is not only secure, but easy and lightweight for parents to carry and comfortable for baby. The Safety 1^st OnBoard 35 Air is available for $179.99 at various retailers online and in store, but special for MWS readers….

GIVEAWAY! Win a brand new OnBoard 35 Air in the color of your choice. A perfect choice for summer travels or an upcoming baby shower. To enter, visit the Safety 1^st OnBoard 35 Air website and choose the color of your choice. Then come back here and leave ONE comment with the following two answers:

(1) your color choice; and

(2) If it’s your first child: “Besides a car seat, what’s one thing you’re packing for your delivery date?” OR

If you’ve already had kids: “What were your first thoughts when you left the hospital with your child for the first time?”

Only one entry per person. Entries due by 11:59pm, Friday, July 2nd, 2010. Winner will be chosen by random and notified via email.

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Note: Safety 1^st sent a sample for this review.

Filed Under: Babies, Giveaways, Infant Car Seats Tagged With: Air Protect, car seat, Family Travel, infant seat, safety 1st

Britax Frontier 85 & a Giveaway!

May 19, 2010 By kate 95 Comments

I’m always impressed with the safety lengths that Britax goes to with their car seats and their newest release – the updated Frontier 85 – is no exception. The Frontier 85 is a combination forward-facing, 5-point harness car seat from 25 up to 85 lbs. as well as a belt-positioning, high-back booster seat up to 120 lbs. This new Frontier 85 car seat includes the following updates:

5-point harness weight limit increased from 80 to 85 lbs
harness height increased from 18″ to 20″
2 additional harness height position for a total of 10
fixed cup holders and armrests
new fabrics
redesigned belt paths to make installation easier

While some parents are too eager to do away with the 5-point harness and move their kids into belt-positioning booster seats, the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission recommends:

“Most toddlers and preschoolers (up to age 4) are not big enough or old enough for a belt-positioning booster seat. They need a full harness for upper body protection and to hold them in their seats. A full harness should be used as long as possible.” (http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/newtips/pages/Tip2.htm)

The Frontier 85 allows the longest use of the 5-point harness on the market and at 120 lbs, also offers one of the highest booster weight limits. Once your child hits the 2 yrs/25 lbs lower limit, the Frontier 85 could be the only car seat you ever buy again – welcomed news to parents who have bought 3 and 4 car seats to find the right fit, style and size for their growing kids.

Some of my favorite features on this seat include the no-re-threading harness, the easy installation (Britax has an incredibly clear and thorough manual), the dual cup holders, the subdued color schemes (which means older kids will be less likely to balk at sitting in one) and the plethora of safety features.

Safety Features

* True Side Impact Protection – Britax’s patented design that distributes the force of the crash, and protects the head, neck and body by keeping the body aligned to reduce injury

* EPS Foam Liner – absorbs and distributes the impact from a crash

* energy-absorbing base – helps to absorb the crash force

* Versa-Tether – anchors the back of the car seat at two different points, minimizing the forward movement of the seat in a collision

* HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System) – prevents forward head movement in a crash

* simplified and secure installation with either the LATCH connectors or the color-coded vehicle belt guides

Comfort Features

* plush yet durable material and padding provide comfort and keep passenger cool

* easily adjust between 10 harness height positions with the no-re-threading harness

* 3 seat buckle positions to ensure a snug fit

* 2 built-in cup holders easily fit sippy cups, snack containers and 20-oz. water bottles

* built-in, fixed armrests

* soft shoulder and crotch pads

At 19.5″ wide, the seat isn’t especially narrow, but if you’re planning on using it up to 120 lbs, you need room for a growing child. Available in four colors – tan, pink, red and grey all with black accents – the Frontier 85 retails for about $250. But special for MWS readers….

WIN A BRITAX FRONTIER 85! Britax is generously giving away one of their new Frontier 85 seats in the color of your choice to one lucky MWS reader! How to enter: leave a comment here telling us where you’ll be traveling with your new Britax Frontier 85 this summer. Get an extra entry by friending MWS and Britax on Facebook (leave us another comment here telling us you did and we’ll follow up and double check).

U.S. or Canadian residents only. Only two possible entries per person. Entries must be received by Friday, May 25th at 11:59pm PST. One winner will be chosen at random to receive a Frontier 85 car seat in the color of their choice.

Filed Under: Carseats and Boosters, Giveaways, Kids Tagged With: booster seat, britax, car seat, Frontier 85, giveaway

Car seat review: Evenflo Symphony 65

February 17, 2010 By Whitney 4 Comments

Looking for a new car seat? Evenflo’s Symphony 65 has been getting great reviews for both safety and ease-of-use.

Some of the specs:
-Evenflo’s SureLatch system, making install incredibly easy
-the Infiniate Slide Harness Adjustment System makes for easy height adjustment without having to rethread the whole strap
-Rear facing 5-35 pounds, forward facing from 20-65 pounds – and you can use it as a booster up to 100 pounds!

Other random notes: while it has all of the necessary features, it seems a little bit smaller than some of the other 5-point car seats we’ve had in the past – which is really nice when you’re looking for a little extra room in the car.

The straps also tighten/loosen very easily (a pet peeve of mine when I’m having to dig around to adjust)

Get Evenflo’s Symphony 65 on Amazon for $189 (retails for $199) plus free shipping.

Also – a little bonus for Toyota owners: launched today from Evenflo, enjoy a $10 discount on Serenade, Triumph Advance, and Generations65 car seats at www.evenflo.com/safecarseat because the last thing you want to be concerned about during all of these crazy car recalls is whether your car seat is safe!

To take advantage of the $10 discount offer, Toyota owners should visit Evenflo.com/safecarseat through the end of March and input the model and year of their vehicle. They will then be offered a coupon in order to receive the discount on their purchase at retail. Offer is valid on Evenflo’s line of car seats including: Serenade, Triumph Advance, and Generations65.

A sample of the Evenflo Symphony 65 was provided to assist in this review.

Filed Under: Carseats and Boosters, Child Safety, Infant Car Seats Tagged With: car seat, Child Safety, Evenflo, evenflo symphony

The Great Trade-In Event at Babies “R” Us

February 2, 2010 By debbie 3 Comments

Have a used car seat/stroller/bassinet, etc. lying around? I have a few old car seats that are from my daughter and I don’t think they are safe to use for my 2-year old son. So when I heard about the “Great Trade-In” event, I was thrilled!

Through Saturday, February 20th, Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us stores are holding the “Great Trade-In” event providing their customers with the opportunity to trade-in any used car seats, strollers, cribs, bassinets, travel systems, play yards, toddler beds or high chairs in exchange for a 25% off savings on the purchase of a new baby item, in any of the product categories from select manufacturers. Participating brands are: Britax, Babi Italia, Baby Cache, Baby Trend, Bergamo, Bertini, Carter’s, Chicco, Contours by Kolcraft, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco, Jeep, Little Tikes, Safety 1st, Sorelle and Step2.

The “Great Trade-In” event places an emphasis on specific baby products, that due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.

You don’t need to have purchased the item you want to “trade-in” from TRU or BRU. You can bring in multiple items and you will be given one 25% off discount for each item traded in. The discount must be used that day on another item from the participating categories and manufacturers. Trade-In items and purchased items can be from different categories.