anZel/Arden

Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category

In search of car seats: crash testing

Another tidbit that we found out during our trip to Babies R Us: European car seats such as Britax are crash tested at 75 MPH, whereas the American counterparts such as Graco are tested at 45 MPH.

It’s no wonder that the European ones are so much more expensive!!!

In search of car seats: Graco Infant SafeSeat™ (Step 1) 8A00PSN

As anZel gets closer to come out, we are back in the search for car seats again. Today we revisited Babies R Us in Union City. The lady over there was very helpful. She explained quite a few things to us including

- Today all children are, by law, required to sit in some type of car seat or booster seat until they are six years old and 60 lbs. They are planning on changing the law sometime soon to require children to stay in a booster seat until 8 years old and 80 lbs.

- The Graco Mosaic is going to be discontinued. The Mosaic LX we saw before are still in the market.

- All Graco infant seats will snap onto the Peg-Perego Aria that we saw a while back.

We saw a new car seat today, the Graco Infant SafeSeat™ (Step 1) 8A00PSN.

It’s $129.99, weighs about 15 lbs and the baby can stay in there, rear facing, until 30 lbs.

We are now considering buying this car seat and then use it with the SnugRider Infant Carseat Frame that we already have.

In search of strollers: Peg-Perego Aria

We had another field trip to check out more strollers today. This time we went to Baby Super, a baby and kids superstore in San Jose. They have quite a selection of baby stuff, including a lot of strollers.

This time we checked out a Peg-Perego Aria stroller.

The one we saw had the same color as the picture shown above. It is the lightest of all the strollers we have seen. This one weighs in at 10lbs. The basket in the bottom is quite big and was very easy to reach from the back.

Beeber, my wife, liked the harness straps on the Aria better than the Mosaic LX as they are a bit wider and thicker. The straps are probably not as easy to twist.

We moved it around for a bit and it seems fairly easy to manuever. However, according to MANY of the Amazon reviews, this is is not true. Almost every single review mentions how difficult it is to move around.

The canopy is similar to the Mosaic LX that we looked at. It only comes out enough to cover the top and doesn’t offer much protection from the elements.

The opening and closing of the stroller was somewhat awkward I felt. It definitely required two hands to operate. I had a difficult time getting it open most of the time. The good thing about the collapsed position is that the handle bar can be pushed down. When pushed down, the stroller takes up less space in the trunk and it can also stand on its own. I can see the self-standing feature being quite useful when you are trying to juggle many things.

Also, the seat of the Aria is about 1-2 inches wider compared to the Mosaic LX as well. My mother-in-law thinks that will make the baby more comfortable.

The thing I really don’t like about this stroller is that it feels FLIMSY. As I was pushing it around, manuevering around corners, I can feel the stroller shaking. It just doesn’t feel really safe.

The other thing I don’t like about it is the padding on the seat. The padding is probably the thinest of all strollers I’ve seen and you can feel the plastic base.

The price for the Aria is ~$199. With a infant seat, it would run $350-$400.

Overall, we liked the lightweightness of the Aria. But with all the other shortcomings, this is probably not going to be our choice for now.

In search of strollers: Graco Mosaic LX, Graco Quattro Deluxe, Peg-Perego Pliko P3

We went over to Babies R Us and checked out some strollers today. Spent most of the time checking out three of them:

• Graco Mosaic LX
• Peg-Perego Pliko P3
• Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe

There were several considerations we had in mind when looking at the strollers. First is weight. The stroller cannot be too heavy or beeber (my wife) or my mother-in-law would have a difficult time opening and closing it.

Second is safety. It must have enough padding and 5 point harness. The straps shouldn’t be easily twisted and should be fairly easy to put on.

Third is price. I don’t mind spending for the baby but if obviously price is always in everyone’s mind when buying all these baby equipment. If two strollers have similar features and are both safe, why not buy the cheaper one? (I am usually not one to spend $$ on just a brand.)

Graco Mosaic LX

The first one we checked out is the Mosaic LX that I saw earlier in the week. I really liked the looked of it so I figure I should spend a bit of time seeing how it works. The one we saw at Babies R Us is the lotus color like the following image.

The Mosaic weigh about 19lbs and it was very easy to maneuver. I was able to open it with one hand, but required two hands to close it. When it’s closed, it’s very compact and shouldn’t take up more than a 1/3 of my trunk space. The padding was fairly good, but not as good as the Peg-Perego Pliko P3 stroller that we saw. The Mosaic LX can handle the baby up to 40lbs.

The one thing we weren’t 100% happy with was the canopy. It only comes out enough to cover the top of the stroller.

We were hoping that it would come down some more to protect the baby from the wind blowing directly at the baby. This Amazon image seems to indicate that there might be accessories that you can get to cover the stroller. In this image it seems like some type of rain protection.

The seat back can be adjusted using a lever and strap system, which seems a bit cheap, but fairly easy to use nonetheless.

The Mosaic LX is also available in a Travel System format.

We aren’t sure whether we really need the infant seat or not yet since we plan to get a convertible (see my research on In search of car seats). But even with the combo, the cost is around $190. Without the infant seat, it’s about $130.

Peg-Perego Pliko P3

The second one we looked at is the Peg-Perego Pliko P3.

This one is even lighter than the Mosaic LX. It weighs about 15 lbs and can handle the baby up to 45lbs. The Pliko has the most padding and probably will be the most comfortable for the baby. The canopy also comes all the way down to cover the baby. The seat back can also be adjusted to three different positions using a lever. The handle bar can also be adjusted as well, even though that wasn’t really our main concern.

The Pliko P3 seems more difficult to open and close compare to the Mosaic LX. I have to use both hands (plus a foot sometimes) to open and close it. I also didn’t like the fact that when closed, the inside of the baby seat is outward facing. This means if there’s rain or something falling or spilling, it will get into the seat where the baby will be sitting/sleeping.

The one thing we didn’t like about the Pliko P3 is the basket. You cannot put things in it or pull stuff out from the back. There’s two aluminum bars blocking it from the back. You can only reach it from the front. And even then it’s still pretty difficult to use.

The other thing we didn’t like was the price. It will cost me $290!! If we were to get an infant seat that goes with the stroller, that will most likely cost me another $200. I guess that’s the cost of a brand name made in Italy.

Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe

The third one we looked at is the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe.

This is a full-size stroller, compared to the lightweight stroller like the Mosaic LX. We probably spent the least amount of time exploring this one because of the weight. It weights much heavier (I didn’t even look at the weight number) than the other two. I had hard time opening and closing it. There’s just no way for Beeber and her mom to move that thing around.

We pretty much stopped looking at this after that.

Conclusion

So so far given the 3 criteria I have setup, the Graco Mosaic LX is definitely the winner.

We will have to probably do something about the canopy though. Probably will have to make or buy something that covers the stroller.

Still more strollers to see yet, so no decisions have been made.

Stay tuned…

Don’t put your child in the car seat with bulky coats

Someone on the pregnancy.org forums gave this great tip!

someone mentioned easy to adjust harnesses which makes it easy to adjust them when the baby is wearing a bulky coat… please take your baby’s bulky coats off in the car. In a crash, the coat will compress and your baby could fly out of the seat and coat.

Some more discussions here, here and here.

Car-safety.org has this:

Q57: Can my child wear a winter coat in their carseat?

Generally, no. For safety, the harness straps must remain tight on the child’s shoulders regardless of any clothing. You can put a blanket over the child, OUTSIDE the harness straps or put your child’s coat on backwards after they are in the seat. For infants in cold weather, an aftermarket “cozy” that zips over the infant carrier rather than fitting under the child is another solution.

In search of strollers: Graco Mosaic LX

One of my task is to find a stroller for anZel. I haven’t done a whole lot of research but I have been hearing lots of good recommendation for Graco products. So I went to their website to check out their products. Found this really cool looking and compact product called Mosaic LX Stroller.

It seems to have all the right features plus it seems very easy to fold down and store. The cost is about $130.

Does anyone have experience with this product?

In search of car seats: don’t buy used car seats

As I am researching the pros and cons of various types of car seats, a warning that I see most is - Don’t buy used car seats! There are several major objections to buying used car seats.

First, you never know if the car seat has been in an accident! Even the smallest fender-benders can have the potential of damaging the plastics of a car seat. Some of these fractures may not be visible without really close inspection and even then, sometimes they can be missed.

Second, the plastic, over time, can break down due to temperature change or extended exposure to the Sun (UV). This is especially true if you live in a climate that has very hot or very cold temperatures. These little cracks, again, may not be visible immediately. Be extremely cautious if you are looking at a used car seat that’s over 5-6 years old. That’s usually the time when cracking will happen.

Third, the car seat in question may have been involved in a recall that you are not aware of. This one is easier to check. Take down the brand and model number, check the manufacturer’s web site to ensure it has not been involved in recalls. It’s especially easy these days with all these search engines around, so don’t be lazy!

Fourth, car seats are dated and they expire!! After the expiration date, the car seat should be disposed. Also, safety standards can change from year to year, so an up-to-date car seat is very important in keeping your child safe.

Fifth, sanitation can be a huge concern for many people. As you all know, babies can output in many different ways and in many different forms (top, bottom, liquid, solid, etc, sorry for being so graphical). Who knows what that used car seat has been through. Even though it may look clean, it might have little things called lice that are running around.

Last but not least, used car seat may be missing necessary manuals or pamphlets. These documents allow you to figure out how to properly use the car seat. It may not sound like a huge deal, but again, it’s better safe than sorry.

At the end of the day, your child’s safety is the most important thing. If you get a nice convertible, even if it’s a bit more expensive (e.g. $200), it can last for 3-4 years. That’s only $50-$60 a year. That’s really nothing compare to your child’s safety.

In search of car seats: research links

Useful links - must reads.

• How Child Car Seats Work - Probably one of the best articles on how car seats work. Very detailed and lots of pictures
• Consumer Reports - Babies & Kids - A wealth of information on various test ratings.
• ConsumerSearch Family Product Reviews and Reports - A very good collection of articles and comparisons for various children equipment.
• Convertible Car Seats - Very good summary and comparison of convertible car seats.
• Car Seat Strollers - Very good summary and comparison of car seat and stroller combos. Even though I don’t recommend this type of combos, it’s good research material nonetheless.
• Child Car Seats Safety for your Kids - Learn how to choose the right car seat for your child. Great collection of articles
• Carseat Compatibility Database - A good collection of reviews for the various types of car seats.
• Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2005 - Good summary of safety tips
• Car-Safety.Org Vehicle and Carseat Safety Information - Buying Guides and Articles, Car Seat Checkup Events and Fitting Stations, and others useful information
• Berkeley Parents Network Car Seats - Reviews, installation guides, and advices
• How to Buy Baby Car Seats! - A list of eight things you should consider when buying a car seat
• Car Seat Inspector - Are you using your car seat correctly?

Misc links - read these if you feel like you need more info, but the above sites should give you what you need.

• Buying a car seat for a newborn or older infant
• Carseats and Car Safety
• So Many Car Seats, Only One Kid!
• What works series of articles
• car seats for children
• Car seat buying guide
• Top 3 Convertible Car Seats - An ok article, but about.com has a lot of other useful links, so check them out as well.
• Most Children Are Improperly Restrained

In search of car seats: 5 types of car seats

With the 4 phases of car seat information in mind, there appears to be several types of car seats out there:

• Infant car seats
• Convertible car seats
• Combo car seats
• Booster seats
• Do-it-all seats

Infant car seats are rear-facing car seats generally used by child when he’s under twenty pounds. After that, the child can then switch to a forward-facing car seat. However, the child usually outgrow an infant car seat with in 6 months, so it’s really not practical to buy this type of car seats.

Convertible car seats are ones that can convert from rear-facing to forward-facing. Given that is safer to have the child sit rear-facing, a convertible car seat should have a high rear-facing limit. For example, many of the Britax products including the Britax Roundabout have a rear-facing limit of 33 lbs.

Combination car seats combines a forward-facing car seat and a booster seat in one.

Booster seats are single-use car seats that can only be used when the child is in the 3rd phase.

The do-it-all seats combines rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats all in one. However, these usually are very expensive and not as good as the others.

So, there appears to be a lot of choices. The best choice as I see now is a convertible car seat. However, given that I have to do some research on strollers next, I may change my mind later if I find some car seat-stroller combo or something.

I wonder what other people’s experience has been when researching this. I will post all the links I used to research this topic probably tomorrow.

Stay tuned…

In search of car seats: 4 phases of car seats

I have been assigned the task of researching car seats, strollers and infant carriers. After going through a bunch of information on the web, I am starting to get a general picture of the various type of products.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all children go through 4 car-riding phases.

First, the child sits in a rear-facing car seat. Rear-facing car seats are generally used by children from birth to at least 20 pounds and one year of age. However, many researches have shown that rear-facing is the safest position the child can ride in. So you should try to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as you can. This means you need to find an car seat that has a much higher rear-facing limit.

Next, a child who is at least 20 pounds and one year of age can sit in forward-facing car seats. They can stay in the forward-facing car seat until about 40 pounds and approximately four years of age.

The third phase happens when the child is about 40 pounds. At this time, you should use a belt positioning booster seat until the child can sit with his or her back straight against the vehicle seat back cushion, with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat edge, without slouching (approximately 4′9″).

The last phase a child goes through is when the child sits on the car seat with the belt fitting properly. This is usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age.

Additional information about the proper use of these car seats can be found on American Academy of Pediatrics’s Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2005.

Stay tuned….