Car Seat Tips

First off, let me say that I love this car seat. While pregnant I spent about a month researching different car seats for their safety features, convenience, style and budget.

My car is old enough that it isn’t LATCH equipped, however this car seat is very easy to use either with the base the seat comes with or just with a seat belt.

The sun-shade it comes with is also nice to have since it blocks the sun and the wind rather well, but because it’s made to be able to come off, sometimes it comes off when you don’t want it to.

The Combi Select Connection 8040 series car seat is an infant carrier/base carseat system. It is rated rear-facing with a 5-point harness for children 22 pounds or less.

Introduction

The Combi Connection is an innovative infant carrier system. The unique, narrow base has a serpentine seatbelt routing method that results in very good installations in many vehicles. The carrier is very light relative to some other models and has layers of energy-absorbing foam to protect the infant.

Features and Advantages:

Product Technical Details
Technical Details:8631DFT

Key Features
Car Seat Type:Convertible
Seating Direction:Rear / Forward Facing
Stay-in Car Base:No Detachable Base
Restraint System:5-Point Safety Harness
Adjustable Harness Height:Adjustable Harness Height
Adjustable Recline Positions:Adjustable Recline Positions

Other Features
Weight Limit:5 - 40 lbs.
Height Limit:Up to 40 In.
Carry handle:No Carry Handle
Head Protection:With Headrest
Additional Features:Central Harness Length Adjustment

Miscellaneous
:43910655

Details

As safety freaks, my husband and I did a TON of research on car seats before finally choosing the Chicco KeyFit. We even asked other new and experienced parents we know for their opinions. When we tested the car seats at a local store, the KeyFit really stood out for several reasons. The major selling point was how simple it is to click the car seat into the base or into the matching stroller–you can even do this with just one hand! The mechanisms literally do all the work for you! The only time you need two hands is when you are lifting the car seat out of the stroller or base. It also features built in “bubble levels” to help you make sure that the car seat is properly in place and allows for seat belt or latch methods of securing the seat or base (seat can be secured in cars without the base).

We had originally planned on a bigger baby, but since our son arrived six weeks early…we got a 4 pounder instead! The NICU nurses were very happy to find out that we already had the car seat they were going to recommend for our itty bitty baby. To be released from the NICU, our son had to sit in his car seat for 90 straight minutes without having any medical issues. That is a long time for a baby to sit in a car seat, but he didn’t mind because he was SO comfortable.

The harness is 5 point (very safe!) and has neck cushions over the straps to keep them from cutting into or making your baby uncomfortable.

We love that the adjustable carrying handle can also be used to help keep the car seat from rocking when maneuvered into the down position. The sun/light shade is a great help as well. My only complaint is that it would be nicer if the sun/light shade came down or out one more notch for a little more protection.

Our four pounder has now grown to a 3 month 11 pounder…and his car seat has adjusted wonderfully with his growth.

Key Features
Car Seat Type:Infant
Seating Direction:Rear Facing
Stay-in Car Base:With Detachable Base
Restraint System:5-Point Safety Harness
Adjustable Harness Height:No Harness Height Adjustment
Adjustable Recline Positions:Adjustable Recline Positions

Other Features
Weight Limit:Up to 22 lbs.
Height Limit:Up to 29 In.
Carry handle:With Carry Handle
Head Protection:With Headrest

Miscellaneous
:23758933

Details

This versatile infant car seat allows parents to transport baby safely and comfortably from home to car and from car to stroller without disturbing baby.

My husband and I bought this carseat when we were expecting our daughter. It was quite easy to install in our minivan, even using the seatbelt. I didn’t like the leveling position, however. It’s simply a straight line on the seat. The carseat I have now has a ball that shows if it is level. This wasn’t a huge concern, however. It was easy to detach from the base and the carrying handle was easy to lay back. I wish the straps were easier to adjust. You have to adjust them from the back of the carseat and “hold” the straps in place to get them adjusted. A little difficult with a newborn! Also, after many uses, it seemed to get a little harder to get it to snap onto the base each time. The only other design “flaw” would be the puzzle-type crotch buckle. What infant can undo a buckle?! Otherwise, it is a great seat. The cover comes off easily for washing and the rain guard was easy to install.

I bought this as a travel system and it fit beautifully with the stroller. It was quite easy to put on and off the stroller, as well.

I would highly recommend this seat. It’s a great carseat, with an excellent crash rating, for not a lot of money.

My husband and I picked this seat because of the good safety ratings and excellent value. Safety was our number one concern when buying a car seat. Looks, comfort, cost, and ease of use were all second.

In our 9 months of use so far, the Graco Snugride has been an easy adjustment. My husband and I were both unfamiliar with infant seats and the Snugride proved to have an easy learning curve during car installation as well as when securing an infant in the carrier. We both mastered the skill within a few tries. Car installation is easy with the LATCH system and even easier when utilizing the seat belt traps when the LATCH system is not available. It was not a huge headache as everyone used to make car seat installation to be.

This car seat is very basic with no frills. The only “extra” is the canopy which is necessary to avoid direct sunlight on sensitive eyes.

We have not been in any car accident so I am not able to give first experience regard this aspect. But as I stated above, Graco Snugride had some excellent safety reviews on various sites across the internet.

There are only a few drawbacks. One, the fabric seat was soiled with poop and needed to be washed so I threw it in the washing machine on cold and tumble dry low. It held up but the padding on the back of the fabric was noticeable deteriorating. I would not feel comfortable washing it a second time in the washer. Granted, I didn’t read the cleaning instructions, but I would assume it would read spot clean only.

My second issue is the awkwardness of using the carrying handle with baby inside. It puts your arm in an uncomfortable position. Not recommended to carry long distances.

However, these issues are only minor and would not deter me from buying this product again or recommending it to a friend.

Our original reason for purchasing the SafeSeat infant carseat was because with our last baby we had an Evenflo carseat that only went up to 22 lbs and 26 inches. While my daughter was tiny and would still fit in it now, at 2 years old, according to the weight limit, she neared the 26 inch height limit around 8 months so we had to buy a convertible carseat for her.

This car seat has been rated well by Consumer Reports. It is made by a reputable company, Century Products. It is easy to use, and can grow with your child, meaning it can transform from a harness system (30-40 lbs), to a belt positioning booster (30-60 lbs). It utilizes a 5-point harness system, which most car seat experts agree is the safest harness system available. The cover removes easily for washing. You might be tempted to think that this is the booster seat for your child…

***STOP***

Key Features
Car Seat Type:Infant
Seating Direction:Rear Facing
Restraint System:5-Point Safety Harness
Adjustable Harness Height:No Harness Height Adjustment

Other Features
Weight Limit:Up to 22 lbs.

Miscellaneous
:44520757