[meto]

Originally Posted by browneyes

It was time to upgrade the Car Seat for my Son as he outgrew Chicco Nextfit. Went ahead and ordered "Graco Affix Highback Booster Seat with Latch System Atomic" from Amazon (Cart2India). I got it for 13,400 rs , its made in China and was shipped from USA.

These seats cost a bomb in India. I brought the same at Rs 14,500 last year from the same seller while the current price in Amazon USA is $75 (Rs 5500) However, this has served me well till now. I never had any complain from my 5 year old on multiple 10 hrs journeys, including the one from the Bangalore to Kolkata. It's worth the investment even at this high price point since this seat will serve me for 3-4 years atleast. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a car seat.

Unfortunately there are no good booster seats in India in the cheaper price point. Few that we looked around in the shops looked extremely uncomfortable and cheaply made which would not sustain a crash. There are no options than to pay a premium and get car seats from western countries. I hope, we as a society starts appreciating these products. I was tired explaining to people that this huge purchase is not a luxury for my kid or a show off; but an additional safety measure for my child in case of an event.

[torque18]

Hello

I have put my barely used Graco Snugride snugsafe 35 seat in the classified.

Would be happy to pass it on to a fellow bhpian.

Regards

[Tom Sooraj]

Hi all.

I'm looking for a baby/child seat for my sister's son, who is 2 weeks old.

The cars used are Stingray and 2nd gen Swift Dzire (no ISOFIX).

This is our first ever experience of buying a child seat. So, I don't know which one to buy. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Tom Sooraj

I'm looking for a baby/child seat for my sister's son, who is 2 weeks old.

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants (much less, a two week old baby) to be carried in a car seat. I got my daughter one on her first birthday. At the very least, wait until the baby can hold his neck properly. I do understand that the western world use car seats from the time the baby needs to be taken home from the hospital after birth. But not all they do is right, is it.

I'd strongly recommend that you wait for a few months.

If you absolutely must, you have two options:
1) Invest in a multi-stage car seat that you can use from now until the kid is ~ 10 years old
2) Get a rear-facing car seat until the kid is one/two years old and then a forward facing post that

Depending on your budget, you can choose Luvlap, R for Rabbit or the globally renowned Graco, Britax and so on.

I have this, bought for 25k on Amazon but immensely happy: https://www.amazon.in/Graco-4Ever-Co.../dp/B00Y2863GQ

[NG_EV]

Originally Posted by Tom Sooraj

Hi all.

I'm looking for a baby/child seat for my sister's son, who is 2 weeks old.

The cars used are Stingray and 2nd gen Swift Dzire (no ISOFIX).

First of all, congratulations for the bundle of joy in the family. You can either invest in a rear facing car seat only which will work for 9 months - 1 year depending upon the baby weight and height. I have used this Britax one and its a good choice.

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07K8YZMDM/

There is also another option of using a multi stage one which works for 10 years (Graco).

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07J3H47NS/

There has been a discussion regarding the build quality and standards of various brands on this thread (Indian vs International)

I have used both of these and both of them are quite sturdy built. However in a car with no isofix, I found that the britax one had a better stability in seat belt only use (rear facing). The seat is also smaller in size and the baby feels quite comfortable. There is also a sun-shade in the Britax seat which helps a lot as you do not need to block the window completely thus hampering visibility. But it will need replacement as mentioned earlier.

Britax also has the multistage one but I went for the Graco one as I didn't receive a reply from Britax regarding the multistage seat and it wasn't available on Amazon at that time.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants (much less, a two week old baby) to be carried in a car seat.

Neck holding and strength for kids will not be proper even at 1 year (considering the shearing forces in emergency braking). Thats the reason for the recommendation to use the car seat in rear facing upto 2 years (or till the height of the baby is not making him/her uncomfortable). The rear facing car single stage car seat such as Graco Baby safe are specifically designed for kids who are less than a year old. I have used it from the 1st week and the head, neck and body support was very good. It also gives peace to the mind that the child is safely secured along with everyone else in the vehicle.

[meto]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants (much less, a two week old baby) to be carried in a car seat. I got my daughter one on her first birthday. At the very least, wait until the baby can hold his neck properly. https://www.amazon.in/Graco-4Ever-Co.../dp/B00Y2863GQ

Having using the car seats for the past 6 years, I can surely say that a rear facing car seat is a must have for infants.

• A baby, 0-2 years, is a snug fit in a rear facing child seat. Provided the AC is always on, infants are much comfortable cocooned inside the car seat.
• A car seat provide much more support and safety to an infant in case of any event. It doesn’t have to be an accident, but it can be an emergency hard brake, where things get thrown around.
• Infants are much more comfortable on longer journeys. They can do their own things - eat ,sleep, play or poop. They will let you know when they are uncomfortable or its time for a break. I don’t know, but I doubt they are happy if they are constantly been shifted around while they sleep (I have no idea on this).
• On top of this, depending on the situation, the convenience factor and the peace of mind is something that cannot be put into a price tag.

Although this was in US, I have done 12 hrs trip with a 4 month old, which wouldn’t had been possible without a car seat. Once you become safety conscious, it just becomes impossible to think without a car seat. It’s high time to make ISOFix mandatory in all new cars. Call me paranoid, but seeing mother’s carrying their new-born on their lap without wearing a seat belt does gives me a heart attack. Car seat is something that can only be valued it once you experience it.

Good quality car seats are primarily an insurance rather than a convenience. You never know when you will need to cash on.

[Tom Sooraj]

Thank you for your suggestions.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants...

I'd strongly recommend that you wait for a few months.

If you absolutely must,...

It is not that necessary because we drive very sedately when we take him in the car.

Originally Posted by NG_EV

First of all, congratulations for the bundle of joy in the family.

Thank you

You can either invest in a rear facing car seat only which will work for 9 months - 1 year depending upon the baby weight and height...

I have used it from the 1st week and the head, neck and body support was very good. It also gives peace to the mind that the child is safely secured along with everyone else in the vehicle.

Originally Posted by meto

Having using the car seats for the past 6 years, I can surely say that a rear facing car seat is a must have for infants

Actually, the baby was born around 2 weeks earlier than scheduled, so he's very small. He weighs around 2.2 kgs. In this case, is it advisable to use one?

Although this was in US, I have done 12 hrs trip with a 4 month old, which wouldn’t had been possible without a car seat. Once you become safety conscious, it just becomes impossible to think without a car seat.

For highway trips, I feel that the child seats are must, because of the high speed. The child will be safe in case of an emergency braking.

Car seat is something that can only be valued it once you experience it.
Good quality car seats are primarily an insurance rather than a convenience. You never know when you will need to cash on.

I agree.

After considering your suggestions, I think it is better to wait till the baby grows some more. Currently, most of our rides are within the city.

[Raghu M]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants (much less, a two week old baby) to be carried in a car seat. I got my daughter one on her first birthday. At the very least, wait until the baby can hold his neck properly. I do understand that the western world use car seats from the time the baby needs to be taken home from the hospital after birth. But not all they do is right, is it.

Agree with you. The baby has to be able to hold his/her neck on their own. While some kids sync in well with these seats, some just don't. They feel they have been restrained. My kid was fine for a few minutes (he is 8 months), after that he just simply started crying and his mother had to hold him all along the journey which was not safe. Will wait for a few more months before making some trips.

[dexter78]

Originally Posted by Tom Sooraj

Thank you for your suggestions.


It is not that necessary because we drive very sedately when we take him in the car.

Thank you





Actually, the baby was born around 2 weeks earlier than scheduled, so he's very small. He weighs around 2.2 kgs. In this case, is it advisable to use one?

Well, its highly recommended that you/ the family use a child seat and this I am talking with personal experience.

Back in ’17 when my daughter was born, she was about 2 weeks early as well and was just 1.780 KG. We were based in Uganda at that time my wife and I had traveled back to India for the delivery. the only time we haven’t used the car seat was when we got her home and then traveled to the airport here in India and from the airport back to Kampala during her first trip when she was 6 weeks old.

We have done multiple trips with her in the car from the age of 3 months ranging from inter country (Uganda – Kenya) to day trips over 300 km, all while she was strapped in happily in her seat. We even had an experience where the car broke down in the middle of a national park and a 5 hr journey became almost 12 hrs all of this with a child under a year old. Fast forward to today wherein we have her happy ONLY in her car seat.

Till the age of 2 (or longer if the child fits) use the seat in a backward facing position. Good seats are designed to hold the child correctly and give support at the right position and places. You will be using it in a fully reclined position for the first 6-9 months and then take a call. No way would you be able to hold the child safely in case of any shunt that one could experience (again I have had had one person run into my car while fueling up and had been stationary for about 5-7 mins)

It’s how you condition him/her and get the child used to, I have grown up riding in boot and traveling in the cargo areas of trucks back in 80’s, but those days were different, you had lesser traffic with better drivers and the speeds were generally not as crazy as one sees today. would I do it today. NO

Given the chance and the possibility of dedicating one seat to the child would be the recommended way

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by Tom Sooraj

It is not that necessary because we drive very sedately when we take him in the car.


For highway trips, I feel that the child seats are must, because of the high speed. The child will be safe in case of an emergency braking.

After considering your suggestions, I think it is better to wait till the baby grows some more. Currently, most of our rides are within the city.

You can choose to wait only if the plan is not to travel with the baby till he gets old enough. But, if you wish to take him to the doctors/relatives even within the city limits, you have to get him a car seat. You may drive sedately but the drivers around you may not. And for a baby even a minor collision is much severe than an emergency braking.

Originally Posted by meto

Call me paranoid, but seeing mother’s carrying their new-born on their lap without wearing a seat belt does gives me a heart attack. Car seat is something that can only be valued it once you experience it.

Good quality car seats are primarily an insurance rather than a convenience. You never know when you will need to cash on.

I completely agree with you that mothers carrying the new-born on their lap is dangerous. Even if the mother is belted, in case of a collision, the baby might just fly out her arms. An even worse situation is in case of an airbag deployment, the baby will face the brunt. That is the primary reason children, no matter the age, are always asked to sit in the rear seats.

Originally Posted by dexter78

It’s how you condition him/her and get the child used to, Given the chance and the possibility of dedicating one seat to the child would be the recommended way

Conditioning is very important. Ever since his birth, my sister always took my nephew around in a car seat. He did bicker at the beginning. But once he got used to the seat, his acceptance of the car seat was startling. That was always "his" seat. He has even carried the safe habit forward. Nowadays, every time he gets in the car (he is 9yrs old now) he will always get into the rear seats and wear the belt. Wearing a belt has become a habit and muscle memory for him.


There is one more thing I would like to add...It is a generally accepted practice, especially in the US and UK, that children are to remain in rear-facing seats till the age of 2 and then move on to a forward-facing seat. However, in countries such as Sweden and Denmark, which have the least number of child fatalities in road crashes, the practice is to continue the rear-facing arrangement till the child is around 4. The primary reason for this is that the rear-facing seating arrangement is the safest position possible for a child. In some countries, the rear-facing seats even are termed "orphan seats" by the emergency doctors because in case of a severe crash usually the parent(s) sitting in the front don't survive, but the child facing the rear comes out unscathed. That is why I suggest that anyone considering getting a car seat should go for those seats which allow a rear-facing arrangement for much longer. Seats like the Graco Extend2fit are designed primarily for this purpose.

P.S: Going off-topic here, but looking at this thread I am glad that there are parents in our country who understand the responsibility of getting a car seat.
From personal experience, I have noticed that the survivability of children in crashes is frightful.

[vbd316]

Hi folks, I have a Jul 2021 born baby and looking for a single system (Britax has a separate car ISOFIX mount and a baby carrier) Group 0 ISOFIX car seat. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

[ike]

Originally Posted by torque18

Hello

I have put my barely used Graco Snugride snugsafe 35 seat in the classified.

Would be happy to pass it on to a fellow bhpian.

Regards

I'd like to have this if still available, I can pay for shipping.

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by vbd316

Hi folks, I have a Jul 2021 born baby and looking for a single system (Britax has a separate car ISOFIX mount and a baby carrier) Group 0 ISOFIX car seat. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi,
Group 0 seats are pure infant seats that are meant to have a detachable base so that the baby can be carried around easily. If you are looking for a seat that does not have a separate base, I suggest that you go for the convertible or all-in-one seats as they are useful for much longer. You can consider the Graco Extend2fit or the Graco 4Ever as they are the only good ones you can get in India.

[heavenlybull]

Originally Posted by pavi

Received the Britax child seats today. Initial impression is very good, seems to be well built and has good padding. Costed Rs.16,699.

My girl is 6 year old and my car doesn't have ISO Fix points. Do you think this seat will offer adequate protection? Thanks!

[pratyaksh]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

This is strictly my opinion: I personally didn't and wouldn't advise for infants (much less, a two week old baby) to be carried in a car seat. I got my daughter one on her first birthday. At the very least, wait until the baby can hold his neck properly. I do understand that the western world use car seats from the time the baby needs to be taken home from the hospital after birth. But not all they do is right, is it.

I would humbly disagree with everything you've just said here. A child needs to be in the car seat from day 1. Period. Neck is not an issue as the rear facing seats provide ample support, much better than a mother's lap for sure!

Originally Posted by meto

Having using the car seats for the past 6 years, I can surely say that a rear facing car seat is a must have for infants.

..I have done 12 hrs trip with a 4 month old, which wouldn’t had been possible without a car seat. Once you become safety conscious, it just becomes impossible to think without a car seat. It’s high time to make ISOFix mandatory in all new cars. Call me paranoid, but seeing mother’s carrying their new-born on their lap without wearing a seat belt does gives me a heart attack. Car seat is something that can only be valued it once you experience it.

Good quality car seats are primarily an insurance rather than a convenience. You never know when you will need to cash on.

Same here. I can't imagine anyone carrying a child for hours on end on their lap or any other way. Recently we did 8 hrs here in India with a 3 month old snuggly in the car seat. Reduces so much of the stress knowing you've secured the child properly. You're not at all paranoid but infact on point when carrying a child in the seat. I wish to stop every person from here to Timbuktu and tell them to please stop carrying your children on your lap in the front seat.

Originally Posted by Tom Sooraj

Thank you for your suggestions.
It is not that necessary because we drive very sedately when we take him in the car.
Actually, the baby was born around 2 weeks earlier than scheduled, so he's very small. He weighs around 2.2 kgs. In this case, is it advisable to use one?
After considering your suggestions, I think it is better to wait .

No matter how sedately you drive, the child must be buckled. A speed of 40 kmph is enough to cause major damage to you leave alone an infant in the car.

Originally Posted by Raghu M

Agree with you. The baby has to be able to hold his/her neck on their own. While some kids sync in well with these seats, some just don't. They feel they have been restrained. My kid was fine for a few minutes (he is 8 months), after that he just simply started crying and his mother had to hold him all along the journey which was not safe. Will wait for a few more months before making some trips.

That's because you waited too long to introduce the seat. No baby will ever have a problem if conditioned from the beginning. You are the parent and must take the decision for the child. Leaving him vulnerable in a car even in the city is beyond pardonable for any parent.
This Chicco seat is a blessing.