[dvl666]

Originally Posted by narayans80

You can try this Joie Elevate. Mothercare deals with Joie products, so you call up their stores to see if they have in stock. This way you can get a look and feel. Another option is this Graco Junior.

Given the age, your kiddo has grown for 5-point harness and just needs something for height.

Thinking to get the Evenflo SureRide DLX Convertible Car Seat for 15+ kg. Want to use it mainly for longer drives in which the kid can sleep comfortably. For the city we use a backless booster.

Any suggestions for better models or anything we should look out for?

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

The blow moulded seat like R for Rabbit, Luvlap and mee mee will not keep your child safe. Invest in a good child seat that had solid injection moulded plastic parts.

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

But invest in some good seat that has solid plastic parts and not blow moulded cheap plastics. The cheap seats you will get from the brands like RforRabbit, MeeMee and Luvlap.

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

AFAIK, Chicco, Graco and Britax are the good brands that do not sell blow moulded seats in India. Parents in India are still carrying their kids in arms or non-belted in cars. This scene is slowly changing and as per new regulation introduction and enforcement, I think educated parents will choose products that are safe for their kids with good internet research.

Originally Posted by _abhay_

7) Manufacturing process = Injection Moulding vs Blow Moulding (not recommended ). Cheaper ones are most probably blow moulded, the cost of making a die for Injection Moulding is enormous hence they are expensive.

Originally Posted by Rohan265

Seats from R for Rabbit, Luvlvap, Babyhug, etc. have a reputation of being flimsy as they are blow moulded and not injection moulded like the larger global brands such as Britax, Chicco, Graco, etc. The blow moulded seats are also much lighter and with a soft plastic cover.

Hi All,

A lot of you have mentioned about the injection mold vs blow mold, and the latter being inferior and used in cheaper brands like R for Rabbit and Lovelap.

However, if you look at R for Rabbit ISOFIX model page on Amazon here: it mentions that they are infact injection-mold:



So any feedback from anyone who has used or experienced this specific latest model of R for Rabbit and how it compares against the global brands that are 2x-3x its price ?

[Arwin07]

Hi. I was on the look for a safe car seat for my 4 year old son who weighs 15kg. I started out with budget of Rs.10000.

I initially looked into LuvLap, R for Rabbit etc. I read the last 2 year posts in this thread and discarded those choices right away. My new options were with Britax, Chicco, Graco.
Britax was rejected because of poor availability.

My needs:
1. Safety.
2. Convertible seat- Infant to 40kg until he is ready to sit without booster seat.

Regarding safety, I went through child seat crash test results.
https://www.babygearlab.com/topics/v...ield=1#compare

Options considered:
Graco:
1. Graco 4EVER DLX- Rs.26-30k
2. Graco Extend2Fit- Rs.20-22k

Chicco:
1. Chicco Unico Plus- Rs.16-18k
2. Chicco Nextfit- Rs.27-32k

Evenflo:
1. Evenflo Tribute LX- Rs.7500
2. Evenflo Sureride DLX- Rs.9000

The crash test results of Evenflo (USA brand) surprised me. Though it costs as much as a LuvLap or R for Rabbit, it has impressive crash test results.

But Evenflo Tribute has maximum weight restricted to 20kg only. Evenflo Sure ride is not tested but I guess it will also test well. But Evenflo child seats are barebone and weigh 4kg compared to 8-12kg for all other brands considered and are said to be not so comfortable as they are barebone, lack much cushions.

Graco 4EVER DLX was too costly at Rs.28000. It had a moderate crash test result and it scored less than humble Rs.9000 Evenflo.
Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1 has weight limit of 100 pounds (45kg approx) and scored the highest in crash test. It can be used as rear facing for upto 50 pounds (22kg approx).

Hence we decided to go with Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1. It is available for Rs.16000 in offer at present.

Here is Graco lingo. Graco has 10+ variants of just 2 models.
https://momlovesbest.com/graco-4ever-vs-extend2fit

People under strict budget can go for Evenflo for the price of LuvLap, R for Rabbit.

I am putting out my thought process hoping it will be helpful for those looking for a safe child seat.

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by hanzt

However, if you look at R for Rabbit ISOFIX model page on Amazon here: it mentions that they are infact injection-mold:

So any feedback from anyone who has used or experienced this specific latest model of R for Rabbit and how it compares against the global brands that are 2x-3x its price ?

The design process or material used is not the only reason I do not recommend seats from R for Rabbit, Luvlap etc. I do not recommend them because these seats do not have a single record of their real-world or crash-test performance. Yes, they claim to be R44 certified. However, we all know how easy it is to claim incorrect certifications in our country (we have many non-tested helmets with 'ISI' marks). There is a reason why car manufacturers don't use these seats for GNCAP crash tests and stick to Britax, Graco, Chicco, etc. even though the GNCAP recommends using seats commonly sold in the target country's market.

Seats from Graco, Chicco, Britax, Joie, etc. have also been tested by external agencies such as ADAC, PESRI, Pulse test, etc. and these results are documented. You will also find records of their real-world performance. Unless these local (Chinese?) manufacturers produce similar records, I would never recommend their seats to anyone.

P.S: The "Special Injection Mold Structure" raises my suspicion even more. To me, it sounds like the company is trying to over-compensate by using catchy terms.

Originally Posted by Arwin07

Hence we decided to go with Graco Extend2Fit 3 in 1. I

Good choice. The Graco Extend2Fit is indeed a good seat.
The Evenflo Tribute is cheap for a reason. Not only does it provide minimum cushioning and features, but it also has limited usage in a rear-facing position. Although it does test well in the crash test you shared, I am still skeptical about its performance in side impacts. From what I understand from the Babygearlabs tests, they only test frontal impacts because the FMVSS 213 only does frontal tests. It would be interesting to see how the Tribute performs in side impacts.

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by Arwin07

Evenflo:
1. Evenflo Tribute LX- Rs.7500
2. Evenflo Sureride DLX- Rs.9000
The crash test results of Evenflo (USA brand) surprised me. Though it costs as much as a LuvLap or R for Rabbit, it has impressive crash test results.
People under strict budget can go for Evenflo for the price of LuvLap, R for Rabbit.

Originally Posted by Rohan265

The Evenflo Tribute is cheap for a reason. Not only does it provide minimum cushioning and features, but it also has limited usage in a rear-facing position. Although it does test well in the crash test you shared, I am still skeptical about its performance in side impacts. From what I understand from the Babygearlabs tests, they only test frontal impacts because the FMVSS 213 only does frontal tests. It would be interesting to see how the Tribute performs in side impacts.

EvenFlo is not an ISOFIX car seat right ? Is there an ISOFIX variant?

[Motorhead23]

Hello Everyone !!

We are expecting our first child soon and we are on look out for Stroller and a Car Seat.
I have been through various mom blogs & YT reviews and finally here for the advise.
After going through this thread for past 2 ~ 3 Years what I could gather is Graco is highly recommended followed by Chico / Britax .

Criteria - Safety & Comfort [since we live in north, summers could be really harsh]

Also, what I could understand is that we need to buy two Sets :
1) Stroller + Infant Car Seat [ I couldn't find much details about this ]
2) Car Seat for Group 1/2/3

Request you all to share your experiences and recommendations !!

[amartya_bhp]

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

Hello Everyone !!

We are expecting our first child soon and we are on look out for Stroller and a Car Seat.

Congrats on the new arrival and all the best to your family! As about car seats, I had used Chicco when I was in the USA and have nothing but excellent words to say about it. They have a combined set of seat and stroller which is very easy and convenient to install and can be done one-handed. I have never used Graco, bur have had words from colleagues who did were not happy about the mechanisms.

Please remember to use car seats in rear-facing position in the back-seats only until the child is at least 2 yrs old and never use a child seat that is beyond its use-by date on the label.

Happy Driving and Parenting!

[any23]

We have been blessed with a baby boy, and ever since his arrival I had this thought of having a car seat for him. After going through this long and informative thread decided to buy Graco Extend2fit 3in1 car seat.
The user manual says it can be installed either with 3-point seat belt or lap seat belt, so I decided to install the seat in the middle of the back seat and happy to report that two people can sit in back seat with the child seat installed. The lap belt is holding good and there is no front-back or sideways movement of the seat.
The next task is to habituate our 3-months old in the car seat..

[drive2eternity]

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

Hello Everyone !!

We are expecting our first child soon and we are on look out for Stroller and a Car Seat.
I have been through various mom blogs & YT reviews and finally here for the advise.
After going through this thread for past 2 ~ 3 Years what I could gather is Graco is highly recommended followed by Chico / Britax .

Criteria - Safety & Comfort [since we live in north, summers could be really harsh]

Also, what I could understand is that we need to buy two Sets :
1) Stroller + Infant Car Seat [ I couldn't find much details about this ]
2) Car Seat for Group 1/2/3

Request you all to share your experiences and recommendations !!

Congratulations!

I bought a Travel System from Mothercare of Joie. Overall built quality, fit n finish are excellent. However, to be honest, we have hardly used it as a 'travel system'. So in essence the car seat stays fixed in the rear and the stroller is used independently.

My recommendation would be visit a Mothercare or Mini Klub/similar physical store to see the options. Its important that you see how efficiently does the stroller fold and fits in your car's boot.

Graco seems to be winning on TBhp but I found it way too expensive. Could not find any stores selling Britax. Researched on Chicco & Joie and ended up with Joie. Overall very happy with the purchase.

You cannot go wrong with any of the above mentioned brands.

An important thing to note is initially you need a rear facing group 0/0+ car seat only. Its only after 18months can you move the baby to a group 1 car seat. So you may go for a dedicated rear facing seat OR get a combi one, which has 0/0+, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc all.

ISOFIX or not makes difference in the ease of mounting/unmounting the seat. But you will have to pay accordingly too.

PS- Since you live in North, ensure you get good sunshades for the rear windows. Makes it comfortable for the baby and also increases privacy of the mom. (We had hung desi style clothes from the windows initially on the rear windows and made world of a difference).

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by hanzt

EvenFlo is not an ISOFIX car seat right ? Is there an ISOFIX variant?

The Evenflo seats have Latch, not ISOFIX (there is a noticeable difference between the two systems)

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

Hello Everyone !!

We are expecting our first child soon and we are on look out for Stroller and a Car Seat.

Also, what I could understand is that we need to buy two Sets :
1) Stroller + Infant Car Seat [ I couldn't find much details about this ]
2) Car Seat for Group 1/2/3

Infant seats + strollers make sense only if you plan to walk a lot with your child and at places where strollers can be used easily. Otherwise, it's preferable to get a lightweight infant seat. Later you can upgrade to a multi-stage seat but go for something with an extended rear-facing. I would recommend keeping the child rear-facing till 4 years. The Graco Extend2fit is a good choice.
Regarding the weather, I believe some infant seats have a sun-cap extension. Since you mentioned living in the north, the winters there are also tough. You will have to make adjustments to the straps to accommodate the additional layers in winter.

Originally Posted by drive2eternity

I bought a Travel System from Mothercare of Joie. Overall built quality, fit n finish are excellent. However, to be honest, we have hardly used it as a 'travel system'. So in essence the car seat stays fixed in the rear and the stroller is used independently.

I second Joie seats as well, especially the infant seats. Unlike Graco or Chicco, they have maintained a balance between price and safety.

Originally Posted by any23

decided to buy Graco Extend2fit 3in1 car seat.
The user manual says it can be installed either with 3-point seat belt or lap seat belt, so I decided to install the seat in the middle of the back seat and happy to report that two people can sit in back seat with the child seat installed. The lap belt is holding good and there is no front-back or sideways movement of the seat.

Good choice with the seat. Does the seat fit tightly with only lap belts? Also, it's nice to see that you are also able to accommodate two passengers in the rear seat. What car do you use?

[any23]

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

Hello Everyone !!

We are expecting our first child soon and we are on look out for Stroller and a Car Seat.

Congratulations, and welcome to parenthood.

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

Hello Everyone !!

Criteria - Safety & Comfort [since we live in north, summers could be really harsh]

This is the only reason I went ahead and ordered Graco even if it was bit heavy on the pocket considering range of child seats available from different brands. Why Extend2fit model only because it offers extra legroom for the child which I feel will be handy once the child grows. It is a well put together seat and felt sturdy. comfort part I still cannot comment on, but as per reviews it will shine in that department too.

I got the seat @INR-23k, delivered directly from the Graco India dealer who in turn sells through amazon by different sellers. Could have waited for any upcoming sale to get the card discounts through amazon but I was satisfied with the extra INR1k discount by the dealer.

Meanwhile people around be like - why am I wasting so much money on a child car seat when everybody else carries their child on laps, none of the child in neighborhood sits on car seat, your child will refuse to sit in the seat etc. etc.

[Motorhead23]

Originally Posted by amartya_bhp

Please remember to use car seats in rear-facing position in the back-seats only until the child is at least 2 yrs old and never use a child seat that is beyond its use-by date on the label.

Happy Driving and Parenting!

Thank you @amartya_bhp ! I am planning to visit Chicco outlet soon and will definitely consider it.

Originally Posted by drive2eternity

Congratulations!

I bought a Travel System from Mothercare of Joie.

Thanks drive2eternity !! Coincidently, I happened to visit a mothercare store in a nearby center after posting my query here. They showcased this Joie travel system as a solution to my requirement but I didn't checked it out in detail as it was a new brand name for me. I will definitely revisit to check it out in detail.

Originally Posted by Rohan265

Infant seats + strollers make sense only if you plan to walk a lot with your child and at places where strollers can be used easily.

Thank you Rohan265, We are planning for a Stroller combo because we intend to travel a lot be it local, outstation trips occasional long haul flights. [Though I am not sure how things will be once are family is expanded in its true sense with the baby] And me & my wife both like exploring places on foot. So that is the reason for picking out on a stroller.

Originally Posted by any23

Congratulations, and welcome to parenthood.

This is the only reason I went ahead and ordered Graco even if it was bit heavy on the pocket

Thanks any23, Even I am strongly considering Graco as an option , but I will finalize once we are near to our baby's arrival.

I will keep this place updated on my final purchase . Thank you all once again for your valuable inputs.

[any23]

Originally Posted by Rohan265

Good choice with the seat. Does the seat fit tightly with only lap belts? Also, it's nice to see that you are also able to accommodate two passengers in the rear seat. What car do you use?

Thank you.
Yes the seat fits tightly, I tried my muscles to shake the seat and it hardly moves in any direction. The car seat user manual has a detailed section on type of car seat belt latch system and how to install using what type of seatbelt is provided in the car. As per the manual 3-point and lap belts are safe to install the child seat.
I have Skoda Rapid, I am a well built person and can sit comfortably, it was like sitting 3 at the back seat. The primary reason I installed the seat in middle is safety, as the middle spot is considered the safest.

[any23]

Originally Posted by Motorhead23

but I will finalize once we are near to our baby's arrival.

We waited 3 months to get the car seat, because initially the only place baby will spend most of the time will be the sweet little home with parents, add to it occasional hospital runs for vaccination. Could have waited till baby turns 6-months, as we have nothing much planned till the baby commands good enough strength to hold the neck and the back, but felt that it is good to start habituating baby and ourselves (as child seat is a new thing to us too) to the seat.

[samyakmodi]

This is an interesting thread. I was blessed with a baby about a year ago and he has mostly travelled in his car seat - irrespective of the distance.
My choice was clear from the beginning - we had to buy an ISOFIX car seat.
For my daughter we did not go for the ISOFIX seat and found the entire setting the child seat properly a bit too cumbersome and infinitely less reliable if a driver or the maid has done it.

Since we were sure about getting an ISOFIX system - our choices were cut down drastically!! Graco India has winded up its operations from almost a couple of years and what we get currently in the market are the leftovers from the imports they had done earlier. Adding to that the car seats with ISOFIX were priced unreasonably. We could not find any decent options in Chicco or Joie. Most of the stores here did not have an ISOFIX car seat - so checking it out was not possible anywhere.
We ended up buying R for Rabbit ISOFIX baby car seat and are quite happy with it. It is a bit bulky and takes up slightly more room than what he had wanted - but it's not that bad.
Over all built quality is excellent and we believe it is reasonably priced. (bought it for about 18k last year and now their site is selling it for about 12k)

Strongly recommend everyone to have a look at it.