Hi, guys. Long time; no post.

We (the wife and I) have been busy so to speak. We have finally relocated to Winston-Salem, NC and are starting to get settled in. I see a lot of Pats driving and around and wonder how many are on this forum.

Anyway, we are expecting our first child and this was our first choice for a "baby-mobile". Now, the real fun begins: buying stuff!

I have been slated to secure a reasonably priced, safe car seat that fits in the MK for our son-which will be named Will.

I realize that there are people out there who say, "spare no expense!" And if I could I would buy a titanium-plated cocoon for the little guy. Unfortunately, we are on a budget. So, I'm looking for your advice.

What car seats have you found that fit in the backseat of the Pat, what is the safest brand and what is the estimated price. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck.

Thanks

Ben, Ferne and (Will)

Ben,

First, congrats on the future arrival of Will... This isn't a car seat but you will definitely need one of these and you don't want to skimp on this item....

http://www.jeepworld.com/Images/merchandise/55095xs.jpg

Honestly, my daughter has twins and she has the side by side model of the above Jeep Wrangler All Weather Stroller. Very durable brand...

My wife and I are in the same position. When we found out she was pregnant, se was driving a 2-door Cobalt. So we upgraded to the Pat. When it comes to places to save money, the car seat is not the place. After much research we decided on the Graco Snugride system. We actually found one through Craigslist that had been bought and then not used. I got two bases, the car seat and teh stroller for about $100. If you buy new it should be around $300. Anywho i put it in backwards like an infant should sit and it fit pretty good. However, the back seat isnt large enough for two adults to sit on either side of it.

Ben,

I would recommend you visit:

Car-Seat.org (http://www.car-seat.org/)

Similar layout to this group and all the experts are there. You do not have to register to ask a question. Give as much info as possible in your post. (i.e. Patriot, newborn and your budget).


Hi, guys. Long time; no post.

We (the wife and I) have been busy so to speak. We have finally relocated to Winston-Salem, NC and are starting to get settled in. I see a lot of Pats driving and around and wonder how many are on this forum.

Anyway, we are expecting our first child and this was our first choice for a "baby-mobile". Now, the real fun begins: buying stuff!

I have been slated to secure a reasonably priced, safe car seat that fits in the MK for our son-which will be named Will.

I realize that there are people out there who say, "spare no expense!" And if I could I would buy a titanium-plated cocoon for the little guy. Unfortunately, we are on a budget. So, I'm looking for your advice.

What car seats have you found that fit in the backseat of the Pat, what is the safest brand and what is the estimated price. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck.

Thanks

Ben, Ferne and (Will)

You might want to talk over what you and the wife want in terms of types of carseats :)
1) snugride or similar system - keep the base in the jeep and carseat snaps into base and stroller
2) convertible car seat - carseat stays in the vehicle and you take baby in and out of it to go to stroller/pack/sling.

The graco snugride system (at least when I was looking) is one of the reasonable(if you can call it that) ones that still offers safety,cushioning and ease of use. That is what we got.

However, both my babies outgrew the infant seat at 4mon (20#, so they were pretty big) and then we switched to the jeep stroller since the graco stroller is bulky (both in the rear and when in use) so be ready to buy a convertible (rear-forward facing model at some time the first year) or a forward/booster combination at 12months. The convertible seat we got was also graco. Slightly more expensive than the cheap ones, but again - comfy, not the smallest, but fits in the Patriot and also easily removable cover were a plus. I did not like the cosco brand ones (they may have changed, but when I was looking it required a "puzzle" lock to get the back in the seat so it was more time consuming with no added value). The britax are your mercedes ones and they are even bigger.

What else? Oh, if you do option #2, the jeep stroller I don't think works for infants, so you would need to use alternate methods (we used a front pack) for the first 0-3 or 0-6 months (depending on who you talk to) for carting him around.

Oh, I think babies r us was the place that let us try the different seats out (in a van bench seat in the store and then we took the "winner" for a test out in our vehicle)

Congratulations!

I've tried 4 car seats in my Compass. We have an almost 3yo girl and 4mo old boy. Both are tall, with the second big too. We got the Graco Snugride travel system for our baby shower for the first kid. It has served us well for both kids, but doesn't last very long. My daughter moved to convertibles @ 3 months. She liked being able to see better since they sit a little higher and upright than infant carriers. My son has only lasted this long because of winter. Infant carrier + Bundle Me is way better than trying to put layers of clothing and coats on flimsy babies. When the weather warms up, my daughter will upgrade to Birtax Regents in both vehicles and my son will get her current Britax Marathon and Evenflo Titan seats, reverse facing. Infant carrier is a bit of a PITA to get in/out in the center. FF has been no problem for my daughter, but with the back seat behind the door opening, the reverse facing convertible outboard may be difficult too. We'll see. I gotta deal with it, though.

A couple points. Infant carriers are generally longer than convertibles. Ours has to be in the middle to stick between the front bucket seats a little. If you plan on having another kid before first one is 4, you will want a narrow seat now and a narrow convertible too so they can fit in the middle and one outboard. Forget sitting next to a center position car seat.

Some people don't like infant carriers. The Evenflo Triumph Advance (make sure its the Advance model) is highly recommended, will work for newborn through 35# reverse facing/50# front harnessed with 17" top slots for longer torso kids, availible on-line and in many stores (Walmart, Target, BRU/TRU) for $120-160.

The Graco SafeSeat is newer and higher recommened. It has higher weight/height limits to make it to 1yr as the Snugride would not have lasted either of my kids past 6 months. I don't know if it is longer installed, though.

There is another option. If you have the forward folding front passenger seat, you can install whatever you want outboard passenger side, and someone always ride in the back seat behind driver. Only works for 1 kid, though.

Most Britax seats except infant carriers are highly recommened. We have 3 now, and may get another come Sep or next Feb when they have their semi-annual sales. The Marathon has been great for my daughter. She hasn't outgrown it yet, but we got her the Regents which should last her until 8 I think. You may want to consider the infant carrier now and save up about $210 for a Marathon come September Sale time. Don't worry, there are other good options for less money.

Oh, Kmart has the Graco travel system (http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_024W897553110001P?vName=Baby&cName=Gear) for $126 including the infant carrier, one car base, and a stroller. That's a good value, if you like the pattern. Extra base is $30-40 for second car.

Oh, for some really enthusiastic parents, check out Car-Seat (www.car-seat.org).org.

We are expecting a baby also. Ours is due on May 22nd.

We bought the Graco MetroLite travel system. This includes the infant car seat that can be moved right into the Stroller (both for $199)

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2400875

Sounds like you need a baby shower and give others the honor of paying for the seat you pick out.

I have found that grandparents love buying this stuff also.

Congratulations milk everyone for every dime. Soon you will be super broke!

Be sure to have a baby shower for family and don't argue with co workers that want to have one for you as well.

I was never a fan of the car seat stroller system. They might be best for the first 2 months. After that I found a permanent car seat and a super cheap umbrella stroller was the simplist and easiest way to go.

At 6 months, I strongerly recommend a baby backpack carrier to put the bugger in if you are active people. I used one extensively for my three kids. It let's one be super mobile.

Definitely if you are active, I would do backpacks! We still use our backpack and the stroller has been ousted by my 2yr old for over 6 months now. Backpacks are much easier than strollers and in crowds or at the zoo - the kids can see the good stuff :)

Like UPKEV said, baby showers are wonderful things! We had hardly anything to buy after the work and the friends/family showers, but things like doctor visits and diapers still add up.

Ben,

Strollers and car seats are a personal thing based on how you want to care for your young'n. With our child and how his child care when my wife went back to work, a car seat with mulitple bases was the easiest for us. (I had a VW Cabrio, so the only way to put him in would have been to open the top) Since he stayed on the small side we got over a year of service before we had to "upgrade" to a front facing that he will be stuck in for the next few years. Also, check your local laws as they vary state to state.

Since my little guy moved to the front facing right when I took delivery of my Pat, I don't have real world experience, but I did fit it the car seat and there was plenty of leg room for the person in the front passenger seat.

As others have said, go to a Babies 'r Us. They have a crap load of car seats, strollers and systems. They are also the ones that have ca minivan seat so you can see how easily it may go in in out of a car. For a stroller, remember somtimes bigger is better, it is amazing how much stuff you bring along for the basic.

So what do we have now/then Graco Quattro System (car seat, base, big stroller), two bases, Graco SnugRider Infant Carseat Frame, Graco Metrolite stroller (last two collapse to a small profile and are very lite) now 3 Evenflo Triumph Advance Premier Convertible Car Seats. Everything from Babies 'r Us. We also have a Kelty kids Back pack the he is really starting to love.

And yes the more showers the better.

Before the first of the year my wife and I went to B-R-Us and we tried every car seat in the place in the back of the Pat/Riot. Our new bundle arrived Feb. 28th.(he is a month old today) and has already gained 2 two pounds(7-2 first doc visit, 9-4 today).

We decided to go with the Chicco Keyfit 30, this seat is not the least exspensive one out there and reviews on the web are mixed but heavier on the favorable side. We liked the mounting system(Latch) and the color choices, it fits perfectly in the middle in the back. This seat also is rated to 30 pounds for the little one, so we should be able to get a little more time out of it.

We considered a convertable seat, but we liked the fit better for a newbie on the infant seat and we are glad we went with the Chicco. Cost is not an issue for us in the consideration of a seat for our son and we will invest in a front facing seat when the time comes. From what I saw all of the seats we tried would have worked in the Pat/Riot and looked like they would provide ample protection for anyones new and precious bundle.

Congats on the upcoming event!!!

First off, Thanks for all the good advice. Seems like there are plenty of options out there and all seem to work on the Pat just fine. I guess I don't truly understand the difference between a convertible seat or the travel system. I'm assuming (and correct me if I'm wrong) that the travel system somehow is attachable to a stroller and the convertible is a fixed seat that can adjust as the kiddo grows?

I looked at some seats this weekend at Target. I could never figure out how the "travel" seats attach to the stroller. Can anyone shed light on this? I also saw that Eddie Bauer has one, who makes theirs and are they recommended?

Lastly, the baby shower is a done deal. Actually we are slated to have at least two, since our families are not in the same city. So, I completely agree. I'm just trying to figure out what to register for so that I get items that are safe (1) and fit in the Pat (2) so that I don't have to go back into the madness to return and start again. (Can you tell I'm a guy and don't really like the idea of shopping...!)

Oh yea, the baby-backpack is a fantastic idea. I actually see me using this a lot more than a stroller. But then again, women have to carry a purse and men put all of their important belongings in a small leather wallet and carry that in a back pocket so I can definitely see who this was originally marketed towards. :pepper:

Travel systems are just a multiple pieces including a stroller, infant carrier an car seat base. Here is a picture of a double stroller that is holding one infant carrier.

http://content.onestepahead.com//assets/images/ensemble/detail/13130_5.jpg

Car seats have to be very tightly buckled into the vehicle. You don't want it to move in an accident. This can take several minutes depending on the seat and how you install it (LATCH vs. car's seat belt.). So, the solution is to leave something always in your car. Either the infant carrier base, or the car seat itself.

Infant carriers are convinient because you put the baby in the seat in the house, then carry the whole seat into the car. There is another part that is buckeld to the car and stays in the car that the carrier locks/clicks into. The choice is whether to buckle the kid in the car or in the house, at least while they are very young. There is a better chance the kid will stay asleep if you just remove an infant carrier vs. unbuckling.

First off, Thanks for all the good advice. Seems like there are plenty of options out there and all seem to work on the Pat just fine. I guess I don't truly understand the difference between a convertible seat or the travel system. I'm assuming (and correct me if I'm wrong) that the travel system somehow is attachable to a stroller and the convertible is a fixed seat that can adjust as the kiddo grows?

I looked at some seats this weekend at Target. I could never figure out how the "travel" seats attach to the stroller. Can anyone shed light on this?

All this baby stuff is definitely confusing! You have the basic idea with the infant vs. convertible. Each company does things slightly differently, so its best to have a place that you can actually try the stroller out (opening and closing stroller), snapping/unsnapping car seat into stroller, attaching car seat or base to the vehicle seats. If your target doesn't let you take down the strollers to try out, try a burlington coat factory or babiesrus (toysrus too just not as much selection - which is sometimes better). The car seat usually just slides into the stroller but its with the car seat facing you and at a little bit of an angle (good to practice w/o baby :). To unhook from the base/stroller, there is usually an unlock mechanism (on graco that is a red pull bar thing on the underside of the seat about even with the babies head). If you can go to these stores when its not busy, there is usually someone there to help you figure these things out too... Figuring out how to close some of the strollers was a challenge for us (and we're engineers).

Here's a picture of a 10# baby in a convertible, not in the vehicle.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh259/tbriggs73/Image45.jpg

If you want to skip the infant carrrier, the Evenflo Triump Advance (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton/601-6298235-2598537?&frombrowse=1&page=1&node=3579961&rh=&asin=B000PD55OI) is about the only one recommened from birth because it's shoulder harmness adjusts very low.

Oh, another advantage of the infant carrier is you can buy another $40 base for second vehicle vs. another $200 car seat, at least until he outgrows the carrier.

When we looked at the travel systems, the Graco came out a little ahead as it has a couple of things that make traveling easier. Not only does it have the stroller, bases and carrier, you can also get the travel stoller which folds down into a small space and a travel swing.

As others have said it is nice to strap the young'n in, drive to where you go and if he (I have a son) falls asleep, you are less likely to wake him up taking him out of the car. Also in the northern areas, it is much nicer to put the young'n in a warm carrier than a frozen car seat and you can buy a multitude of covers to keep him warm/dry/free of snow/in the shade...

Another thing you should look at is to make sure that it has not been recalled, check out http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/childseat.cfm The reason for this statement is that in some states, it is not illegal to sell things that are recalled.

Also the European models are not necessarily better and sometimes only more expensive. One made for Europe does not pass our "stringent" standards, just like ours don't pass their's, eventhough the look exactly the same. must be the stickers on the side.

But as stated before, it is really a personal preference.