Car seat crash tests. Take two.
Seven months after an embarrassing gaffe that exposed flawed testing, Consumer Reports has quietly posted revised results from their infant car seat tests today online.
As you might remember, the magazine launched a major media blitz last January, trumpeting a report that showed 10 out of 12 infant car seats failed an enhanced safety test.
Funny story: the test was, how should we say it? Flawed. And now, after re-testing the seats, ALL infant seats have passed. (Somehow, we doubt this is going to lead off the NBC Today Show tomorrow).
Here are some highlights (and our observations) of CR’s report, which will appear in their October issue.
• The Chicco Key Fit got the highest score. We would agree—this is an excellent seat. (Since all the car seats passed the crash test, CR judged seats on ease of use and fit to vehicle).
• The top 3 seats were: Chicco Key Fit followed by the Britax Companion and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio.
• The bottom 3 seats were the Safety 1st Designer, Combi Centre ST and Evenflo Discovery. Again, their scores were hurt by ease of use and fit to vehicle.
• The "best buys" where the Chicco Key Fit, Baby Trend Flex-Loc, and Graco Snug Ride with EPS.
• One model that came in for big criticism last time (the Eddie Bauer Comfort) was not rated since it has been discontinued.
• The Graco SafeSeat came in sixth place—getting "very good" marks for ease of use and fit to vehicle. Interestingly, CR only tested this seat with a 22 pound dummy, despite the seat’s 30 pound capacity. As you may remember, CR in January tested this seat with a 30 pound dummy—and it failed that enhanced test. However, given the seat’s new clean bill of health in CR’s revised test, we will raise our rating of the Graco SafeSeat (which we had recommended in a previous version of Baby Bargains).
We will post more on the new CR results after we have some more time to analyze the report. Stay tuned.
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I was very pleased to read this article. We just discontinued use of our Chicco Key Fit but we LOVED it and the stroller (we still use). I’m so glad we got a car seat we love AND it rated so high. Not only did it rate the highest BUT it also made the best buy list. LOVE THAT! I’d highly recommend this seat and the travel system to anyone. Chicco travel system people are weird too… we’re like jeep owners and we always stop to talk to one another. I’ve never talked to anyone that dislikes it.
I was very pleased to read this article. We just discontinued use of our Chicco Key Fit but we LOVED it and the stroller (we still use). I’m so glad we got a car seat we love AND it rated so high. Not only did it rate the highest BUT it also made the best buy list. LOVE THAT! I’d highly recommend this seat and the travel system to anyone. Chicco travel system people are weird too… we’re like jeep owners and we always stop to talk to one another. I’ve never talked to anyone that dislikes it.
I am glad to see the news about the Graco SafeSeat since that’s the infant seat I have for my one year old daughter. She is approaching the height limit for the SafeSeat, but is only 23lbs. We are now in the market for a convertible seat and I have bought your updated on-line car seat chapter. Please, please do update your review on the SafeSeat as I will probably be deciding whether to use it for a second child in the future.
Also, I have to comment on the updated car seat chapter. At the beginning you heavily criticize and discount the results of the original CR test results, but within the reviews you seem to rely on the results to give the SafeSeat a “D” rating. As a reader I’d like to see you take a consistent position. Either the original results are too flawed to use (of course I understand that you have to mention them in fairness to parents) or state that despite your problems with the CR test, you are going to rely on the results.
I am glad to see the news about the Graco SafeSeat since that’s the infant seat I have for my one year old daughter. She is approaching the height limit for the SafeSeat, but is only 23lbs. We are now in the market for a convertible seat and I have bought your updated on-line car seat chapter. Please, please do update your review on the SafeSeat as I will probably be deciding whether to use it for a second child in the future.
Also, I have to comment on the updated car seat chapter. At the beginning you heavily criticize and discount the results of the original CR test results, but within the reviews you seem to rely on the results to give the SafeSeat a “D” rating. As a reader I’d like to see you take a consistent position. Either the original results are too flawed to use (of course I understand that you have to mention them in fairness to parents) or state that despite your problems with the CR test, you are going to rely on the results.
In your blog article, you mention a plan to post more info once you’ve had more time to analyze the CR study. Is that info now posted to your site? I’m trying to decide between the Peg Prio Viaggio (love their stroller, so makes sense…but have heard moms think the carseat is too heavy, babies sit too upright, and they outgrow it too quickly) and the Chicco….so would love to hear any further details/thoughts you have.
In your blog article, you mention a plan to post more info once you’ve had more time to analyze the CR study. Is that info now posted to your site? I’m trying to decide between the Peg Prio Viaggio (love their stroller, so makes sense…but have heard moms think the carseat is too heavy, babies sit too upright, and they outgrow it too quickly) and the Chicco….so would love to hear any further details/thoughts you have.
In your blog article, you mention a plan to post more info once you’ve had more time to analyze the CR study. Is that info now posted to your site? I’m trying to decide between the Peg Prio Viaggio (love their stroller, so makes sense…but have heard moms think the carseat is too heavy, babies sit too upright, and they outgrow it too quickly) and the Chicco….so would love to hear any further details/thoughts you have.
In your blog article, you mention a plan to post more info once you’ve had more time to analyze the CR study. Is that info now posted to your site? I’m trying to decide between the Peg Prio Viaggio (love their stroller, so makes sense…but have heard moms think the carseat is too heavy, babies sit too upright, and they outgrow it too quickly) and the Chicco….so would love to hear any further details/thoughts you have.