Hellobee Boards Topic: What is the draw of more expensive car seats?

Hellobee Boards Topic: What is the draw of more expensive car seats? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:03:08 +0000 MrsB2012 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658374 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 23:20:52 +0000 MrsB2012 2658374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. Pen: thanks for starting this thread, or I wouldn't have known to actually deal with the seat :) Mrs. Pen on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658369 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 22:53:10 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2658369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsB2012: goodness that's incredible service!! MrsB2012 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658218 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:46:53 +0000 MrsB2012 2658218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @oliviaoblivia: @tinyperson: I got another car seat. DD1 is so small, she won't be going into the boost for at least 2 years. Might as well get the carseat with the baby on the way. sunny on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658213 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:42:27 +0000 sunny 2658213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a Britax and a Graco for LO1 and I can tell that there is quite a big difference in usability. I find the Graco straps harder to adjust and tighten. For LO2, we went with Britax again. tinyperson on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658209 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:33:35 +0000 tinyperson 2658209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsB2012: I'd get another convertible - booster is less expensive and you'll lose out on some of the usage on the booster with a 3.5 yo. oliviaoblivia on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658206 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:32:43 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2658206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsB2012: oooh! They're CS is so great. Our new seat arrived literally a week after I installed DD3s Fllo. I probably would have gone for the booster and fabric and kept DD1 in the old seat because we already have enough convertibles and will need an Oobr in a couple years. We have our almost four year old in the convertible still. I don't think she's mature enough for the booster. If it were a 5pt harness/high backed booster I'd do it, but Oobr is only the car seat belt and she'd wiggle out of that. MrsB2012 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658199 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:23:56 +0000 MrsB2012 2658199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @oliviaoblivia: I emailed them and they're giving me a choice of a whole new carseat, or, I can get the booster seat, and they will also send a new cover for the original seat. That's a $600 value ( I'm in Canada) for something that really doesn't impact anything. That is why I pay for good carseats hahah. Now do I get the booster seat ( my oldest is only 3.5 ) or the carseat as we have another baby coming in the early new year? MrsB2012 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658155 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:29:10 +0000 MrsB2012 2658155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @oliviaoblivia: :shocked: :shocked: I better get on that! I don't even know if I still have the letter they sent! oliviaoblivia on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658154 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:27:11 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2658154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @birdofafeather: no, the weight limit is lower but the height is the same 43". L is only 40". Totally average height now despite being a super giant baby. birdofafeather on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2658140 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:18:13 +0000 birdofafeather 2658140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @oliviaoblivia: are the canadian RFing height limits higher? Row's got an inch before she grows out of RFing. we got the foonf on sale and as others mentioned, it sits higher, has a small footprint to fit more seats across as needed, has a very high RFing limit (my 90th percentile almost 4 year old still can sit RFing), and the expiration date is very long, which is nice for us with multiple kids. also, it looks good! ha. Mrsbells on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2657981 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:51:33 +0000 Mrsbells 2657981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. Pen: For infant seats we bought Graco for both kids which is one of the mid range in terms of price. One thing I realized with our first purchase was that basic things such as the fabric of the seat and the harness adjustment in the back were a big pain. we still used it for about 9 months with DD and we have been using it for th epast 2 months with DS. We did just buy another travel system and this time I made sure we got a nicer Graco with a a front adjustment. For convertible seats we bought one Britax Marathon and one Graco. I definitely like the britax one more which is the more expensive one. I think because it looks better and has better safety ratings and seems much more comfortable. However the Graco had more functionality such as built in cup holders. I guess my point is more expensive seats are made of better quality and thought to be more comfortable but I couldnt spend $400 on a seat. I spent more on the convertible seat since they stay in that for longer Mrs. Pen on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2657963 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:36:35 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2657963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @erinbaderin: bahahah I know right, I was looking at them more closely last night and telling DH why everyone likes them so much lol. @ShootingStar: we're the same height and like you, I also carry my height in my legs about 34" inseam). Thankfully we have an SUV now so there's more room than I had before! When we had the recaro ERF behind the passenger seat of our Ford Fusion, it was definitely cramped!! ShootingStar on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2657848 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 10:20:23 +0000 ShootingStar 2657848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ All of our carseat decisions have basically boiled down to what will allow me to drive/sit comfortably in the car, and ease of install. I'm on the tall side (just under 5'8) and I have disproportionately long legs, plus I like to sit far back. And I get claustrophobic. So we picked an infant seat based on what would fit with me in the car. We ended up with the UB Mesa. Not cheap, but small footprint. We then picked our convertibles based on how well they fit in the cars (Nextfit and Pria). I hate the Pria, so more expensive is not always better. Then we replaced my Pria with a Britax Frontier. It was a toss up between that and the Graco Nautilus. The Graco was a lot cheaper, but the Frontier gave us a little more room in the back seat, and the install was far and away better. I'm a big believer that a seat that's easier to install is a safer seat. Just yesterday I had to take the Frontier out of the car to be able to put the back seat down. DH reinstalled it so quickly, I have no idea when he even did it. I think it took about 2 minutes. kiddosc on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats/page/2#post-2657829 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:50:12 +0000 kiddosc 2657829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't really understand it. We have Graco size4me seats for our 4 year old, and just bought another set for our 9 month old. They have awesome rear facing limits, fit rear facing in my Mazda 3, easy install, no rethread harness, build in cupholder and I could get two for less than $300 (Less than $250 for the most recent set). They also perform really well in the new consumer reports convertible testing. We don't have to worry about fitting three across on a regular basis, but it's not crazy wide. I sat in the middle back seat last week, and while it wasn't exactly comfortable, I fit. I'm more than happy with our "bargain" seats. erinbaderin on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657788 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:48:43 +0000 erinbaderin 2657788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Well, I was hoping this thread would convince me to buy cheaper car seats than the Peg Perego convertible I have for B but instead I just ordered 2 Clek Fllos. Whoops. (They actually were cheaper because of Amazon sales but still...) lilyofthewest on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657787 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:45:13 +0000 lilyofthewest 2657787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Our seat (MaxiCosi Pria 70) is pricier than a lot of options but it was the one that ticked all the boxes: -ERF -Allows a normal height passenger in the front seat in our compact car -Fits two adults plus car seat in the back. -Or fits two rear facing. Or two rear and one forward, or two rear plus our infant seat. -Cover is machine washable and dryable and comes on/off with the seat installed. I think it's not that unusual for families to decide they need an SUV or a minivan (or larger sedan) to fit two or three kids. We planned our seats to go with the car we already have and the family we hope for. We also got a somewhat pricier than average infant bucket (Cybex Aton) for many if the same reasons. At least at the time we got it, it had the shortest front to back length of any baby bucket. We can comfortably install it behind the drivers seat for if/when we have baby #2. It also has a longer than typical expiry, so we knew it would last to pass down to baby 2 even though I bought the prior year model on closeout and we're not planning our kids close together. Modern Daisy on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657756 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 07:17:44 +0000 Modern Daisy 2657756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We spent almost $400 on a peg per ego after my friend raved about it (first time mom fail) and it looks nicer and might be slightly cushier but I failed to notice that it didn't have a cup holder so now that my son is 3 it's just annoying to use for long car rides. I learned my lesson and bought a much cheaper one for days #2 2hen he outgrew his infant seat and no complaints so far! Kemma on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657742 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 02:25:34 +0000 Kemma 2657742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsStar: ya, so many of the euro seats are shite! We have a $400 Aussie standard Britax Safe'N'Sound seat which I love apart from its lowish limits (still rf'ing with space to grow at 20 months) but I wouldn't say it's any better or safer than the Cosco Next that my little guy uses in our second car (although the Britax has extra padding for a newborn). gingerbebe on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657734 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 00:40:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2657734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We have an Uppababy Mesa for our infant bucket and Chicco Nextfit for our convertible. Each was about $300 retail (but we got them much cheaper with corporate discounts and giftcards, etc). Our chief consideration is a simple, safe, rock solid install. While I have the patience to work on harnesses and getting the right install on a cheaper or more difficult to install seat, my husband does not. (Cut to this weekend when my husband went to get the rental car with our toddler and our Cosco Scenera Next and had me wait in the terminal for an hour with the baby and a trolley full of luggage because he and 4 Hertz employees could not figure out how to install the seat and when he finally did manage to get it in, I instantly saw that it was installed incorrectly and had to redo it). The UB Mesa is a SUPER easy install that takes under a minute to snap into the car and it clips right into our Cruz stroller, which was another factor. It also weighs 10 pounds and has a non-rethread harness that is a breeze to adjust. My husband LOVES this bucket. Our Chicco NextFit met the same parameters. It installs in seconds and it has very clear lines and a bubble level and adjustable reclines so that it gets the install correctly every time. The harness is simple to adjust and my son is super comfortable in it. The only thing is that our toddler has the non-Zip version and while it wasn't TERRIBLE to take apart to wash and clean, it was tedious. It only happens like once or twice a year so its not a huge deal, but for our younger son, we bought a NextFit Zip to make it easier to clean. So basically, we paid more to get a very safe, quick, secure install that my husband can handle. Our Cosco Scenera Next travels with us or lives in my husband's car and works just fine, but I always install it (except for this past weekend and I'll never let him do it again). newlypregnantlady on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657721 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 22:43:36 +0000 newlypregnantlady 2657721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a very tall, big baby (95th percentile) and I really wanted to extended rear face. My LO outgrew her bucket seat at 7 months! I ended up buying a Diono Radian (I got mine for $230 on sale) because of my baby's height and the fact that you can fit three across in most vehicles (this is big for me). Despite her having vomited in the seat many a time it still looks fairly good. It's super tall and barely fits in our car but we have a Chevy Cruze and they have tiny back seats (way smaller than you'd think). I like it because I can see how many more inches she has before she outgrows this seat. Lilbear on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657719 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 22:22:13 +0000 Lilbear 2657719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a clek fllo and a diono radian. Both purchased on sale, so they weren't overly expensive compared to other car seats. We wanted the higher end seats because of the additional safety features (beyond what is standard), extended rear facing, smaller profile and the steel frame. This is super random, but one of my biggest reasons for getting the clek fllo for LO2 is the anti-rebound bar instead of a tether. When my older LO is getting in/out of the car, she crawls "through the tunnel" (aka under my LO2's RF car seat) so that both kids are always getting out of the car onto a sidewalk and not the road. (Street parking in NYC.) The anti-rebound bar makes it so she doesn't have to also climb over a floor tether while doing this - the whole floor area is clear. oliviaoblivia on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657697 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:59:27 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2657697@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsB2012: the whole shebang. It was on my porch before I even got an email from CS. I was shocked. Charm54 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657694 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:53:35 +0000 Charm54 2657694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @oliviaoblivia: we got a brand new foonf from Clek too due to the mislabeled fabric.. I was so shocked and pumped !! Best customer service ever. Mrs. Pen on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657690 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:49:01 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2657690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs Green Grass: we have the recaro performance as well! I think of it as more mid range. I paid $190 for it on sale. It is a pain to install! Cobi has loved it too. He said it likes it better than the graco nautilus. It also didn't fit ERF well in our car, but in the SUV it was fine. MrsB2012 on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657687 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:37:19 +0000 MrsB2012 2657687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Do you mean they sent the new seat as in the part they sit on, or a new seat like a whole new car seat? Haha I have to deal with that still too Mrs Green Grass on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657686 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:36:11 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2657686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We have two recaro performance rides which are the primary seats in our cars. They are a pain to install but lo is very comfy and it has high height and weight limits. It's made by a race car seat brand and that just seemed like a cool bonus to us. And they look really nice and are easy to adjust. We also have had a series of Cosco seats for nanny, etc. and my son is still comfy in them at age 4. He has much more room to grow in the other seats though. (He is a very small 4 yo). oliviaoblivia on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657684 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:24:08 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2657684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We have four Clek Fllos. I wait for sales and haven't spent more than $300. I choose then because when it was just DD1 we needed a narrow seat and wanted ERF. It was one of the few seats that would ERF and fit in our one car. Cut to two years and two more kids with a minivan I stuck with Clek because the fabric is so easy to keep in perfect condition. Our seats all look brand-new. I love how easy they are to install and that they're made in North America. We have had exceptional customer service from the company and will be buying Oobrs when the time comes. The fabric on one of our seats was mislabeled and rather than sending us new fabric, they sent an entirely new seat and let us keep the original. It's nice having a back up seat! Instead of moving our three year old to a booster we bought a third convertible. DD1 will be four in a couple weeks and still has nine inches and five (15 in the US) left to rear face in her seat. I debated switching her forward but given that she has at least a year left to rear face and has quite a bit more life left in her seat I kept her rearfacing. I honestly don't think we'll turn her anytime soon. skipra on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657674 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:05:16 +0000 skipra 2657674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So we don't have any super expensive seats but replaced our cheap Graco infant seat to a Britax for LO3 and there are 2 major differences - 1. It is so much easier to install the base and 2. He seems SO much more comfortable. LO1 and LO2 screamed the entire time they were in the Graco. It is 1.5 hours to all the grandparents' houses and we would have 1.5 hours straight screaming. As far as convertible seats, the newest one we bought is narrower to fit 3 across and can rear face much longer than our other ones. It is not the cheapest but not super expensive either. maddyz on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657666 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 19:25:19 +0000 maddyz 2657666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Easy install was huge for me. We don't own a car and I put the car seats into all different kinds of cars often older models with out latch or locking seatbelts. The ckek fllo is so easy in install and doesn't have extra pieces to lose. Even though I don't use it often is worth it for ease of install. 2littlepumpkins on "What is the draw of more expensive car seats?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-the-draw-of-more-expensive-car-seats#post-2657658 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 18:40:21 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2657658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. Pen: We considered the foonf because we were looking for a narrow one for ds, but we just bought the diono r120. Its 223 on amazon right now. I just can't get past the 400+ price tag.. just not worth it imo, even if it is awesome. But different strokes for different folks..and some people have a lot to spend or maybe only have carseats in one car (we have 3 sets between our two and MIL's car..so we have a range of prices and ds is JUST getting out of his infant seat at 13 months- we used it to the very end for MIL's car!)