07 Apr 2011 6 Comments
Mom SOS: Britax Chaperone or Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat?
I’ve always had my heart set on the Britax Chaperone because I love the no re-thread harness and I like the idea of the rebound bar and the extra head wings as an added side-impact protection. However, as I was reading more car seat safety research, the Chicco KeyFit 30 also always came in the top 3 for safety and ease of use. Moms rave about its ease of installation and they say that it’s lightweight.
So now I’m debating between the two. They are both rated really high for safety but the Britax just looks more safe - has more foam padding and has the extra safety bar that other car seats don’t. However, it’s heavy and because of the rebound bar, the base is really huge and I hear people complain that it doesn’t fit well in all cars and SUVs.
Any thoughts on which one is better and why? Any issues with either? If you have any experience with either one please let me know.
Apr 12, 2011 @ 21:12:35
We’re opting out of getting an infant car seat for baby #2 and just going straight to the Britax (Advocate or Boulevard – still deciding). I had the Chicco KeyFit when CJ was a newborn and I quickly became unable to lift the darn thing while he was in it. It was more along the lines of me just being really weak and frail as opposed to CJ gaining too much weight. I wasn’t able to use it for more than maybe 3 – 4 months before I had to give up the infant carrier and install a convertible car seat anyways. It felt like such a waste after investing in the carrier plus two carseat bases for only 4 months of use. Plus, I own a bugaboo stroller which has the bassinet carrier, and I found that I barely used it since I always had CJ in the carrier. Two good reasons for forgoing the infant carrier altogether this time around. (I’m reusing my bugaboo.)
Good luck in your search! Whatever you choose will be the right choice for your family.
Apr 13, 2011 @ 08:12:44
I think it’s a smart move on your part skipping the infant car seat since you have the bassinet on your Bugaboo. We used a Peg Perego infant car seat for Jordan and we all didn’t like it so we switched him to a convertible (Britax Boulevard) around 3.5 months. Since we’ll have 2 kids under 2 that needs to be in a stroller, I opted for the infant car seat because it’s smaller than the bassinet option on the Baby Jogger City Select.
By the way, we’re thinking of getting the Advocate for baby #2 as well! :)
Apr 12, 2011 @ 18:45:35
We have the Chicco Keyfit. I love it. It’s in great shape after a year of use and we plan to use it with our second child. It fit fine in our Rav4 and incredibly easily in our van. As for carrying it around and how heavy it is, I really can’t speak to that. I prefer to have an infant in a wrap or sling when out and about.
Apr 13, 2011 @ 08:15:06
Thanks Charity! Hubby and I actually went to the store to check out both seats and we decided on the Chicco KeyFit! By looking at the pictures online, I was a little bias towards the Chaperone but after seeing both seats in person, I actually like the Keyfit’s shape, size and overall design better.
Apr 11, 2011 @ 15:55:22
We are also trying to decide between these two infant seats and after reading all the reviews, I think it comes down to be a matter of preference because they are both very safe seats. However, Chicco is always rated number 1 because I think the Chaperone’s way too bulky for some cars.
Apr 08, 2011 @ 10:04:27
The issue with the Chaperone fitting is that the base is quite long and the base can hang over the edge. It’s huge and it doesn’t fit a lot of vehicles.
The Keyfit is rated very well for safety and was reccomended by several people I’ve talked to who have the system. We did a ton of research too and everywhere I look, the Keyfit amost always came in as the top rated car seat for infants. Good luck!