Hello. I'm looking for a good website that would help with looking up consumer reviews and a rating system on products. I guess like Consumer Reports, but that is free. I'm looking to buy a new carseat and want to make the most informed decision that I can. Any suggestions?
I like using Amazon.com, there are usually tons and tons of reviews on a product. Another great resource is actually a book that I found extremely helpful called Baby Bargains. It gives detailed ratings and information on most baby products out there. Good luck!
Hi E....you may want to take a look at the National Transportation Safety Administration's website. They have a list of car seating rating records. I used the list when I purchased my son's initial car seat and his convertible car seat. The list is pretty clear and concise, however it's long so be prepared to skim through a few pages.
I use www.epinions.com frequently.
epinions.com is pretty good.
I have recently found some information at www.carseatsite.com
You might also try www.consumersearch.com
Under the heading "Family" there is information on car seats. Mostly they tell you different websites that review car seats. Some are parent reviews, some are websites that rate the safety of the car seat.
For me, it was worth the $5.95 for a monthly membership to consumer reports just to get their ratings information.
From a personal perspective, I can tell you that I have been very happy with our Britax car seats. They are expensive, but they are worth it. They always score well in crash tests. And they score well in European crash tests, which are more stringent than the tests in the US. We have two Britax Marathon carseats. I moved my girls into them at 9-10 months when they outgrew the infant seat. My oldest is now 4 1/2 and she will probably be in this seat for at least another year because the carseat is for kids up to 65 pounds or 48 inches. If I were going to buy a new seat today I'd buy the Britax that has "wings" on the head (I think it's the decathalon) because the extra support around the head is safer.
Good luck finding a seat for your daughter.
Hi E.,
Check out this book: Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. They also have a book for Toddler products as well. They have a great approach to giving you the best quality product for the best price.
Congratulations on your baby : ). I am a new SAHM of a 3-month old daughter. However, I have a 13-year old daughter and 7-year old son as well, so I'm not a first time parent. Anywho : ), it had been so long since having my son, I was also very concerned about any big purchases concerning my daughter's safety. I have not found a consumer review site, but we purchased our carseat (and two bases -one for each car) from Babies R Us. We checked them online and read the reviews left by previous purchasers. We also checked carseats and their reviews on Target online. We purchased Graco which had the safety harnesses up to safety code plus additional great features such nice patterns, usage time, mobility, weight, and price. It was very nice that we only had to buy two bases -one for each car- which prevented one of us from having to have the carseat take up space in car when we did not have the baby. Then, the base could easily go in the trunk in case we had to switch cars or something. Additionally, we bought the carseat with the corresponding stroller for trips to the mall. So far, I am extremely happy with the seat. The reviews were very helpful and we also got reviews that way for the bassinett, crib, bouncer, highchair and playpen before buying them. Maybe this helped you a little.
