5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Car Seat

A car seat for a new parent is such an important accessory and tool. You’ll likely use it as much as any other baby product and it’s not something you’ll want to replace after a few months. The right bucket seat can be used for multiple kids and so I’m here to give you my top 5 tips to choosing the perfect one for your growing family!

1. Find one that is easy to install! Nothing will test your patience (and your marriage) quite like installing a car seat that is hard to figure out. The Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat  has a ReclineSure® Spring-Loaded Leveling Foot that adjusts to your vehicle’s seat angle as well as a  RideRight® Bubble-level Indicator to show when a proper base angle has been achieved so it helps take the guess work out of the installation process!

2. Find a bucket seat that is light. Newborns and babies sleep A LOT and have a tendency to fall asleep in the car. You will likely just snap out the bucket and carry it into stores to avoid waking up your newborn to put them in a stroller. The Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat weighs only 7lbs so your back will thank you!

3. Find one that will grow with your baby, regardless of the size it’s born at. Finding a bucket seat with an infant insert will be amazing for your first trip home from the hospital and for the first month at home. It’ll be even more important if you have a premie! And find one that will accommodate a rear facing baby for as long as possible!

4. Find one that is safe. Do your research, read up on car seats and make sure they meet all the safety standards of the country you live in! We chose the Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat because it is lined with energy-absorbing foam and is equipped with a five-point harness that quickly and easily adjusts for an accurate fit, using the one-pull harness adjustment.

5. Find a carseat that you can easily clean. Messes. Will. Happen. And a lot more often than you think. Having a car seat that can be wiped down will save you time, tears and energy! Our Chicco car seat is made with fabrics that may be spot-cleaned with mild soap and water or machine-washed in cold water on delicate cycle using mild detergent. Most car seats we came across did not have covers that could be put in the washing machine so we absolutely LOVE this feature!

For more information on our Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat click here!

Diono radian®rXT Convertible Car Seat Review

With Baby Safety Month AND Child Passenger Safety Week coming to an end, I thought I would share our newest baby gear addition: the Diono radian®rXT convertible car seat. We've been using a bucket seat up until now and it's just getting too hard to carry around because my little man is getting quite chunky lol. I was so happy to receive the Diono radian®rXT because it's beautiful, sturdy, comfortable, easy to install, comes with a cute cup holder for his bottles (priorities right!?) and Zane will be able to use it until he no longer needs a car seat (it's also narrow enough to fit 3 car seats side by side in most vehicles so I won't have to replace it if/when we have more children!)

The Diono radian®rXT is first and foremost safe. Car safety is so important so before looking at any of the bells and whistles that products offer, I always start by looking at the safety features. The seat is is covered in energy absorbing foam to help shield him should there ever be an impact while he's in my car. It has reinforced side impact protection near his head and has a 5 point harness to keep him nice and secure.

I could go on and on about all the features I love, besides the safety features, but it would take quite a while, so I've decided to narrow it down to my top 5:

1 - Convertible: It can be used from birth (5 lbs) - 120 lbs by simply switching its orientation and components. It can be rear-facing for when your children are young (and it comes with an infant insert), forward-facing with a 5-point harness for extra security when they are a little bigger, and it even has a booster mode for when your children are old enough to not be in a full car seat, but still small enough where you need that extra bit of safety.

2 - Airplane approved: I'm going to be honest and admit that until I had Zane, I had no idea that you could even bring a car seat onto an airplane. The Diono radian®rXT is FAA certified to use in an aircraft as a harnessed restraint, and because it folds up so easily, carrying it through the airport is a cinch! You can even buy straps for it to turn it into a backpack to make carrying it easier!

3 - Easy to install: My son is 7 months old so we installed our seat rear-facing. The car seat comes with a UAS belt, so installing it was as simple as unfolding the car seat, loosening the shoulder straps, pushing the UAS belt through the belt path under the seat and clicking it in to place. After tightening the UAS belt we were ready to go!

4 - Washable fabric: Zane is a spitter. He spits up on EVERYTHING so I always look for a car seat that not only has a washable cover (most do) but that has a cover that can be easily removed and replaced. I was able to take off the car seat cover in under a minute and was able to put it back on in about the same amount of time. Anything that's that simple is a win in my book!

5 - Comfortable: This seat is lined with memory foam! Yes you read correctly - memory foam (I wish it came in adult sizes to be honest). No one wants to be driving with a baby that's screaming because they're uncomfortable or tired of sitting - so this memory foam is genius. I also love that, as mentioned above, the foam is energy absorbing for added safety! And in the event that Zane is screaming in my car (which he does often)... at least I know he's comfortable lol.

If you're looking for a great car seat that can grow with your baby, you have to consider the Diono radian®rXT. It comes in so many colours and really offers everything that you want in a car seat! 

I also chose to use the Diono Seat Guard Complete under the car seat to protect my seats from damage and food stains. I'm really really impressed with the quality of this cover and it comes with some neat features! The other one's I've tried were always very thin and flimsy... this one is thick and made from a harder material so I know the weight of the car seat and my growing baby won't leave dents in my seats. It's waterproof and has raised sides so it catches and contains spills and leaks (and spit up in Zane's case lol). It also has grips on the bottom and back to prevent sliding and it's crash tested (yay safety!). Overall, a great investment!