Chicco KeyFit 30

Thread: "Infant car seats - what did you like?"

Which car seat did you end up buying? The [Keyfit 30](https://goweblinks.co/keyfit-30) looks great, but keen to know what else is out there.

Thread: "Make my choice: car seat edition"

Car seats that don’t use flame retardants must still meet the flammability requirements. So it’s not a matter of avoiding fire safety, it’s just using a different method to get there (in this case, fabrics that are naturally flame retardant). OP if you want a cheaper option you can look at something like Chicco Keyfit in the ClearTex fabric.

Thread: "What car seat are you getting?"

I’ve tried so many seats, and the best one in my experience is Chicco. Keyfit 30 if you want infant, OneFit if you want a convertible all in one. Easy to install, super comfy, great quality. Light years nicer than the Graco we initially got.

Thread: "So torn on infant car seat - Uppababy or Chicco?"

Had the adapter for a Chicco car seat and the Uppababy Cruz. It’s really NBD since I just leave it in the car and throw it on when we need it.

Thread: "Infant car seats - what did you like?"

Another vote for the Chicco Keyfit 30! It’s a reasonable price point, an easy installation, good safety ratings, and one of the more narrow infant seats (if you’re fitting multiple kids in a car that could be a useful feature). Plus they’re now ClearTex so they’re flame retardant free I believe.

Thread: "Infant car seat vs. all in one car seat"

The only thing about the infant carrier for the summer is that you can bring it inside to cool down so you’re not burning baby with the black car seat lining and hot plastic snaps

Thread: "Best Infant Car Seat?"

Maybe a bit unpopular - but for the infant seat, i wouldn’t bother with the designer brands. It’s used for such a short period of time. The investment is better once they are in convertible seats. I did Chicco keyfit infant seat and Clek Fllo/ Evenflo revolve for convertibles

Thread: "So torn on infant car seat - Uppababy or Chicco?"

You can’t just decide to use the infant seat for a year. At 6 months, my son was too long. I had the Chicco and it was fantastic but realistically neither will be used very long. Save the $$$

Thread: "Car Seats (newborn to 4yo) - completely lost"

OK so * Isofix isn't alway worth it over belt fitted. Isofix has less room for human error in install but belt fit is just as safe * 360 rotation is not much easier once they get past baby stage, and not always generally worth it. because they sit higher than a lot of other seats so you have to lift the kid up high to get them in. If you child is above 50th centile they will outgrow the spin seats (as they are all isofix and only go to 18kg (couple of 19kg ones) before they are safe to turn forward facing (4.5years old) A child will only ever need three car seats in their life 1) infant carrier (0-13kg) taking them to roughly 18m of age depending on their centiles 2) rear facing second stage seat (ideally to 25kg, plus tested) taking them to at least 4.5y of ages, ideally 6y of age though 3) high back booster until they are 150cm (legally until they are 12) What you want to focus on is the infant seat here, you want to look for one that goes up to 13kg (some of the cheaper brands only go up to 10kg so watch out) You could get an isofix base to clip the seat into but you could just as easily belt the infant carrier into the car seat. Also look at what pram you want to use it with to see that the seat is compatible with the pram. Maxi Cosi and Cybex do some great infant carriers which are compatible with loads of prams, and often have an isofix base so you can clip them in. I wouldn't bother with a rotating isofix base for the infant seat. Then once you know what centiles the baby is on you'll know what age they are roughly going to outgrow the infant seat and you can start researching the next stage seat. Also bear in mind a lot of infants don't fit the 360 'from birth' seat from birth, so you might buy a 360 spinning from birth seat and have to shell out for an infant carrier anyway. Would be worth looking on some of the facebook car seat groups to see the fit you'd get in a 360 seat with a newborn, as lots of people post fit checks on there and you can see the baby is too small for the seat. This is a good one https://www.facebook.com/groups/289434267864378

Thread: "What car seat are you getting?"

Another vote for chicco key fit 30. It’s middle of the line for price but a quality and trusted brand!

Thread: "Infant car seat recommendation that doesn’t feel cheap?"

I used the chicco keyfit and it was great for us. I had no issues with it. We have the uppababy vista stroller.

Thread: "Chicco key fit 30 vs 35"

CPST here! Both the Keyfit (30 and 35) and the Liing are tech recommended seats as they are both fairly compact (so fit well in most vehicles), easy to use, and not outgrown quickly. The Keyfit 30 has lower limits, 30lb/30” but most kids tend to outgrow their infant seat by the third maximum which is the fit requirement. You must be able to maintain 1” of clearance above their head inside the car seat shell. For the 35, the limits are higher at 35lb/32” but you must maintain the 1” clearance above their head on the headrest. Depending on your child’s growth proportions (long torso, large head) they may hit that at the same time as they would in the 30. The 30 has a rethread harness which means you need to unhook the straps and manually move them to the next slot. The 35 has a no-rethread harness, which means you move the headrest and the harness moves with it. I find no-rethread harnesses convenient in theory but on an infant seat not really necessary as you aren’t having to uninstall the seat to do it since you can just take the carrier out and flip it over. All in all, I’ve personally used the Keyfit 30 and loved it. I haven’t seen a 35 in person yet but the bases are simple to install and fit well in most vehicles. I’m personally using a Liing for my impending 2nd child and am loving it as well.

Thread: "Car seat advice - I'm overwhelmed"

If you do go with an infant seat, it doesn’t have to be an Uppababy one. You can purchase adapters to use with almost any seat. I got the Uppababy Cruz and a Chicco Keyfit 30 which was much cheaper and generally more recommended than the Mesa. I got it on sale a couple days ago for $230, and the adapter is about $70. The Seats for Kids group someone already mentioned is a great resource!!

Thread: "Infant car seats - what did you like?"

There's a Chicco keyfit that is flame retardant free. Check out their "cleartex" line. More expensive than the other keyfit, but wayyyy cheaper than Nuna or Uppababy.

Thread: "Infant car seats - what did you like?"

Chicco keyfit 30 with the base. I’m not too concerned about flame retardants so that didn’t factor into the decision for me. Actual performance in a car crash does, and performance is affected by installation. I like that it’s super duper easy to install the base with the latch system and check that it’s level. It’s also not as heavy as the Uppababy and nowhere near as expensive.

Thread: "Should I forego the infant car seat for a convertible seat?"

I'm sure either option will be fine, and you will find proponents of both. For us, having an infant carseat was beneficial for a couple reasons, namely that we could practice getting him buckled properly in the house, could get it warmed up inside during the colder months, and it snapped directly into our stroller (Chicco KeyFit 30 and Chicco Bravo stroller).

Thread: "Chicco key fit 30 vs 35"

Any car seat sold in stores in Canada have passed all safety tests and regulations. One is not safer than the other.

Thread: "What is your favorite All In One Carseat? "

What car you drive HIGHLY affects what seats can be installed properly. The swivel seats are large and need a lot of extra space, whereas Dionio makes some or the narrowest seats on the market, allowing for a 3 across configuration that you can't achieve with many other brands in smaller SUVs. For example, I drive a Mazda 3, and because it's a small car, there were only a few seats that could be installed correctly. We started with the Keyfit 30 like you, we had about 2 inches clearance between the passenger seat and the car seat (with the passenger seat cranked all the way to the front of it's slides) Which means we couldn't install anything bigger than the Keyfit was. We upgraded to a Graco Slimfit, and we're able to get some extra clearance.

Thread: "Is Chicco ClearTex fabric worth it?"

According to this page, it sounds like only the ClearTex products don’t use flame retardants. And the email you got in response sounds like they still use flame retardants in the regular Keyfit, just not brominated or chlorinated ones. [https://www.chiccousa.com/baby-talk/non-toxic-car-seat/](https://www.chiccousa.com/baby-talk/non-toxic-car-seat/)

Thread: "Make my choice: car seat edition"

Chicco’s seats with ClearTex fabric are a great budget-friendlier option for this!

Thread: "Infant car seat or convertible car seat?"

I got the Chicco Bravo travel system. My friend recommended it and grifted us an extra base for it. For convertible car seats we got the Graco extend 2 fit. My mom got the slim version for her car since she watches him a lot, and the straps seem easier to adjust on that one. We like them though!

Thread: "What infant car seat did you guys buy or will buy ?"

We had a Chicco Keyfit 30. While it may have been less “luxe” then fancier models it passes the same safety tests as all seats and infants aren’t supposed to be in car seats for long periods so you don’t need to worry as much about that. My son outgrew it by 7 months so I was very happy we didn’t overspend on the bucket. We went a little more luxe on our convertible now that’s he’s older, going on longer trips and more active in the car.

Thread: "Car seats - you get what you pay for?"

We went with the Chicco Keyfit 30 because when we felt the Graco (I forget which one - click connect or snugride something), it just felt...harder, more uncomfortable. I’m sure it’s just as safe but the Chicco felt like it would be more comfortable for baby 🤷🏼‍♀️ But as a FTM I don’t really know much about car seats, lol. In a majorrrrrrr twist of luck, though, we found our preferred travel system (Chicco Viaro) on clearance at Target for 50% off - so $175 for the car seat, base, and stroller. That’s cheaper than buying the car seat alone! They had only clearanced out one color, but it was neutral and too good of a deal to pass up. So I highly recommend stalking Target clearance for good deals. We also picked up our crib there for 50% off as well.

Thread: "What car seat are you getting?"

I did a bunch of research and Chicco came highly recommended!

Thread: "Which car seat do you have and what do you like/dislike about it?"

I have the revolve 360 slim and I love everything about it, but I will say the dang straps get twisted up really easy which is very frustrating to address. It's entirely possible I'm doing something wrong. This did not occur in our Chicco keyfit infant seat.

Thread: "Reviews on Chicco keyfit 30 ?"

I love how easy and lightweight it is, but I have a huge baby and she's going to outgrow it quickly. The simple click in/out for carseat and stroller is a dream when I'm in a rush, and the straps are so easy to tighten/loosen to get her in and out without having a fit.

Thread: "Difference between expensive infant seats and less expensive infant seats"

Idk if it’s science-based but we used Consumer Reports to decide on the Chicco Keyfit — they said convertible ones are a bit less safe + the keyfit was the second-highest rated (only a couple points less than the top rated which was twice the price). Passing legal safety standards is a minimum, the CR tests go above that I think.

Thread: "Stuck overthinking car seats"

Chicco cleartex seats I beleive are without flame retardants

Thread: "Car seats - you get what you pay for?"

I was also struggling with this and had essentially decided that with the US safety standard almost any was fine- but then I read this NYTimes Wirecutter (it’s nytime’s product review section) article that strongly recommend the Chicco Key Fit 30. Apparently US safety tests - while pretty good - don’t include side crash testing? So the wirecutter comissioned their own side crash testing and the Key Fit did much better. The article explains all this better than I am currently doing. Here is the link. https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-infant-car-seat/

Thread: "Difference between expensive infant seats and less expensive infant seats"

In addition to that, we just bought a cheaper (and lighter) car seat recently for use on an airplane/in a rental car. (We had the Chicco Fit2 when lo was small and now have the Graco Extend2Fit that we use normally; for the trip we bought a different, lightweight seat to be able to lug it around easily). There was a significant difference in how easy it was to safely install the seat and strap in little one. I'm still not 100% sure I had the cheaper car seat installed perfectly and my mom, my husband, and both of my sisters also struggled with it. And my mom and sisters have loads of experience with carseats between my son and my niblings. I hadn't considered that as a factor before, but higher-end carseats are built to be easy to use so they get good reviews and people will want to pay the high prices. So that's a big benefit of spending more in this area; it will likely be easier to correctly install the seat so that your baby's as safe as possible.

Thread: "Infant car seat recommendation that doesn’t feel cheap?"

We used the Chicco KeyFit 30 and it was fantastic. Great price, great quality, fit perfectly in our small car and our big car. Wish I could have used it longer.

Thread: "So torn on infant car seat - Uppababy or Chicco?"

I don’t have either seat but have sooo many friends that had that same experience with the uppababy seats and their kids just always looking like they didn’t have the best fit/uncomfortable that I’d never get one. It’s not just one person, so many people have said that was their experience! Seems super common. I feel like the adapter thing isn’t that big of a deal—you use the infant seat for such a small period of time in the grand scheme of things that I think it’d be more minor than you think!

Thread: "Should I get an infant car seat? "

We have a chicco keyfit and found it light enough to carry our baby into restaurants (on a chair) and into church service (on the pew). Extra helpful now that it’s getting cold where I am. You can also buy a chicco stroller frame to go with it - it’s easy to use, and lighter and slimmer to bring into stores than a vista. We used the vista for walks and the stroller frame for everything else.

Thread: "3 Across Car Seats"

Graco slimfit3LX is the holy grail of affordable and easy to install three across for sure. Graco's infant seats aren't as slim as some others, like the Chico Keyfit I know is one slimmer one. An inch or two can make or break three across

Thread: "Car seat research - What have you found to be the best options?"

We bought a Chicco Keyfit 30. It had some of the best safety reviews I could find. The bases are easy to use, the car seat itself is easy to use and easy to adjust (and not too bad to take the cover off and clean once you figure out how). It has a 'light' stroller frame you can buy that just clips the carrier into, but it also has a standard stroller that can be used with the carrier and used as an infant/toddler stroller. That's the option we went with. The carrier is heavy (but to me, that's reassuring) and the stroller is also large and solid, but we've taken it strawberry picking, on walks, through hospital corridors, it's been great. The stroller only just fits into my husband's trunk, however, so if you have a smaller car or a tiny sedan, it may not work well for you. Overall I'm happy with it.

Thread: "3 Across Car Seats"

We had my toddler in a Diono Radian 3R and my twins in Chicco Keyfit 30s. We fit 3 across in my husband’s car, which was a Subaru Crosstrek. It was a tight fit but it worked. Now that they’re older, all three are in Dionos.

Thread: "Car seat recommendation uppababy [ab]"

I used the chicco key fit with my vista. It was fine, fit well in my rav with tall adults, and I'm glad I didn't spend the money. I'm unsure how it compares in weight. There is a Facebook group SEATS for Kids. You may want to join that group and search your vehicle type or make your own post to make sure the car seat fits okay.

Thread: "Chicco key fit 30 vs 35"

I know this was posted ages ago but I’m in a similar quandary and this was such a helpful breakdown, thank you!

Thread: "So torn on infant car seat - Uppababy or Chicco?"

Yes and I remember feeling like it was wasted money but then my pediatrician pointed out…the next car seat size (convertible) lasts for years so a couple months really doesn’t make a difference. You’re going to buy it either way!

Thread: "Is Chicco ClearTex fabric worth it?"

That's an excellent clarification, thank you! I was under the impression that brominated and chlorinated flame retardants were the concerning ones, but I guess I don't know a ton about the other options out there.

Thread: "So torn on infant car seat - Uppababy or Chicco?"

We have an uppababy vista and a chicco KeyFit, and yeah, you do need the adapter, but it's really not a big deal. I'm using another stroller for day to day stuff now (the chicco presto, which I highly recommend), but when I was using the uppababy more often I just kept the adapter in my car with the stroller.

Thread: "Practical: Doona, Graco Snugride, or Chicco Keyfit"

Keyfit is def not good up until 2 years; my 8 month old will probably outgrow by the time she’s 1. But it is nice and I do love my chicco corso travel system Any infant car seat will most likely be outgrown by 1 year old depending how big your child grows. We didn’t go with doona because we are tall and the lack of basket storage. If you want a car seat that lasts up until toddlerhood— you’ll need a convertible car seat. The downside being you’ll be popping baby in and out of the seat vs taking the whole thing with you and attaching to stroller like an infant car seat.

Thread: "Infant car seats vs convertible car seats [ca]"

It sounds like, based on your stroller and the upcoming winter, you're leaning towards buying a compatible infant seat for your child. We have the uppababy Cruz and also love it. We used the Chicco keyfit (and adaptor) with it, which was relatively inexpensive on sale. The convertible seat is something you'll need eventually. I know some people put their infants in them but my son was never able to sit well in it until he got a bit bigger. In terms of keeping him warm, we put him in a fleece as his outer layer when carrying him to/from the car. When in the car, we may lay a blanket on him after he's been buckled in. Some things to consider: 1) How big are is your child, percentile-wise? That might give you some indication of how long they'll be in the infant seat. My son was in the 87th percentile for height and 95th for weight, he used his for about 10 months. 2) Are you planning or hoping to have a second? Getting a second (or third) use out of the infant seat may make it more worthwhile.

Thread: "talk me out of the nuna car seat... or into it!"

I won’t do nuna bc of how they handled their recall recently. My baby is 5 months and we have used a chicco keyfit with no issues - love it & he’s comfy. The reviews with chicco are Fantastic as well. We now use a graco rotating seat in one car and will be using the chicco rotating seat as well in my car once he outgrows this. You didn’t ask for stroller recommendations but we pair ours with an uppababy vista using an adapter and it works well enough with the Joie nutmeg. FWIW, Joie mint latch was our second choice seat but only really ended up with chicco because we got it for almost nothing at a closing buy buy baby store.

Thread: "Infant car seat recommendation that doesn’t feel cheap?"

Us too!! Great car seat. Honestly you use the bucket seat for less than a year, it didn’t make sense for me to shell out $600 for that.

Thread: "Graco car seat or splurge for Uppababy?"

The uppababy carseat actually has some safety complaints and concerns about airway issues for smaller babies. More expensive doesn’t always mean better. I agree with the other poster the Chico keyfit is one of the best rated for safety and is a favorite among car seat installers and public safety providers.

Thread: "3 Across Car Seats"

From what I’ve read in other car seat groups, he doesn’t actually install the seats to check that they fit. He just measures and suggests seats based on the measurements.

Thread: "Overwhelmed trying to pick a convertible car seat!"

WE LOVE Our ChiccoFit 360. We have two but you can actually just buy two bases and move the car seat between two cars if you prefer.

Thread: "Difference between expensive infant seats and less expensive infant seats"

Right, I have convertible seats now for my daughter. But for the time being she still needs them and I need an infant seat for the next baby. It's a funny and good point about the baby puke. The Chicco seat I had for my daughter was not so easy to take apart and wash lol

Thread: "Difference between expensive infant seats and less expensive infant seats"

We did the safety research on baby hear lab and consumer reports as some have already suggested. Our conclusion was that the Chicco KeyFit is the safest largely because it's so easy to install that even if you're exhausted and in a rush you'll likely get it right. So that's what we bought.