question for you parents out there

[AAAA4]

So my wife and i are expecting a child any day now, and i was wondering about car seats and the leather. will there be any damage? can i put something down to protect the leather or is that not safe?

thanks


oh here are some new pics from a drive that me and a couple friends did in Port Townsend WA

[TJHUB]

The thing you really need to watch out for with child seats is sharp edges that contact the leather itself. I used folded towels under the child seats to cushion the sharp edges which worked very well as none of my seats have been damaged. The seats need to be held down very tightly, so any irregular surface is going to dent into your seats and possibly stretch the leather.

Congratulations on the child! Good luck with the birth!

[djs]

My wife and I are also expecting and had the same questions. You can buy a pad that sits on the seat and will protect the leather from the car seat. The pad will also catch anything the baby drops. It hangs over the seat and the front part that hangs has a few pockets for storage. I'll try to get the brand/name/price when I get home tonight.

[Slo.Mo.Shun.]

Get the child one of this:

http://www.recarochildseats.com/

I first saw them at The Collection (Exotic Car Dealer)(Where I got my car) and I could not believe Recaro made child seats (They wanted ~ 400$ )

I'm confident this wont leave any damage on your leather

[retrohasen]

we use one of the pads and there has not been any marks or damage. They work great with all 3 of the car seats we have used.

[80020vr6]

I'm glad someone posted with this question. I have to put one in my car in June and I was worried about the leather also. That Prince Lionheart pad looks like it should do the trick.

[AAAA4]

thanks for the tip going to buy one of those pad things today.

[evoic]

Go to your local discount mega-super-duper-enorma-store (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc.) and pick up a package of:

1. 1/4" drawer liner.

*or*

2. The waffle design version of the non-slip stuff you lay down under a rug so that it does not move.

I have the non-slip rug stuff (which can be cut to accomodate your size / shape preference) and it works great.

They cost about $10-15 and save you a ton.
One thing that you have to be expecially careful with is putting towels and rags under the childseat.
These seats were not designed to be off-balance or artificially boosted up.
You want something that is as close to the seat as possible while still protecting the condition of the car.

Good luck.
Here's an example:


.
.

[quattrotman]

Go to your local discount mega-super-duper-enorma-store (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc.) and pick up a package of:

1. 1/4" drawer liner.

*or*

2. The waffle design version of the non-slip stuff you lay down under a rug so that it does not move.

I have the non-slip rug stuff (which can be cut to accomodate your size / shape preference) and it works great.

They cost about $10-15 and save you a ton.
One thing that you have to be expecially careful with is putting towels and rags under the childseat.
These seats were not designed to be off-balance or artificially boosted up.
You want something that is as close to the seat as possible while still protecting the condition of the car.

Good luck.
Here's an example:


.
.

Good idea!

[quattrotman]

Get the child one of this:

http://www.recarochildseats.com/

I first saw them at The Collection (Exotic Car Dealer)(Where I got my car) and I could not believe Recaro made child seats (They wanted ~ 400$ )

I'm confident this wont leave any damage on your leather

I've had my eye on the recaro baby seats too but apparently they are for 1yr and up . I thought for a baby seat they look pretty cool but I guess I'll have to wait a bit until the tyke is a bit bigger (heck, I still have to wait 4 months for he/she to be born!).
Anyone out there know of any other cool car seats for toddlers?

BTW...thanx for posting these questions guys!!

[AAAA4]

go with the britax companion infant car seat and the preview stroller that is what i bought it awesome because the seat just clicks into the stroller and clicks back in to the base in the car. super easy and rated high in safety and what not. plus they don't look half bad

[quattrotman]

go with the britax companion infant car seat and the preview stroller that is what i bought it awesome because the seat just clicks into the stroller and clicks back in to the base in the car. super easy and rated high in safety and what not. plus they don't look half bad

Got a link? Ebay or do they have a site? >> never mind I found it. Thanx!

I had my heart set on the porsche design stoller Yeah, I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to car stuff!

[evoic]

The Alpha-Omega Adjustable Blue Baby Seat....FTW ! (Babies 'R Us)

[minira]

they have a stroller coming out also! i've had my eye on that thing and the stroller. as for the baby seat, i don't have anything under mine . maybe i should

I've had my eye on the recaro baby seats too but apparently they are for 1yr and up . I thought for a baby seat they look pretty cool but I guess I'll have to wait a bit until the tyke is a bit bigger (heck, I still have to wait 4 months for he/she to be born!).
Anyone out there know of any other cool car seats for toddlers?

BTW...thanx for posting these questions guys!!

[slimmj0k3r]

go with the recaro's!!!

[AAAA4]

recaro has a stroller??? do you have a link?

[quattrotman]

go with the recaro's!!!

Yeah I know. They have some cool looking seats but they're for 1yr and up. No good for newborns

[A4 Joe]

I used a piece of leather I bought from a shop. The biggest deal was cleaning the constant stuff like juice, milk, cookies etc. from getting stuck to door panels, headliner and glass. After they were 3 month old I just threw them into the trunk, to much of a mess inside the car, after a couple of weeks they got used to it......oddly enough only one of my kids turned out to be a axe murderer. Honestly, enjoy the kids, the car will become less important soon.

[Spidee]

I've always gone bare ass with no pad or towel under the baby seat. I wondered too if it at some point the leather would get damaged but its held up well. I'm liking the prince pad.

I'm also quite surprised at how informed some of you are about strollers coming out for certain car seats.

We just moved up from the POS eddie bauer infant seat my wife picked out to a convertible 3-in-1. This seat is great. It's an Alpha Omega Elite. I got it in black. Some of the handles are red and since my car is red exterior, black interior, it matches well.


http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2580983

[evoic]

NICE !

I went Alpha Omega in the Moro Blue version......

Good choice.

I've always gone bare ass with no pad or towel under the baby seat. I wondered too if it at some point the leather would get damaged but its held up well. I'm liking the prince pad.

I'm also quite surprised at how informed some of you are about strollers coming out for certain car seats.

We just moved up from the POS eddie bauer infant seat my wife picked out to a convertible 3-in-1. This seat is great. It's an Alpha Omega Elite. I got it in black. Some of the handles are red and since my car is red exterior, black interior, it matches well.


http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2580983

[retrohasen]

I can't wait for my daughter to turn a year old. I have had this since before she was born:


Only 3 more months to go

By the way, we started with the Peg Perego SID. Cool seat since it clipped into the Peg Perego stroller, but my daughter grew out of it at 4 months. We then bought a Britax Roundabout. Excellent seat, easy to use and highly rated by CR. So that is 3 seats and we are also on our 3rd stroller. Live and learn

[dubless]

Two mos. ago I picked up the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio infant seat that snaps right into our Bugaboo Chameleon. Crazy $$$ but a great setup. Beware though, rear facing infant seats take up alot of space. Rear seat legroom in an A4 is short to begin with so you may find yourself knees to elbows if you're taller than 5' 10" or so. I'm 5'10" and find it slightly uncomfortable with the seat in the center position. And with the seat in the outboard positions (latch areas) you'll have to move the pass. or drivers seat up quite a bit. Forward facing seats are much better but then you'll have to wait a year or so for that.

[nahf14]

I have a baby due in about two or three weeks. We just picked up the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP infant seat. I liked it for the side impact protection (I believe side impacts are more common accidents than front) and it was also one of the seats tested by cosumer reports in some big news story about car seats. It didn't get their best rating, but it was on the list of safer seats that passed their tests. It also ancors onto stollers. We will be installing it this week and that non-slip material sounds like a good idea rather than a sheet or towel that may possibly slide.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...entPage=family

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2575247

Congrats to another expecting father, it's going to be a blast!!

[djs]

Eddie Bauer car seat protector. $15 at Target.


http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000COW82C

[fritzner]

1st off, Congratulations!!..
our baby is 6 months now and we dont have any issues with the seats.. naturally there are some indentations, but nothing 'sharp' that will cause a problem.. whatever seat you choose, make sure to install it at tight as you can or have it professionally installed..

we are using the same seat protector listed above -- it works great and matches our black/aluminum interior..

Eddie Bauer car seat protector. $15 at Target.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000COW82C

the britax companion is one of the highest rated car seats.. there is a special color "Monza" only available at Babies R US that matches our black/aluminum interior perfectly..




you cant put the front seat back all the way, i would rather not have it behind me when i am driving (i am 5'10").. as a passenger i have enough room.. my wife is 5'5" and she is very comfortable..

the companion is a little bigger and heavier than others out there, but it also has higher limits so it can be used longer.. our son would have grown out of others 2 months ago already, but still has room in the companion.. also the head pad/side impact is one of the best out there..

if you want jogging, hiking, or an urban assult stroller the britax companion also fits on the BOB strollers..



good luck!!..

[mksap11]

We've been using this for over a year with a great luck. They're not slippery and allow you to maintain proper install while protecting the leather.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/...tegoryId=86211

[mksap11]

I can't wait for my daughter to turn a year old.

A bit off-topic, but the AAP recommends that you keep your daughter rear facing until she reaches the highet weight or height limit allowed by the car safety seat. This is generally closer to 2 years old or over. The 1 year old + 20lb recommendation is a minimal standard.


http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
" Forward-facing seats

Once your child is at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight or height limit allowed by the car safety seat. There are many types of seats that can be used forward-facing including convertible seats, built in seats, combination forward-facing/booster seats, and travel vests."

[AAAA4]

i had to put the seat on the wifes side of the car, it wouldn't fit behind me. I went out and bought that seat protector from target and it seems to work pretty well so far it saved a spill already and the kid is only 1 week old.

[B18b1ex]

My daughter is now 3, I did way too much research before buying car seats, the long and the short. The peg-prego system is rated as one of the best Infant seats and the peg prego Aria stroller is a full size stroller that weighs 12lbs or so ( I knew I'd have to lug it around) and is easy to take apart to clean. I also had ordered a Recaro baby seat in blue and black to match my nogaro interior, it is BY FAR the best investment. It is obviously the best design and it works from 20- 80 lbs no other seat can compare to it. If you find a store that has it in stock take a look at it, I promise you will not leave with out it. That being said buy it on line it is $249 and a lot of places will deliver for free. Make sure it is the Recaro Young Sport seat.

Good luck and enjoy

I can't wait for my daughter to turn a year old. I have had this since before she was born:


Only 3 more months to go

By the way, we started with the Peg Perego SID. Cool seat since it clipped into the Peg Perego stroller, but my daughter grew out of it at 4 months. We then bought a Britax Roundabout. Excellent seat, easy to use and highly rated by CR. So that is 3 seats and we are also on our 3rd stroller. Live and learn

[retrohasen]

A bit off-topic, but the AAP recommends that you keep your daughter rear facing until she reaches the highet weight or height limit allowed by the car safety seat. This is generally closer to 2 years old or over. The 1 year old + 20lb recommendation is a minimal standard.


http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
" Forward-facing seats

Once your child is at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight or height limit allowed by the car safety seat. There are many types of seats that can be used forward-facing including convertible seats, built in seats, combination forward-facing/booster seats, and travel vests."

yeah, I know. My daughter is already 29 lbs and 31" at 10 months. The Dr. said she is good to go forward facing anytime now since she is also walking already. Yes, my daughter is a bit of a freak We are waiting until at least 1 year.

That is great info, though.