Is There a Perfect Solution Out There?

Car seats are outrageous - so many kinds, so many rules, so many features; so overwhelming! I've been to four stores in the three days, I've looked online, and I even checked out Craigslist, all in search of the perfect car seat solution.

My problem is that my son is at the breaking point of his Chicco Keyfit, (22 pounds) and I can't figure out what to put him in next. Since he's only 9 months, we still have to keep him in a rear facing seat, which is safer and preferred by us, but they are HUGE and we can barely find one that fits comfortably in our car. You can't even see around the clunkers (even with the mirror) and since my son is going through a bit of a separation anxiety phase, that makes for a long ride.

Maybe my expectations are too high in what I want in a seat - safe, good weight capacity, fits in our car, and the ability to see my child in the mirror from the front; but I don't think so. Our car, a VW Sportwagon, is not that small! Plus, what do people in smaller cars use???

After my last unsuccessful trip to BBRUS, I finally started asking around. I got a few good suggestions that aren't on display at BBRUS:  Maxi-Cosi, Peg Perego, Recaro, and finally I just happened to ask a woman what she uses in her Toyota: a Sunshine Kids/Diono. We tried them all out, but the Sunshine Kids/Diono (Diono is the new name) was the winner.

Can't beat that.

When we tried it out, (with some minor adjustment to the passenger seat) it fit fabulously, I could see him from the front and he's actually really happy in it because he can now see out the window (yay for built in entertainment!) Yesterday, when we hit the road for what turned out to be an ELEVEN HOUR drive to DC, it literally stood the test of time: we had not one meltdown on the road. It's also upright enough that I felt comfortable doing a solid feed while we were underway.

I know there isn't always a "perfect" solution out there for every problem, but there is a solution that will solve your problem perfectly enough. In this situation, it was worth the extra time and effort to find this winner. It's not one of the "famous" brands, but when did famous equate to quality? When it comes to baby products, I feel so pressured to jump into these "popular" products and in so many of the instances that we have, they turn out to be a huge let down. Just like when we searched for a stroller, we had to find the product that was right for us.

Sincerely,
Jordan