Great review!  The Keyfit is one of my favorite infant seats - especially for its easy installation - I agree, that seatbelt lock-off is fabulous!  Just make sure that you don’t also lock the seatbelt - you only use the lock-off on the base and trhe belt should still be able to flow freely at the retractor.

One little edit - rear-facing, straps should in the slots the AT or below the shoulders.

Thanks, Laura! Made the edit.

I have this car seat, and have liked it.  It is definitely easy to use.  My only complaints:
1. The seat is a little on the narrow side, so if you’re baby is big / broad shouldered, it can be a tight squeeze waiting to hit 30 pounds & move to the next seat. 

2. The fabric makes him very hot.  I live in Houston, and it is hotter than blue blazes here.  We NEVER leave his carseat in the car.  If he is not in the car, the carseat is in the house or in the shopping cart, so the problem isn’t that it heats up in the hot sun of the parking lot.  Even so, he gets very hot in the seat.  Even in situations where he is in the air conditioning (for instance, he fell asleep in the car, and we carried him in the house in the carseat) he will wake up screaming & drenched in sweat.  I think the problem is that the fabric just doesn’t breathe well - its not really suitable if you live in the South.  I read many of the babies r us comments before I bought the seat, and found them to be mostly positive.  But once I was aware of the problem, and more thoroughly read the comments, I saw others who live in hot locations had the same problem.

We love this carseat!  I was sold based on the safety rating (at the time I bought it 2+ years ago it was the highest rated on Consumer Reports).  My only complaint (and this is a small one) is that Chicco does not make a double stroller that can accomodate a car seat.  Now that I’m having baby #2 in a few months I have to investigate strollers that can accomodate a Chicco carseat.  They are available, but I was hoping that I could get one directly from Chicco.

This looks really nice - my only frustration is that it almost invalidates the rearfacing convertibles I already own!  You know, since it goes up to 30.  :-) Plus, I gotta be honest, when my kids got close to 20 lbs, the last thing I wanted to do was drag that bucket around! :-D Carriers were much easier on my body.
I’m tempted for the next baby, I have to say… but I *think* that I might go for a lower weight limit if I can find a seat that I can trust for safety with a considerably lower price point.  Since we’re currently TTC, I have some time to do the research, I guess. :-)

We have the Keyfit and have been very happy with it. Although it is a bit heavier, it is also safer and lasts longer, which makes it a better value in my book. We also experienced our little one getting warm in the carrier so I would say that they could work on the fabric. Otherwise it’s a great seat. Thanks for doing this review!

We are having twins and wondering if anyone knows if this or any other similar models snap into double strollers.  It sounds like this one doesn’t…

I’ve been using this car seat for the past year and I agree with the review on its ease-of-use and safety features. In retrospect though, I would have saved myself the extra money and gotten the standard KeyFit with the 22 lb weight limit. At one year, my daughter is about to exceed the seat’s height limit even though she’s nowhere near the weight limit. Moving her in the seat is also very difficult now since together they weigh nearly 35 lbs! It would be impossible for me to carry her in it if she were over 22 lbs.

Don’t get me wrong, the KeyFit 30 is a great car seat, but parents should realistically consider whether the extra weight allowance will be useful to them before paying extra for it.

I have the Graco Safe Seat Step 1 that is an infant carier seat.  It goes up to 30lbs. and 32” long.  I used it for my small daughter until she was 18 months old(she out grew the length)allowing me to put her in a less expensive front facing only seat.  I am now using it for my bigger son who would be pushing the weight limit at 8 months on a regular infant seat.

I loved it despite it’s being heavier and I’m not aware of any carseat that babies don’t sweat in.  My daughter is now in the Step two which reclines and I like it too.  I use the latch system so I’m not sure about other install options.

Karen2 the Graco Safe Seat clips in to the back of my Graco Quatro Tour Duo Stroller which comes with a bar to install so you can also put one in the front seat.  I am happy with the stroller and the seat fits securely in the back(I haven’t used it on the front).  My only complaint would be that it is a little difficult to maneuver the car seat in with my now 20 lb. son in it, but I’m still able to.

Jeremiah, for someone who is expecting a large baby (approx. 8 pds) which car seat would you recommend- this one or the graco safeseat?

I was happy to see the picture of the carseat installed properly. I am a Canadian living in the US south and am constantly amazed by the large families and the number of incorrectly installed carseats or just not using a carseat at all for babies to preschoolers.

Just yesterday I saw an infant in a rear facing carseat where the back of the front seat was jammed into the carseat and the handle was upright and not folded back.

I realize the instructions for every car seat are different but could you do a post on the basics? For example, how tight the straps should be, recommendations on front vs rear facing, guidelines on when to replace a carsear after a collision, locking the seatbelt where there is no LATCH system and simply reading the instruction book cover to cover.

Another things I noticed, where I am from you rarely see carseats at yard sales and most people wouldn’t buy one second-hand unless it came from a trusted source. We have seen dozens here at yard sales - are we just overly cautious?

I just purchased a Chicco car seat for my 2 year old son last week. He is a big boy, and was outgrowing his old seat. This one looks like it will last him a couple more years. Thanks !!

This carseat is absolutely great. For twins it will fit in those metal frame, snap N go strollers that do not have an actual stoller. People just tend to have problems when their kids are separated in age and they need an actual seat for the older one.

My daughter is a new mom.  She has the Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seat.  I noticed that the base unit that the seat attaches to in the car is loose.  Is this right or wrong? 

Is there an online description outlining the proper istallation of the base unit?

Thank you.
GrandPa

Grandpa - the base unit should not more more than 1 inch side to side, front to back when you pull lightly at the belt path (that’s how the seatbelt or LATCH belt, depending on how the base is installed, goes through the base).  The Chicco base is easy to install - if this is installed in the center of the seat (preferred location due to safety), then you likely need to use the seatbelt to install as there are few cars which allow center LATCH.  There is an inbuilt lock-off on the base that you thread the shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt into to secure the base.  Read the instruction manual of the seat carefully and if you are still unsure, make an appointment with a child passenger safety technician to check the installation - you can locate your nearest tech through this website - http://www.safekids.org/certification.